Moonscapes of Medford Beach

I'm taking advantage of a few vacation days this week and where better to spend my holidays than the Bay of Fundy! I thought I'd explore a few new sections of the Fundy coast on the Nova Scotia side this month, then the same in New Brunswick next month.

This week's adventure involving walking the extreme low tide beach of Medford (near Wolfville, NS). Low tide at Medford exposes a vast walk-the-ocean-floor red beach. It's a great walking beach- sandy more than muddy - and nice n' flat. Also, there are clear vantage points of low tide (several miles off-coast) so less chance of getting caught as the tide comes in. Fundy beach walking rule #1: do your exploring for about 2 hours before the scheduled low tide time; then get off the beach (the low tide time is the time that the tide turns and starts to come back in - even locals occasionally get trapped by the incoming tide).

Medford beach low tide reveals these awesome moonscape-style sandstone rock fjords & formations; think of them as Bay of Fundy sculptures in situ. I love 'em!

A recipe for Hodge Podge

Here's a classic maritime recipe - nothing fancy but oh, so tasty! Around this time of year the Bay of Fundy harvest is wildly abundant. It's tradition to drop a pile of fresh veggies into a stew pot and cook 'em. This is aptly named, hodge podge and, surprisingly, there is actually a recipe for it:

Hodge Podge

• 1 c fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1 c fresh yellow beans, trimmed and snapped
• 1 c diced carrot
• 1 c diced turnip
• 2 c cubed new potatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 c heavy cream or milk
  
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water

1. Place the green beans, wax beans, carrots and turnip into a saucepan and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Lightly salt the water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 1/2 hour, then add the potatoes and cook for another 1/2 hour. Stir in butter and if desired, cream.
2. Mix together the flour and 1/2 cup water, and pour into the soup. Cook for a few more minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Photo credit: Jonathan Riley www.liquidquilt.ca

Fundy alpaca celebrates birthday

People may be more inclined to think of South America, not North America, when they think "ideal alpaca habitat" so you may be surprised to know that there are several alpaca farms around the Bay of Fundy. There are even alpacas in residence at Kingbrae Garden in St Andrews, New Brunswick. In fact, yesterday, their smallest alpaca, Angelina, celebrated her 1st birthday with a crowd of well-wishing kids and families. Angelina munched on specially prepared 'grass cakes' and the kids enjoyed real birthday cake.

Some of the kids even came early for the Garden's daily Live Ladybug Release (10:30) and some stayed for lunch in the Café and the free daily activity in the Children's Fantasy Garden afterwards at 1:30. Sounds like fun! Thanks to Maureen at Kingsbrae for sending along these photos of Angelina at her party.

Mud Creek Days

Bay of Fundy folk may be more fond of mud than your average coastal dwellers. You see, when the tide is low, we get to see all kinds of interesting textures on the ocean floor: rock reefs, pebbles, cobbles, sandstone boulders, sand dunes, and, in some areas, gooey mud!

The folks in the Fundy town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, are so fond of mud that they have an annual festival named after it: Mud Creek Days. It's a week's worth of good, old-fashioned hometown fun: concerts, readings, teas, art shows, and fireworks, but it's highlighted by two really neat mud-themed events: the Chocolate Mud Dessert contest (today at 7 pm) and the annual Mud Creek Sports Challenge (tomorrow) - for which they have a national corporate sponsor!!

Teams do all kinds of fun sporting events in the mud for a few hours to raise funds for a local youth sports organization. Here's a photo of low tide in the chocolatey muddy Wolfville harbour!

Nice big CAT!

I've certainly done several posts that include my Fundy dog, Belle, but I've yet to mention even one Bay of Fundy cat, not even our huge catamaran fast ferry: The Cat. This gorgeous 6-year old vessel travels between Portland, Maine or Bar Harbor, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This is a fun trip - I've done it many times - but now is even more alluring because of higher gas prices in both Canada & the U.S.

The ship can hold up to 900 passengers and 250 cars but it scoots along smoothly at about 36 knots. The Cat runs seasonally from May 30 to mid-October. The trip from Portland to Yarmouth is 3 hrs; the trip from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth is 5.5 hours.

It makes a nice trip to come up from Maine on the ferry, loop around Bay of Fundy through Nova Scotia & New Brunswick, then pop back over the land border at St Stephen, NB - Calais, Maine.

How's the weather 'up' here?

View Larger MapWhile I'm on the topic of interesting questions asked by visitors, I'd like to answer two common visitor questions: where is Bay of Fundy? and, what's the weather like up here? This may be especially helpful to our American friends who may be a bit less familiar with our geography.

