Stanley Bridge to Kouchibouguac, N.B.

As it was windy last night, Eliot and I took advantage of sleeping indoors. When we woke up the wind was even stronger although the skies had cleared. After all the summer heat, it was the first day in all of July and August that I could actually call cool.

Ross had to work today but was up in time to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Yum, Yum. For these first three days on the road, I was doing very well in the meals department.

Ross went off to work and I organized the van for the next adventure – crossing the Confederation Bridge from Borden to New Brunswick. We left Stanley Bridge and were soon at the bridge. I had a devil of a time finding a place to actually view the thing even though it’s monstrously large.

As you can see the wind was really stirring up the waters of the Northumberland Strait. It would have been quite the ferry ride. I was satisfied that the thing looked sturdy enough to drive the van over and away we went. It was a little unnerving at first and you’re on the thing for quite a long time ... about 12 minutes. Since I was in a van I could see over the edge. It felt a bit like flying except for the wind catching the van every now and then and threatening to push us over the edge. The best fun is when you get to the middle part of the bridge and it goes even higher. The toll to cross the bridge was $44.00. But you only pay to get off the island (by bridge or by ferry) so my ferry ride TO the island was essentially free ... or, I suppose, $22.00. The ferry ride is about an hour and a half. That’s about the same as the ferry ride from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. But B.C. Ferries charges over $60.00.

We meandered our way up the eastern side of New Brunswick heading for Kouchibouguac National Park. Along the way we stopped at the info centre at Buctouche, N.B. where there is a lovely salt marsh with a boardwalk built out over it. There were no “No Dog” signs so Eliot and I took a stoll on it. The wind had blown the grasses into the oddest shapes. It was almost as if some sort of hair gel had been applied to the stalks of grass.

A little further up the road we came across an even larger salt march with an even bigger boardwalk. Unfortunately dogs were not allowed on this one as the marsh is home to many bird species.

A short distance up the road and we arrived a Kouchibouguac National Park. This park also protects an salt marsh and sand dunes. And, of course, Eliot was not allowed on these beaches or boardwalks either. But there was an extensive system of biking trails that went along side the ocean and also up along the Kouchibouguac River. It would have been fun to rent a canoe there but the wind blew briskly all day and into the evening.