3 Day Getaway TO Bay of Fundy
2022, what a year! A year where we moved countries! Yes you heard it right we have moved to Canada from USA. Needless to say, this is the second largest country in the world, which means loads and loads of trails to explore. So pumped and excited to travel the beauty that Canada has to offer. The first one on our voyage was the province of New Brunswick. This is our 2 day itinerary in and around Fundy National Park.
We boarded our flight from Toronto at 6:15PM on Wednesday evening and landed in Halifax at 9:20 PM. From there on we rented a car and drove to Truro which is 45 minutes from Halifax airport. We stayed at Best Westin for the night and started the next day early morning with a belly filled with continental breakfast.
Day 1:
This is a classic fall drive at its best. We drove from Truro,NS to Salisbury,NB. The drive is so beautiful, I haven't seen it been mentioned anywhere but I liked it more than the Vermont drive. I was so happy that I randomly clicked pictures on roadside hoping that I could catch some of the red/green/orange/yellow colors.
From there on taking breaks we finally entered Fundy National Park. If you know us, our first activity was Third Vault Falls trail. This 4.4 mile(~7km) is moderately challenging trail. It was like I am teleported to a fluorescent land with mossy rocks and colorful trees all around. Hurricane Iana had uprooted some trees that had fallen along the trail but it was not bad at all.
We could circumnavigate them and still be awed at the sheer huge roots of these trees. The last 1 mile was bit challenging and slippery but our fellow trail mates had already warned us. At the end of a trail is gorgeous waterfall. But before you get there you need cross a stream which was so much fun, catching onto a rope, an adventure in itself.
After the trail, we visited the Fundy National park visitor center. I will highly recommend having at least one meal at the Tipsy Tail Restaurant in Alma. We were so satisfied with the meal, an authentic lobster roll did the trick for us. From there on , we drove to Cape Enrage to see the beautiful lighthouse. But sadly it was closed for the season. Originally we had planned to make it to the Hopewell rocks but we were cutting close on time for tides to rush in and kept it for the next day. We had made Moncton our base for this trip so we drove back there to call it for the night. If you plan to visit Moncton, I highly recommend this Airbnb at 11 Dewitt Ave. It had everything we could ever ask for a 2 day stay.
Day 2:
We started from Moncton and drove to the south side of Fundy Parkway Trail. Our first stop was at St Martin's sea caves. This is really good spot for some kayaking. If you time it right, you can walk the sea floor of the caves when the tide recedes. We enjoyed some time at the beach taking in the chilly air and fog all around us. The fog had completely masked the sun giving us some real fall vibes.
Our next stop was on the Fundy parkway trail at fox rock lookout. There is a parallel multi use trail that one can use to bike or walk. The views of the bay of Fundy are gorgeous, just hope that you have some sun shining on you. We were lucky, as the day progressed the fog receded and we were able to see the beautiful shoreline of bay of Fundy. My favorite lookout along the parkway drive was the Interpretive center lookout. You can cross the big salmon river suspension bridge and take in the views of the river up close. The water was chilly since this was in October, but I loved this place.
Another favorite spot for lookout is the pullout before the long beach lookout. This one was the real spotlight of the drive. I wished they had named it that. From there we took the small hike to view the Walton glen gorge falls. This is must view on the Fundy parkway trail. Its the grand canyon of NB. The eye of the needle hike is the most popular in this area but this was closed on the day we visited. Nevertheless the view is spectacular from the observation deck and it isn't that big of a walk either.
Our next stop of the day was the infamous Hopewell rocks, I would say this was the highlight of the trip. You have two options here, either you visit at low tide (time table)and walk the sea bed watching the flowerpots. Or you can kayak your way around the flowerpots. We opted for first option and we loved it. The walk to the sea floor is a well maintained walkway. They also provide shuttles if you are not keen on walking. Its 2$ per ride. You can purchase it at the entrance kiosk or pay it one way to the person providing the service. Do make sure to have the change. We were lucky as someone kindly offered us 2$ change on our way back and we got a free ride. We celebrated that night at the tide and boar gastropub in Halifax downtown. The food and drinks were amazing along with the service.
Day 3:
We started early with some breakfast at the great Canadian bagels and drove straight to Peggy's Point lighthouse. This is a total tourist spot but the town where is this situated is adorable. I think irrespective of the time of the year you can unwind the cool air surrounding the lighthouse. Its drive is winding and fun to reach to the lighthouse and its not too far if you are in the Halifax area.
From there we took a nap at Best Westin in Burnside. Later in the evening, we went to stroll on the Halifax waterfront area. I loved this place in Halifax. We were greeted by a sunset so beautiful that I would have paid to see that view. I would recommend Halifax waterfront area to anyone. To end the trip we indulged ourselves to Hot chocolate(perfect for a chilly boardwalk night) at the Cocao 70 eatery. Also if you end up roaming the Halifax downtown do not forget to try the delicacies at peace by chocolate.
