A trip to St. John and Saint Andrew By The Sea - NOPE Down Day Needed

The plan was to do a day trip to St. John and Saint Andrew By the Sea but it would have been 6 hours driving plus whatever we did along the way. We opt to have a day around the trailer and it is great. 

I don't even get out of pj's until 5pm and Chris is similar except he gets outside after lunch and does some odd repair jobs on the list. We haven't had great cell for a while so lots to catch up on. 

On the Trans Canada Trail again

Late in the day we go for a local walk and discover the Trans Canada Trail runs through here plus there is a golf course inside the national park. There is an opening at 8 am tomorrow morning so we take it :)

National Park iconic Red Chairs

Chris wins this round of crib :)

We have a BBQ supper and play crib. That's it for today. 

Town of Alma and Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy - New Brunswick

Stairs to get to Alma

It's a short walk from our campsite into the Town of Alma...just 120 stairs down...and of course up.

Home of the highest tides in the world

Picture from last night low tide 

The tide is now at high tide and pictures just can't do justice to the drastic change. 

Same picture today at high tide - boat  is long gone fishing

Alma Moose :)

We poke about the town checking out the local shops. Go figure another moose on the loose.

New Brunswick license plate

Forest G and Chris with his house in behind

While trying to find the entrance into a lobster shop, we end up meeting an elderly gentleman who lives in a beautiful home right on the water. It turns out his name is Forest G...Forest George rather than Forest Gump, but his loving wife is Jenny just like in the movie Forest Gump. He's very sweet filling us in on his life in the area. Sadly Jenny passed during Covid but he carries her picture with him everywhere. 

He moved this house back from being right on the waters edge and renovated it completely in 1975. What a location for views of storms and tidal change. He and Chris share common interests in old crystal radios and Tammy Wynette when they were young. The whole family shared a love of music and his son once travelled with Garth Brooks on tour. Very interesting man with many stories. 

Joel's lone rock top at high tide

Forest points out 'Joel's Point' and the lone black rock named'Joel's Rock'. He chuckles at all the current depth sounder technology and tells us the old guys always went by Joel's rock. If the rock was underwater or the tip was just sticking out, it was safe to enter the harbour. If the rock was totally exposed, stay away. 

Hopewell Rocks AKA Flowerpot Rocks

Low tide of The Bay of Fundy today is at 7:05 pm and our goal is to 'Walk The Sea Floor' at HopeWell Rocks. We head out on the 45 minute drive at 5pm to ensure being down there in time. 

Flowerpot rock tops

The Bay of Fundy features the highest tides in the world. Twice a day an astonishing 100 billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the bay, altering water levels by up to 17 meters (55 feet). The length and shape of the bay act as a massive natural bathtub. As the water pushes into the bay, it gets squeezed into an increasingly narrow and shallow space, forcing the water level to rise dramatically. 

Walking the sea floor

All sorts of amazing rock formations

There are exactly 2 high tides and 2 low tides each day. It takes about 6 hours and 13 minutes to transition between low and high tide thus the time shift between low and high tide is about 52 minutes each day. 

Red mud...

The tide is still going out as we walk about exposing some really sticky, mucky red mud :) We resist the urge to walk through it..lol

It is an extremely amazing experience. 

Sea grass grows from the rock

More formations

Mud flats with crevasse running through

Eventually we walk back up to the top and have a great view of the expansive mud flats. 

Old Bank of New Brunswick

Along the road on our way home is the 'Old Bank of New Brunswick'. The bank opened in 1903 in Riverside, NB. In 1928 it was placed on log skids and drawn 1.5 km by a single horse to Albert and came to rest on the corner which now houses the Crooked Creek Convenience Store. Funnily, it is said the move took 3 days, during which the bank did not close. Customers jumped on and off the moving platform :)

In 1984 the bank experienced the largest bank robbery in New Brunswick's history. The robbers were caught but the money never recovered. 

It's beautiful in the setting sunlight as are many other homes along the way. 

Classic New Brunswick home - love it

Shediac - Lobster Capital of the World / Moncton for FIFA / Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

Lobster Capital of the World :)

On the road early and into the Town of Shediac, the Lobster Capital of the World. It is such a quaint seaside community that we instantly feel a great vibe. Just one of those places :)

Our 2026 binder of travel notes

The binder we have created over the past 5 months to hold our travel information for our 2026 trip has a picture of the Shediac lobster and a note "In Search of the World's Largest Lobster". It's quite fun to actually make this come to fruition :)

Frank the Fisherman

Created in 1990 by Canadian artist Winston Bronnum to honour the town's status, the 90 tonne, 11 meter-long sculpture is one of the most photographed roadside attractions in the Maritimes. The fisherman has fondly been called 'Frank' by the locals for years. 

Shediac Lobster

All sorts of views of the lobster from different locations. Just a cute monument. 

