You So Beauty! NB Road Trip.

One of my goals in moving back here was to see as much of the Maritimes as possible before I left again. It really didn't look like that was going to happen until I ended up dating another Frenchie. I don't know if it is cultural or not, but they really like to do a lot of different things, and road tripping is one of them. So, this summer, I unexpectedly got to see much of the French areas of NB up north. I love it up there. I don't know why my parents settled in the south of the province. I guess it was because everyone in the South of the province is English speaking, but again, that is just a guess. My Mom says it is prettier ... I dunno. So in early July we left Moncton for Buctouche and Richibuctou and the areas beyond that I had never seen. We had originally aimed for Bathurst, but only made it as far as Caraquet, and the Miscou Islands - which I am told are super chilly in the winter due to the endless wind. Yucko.

We drove through Shediac (Frenchie II's home town) and then hit Cocagne area. I really like this town, maybe it's the name, not sure. We drove around Treasure Island. There were a few little crappy houses for sale, which I thought we should buy (thinking they would be cheap). Uh ... no.

Cocagne Bay.

Oh the ubiquitous Acadian Flag that is everywhere, painted on everything; planted firmly on every French lawn north of Moncton. All you need is an object that will adhere to spray paint. Some may think it is obnoxious painting everything in red, white and blue, I, however, think it is kind of cute. Even lobster traps! It makes me wish I had a flag that stood for something.

Treasure Island. Small. Insular. French.

Treasure Island Garden.



Olivier Soap Factory serves a dual-purpose, acting as both a working soap factory (with products for sale) and a museum. Olivier is located in Ste-Anne-de-Kent, just north of Buctouche.

Buctouche Bridge and Bay.



What can I say? I love signs!



Frenchie II told me that this area of Baie Ste-Anne got economically depressed because of a hard fought dispute over fishing waters between the Acadian villagers and the Mi'kmaq residents of the nearby Burnt Church Indian Reserve. The local Mi'kmaq wanted to fish lobster out of season and the Acadian groups didn't want the waters to be depleted. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of an Indian treaty from the 1700's and the local Mi'kmaq won their case. Of course much fighting and property destruction followed. This was in 1999, it seems like things have calmed down quite a bit since then. Still pretty, but with a sense of depression.

Leaving Baie Ste-Anne. I have to say it was a little eerie.

Bridge over the beautiful Mirimachi River.



Tracadie-Sheila Beach after the awful storm that hit this past spring. Uprooted all.

Tracadie Beach. Flat. Cold. Wiiiiiindyyyyyyy!

Room at Hotel Paulin, Caraquet, NB.

View backyard Hotel Paulin.




More. Of. The. Same.

Ahh ... the entire reason I wanted to go North was to see Shippigan. It really was a small town. Super non-despcript and without much interest. The outlying areas confused Frenchie II. He thought we were on the Miscou Islands for the longest time. But we were actually just in the surrounding Shippigan area. Leaving Shippigan you enter Lameque town.

Shippigan area is known for huge and alien looking peat moss bogs. Peat moss extraction in New Brunswick was started on December 8th, 1941, when Conrad Fafard received from the governement the first lease on a peat bog where the peat moss was cut in blocks. Today it is the second biggest industry in the area.

We through a bottle in the ocean from the bridge leaving Shippigan to Miscou Islands. I want it to reach Africa. Whoever finds it we will bring here to North America. If they wanna come ...

Misou Island road that takes you to the northern most spot where there is a lighthouse and small gift shop with snacks and ice cream. Jesuits founded a mission in Miscou in 1634, but then abondonded it around 1662.


We ate some melting cones after this, bought a lobster trap made out of sand (sprayed with varathane to keep intact), and then booted it out New Brunswick's northern most point in order to get to Caraquet before sundown.