The next morning, we carried on up the I-95 all the way to Houlton, Maine, and crossed into New Brunswick at Woodstock. Highway 2 saw us through Fredericton and onto Moncton to visit friends, and the Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy at low tide.
Two days later, we left Moncton and followed Highway 1 southwest along the shore, through Saint John in a fog and on to Black's Harbour, where we would catch the ferry to Grand Manan Island. Some of the finest camping we've known awaited, involving our third visit to Hole in the Wall campground perched atop a cliff overlooking the Bay of Fundy.
Our days on the island featured foggy mornings and sunny afternoons, and just the right combination of camp cooking and local seafood.....washed down with some east coast microbrews. We also walked the ocean floor (again) and crossed on foot over to Ross Island at low tide. Several days of reading, relaxing and wistful sea-gazing ensued.
Rather than take the "easy" way home - an early morning ferry back to the mainland and then the long highway - we opted for the expanded island tour. Once back on the mainland, we detoured down the next arm to L'Etete, where we caught increasingly smaller and sketchier ferries, first to Deer Island, and then Campobello Island, before finally crossing the international bridge into Lubec, Maine. The last one was a floating barge being pushed by a separate tug boat, with water washing over the side....no dock, they just drive it up on the beach and drop a gate. It was like storming Normandy. Just sayin'.
Despite the choice of scenic route, we made decent time, and were aided by the change back to Eastern Standard Time. At the end of a long day, we opted for a hotel just west of Albany, New York. Our final travel day home began early and involved a straight run across I-90 to Buffalo/Fort Erie, where we crossed back into Canada. The scenic route once again won out, rather than ending vacation with a run through Hamilton and down the 401, we instead followed Highway 3 along the Erie shore and all the way to Wheatley.
Arrived home at 4pm, quickly showered, changed, and hugged the cats before heading off at 5pm to the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival......
Beware!
Hopewell Rocks at low tide
Great food and great beer!
Swallowtail Light as we sail into North Head, Grand Manan
Cliff Site 17 at Hole in the Wall
Fog...
Il n'y a pas de fog!
The walk to Ross Island at low tide
Lobster Roll at Fundy House for lunch....
...and hearty camp stew for dinner over an open fire
Plaid to the Bone with a look that kilt
The view says it all
Ferries from mainland to and from Deer Island
Ferry from Deer Island to Campobello
The Captain wired in, we had water comin' in....
Fort Erie and Home Sweet Home
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