The Fundy Trail and Fundy National Park make up one of the longest stretches of undeveloped coastal land between Miami and Labrador
St Martins, NB - You can hike it, bike it, or drive it - the Fundy Trail is located along the rugged tide-sculpted New Brunswick coast of the Bay of Fundy. Visitors can enjoy the dramatic cliffs, observation lookouts, waterfalls and beaches using it's 13 km of paved parkway and 16 km of footpaths and bicycle routes. Bike rentals are available and the Trail has a free shuttle service.
Another very cool feature: you can visit a lodge once owned by publishing baron William Randolph Hearst. You can experience his holiday his lifestyle - enjoy a slamon dinner and relax by the fireplace. The log lodg, which has four bedrooms and two cabins, was built for him to enjoy salmon fishing. Guided day-hikes to the lodge are available from the Interpretive Centre, and overnight accommodation is available with home-cooked dinner full-breakfast. If you arrange to stay overnight they will transport you, or you can hike up the scenic 2.8 km Hearst Lodge Footpath and your bags will be delivered to you.
Located 57 km east of Saint John, the gateway to the Fundy Trail is the village of St Martins, where you can pick up information and you can enjoy a meal at a beachfront café. Something that’s very cool about this area is that thanks to a shoreline that is constantly eroded by the Fundy tides, nearby science researchers recently discovered reptile footprints over 300 million years old.
For The Fundy Trail opens in May and closes in October. For specific 2012 dates visit www.fundytrailparkway.com
In the News: After being selected as one of the 441 entries in the global New7Wonders of Nature competition, the Bay of Fundy has been selected as one of the 28 finalists. It joins the Grand Canyon as the only two finalists from North America.
| I visited and discovered a host of reasons why its a great place to visit and deserves our suppor t in this international competition so we can help let the rest of the world know about it. Not only does the Bay have the highest tides in the world, it's the mating ground of the rare right whale (there are fewer than 350 left in the world today.) And, the giant tides (enought water to fill the Grand Canyon) have scraped away land, exposing fossil footprints of the world's oldest reptile. A seakayaking trip from Grand Manan Island or whale watching from St. Andrews are great ways to explore the Bay up close. |
You can support the Bay of Fundy with your vote at www.VoteMyFundy.com- or simply text the world FUNDY to 77077 (each vote costs 25 cents). Deadline for voting is Nov. 11, 2011. Joggins photo in video courtesy of Nova Scotia Tourism
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to [email protected]
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
