Taking the Slow Roads on Beautiful PEI – Postcards from Canada, 2025

North Cape, Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, Tyne Valley, Malpeque Harbour, Cabot Beach Provincial Park

From my Cedar Dunes campground, near West Point on PEI, I made my way up the coast towards North Cape on the nicely quiet Highway 14. It was a cool, windy, and drizzly morning, but I was happy as I set off, past tall windmills,

and lovely sections of forest decorated with swaths of bright pink fireweed.

The sea was on my left, with farmhouses and fields between the road and the shore, and I liked when the road dipped down small hills to cross over slow lazy rivers.

By the time I reached Miminegash harbour the sky had mostly cleared and the wind had strengthened. All was calm in the inner harbour,

but at the narrow passage leading into the harbour, the wind was pushing tall rolling waves of sediment-filled water between the high metal walls of the channel.

This was the exciting view, to the north, of windswept waves rising onto a long sandy beach that was backed by low dunes.

I continued north along the coast and made another stop to view the tall dunes and beach at the community of Skinners Pond. Sadly, I didn’t remember until later in the day that the Stompin’ Tom Centre is located in Skinners Pond. Stompin’ Tom, a Canadian icon, was a favourite of my dad’s and of all us kids, and I will definitely make a visit there on my next trip to PEI.

I continued the drive and enjoyed it immensely. There was very little traffic and it was easy to pull over for photo stops whenever I wanted. Then, I arrived at North Cape where a forest of wind turbines were turning at speed and the lighthouse had a tall friend.

North Cape is where the reddish-brown waters of the Northumberland Straight meet the blue waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

There is a natural rock reef, the longest in North America, that extends almost two kilometres offshore here, and at low tide one can walk out on it for about 800 metres, but today the tide was high.

There is a Wind Energy Interpretive Centre at the Cape, as well as tourist information, a gift shop, and a restaurant, but the day was too beautiful to spend even a moment inside, so I set out on the Black Marsh Nature trail, a 5.5 km return walk that led along the grassy tops of low red cliffs,

with great views back to the lighthouse, radio tower, and interpretive centre.

I sometimes wish that I worked with video rather than still photography, especially on such a day, as everything was moving! The wind was rippling wildly through the grasses and wildflowers, waves were crashing onto the shore, and the huge blades of the wind turbines were turning with great phwump phwump phwump sounds. It was fabulous!

The trail led away from the cliffs into a small section of forest and right amongst and below several of the tall turbines.

It then led back out to the cliff tops,

and later onto a series of boardwalks over a large expanse of raised peat bog known as the Black Marsh.

There were interpretive panels to help me identify some of the low bog plants that can be found here, including two lovely orchids. Clockwise from the top left are Grass Pink, cloud berry (also known as bake apple), bog cotton, Rose Pogonia, and Pitcher plant.

The trail continued a short distance past the bog to a viewing platform overlooking Elephant Rock, which no longer looks like an elephant after multiple storms have changed its shape. I’m not sure if the cormorants perched on the rock were enjoying the wind and the sea views as much as I was!

It was such a glorious place and I loved the return walk as much as the walk out. I had the entire trail, there and back, all to myself!

After North Cape I checked out the small town of Tignish, and then returned to my campsite at Cedar Dunes for a wonderful late-afternoon swim. Then, after my camp dinner, I returned to the beach as the sun was lowering,

and stayed until the sun set. What a perfect day!

The following morning I had only about 100 kilometres to drive from Cedar Dunes to my next campground at Cabot Beach Provincial Park, and I elected again to make my way there on slow and quiet secondary highways. Highway 12 was wonderful! It crossed the gorgeous Foxley River,

and passed meadows and fields and so many beautiful old farmhouses.

There were also historic wooden churches to admire such as (clockwise from left) the Freeland Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Anglican Church in Ellerslie, and the Bideford United Church.

I also came across the Bideford Parsonage which is a beautifully restored farmhouse from 1878 that has been turned into a museum of rural life on PEI during the late 19th century. Lucy Maud Montgomery lived here in 1894-95 when she taught at the nearby schoolhouse.

