Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick -Fundy Park and the Rocks
Posted by: Brian in Everyday Living
Thursday, August 13, 2009, we arrived in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, Canada. The drive took approximately three hours so it was mid afternoon when we arrived. We started homeschool during the move out process and finished traveling to Hopewell Cape. The campground is called Ponderosa Pines Campground and we have a view of the bay.
After arriving and setting up we ventured into the next town called Moncton to pickup groceries and get a bite of dinner. There were not a lot of choices of restaurants since we had not talked to anyone local for suggestions so we had to make the best decision possible. Unfortunately, we ended up at KFC with very bad food- chicken was cold overpriced and they do not even offer biscuits (or rolls). After that experience we went grocery shopping at Sobey’s where we sampled several local foods. There was very nice lady in the deli who offered to let us taste some Donair sauce, after I asked exactly what it was and how to eat it. She then offered Zachary a piece of pizza and Carson a chocolate chip cookie since he does not eat meat and the pizza had several meats on it. We purchased a Canadian condiment called Donair sauce which is used as a dipping sauce for bread sticks, pizza, or a local favorite called garlic fingers (garlic bread sticks). The sauce is also used on a pita wrap with Donair meat which looks like turkey bacon but it is pork and beef mixed cooked and sliced very thin and you add tomatoes and your choice of cheese. This grocery store chain was more reasonably priced than the other one in St Andrews but some items were still expensive.
Canada is working very hard to be eco friendly and most stores now charge for plastic bags to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags. One of the other eco friendly things we have noticed is that stores encourage any type of purchase that eliminates extra waste such as milk in bags, liquid soap in bags, and charging for cans and bottles to encourage recycling. The milk in the bags comes in two individual 2 liter bags which can be poured into your own glass jug at home eliminated the plastic jugs, some stores do not carry 4 liter jugs only 2 liter or bags. Most of the campgrounds in New England and Canada have encouraged everyone to recycle and reduce as much waste as possible.
On Friday we rode to Fundy National Park to hike a couple of the trails that were classified as moderate but should be fine with kids. All of the national parks and some of the beaches charge admission which can be per person or per family ranging from $7.00 – $19.90 per day for a family. Since we plan on hiking, biking or at least visiting parks through Canada we decided to purchase a year pass which also allows us to visit Canadian Historical sites as well; we calculated that the pass would be paid for in 6-8 visits to parks or historical sites depending on the cost of the entry fees. The first trail that we visited was to a waterfall and most of the hike was on a boardwalk area along a stream. This one was equivalent to 1 ½ miles and the walk was pretty easy. The next stop was a moderate rated trail of 2 ½ – 3 miles with some climbing, so we decided to eat our lunch and walk down to a beach that was adjacent to the trial that we were going to hike after lunch. It was low tide and the kids wanted to continue walking until they reached water but along the way Carson got his hands muddy. This was no ordinary mud this mud looked like thick chocolate pudding and it was extremely stick. Carson decided he was going walk to a stream to wash his hands and unfortunately as he got closer to the stream he started to sink into the mud; as he started trying to pull his foot out of the mud, off came his right hiking boot, and of course down in the mud went his white sock and tiny foot. He ended up sinking past his ankles on both feet and as you can imagine the next hike was canceled due to wet muddy feet. The rest of the afternoon we spent around the campground which was fine with Zachary and Carson because they were enjoying the large pine tree located next to our motor home.
On Saturday, we went to the flower pot rocks at Hopewell Cape . These rocks have been eroded by the high tides in the Fundy Bay and there are plants and trees’ growing on top of the rock formations giving them the name flower pots since that is what they look like from the visitation tower behind the beach. This area is said to have the highest tides in the world happening twice daily reaching 46 feet. The constant moving of the water over the mud flats mixes with the silt in the water making the water appear a chocolate color which gives it the name of Chocolate River. Due to the extremely low tides you can experience walking on the ocean floor, viewing the flower pot formations towering above you, and in some places even the opportunity to climb into a cave which has been formed by the massive tides. After walking along the ocean floor, exploring some tide pools and climbing a few rocks we decided it was time to start the 1 mile walk back to the parking lot.
On Sunday, we ventured back to the Fundy National Forest to complete the Coppermine Trail that we had been missed on Friday due to the mud incident. We packed a lunch and off to the forest we went. This trail took you to the remains of an old copper mine that had not been in use since the early 1900s. The hike was approximately 2 ½ – 3 miles and was relatively easy until the end where you had to climb up a rock and dirt trail to the top of the mine. At the top we ate lunch and looked around for an easier hike back down the mountain. One trail adjacent to the climb up was not as steep and had a few tree limbs to hold on to as you descended to the bottom. There were supposed to moose, wood chucks, deer and various birds on these trails but we only saw a few birds and one small squirrel that had fallen from a tree, it needed prayer because it was on the way to squirrel heaven (according to Carson). We saw scat (poop) on the trail but no animal, so we took turns guessing what made such a mess on the trail, we try all kinds of games while hiking to make the hike exciting to children who think they are being tortured when taken into the woods more than once a week.
Once we were back at the visitors center we found out that the scat we saw on the trail was made by a moose- mommy’s guess was right. There was a small town called Alma outside of the Fundy National Forest and we stopped for what were called Famous Sticky Buns at Kelly’s Bakery. Yes, we hike for exercise then stop for a sticky bun on the way back to the campground but they were still warm and gooey and smelled so delicious– who could resist! After arriving back at the campground it was off to the pool so Carson could practice swimming and off to the laundry room for a weeks worth of dirty and muddy clothes. We had to get everything ready for a move on Monday from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia as our adventures continue on the Cabot Trail.
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On August 11, 2009 we arrived in St Andrews, New Brunswick in Canada. We stayed at the Kiwanis Oceanfront Camping Park with a wonderful view of the ocean. The passage into Canada from Maine was uneventful except for the fact that pepper spray (aka mace) that was not marked for animals is classified as a weapon in Canada and cannot pass across the border. We had read what “could and could not” be brought into Canada and knew there was a possibility that the pepper spray could be a potential problem. Now the Providence of New Brunswick has 3 new bottles of pepper spray to use.
Both boys worked well for the first two hours and then we had what as supposed to be a stretch break but it turned into over a one hour science and natural walk. In this area the tide goes out so far that you can walk what seems like forever from the normal shoreline before the water is deeper than your ankles. The water level in St. Andrews changes about 25ft each tide change. This walk was fun for everyone especially getting to see all the native sea creatures in the tide pools. We saw jelly fish, starfish, crab, seal, mussels, sea urchins, sea plants and grasses. Bella enjoyed the walk too because she got to play in the water and eat barnacles that were attached to the rocks. The sea floor was made up of dark pink colored rocks instead of sand along with rocks of all shapes and sizes.
On Saturday, August 1, we arrived at the Hadley Point Campground in Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor is on the edge of the Acadia National Park in Maine which boasts some of the most beautiful and highest mountains on the east coast.
We picked up a lobster dinner which included corn and stone crab claws and melted butter. It was okay but probably not worth the money. We can at least say we ate Maine lobster. We also had blueberry pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, prepared in our kitchen. The views in Maine have been wonderful and we have had the most adventurous outdoors week since we left. Brian was even able to get in a 19 miles bike ride on the Carriage Roads through Acadia. The rocky shoreline and the blue ocean are a picture perfect setting, when there is no fog to hide the beauty. The people are friendly and some have enough courage to ask where we are from, meaning the accent gives us away.
On Sunday, July 26th, we left New Hampshire and headed to Saco, Maine. Saco is a small town near Old Orchard Beach where there is about a 7 mile stretch of sandy beach.
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