September 8, 2007:
A night didn't do anything to cool the air temperature and the camper was already baking by the time we got up. Today was another city day not particularly our favourite when it comes to exploring especially when driving the camper.
Our first stop was the Saturday markets, also known as the W.W. Boyce Farmers' market, a tradition in Fredericton since 1951. Our first impression of the markets were before we'd even reached them. People, people everywhere - every man and his dog, or woman and pram seemed to be heading to or from the markets. The trick was to find a park in our giant vehicle!
As luck would have it, we actually found a park right across the street from the markets - bonus! We loaded up with our usual gear and hit the markets which were full of anything from crafts, fresh produce, a Clown performing magic with balloons, jewellery and various stalls of food and much more. After our initial stroll through the market - we enjoyed a decadent breakfast of belgium waffles before moseying on into the heart of Fredericton.
A visit to Fredericton isn't complete without exploring the Historic Garrison District which is a centre for culture, heritage, entertainment and crafts.
A sculpture named 'Awakening' and another shaped to the image of a leopard guard the entrance to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, while a little further up the road the copper domed legislative assembly building is partly shrouded in scaffold and netting - typical!! The Christ Church Cathedral has been standing at its spot since construction began on it in 1845 and is one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival style of architecture in Canada.
We made it back to the truck with aching feet and perspiring profusely under the mid-day sun and humidity! It was time to get out of the city and continue on. Our plan was to make it to the Mount Carleton Provincial Park that night and we still had a fair way to travel.
We made two stops en-route to the park, both in the town of Hartland. The first was to check out the world's longest covered bridge which was built in 1901 and is now a National Historic Site. The bridge spans the Saint John River and is still used today even though it is a one lane bridge. Traffic lights control access to it and of course being a covered bridge with only a 12 foot clearance, it was not an option for us in our camper. That lead to our next stop - at the Andover Bridge our only option at this stage for crossing the Saint John River.
It turned out to be quite a drive to the Mount Carleton Provincial Park and when we arrived all the signs told us it was closed for the season. The gate was still open for day use until 8pm and when we checked on the campgrounds they were locked up with no alternative access - bugger!! In the end we camped beside another couple who'd had the same plan as us and were also not expecting the facility to be closed to camping. We were camping in the day use area, but we figured if we stuck together they couldn't boot us out - especially since soon afterwards another couple arrived and pitched their tent!
Luckily we were left alone that night to camp, and were able to enjoy a pleasant evening and stroll along the shore of Lake Nictau.
These travel blog entries related to Fredericton To Hartland And Beyond In New Brunswick may interest you too:
| Title: | Fredericton To Hartland And Beyond In New Brunswick A whirlwind tour of Fredericton in the sweltering heat, a covered bridge in Hartland, then a look at the highest peak in New Brunswick. |
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| Author: | Michelle Coats | ||
| Date: | cdn_k3s28953 |
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Royal Canadian Mint Building Winnipeg Manitoba |
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Stepping Back To The Sixteenth Century At The Mennonite Heritage Village |
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