in the POD - Fundy National Park

Alma, New Brunswick

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Day 1

Home to the world's highest tides, Fundy National Park has over 12 miles of dramatic coastline to explore along with more than 62 miles of hiking trails through pristine Acadian forests filled with freshwater lakes, river beds and waterfalls. We will spend three nights here before driving north/northwest to Cape Breton.

We arrived mid day, registered at one of the three campgrounds within the National Park (Chignecto North) and immediately took off to explore. The tides are so dramatic here that you are given a tide table upon arrival (to plan accordingly) and luckily it was low tide. We decided to start with a short hike out - and DOWN -  to Herring Cove Beach "to walk on the ocean floor". And then added a loop into the forest that sat at the top of the cliffs above us, Matthews Head, to get a feel for the forest trails.

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180 steps to the beach below

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Herring Cove Beach

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When the tide is in, this "beach" is under approximately 40 feet of water! SO, in fact, we were walking on the ocean floor. The rocks scattered on the beach were greens, deep reds, marbled granites - all polished and rounded. It was difficult to choose a favorite! And surrounding us on 3 sides were looming red russet earth and boulders rising up from the sea with pine trees clinging to their edge - all of it leaning toward the land and trying to hang on.

Large slabs of rocks lay at their base, fanning out into the sea and covered in periwinkles and the most beautiful seaweed I have ever seen......

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 Streams and waterfalls at every turn

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The sound of the forest is so restful and yet so energizing. Your feet patting the ground, your own breath, perhaps the crunch of a dried leaf.  Other melodies appear slowly - as you approach a stream, a waterfall, or the sudden rustle of the wind - and then fade. 

Mindfullness. 

Thinking right now about a book that is waiting (so patiently) in my iPad for me: The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams.

Seems like a no brainer - but I think we/I need to keep reminding ourselves....
everyday.

 into the woods

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 Day 1 ended with a stop in the town of Alma to pick up a couple of lobster rolls for dinner. 

Pod life. 

Gotta love it!

Day 2

Rain. 

Lots of rain. 

All day rain calls for a very leisurely morning - coffee, toast, yogurt and showers. The campground is quiet this time of year - still very much off season up here. The few larger rigs around us are all closed up tight and even the few children we have seen are secured inside. We both did some reading, planned our route/stops for Sunday, and then ..... discovered a local brew pub!! 

Truly a miracle.

Okay - technically "Holy Whale" brewing has not yet begun brewing themselves - but they are currently serving draft craft beers from 4 other New Brunswick brewers as they finish setting themselves up. Picture this - 2 brothers and a friend (all from Prince Edward Island) decide to open a brewery. They look all over the Eastern Canadian maritime area - because that is important to them - to find the right spot. In this tiny seacoast town of Alma they find a church for sale. They figure National Park, tourist town = great probability for success, so they buy the church. 

A brew pub in a church!

They first set up a coffee roasting operation - one of the brothers is into coffee as well - and arrange with a local baker to supply them with cookies, scones etc. so they can start selling, settling into the town while they construct the brewery. 

Holy Whale Brewery/Buddha Bear Cafe

Alma, NB

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When we were there they were installing the steam pipes for the kettles and they think they will be fully operational by July. Till then - they still have some very interesting craft brews from Maybee Brew Co, Gray Stone Brewing, and Grimross all out of Fredericton, NB. 

As for food....... we had oysters (clean, sweet, with a slight steely finish and not as briny as Wellfleet),  a fish taco and lobster chowder. Everything was delicious! And they did it all in an outside tent!

I love these guys!

It always amazes me how friendly people are when you simply ask questions and listen. I wish them all the luck in the world and hope I can get back here to sample their beer.

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We look forward to day 3 and hope the rain abates.
We need to get into this forest again.