Detours & Discovery: Piloting Challenges & Wonders in Campbellton, New Brunswick.

I have noticed that it’s a bit harder to stay informed on what is happening in the United States, or even our home state, since we have been in Canada for so long. The algorithms that “Big Tech” uses to control our web interface, seem to have changed to deliver news and information with a Canadian slant. When you spend as much time on Google trying to find restaurants, museums, concerts, and walking trails in the area as we do, then there’s a lot of information for those algorithms to use. With this in mind, one of the local news events that has been bombarding our online feeds has been the wildfires, especially those in New Brunswick.

After departing from Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), we proceeded to the northwest region of New Brunswick, arriving in the town of Campbellton, situated along the Restigouche River. And this is where Real Life meets RV Lifestyle. Our planned route had us heading through the middle of a New Brunswick wildfire in Miramichi. An 18-mile stretch of Highway 8 was closed because of said wildfire and Google Maps selected a 25-mile detour route to bring us safely around the area. The prevalence of wildfire updates in our online feeds ensured we stayed informed, and we were already aware of the change in our intended route several days before we set out. It was a long day of driving, but we arrived in Campbellton without incident. As soon as we parked in our campsite, we were struck by the awesome view of the Van Horne Bridge which spans the Restigouche River. The steel through truss/steel deck truss bridge opened in October of 1961 and connects the provinces of Québec and New Brunswick. Despite the wildfire detours, our journey to Campbellton highlighted the unique experiences and unexpected beauty that come with life on the road. Moments like these remind us to embrace the adventure, adapt to change, and appreciate the stunning landscapes.

Welcome sign (French side), Campbellton, NB

 

Van Horne Bridge as Viewed from our Campsite

That being said, the forest fires continued to encumber our activities. We were able to do some sightseeing, but a provincial park with hiking trails that we had planned on visiting for a day was closed. Here are couple of the sightseeing and adventures we were able to take advantage of, in no particular order:

The Battle of Restigouche National Historic Site

The Battle of Restigouche National Historic Site commemorates the last significant naval battle of the Seven Years' War in North America, marking the final defeat of New France's attempts to maintain its colonies in North America. The battle's importance lies in its role as the decisive moment that sealed the fate of New France, its strategic significance in the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War), and its resulting impact on the British Empire's control over North America. The site preserves the underwater archeological remains of the French flagship Machault and other French vessels, offering a unique window into the battle and its context. We were fortunate enough to get a tour of the museum, in English, with a museum guide dressed in an official period costume corsair uniform. (Cosairs were “freelance” French fighters or privateers). 

 

Walk along the Shoreline at La Petite Pointe walking trail in Pointe-à-la-Garde, Quebec

La Petite Pointe Walking Trail Along the Restigouche River

Trying to find a hiking / walking trail that was not closed because of the forest fires proved to be a bit of a challenge. All parks in New Brunswick were temporarily closed which meant crossing the bridge to find a trail in Quebec. So off we drove across the bridge and northeast into Gaspé Peninsula to a village called Pointe-à-la-Garde, Québec. Here we found a short out and back walking trail that followed the Restigouche River. 

 

Walked along the Campbellton Esplanade & Salmon Blvd

We strolled along the city's waterfront, down Salmon Blvd and along the Restigouche River. It was about a mile long and had some wonderful art sculptures commemorating Campbellton’s place as a prime Atlantic salmon fishing area. This is highlighted by Restigouche Sam, the 28-ft. tall Atlantic salmon - a shiny, larger-than-life, stainless-steel sculpture.

