The next morning, after we got ready for the day, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, located on the top floor of the building, overlooking Moncton. There are not very many tourist attractions in Mocton itself, but there is lots to see within driving distance.

The Flower Pot Rocks at Hopewell Rocks.

Moncton's main attraction is Magnetic Hill, but we decided to skip it and visit Hopewell Rocks instead. "Along New Brunswick's eastern shore, the tremendous tides of the Bay of Fundy are a powerful feature of everyday life. Twice a day, over 100 billion tons of water swirl into and out of the bay, creating a tidal shift of up to 15 m (48 feet) and carving out a stunning wild and rocky shoreline." Some of these amazing rock formations can be found at Hopewell Rocks. To learn more about these tidal waves, please follow this link.

The Hopewell Rocks at high tide.

The Hopewell Rocks at low tide

During high tide, visitors can paddle among the rock formations in sea kayaks, while in low tide points of access allow visitors to safely venture on the sea floor for periods up to six hours.

We took highway # 114 heading south and in about 45 minutes we reached the Hopewell Rocks park. This area has attracted visitors since the mid 1800's. In 1998 the park was expanded with land acquisitions that tripled its size, and also included the construction of a new interpretive and visitor centre, among other facilities.

After we parked our car, we went to the Interpretive Centre to make sure that the tide was low and to check how much time we would have to walk on the sea floor. The place was packed. Once we were sure we would have plenty of time for our walk, we headed to the Flower Pot Rocks, one of the three points of access to the ocean floor.

Ready to start our hike on the ocean floor.

One of the first formations we saw, right beside the Lovers Arch, was this rock formation in the distinct shape of a penis. Later, at home, while doing some research on Hopewell Rocks, I found the picture of a girl trying to climb on the giant dick when she visited the park. LOL

The ocean floor was a little bit muddy, as I expected. The water around the park is very brown; later I learned that it is because of the constant movement of water over the mud flats, mixing the silt with water, creating an effect known as "Chocolate River".

Exploring Hopewell Rocks.

We decided to make the most of our visit and walk on the ocean floor from the Flower Pot Rocks to the Demoiselles Beach, from where we would be able to return to the visitor's centre. We first passed Castle Cove, followed by Big Cove and finally Diamond Cove, before we reached The Ledges. This area of the park is a narrow passage way between the rock formations on the east side of the park and the mud flats on the west side of the park. The Ledges were all covered with algae, making the crossing a bit more challenging, especially for some of the seniors visiting the site.

More Hopewell Rocks.

Once we reached the visitor's centre, we stoped for a rest and some snacks to recharge our energies. A short walk from the visitor's centre lead us to a platform overlooking Daniels Flats, a gigantic mud flat on the west side of the park.

Daniels Flats.

I had heard and seen so many pictures of Hopewell Rocks prior to our visit that I was concerned I would be disappointed when we visited the park. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the visit. It was all I was expecting, and a little bit more. The only thing I would have done differently, now that we've been there, is to take the North Stairs down to the ocean floor, instead of access we chose from the Staircase Cove. That would have provided us with some more views of the shoreline.

Recharging our energies.

We continued our visit following highway # 114 south until we reached the village of Alma, where we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant by the road. Before we left, Lindsay pulled me to the side of the restaurant, where boats were in a dock. However, because of the low tide, the boats were sitting at the bottom of the harbour, making it a surreal scene.

Boats docked at Alma.

Alma is right at the entrance of the Fundy National Park, established in 1948. This 206 sq km national park has two distinct faces: the Fundy coastline with its inter-tidal zones rich with marine life, and its interior backcountry of lush Acadian forests and river valleys. With almost 110 km of trails, hiking is one of the biggest attractions at the park.

I wanted to hike the Coastal Trail, a 3.5 km trail that was rated between dificult and strenuous. The trail guide described it as having steep sections; however, I really wanted to see the magnificent ridge-top views, promissed in the trail drescription. We finally did the Matthews Head Trail and a good section of the Coastal Trail.

Hiking at the Fundy National Park.

During the day and half we spent with Lindsay, we talked a lot. Lindsay is one of the close friends I had when I was in school in Waterloo. We had a tight knit group of friends who spent a lot of time together, either swimming, hiking, biking, going out to the movies, having dinners or just hanging around. I really miss those good times with my friends back in school.

By the end of the day, we said our goodbies. Lindsay returned to Cap-Pelé and we headed towards Grand Falls, where we had hotel reservations for that night. We decided to stop at Sussex and look for a place for dinner. As we were driving along Main Street, one restaurant caught my eye, Zach's Steakhouse. I was feeling like having a steak, so we decided to give it a try.

