Well folks, it is true, Kim has absolutely no moss growing under her feet these days! 2 weeks after she returned from Vancouver, she moseyed her way all the way to the East Coast for a 3 week solo trip to the Maritimes. I figure she is really good at embracing the acronym “NEMA” – No excuses, make adjustments. When she had to cancel her trip to Morocco because of her health incident (and no travel insurance for a while) she said “I’ll go explore Eastern Canada!”
She flew from Saskatoon to Moncton, New Brunswick on Tuesday and promptly jumped in a rental vehicle and drove 2.5 hours to a stunning town called St. Andrews (by the sea). Kim doesn’t have a lot of time to explore New Brunswick, so she had some help in deciding where to go from her former colleagues Julie and Michelle……so she is making the most of her 3 short days there, using their suggestions – thanks ladies!
First off: St. Andrews by the Sea is very close to the State of Maine, USA. Founded in 1783 and named in honour of St., Andrews, Scotland,
It is a very well preserved town, maintaining many of the original buildings. The history is amazing and the architecture stunning. Kim said it is a photographers dream.
The first night she arrived, she took a walk of the quaint downtown. She stayed at an Air B and B that was behind a retail shop on Water Street. A stunning place, in a great location – she walked everywhere! After her brief walk, she was hungry and stopped in the local Red Herring Pub for some fish and chips and a craft local beer (surprise surprise!). Delicious (why can’t she bring me home some fish?!?)
And……..here comes the rain, rain, rain. It rained all night and was still misty and drizzly the next day. So NEMA! Lots of things were closed – no whale watching tours today, so Kim put on her hiking boots and rain jacket, packed her backpack- grabbed her camera – and headed out to explore the town.
Sometime NEMA is a great opportunity! She walked throughout the historical centre, enjoying all of the old houses and architecture, and walked along the Van Horne Trail. This trail took her through the forested areas, and along the coast line. Here are a few pictures of what she saw – amazing!
And she ended up walking past the Algonquin Hotel – beautiful!
On her way back to her condo, she stopped at the Kingsbrae Horticultural Garden. This was a great surprise to her! She knew it was rated highly on Trip Advisor, but hadn’t planned to go. Well, she loved it (and if you go to St. Andrew’s, you should stop here!). Kim spent over 2 hours exploring and taking pictures- this garden is rated in the top 10 of public gardens in Canada – I can see why. Big paws up! There are over 50,000 different plants on display and an amazing sculpture garden.
Kim then returned to her Air B & B and decided to go to a place called Clamdiggers for take out. OMG – check out the size of her plate of food! LOL – no, she didn’t finish it all. What she learned today? Ask how much food the seafood platter is! She also learned that New Brunswick wine pairs nicely with battered seafood 😉
That night it poured again! Oh my goodness, rain is following her :). But – good news folks! The skies cleared up in time for Kim to “hit the road” and she headed East – next destination? Fundy National Park where again it was NEMA time! It had rained so much that many of the trails were closed or very mucky. So……she stopped in at the Visitor Centre and the very nice lady there gave her some alternatives. So she “walked”. the Dickson Falls Trail and the Shiphaven Trail. She gave them both paws up! She said the views were amazing and she met some other nice people along the way – bonus!
She also said that the award for most 150 year Canada celebration red chairs goes to Fundy National Park! Look at how they also have small chairs for kids – the whole family can sit together – way to go New Brunswick!
Well folks, she is now staying at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in Alma, NB, which is at the East Entrance of the park. She had an amazing dinner at a restaurant called Octopus Garden. Take a look – Lobster Rose Pasta – homemade pasta and local lobster…..oh my goodness! At least it wasn’t battered and deep fried this time. If you are in Alma – go here!
She is going to Prince Edward Island tomorrow – but first, a stop at Hopewell Rocks, to walk the Ocean Floor. Stay tuned folks!
My Teddy Tales aka Freddy’s Fables 