We awoke to an eerie and empty campground. With hurricane Dorian looming on the forecast, it felt like there had been an evacuation and they forgot to wake us up. The storm wasn’t due to begin until noon so we packed our things and set off to Green Gables National Historic Site.
As we pulled up to the museum, Jenn could hardly contain the joy that was bubbling over into a cheshire grin. A short little stroll took us to the place that Jenn had longed to visit her entire life.
We entered the house and began our exploring. All sorts of old antiques from the same time period spread themselves about. As expected, Jenn was bubbling over with happiness and she explored.
With Hurricane Dorian looming over the day, we decided we’d find a hotel early. One thing was for certain, we weren’t gonna tent it in a storm like that! We lucked out, finding a perfect little hotel right beside the water where we settled in. A friendly receptionist named Gail began a cheerful conversation with us, sharing wonderful stories of her own unique travels throughout the country.
The power went out as Hurricane Dorian arrived. Ferocious wind and torrential rain fell violently outside the building. Powerful gusts of wind grew stronger and more continuous, rattling our door as it tried to rip it open. Despite the raging storm, our bed was quite comfy and we soon dozed off despite the chaos that surrounded us.
The hotel rattled all night as hurricane Dorian beat down upon it. The power was still out and there was no running water in the morning when we awoke. After heading into the dining hall for a continental breakfast we packed our things and took to the roads.
Dorian had left a path of destruction. Trees were uprooted everywhere, many of them still laying across parts of the roads despite clean up crews going around frantically trying to clean up the mess.
It was wild seeing strong trees with thick trunks snapped like they were a mere twig. The power of the raging winds truly were astounding.
With the hurricane having moved into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by the morning, the ocean waters north of the island were wild and raging. Wanting to catch a closer look at the ferocious sea we took a coastal drive along the waters edge.
We were trying to figure out what to do with our day as many of the shops were closed. After some humming and hawing we set off to Charlottetown where we checked out a local dog park.
Having burned off some of Winnie’s energy we took to the town where we admired a variety of attractions before grabbing a poutine for dinner down by the docks.
Having inhaled the delicious meal before us, we walked our way along the harbor as the sun set in the distance. It was a nice way to end our exploring in the city.
Having found a campsite 30 minutes east, we began the annoying process of setting our tent up in the windy weather. The two of us tackled the tough process of pitching our tent and building a sort of wind protection around it together. It’s days like these I’m reminded that Jenn’s a keeper. We were successful at setting everything up and crawled inside at last. The windy evening finally came to its close.
The wind stayed strong through the night, interrupting sleep as it howled throughout the tent. When we woke up, we were feeling rather groggy and exhausted. Despite the sleepy start, we were ready to embrace the day.
We soon found ourselves entering into a vineyard that appeared beaten and ravaged. Countless grapes lay scattered across the ground, broken twigs and vines adding to the mess. Hurricane Dorian had been cruel to this plot of land and the winery was closed until further notice. The next winery on our list was close by and it wasn’t long until we’d arrived. Rossignol Estate Winery was lucky, having taken significantly less damage from the hurricane. The main building sat high on a hill looking out over the water, a scenic and beautiful location. We walked inside and did a round of samplers, tasting the various wines they offered. Having found a few we liked, we picked up a few bottles and continued on with the day.
With the sun beating down on us we simply had to get some ice cream and decided to stop at Cows Creamery for a bite to eat. They claimed they were Canada’s best ice cream but we would be the judge of such a boast. Having picked up a few cones we began chowing down. Was it the best ice cream I’d had in the country? Hard to say, it was delicious though!
The day was nearing it’s end but we took advantage of the light we had, visiting Argyle Shore Provincial Park to take a walk along the waters edge. The place offered a unique look some of the block like crumbling cliffs.
With the sun taking its final dip below the horizon we pressed on, passing Confederation Bridge on our way west. We found a nice little campground by the ocean where we settled in for the evening, a day of adventures coming to its close.
Jenn had a friend she knew online through her side hustle and wanted to meet up. Having covered so much ground the night before it was only a short drive to a restaurant where her friend Shirley greeted us with a smile. A lively chatter began as we chowed down on the tasty meal set before us. With a bright and beautiful day waiting outside we simply had to continue the conversation outdoors.
A nearby boardwalk along ocean waters served as the perfect walkway for an afternoon stroll. Up and down the wooden planks we walked, taking in the suns shining rays as we looked out across the sea.
My cousin Drew lived in Charlottetown and we decided to meet for dinner at Piers Quay. He was eager to hear about my travels and I gladly filled him in on the details. While it was awesome catching up, nighttime was approaching, so we said our farewells and went our separate ways.