 Salmon Plaza with Restigouche Sam, Campbellton, NB

Throughout our stay in Campbellton, I found the land and geography so interesting. Looking north, the land is quite hilly, one could actually call it mountainous, and very heavily forested, presenting an extraordinary panorama of green hills against a blue-sky backdrop. What we are seeing as we gaze across the river is the continuation of the Appalachian Mountain chain, as it proceeds northeast and ends in the Gaspe Peninsula in northern Quebec. The southern bank of the Restigouche River is in New Brunswick. New Brunswick, as part of the Maritime provinces, runs on Atlantic Standard time (1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard time). Directly across the river is Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec. The river is the dividing line between Provinces. Quebec runs on Eastern Standard time like the east coast of the US. Conclusion: We had coffee most mornings gazing at the wonderous scenery across the river whilst also looking back in time! Think about that for a hot second, as we tell… the Rest of the Story.

Sun, Sand, & Serendipity: Exploring P.E.I.'s Expected & Unexpected Wonders.

Many blog posts begin by mentioning the weather. For example, the heading of my December 31, 2024, entry—"The weather did not cooperate for our visit to Pittsburgh"—illustrates how travel experiences can be influenced by weather conditions. Just in case “Mother Nature” is getting sensitive to my protestations, I’d like to set the record straight by saying that this trip has had amazingly good weather. Apart from last week's heat wave in Prince Edward Island, conditions have been consistently excellent: warm, with temps in the high 70’s to low 80’s, breezy, with cool nights, good for sleeping, and not a hint of rain. The pleasant weather has enabled frequent outdoor dining at the picnic table, resulting in limited use of the camper's interior for meals. Not to dwell on our good fortune for too long, but all this nice dry weather, although excellent for sightseeing, has resulted in tinder dry conditions across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, & Prince Edward Island (also known as the Canadian Maritimes). Whilst in Prince Edward Island, (P.E.I.) we watched the Fire Danger Rating sign climb from moderate to extreme in the matter of 14 days. (These signs indicate the risk of a forest fire at a campsite and use a color-coded descriptive scale to communicate the current risk of wildfires.) Eventually, all outside campfires were prohibited across the entire Province. Case in point, two weeks ago I published a Blog about Shubie Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Last week, whilst in P.E.I., we learned that the 40-acre park that I spoke so glowingly about, and the Shubenacadie Canal, have been closed to the public due to the fear that human interaction would accidentally start a forest fire. Our recent walks through the local forests in P.E.I. have borne witness to how dry the ground cover is. OK, OK, already, “Mother Nature if you’re listening, please send a day of rain and maybe even a night, to help out the farmers and the forests”.

After departing Nova Scotia, we proceeded to visit the third and final province of the Maritimes, P.E.I. Once again, our travels brought us back to well-known locations, as we had previously stayed at Cavendish Campground, a Provincial Park, in 2017. This trip, however, was considerably longer than our initial three-day experiment in RV travel. Our itinerary included two destinations over a span of twelve days, providing ample time to traverse the 2,160 square mile island. Our previous experiences at Cavendish Campground and Green Gables Heritage Place in 2017 had us eager for a return visit. Additionally, there was much left to discover, including the provincial capital, Charlottetown, and the eastern sections of the island. We did this from our second campground, called Lord Selkirk Campground, in Belfast, located in the southeast portion of the island, in a town originally settled by Scottish Highlanders in the early 1800’s.  

Our Gull Friend @ Cavendish Beach

Every trip to P.E.I. involves a trip over the Confederation Bridge. The bridge is the only drivable connection the island has to New Brunswick. This 8-mile-long bridge is the longest over ice-covered ocean water and spans the Northumberland Straits of the northern Atlantic Ocean. It was by far the longest bridge we have pulled the camper over. Once we were on the island, we headed north to the town of Cavendish. The campground, and specifically Cavendish Beach, was exactly as I remembered from our 2017 visit. The beach offers miles of pristine sandy beachfront, perfect for 

walking, and the dark red cliffs made of sandstone make for a striking backdrop. A frequent theme of our summer trip is the beach. And Cavendish Beach, with its majestic sand dunes, and unspoiled panorama was one of the many beautiful beaches we visited. Just a five-minute walk from our campsite to this sparsely populated beach was all it took. We shared the beach with more seagulls than people. Our photo collection is filled with gorgeous beach pictures, but I’ll only post two to this blog.