LOCATION: As the crow flies, the Bay of Fundy is located about 200 miles (650 km) east of Portland, Maine, or about 400 miles (750 km) from Boston, Massachusetts. In fact, we're actually closer to Boston than we are to Canada's capital city, Ottawa, in the province of Ontario - 600 miles (950 km) away - see map.

The Bay of Fundy is actually situated at 45 degrees latitude: 4 degrees further south than the Canada-U.S. border, commonly referred to as the "49th parellel". The Bay lies between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick & Nova Scotia (see coloured sections on the map)

WEATHER: Since we are on the eastern seaboard of North America, we get basically the same weather as Boston, just a few hours later as the Gulf Stream moves further along the coast. Just like Maine, we do love our fog in the summers which often 'burns off' by mid-morning.

Our temperature is reported in degrees Celsius (C). Yesterday's daytime temperature of 26 degrees Celsius is 80 degrees Fahrenheit; our 32 degrees C is 90 degrees F to Americans. Typical daytime summer and autumn temperatures are in the high 20s and sometimes 30s C. Summer evenings can stay in the 20s or high teens (70s in F) - better for sleeping!

We do get snow but only in the winter - starting in December (by Christmas if we're lucky) and ending in March. Just like Boston, we don't have snow in the spring, summer or fall, nor can you see the Northern lights from our Bay - you'd need to be much further north. We are as far away from the north pole as we are from the equator!

To check the weather forecast prior to your arrival, visit the Environment Canada website for New Brunswick or Nova Scotia or check out the weather maps links on the Fundy tourism website.

Fisherman lands massive lobster

I've previously shared some interesting lobster catches from the Bay of Fundy, such as last December's blue lobster and last January's half n' half lobster, but this week it wasn't a lobster's colour that made the news but rather its size. A lobsterman in our bay landed his biggest ever catch in a long career of lobster fishing: a 10 kg (approx. 22 lb), 100-year old lobster.

This fine specimin, dubbed "Big Dee Dee" was caught near Deer Island, New Brunswick but in temporary residence at a seafood shop in the region.

After Big Dee Dee made the national news this week, a country-wide bidding war ensued:
an Ontario woman slapped down $3,500 yesterday, eyeing a family feast. (Sorry lady but everyone knows that the bigger the lobster, the tougher....)

A Vancouver woman with the support of some humane society friends bid higher and she intends to fly down to release the lobster back into the Bay.

The Big Fish Seafood shop has been welcoming about 100 visitors a day since Big Dee Dee arrived but, alas, she can't live forever in captivity. As much as I like a good feed of lobster, I say let the old fella enjoy his retirement years where he belongs: in the Bay, not on the table!

Will the real TIdal Bore please stand up!

I thought it only fair to show you the 'real' tidal bore. Several rivers around the Bay of Fundy have this phenomenon but best known is the Shubenacadie River about 1 hr from Halifax, Nova Scotia. There's a nice little observation deck and interpretive centre in South Maitland from which to view the bore.

If you go, here's a tip.....stay for about 45 minutes after the initial wave passes by the lookoff. Watch the sides of the river and you'll see it fill up like a bathtub. Very cool!

If you'd rather be in the water than on it: try the tidal bore rafting. The water is warm (bathwater temp) and the ride is raucous!

This bore photo from one of the rafting companies: Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting Park. Also rafting available with Shubenacadie River Runners. I've gone rafting with both - great guides, great fun!

Can you eat the Tidal Boar?

Just like any other tourist destination, we're prone to hearing the odd hilarious question from visitors from time to time. Top among Fundy's funny queries is: where can you go to eat (or better yet, hunt) the tidal boar...? The fact of the matter is that our tidal bore is a bore not a boar. No porky culinary delights to be had on these shores!

A tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. As such, it is a true tidal wave (not to be confused with a tsunami).

Here in Fundy, the incoming tides are funneled into shallow, narrowing rivers via the outer bay. The funnel-like shape not only increases the height of the tide, but it can also decrease the duration of the flood tide down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden overall increase in the water level.

Although the overall vertical tidal range here in Fundy measures about 50 feet, the common height of the bore is around 12 feet. And the taste to the palate? well, briny, of course!

New use for old Bay of Fundy buoys

For the past year, I've been looking for an appropriate civic address sign for my new house but couldn't find anything that quite matched its cottage style.

Then it occurred to me: why not recycle a washed up Bay of Fundy buoy! It just took a couple trips to the beach to locate a used buoy then a bit of craft paint to finish the job.

I'm very pleased with the result...and passersby seem to be as amused as I am by the idea.

World's best chowder!

Just like many other coastal regions in North America, the Bay of Fundy has its share of restaurants claiming (but rightfully, in our case, of course!) to have the World's best seafood chowder!

From personal experience, I have to say that The Caves Restaurant in St Martins, New Brunswick, is a top contender for this honour....