With Jenn’s flight leaving early in the morning, the two of us found a campground close to the airport where we got an early nights rest. It was still dark when we woke up and I drove her to the airport. Goodbyes are always tough but I know we’ll see each another again soon. Poor Winnie was fixated on the window, watching her walk away before she disappeared into the airport. With Jenn catching her flight home I returned to the campground and dozed off again. I must say, it felt a little lonely not being squished into the side of my tent.
Right as I woke up it began to pour. Luckily I’d pitched my tent under some trees which deflected some of the rain water as I packed my things back into the car. The first thing I had on my list for the day was to restock some supplies. A short drive into town took me to one of the markets where I picked up what I needed before returning to the vehicle, a lengthy drive awaiting me.
It’s interesting viewing some of the restaurants scattered throughout the country, some have some staggeringly similar resemblances. For instance, Robyn’s seems quite similar to Tim Hortons. Boom Burger is another one, feeling awfully similar to Five Guys. Who copied who I wonder?
I had spent plenty of time exploring Prince Edward Island and I was ready for something fresh. Working my way west took me to the lengthy Confederation Bridge. I drove to the shoreline and admired the engineering feat, it truly was incredible seeing a bridge stretch on for so long, 12.9 km in total!
I pressed on south, crossing the bridge and soon arriving in Nova Scotia once more. I realized I was making slower time than I had hoped for. With a near constant rain and fog following me the entire day, I was driving slower than usual. All the thick clouds gathering above caused the darkening sky to creep up on me rather quickly. Night had arrived and I wasn’t stopping, I was determined to cover lots of ground. I saw a neat looking town named Lunenburg less than an hour from Kejimkujik and decided I’d view it in the morning. A campsite was nearby so I decided I’d call it for the night and continue to the exploring tomorrow.
With Jenn visiting, I’d let myself fall behind quite a bit on the blog. Today it was time to remedy that situation and catch up. I went to a nearby Tim Hortons where I spent my entire afternoon getting caught up on the entries. I had a few more hours of daylight to take advantage of when I’d left the restaurant and decided I’d spent it checking out the town of Lunenburg, a world heritage site. As I entered the town I was greeted by colorful wooden buildings that lined up along narrow streets.
Despite the tourism attraction the city had a calm feel to it, as though the wheels of time had ceased their spinning and the buildings remained frozen in perfection.
My meandering took me to an old school academy that’d been converted into a library. I entered through the doors and explored for a bit, walking along old creaky floors that so many students had tread on before me.
The sun was beginning to set so I found a restaurant where I grabbed a bite to eat before returning to the car. Feeling pleasantly stuffed I took to the roads heading east to Kejimkujik National Park where I finally dozed off.
Hurricane Dorian had been cruel to Kejimkujik National Park. Sadly they’d closed all their trails. While I was disappointed I couldn’t explore it like I wanted to, I still drove around exploring what I could.
I booked a ferry to New Brunswick that left at 11 am from a town called Digby. With a tight schedule to make it there on time, I’d minimized my stops as I ventured towards the docks. Being on the road so much I’ve seen the autumn colors appearing more frequently everyday. Crimson leaves now stood out among a sea of green as they waved back and forth in the morning breeze.
Off in the distance I could see my vessel, waiting patiently for its passengers by the docks. I’d made it there in good time, a calming relief. It wasn’t long before I’d driven up the ramp and parked my car. As I walked up the stairs I found the perfect spot beside one of the windows where I settled in and appreciated the view.
In only a few hours the ferry had traversed across the Bay of Fundy and made port in the town of Saint John, New Brunswick.
I was feeling pretty exhausted, the lack of sleep from the night before was taking its toll. Due to this I sat in my car for a bit, looking up places to see and catching up on a few things. After some time had passed I set out to explore the city.
The first destination I’d chosen to see was Prince William Street. An array of old buildings standing strong and tall through the years greeted me as I arrived, giving the many onlookers a glimpse into the past.
Another popular area I simply had to see was the Reversing Falls. It was similar to the tidal bore I’d seen in Truro, where an influx of water from the ocean would reverse the flow from the river. As I arrived, the great influx of water from the morning tide was returning back to sea, leaving interesting looking bumps on the rivers surface.
I’d planned to drive out to Fredericton the next day so I said my farewell to Saint John and began venturing north. I was making good time but soon an impassable obstacle lay before me. The road was gone! A construction project to rebuild part of the road was underway and my only way to Fredericton was to backtrack around 20 km.
Sometimes what might appear as negative at first actually works out for the positive in the end. Sure enough, right by the end of the road a little farm was selling maple syrup and honey and I decided I’d waltz on over to take a peek. As I got close to the door a bunch of noisy ducks nearby announced my arrival and a man came out to greet me. For some reason I have a knack for running into pastors. The friendly gentleman began to talk to me about the bible and his walk with God. He seemed so fulfilled in life, with a deep sense of peace and joy that encompassed his personality. In a kind gesture he gave me some Chaga Tea, a rare and expensive delicacy. While I’d enjoyed our conversations it was time to say farewell and find a place to camp. I managed to find a nice campground about 30 minutes outside Fredericton where a day of adventures came to its close as I took to my pillow at last.