Continuing on Highway 12 I came to the great little town of Tyne Valley, and they were having their annual soapbox derby! I was happy to see lots of girls participating, and I thought that all of the young participants were quite brave as they were released from a ramp to speed down a rather steep hill! I admired their creative soapboxes,

and then enjoyed a stroll through the town where there was a bridge over the very pretty Trout River and many beautiful old homes. The Backwoods Burger brewery pub looked to be popular with motorcyclists out for the day, and there was a rather groovy old-fashioned diner in Dillons Convenience and Pizzeria. Another wonderful sight in town was of a beautifully restored 1927 Model T Ford, and its keys were in the ignition! (A reminder that you can click on any photo for a larger view.)

I continued on Highway 12 and loved every second of the drive. I was surprised to come across a large field of bright yellow canola, and plants by the roadside were fun to photograph.

Further down the road I came across St. Patricks Parish Church in Grand River. Built in 1839, this large Catholic Church featured a unique interior with balconies built both at the back of the church, for the choir, and along its sides. The architectural details were somewhat ornate, but the interior felt very serene and open with its lofty space, soft paint colours, and limited decor beyond the beautiful stained glass windows.

When Highway 12 met the much busier Highway 2, I quickly made my way to the pleasant town of Kensington where I spent a happy couple of hours out of the sun in the public library charging my electronics, downloading photos, perusing the “books for sale” shelf, and chatting with the librarian. Then, it was off to my campground at Cabot Beach Provincial Park, with a stop first at Malpeque Harbour where I enjoyed photographing the scenic sheds with their weathered windows and doors.

I got a great campsite, with good privacy and shade, and then headed out right away to Cabot Beach for a late-afternoon swim. A boardwalk led out onto the golden sand of a wide and very beautiful beach with warm shallow water. I had to walk out a long way before I could swim!

After my energizing time in the water, I walked along the sand to the red cliffs at the far western end of the beach,

with great views back.

And then I walked to the far eastern end of the beach where a dad and his son were fishing.

All along the walk there were splendid views out to the sea and across the Darnley Basin.

Back at camp, I decided that it was finally time to have my first (and ultimately the only!) sit-down restaurant dinner of my entire cross-Canada trip. (Dining out is the one place where I don’t greatly enjoy being alone when travelling solo, and it is also hard on the budget.) The librarian in Kensington had strongly recommended the Ship to Shore Restaurant in nearby Darnley so off I went, imagining that I would splurge on a lobster roll or other seafood dish, but in the end I ordered what she had ordered, a braised beef sandwich topped with pickled vegetables and fries. It was delicious!

The restaurant was relaxed and casual, with an open feel, and large doors opening out onto a deck. I took my time here, enjoyed my meal, and reflected on my day and my journey thus far. I was in PEI (!), with more wonderful travel along slow roads to come. 🙂

New Brunswick’s Fundy Coast – Postcards from Canada, 2025

Irving Nature Centre, Saint John, St. Martins, Fundy Parkway, Fundy National Park, Cape Enrage, Shepody National Wildlife Area, Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park

It is an easy drive of just over an hour from Fredericton to Saint John, but I was soon driving through fog as I got closer to the coast. Before driving into the city I visited the Irving Nature Centre, a 600-acre wooded peninsula and popular park for walking, hiking, and biking. These were my first views of the Bay of Fundy at Saints Rest Beach!

The fog began to lift as I walked several sections of coastal and forest trails to access small coves, a bog, and a boardwalk over a salt marsh where I saw the iconic red silty sediment of the Bay of Fundy.

I then drove to see Saint John’s Martello tower, a National Historic Site, but the entire tower was covered in tarps for restorations, and its famous hilltop view of Saint John’s harbour was completely obscured by fog. I did enjoy the Visitors Centre though, with its excellent film about the history of this military tower which was constructed at the time of the War of 1812.

