1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (116 page)

For their own version of Mardi Gras, Tintamarre festival-goers don elaborate masks, face paints, and costumes.

Just west of the islands, on the protected Baie des Chaleurs (which translates as “bay of warmth” for the very temperate waters found here) is the cultural heart of traditional French Acadian culture: the picturesque beachside town of Caraquet. You can spend hours wandering the 100 acres that make up the Village Historique Acadien and its 45 buildings dating from 1770 to 1890, brought here from across the region to illustrate the history and heritage of the Acadian people. But it is Caraquet’s 15-day
Festival Acadien
or Acadian Festival, the largest cultural event in French Acadian
Canada, that puts this town on the map. Devoted to promoting and supporting Acadian culture, the festival brings in hundreds of Francophone bands and musicians to play at various venues in Caraquet, while the
Festival acadien de poésie
is a showcase for French Canadian writers, poets, and playwrights. Besides exhibitions of visual arts and special concerts and storytelling events for children, one unique event is the Tintamarre, an ancient celebration on August 15, the Acadian national holiday. Literally translated, “tintamarre” means “loud racket,” and so it is. Some 25,000 people march through Caraquet, making as much noise as possible with anything they can get their hands on—pots, pans, shakers, drums, tin cans, and whistles—and waving the
stella maris,
the tricolor-and-gold-star Acadian flag.

W
HERE
: Shediac is 108 miles/175 km northeast of Saint John.
S
HEDIAC
L
OBSTER
F
ESTIVAL
: Tel 506-532-1122;
www.lobsterfestival.nb.ca
.
When:
early July.
L
AMÈQUE
I
NTERNATIONAL
B
AROQUE
M
USIC
F
ESTIVAL
: Tel 800-320-2276 or 506-344-5846;
www.festivalbaroque.com
.
When:
last week of July.
V
ILLAGE
H
ISTORIQUE
A
CADIEN
: Caraquet. Tel 506-726-2600;
www.villagehistoriqueacadien.com
.
When:
June–mid-Oct.
A
CADIAN
F
ESTIVAL
: Caraquet. Tel 506-727-2787;
www.festivalacadien.ca
.
When:
Aug 1–15.

A Marine Wonder of the World

New Brunswick

The Bay of Fundy boasts the world’s highest tides, rising as much as 48 feet in six hours—more than 22 times greater than the average tide in open seas. With every tide, 100 billion tons of water enters or exits the bay, equal to the
daily discharge of all the world’s freshwater rivers. These massive flows create a series of unique environments. The hard, rapid tides have sculpted the bay’s cave-pocked coastline, where huge boulders have been reduced to fantasy shapes, and they churn up nutrients to feed one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems. It is all best observed at Fundy National Park, established in 1948 to protect 80 square miles of coastline and forested mountains on the bay’s New Brunswick coast.

So dramatic is the difference between low and high tide that, at the park’s Alma Beach, almost three-quarters of a mile of tidal flats are exposed at low tide. Then, when the water comes rushing back in, it produces a roar at midtide called “the voice of the moon.” The bay’s vast intertidal zone is a fascinating showcase of marine species, especially for feeding shorebirds—for them these mudflats are like a huge buffet dinner. Ten miles east of the park at Mary’s Point, the Bay of Fundy Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve is one of the top bird-watching destinations in the area, with over 250 documented species.

In the park, hiking opportunities abound, with 78 miles of trails traversing the coastline and forested backcountry. For experienced hikers, the Fundy Circuit is a 28-mile network of seven linked trails that traverse valleys, forest, and wilderness coastline along the bay, requiring three to five days to complete.

Twenty-four miles northeast of the national park, the Hopewell Rocks are a kind of natural sculpture garden filled with tide-carved rock monoliths jutting from the sand. Some have sprouted mini-forests on their summits, giving them a dramatic yet whimsical
look—hence their popular moniker, “the flowerpots.” Local Mi’kmaq legend has it that the boulders were once men, who were enslaved by angry whales and turned to stone when they tried to escape.

