Storyline: Atlantic Canada, Take 2
Note: I’ve written many posts, and Alex has some videos to upload. They may be posted closer to each other when we have Internet connectivity.
After Miscou on June 5th we took the coastal route to Shediac. Mixed deciduous and evergreen trees line the road. Shediac looks like the RV campground capital of New Brunswick (NB). I counted at least 6 or 7 of them in or bordering the city.
We took our time driving and enjoying the roads while still killing the mosquitoes we collected at our Miscou campground dump station. It was a rainy drive for the most part of it.
Just as the flora are mostly beaten up by the weather, the houses on the road from Miscou and Lameque Islands were drab, dull and weather-beaten. Not much variation of architecture. Mainly rectangular boxes with siding and a few wooden steps leading to the entrance door.
The scenery began changing after Pointe des Robichaud and Wishart Point. The trees were greener, not so many dead evergreens. The pallete of green and reddish colours brought out by the mix of birches, maples, spruces and even occasional poplar heightened by the sunlight was amazing. The houses were now richer, newer, designed built with some imagination. More like we are used to seeing in ON and QC.
About 30 min from our destination, Shediac, we stopped in Bouctouche on hwy 134 and called one of the campgrounds that seem to be on water.
They said they had sites for us. However, when there we noticed that all the seasonal RVs had taken the waterfront. The rest didn’t look that appealing.
We continued over the bridge towards the Ocean Surf RV Park-Camping. At the reception we asked for open air no mosquito site. The young fellow told us: “To be honest we are in a swampy area and there are tons of mosquitoes.
You’ll be better at the “Parlee Beach Provincial Park” … and to be honest they are cheaper too.” It was the park next to them. So, we followed his candid advice and checked in the Parlee Beach. Again, that early in the season we had the campground almost to ourselves.
By the evening, however, our little corner got the preference of other campervans. The showers were really nice, although one pays $1 for 5 min. Plenty of time for me.
We shopped at IGA, and as I post this from NS, nine days later, we still have a fridge full of food. (Veggies and meat got cooked while in the Cavendish National Park in PEI, however we could not eat it all then. We had better offers.)
Apparently aside from being the “Lobster Capital of the World” Shediac is known for its Parlee beach. The weather was not favorable for visiting the beach. We were too early for its lobster festival in July, but we walked to the 90-ton sculpture – The Giant Lobster or if you translate from French, it’ll be the World’s Largest Lobster (Le plus grand homard du monde)
The name Shediac is derived from the Mi’kmaq Esedeiik (running far in, meaning the tides). Acadians arrived at Shediac in 1751 during the Acadian migration from Nova Scotia. I love the way people in NB switch between French and English. Still have to meet someone here who doesn’t speak both languages.
Driving, however, is a different story. I wrote last year about QC, but will repeat it here. Our observation in the south regions of Montérégie, Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, and partially Bas-Saint-Laurent: drivers are very careful not to exceed the speed limit. The automated highway speed indicator signs flash green with a thank you and a smiley face when your speed is at the limit. They flash amber and display a warning right on the limit and red with a “slow down!” and an angry face when over the limit. Maybe they have strict penalties, but most we observed follow the rules and are very patient if someone is slow on the roads.
Once you cross to NB however watch it! They drive like maniacs. Similar if not worse to rural Ontario and outskirts of GTA. They follow you so close that you won’t see them. Does anyone know that if they don’t see the van or truck mirrors, we don’t see them either? They’ll pass you on a double line even if you are driving above the speed limit or on tight corner with no visibility. Kind and friendly people they may be, but many are lousy and rude as drivers. It is also worth mentioning that their secondary roads are in really bad shape. So, driving half of the speed limit and trying to avoid the potholes was still quite bumpy.
Roads are also narrow, often with no shoulder. Our campervan managed it, but if you are with a bigger vehicle or tow a trailer our advice is, keep to the major highways.
Next day we walked through the city to the famous attraction – the World’s Biggest Lobster. We took some photos and videos and chatted with a family from Arizona. The guy had worked for the Canadian government or so.
There are many historic places and heritage houses on the main street, which is also full of restaurants and bars. That early in the season though, many were still closed, mainly those outside of the town centre. In the centre though, most of them were open. It was Monday and some had Mondays and Tuesdays off.
One of the open places was the “Lobster Deck” restaurant. It of course served fresh lobster as a main attraction plus other seafood. We’d had fresh caught lobster the previous day in “La Terrace a Steve”, Miscou, so decided on a different menu.
Alex always loves his fish and chips and I usually go for seafood chowder. We shared a seafood casserole. This pretty much concluded our Shediac visit. Next stop, Prince Edward Island.
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