Gotta Smile!: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada

August 21 - 27, 2014

When we headed north from Florida, we thought we would only go as far as Maine. Of course, our plans never go the way we think they will. So, here we are in Canada enjoying the beautiful provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We love Canada! Now we are even thinking that Gotta Smile is going to have to see it too.

We drove along the coast. The scenery was beautiful: lots of small fishing villages loaded with galleries, restaurants and historical buildings. Instead of sandy beaches and palm trees these shorelines are huge slabs of rock and evergreens.

New Brunswick
St John

The historical city market with a roof that is built to
resemble an inverted ship to honor the city's
ship building past.

Inside the market.

Great reuse of historical buildings.

True to our travels on land or water-- if there is a
Costco, we'll find it!

The Bay of Fundy is a 170 mile long ocean bay that stretches between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The tides can reach 53 feet, which is higher than any other place in the world. It takes 6 hours and 13 minutes for the tides to go from high to low and for 160 billion tons of seawater to flow in and out of the bay twice a day. More water moves through the bay in one cycle than the combined water of all the world's freshwater rivers.

But, that's not all that is fabulous about this body of water --- the tidal movement creates a reversing rapids! As the tide recedes, the rapids rush to the south. Then, as the tide rises the rapids surge to the north.

The water is receding. Four kayakers took turns
sitting in the sweet spot where they barely paddled.

Water moving south with low tide.

We were having a hard time finding the reversing falls. While Brian checked the map, I leaned out the window and asked a young man to give us directions. He said he wasn't sure how to get there, but his co-worker would know. The co-worker said, "follow me", jumped in his truck and led us about five miles to an excellent viewing place. Nice nice people......

Slack tide -- no tidal movement. The water is still.

The tide begins to rise and the rapids are now
flowing north.

Our opportunity to become one with art.

Eight sculptors from around the world
carve New Brunswick granite.
Companies and cities sponsor
an artist for $15,000. They receive
the completed piece.

Driving the coast to Nova Scotia

Camp Enrage
Instead of hunting for shells, rock hounds search
for fossils on these beaches.

A different kind of beach

Hopewell Cape -- The Flower Pot Rocks
At low tide visitors walk on the ocean floor.
After the tide comes in, 50 feet of water
surround the rocks. They look like
low islands.

Driving to Nova Scotia through Moncton,
we stopped to watch an air show.

Covered bridges still stand on back roads.

Walking the Halifax Harbour

Nova Scotia
Halifax

A pilot boat
When large ships are preparing to enter a harbor,
a 'pilot' is taken to the ship. The pilot maneuvers
the ship through the harbor to the dock.

Not one, but two Krogens in one day!!!
48 foot -- Alizann and 42 foot -- My Dream

This was too cute -- I had to take a picture.

Eating a classic Canadian dish, poutine.
French fries with light brown gravy, cheese curds,
shredded beef, hollandaise sauce and roasted tomatoes.
It was yummy!