New Brunswick

We had a great sleep even though we were in a parking lot in a large city. We went out for breakfast and explored a little more of the lower town. We set out around 1030 and enjoyed the drive out of town. We considered stopping at the Plains of Abraham but settled for just driving by. We crossed the St Lawrence on a very cool bridge and headed to New Brunswick. We were on a 4 lane highway so there wasn't as much to see but we did make good time. We decided it was time for a campground and we found a pretty one in Grand Falls New Brunswick. Unfortunately when we arrived we found it had no vacancy. Back online and we found Eagle Falls Campground nearby. We called and found they had a spot for us. What an adventurous drive it was. The campgound was on the shores of the St John River but it felt like it was at the bottom of a gravel pit. There was a single lane gravel road with a drop off on one side. It felt like we were going straight down. Once we were settled in our spot it was entertaining watching other campers negotiate the road. Not our favorite spot but showering was wonderful. The next day we were headed to Hopewell Rocks. The entrance fee allowed you two visits so you could experience both low and high tides. Our timing was perfect. We arrived just before low tide so we were able to walk on the ocean floor. It was truly spectacular. We took a trail through a forest and down to Demoiselle Beach. It was a beautiful beach with what looked like miles of red mud flats in front of it. Initially we thought we would have to back track to get to the sea stacks but we noticed a few people walking along the shore so we thought we would try that. At first it was an easy walk but it soon became really challenging. Lots of loose rock, slippery seaweed and thick red muck. It was funny watching a couple kids who ventured out to the mudflats. They sunk to their knees in the dark red ooze. No thanks. Both of us had flip flops on not the best choice of footwear. We finally did get to the iconic rocks and found so many more people. We had to laugh at those in bright white trainers or fancy walking shoes. They did provide a foot wash at the end of the trail. We headed a little farther west to The Shire. We found this on iOverlanding. Don, the owner cleared a portion of his farm and opened it to travelers to camp. He set up a couple of shelters, a fire pit and a basic toilet. Payment was by donation and he did sell firewood. We spent the evening around a fire with two other traveling couples. It was so much fun. We went back to Hopewell Rocks the following morning to see high tide. What a difference. We just went to the look outs and saw where had walked the previous day was now under water. We stopped in Moncton to get hiking shoes for Randy and headed for Nova Scotia. We really enjoyed New Brunswick.Read more