 

Shediac market

We park the truck and trailer and head out on our bikes to find the local market today. 

Painted wine bottles - stunning

It's a lively scene with music and all sorts of talented local crafts people. 

Remi and his metal art

We have been looking for a house warming gift for our good friends back home and this young man has nice metal work with all sorts of designs except...a lobster. After a long discussion with Remi, he is going to create a metal key-holder piece for us with a blue lobster on it, and mail it to Alberta. So thankful to find something we can give our friends that will be crafted right here in Shediac :)

Fun photo of license plates from all over Canada/US

Chris has read about a nice place for lunch on The Wharf of Shediac. We bike the scenic Shediac trail, a nice 6km  trail that connects downtown with the wharf and Parlee Beach. 

The Sandbar on Shediac wharf

There is a line up to get into The Sandbar, but we wait it out and get a nice window seat with views. 

Fish tacos by the sea

We settle on local caught fish tacos as a bowl of chowder is $45...gulp.. It's a nice lunch that hits the spot as it's almost 2pm by now.

Canadian Snowbirds fly by

The wharf is a nice place to do a walk about where people are fishing and swimming and having fun. Someone tells us that The Canadian Snowbirds will be doing a fly by in 10 minutes as part of the air show in Moncton. The fly by happens so fast it catches us off guard but a quick photo is successfully taken :)

Blow up of above photo

Riverview is in Moncton - Fundy for us tonight

The FIFA game Canada vs South Africa starts at 4pm and our plan is to watch it at a bar in Moncton after our Costco run. We hit the road. 

Canada vs South Africa FIFA

The pub chain St. Louis Bar and Grill has 2 seats for us at their bar to watch Canada play South Africa. It is a nerve wracking game where Canada seems nervous and slightly off their game. In the end Canada gets it together and scores a stunning goal in the 92nd minute of the game to end a 0-0 match. The bar erupts in cheer and everyone is elated and thrilled Canada has made it to the round of 16. What an accomplishment for these young men. 

The score says it all :)

Stephen Eustaquio- vice captain scores the goal

Fundy National Park

After the game we still have an hour drive to Fundy National Park so we hit the road to make it before sunset when the moose are known to come out. 

Low Tide in the Town of Alma

After we are set up we do a quick walk into the Town of Alma. The draw to this national park is to witness the largest tidal changes in the world :) Tonight we see the boats sitting at low tide. 

That's a wrap on another great day. 

Bike and sand dunes in Kouchibouguac National Park - New Brunswick

Amanita Muscaria mushroom

The map of the park shows a 25km bike trail around the perimeter of the park so we decide to head out counter clock wise in order to end up at Kellys Beach and the South Kouchibouguac Dune to end the loop. It is a bit of a slog with zero views. Basically just a trail cut through the bush. At least this beautiful mushroom shows itself for a picture. 

We finally make it around to Kellys Beach and the boardwalk out to the Dune. This is what drew us to this national park and it is so nice. 

Boardwalk to Kellys Beach and the Dunes

The 1.2km elevated wooden path crosses over a saltwater lagoon and salt marshes before reaching the massive barrier island dunes. 

Beach and Dune

It's a very sensitive environment where the sea is constantly eroding the dunes. Someone tells us it's predicted the dunes will be gone in 40 or so years. We wonder if they could introduce some sort of grasses to help hold the dunes together but that would alter the area so who knows what is the right answer. 

Warm sand to walk along the beach

Kellys Beach is said to have some of the warmest saltwater swimming north of Virginia but we pass for today. The sand feels wonderful and warm for walking in bare feet so we take that as a win for today. Though we are unable to see it today, PEI is just across the Northumberland Straight

Sunset across the Kouchibouguac River

After supper we stuff the rest of our bottle of wine in our back pack and bike down to a place where we can catch the sun set. All is good 

If You Want To Get Rich Quick - start counting your blessings :)

Kayak and hike in Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick

Kouchibouguac River kayak launch

There is rain coming in the afternoon so we get the kayaks into the Kouchibouguac River early. We paddled out to where the river meets the lagoon and the sand dunes but, we weren't thinking about the coming low tide and end up beached on sand...lol We turn back up the river and have a nice paddle before the rain sets in and we pull out in pouring rain.

The trail out the back of our site has such a canopy of trees that one can walk and barely realise how hard it is raining so that becomes the afternoon activity.

Constellations to see when no rain :)

We are absolutely in the middle of the bush out here so reading it is a Dark Sky preserve makes sense. 

Home is closer than we think :)

Google maps says Banff's Cave and Basin is more like 4500km and Wood Buffalo 5500kms, but those would be the driving distances. Both of these Alberta National Parks are much closer as the crow flies. 

Banff or Kouchibouguac National Park?

The trail is nice and we could very well be hiking in Banff National Park as it has a very similar feel.