In Canada--Monday, July 15

The drive from Mt. Desert Island to our site in New Brunswick was a slower, longer one than expected, about seven hours total.  Maine Route 9 carried us through wilderness with almost no houses, stores, or gas stations.  (The latter was of particular interest in that we were at “2 bars” on the gauge, but we found a diesel pump in Wesley, Maine, at a combination café, gift shop, market, and gas station that was in total about the size of most people’s living rooms.  The owner said that hers was the only stop along the length of Route 9 that offered diesel.)  At Calais, we went through the check station to enter Canada---lots of questions about carrying alcohol or firearms, where we were going and why.  Then we took NB 1 for just over 200 km to the exit for Alma and Fundy National Park. 

The park feels very remote.  Our site is secluded, tucked back into spruce trees, and at quite a slope. In walking around the campground it was clear that this was not the best choice of a site, but who can tell in choosing one over the internet?!  The campground has wi-fi near the office, about a ten minute walk from here, so later I will walk down to post this.

Yesterday late afternoon was actually hot, not what I expected in Canada.  In addition, being as far north and east as we are, the light comes early----at around 4:30!  Ranger woke us up at 4:19 with his “hrumph” at the door, meaning that he was ready for his usual morning walk.  Fortunately, he could be convinced to go back to bed for a few more hours. (Actually we have changed to Atlantic time zone, so it was really 5:19---but still too early for a walk!)

Chignecto North is the only campground in the park with electric hook-ups, but it about 4 km from the Bay of Fundy.  So later today we may bicycle down the steep hill to the coast. There’s also a hiking trail that starts just a few sites from here that looks good.  There’s no cell service from here (or rather, we could get it but it’s not on our plan and is quite expensive) so the phones are turned off, to be returned when we cross back over into Maine on Thursday.