Phare de Panmure Lighthouse

But wait, there’s more beach to talk about on P.E.I.  I should have started by saying that Cavendish Beach is the most gorgeous beach on the north shore. Whilst we were visiting the campground in Lord Selkirk, we took the 25-minute ride to an amazing beach on a little spit of land leading to Panmure Island. The beach is a very popular destination for locals and has a wonderful white sandy beach and picturesque sand dunes. A beautiful and secluded beach with vast open ocean views. The beach is located along a causeway, which terminates at the picturesque 58-foot tall Phare de Panmure Head lighthouse. Let’s just say that considerable time was spent walking along the beaches in P.E.I. and move on to other excursions.

Lobster Lesson

If beaching is not your thing, I offer you the experience of a food and history tour of the capital of Prince Edward Island, that being Charlottetown. Judy and I spent nearly three hours walking the streets and restaurants of Charlottetown, experiencing the island culinary standouts such as PEI mussels, oysters, and lobster.  Mark, our guide and interpreter of 300 years of P.E.I. history, and a true local, walked us through town with stops at notable restaurants and a lobster shack

Fresh P.E.I Mussels - Yumm!

Anne of Green Gables in 35 Languages

Another place Judy and I had to revisit from our 2017 trip, and explore further, was the connection between Cavendish and L.M. Montgomery's fictional book, “Anne of Green Gables”.  Cavendish is the town where the life and literary career of Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery began and flourished. Honestly, I have never read the book, so I’ll give you my best brief interpretation of what I learned. L.M. Montgomery was a groundbreaking Canadian writer due to her ability to capture the universal themes of childhood, identity, and belonging. Her most famous work, “Anne of Green Gables”, is inspiring because she embodies resilience, individuality, and the power of imagination. 

Montgomery kept amazing journals of her writing process, and all of it is on display at the Green Gables Heritage Place and Museum. And although Green Gables is a fictional place, it is all based upon the area, and we had a chance to walk from the Heritage Center, through the “haunted woods”, to the actual house (foundation only) that L.M. Montgomery, grew up writing in. Here’s a stunning statistic: The book, “Anne of Green Gables”, is still actively published today, has been translated into over 35 languages, and has never gone out of print since originally published in 1908. Wow!

Charlottetown was an easy 30-minute drive from the campsite, and we made our way into the capital city to explore a couple of times. On our second trip, we took advantage of an early morning start and headed directly to the Victoria Park Boardwalk for a walk along the Charlottetown waterfront. At ¾ of a mile, the boardwalk provides unobstructed views of the entry to Charlottetown Harbor through Hillsborough Bay. Outside the bay is the Northumberland Strait waterway over which the Confederation Bridge passes. The Boardwalk concludes at the Beaconsfield Historic House and Museum which we then visited. The house was designed and built for James and Edith Peake. Beaconsfield was one of Charlottetown’s most elegant homes, featuring the finest materials and craftsmanship and equipped with all the latest 1877 conveniences of the day. The Peakes fell into financial hardship and had to vacate the mansion after only living in it for a handful of years. Today, the restored house is an example of Victorian architecture with many original features and a fascinating story.

Beaconsfield Historic House, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

It is noteworthy how circumstances can unexpectedly influence outcomes. For instance, my original itinerary for this trip involved a twelve-day stay at Cavendish Campground; however, due to not accessing the reservation system promptly, I was unable to book a site for as long as I had wished. I was familiar with the Canadian Parks Services' procedure for releasing campground reservations, however I overlooked the time zone difference associated with the Maritime Provinces, which operate on Atlantic Time rather than Eastern Time. Consequently, I accessed the system an hour late. Undeterred, I proceeded to seek alternative campsites elsewhere on P.E.I. to complete my visit, focusing on options closer to the capital. This search ultimately led us to Lord Selkirk campground in Belfast, a location that provided convenient access to both Charlottetown and the smaller town of Montague along the Montague River. In Montague we enjoyed a memorable meal at “Windows On The Water” restaurant. Even better, our revised plans enabled us to visit Panmure Provincial Park and its beach, a wonderful experience we would have otherwise missed. As Judy and I drove off the island crossing the Confederation Bridge with Neil the Northpoint in tow, we agreed that not being able to schedule our entire stay at the Cavendish campground worked out better. Moving our home on wheels across the Island allowed us to engage more thoroughly with the local culture and genuinely appreciate the unique character of Prince Edward Island. Ahh, the exhilaration of not knowing what we will find around each turn of the road as we tell… the Rest of the Story.