Saint John is not the prettiest city, and it had a depressed and rather forlorn air on a foggy Sunday morning. It is a working city of factories, oil refineries, and harbour facilities, with its historic centre located around King’s Square and the nearby Prince William Streetscape. These late 19th-century stone and brick buildings were constructed after the Great Fire of 1877 and included banks, hotels, insurance, shipping, and legal offices.

Located nearby and on the riverfront was the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village. Many of its shops and cafes were not yet open when I visited, but that was fine as my eyes were drawn mostly to the workings of the river port facilities, with the shapes of the tall blue cranes ghostly in the fog.

Soon it was time to visit the Reversing Falls where, on an incoming high tide, the Bay of Fundy waters force the St. John River to reverse its flow and this creates rapids and whirlpools through a narrow gorge. There are parks and viewing platforms located at both ends of the bridge which spans the gorge, as well as views from the bridge. I loved watching the cormorants who took turns to fly in, perch on a boulder located in the centre of the falling swirls of water, and then dive into the river, often to return with a silver fish in their beak!

I continued on to St. Martins, less than an hour away, where I would camp for the night. I was here to see the sea caves at St. Martins beach. On the high tide, kayakers paddle along the coast here, and into the caves, but I would wait for the low tide to walk into the caves. I enjoyed visiting the nearby small marina, visitors centre, and two historic covered bridges over the Irish River, and then I checked into my campsite to putter and rest and read a while while I waited for the tide to recede.

In the late afternoon I returned to the beach with a piping hot order of fish and chips purchased from Spinney’s Seafood Restaurant and Market. This restaurant is consistently voted “Best Lobster Roll” in the province, and I was very tempted to order my very first lobster roll there, but I decided to save that pleasure for further down the road, maybe on PEI or in Nova Scotia. I parked my camp chair at the far end of the beach to enjoy my early dinner with views of the sea caves in the distance, and ended up chatting with a Quebecois fellow who had noticed my Toyota camper set up. He had been travelling all over Canada and the U.S. in his VW Eurovan for about 18 months and it was fun to talk together about places seen and places yet to see. Then, I enjoyed my walk across the wide cobbled beach to view and enter the sea caves that are carved deeply into the soft stone of the red sea cliffs.

The following morning I set out early to drive the Fundy Trail Parkway, a 30 km scenic coastal drive high above the Bay of Fundy that features twenty viewpoints, forest and coastal trails, and access to beaches and waterfalls. The morning was foggy again, and I stopped shortly after entering the parkway to wait a while for the fog to lift. I had paid over $20 to drive the parkway and I wanted to see it! I enjoyed the quiet of my foggy perch, took photos of the lovely plants around me, and then lay on my bed for an hour to read – quite happy with the forced rest!

But, I am not the most patient person, so, after that hour of rest I continued on a short distance through the fog to the next viewpoint and hiked down to Melvin Beach where winter storms had created an impressively high bench of layered stones.

I stopped again, just minutes further down the road, to do the short hike to Fuller Falls,

and then continued on to stop at most of the viewpoints. The Parkway dipped down to the Salmon River,

and then rose again to more viewpoints as the receding fog finally revealed the bright blues of the sea and the sky.

I loved driving the Parkway, and was impressed by its visitor facilities, but I also loved the quiet loneliness of the drive on Shepody Road from the East Gate of the Parkway to the border of Fundy National Park – few cars, and easy curves through low forested hills and wetland areas. I was happy that I would be spending three days in one place, camped at the fabulous Fundy National Park with its three campgrounds and multiple trails through upland forests, bog, and coastline. Highlights of my first afternoon in the park were walks on the Caribou interpretive nature trail and to Dickson Falls, and the drive to Wolfe Point to see its red covered bridge and to walk the beach there.