Not only is the chowder great in this family style restaurant but diners have a panoramic view of the sculpted sandstone sea caves, the horizontal tidal effect, and a vast section of exposed ocean floor (at low tide). What a perfect combination of activities to complement the world's best chowder!

Eating marsh greens

I arrived back from the Not Since Moses race exhausted and exhilarated this evening. Got lots of video footage, which I'll post within the next few days. On the way back from the race, I picked up some marsh greens for dinner. Marsh greens definitely qualify as 'weird stuff we eat' around the Bay of Fundy. They're hand picked from Bay of Fundy salt marshes (we've got plenty of salt marshes: see my post earlier this week about dyked farmland).

I snapped this photo of them raw & rooty on my patio. Remove the roots then steam or boil just like any other green (fiddleheads, kale, beet greens, etc.) and top with butter or vinegar. Should restore my energy for sorting through my voluminous photos and video tomorrow!!

Historic house & garden tour

Here's a fun event to attend if you happen to be in the Bay of Fundy town, Annapolis Royal this weekend: the annual historic house and garden tour! Hosted by the Annapolis Historic Gardens, the tour features tours of many historic homes in the town's designated National Historic District as well as several private gardens. The Historic Gardens themselves are in prime rose season - it's worth the trip just for that!

These photos show the Queen Anne Inn (both house & garden on display during the tour) as well as one of thousands of rose blossoms (a Tabris) in the Historic Gardens. Even if you can't make it to Annapolis Royal this weekend, it's a lovely Bay of Fundy town to explore anytime - fun shopping, historic sites, theatre and great restaurants!

Whale washes ashore

It's been decades since I remember a whale sighting in the upper part of the Bay of Fundy. Whales aren't usually attracted to either the Minas Basin or Chignecto Bay sections of Fundy; the water is too silty up here so no whale food to be found. Unfortunately, we usually only see whales up here when they've washed up dead on the beach.

Such was the case at Slack's Cove near Rockport, New Brunswick, this week. A fin or sei whale (about 50 feet/15 metres long) washed ashore in Cumberland Basin, which feeds into the Chignecto Bay section of the Bay of Fundy. Whale researchers hope to determine the cause of death, gender, age and whether the whale is a fin or sei, (by looking in its mouth) before the carcass is disposed of.

Interestingly, dead whales are usually buried rather than allowed to re-float because the tides will just land it on another Fundy beach. Although I've heard of an alternative method of whale disposal....

Best Fundy spot for Canada Day

It's Canada Day today! If you're Canadian you may immediately think of our nation's capital (Ottawa) or, in Atlantic Canada, perhaps Charlottetown, PEI, as the place to be on Canada Day today. I'd like to offer up a lesser known Bay of Fundy hotspot for Canada Day celebrations: the Ottawa House by the Sea Museum & Historic Site in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.

The full 9 chapters (240 yrs) of history of the Ottawa House are too extensive to mention in a single blog post, but suffice to say that the building (and adjacent Partridge Island) have played a prominent role in trade, the Age of Sail, Canadian sovereignty, early settlement & growth of the region, etc., since it was first constructed in the 1770s.

What makes the Ottawa House most suited to Canada Day celebrations is that it was Sir Charles Tupper's summer home in the 1860s, in the years leading up to Confederation. It was here that Tupper regularly hosted his fellow Fathers of Confederation and other notables who were instrumental in forming our great nation in 1867.

Canada Day is joyfully celebrated each year at the Ottawa House. The museum (overlooking the Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy) offers an afternoon of flag raising, speeches, tours, performances by the Parrsboro Citizens Band, and, of course, birthday cake!

Pull pork at Coco Pesto Bistro

As mentioned in my previous post about Opera Bistro, I have a particular fondness for restaurants serving fresh, local Bay of Fundy ingredients in creative ways. Another of my favorite dining experiences is Coco Pesto Bistro, located in the Woodshire Inn, in Windsor, Nova Scotia. This bistro opened nearly two years ago and, in my opinion, was quite a refreshing addition to the mostly pub and fast food dining scene in this part of the bay.

The Bistro reflects the seasonal abundance of our region, with three licensed dining rooms and outdoor terraced dining. An applewood fired smoker provides diners with the opportunity to enjoy such favourites as dry-rub pork ribs, smoky pulled pork on a bun and signature sauces such as house-made, smoked, sweet pepper compote. Coco Pesto also offers a fine menu of local and international wines. Due to the Bistro's popularity, reservations are recommended!!

A sample of dyked farmland - Shepody Marsh

Further to my last post about dyked farmland around the Bay of Fundy, here's a great view of reclaimed land, the Shepody Marsh, in Albert County, New Brunswick. I snapped this photo just as I stepped out of my car on Route 114 between Hopewell Rocks and Riverside-Albert.

