Grand Manan and Campobello

The ferry to Grand Manan island turned out to be a nice excursion as we passed many craggy shores and saw a whale playing in the boat's wake as we travelled. Arriving at North Head, we headed south on the main road looking for lunch. We found the Fundy House and without looking at a menu I inquired whether they had chowder. The waitress said that they had seafood, lobster and clam chowders and I knew this was the place for us!

After lunch we secured a campsite at The Anchorage Provincial Park which was surprisingly empty. We found a campsite with good shade and firewood before walking along the beach. Soon enough, we heard Karen's voice on the walkie-talkie and we headed back to meet them for the evening. We spent the evening sharing stories and having a perfect steak dinner over the fire. Yum!

The next day, we explored the rest of the island by first heading through Seal Cove to the Southwest Head Light House. The wind was intense and we then drove north to enjoy the picturesque Swallow Tail Lighthouse and Whale Cove. After we had satisfied ourselves with the views (from inside the car mostly as we would blow away if we stepped out...), we boarded the ferry back to the mainland.

Our drive then took us into the United States for the first time in almost three weeks. It was a brief stint however as we then doglegged back into Canada, across the bridge onto Campbello Island. This was the summer home of the Roosevelt family early in the 20th century and now the home of an International Park. We got a campsite at Herring Cove Provincial Park (like Grand Manan, it was surprisingly empty for a Friday night in July) with Mary-Ellen and Karen where they cooked us up an amazing meal of chili mac n' cheese. We licked our plates clean before going to bed early that night.

The next day, we got breakfast at the Herring Cove Club House while we waited for the Roosevelt Cottage to open. We then toured the building, admiring the porches and open space. This was certainly an idyllic place to spend summers - the Roosevelts kept it simpler than some of the great camps in the Adirondacks although they still required servants to keep things running. 

We parted ways with Mary-Ellen and Karen, noting that we had never seen each other on the mainland during this trip. Lisa and I biked on the Glensevern Road to a cobblestone beach on the eastern shore of the island. Other than getting wet feet and losing (then finding) the camera, it was a smooth trip.

Our car is packed and we are now in the United States heading west to Vermont for the rest of the summer. It's time to get the kayaks off the wall and get into the Adirondacks!