If you had asked me in June what my plans were for the summer, I would have told you that I would be spending my time nestled in the rolling hills of the Finger Lakes. Three days into summer vacation my wanderlust kicked in full force. Shortly after that we had back to back AirBnB requests for our home. The universe seemed to be sending a pretty strong signal that it was time to pack our bags and travel.
The world is a pretty scary place right now. In the decade that Michal and I have been traveling, I have never really been that concerned for my safety. However this year I definitely put some thought into finding a safe place to go. I wanted to find a place that was free from terrorism, random shootings, Zika and a red headed tyrant. That criteria quickly ruled out the US, Europe, Mexico and South America.
Thank goodness for Canada! Michal and I arrived in Hillsborough, New Brunswick Monday afternoon. We have spent the last couple of days exploring the Bay of Fundy. This area is home to the highest tides in the world. During low tide you can see the mud flats. During high tide the water looks brown from the mud. Hence the nickname, Chocolate River. At Hopewell Rocks we went and explored the tidal floor during low tide yesterday and came back again an hour after high tide. Check out the photos to see the difference! The area we walked on during low tide disappears under 50 feet of water during high tide.
Flowerpot Rocks during low tide
Flowerpot rocks one hour after high tide
Mud Flats during low tide
Exploring the tidal floor during low tide
This is our first ever road trip. I am not a huge fan of being in the car and I love flying. However it has been a great experience in terms of having the freedom and flexibility to stop and explore whatever catches our eye. This next series of photos are from our coastal drive yesterday.
The view of the Chocolate River from the place we are staying
Shipyard Park
Ships in the harbor. Alma, New Brunswick
Cows grazing by the river
Shoe tree
Cape Enrage
Beach at Cape Enrage
Today we spent the day hiking in the Bay of Fundy National Park. Unfortunately we didn’t really plan ahead. This park is humongous! We easily hiked 10 miles in the heat and humidity and barely covered a small section of the park. Guess we’ll just have to come back here.
Bay of Fundy National Park. 80 square miles to explore!
The fog horns were sounding all day
Lake Bennett
Tomorrow we are off to Nova Scotia! This evening on the news the most upsetting story was that 10 days ago a small convenience store was held up by a man with a hammer and small knife. No one got hurt, they just haven’t caught the guy yet. Given the news in the US that has been bringing me to tears lately, this was such a welcomed relief.
The lack of violence, the wide open spaces, a liberal and handsome Prime Minister, the sound of French soothing me like a lullaby, reminding of my Grandparents and my roots…I think I could get used to this place.