If you get your magnifying glass out for this photo you may even be able to see the teeny tiny cows grazing happily in the fertile fields. There's also a ridge of dyke cresting the top edge of this picture where the fields meet Chignecto Bay (one of Fundy's two smaller upper bays).

Farmland below sea level?

Here's a peculiar sign that often catches the interest of passersby in the village of Grand Pre, Nova Scotia; it says: "GRAND PRE DYKE 3013 acres below sea level"

Now, you may wonder exactly how this can be so read on "...behind 28455 feet of dyke."

The fact is: a high proportion of our most fertile coastal farmland around the Bay of Fundy is actually reclaimed salt marsh. What's even more interesting is that many of these dykes were constructed in the 1700s by our earliest European settlers (who became the Acadians) from France.

Although some of these dykes eventually eroded so that several low-lying areas reverted to salt marshes, hundreds of miles of dyked farmland still exists in the upper part of the Bay in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

If you know what you are looking at you can see dykes in dozens of coastal, flat field locations quite clearly as you drive or walk by. In some communities, such from Wolfville to Canning, Nova Scotia, the top ridge of the dyke has become a popular walking & mountain biking trail!

Blueberry lavender scones

My small veg and herb garden is coming along nicely; it's responding well to our 25-30 degree sunny June days and foggy evenings. Like many folks in our gardening zone, I struggle away with indoor potted herbs all winter only to breath a sign of relief when summer's warmth arrives.

I got this recipe from Alive (Canadian Health magazine) awhile ago. It's an strange one that combines two great tastes: blueberry and lavender. This is when you need to remember that lavender is an herb (related to the mint family) and not a perfume! These scones are a bit odd but really quite endearing...

Blueberry Lavender Scones
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t. dried lavender buds or 2 t chopped fresh lavender
1/2 t salt
3/4 c cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 c + 1 T milk
1/4 honey (or maple syrup)
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 c dried blueberries
icing sugar for dusting

Oven at 375.

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir together liquid ingredients in a separate bowl; add to dry ingredients. Mix just until dough comes together. Mix in dried blueberries.

Turn dough onto floured surface. Roll twice to 1 in thickness, each time folding in half (secret to a flaky scone). Roll dough into 3/4 in. thickness, cut into shapes. Place on cookie tray, brush with remaining milk, bake for 15 to 18 minutes until tops browned. Makes 12.

Exploring Cape d'Or Lighthouse

Here's a post that can easily fit in both the 'lighthouse' and 'places to eat' categories of my blog: the Cape d'Or Lighthouse. Cape d'Or is one of the best places to see Fundy's tidal rips: wild, upwelling tidal currents.

The site also offers a panoramic view of the upper part of the Bay of Fundy in the exact location where it splits into its two smaller bays: Chignecto Bay and the Minas Basin. And, even better, there is an amazing restaurant in one of the former lightkeeper's houses (the other house is used as a tourist guest house!).

Here a fun video of Darcy, the operator of the restaurant and guest house describing what makes Cape d'Or so cool.

Although the lighthouse was de-staffed in 1989 (automated), there's been a fog whistle at Cape d'Or since 1875 to warn mariners of the Cape's extreme tidal rips. Now the site is a great reward for those who take the time to drive 20 minutes up the dirt road from the nearby village of Advocate Harbour, Nova Scotia. One caution though: the cliffs are quite extreme here, ranging from 300 to 500 feet sheer vertical drop so this is not a great place to visit with little kids.

Whale watching season has begun

We're fortunate to have various whale watch tour companies in the Bay of Fundy. All the folks operate in the "Fundy Aquarium" ecozone off the coasts of Digby Neck, Long & Brier Islands (in Nova Scotia) and St Andrews & the Fundy Isles - Grand Manan, Deer & Campobello Islands (in New Brunswick).

Now, I have to caution you: this isn't Seaworld we're talking about here...our whales move around a wide radius at the wide mouth of the bay and can't be "called with a whistle". Still, being on the water and being part of the search for whales here, in their summer migratory feeding ground, is part of the adventure! Our whale watch companies (who also, by the way, follow a strict whale watching Code of Ethics) are quite adept at locating the areas where Fundy's upwelling tidal currents stir up lotsa good whale food. Where there is whale food there are whales!

The first reported whale sightings happened this week: some finbacks & humpbacks. Check out a couple of the whale watch blogs to get the scoop: Brier Island Whale Watch (NS) and Quoddy Link Marine (NB). This is a photo of a humpback's fluke (tail). Our humpbacks are named by our whale researchers and are completely identifiable by their tail markings: this one's name is Moustache.

