Moncton Morning
From our hotel room, we were treated to a lovely sunrise over the water. Admittedly I did sleep through the start of it, but these photos are courtesy of the parental minions!
Eventually the sun rises above the clouds and we head down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. With some food in our bellies and our suitcases in the car, we are off. We start heading down the coast towards Hopewell Rocks. It’s not super far away and only a thirty minute morning drive along the water.
Hopewell Rocks
Hopewell Rocks is best known for their “stacks” of rocks that have been whittled away by the tides in the Bay of Fundy for years. Sadly, because of the time of year, the actual park is closed. Undeterred, we still decide to stroll through the trails around the park. While the attractions are closed we are still able to get some great views of the rock formations. Unfortunately, one of the things we wanted to do was to walk on the ocean floor during low tide to see the rocks up close. However, due to tide timing and the park closure, both nature and a park gate were not on our side. Returning in the future, making a point to ensure everything is open and accessible will be a priority. Nonetheless, with the sun shining and these beautiful formations around us, the experience is still pretty stellar!
Cape Enrage
After saying good bye to Hopewell Rocks, we hop back in the car an drive a little under an hour to Cape Enrage. I had read about Cape Enrage while doing research for this trip and since its on the way to Alma, we make the short detour to check it out.
I’m glad we did, because it is a pretty cool place to visit. You need to drive away from the main roads a little. But you soon find a pretty cool lighthouse on a cliff with some amazing views of the Bay of Fundy. I suspect that normally, its fairly busy since there is quite a bit of “touristy” attractions in the area. But because we’re in the off season, we get the whole area almost all to ourselves. Even though the sky is starting to cloud over a little, we still get some spectacular views of the area.
One other cool thing about Cape Enrage is this “sheltered” beach on one side of the lighthouse. It’s this narrow strip of beach that’s between two fairly large rock cliffs. Behind it is this wetland/valley that, again, is surrounded by the two cliffs as well. It’s a pretty neat are because depending on the direction you look you either see this ocean bay, or marshy valley. I’m not sure why, but I quite enjoyed looking back and fourth comparing and contrasting!
Eventually, we leave Cape Enrage and drive another half hour to get to Alma. We will be staying in Alma for two nights. There isn’t much accommodation in this area, and Alma is situated at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy National Park. (Which we plan to visit tomorrow). So having accommodations in Alma makes a lot of sense for us.
Muddy Rudder
It’s early afternoon when we arrive in Alma. Our first order of business is finding a place for lunch. Luckily we stumble upon the Muddy Rudder which is open. I end up getting the Fish and Chips and it’s pretty good! In fact all of the food we ordered here tastes great. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them if you’re in the area and are looking for a solid meal.
Alma
After lunch, we check into our home for the next two nights and settle in. We spend a few hours just relaxing in our place before I decide to head out and explore the beach around Alma. Thankfully, it’s low tide so I get a chance to wander well past the beach and out onto the seabed. Some of the patterns along the sand are really cool to see. One thing I didn’t quite expect are the amount of shells that litter the ocean floor. I “think” they’re scallop shells. Seeing how many empty ones there are hurts my heart a little. Sadly, I wasn’t able to find any that I could take back to cook!
After more exploring, Papa Minion decided to join me. We ended up wandering an hour or two, Navigating watery and muddy parts, enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful Alma sunset. It’s times like these that I’m reminded how awesome a trip like this is. For all the “stress” that can come from travelling with your parents, moments like this make it worth it. Looking back, I’m very thankful I have this chance to spend with both my parents!
Lobster!
Eventually the sun starts to set and we start heading back to our cottage. On the way back from the beach we pass by the Alma Lobster Shop. They were actually closed by the time we walked by, but we knock on the door and the owner lets us in. After a brief conversation, we learn that they are actually closing for the season. And on a whim, Papa Minion decides to buy three lobsters for dinner. This comes as a surprise to both Mama Minion and I because we originally planned to cook pasta.
So with a little spontaneity, we end up with three full lobsters and a bottle of wine for dinner. No complaints from me, as its certainly a meal to remember! The lobster is delicious, but it’s also a happy memory because I know how much Papa Minion loves lobster. By the end of the night, when Mama Minion and I have long reached our limit. Papa Minion is still happily working away at all the leftover lobster like a kid in a candy store! It’s memories like this that I’m going to to keep with me for a long long time.
After dinner, we all settle down to relax. We watch a little TV but ultimately turn in early(ish). Tomorrow we will drive into the Bay of Fundy National Park and check out that whole area.
Loved the lobster!!!
AWWW! Daddy loves the lobster so much.