I left you on arrival in Miramichi (New Brunswick – Canada) and the promise of a crazy encounter with wild bears…
(To read the beginning of my trip and discover the circuit to visit Acadie – New Brunswick North East – with family)
Indeed, not far from Miramichi, in Acadieville on the edge of the forest, we had the chance to meet Papa and Maman Ours, aka Richard and his wife Vivianne from Little Bear Safari .
Miramichi – seen from the Rodd Hotel
This meeting has definitely marked my memory. It's about going to meet wild bears, which Richard will "feed" at the end of the day in the forest. To observe them, he built a wooden cabin, perched above them. It's no joke, you even have to sign a waiver in the mini-bus as you enter the forest. The adventure lasts 2 hours and children are accepted from 5 years old. The idea being to be able to keep him silent. You have to WHISPER so as not to frighten the bears who come there with their families, the proof...
We continue the circuit through the province of New Brunswick; I promise (!!) there are still fabulous landscapes to discover! That's what's crazy about Canada, it's this ability to amaze us again and again with the beauty of the flora and fauna. On this subject:direction the Kouchibouguac National Park
This park is magnificent, you can practice many family activities there (cycling, walking, fishing and even the beach…), you should plan to stay there in my opinion at least 2 nights , you can sleep in the park in Canadian tents (I took a look, it's spartan but awfully well done). On the other hand, reservations must be made very early, there are few accommodations available!
Photo credit Voyagefamily.com
Kouchibouguac offers a fascinating mosaic of bogs, salt marshes, estuaries, freshwater systems, sheltered lagoons, ancient fields and forests with majestic trees. It is also 25 kilometers of constantly moving sand dunes that serve as habitat for the piping plover, a bird whose species has been classified as "at risk".
For our part, we took a zodiac outing in the early morning to observe the colony of gray seals on the protected strip of sand. Departure from Cap St Louis:
We continue the road towards the south, always along the coast to arrive at Bouctouche and particularly admire the dune :it is one of the last sand strips in North America. To access it, you have to go to the Eco-Centre Irving. From there you can walk on the wooden pontoon and even swim.
Also worth seeing (but it's not my favorite – however I'm showing it to you because I took a panoramic photo – uh uh), Pays de la Sagouine, Ile aux Puces recreating a traditional village to live and understand the Acadian culture:
Or sleep ? At the Shediac Hotel (in Shediac)
Next big and final stop:the Bay of Fundy. This one is huge, you have to plan to cover it in several days. What we couldn't do. I therefore put the essentials, but do not hesitate to stay at least 2 nights (to stay there at least 3 days)
Fundy National Park with high tides on the program (the highest in the world:they go up to 12 meters) to discover by kayak and on foot at low tide. But also trails, waterfalls, walks, camping in the Acadian forest. Let’s not forget the Fundy trails either. You really have to, I insist, stay several days in this part of New Brunswick, if, like me, you like nature and discover it quietly by walking in particular.
We start with the Cap Enrage – one of my big favorites during this trip to Canada. Already just the scenery on the road to get there is… crazy.
And then we get there (possibility to eat on site in a very pleasant restaurant)
The beach that you can reach via small steps or by the cliff, abseiling!
Difficult to make a choice for the photos believe me...
On the way to Hopewell Rocks , here is a small inventory of the landscapes you will cross... Mandatory stop regularly:
On arrival at Hopewell Rocks Park, I recommend this circuit of about 20 minutes:
start your visit at the orientation center, then from the back, take the path to Demoiselles beach, a calm and sandy cove at the southern end of the park.
We start with this point of view of a very sick person (excuse me):
To arrive on the beach therefore (here low tide):
Then, you will follow the path to the left which will bring you back to all the tourists who are "content" with the small tour of the rocks 🙂
There are a few more "difficult" rocks/passages, but it's still largely doable; the ideal is of course to wear hiking shoes to be comfortable.
Walk along the bay and … admire.
At the arrival of the stairs await you, as well as - it's awfully clever - water points to clean your muddy shoes!
Where to Sleep in Fundy Park ? In one of the Fundy Highlands wooden chalets:very comfortable with a very rootsy/vintage decor. They even have a small kitchenette! You can also choose the "hostel" version which looks a lot more like the classic Motel. In my opinion, it is necessary to play the card of the hut! We are in Canada or not! I took a picture of some of my chalet neighbors for you (gniiiiii):
Where to dine minutes from Fundy National Park? In Alma, at the Tides restaurant
Where to have a drink? just opposite, in this former church converted into a bar (be careful, closing at 11 p.m.) Holy Whale Brewery
Where to have a good breakfast? Octopus’ Garden Café
We end the tour with the charming little town of Saint-Andrews , where if you can I advise you to treat yourself to the night at the Hotel-Resort Algonquin in Saint-Andrews. Without forgetting the dinner at the very chic (and very good) gourmet restaurant Rossmount inn.
To do:the outing to (try to) see whales . Failure for us, but the view was so… wow! And then, this orange outfit... an unmissable experience, believe me!
To visit:the magnificent Kingsbrae Gardens with in particular their very fun "kids" area (small cabins) and their so cute alpacas
We then flew back to St John , a city also to discover, which personally reminded me a lot of Victoria on Vancouver Island, at the other end of Canada. Island where I spent 3 months 18 years ago…
I wanted to thank from the bottom of my heart Air Transat (and in particular Noémie), Article Onze, New Brunswick and especially Aldo, our guide who reminded me so much of my dad and who made this trip even more fabulous for us. and unforgettable.
Thanks to my travel buddies, whose amazing blog posts you will find:Globe Trotting – Voyage Family – Maman Bavarde – PapaCube
This trip, in addition to the fact that it made me discover a province of Canada which I simply did not know existed 3 months before, did me a lot of good on a personal level. I so needed to disconnect at the end of the school year. Finding myself "alone", I feared a little and in the end it did me a lot of good. Goodbye mental load. Hello space, adventure, freedom. I reassure you, I missed them and I was eager to tell them but it is now certain:I need this regularly. Let go completely.
I hope that my story and my photos (I had bought a camera for the occasion!) will have pleased you and perhaps even made you want to discover your family (!!) New Brunswick.