My campsite was in the Headquarters Campground, tucked under tall trees on a bank high above the Upper Salmon River and in walking distance to the town of Alma with its restaurants, shops, cafes, gas and groceries. No dining out for me, but I did indulge twice in a cinnamon bun from Kelly’s Bake Shop that had been recommended to me three times as I crossed Canada! The furthest west recommendation had come from a young woman at a Toyota service centre in Winnipeg. She had spent many summers in the area with her grandparents and had said that I, “just have to get a cinnamon bun from Kelly’s”. As I set out on my first morning of explorations in the area, fog again obscured the bay, and the Upper Salmon River at low tide left the fishing boats in Alma’s marina high and dry, and when I returned in the afternoon the fog had mostly cleared and the boats were happily floating again!

My first destination of the day was to see the lighthouse at Cape Enrage. I would visit it three times and each time it would be hiding in thick fog! But the drive there was fabulous, with thick borders of vibrant wildflowers lining the road as I passed salt marshes on one side and fields on that other that were created in the 1700s by Acadian settlers who had diked the salt marshes to create arable land and pastures.

From Cape Enrage, I drove to the Shepody National Wildlife Area to hike the beach out to Mary’s Point which is located on a forested headland at the end of several kilometres of beach walking that is only fully accessible at the low tide. With forest, beach, salt marsh, and freshwater wetlands, the Shepody Wildlife Area is an important ecological reserve for resident, breeding, and migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, including hundreds of thousands of semipalmated sandpipers that congregate here in the late summer. All was quiet though, for me, on this late morning, with just a slight breeze riffling through the dune grasses, and with only a few sets of footprints to show that others had also walked this beach. I love my times in these lonely places, with sea air and long distance views and the meditative repetition of one foot in front of the other.

After my wonderful walk at Mary’s Point, I drove up the coast to the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, one of the best places to witness the tidal changes of the Bay of Fundy on the New Brunswick coast. Admission to the park is rather pricey, but it allows park access for two days to better enable viewing of both the high and low tides. I had planned my arrival for a few hours before the high tide in order to have time in the visitor centre and to walk the trails. The Hopewell Rocks are sea stacks, known here as flowerpots, that are carved by the sea from the soft red sandstone cliffs along two kilometres of shoreline at Hopewell Cape. Here is a view down to the flowerpots of Big Cove,

and here are views from the viewing platform down to the flowerpots at Lovers Arch, as well as one view taken from down on the beach as the tide rose inexorably (middle right photo).

All visitors were then required to exit the beach, and it was quite something to see the high tide rise to fully engulf the bases of the flowerpots and splash against the cliffs. The average tidal change here at Hopewell Rocks is between 12-16 metres (40-52 feet), with maximum tides of 16 metres (52-56 feet), while across the bay, at Burntcoat in Nova Scotia, the maximum tides are even higher, with the world’s highest recorded tidal change of 21.6 metres (70.9 feet)! On each tidal cycle, up to 160 billion tons of water flow into and out of the Bay of Fundy!

The next morning I again drove to Hopewell Rocks, this time to walk on the sea floor at low tide. Luckily, there was a free guided walking tour beginning as I arrived and it was was excellent! I learned many new and interesting facts about the Bay of Fundy and the Cape’s geology and history. There were fewer visitors this morning, and it was fun to take a slow and educational walk from one end of the Cape to the other.

The day was fine, and as I left Hopewell Rocks I decided to try again to see the lighthouse at Cape Enrage, and to explore a bit on the way. Google maps showed a lighthouse, the picturesque wooden Anderson Hollow Lighthouse, located in the oddest place in the middle of an estuary, but access was impossible as the road there was closed due to bridge work. Nearby though was the tiny hamlet of Harvey with its historic community hall built in 1884, while across the street was a church of similar vintage, and nearby (and all along this coast) were other fine heritage homes and buildings.

