New Brunswick


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May 31, 2003 at 10:30pm: We snuck into New Brunswick under the cover of darkness with our black truck and no working rear lights (stealth mode - see photo). We had left Dave's in Truro, Nova Scotia at around 6:30pm with all lights working. Just before crossing into New Brunswick we lost our cruise control, our brake lights and although we did not know it at the time, we had also lost our tail lights. Because it was still light we continued but by the time we reached Oromocto (outside of Fredericton) it was dark and our four ways had also blown their fuse. When I crawled under the truck the converter for the trailer lights was hot so something was up. With no rear facing lights, Carol called her cousin Ruth and along with her husband Dwight they escorted us to Fredericton leading us past four oblivious police cars parked at the local Tim Hortons. Thanks for the rescue!

June 1, 2003: It is great when things just fall into place and this was one of those times. Dwight (who we were visiting anyway) had a brother (Larry) just down the road who just happened to be a Toyota technician! Larry came by in the morning, confirmed my problem, drove me to get a new converter and then helped install it! All of which was greatly appreciated - thanks! As you can see from the photo the converter had burnt. When checking the lights with a meter in Nova Scotia I had noticed some voltage bleeding from the tail light circuit into the left turn signal circuit. As the lights were working I left things alone but eventually the overloaded tail light circuit blew its fuse. In time, all the other rear end light circuits joined in the fun and blew their respective fuses (for a total of four) one after the other.


June 2, 2003: Any opportunity to spend time in the bush is welcomed. The fact that Ruth and Dwight have a camp just north of Fredericton presented just such an opportunity so off we went (with working tail-lights). Click on the Ruth and Dwight's Great Adventure link for photos and details.



June 3, 2003: On June 3 we drove out to Cape Enrage near the top of the Bay of Fundy. A few years back all that was there was a decrepit old lighthouse but it has since been restored and is currently run by a group of New Brunswick students. It was closed (we were too early in the season) when we were there but it looked like they had done a great job. When it is up and running the students offer sea kayaking and the chance to rappel down the cliffs. The top of the cliff is very manicured while the base is very rugged and great for exploring. It was worth seeing even though it was closed. It is amazing how fast (generally speaking, not fast in human terms) that the elements can erode these huge rock formations. We could see the early fog horn pad that was built approximately 100 years ago and barely any of the rock it was standing on is left. The cliffs keep eroding. Photos can be found at the New Brunswick Photogallery link.



June 4 2003, Hopewell Rocks: These rock formations are located in the Bay of Fundy at a point where some of the highest tides in the world occur. Carol loved it and took tons of photos (thankfully we have a digital camera) of the 'flower pot' style rocks. My take on the whole thing was a bit different: too many tourists trying to avoid getting their sandal clad feet muddy. The neatest thing was watching the tide come in over the mud flats. Every wave brought the water in closer. It really does move fast. Additional photos are located at the New Brunswick Photogallery link.





June 5, 2003: The discovery of the world's best sand box toy. It rotates, it digs and it dumps - its great!

June 6, 2003:We had to get the oil changed and the tires rotated on the Tacoma and being that Alma, NB is not the largest place I had to ask around to find a local garage. I was put on to a fellow 'just down the road to Hopewell a few miles' (a 'you can't miss it' type of thing). We got there to find a one room garage full of old Ford parts heated by a wood stove heavily modified with car parts (where would you put a brake drum or a license plate on your wood stove?) and containing an old leather or vinyl couch along with a million other things too numerous to mention. As work commenced, one, two, three and then four older friends of this fellow dropped in for various reasons. The last one (Albert) was carrying a Sears bag full of smoked fish from a friend of his. So here we have six people, some sitting on the couch, some on anything else handy that is not supporting old Ford parts, watching this poor fellow work, in this garage heated by a wood stove modified with dead car parts and burning old oil filters for heat, talking about anything and everything, eating smoked fish and having a great time. The thing is, when I left, I felt I had received better and more competent service than a guy can get at most dealerships out there. And besides that, where else can you get a free smoked fish with your oil change!



June 7, 2003: We based ourselves at Sugarloaf Mountain outside of Campbellton on the north end of New Brunswick for the next few days. It was nice at this time of year but I can see that it would be packed in the summer! If you climb the mountain there is a great view of the area and town around. The coast here is very farmy with picturesque towns while the interior is hilly and rugged. Additional photos are located at the New Brunswick Photogallery link.



June 8, 2003: We headed off for a day trip on the Keswick River and the first canoe trip of our Cross-Canada adventure. Aprin Restougouche Canoe will do a shuttle but be forewarned that it is much cheaper if they shuttle you in your own car! Maps are available from the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) or Restigouche will provide you with a simple hand-drawn one. The scenery on the river was beautiful with only one small set of rapids at Rapid Depot. Lots of steep hills and fast moving water provided us with a pleasant day. See The Kedgwick River for details.


We crossed into Quebec from New Brunswick at Campbellton. If you are following our trip chronologically please link to the Quebec page.




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