St Andrews, New Brunswick

If you want a picture-perfect seaside escape that is just over the border into Canada, then St. Andrews by-the-Sea is the place to visit.  Many of the National Historic homes are 100 to 200 years old and have been restored.  The Storefronts also have the historic look giving the town a very nostalgic feel. 

 

Besides the beautiful view of the ocean, there is plenty to do here.  You can shop in the cute stores that are all along the main street, stop and have your fill of lobster at one of the many restaurants,  go on a whale-watching cruise, visit the Huntsman Aquarium & Research Center , go kayaking, fishing, play golf at the awarding winning Algonquin Resort, or take an easy bike ride on the trail over to Minister Island.

Tudor Revival style hotel built in 1889

During low tide, you can drive or bike over to the island!

The town does seem to have a wee bit of a deer problem at the moment.  Deer can be seen throughout the town grazing along the road, hanging out in the park and sitting in folks front lawns.  They don't seem to be bothered by people or vehicles.   Rumor is there are more than 60 of them that call St. Andrews their home and have become a bit of an issue.  You definitely will need to keep your eye out for them or you might just hit one.  There were a couple of times we had to slam on our breaks as a family came wandering out onto the road.

This quiet little town is located on the Bay of Fundy in the Passamaquoddy Bay which gives you plenty of areas to watch the amazing tides.  If you get a chance to visit New Brunswick, the tides in the Bay of Fundy are truly a sight to behold. 

Dennis on the stairs with campground behind him.

Me standing in the middle of the ocean at Low Tide! Scary!

High Tide

Unfortunately, our week in St. Andrews came to an end.  This is one of those towns that I wish we had been able to extend our stay but it just wasn't in the cards due to Hurricane Dorian making an appearance off the coast of Nova Scotia.  We will for sure put this town on our list to visit when we make our way back to Nova Scotia in a couple of years.

With this post, we say our farewells to Canada for 2019!  It is a bittersweet moment for we have missed the good ole US of A more than we expected,  yet we have had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful sites in Canada and meeting some very sweet people.  We have also experienced some horrible internet service making it very difficult for Dennis to work at times and stressful border crossings.  But overall, so worth the 10-week journey from Niagara Falls to the shores of St. Andrews.  So, Canada, we bid you au revoir!

Bangor, Maine

On Sunday, we headed across the border again into the US to pick up Dennis' prescription and decided on a whim to drive over to Bangor and see the house of the "Brain of Horror" aka Stephen King.  (This particular nickname is according to a clue in the LA Times Crossword puzzle.)

We knew it was going to be a little bit of a drive but what we hadn't counted on was the condition of the roads.  The drive took us the better part of 2 hrs and through some very pretty forest areas.  I just wish the roads had been as pleasant as the views.  The route from Calais to Bangor is on a portion of state highway Route 9, crossing Penobscot, Hancock, and Washington counties.  It was planned as a military road in 1838-1839 during the Aroostook War, and remained unfinished until 20 years after the “War” was settled.  It passes through mostly small towns, such as Beddington, Township 22, Clifton, Crawford, and Alexander.

Beddington, Maine

Clifton, Maine

Township -22

We found Stephen King's house without an issue.  When we pulled up to the house, we were not the only stalkers there so we waited our turn to take our photos and then road around the block to check out the neighborhood.  It blows my mind that people are willing to live near a mind that can dream up the things he does!  Would be a little scary if you ask me.

Afterward, we drove around town a bit and then decided to stop for a late lunch at what we thought was the Bangor Beer Company but once we got there, all we saw was the Oriental Jade Restaurant.  It seems the beer restaurant was in the back and we had mistaken it as the brewery.  (Yes, we just aren't that bright sometimes).  So long story short, once we walked into the Oriental restaurant there was no getting Dennis out of there.  The man loves sushi!

31 foot Paul Bunyan Statue from 1959

Even though it was a bumpy ride,  I'm glad we did it for who knows when we will get back up there.

Campobello, New Brunswick

On Saturday we planned what we thought was a short drive to Roosevelt Campobello International Park - the summer retreat for the Roosevelt family.  The park is located on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada - just across the international border from Lubec on the easternmost tip of Maine.

Little did we know this would require us to cross the border 4 times in one day.  Each time you are asked the same set of questions.  Some of the border agents are friendly but for the most part they are all business.  Good to know they take their jobs serious.

Entering Calais, Maine that morning

Entering Campobello, New Brunswick later that day after lunch.

Returning back to Lubec, Maine

Crossing back over into St. Stephens NB later that evening! Whew!

Since the drive was a little longer than we expected (about 2 hrs) we stopped in a cute little town called Eastport and had a quick lunch at Quoddy Bay Lobster.  We sat on the docks and watched the boats come back in from the whale watching tours.  

 

You order and pick up your food at the outside window but if you have ordered wine or beer you have to go inside and pick it up.  Dennis quickly found out that he can not be in a small restaurant if they are cooking a lot of lobster and shrimp.  He returned wheezing and told me that I needed to go and pick up my own wine.  Good to know for the future.

Dennis had a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon!

Quoddy Bay Lobster Shack

We crossed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge, which connects Lubec, Maine with New Brunswick on Campobello Island. The bridge is named for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd President, due to the fact that he maintained a summer retreat on Campobello. This bridge is the island’s only road that connects it to the USA.

Our first stop on the island was at the Mulholland lighthouse, which protects the international channel. This is the only lighthouse shared by Canada and the United States. The octagonal wooden structure was built in 1885 to guide vessels through Lubec Narrows, the small passage between the island and the US.

Our next stop was Head Harbour Light.  The lighthouse is on a separate little island, and since Campobello Island is located on the Bay of Fundy it’s possible to cross over from the main island to the lighthouse at low tide. We, however, were there at high tide and weren't about to walk over.

 

Our next stop in Roosevelt Campobello International Park, was the Roosevelt Summer Cottage of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family.  We arrived at 5pm and the tour ended at 6pm.  We were the only ones going through since it was about to close.  Bonus!

FDR’s mother, Sara, bought the house for $5000.00 in 1909 from Mrs. Hartman Kuhn and gave it to Franklin and Eleanor as a wedding gift. They spent summers there from 1909 to 1921.

It was at this house in August 1921, that FDR fell ill with polio.  After his illness, he only sailed there in 1933 and again briefly in 1936 and 1939.   Eleanor continued to visit many times with their children.  After her death in 1962, the family deeded the property to the governments of the U.S. and Canada.

FDR and Eleanor's bedroom

One of the 7 bedrooms

One of the 6 bathrooms

Megaphone that Eleanor used to call the kids to dinner.

Laundry Room used for personal items. The rest of sent out for cleaning.

Huge kitchen with boiler attached to the stove to store hot water.

Dining room with original dinnerware

FDR with his family and mother Sara.

FDR's hat and pipe left on his last visit i 1939.

Family room with a huge picture window looking out to the ocean.

The day ended up being long but once again worth the trip.  We learned a few things, didn't hit any deer and made it through the border without being searched.  All in all a good day!