Perhaps the best way to experience the Bay of Fundy is by sea kayak. FreshAir Adventure’s half-day guided tour offers an adventure in natural history as it explores the dramatic coastal cliffs, sea caves, and hidden beaches swallowed twice daily by the cycle of tides. You may also see right whales—the bay has the largest population of these endangered sea mammals anywhere. Your guide will also keep an eye on the tide table—you don’t want to be stranded once the tides change.

Fundy National Park’s headquarters has interpretive activities and numerous sports options, including golf, tennis, and a saltwater swimming pool. In the nearby village of Alma, the new and elegant Cliffside Suites offers both rooms and cottages, all with views of the bay, from a peaceful and secluded perch above the village.

Those wanting to explore the bay by car can take the scenic Fundy Coastal Drive stretching from St. Stephen to Aulac. This enjoyable 5-hour route takes in great stretches of natural beauty and some lovely towns as well—don’t miss the 19th-century seaside village of St. Andrews (see next page).

The Bay of Fundy’s high tides have sculpted the Hopewell Rocks into unique formations.

W
HERE
: Park headquarters at Alma is 84 miles/135 km northeast of Saint John.
F
UNDY
N
ATIONAL
P
ARK
: Tel 506-887-6000;
www.pc.gc.ca/fundy
.
H
OPEWELL
R
OCKS
: Hopewell Cape. Tel 877-734-3429 or 506-734-3429;
www.thehopewellrocks.ca
.
When:
mid-May–mid-Oct.
F
RESHAIR
A
DVENTURE
: Alma. Tel 800-545-0020 or 506-887-2249;
www.freshairadventure.com
.
Cost:
from US$46/C$52 for half-day guided kayak tour.
C
LIFFSIDE
S
UITES
: Alma. Tel 866-881-1022 or 506-887-1022;
www.cliffsidesuites.com
.
Cost:
from US$80/C$90.
When:
mid-May–mid-Oct.
B
EST TIMES
: a new or full moon for the most dramatic tides; mid-July–mid-Sept for peak bird migration; July–Sept for best kayaking weather; Sept–Oct for foliage and whale-watching.

An Island for the Birds

New Brunswick

Acraggy sentinel at the Bay of Fundy’s mouth (see previous page), Grand Manan Island is surrounded by some of the world’s most turbulent waters. The cliff-faced island’s isolation is more than just an accident of
the tides, however. On Grand Manan, nature, history, and tradition combine to make this tiny enclave—just 21 miles long, with a population of only 3,500—an outpost of a seafaring lifestyle long bypassed elsewhere. For many visitors, however, Grand Manan’s greatest
draw is its wildlife. The island is considered one of Canada’s top birding destinations; no less an authority than John James Audubon journeyed here in 1831 to study.

More than 360 bird species have been identified on Grand Manan and surrounding islets, with 131 species breeding and nesting here, the rest passing through on their long migrations. The boat journey to Machias Seal Island, the outermost of the Grand Manan archipelago and a bird sanctuary maintained by the Canadian Wildlife Service, is nearly mandatory. The southernmost nesting site of the North Atlantic puffin, the island is also home to an abundance of razorbills, terns, eiders, guillemots, and storm petrels—and to one of eastern Canada’s last staffed lighthouses. Sea Watch Tours, out of tiny Seal Cove Village, is authorized to land tour boats on Machias Seal Island; during the 11-mile journey to the island, watch for humpback and finback whales, seals, and porpoises grazing in the herring-rich waters.

The island offers comfortable lodging and good food but is still very rooted to the age-old rhythms of the sea. At tiny fishing villages perched above the surging tides, wooden docks bustle as fishermen unload lobsters, haddock, and cod. The rough-edged charm hooks even the unprepared.

Today, the best and most atmospheric lodging on Grand Manan is North Head’s family-run Inn at Whale Cove, with B&B rooms in a gray-shingled 1816 farmhouse and four cottages (one once owned by author Willa Cather) scattered around a 10-acre meadow. The inn’s dining room offers sophisticated preparations of local fish and seafood that still adhere to the island’s unpretentious ways.

