Travelling in New Brunswick, Canada

Colourful Lamèque Island Boats in New Brunswick, Canada.

During my weeklong road trip through New Brunswick, I learned many things about the province. Here are a few of my favourite observations and things I liked:

• There was at least one Asian restaurant in each town I went to, from the smallest community to the cities.
• I learned what a baby barn is, which I had never heard of before. My guide, Kim, was flabbergasted that I didn’t know what they were and we played “Spot the Baby Barn” (a great road game for kids!).
• There is a trend in NB that no one told me about: pastel-coloured chairs are displayed in the majority of lawns (maybe not the majority, but an awful lot). Was there a sale at Canadian Tire or did everyone buy the same cans of paint and decide that pastel was in?
• A little French goes a long way. In general, everyone speaks both English and French (officially, New Brunswick is the only bilingual province in Canada), so if you try, you might get extra little tidbits of local history, things to do and tours of lighthouses that are under construction. (I was out at the oldest one in the province on Miscou Island and I sweet talked my way up to the lighthouse, even though it was closed and there were construction workers trying to finish things up.
• Never put expectations on an experience you’ve never had. When I was at Le Pays de la Sagouine, I met a man who told my fortune and actually made me cry because of the truth in it. It reminded me to be open and extraordinary things can happen in the least expected places.
• The roads in New Brunswick are generally very good. I actually noticed this while driving around the Acadian peninsula and finally asked a local. They said that the province puts in quite a bit of money to keep them that way. It certainly pays off, as it’s usually a smooth ride.

Tags: asian restaurant, baby barn, canada, Le Pays de la Sagouine, lighthouse, nb, New Brunswick, province, Travelling