For years this scenic province was ignored by tourists. It's 1,400 miles of unspoiled seacoast, pure inland streams, pretty towns, and historical cities. It's more "innocent" that the other areas and almost free of tourist hype. This is the area where the great Canadian forest, sliced by sweeping river valleys and modern highways, meets the sea. More than 1/2 of the province is surrounded by coastline. The dramatic Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world, sweeps up the coast from Maine.
St. John River Valley: This is a scenic delight... rolling hills and lush agricultural land and the blue sweep of the winding Saint John make this drive excellent viewing. Expect to see some of the surviving old covered bridges.
Moncton: This is the unofficial capital of Acadia. It was settled by Dutch and German families from Pennsylvania. It used to be famous for shipbuilding but gradually gave way to the railroad. Most of the present city was built by railroad men. Not much architectural interest here.
Saint John on the Bay of Fundy: At the mouth of the river lives St. John, which is the largest city in New Brunswick. It is also the oldest incorporated city in Canada. Today it's a thriving industrial and port city. A recent face-lift and a new harbor front have improved its appearance.
Reversing Falls: This phenomenon is well worth a look. It's actually a series of rapids and whirlpools at which, twice a day, the Fundy Tides attempt to push the river water back upstream. When the tide flow weakens and ebbs, the river once again pours out over the rock ledges and the rapids appear to reverse themselves.
St. Andrews by the Sea: On Passamaquoddy Bay, St. Andrews has long been a summer resort. It's also a fisherman's town. Little has changed in the last two centuries. Of the town's 550 buildings, 280 were erected before 1880. It's a town where one should walk. Pick up a map at the Information Center, and follow it to some of the town's most interesting buildings.
Campobello Island: It was here that the Roosevelt family spent their summers. This former home of F.D. Roosevelt is now maintained as a lovely museum in his honor. It's located in the center of Roosevelt International Park, a joint project of the Canadian and American Governments.
Author of this article is Gene Gill. For more information visit his website: Gene Gill Miniatures.