Zach's Steakhouse is a very laid back kind of place, where the town's folk go for a good steak. The decor was interesting, rustic with a Mexican touch. And the service was friendly. Hum... my opinion might be a little biased because I always expect friendly service when we have meals in small towns. So far, most of the time that has been the case, the worst exception being in Kingston, Ontario, where once we had appalling service while having a meal there.

The steaks served that day in Sussex were very good, a honest thick and juicy steak, very satisfying. I decided to have dessert as well, which was a delicious chocolate cake. It was a great meal. I would go back to Zach's Steakhouse any day.

We still had a long way to go before arriving at Grand Falls, so we didn't miss any time to get back on the road. It was almost midnight when we finally arrive to our destination, tired, but glad that we made it. The next morning we had breakfast overlooking the falls, which were very dry at that time of the year.

We left Grand Falls, taking the back roads to Mount Carleton Provincial Park. This provincial park, at 17,000 hectares, is one of New Brunswick's largest natural areas, with approximately 62 km of hiking trails. It is also home to the highest peak in the Maritimes, Mount Carleton, with 820 meters (2690 feet). That was the peak we set to conquer that day.

Ready to start climbing Mount Carleton.

On the way to the top!

We had good luck on our vacation; the day was beautiful again. Our entire trip had been planned around hiking, so good weather was critical for its success. Luckly, we only got rain on one day during our entire trip!

Two different trails lead to the top of Mount Carleton. The eastern trail would take us faster to the top, so that was the one we took. This hiking trail was actually easy, except for the couple hundred meters close to the top. Atop Mount Carleton we found a lookout station that was used in the past for fire watch. With newer technologies, the fire station is not in use anymore, except by visitors who wish to observe the beautiful view from this priviledge location.

At the highest point in the Maritimes!

We found a quiet spot, under the bright sun and the gentle cold wind, where we took a rest and had a snack, while admiring the awesome views. After the rest, feeling invigorated, we started our descent, this time using the western trail, back to the parking lot.

Starting the descent.

Beautiful views from Mount Carleton.

The western trail offered a much nicer hiking experience compared to the eastern one. The hike started through the exposed rocks atop the mountain, and we slowly descended into the forest below. Once we reached the shaded area, we encountered one of the five camping sites in the park, the Headwaters Campground. As we continued our descent, the trail met the delightful Mamozekel Brook. The trail followed the route of this peaceful stream for the remainder of the trip down the mountainside. The sound of the water tumbling down the mountain over mossy mounds and glistening tree roots was harmonious with the beautiful birch, poplar and beech trees surrounding us.

Mamozekel Brook tumbling down Mount Carleton.

Before we left the park, we decided to take one more short hike to visit Williams Falls. The Williams Falls Trail was a five-minute easy walk winding through the forest, joining the Williams Brook near the end, at a beautiful waterfall.

At Williams Falls.

We left the park, heading towards Edmundston, where we spent the night. On the last day of our vacation, we drove back to Toronto. Since we were making good progress on our trip, we decided to stop in Québec City for lunch. We went to one of our favourite restaurants in the heart of Old Québec, Au Petit Coin Breton. This small french style restaurant, very popular among tourists, servers wonderful delicious crepes.

With one of the charming waitresses at Au Petit Coin Breton.

After our splendid lunch, we went to the Rue du Trésor, one of my favourite spots in Vieux Québec. Rue du Trésor is a quaint open-air gallery situated in a narrow alley off Place d'Armes, where local artists exhibit their work on the walls of this little alley. Before we left the city, I had purchased four more etchings from Jacques Brousseau, my favourite artist at Rue du Trésor.

Our drive back to Toronto occurred without incidents. I had a wonderful time exploring one of the most beautiful and culturally rich regions of Canada, in the company of my partner Brian. I also had the chance to get to know Brian's friend Gordon better, such a sweet guy, and his friend Christine, a very charming person. And finally I had the opportunity to see my good old friend Lindsay again. I'm looking forward exploring other beautiful regions of my adopted country, Canada, in the future!

Acknoledgements

Brian and I would like to thank Gordon and Christine for their hospitality during our stay in Halifax. And Gordon for graciously showing us the beautiful towns along the South Shore. It made our stay in Halifax very special!

I would like to thank our friends Guy and Trevor for the many tips for our trip. It is always nice to get the inside scoop from friends who have been there before.

I also would like to thank Brian for most of the beautiful pictures in this travelogue. They will always help us to remember those wonderful summer days we enjoyed in the Maritimes.

Our trip planning was made much easier with the help of the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Canada by Dorling Kindersley. Additional resources can be found in the next page.