Exploring Halifax & Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with a Side Trip to Peggy's Cove.

Can you imagine having the luxury of taking a 10-minute ferry ride across a harbor, to make a daily commute to & from work? That’s what I was thinking about as I boarded the ferry in Dartmouth, NS, and took off across the harbor to Halifax. It’s a warm Monday morning, and the ferry ride offers stunning views of the Halifax skyline. The ferry ride itself is quick and very efficient, and our $ 2.50 fare also includes a return trip voucher. We land at a terminal in the heart of the Halifax Boardwalk district, which looks to be a short walk to most of central Halifax. Compared to my previous 30-minute car commute to & from work, usually in traffic, I’m thinking, “This is fantastic.”  But then it dawns on me that it’s probably not as wonderful in the winter, when the temperatures are below freezing and the wind is howling in from the north. Never underestimate how miserable the weather could be here in Halifax at 44°40′ north latitude. This could make being on a ferry, even inside, quite unpleasant. For now, though, it’s a great way to travel, and our daughter, Morgan, joined us as we explored both Halifax and Dartmouth.

On the ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax

Towing a 40-foot, 4-ton RV into a major city presents logistical challenges, and there are not many city campgrounds that are large enough to accommodate Neil the Northpoint. This usually means parking the camper some 20-30 miles away, in a close suburb, and driving into the city. When I was looking for places to stay around the Halifax area, I was surprised to find a campsite well inside the Halifax metropolis. Dartmouth is a recognized community and part of the larger administrative entity known as the Halifax Regional Municipality. It is known as the "City of Lakes" because it boasts a remarkable number of freshwater lakes within its boundaries. We stayed in Shubie Campground, located inside a 40-acre urban park called Shubie Park. The park is located between Lake Charles to the North, and Lake Micmac to the south. Between these two lakes is the "Shubenacadie Canal".  In the early 19^th century, before the railroad, waterways and canals were used to ship goods from ocean ports to inland locations. By 1861, a usable canal was in operation, connecting the port of Dartmouth, through Lake Micmac & Lake Charles, to places 60 miles north.  There were many paths and trails that crisscrossed the 70-acre wilderness area, which was a lovely way to get around the park and see the surrounding area. 

• There was a path that led to a large shopping center, called Dartmouth Landing, which includes a footbridge over the highway. 

• There were paths in the park dedicated to dogs running “off leash”. 

• There were paths to both lakes.

• There were paths with informational signage explaining the existence of the Shubenacadie Canal, as well as the indigenous Mi'kmaq people.

Shubie Park offers summer camp programs, ball fields, a skateboard park, and a popular dog-friendly off-leash area. Morgan, Judy, and I walked there for various reasons, including trips to Dartmouth Landing and the beach, as well as simply enjoying the park itself. We also rented a canoe and paddleboard to travel along the renovated Shubenacadie Canal from just above Lock #2 to Lake Charles, spending about an hour exploring the canal and the southern tip of the lake on a warm day.

Ferry Terminal Park Dartmouth, NS

Dartmouth is a prominent neighborhood within the Halifax Regional Municipality, noted for its unique vibrancy and local character. The area offers a range of high-quality restaurants, numerous walking trails, lakes, public parks, and features the Alderney Landing development. Significant time was devoted to both exploring the trail network and participating in the Nova Multifest event at Alderney Landing. 

