August 3, 2016

Botanical Garden

 

Edmondston Walk

Arriving in Edmondston we are assigned a very nice site right on the Madawaska River.  Decided to stay three nights and explore the area.  First was the visitors center and a walking tour of the downtown.  Enjoyed the library and a wonderful lunch and tour of their botanical garden.  Took a river walk through a local festival event.  Fun nice city.

Leaving Edmondston on Thurs July 28, we head down the St. John River Valley towards Fredericton, Capital of New Brunswick.  Decided to take the “scenic” drive as opposed to the Trans Canada Hwy.  Very beautiful!  Got a really good feel for the local culture and life style.  Numerous tourist sites along the way.  First, the Grand Falls Gorge in Drummond. 

Grand Falls Gorge

Walked to various viewing points watching Zip Liners crossing the enormous gorge.  Next we head south along the scenic valley river drive.  Arriving in Hartland, home of the “Worlds Longest Covered Bridge,

Worlds Longest" Covered" Bridge

at least that is the claim. (1,282 feet, covered in 1922 to prevent snow and ice)  After the bridge, we toured “Covered Bridge Potato Chip Factory”.  Fun self guided tour with free samples.  Workers all wearing shirts “I love my Job”.  Remember the Jonny Carson show where the guest was a “Potato Chip Inspector / sorter”,  bringing several chips of figures, well, we saw the “sorters”.

Leaving Hartland we head to Fredericton on a “very” rural road, hwy 575 and 104.   Wilderness at best and a very rough ride.The scenic route.  Arriving in the city looked very busy with heavy traffic.  Rainstorm so decided a Walmart stay in our best interest.  Tomorrow tour Fredericton.

Back Woods Camping

Well, we then learned New Brunswick is celebrating a National Provincial Holiday this weekend, Fri Thru Monday.  Every Canadian in the world came out to camp.  Every RV park full.  We activated our AT&T phone for Canadian service (now have unlimited phone, text, and e-, fyi), calling every park we could find.  All full!  Low and behold, one just had a cancellation which we jumped on.  Nice park on the ST. John river, but our site way back in the woods.  Full service but no TV.  Booked three nights to cover the full Holiday.  Learning weekends can be very busy in Canadian tourist areas, so future planning will be to stay put on W/E and tour during the week. We had a very nice Chinese dinner

RV Park Chinese Dinner

that they put on in the park to raise money for an additional to their rec hall. $7/ per person. Got to visit with some of the people that were permanents in the park and a couple of guys biking from Ottawa. Had put on 100 miles. Great experience and food was wonderful. All made by the ladies from the park.

Anyway, toured Fredericton downtown walking.  Very historical city, lots of settlement history.  Then went to a “Live Enacted” settlement village near our campground. 

Settlement Village

Kings Landings.  Very real, dressed for the time, situated on 300 acres ,70 buildings, a black smith, cattle, crops, the whole sha-bam!    Tomorrow, St. Andrews and St. George, and the start of the Bay of Fundy.

Campsite River View

Monday Aug 1, arrived at ST. John,  Hardings Point Campground.  Had to take a free ferry ride to get to park.  No problem for rig and tow car.  Campground located on the St. John river right near the mouth to The Bay of Fundy.  Nice park and our site had

Ferry Ride

a beautiful view of the river.  This was still a holiday for the New Brunswick Celebration, so a very busy day.  Kind of like our Memorial Day.  Learning that in these tourist areas we need to book ahead.  So here for three days, then booked near Hopewell Rocks, (40’ tides) for another 3 days.  Tomorrow tour St. John.

We have certainly met a number of wonderful Canadians, exchanging cards and hopefully reconnect again sometime.  Anyway, after some discussion we decided to pass on St. John today and do St. Andrew, about 60 miles east of us.  Our first stop was lunch at a place called Gables,

Gables Dinning

recommended by our new RV friends.  Downtown in ST. Andrews, situated right on the ST. John River, beautiful outside deck seating.  We ordered a Sea Food Platter and fish lunch with a salad and shared.  It was wonderful along with a Bloody Mary and beer.  St. Andrews is very much like our Door County back home.  Very heavy tourist area with lots of colorful shops. 

We then did a walking tour of the downtown, stopping at a historical “sheriffs family homestead”. 

Sheriff's House

Very nice tour finishing with tea, a cookie, and a wonderful trifil  desert.  Enjoyed meeting a very nice Canadian family at the table with their daughter.  Had a fun conversation.  Next was the city wharf extending out the St. John.  Low tide, about 10’ here. 

St Adrews Low Tide (10')

Lovely view of the city from here.  Lots of charter activity for whale watching, fishing, etc.

Then was recommend to go to the aquarium for a very educational presentation and feeding of Seahorses and Seals.  Not the greatest aquarium,  but a very good educational source.  We finished the day with a drive on the ocean floor at low tide to Minister Island. 

Ministers Island Low tide road

Literally, a road to the island at 10’ low tide.  Neat!  Back to the RV around 7pm. Still to full for supper, so visited with our RV neighbors.

Seal Feeding