31 August 2013 - Fundy Trail Parkway

Our second day at St. John on the Bay of Fundy has been a thing of beauty.  We decided that the vaunted Bay of Fundy Tides take too long to sit and wait for the changes, so we elected to tour the pristine coastline of New Brunswick.  For those who do not know, the Bay of Fundy is noted for having the highest tides in the world. They fluctuate up to 40 feet between high and low tides.  It takes 6 hours to go from low to high and we felt we could not just sit to watch it.  There is a place called Reversing Falls, where a river runs into the bay.  When the high tide rises, you can literally see the river reverse course as the ocean surges in.  You have to be there at just the right time to see it and we were too far away.  We did arrive in St. Martin at low tide and you can see how the boats rest on the ground while moored to the dock above them, waiting for the water to return.

We thought that on the way back they would be floating high, but we did not give it enough time and they were floating again, but only a little and not enough to make a dramatic photo. Oh, well. Perhaps another time.

St. Martin is a quaint little town nestled in a secluded bay.  At one time it was the center of a massive lumbering economy, cutting trees, sending them to the bay and loading onto ships to be carried to the lumber mills and pulp wood factories.  Many fortunes were made here and many jobs created.  Some of the "lumber barons" built lovely homes, up on hills with spectacular views of the ocean.  In fact, you can see all the way across to Nova Scotia from this place.  Some of the homes are still standing and kept in good shape and I think they have an air about them that speaks forgotten elegance.

After a while, the logging industry was curtailed in order to create a coastline as much back to the original as possible.  For about 20 kilometers along the coast from St. Martin north, the area has been kept wild and we are told it is the last remaining section of wild, undeveloped coastline in North America.  The Fundy Trail Parkway runs along this coast with walking and biking trails and lookouts with picnic tables, view locations and an interpretive center.  The logging operations are gone now except for the pictures.  We chatted with a lovely lady in one of the gift shops who told us that the pictures in the center show her grandfather and uncle standing on the logs prepared for shipping.  She also introduced us to Bluebarb Jam, a mix of blueberries and rhubarb.  It is delicious and we had to purchase a bottle.

We paid an entrance fee, complete with 13% tax to enter and drive the parkway. They do not charge by the car, but by the person.  The clerk told us we should feel good because now the tax is only half of what it was.  When you turn toward a socialist government and economy, almost everything gets taxed and then increased.  This country is an oil exporter, yet the cost of gas is higher here than at home, about $5.15/gal.  I fear it is the direction the U.S. is heading.

After negotiating the toll booth, we drove north along the Parkway.  I must tell you that we developed a form of sensory overload with all the beautiful views.  Thick forests flow down to the edges of the cliffs, which drop to a shoreline with rugged rocks, stony beaches and jutting headlands.

This gives an idea of the dense forest growth with pine trees, ferns and other vegetation carpeting the hills.  I cannot call them mountains, but they are still spectacular, rolling in waves along all the views. 

The coast has some beaches, but they are covered with stones and not sand.  Some are long and straight and some are curved.  What is wonderful is they appear pristine and almost untouched.  A few pieces of driftwood, but no trash, no tire tracks and clean.  The stones on the beaches are multicolored and when  polished create a solid rainbow to delight the eye.  I think that Mom was back in her childhood searching around for all the colors she could find.  We spent the day basking in one gorgeous view after another.  This truly is a place of wonder and beauty.  It is almost magical in its splendor and words do not do it justice. On place is known for its red stone and the water has carved caves into it.  When the tide is in, the cave is filled halfway deep with water and when the tide is out you can walk into it, see the colors and the seaweed and enjoy a stroll on the "ocean floor".

We have been so impressed with the beauty of Canada, its warm and friendly people and the lack of crowds.  Today is the Labor Day Weekend here as well as in the USA and the roads were not crowded, the tourist spots easy to use and the experience most pleasant.  At one point, we were at a picnic table overlooked the mouth of the Big Salmon River as it flows into the ocean, and a bright red, convertible top down, Corvette pulled up.  A couple got out, placed a table cloth on the picnic table, set up wine glasses, plates and all the fixings, popped the cork on their bottle and settled in for an undisturbed afternoon of restful dining with a view unequaled by any restaurant.  I think that anyone should consider New Brunswick a vacation destination in and of itself.  There is so much to do here and we have only seen a little.  When we head into Maine tomorrow, after church, we might try to find another blueberry farm we read about.  They offer fresh blueberry pie.  If we can take it over the border to eat after we break our fast, it would be a special gift.  We are having a beautiful and inspiring trip.  We are so impressed with the beauty and spectacular creation that Father in Heaven has given us.  Our hearts are full.