W
HERE
: 20 miles/32 km from the New Brunswick mainland; accessible only by ferry.
Visitor info:
Tel 888-525-1655 or 506-662-3442;
www.grandmanannb.com
.
H
OW
: Grand Manan Island Ferry offers year-round service to North Head from mainland’s Black Harbour;
www.coastaltransport.ca
.
S
EA
W
ATCH
T
OURS
: Seal Cove Village. Tel 877-662-8552 or 506-662-8552;
www.seawatchtours.com
.
Cost:
US$67/C$75.
When:
mid-June–mid-Aug.
I
NN AT
W
HALE
C
OVE
: North Head. Tel 506-662-3181;
www.holidayjunction.com/whalecove
.
Cost:
from US$93/C$105, dinner US$22/C$25.
B
EST TIMES
: Apr–July for birding; early Aug for Rotary Festival, with music and activities across the island.

An Affluent Historic Seaport

New Brunswick

The charming village of St. Andrews flourished as Canada’s first seaside resort and remains one of the Maritime Provinces’ most delightful destinations. Situated on the mouth of the St. Croix River, about 30 miles
from the Maine border, St. Andrews was settled in 1783 by American loyalists who chose not to join the revolution against Great Britain. Much of the town’s architectural unity is due to these affluent New Englanders, some of whom dismantled their homes in the U.S. and barged them here for reassembly (a few still stand today). The beauty of St. Andrews’ location—on a protected bay spangled with islands—later made it a favorite summer playground for the wealthy and fashionable at the turn of the 20th century. Many of the
town’s imposing estates and resorts date from this prosperous era.

Historic Water Street parallels the bay and is lined with tasteful shops, boutiques, and sophisticated art galleries. The bustling harbor offers whale-watching trips (with bald eagles, porpoises, and seals along for good measure), guided kayak tours, and ferry rides to nearby islands. If you’d prefer terra firma, walking tours of the historic district are available (with ghost walks offered on summer nights), and the gorgeous Kingsbrae Garden offers 27 acres of formal plantings and woodland trails. Plan your day to have tea here in the Garden Café, where views of the lush lawns reach down to the bay.

The choice of aristocratic accommodations is no less impressive. The grandest option is the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel and Resort. Built in 1889, the hilltop dowager’s turrets, red tile roof, and kilt-wearing staff might convince you that you’ve woken up on the other side of the Pond. The Algonquin’s seaside golf course was redesigned in 2000 and now ranks among Canada’s finest, while its spa features indulgent beauty treatments and fitness facilities.

If you’d prefer more intimate lodging, Kingsbrae Arms was built in 1897 as a “cottage-style” manor house and later converted into a sumptuous country house hotel. All ten rooms and suites are decorated with infallible good taste and unending attention to detail, with fireplaces and lovely balcony views of the bay or the neighboring Kingsbrae Garden (one lucky room sees both). The resident owners are lovely, service is regal, and the dining, while casual, is world-class.

W
HERE
: 83 miles/133 km south of Fredericton.
Visitor info:
Tel 506-529-3556;
www.town.standrews.nb.ca
.
K
INGSBRAE
G
ARDEN
: Tel 866-566-8687 or 506-529-3335;
www.kingsbraegarden.com
.
F
AIRMONT
A
LGONQUIN
H
OTEL
: Tel 800-441-1414 or 506-529-8823;
www.fairmont.com/algonquin
.
Cost:
from US$115/C$129 (off-peak), from US$230/C$259 (peak).
K
INGSBRAE
A
RMS
: Tel 506-529-1897;
www.kingsbrae.com
.
Cost:
from US$250/C$281 (off-peak), from US$500/C$563 (peak).
B
EST TIMES
: June–July for perennial garden blooms; June–Sept for weather; late Aug–mid-Sept for whale-watching; late Sept–early Oct for foliage.