The price of admission will be $15 and 7 mosquito bites.
First leg of the trip is to Caraquet which is considered the cultural heart of Acadia. I was able to see the Acadian coastline for part of the trip. The northern coast of New Brunswick borders on the Baie de Chaleur -- aptly named because the waters here are apparently as warm as North Carolina. Drat, now I really wish I booked some beach time.
This is an estuary next to the church I saw in Grand Anse en route to Caraquet. The weather was very good as you can see.
Near Caraquet is the Village Historique Acadienne. Torontonians will find it quite similar to Black Creek Pioneer Village except the actors speak French. Unfortunately, I didn't have quite enough time to really soak it all in (a common refrain for my whole trip I'm afraid). In addition, there was a heavy influx of Quebec tourists. Since I was in a bit of a rush, I just tried to decipher what the actors were saying and I didn't ask them to repeat themselves in English. FYI, New Brunswick is the only other province in Canada where French is enshrined in its constitution. Approximately 30% speak French here. Here are my two favourite shots in the village:
While the Village tries to recreate Acadian life in the 18th century, it does not emphasize Acadian history. Time permitting I would have liked to have gone to the local museum. The English and French contested the province and this culminated in the exile and eventual return of the Acadian people.After lunch I headed toward Fredericton via Miramichi (no time for a stop over). Very reminiscent of driving in Northern Ontario with highways through heavy forest and intermittent small towns on the way. I wish I had a passenger who could take photos. I crossed a number of bridges and rivers along the way which were quite scenic.
I was also able to practice a skill I haven't used in awhile -- passing another car on a two lane highway. I'm getting the hang of it and I'm quickly realizing that my Suzuki can't accelerate very well at 100 km/h in 5th gear.
I arrived in Fredericton around 4pm. It was quite hot and I was feeling a little tired from the drive. After checking in at UNB I had dinner downtown. One thing I neglected during my trip planning was the fact that most places not named Toronto (or insert your favorite Canadian metropolis) tend to start closing after 5 pm. I absolutely do not want to be driving after nightfall and yet driving during the day reduces the amount of time one can spend at a tourist spot. Next time, I'll have to plan the touring and driving parts a little better to account for this.
Fortunately, there was one attraction that was not closed -- The Historic Garrison District. The original British Garrison and other buildings from the 18th and 19th century are still intact. Here's a picture of City Hall:
And here's a picture of the St. John River with the Fredericton Lighthouse.
Tomorrow morning I'll be visiting the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and then it's off to St. John.