Vote for Fundy in New7Natural Wonders of World

I've been busy for the past few weeks trying to get the Bay of Fundy officially nominated in the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest.

For awhile now, it's been bothering me that the Bay of Fundy occasionally turns up on various lists of "7 Forgotten Wonders of the World"... I mean, really....

So, last year, I was intently following the contest for the 7 New Wonders of the World; the winners of which were announced in Lisbon on 07.07.07. That initiative was so successful that the 7Wonders folks decided to run a second contest this year for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

I'm pleased to report that, as of today, the Bay of Fundy is a official nominee. You can go on the 7 Wonders website to vote. Over 1 billion votes worldwide are expected in the contest which will last 'til the end of this year. And the people speak....

Take the road less traveled

Here's a Bay of Fundy travel tip: be sure to get off the main highway and explore the secondary roads! Today I traveled a coastal section of the Bay of Fundy from Margaretsville to Hampton, Nova Scotia.

It had been many years since I'd taken particular roadway but it was absolutely delightful. There are several small ports along this shore; all of which are great places to see the vertical tidal effect of the Bay. Access this section of coast by going up (west) over the North Mountain outside Bridgetown (at one end) or at Middleton (the other end). Total kilometres about 30.

As luck would have it, I was passing by at low tide so I was able to snap these photos. You might like to take along a map but do allow yourself to 'get lost' a bit along this coast (and don't worry, the locals will help...we love helping visitors find themselves on the BoF).

My first restaurant review

Okay, I can't take it any longer.... I've been resisting making suggestions for dining experiences around the Bay of Fundy because, well, I've got a confession to make: if I tell you about my favorite places to eat you'll never find the best Bay of Fundy hamburger or steak. The thing is: I don't eat red meat so any thoughts I'm going to share in my new blog category: "best places to eat" are going to focus on fresh, local, regional, sometimes seasonal cuisine that's veg, fish or chicken served up in picturesque or artful settings around the Bay of Fundy. If you're up for this kind of culinary adventure then hop aboard!

So... allow me to introduce my first memorable dining experience: Opera Bistro in Saint John, New Brunswick. I like Opera so much that I ate there several days in a row this week. Owners Margret and Axel Begner (Chef) have infused Opera's decor, service and menu with their infectious European flair and charm. The menu (and wine list) is creative, eclectic and fun!

This photo shows me agonizing over which flavour of tartlette or homemade gelato to take back to the hotel for a midnight snack...would that we all faced this dilemma daily!

Saint John favourite places

I enjoyed the first really summery summer night this week while in the "Fundy city", Saint John, New Brunswick. It was a perfect night for a walk along Harbour Passage and the Hilton hotel boardwalk on the waterfront.

I don't have a category on my blog for favourite places around the Bay of Fundy to enjoy a Guiness but if I did then the Brigantine Pub in the Saint John Hilton (at end of the boardwalk on the right side of my photo) would be the spot. The Brig's outdoor deck overlooks the bustling harbour, where coast guard vessels, tug boats, tour boats and even cruise ships come and go. At the Brig the glasses are frosted, the staff is delightful and the Guiness is fresh off the boat from Ireland!

Sand sculpture competition at New River Beach

When I introduced you to New River Beach a few posts ago, I forgot to mention a really fun event that has taken place there every year for the past 23 years: the sand sculpture competition! Folks of all ages come out to stake their claim to a patch of sandy beach in exchange for a donation to the local food bank.

The only limit to the number of teams participating is the size of the beach! The event is held on a different day every July - needs to be one of the really low tide days. This year it's July 26 (rain date July 27). Locals, assorted radio personalities from the area and tourists enjoy the even as participants and spectators.

This is a fun photo of some nasty sand pirates and their treasure chest! arrrr, maties!

Weir fishing on the Bay of Fundy

You've probably figured out by now that I'm easily intrigued by all aspects of life and work around our beautiful Bay of Fundy.

Weir fishing is just another ordinary occurrence that I think is really neat. Last year I posted some video of the guys in action during the 2x daily spring harvest.

This year I met their truck coming up from the beach as I arrived, however, my dog (see a teeny tiny yellow lab in the photo) and I enjoyed exploring the clean, empty weir at sunset. Click here for weir fishing FAQs.

P.S. When the tide is in it's at the top of those poles - that's part of the 50 ft tide thing we have going here!

Rhubarb's going crazy!

Conditions around the Bay of Fundy are absolutely perfect for growing rhubarb and this year, especially, our rhubarb is going crazy - I've got some stalks that are over 2 feet long!

