Day 5 Sittin' at the Top of the Bay...

Today was dedicated to tide watching. New Brunswick borders the Bay of Fundy, home of the highest tides in the world. The town we stayed in, Moncton, is on a river at the very head of the bay so this morning as we headed out we could see how high (and low) the tide was as it changes the river height even some 30 miles from the bay. 

Nearly high tide. At low tide you can play under the rock.

We drove south to Hopewell Rock which is where all the advertising pictures for the Bay are shot. We were worried we wouldn’t be able to see much as it was just about high tide but because today wasn’t a ‘high’ high tide (only 36 feet instead of the possible 45) we were still able to get down to the water’s edge. Looking at how the incessant water erodes the rocky cliffs is pretty impressive. It was fun to stop there and you should go. BUT…

As we headed further south we decided to stop and see the lighthouse at Cape Enrage. It was well off the beaten path up the hills, around the mountain and through the woods.  We got to the pretty bay and almost stopped thinking we’d spent enough time but decided to head around one more corner hoping for the lighthouse. We found Cape Enrage. Lucky for us. The view was absolutely amazing, we could see from high the water racing out for low tide. When we drove up to the pay station we were told that today was a special day. No charge. The Premiere was coming to visit. They welcomed us as if we were part of the party. We got out of the car and one gal grabbed the camera so we could have our picture, a few minutes later another one did the same…a different shot of the lighthouse. They were all in a very celebratory mood. They had a new Zip Line set up and apparently the Premiere was planning to ride it. Bob and Rebecca, thinking they were also dignitaries, wanted to ride it too. I really couldn’t believe when they came out all set to race across the sky, tethered only to a thin, thin wire. (I asked Bob if he told them his true weight…for heaven sakes…) Off they bravely went and soon zipped out of the trees over to the lighthouse. They said they had fun. Matthew and I had fun watching them.

Videos are on the blog

We decided not to wait for the Premiere though it would have been fun to meet him…or her… Our lack of Canadian knowledge is becoming apparent.

The next stop was at Saint John which apparently is the only city on the bay. We got there just in time to watch the tide rushing back in pushing up against the river. The whirlpools looked so strong. It was a major battle between the river and the ocean. Back and forth as they win for a few minutes then give way and then back again.

Sad to report we haven’t seen one moose. Berries are just starting to grow. Bob asked a kid who was eating his lunch and had a big bowl of beautiful raspberries if he had just picked them. The kid was compelled to tell the truth, that he had bought them at Costco.

Our last stop for the day was at the beautiful little coastal town of St. Andrews. Our hotel was on the bay and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the little balcony watching the tide roll in and out. This town is at the mouth of the Bay of Funday. It also experienced similar high tides but without the force and current we saw to the north. It was interesting that the sail boats anchored in the harbor all tilted as the keels touched bottom during low tide. Bob and I sat outside in the morning drinking our coffee thinking this was a pretty much perfect way to relax. 

St. Andrews with tide heading out.

We did come to one interesting conclusion though. People along our route kept mentioning that St. Andrew’s was a resort town. I’m kind of thinking ‘resort town’ in Canadian means, lots of ice cream and fudge stores but little else. There weren’t even any restaurants open for breakfast on Sunday morning. I know all this because our reservation was supposed to include breakfast. When we asked about it the staff said they offered donuts with the coffee. Breakfast might start next week, they said. As you can guess, no gluten free donuts for Matthew meant no donuts for any. Good thing I packed those granola bars…

Tomorrow Down East in Maine and back to civilization.