From the moment I woke up and began my journey into Fredericton all I wanted was to return to the wilderness. Being that Fredericton was the capital of New Brunswick, I certainly wasn’t gonna pass it up and soon found myself entering the city limits.
It was raining on and off as a wave of fog crept through the area. I did the majority of my exploring in the car, occasionally stopping to take a short walk around a neighborhood or get a closer look at something.
I found an empty field nearby where I took Winnie to burn off some of her energy as she’d been fidgety in the car. I was glad I did so as she quite literally ran circles around me non stop. With a tuckered out pup I returned to my vehicle, doing my last bit of exploring before dusk’s arrival.
Night driving has its ups and downs. One of the perks is you’re able to cover a lot of ground with the roads being far less populated. You miss a lot of the scenery at night though, along with added hazards such as moose that frequent many of the roads after sundown. When the daylight fades into night I embrace the changes the night brings and make the best of the situation, covering as much ground as possible. It was with this mindset I drove out of Fredericton and into Fundy National Park where I pitched my tent in eager anticipation of the morning.
I woke up excited and ready to explore Fundy National Park. It wasn’t long before I’d packed up my tent and took to the first trail of the day.
As the warm air from the land mixed with the cool air of the bay it created a foggy mist that blanketed the park most of the day. The vegetation flourished in the damp atmosphere, bringing forth healthy looking plants growing alongside moss covered rocks.
I arrived at a beach where due to the tide being at its lowest I was able to walk out a good ways. A nearby dock was a reminder of how high the tide rose, the lonely walkway staying a good height above the rocky shore.
With so many things yet to discover, I retraced my footsteps and immediately started down another trail. The air surrounding me was pure and refreshing, every breath invigorating my steps as I tread upon the paths before me.
I was stuck debating if I should stick to smaller hikes or tackle a big one. I ended up choosing a variety of smaller hikes, the longest being 5 km as I explored the park. It didn’t matter where I walked as I was rewarded with beautiful views of the land in every direction, from creeks heading down the rocks to the ocean, to lush vegetation that thrived on the forest floor.
I pulled up to the final trail of the day, Dicksons Falls. This was the most popular trail in the park and I’d saved it for last. It wasn’t long before I could see why it was so popular as the walk took me alongside a cascading river that lead up to a tumbling waterfall, it was truly a sight I wouldn’t forget.
Darkness had finally arrived and I set out to Hopewell Rocks. Along the way I passed through the town of Alma where moored boats sat on the sand at least 20 feet below the docks! The Bay of Fundy is known for its dramatic changes in tide levels, within several hours those boats would be floating beside the docks once again.
I kept pressing on until I found the campsite I’d been looking for, an area just outside of tomorrows destination. To say I went to bed excited for the following day would’ve been an understatement.
I was awake and on the road bright and early. With the tide being it’s lowest at 8:36 in the morning I wasn’t gonna let myself miss out. A short little drive took me to my destination for the day, Hopewell Rocks, the home of the highest tides in the world.
Soon I was walking down the trail that led to the beach, an area famous for its odd looking rocks that’d been worn down by the daily surge of water.
As I began my exploring on the beach a nearby attendant informed me that the water was rising 39 feet that day! With the gaps between low tide and high tide being only 6 hours, the enormous influx of water that would soon arrive was a staggering thought.
I took my time walking up and down the beach, making sure I saw everything it had to offer before the inevitable tide washed my footsteps away.
The park rangers began to guide people back towards to stairs as the water began to rise dramatically. Within minutes your exit could easily be cut off and you’d be stranded in a cove surrounded by cliffs. Every time the water would near it’s cut off point the rangers would hurry us all to the next area where we’d be able to admire the change for a short while before being moved along once again. The rangers did a good job, nobody was forgotten and they would allow you to stay in an area until the last minute or two which was perfect.
Now with so many people around, cameras were always out and two asian ladies nearby wanted a picture with Winnie. I warned them that she might jump up on them and get them muddy if they took the leash but they said it was alright. Sure enough they wanted the perfect picture and got Winnie all excited, well with muddy paws she jumped up and got their pure white sweat pants covered. They were good sports about it, laughing as they returned the leash . I must admit, it was a proud dog dad moment as I stood there chuckling to myself at the hilarity of the situation. The rising tide was covering the last exit and the park ranger I’d been chatting with let me be the last one off the beach for the bragging rights which was pretty nice.
I booked a much needed oil change in the nearby town of Moncton. With a full day to spare before my appointment I decided I’d drive up to Kouchibouguac National Park, where I’d be able to spend a day hiking before returning to Moncton. By the time I arrived in the park it was dark, so I pitched my tent under the stars and finally dozed off.