After the wild harvest of fiddleheads a couple weeks ago, rhubarb is the first 'edible' from most people's spring gardens. Indeed, rhubarb is the perfect cool weather perennial for our region. It prefers at least 2 months rest in frozen winter ground (under a blanket of snow - even better), slightly acidic soil, and lots of sun & rain in spring. I also have a theory that rhubarb loves fog!

Winter freeze-up of its roots makes rhubarb immune to most pests and diseases so it's an ideal candidate for organic growing. I do absolutely nothing to my rhubarb and it faithfully produces more stocks than we can eat each spring! Took this photo in the garden today...

Another type of Fundy beach: sandy!!

Just looking over my collection of beachscape posts and realizing that you may think all our Bay of Fundy beaches are full of sculpted cliffs and massive boulders - yikes! not so....

Here's a great example of a Bay of Fundy beach that could rival those of Florida or California:
New River Beach, located in Lepreau (between Saint John & St Andrews, New Brunswick). This is a perfect 'umbrella beach' for sunning, frolicking in the sand and, yes, even swimming. (well, maybe the water is a bit cooler here than it is in Florida!).

There is also the site of New River Beach Provincial Park with camping, boardwalk & trail hiking, etc.

Amazed (again) by Fundy geology

Although I make a point of checking out Fundy's various geology exhibits, such as those at the New Brunswick Museum, Hopewell Rocks, Fundy Geological Museum and Joggins Fossil Cliffs, there is really nothing quite like taking a guided interpretive hike along the beach at low tide tagging along with someone who knows what they're seeing!

Last week, a visit from an Outpost Adventure Magazine travel writer gave me a great excuse to take a few hours away from the office to take in a Fundy Geological Museum Field Trip with its curator.

We took an awe inspiring walk on the ocean floor alongside about 350 million years of towering basalt and smooth sandstone cliffs. It reminded me that the Bay of Fundy's geological tale is vast; it's about dividing continents, glacial deposits, rift valleys, reefs, tropical sea, desert sands and volcanic flows. Indeed, it's the tale of the Bay of Fundy then and now.

These museum field trips take in various sections of coast around Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, on a regular schedule throughout June, July & August; otherwise for group and school bookings. By the way, such tours are also a very safe way to explore our tidal coast.

Fundy blog in the news

Well, this is interesting....an article about my blog just ended up on the front page of the business section of Nova Scotia provincial paper. Interesting how new media and traditional media are starting to overlap! Here's the article at Chronicle Herald online.

Sea kayaking at Hopewell Rocks, NB

Here's the last in my series of notes about sea kayaking businesses located in the Bay of Fundy in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Normally, I don't do 6 posts in a row on the same theme, but, truly, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite section of coast or a best kayak company - there is just so much out here to explore!

Baymount Outdoor Adventures is located at the well-known Hopewell Rocks, just along the coast from Moncton, New Brunswick.

At low tide, Hopewell Rocks provides excellent, staffed, interpreted and safe coastal access to a fun series of huge 'flower pot' rock formations (sometimes called sea stacks) via the exposed ocean floor.

At high tide, the best way to explore Hopewell Rocks is by sea kayak. Baymount's sea kayak excursions are about 2 hours long and are easy to moderate to participate in. This is a super 'first kayak', if you've never sea kayaked before! (If you'd rather not kayak, then try hiking the clifftop trails and watching the kayakers below).

By the way, owners, Richard & Kathy also offer guided caving expeditions in this part of the Bay of Fundy (and, in the winter, lead tours in Latin America!).

Sea Kayaking at Cape Enrage, NB

Cape Enrage, New Brunswick, is not only home to a classic lighthouse but it's become a nifty destination for Bay of Fundy coastal adventure. I previously posted about their rappelling but I don't think I ever mentioned the sea kayaking and zip line options.

The Cape juts out into the Bay which makes for some wild conditions - sea kayaking along this section of the Bay can be a bit of an extreme sporting event! Still, if you're into adventure as a group or individually, this is a 'must stop' attraction on the Bay of Fundy.

Site managers, Dennison and Ann, host and train an extraordinary group of students to professionally operate the site each season. This kayaking photo was taken during recent staff 'spring training'. Cape Enrage was recently named #1 View in Canada by Frommer's Travel Guide. When you visit be sure to try "Cake Enrage" in the Lightkeeper's lunchroom on site - it's awesome!

Sea kayaking in Alma, NB

FreshAir Adventure, in Alma, NB, is another super sea kayaking company here in our region. It seems like all my recommendations about sea kayaking in the Bay of Fundy have a theme: sea kayaking opens up new opportunities to explore the Fundy coast and tidal experiences. This is certainly true in FreshAir's region - along the coast of Fundy National Park and within the newly declared Bay of Fundy UNESCO Biosphere zone.

This photo shows FreshAir kayakers coming in on the rising tide at the Alma wharf... there is, of course, no water below them when the tide is low. Even the larger fishing boats would be on the ground!