I considered a second visit to the Shepody Wildlife Area and Mary’s Point as I passed, but the sky was bright and I really wanted to tour the lighthouse at Cape Enrage. ( I had driven there a second time, on my return from Hopewell Rocks the previous day, but it was still encased in fog.) Third time lucky, I hoped, but it was not to be. It was a beautiful, pastoral drive, with sun, sun, sun, until I drove up and into a wall of fog just five minutes away from the lighthouse! The woman at the visitors centre told me that there had been bright sun for about an hour that had ended shortly before my arrival, and she had taken some lucky visitors into the lighthouse for a tour. (Tours are not allowed during periods of fog because of the loudness of the foghorn for peoples’ ears.) Oh well! I walked about for various views, and then descended the staircase down to the narrow beach. The cliffs here are composed of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks from 320 million years ago and contain many types of fossils.

On my return to camp in the late afternoon, I considered choosing a short trail to hike, but opted instead to try out the park’s outdoor swimming pool. What a treat! Full, but not too full, of happy kids and families, with a bright sun and sea breeze, it was a great way to end my three day visit at Fundy National Park. The next morning, as I left my campground, I stopped one last time to again photograph the boats at Alma. Morning fog was present again,

but it burned off as I headed inland toward Moncton. There, I stopped at a riverside park and considered waiting for the time of the Tidal Bore event, a wave which travels up the Peticodiac River on an incoming high tide from the Bay of Fundy. But it was already very hot, humid, and busy in Moncton close to noon, and I was anxious to finally see and cross the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. So, off I went, very very happy with my time in wonderful New Brunswick, and knowing that I would return again later to explore its northern coast.

Taking it Easy in New Brunswick – Postcards from Canada, 2025

Grand Falls, Florence and Hartland Covered Bridges, Kings Landing, Fredericton

I woke on my first morning in New Brunswick with a welcome feeling of ease as I had a short driving day of less than 300 km ahead of me, with plenty to see along the way. My first stop was at Grand Falls, where I walked wonderful trails on both sides of the river to view the powerful falls and deep narrow gorge.

From there I travelled for a distance south on the surprisingly-quiet Trans Canada Highway through low forested hills with pleasing far-distant views. I transitioned to Route 130 which follows closely along the St. John River on its west side, and then crossed to the east side of the river at the pretty town of Florence to visit its historic covered bridge. New Brunswick is home to more than half of Canada’s covered bridges. Once numbering over 1,000 at the turn of the century, there are now around 70 of these heritage structures remaining in the province.

The bridge is open to pedestrians and I enjoyed the walk across, with wonderful views of the St. John River looking both upstream,

and downstream. The St. John River has been designated as a Canadian Heritage River for its natural, cultural, and historic value. It was known to the Maliseet and Mi’kmaq nations as “Wolastoq”, “the good bountiful river”, and it was a vital transportation and communication route that influenced colonial settlement patterns, military campaigns, and the movement of people and goods. It is a wide, tranquil, and really beautiful river!

My next stop was at Hartland to see the longest covered bridge in the world. Built in 1901, with a walkway added in 1945, it is 391 metres long and is a designated National Historic Site.

Cars can still drive through the one lane structure, but I elected to walk across,

and then I returned to the east side of the river to walk downstream until I could just fit the entire structure into my camera’s frame. It took a bit more walking than expected!

I enjoyed the peaceful and scenic drive south on Highway 105 as it paralleled the river and passed small settlements, fields, woodland, and farms with beautiful old farmhouses. I crossed over the river again Southhampton to reach my next destination, the 300-acre living museum known as Kings Landing. This historical village features over 70 buildings that represent rural life in a New Brunswick Loyalist settlement from the years 1795 to 1925.

My first stop after perusing the Welcome Centre exhibits was at the small schoolhouse, and when I entered a costumed group of young campers, all girls, were participating in a lesson. I would later see these campers at the end of the day performing sketches and musical numbers for their parents at the theatre!

There are working farms onsite,

and many farmhouses of various styles with their interiors furnished with period items. Costumed interpreters are ready to give details about each home’s history, and to demonstrate various period crafts, jobs, and tools in and around the home, farm, and barns.

There were a multitude of other buildings to visit, including three churches (Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian),

and also a general store, forge, print shop, sash and door factory, sawmill, gristmill, hotel, restaurant, and pub. In each, costumed interpreters are on hand to talk about and demonstrate traditional livelihoods, goods, techniques and machinery.

