NY, NE, NB, PE, & NS Day 5
NY, NE, NB, PE, & NS
Day 05 - October 16, 2011 - Sunday - Drive to Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
We both woke up an hour before the alarm went off giving us a head start on the day. The breakfast room at the Comfort Inn was tiny and at 7:00 am it was packed. We took our tray back to the room to eat.
Saint John is on the western side of the Atlantic Time Zone which makes the morning hours very dark. Even at 7:45 the sun was just coming up. We talked about how dark it would be on December 21st!
Just as we crossed the St. John River we saw the Reversing Falls where the rising tides of the Bay of Fundy and the waters of the river meet. The strength of the tides reverses the flow of the river and whirlpools form with the power of the currents.
We continued on Canada Route 1 until Penobsquis where we took NB Route 114 to Fundy National Park. We made a brief stop for gas at Norton and paid $1.25(Canadian Dollars/liter) – you do the math for $/gal! Hint – 1 US Gallon is 3.785411784 Liters.
At the park entrance the temperature was 52°, 79% humidity, and the winds were gusting at 16 mph. We picked up a map (written in French) at the Wolfe Lake Ranger Station that was closed for the season.
Signs everywhere told us of moose crossings, but the forests were so dense, we knew we would never see one unless he/she came out on the road to greet us.
We stopped at the Bay of Fundy Overlook and found out this area was designated as an UNESCO Ecological Site protecting the pristine conditions of the Maritime Acadian Highlands for future generations.
At the Park Headquarters we stopped to pay our fee and talked to the Rangers about the wildlife, snow, and hiking trails. We followed the park road to Point Wolfe and we were able to drive through the covered bridge to the cul-de-sac at the end of the Point.
We trekked along the short Shiphaven Trail following the cliff along the Point Wolfe River. Years ago the timber industry used to float logs down river to be milled and lumber was shipped out though the Bay of Fundy at this location.
Leaving the park we drove to Alma, a small fishing village that boasts of the “Highest Tides in the World”. Passing at low tide, we could see how tall the wharfs and docks were compared to the boats tied below. The locals say the tides rise and fall 14 meters, an amazing 46 feet.
Instead of going inland we chose to go east on NB 915 along more of the windy coastal route to Hopewell Cape to see the rock formations eroded by the tides. When we arrived we found them also closed for the season.
Everyone has been telling us that most of the shops and attractions that cater to visitors closed on Canadian Thanksgiving Day which was October 10th.
We got on the Canada Route 15 at Moncton and then made a brief stop at Cape Jourimain before crossing the Confederation Bridge over the Northumberland Strait in the St. Lawrence Seaway to Prince Edwards Island.
On the other side of the 13 km bridge we had lunch at Tim Horton’s and Gennie bought a few post cards. We began exploring P.E.I. as everyone calls the island. There are many rolling hills, hay fields, and well kept small farms.
There are only two major cities on this 140 x 40 mile island. We chose the capital, Charlottetown for our stay. We had had very nice weather all day and just as we pulled into the hotel it began to pour.
Our room overlooks the city center and is very comfortable. After we got our computers connected with the world, we started to write the journal and go through the pictures for the day.
At 6:00 we got out our umbrellas, braved the storm, and went out to explore Charlottetown. We always like to visit hardware and grocery stores when we travel.
We visited two grocery stores just to see what they had and then went to Boston Pizza for dinner. We not only had a great salad and pizza but we also caught up on the Sunday NFL scores.
Accommodations: Comfort Inn and Suites, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
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Sunrise at 7:51 NB
Fundy National Park Visitors Center
Bay of Fundy by Alma, NB
Alma Harbor at Low Tide
Confederation Bridge to PEI
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