One of FreshAir's owners, Joe, is also a teacher in the NB Community College Adventure Tourism program; and the other owner, Alan, is a high school science textbook writer and international kayaker.

Sea kayaking at Advocate Hbr/Cape Chignecto Park, NS

You'll want to pay attention to this kayaking recommendation because this is the only kayaking company based on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy.

Nova Shores Adventures operates out of the beautiful village of Advocate Harbour, with tours focusing on the coast surrounding Cape Chignecto Provincial Park. There are definitely some secluded beaches, rock formations, cliff arches and coves that you can only explore in this part of Fundy by kayak. Nova Shores does half-day, day and multi-day tours.

Owners Else Marie and Werner have a vast amount of experience offering kayak tours. Nova Shores orginally offered excursions along the coast near Peggy's Cove (outside Halifax - about 2.5 hrs from Fundy!) but when Else Marie and Werner started personally kayaking this part of the Fundy coast they liked it so much that they packed up and moved there!

(BTW tours are still offered by their great staff at the Dover location for Peggy's Cove area).

Sea kayaking - St Martins/Fundy Trail, NB

If you're yearning to explore the Bay of Fundy tidal waters off the coast of St Martins, New Brunswick, then take a look at kayaking with River Valley Adventures. These folks are located right on the wharf in the pretty village of St Martins.

St Martins has great sea caves that you can walk out to at low tide, then kayak to at high tide (see photo). St Martins is also home to the Fundy Trail - 10 km coastal hiking & biking trail (with great access points from a parellel low speed roadway). Mike's River Valley sea kayaking tours take you along the coast of the Fundy Trail to beaches that are only accessible by kayak - very cool!

If you are wondering where River Valley Adventures got its name (considering it's on the bay), you may be interested to know that, in spring and fall when he's not otherwise in Fundy, Mike offers lots of outdoor education programs for youth in the St John River Valley.

Sea kayaking in Deer Island/St Andrews, NB

Sea kayaking is one of the best ways to explore the Bay of Fundy coast. I'm not a big swimmer but I've always felt comfortable in these stable made-for-ocean kayaks. I'm personally familiar with several kayak companies around the Bay so I thought I'd use the next few posts to profile each.

Seascape Kayak Tours' home base is Deer Island but they offer tours from both Deer Island and St Andrews by the Sea, NB. The owners, Bruce and Malena, are great folks who really know the bay and islands. Seascape offers both day and multi-day tours for all ability levels. By the way, if you happen to winter holiday in Costa Rica, you can also find Seascape there offering tours during Fundy's off season!! Hey, it's a rough life!

Red Rose Tea - A Fundy favourite!

The Bay of Fundy seemed to be following me in one particular way during my travels to the western part of our country last week ~ here's a photo of the tea I was served at my hotel: Red Rose Tea. Red Rose Tea was established in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1894. Its orange pekoe tea was said to be made from only the top two leaves of each tea plant sprig this ensuring its superior quality. Initially the tea was only sold in our region but later went on to become one of the world's best known teas. Red Rose Tea still contains high grown leaves from Sri Lanka, Kenya, India and Indonesia.

Any of you who are my age or older may remember the Marquis Chimpanzees starring in three Red Rose Tea commercials in the 19060s. The most popular of these showed plaid-suited chimps playing a swinging jazz tune in praise of Red Rose. Now, thanks to YouTube, you can take a trip down nostalgia lane.

Fundy tidal power SEA complete

My blog readers from the Bay of Fundy region, and other readers from across the country, may be interested to know that the long-awaited Strategic Environmental Assessment of in-stream tidal power for our bay is now available.

Apparently there's enough potential in the tides to power 120,000 homes but this 'green energy' opportunity needs to weighed mindfully against potential changes and threats to the bay's sensitive ecology, traditional rural fishery, migratory bird feeding grounds, etc. The fact is: a tidal power project of the magnitude proposed for Fundy has never been tried anywhere else .... it would be a delicate experiment with the eyes of the region and the world upon it.

The Fundy SEA Report is a broad-ranging as it can be but there are still many unknowns. To download the report & other related documents, visit: www.offshoreenergyresearch.ca

Photo: Cape d'Or tidal rips (at the mouth of the Minas Channel)

Rare Right whale birth captivates researchers

It's not often that a Right whale gives birth and it's rarer still that whales researchers happen to show up at the 'right' moment to witness the happy event. By pure luck, New England Aquarium scientists were able to photograph this tumultuous and hopeful moment for a species so threatened by extinction that every birth counts. It was the first time anyone is known to have captured images of a right whale giving birth (click thru to photo gallery).

