ATLANTIC MARITIME
PROVINCES
HENRY NOWICKI 10 OCTOBER 2000
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After a neat cruise to Bermuda (Ref 1), I decided to continue by car from New York through New England and on to Nova Scotia in Canada. The fall season was just right for foliage to start turning colors and the weather was excellent for late September. Maine even has a webpage (Ref 2) that provides leaf peepers with the current state of fall coloration! I-95 provided a fast and pleasant path through Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire where the first night's rest was at one of the many accommodations along the interstate (I almost said the internet). The second day was a continuation of I-95 to Portland then route 1 along the Maine coast with a stop at FDR's Campobello summer home which is located on a Canadian island connected with the US by a short bridge. The second night was spent in Calais at the US/Canada border which provided the last chance to fill up with American gas which is approximately 75% of the cost of Canadian gas. Except for the fuel, everything else seemed extremely reasonable in Canada inasmuch as one dollar American was equivalent to almost $1.50 Canadian. After the border crossing, Canada Route 1 continues along the Bay of Fundy coast in the province of New Brunswick (Ref 3). The terrain provides more of a North Woods aspect to the countryside at least as compared with New England. The city of St. John is encountered after the first seventy-five miles. It has an unusual attraction in the heart of the city ... a reversing falls that flows downriver during part of the day then reverses the direction of flow when the tide comes in. The normal low tide is approximately 14 feet below the falls on the St. John River but with the incoming tide the new water level is 14 feet above the height of the river thus causing the river to reverse its course at the falls. A convenient spectator's platform at Fallsview Park is available to witness the activity. The shoreline along the Bay of Fundy is renowed for its tidal range, the world's highest, of up to 50' which provides a spectacular contrast between low tide and high tide (Ref 4). In addition, the rivers that feed the bay exhibit an unusual tidal bore that can be only inches high but at times can be as much as a foot or two in height. The tidal bore can be likened to a wave that has no back to it; that is, it marks the abrupt increase in sea level due to the funneling effect of the Bay of Fundy that forces a wall of water landward at high tide. Next comes the city of Moncton and finally a motel is engaged in the strung-out resort area on the shores of Northumberland Strait which separates New Brunswick from Prince Edward Island. Next morning there is the pleasure of crossing the strait to Prince Edward Island Province on the relatively new (three years old) 9-mile Confederation Bridge. The crossing takes less than fifteen minutes. There is no charge going to the island but a two-way charge is made on the return. Alternatively, one may leave the island further to the east by ferry but one does not escape the return fare which is slightly higher on the ferry (about US$25 as I recall). Although somewhat isolated, PEI (Ref 5) exhibits modern tendencies (computer component manufacture, for example) to go along with the agricultural and fishing activities that have always been part of the scene. There is a nice feeling that is conveyed both by the inhabitants and the appearance of the countryside. It is not hard to understand why visitors would seek out this outpost in the sea. The return to the mainland is accomplished via the Wood Islands ferry that takes 75 minutes to negotiate the 22 mile-wide strait and terminates in Cabibou, Nova Scotia Province (Ref 6). Continuing east some 70 miles along the northern Nova Scotia shore brings one to the Canso Causeway which opened in 1955 to connect Cape Breton Island with mainland Nova Scotia. Soon it is time to find a motel near Whycocomagh in the west central part of the island. Next morning was the only day that looked like bad weather but the heavy fog dissipated by mid-morning to reveal a most beatiful day on the famed Cabot Trail which rims the northern portion of Cape Breton Island. A large part of the area is in a national park and for more than sixty miles, from Cheticamp in the west to Ingonish in the east, the drive is most enjoyable. The next target was the seaport of Sydney and the evening was spent at the southernmost part of the island very close to the Canso Causeway. The next morning is devoted to reaching Halifax (Ref 7) to see what was doing in this most important port and provincial capital. The city looked very alive and my exploration reached the waterfront to find that the ill-fated Premier Cruise Line had a ship, the Seabreeze I impounded by creditors, which was still tied up at the pier. Apparently, another Premier ship - the Rembrandt - was also arrested in Halifax but was later released when sufficient payment arrangements were negotiated. Halifax was the turning point for return to the USA. The Transcanada Highway to Fredericton and various routes through Maine (overnight) to New Hampshire and Vermont then Connecticut with a turn to the west to bypass New York and through Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (overnight) and finally to Washington, DC. The trip that started in St. Louis totaled some 3,600 miles and was an easy drive. CLICK HERE for other travel/cruise accounts by the author. CLICK HERE to email comments to the author. |
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