Sunday July 9th - Canadian Maritimes to New York 2017

We departed Andy & Rejeanne’s house and stopped at the Tim Horton’s Café in Petir-Rocher for a quick breakfast. We left the town and headed out on Route 134 until we reached Route 11N.

We passed through Belledune and Charlo. We followed the curve of the River Charlo into the town of Dalhousie. The Town of Dalhousie has been through some very distinct periods between its founding in 1825 and today. Prior to 1825, few showed much interest in the northern part of the province, but then the Great Miramichi Fire raged through central New Brunswick and into Maine, destroying the forests that were the mainstay of the province's economy. Lumbermen looked north to the great pine stands of this region. Soon it was a booming town with lumber and fishing as the main interests, although agriculture was more important in the early days than it is today.

The hilly town site was first laid out in 1826 with the first settlement established by Scottish settlers in 1827. It was named after the 9th Earl of Dalhousie, who was then the governor of both Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Some Acadians displaced in the Great Upheaval also settled in Dalhousie, and to this day there is a very close balance between the English and French speakers. Many of the present residents can trace ancestry back to the original European settlers in the region. The Eel River Bar First Nation, adjacent to Dalhousie, is home to many Micmac natives, who were the original residents of the region. It has been referred to as a Papertown. It was the leading town of the area until the arrival of the railway following confederation. With steep hills at its back, the Intercolonial Railway bypassed Dalhousie for its nearby rival, Campbellton.

The area around the present city of Campbellton was settled by French people circa 1700 with a trading post based upon fishing and fur trading with the Mi'gmaq. It was here that the Battle of the Restigouche, the final naval battle between the English and French for the possession of North America during the Seven Years' War, was waged. It marked a turning point for the settlement. In 1769, only nine years after the Battle of Restigouche, Scotsman Hugh Baillie and a partner set up a fur and salted salmon business on the site that would become Campbellton. Its present day name, Campbellton, is in honor of Lieutenant-Governor Sir Archibald Campbell.

In 1875, the advent of the intercolonial railway had a strong impact on Campbellton. Its population increased rapidly and development of the settlement shifted westward. In July of 1910 a disastrous fire, sparked by a sawmill, on the waterfront destroyed a large portion of the town. The fire was spread throughout the town by flaming shingles. Prior to the fire its population was approaching 4,000 citizens and help came from near and far to provide food and supplies in order to come to their aid. Most of the people had to live in tents while plans to rebuild were being prepared. Campbellton was subsequently rebuilt. In the months and years following the fire, many of the new (now historic) buildings were constructed of brick as Water Street had been designated a "Fire District" where all new buildings had to be built with fireproof exterior walls.

photo credit: Backroad Mapbooks

The history of the City of Campbellton is not complete without the infamous Phantom Ship known as "Fireship of Baie des Chaleurs". Stories of its appearance include seeing a burning sailing vessel, sometimes a vessel with all its sails set scudding along the water or sometimes a ball of fire or burning vessel on the water's surface or fading out of sight. This is not frequently seen. Some believe it is a ghost ship from the Battle of the Restigouche whereas others believe it is merely caused by heat waves, reflections or hallucinations.

We turned off 11N onto Route 17 and started to head more west, along the border of Quebec and New Brunswick. Route 17 is hilly and rough. This hilly region, is part of the Appalachian mountain range. We have been in this mountain range several times since we first got on them in North Carolina!

We went from Glenwood, at the top of the mountain down into Adam’s Gulch and back-up again! Traveling along Route 17, we kept seeing these brown signs marking the Appalachian Mountain Trail. It is a hiking and biking trail which is actually International! It runs from the northern end of the Appalachian Trail at Mount Katahdin, Maine, through New Brunswick, to the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, after which it follows a ferry route to Newfoundland, and then continues to the northern-easternmost point of the Appalachian Mountains at Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are definitely back into farm country!

As we arrived in Saint-Quentin, we thought we might be part of the parade! We must have been just ahead of the big event, because the streets were lined with spectators! We waved like we were, as we drove through town! If we did not have Walter & Betty behind us, I am sure we would have pulled off and enjoyed the festival for a while!

The Western Festival of Saint-Quentin is the only Western Festival throughout New Brunswick. How did the Western Festival come to Saint-Quentin? It was the “brain child” of Paul Lamarre, a local businessman. It began in 1984. Mr. Lamarre, wanted a festival for Saint-Quentin and assisted by several volunteers, he created the Western Festival. It runs annually in early July. This year, we were traveling through on the last day of the festival.

What can be said of the infamous Western Festival? Saint-Quentin has succeeded in preserving its warm and rustic ‘Far West’ character, which helps explain the Festival’s well-established reputation! The whole town decorates for it! The renowned Super Rodeo, which welcomes cowboys (and cowgirls) from across the country, always entertains! You will be impressed by the strength of the Horse Pulling Contest. You won’t want to miss the Miss Atlantic Cowgirl contest, Coe Plop Bingo, the Pow-Pow, professional country music shows and more. They have Festival Queens and they even have a Festival Mascot, Youdly, a cowboy hat & vest wearing horse!