Here in the Bay of Fundy (the summer feeding grounds of many species of whales), we feel quite connected to Right whales. Much whale research takes place in our region throughout the summer and fall - contributing greatly to worldwide scientific research on whales. In the winter, whales venture about 1000 km south to the coasts of Georgia and Florida (where this Right whale was born in January).

A few weeks after the birth, the mother whale (known to researchers by the nickname, Cat's Paw) and her calf were seen swimming side by side as seen in this photo. Later, the aquarium team ponder what to name the baby. Then it came to them: Resolution, in part to honor it's New Year's Day birth, but also the species' unending will to survive. Awww....

A world first ~ 800 km unicyle race thru Fundy!

In your idle moments, do you ever imagine someone creating a Tour de France-style race for unicyclists? Well, imagine no longer - here is a world first!

From June 16 to 20, unicycle teams from around the world will "Ride the Lobster" - racing 800 km along the Bay of Fundy coast and up to Cape Breton.

The race will feature over 25 teams, with over 100 competitors from 19 countries. Teams will be tracked by satellite with their positions streamed live to the Ride the Lobster blog.

P.S. I don't think the racers are required to wear lobster red, but, if you plan to be a spectator, do consider sporting a classic red foam lobster hat - you know you've got one buried in the back of your closet!

New Bay of Fundy video tour

I just came across this great new Bay of Fundy promo video on YouTube. It’s an excellent virtual tour of the New Brunswick side of the Bay…cool time lapse high-low video too. Take a look!

Fiddlehead soup recipe

During the next few weeks (while I'm scouring the woods for fiddleheads) I thought I'd post a few of my favourite fiddlehead recipes.

My fiddlehead soup recipe is a blend of traditional French vichyssoise and good old-fashioned Bay of Fundy fiddlehead soup.

Fiddlehead Soup
1/4 c butter
1 c white ends of leeks, seperated, rinsed, chopped
1/4 c flour
5 c chicken or veg stock
1 lb fiddleheads, cleaned
1 c parnsips, peeled & chopped
1 c celery, leaves & all, chopped
2 c milk
1/4 t (or more) grated nutmeg
salt & fresh pepper to taste

Melt butter in large soup pot. Add leeks, cook at low heat 'til softened but not brown. Blend in flour to make a roux; cooking for 2 minutes at low hear. Whisk in stock in batches. Add fiddleheads, parnsips and celery to pot. Bring to boil, stir, over med. heat. Lower heat, cover, simmer 20 minutes.

Puree soup in blender then return to pot. Heat through when ready to serve. Stir in milk and seasonings. Plain soy milk is an alternate to cow's milk. Not quite as smooth but still good. You may want to pump up the nutmeg & pepper to counteract the slightly nutty taste of soy milk.

(By the way, if you're not really into beating the forest for ferns, fiddleheads are available in produce sections of most Fundy grocery stores).

Sneak peek at new Joggins Fossil Centre

Although the 'new' Joggins Fossil Centre opens to the public on May 17, I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend its opening ceremony last week. There is much buzz in our region about this very welcome addition to the Bay of Fundy 'product'. My first glimpse of the new centre certainly did not disappoint!! It is a beautifully designed experience both inside and out. Here are some highlights:

• Local stones were layered on the exterior facade to replicate the site's adjacent fossil cliffs
• The site will generate about 60% of its own power through wind turbines & solar, and has some nifty 'green' features like a sod roof & rain water capture.
  
• The gallery exhibits are really interesting, with lots of interactive design elements like those in the photos as well as glass portholes in the floor, trackways to follow around the museum, interesting multi-media displays, etc.
  

A colleague who attended the opening caught me clambering out of the inside hollow of a tree (there's a cool multi-media presentation in there for kids!), and, examining the intro panels mounted on replicas of fossilized tree trunks!

Scenes from the ocean floor - 5th of 5

Here's my last scene in this 5-image series taken at Two Islands, near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The receding Fundy tide exposes lots of interesting aspects of the ocean floor: salty puddles, living tide pools, sculpted reefs, mussels, clams and globs of seaweed.

If you generally find yourself exploring shorelines with your head down, this is your kinda beach! I've noticed that kids delight in exploring the intertidal zone at low tide searching for toe-sized hermit crabs to follow, tiny white & blue shells to collect, teensy fish to watch and squeaky rockweed pods to pop.

Safety tip: be sure to check local tide times before walking out onto the ocean floor at low tide. Only explore the zone for a couple hours before the low tide time. Don't explore after the low tide time - the low tide time indicates when tide is turning and coming back in so scram!!

Tide times vary around the bay and change every day. A searchible chart of tide times is also available on the Bay of Fundy Tourism website but do double check with the locals when you arrive on the bay to be sure these time are accurate.