St Andrews New Brunswick: Canada's Seaside Resort Town
I’m so glad I live near St Andrews New Brunswick because it is such a change from every day living for me. I live about an hour’s drive away, so a walk along the beach isn’t exactly minutes away. However, St Andrews New Brunswick makes a great day trip for my family and I.
I haven’t been able to talk my husband into visiting Kingsbrae Gardens yet, but I’m sure with some coaxing, he’ll give in and visit the 27 acres of horticulture just waiting to be explored. How about a round of golf? I’m not much of a golfer, but my husband promises that he’ll drop in with a report on the Fairmont Algonquin Golf Course and Academy!
Check out the many very unique shops in the downtown area of St Andrews New Brunswick to find that unique souvenir to finish off your collection.
Be sure to visit Candy Land, a candy store on Water Street. It is very colorful shop - you can’t miss it. If you have children with you, they will probably pick it out first, and ohhhhh the sweet smell when you walk in the door, I had a sugar high for days after leaving there! If you are not a shopper then maybe history is what you are looking for. Well, have I got a surprise for you! St Andrews New Brunswick is rich in history with Saint Croix Island (an International Historical Site) within view of the shoreline at Bayside. This is where Samuel de Champlain was part of the crew that spent the winter of 1604, which was the first attempt of French settlement in North America. The interpretive panels at the Memorial site tell of the difficult hardships endured that winter when they lost most of the crew to what they believe to be scurvy. Not far from there is where you would take a short drive across the ocean floor at low tide to see Ministers Island and the Home of the famous Railroad builder Sir William Van Horne. This is a guided tour…check tour times and tide schedules at the local information center. Are you nervous about taking your own vehicle across the ocean floor at low tide? No problem, they now offer a boat ride to and from the Island at high tide for your convenience. The Ross Memorial Museum, Sheriff Andrews House, St Andrews Block House or the Historic District of St. Andrews are more of St. Andrews’ interesting historic sites (The Block House was built by the people of St Andrews New Brunswick to defend the border during the war of 1812). We visited the Huntsman Aquarium one summer. The touch tank, the LIVE blue lobster, and the feeding of the seals were big hits with my kids. In fact the largest lobster found off the shores of the Bay of Fundy during the summer of 2008 is making his home at the Huntsman Aquarium. You may have seen him on the news his name was Dee-Dee and he weighed in at 22lbs. The Atlantic Salmon Interpretive Center is only 5 minutes away on route 127 east is where you can see salmon up close and personal. If you like the taste of salmon, the Wolfhead Salmon Smokers, should be your next stop. They smoke their own salmon using traditional Scottish methods and maple wood chips. They are located at 420 Route 172 in Letang. Watch for the signs along Route #1 between St.George and Blacks Harbor. If you want to stay in St Andrews New Brunswick any length of time in the summer months you need to book your accommodations early. Whether you are looking for a B&B, a motel, cabin, or campground secure it ahead of time especially if you have a fixed vacation schedule and aren’t flexible on dates. St Andrews New Brunswick is popular for locals and out of province visitors. There are two very popular take-out style restaurants along Highway #1 that you should not miss. Comeau’s and Ossie’s. We ate at Ossie’s and my husband describes it as greasy goodness that is very unhealthy but very tasty. Make sure you have cash since they do not take credit or debit. Comeau’s is similar, but you can dine in there.
Towns and Attractions Near St Andrews New Brunswick: The Town of St. Stephen is known as Canada’s Chocolate Town. Located 15 minutes west of St Andrews, St. Stephen houses the famous Ganong Chocolate Factory. The factory is St. Stephen’s largest employer. If you visit during the Chocolate Festival (normally the first week of August) there is no end to the yummy goodness. There are scheduled events for kids and adults. Of course The Chocolate Museum in St. Stephen is open year around for your convenience…just in case you have a little craving. What am I talking about? There is no little craving for chocolate. We went through the museum and I found it interesting to see the various chocolate boxes used down through the years. It was heavenly to be completely surrounded by chocolate. It’s kind of like dying and going to chocolate heaven. There are interactive games for the kids too. St. Stephen is also a popular border crossing into Calais, Maine, USA. Check local border crossing wait times for Calais/Milltown crossing here for all USA bound traffic. St. George is located 15 minutes east of St.Andrews New Brunswick. It is known as the “granite town” because of the local granite Quarries. Check out the fish ladder on the falls and gorge to show how the fish move back upstream to spawn. Blacks Harbor, a little farther down the road, is famous for its sardines and has the world’s largest sardine factory. A short ferry ride over to Grand Manan Island from Blacks Harbor puts you in touch with nature at its best. From Whale Watching to kayaking, to hiking, biking, and birding there is never a shortage of things to try in Grand Manan. Try some of the dulse, it is dried seaweed, a Maritime favorite. Campobello Island is accessible by ferry from the mainland of New Brunswick or by bridge from Lubec, Maine. It is the location of Franklin D Roosevelt’s summer home.
Also, get your camera ready and photograph of The Head Harbor Light House; it is the most photographed lighthouse in the world. Deer Island is accessible by ferry from the mainland of New Brunswick at Letete or by ferry from Campobello Island. There you can see the world’s largest lobster pound ( a place where lobsters are raised/cared for) and the largest tidal whirlpool in the western hemisphere. The whirlpool, “Old Sow” as it is called, can be seen from Deer Island Point Park.
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There are tours available and it is FREE