We passed by acres and acres of forests owned by the Irving empire. JD Irving, believes that his companies are stewards of the land and it is one of the most important roles they play. Our business begins with the forest. Irving Woodlands is a division dedicated to overseeing sustainable forest management, research and conservation of their land holdings. It is focused on rigorous land management and responsible stewardship, Irving Woodlands is guided by a 100-year Management Plan that preserves the environmental and ecological integrity of our land, air, water and wildlife.

We drove back onto a Trans-Canada Highway, 2E from Route 17 in St Leonard, NB. We traveled through St Andre, NB. This stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway follows the wide and majestic Saint John River. The river has eroded its path through gravel banks left behind by the glaciers of the last Ice Age. At spots you can see the terraces of gravel left behind alongside the river, and on the flatter areas large deposits of sand and silt have made the upper Saint John River valley ideal for growing potatoes. International potato (and frozen vegetable) giant McCain Foods is headquartered at Florenceville. The firm started with one farm in 1957 and today processes nearly one-third of the world's French fries, with 22,000 employees at 55 facilities on six continents.

photo credit: Michael K Robb at www.robbphotos.com

The river also has a number of power dams, to provide power for the province's residents and large industries. The dams also make water levels more stable after rain storms, and during the spring floods. These dams are at Grand Falls, Tobique (on the Pokiok River tributary), Beechwood (south of Grand Falls), with the largest being the Mactaquac Dam, west of Fredericton, with a provincial park using the waters behind the dam, a marina, a campground, golf course, and a craft village.

In Hartland, New Brunswick, you can visit the World’s Longest Covered Bridge. It was declared a National Historic Site in 1980, and a Provincial Historic Site in 1999. The Longest Covered Bridge in the World is, like all covered bridges in New Brunswick, a “kissing bridge.” Kissing bridges date back to the years of horse and wagon traffic, when young men “trained” their horses to stop about half way across the bridge, wait while the couple shared a couple of kisses, and then continue to the other side of the bridge. The bridge was covered in 1921-22, to considerable opposition and concern, and sermons were even preached in the area, cautioning how a “covered” bridge would destroy the morals of the young people. However, the bridge was covered anyway. For some years after, snow had to be hauled each winter and placed on the bridge floor to allow horses and sleds to travel across it. 

This 1,282-foot bridge officially opened on July 4, 1901 and was purchased by the government of New Brunswick in 1906. Lighting was installed in 1924 and a side walkway was added to the bridge in 1945. It has suffered some incidents over the years, but it continues on, roadworthy and dependable. When constructed, it was an engineering wonder, much as the Confederation Bridge across the Westmorland Strait is today. In 1987 the Olympic Torch for the 1988 Winter Olympics made its way across this bridge and in 1995 a Canadian postage stamp was issued honoring the bridge.

Shortly before we got to the US border, we came to Woodstock, New Brunswick. This is the third time we have been through a town named Woodstock, on this trip. This Woodstock, was New Brunswick’s first town. It is rich with more than 160 years of history and heritage and is home to some of New Brunswick’s first pioneers. Settled on the banks of the Meduxnekeag and Saint John rivers. Woodstock boasts some of the finest 19th-century homes, churches and civic buildings in the Maritimes. They boast a Heritage Walking Tour to view the architecture of these Victorian-era homes.

We crossed the border back into the US at Houlton Maine. We had no issues crossing the border. 

It is great to travel, but Charlie and I always breathe a bit better when we are back on US soil!

We checked into My Brother’s Place and took a tour around the town with Walter and Betty. We later learned several of our friends had stayed here before as the departed for or returned from a Canadian Adventure!

We toured Market Square Historic District and headed out into the outskirts of town, sometimes that is where you see the most interesting things!

We found “7 Wonders of God Warriors” compound ….. 

not sure what else to call it! 

It stretches several hundred yards along US 2, a piled mass of boards, stumps, signs, and artwork, which includes everything from fake palm trees to a giant Indian head with tires for eyes to a portrait of Jesus.

I had to do some research to learn more! It is a seven-acre property with likenesses of Bigfoot and Santa, as well as flying saucers, totem poles, and dinosaurs.

The owner, Jerry Cardone, claims he is an average, middle-aged guy when he moved to Houghton, Maine in 1984. Jerry's cluttered acreage is what is known as "visionary art" and it's in situ, not the deloused examples you'd find in urbane museums and art galleries. No Sundance filmmakers or latte-drinking art-rockers hang out with Jerry. In fact, no one does; he won't let anyone onto the property. The neighbors are just waiting for the day when they can bring in the bulldozers.

After we toured the town, we made a quick trip into Walmart and then enjoyed a quiet dinner with Walter & Betty at a local pub. I took this picture for my sister-in-law, Donna. It seems every time we go out ... I get a Kevin Harvick glass!