It was a peaceful and pastoral place to wander. I loved the flowery meadow on a hill above the mill pond,

and then scenic views of the fully-operational gristmill and large sawmill, both of which are powered by waterwheels.

I spent over three hours at Kings Landing, on a beautiful sunny day, with lots to learn about and many beautiful things to see. Just as I was beginning to tire and consider the trek back to my car, campers were gathering in order to put on a show for their parents. The “Visiting Cousins” (9-12 year olds) were at the end of their five day overnight camp experience where they had dressed in period clothing and participated in many activities such as playing traditional games, making crafts (including carving wooden toys), cooking, gardening, animal care, etc. They had also spent time creating small skits that were clever and funny, and they performed these skits, as well as some musical numbers, in front of their proud parents and visitors. Watching their performances, in the cool shaded interior of the theatre, was an unexpected and very wonderful way to end my day at this exceptional living museum!

Afterwards, I had an easy 75 minute drive, again alongside the St. John River on scenic Highway 102, to reach my campsite at Mactaquac Provincial Park which is located only a half hour from Fredericton. I had a restful evening in another green, shaded, and peaceful campground, and then an early night, ready for a city day on the morrow.

Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, is a wonderful little city! It was easy to enter the city and make my way to its downtown where I found free street parking on a Saturday! (Priced at only $1.75 per hour, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday free! Take that Vancouver!). I was parked on Queen Street in the Historic Garrison District, and within a block of the Saint John River. I had planned to do a free historical walking tour at 10, but had about an hour to myself before it began, so I set out on a stroll, first up onto the Carleton Street River Lookout and then south along the paved Riverfront Trail.

I passed the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly building,

and visited the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral. Built between 1845-1853 in the Gothic Style, its steeple is almost 200 feet high, and its interior features beautiful stained glass from the 1850s.

There were many large and elegant Victorian-era homes in the leafy neighbourhood around the church, one of which has been converted into a popular art gallery, Gallery 78 (below right). I wish that I had booked two full days to explore and enjoy Fredericton as I would have made time to visit Gallery 78, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and the Fredericton Region Museum, all of which I passed on my stroll.

I returned to the Guard House and Soldiers’ Barracks where my walking tour was to begin. The excellent one hour tour was led by two young fellows (below). We walked much of the same route that I had strolled, and there were many interesting facts and stories shared about the history and early settlement of Fredericton. Later in the afternoon, I would have the pleasure of watching a clever and humorous play created by the three talented young tour leaders below. The woman played a soldier interested in a newly-widowed female (in the shawl), but the widow was more interested in first a dashing and forward rogue (fellow with the bottle), and then an officer with a nice big house (same actor), than with a lowly rank and file soldier. The seated audience consisted of only myself, and one of the players’ mother and her friend! But, we more than made up for the lack of a larger audience with our laughter and enthusiastic appreciation of the players and the play.

My walking tour had ended at the very busy and popular Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market where I happily perused the stalls and splurged on some lunch items. I returned to the Guard House area just in time to view the city’s annual Pride Parade – small but cheerful and enthusiastic, it was another unexpected pleasure to be had.

After the parade and the play I spent time in the coolness and quiet of the nearby public library where I did some much-needed trip planning and downloading of photos, and then I finally returned to my car to head to my Airbnb. I didn’t drive far though, before noticing the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge that crosses the St. John River. I stopped, found parking, accessed the bridge from the riverside trail, and walked the 600 metre length of this former railway bridge that is now used by pedestrians and cyclists. There was a breeze, the sky was blue, there were views upstream of the cathedral’s steeple rising above the trees, and views downstream to where I imaged the river flowing into the Atlantic not too far away! I would be there tomorrow! Cyclists and pedestrians crossing the bridge, mostly locals and some visitors, were noticeably happy, and I was feeling very happy too with my day in the great little city of Fredericton.