With all that there was to do in Dartmouth, we did venture across the harbor to spend some time exploring Halifax properly, even taking a ferry ride out to and around Georges Island, which lies in the middle of Halifax’s inner harbor.  

• Early in the week we took the Halifax Harbor Hopper tour for a unique blend of land and sea exploration on a refurbished military amphibious vehicle. On board, our guides shared historical facts and anecdotes about the city, and the tour was a great way to get a quick overview of Halifax's key attractions. 

• 

   Fort Charlotte on Georges Island

  Later in the week, we returned to Halifax to board a tour boat bound for Georges Island, where we had the opportunity to visit and explore Fort Charlotte. Georges Island is a drumlin, a geological formation shaped by glaciers during the last ice age. This small, spoon-shaped island occupies a strategic position in the harbor. As such, the island and its British fort—constructed and rebuilt several times—provided substantial defense for the harbor throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Notably, historical records indicate that the fort was never subjected to attack.

Vandal Doughnuts, Halifax Boardwalk

 

Upon returning from Georges Island, we proceeded to walk along a significant portion of the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk. This renowned destination offers a wide array of attractions, making its popularity among tourists understandable. There is the Canadian Museum of Immigration, and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, each with its own pier side attractions. There is public art on display all along the boardwalk and a lot of boats and yachts alongside the piers to look at. And so many dining establishments and cafés are available, in addition to a specialty donut shop that particularly appealed to Judy.  

 Peggys Cove Lighthouse 

There were numerous additional experiences in Halifax and Dartmouth that cannot be fully detailed within the scope of this blog. However, I would be remiss in my narrative to not mention our 60-minute ride south to Peggy’s Cove. Peggy's Cove is a small, picturesque fishing village on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. The area features an iconic lighthouse situated atop expansive granite formations, which is reputed to be the most photographed lighthouse in Canada and among the most renowned globally. Peggy’s Cove is just so scenic & charming that it has been attracting artists and artisans, with its picturesque scenery, for many decades. Specifically, William E. deGarthe, a well-known artist, spent 35 years of his life painting and sculpting in Peggy's Cove. In 1977, at the age of 70, deGarthe started carving a “Monument to Nova Scotian Fisherman” into a 100-foot-long granite slab on his property in Peggy’s Cove.  He worked on the monument until his death in 1983, and the granite carving sits there as it was upon his death. The sculpture depicts 32 fishermen, their wives and children, the guardian angel St. Elmo, and a figure representing Peggy, a legendary shipwreck survivor whom deGarthe believed was the namesake of the village. Despite its popularity as a tourist destination, Peggy's Cove continues to function as an authentic working fishing village. We had lunch at a lobster shack within view of the granite rocks and lighthouse before returning to Dartmouth.

Peggys Cove Fishing Village

Towing our RV into an older urban RV park was a bit of a challenge. I had to back the rig into a tight spot, while maneuvering around a tree. It was only after I had backed into the space that we discovered that the campsite was way out of level. Once the landing pads were deployed, the wheels of my camper were suspended 4 inches off the ground. Not good! (We were not alone in our leveling struggles, as we witnessed many others in the same circumstances.) Once we got the RV situated correctly, we turned our attention to opening the door and dropping the stairs down. That’s when we discovered that even with the stairs in the fullest downward position, we were still a foot off the ground. We were going to need a small step ladder, just to reach the first step of our stairs. We decided we needed to talk to the RV Park manager. Some issues are the responsibility of the RV campsite, and this was one of them. The office and maintenance staff were very helpful (cause I’m sure they have run into this problem before), and they brought over a wooden pallet and a single set of stairs from one of their maintenance sheds. In short order we were able to build a landing pad for the RV stairs, as well as three additional steps, for our safe entry into the RV. We never know exactly what we’re going to find when we arrive at a campsite in a new destination, but that’s what makes the RV lifestyle such an adventure. Who knows what we find at our next stop on Prince Edward Island, as we tell… the Rest of the Story.