Travel with Chris

New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy

2011-08-04T16:01:00.002-04:00

This was an exciting trip to see some of the crowning glories of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. Why so exciting? Because the Bay of Fundy is Canada’s only candidate in the final selection of the global New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign. From hundreds of sites in 222 countries around the world, the competition to vote the New 7 Wonders of Nature is down to the last 28 – and Canada’s Bay of Fundy is battling it out with rivals such as the Grand Canyon and the Amazon. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of the Bay of Fundy’s bid and this trip gave me the opportunity to see some of the sites associated with Fundy and to broadcast the radio shows from the Fundy icon: Hopewell Rocks. www.votemyfundy.com

Hopewell Rocks

2011-08-04T15:57:00.004-04:00

It’s difficult to visualize what a 40 foot tide looks like. Or 100 billion tons of salt water surging into the bay. That’s why Hopewell Rocks is the iconic focus of the Bay of Fundy: here you can really get a sense of the immensity of it all. You can look down from many viewpoints along 1.5kms of coastline that has been shaped by geologic forces, by glaciers, and most recently by the world’s highest tides, into a series of cliffs, sea stacks and ‘flower pot’ islands. What gives you a sense of scale is that if you are here at high tide, you can kayak around the tops of the cliffs and the sea stacks. If you then return a few hours later at low tide you can walk on the ocean floor at the base of the flower pots 50 feet above you.

There’s a first class Interpretive Centre here and a team of dedicated experts to bring it all to life (plus a restaurant serving the best seafood chowder around!). It was the perfect spot to broadcast my shows highlighting Fundy’s attractions, as I and my guests sat atop one of the Cliffside viewpoints watching enchanted visitors strolling on the ocean floor in the sunshine. www.thehopewellrocks.ca

Cape Enrage and Fundy National Park

2011-08-04T15:46:00.007-04:00

From Hopewell Rocks we travelled south along Fundy’s attractive shoreline of bays and marshlands teeming with birds to the evocatively named Cape Enrage. This headland -with its imposing lighthouse still in use - has become the soft adventure centre of the Bay of Fundy. Here you can rock climb on the cliffs, rappel down to the shore (at low tide only of course!) and enjoy the latest attraction: zip lining from the forest canopy over the cliffs to a tower built beside the lighthouse. It makes for a unique and exhilarating view over the Bay of Fundy. And then enjoy a cream tea in the delightful onsite restaurant.

A few kilometers further down the coast is a gem of a National Park: the appropriately named Fundy National Park. We followed the coastal road as far as it goes into the park to a picturesque covered bridge. We then hiked the short Shiphaven Trail and on down to Point Wolfe Beach to contemplate the inrushing tide. Between us and the next coastal road to the south there is no development, no road at all, nothing but the Fundy Footpath linking to the Fundy Trail. It’s the biggest wilderness gap on the Eastern Seaboard south of Labrador. On our return we hiked down to Herring Cove which we had totally to ourselves as the Fundy tides reached their peak. What a place! www.capeenrage.ca and www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fundy

Stonehammer Geopark

2011-08-04T15:29:00.006-04:00

This is new. A Geopark is an area recognized by the Global Geoparks Network, supported by UNESCO, which has exceptional geological heritage. This certainly applies to the area of southern Fundy in New Brunswick. The rocks tell an almost continuous story from the first glimmers of life a billion years ago through to the last Ice Age a mere blink of a geologic eye ago. Stonehammer Geopark is the first in North America and it’s an association of several sites, so we visited three of them to get a feel for the network: Saint John’s Reversing Falls, the New Brunswick Museum and Lily’s Café.

The Reversing Falls (or Rapids, as they should perhaps be called) are a direct result of the huge Fundy tides. Near its mouth the St. John River seethes through a narrow rock gap - when the Fundy tide is low. But as the tidal tons come rushing in, the ocean backs up the river through the gap and reverses the flow entirely into a broiling cauldron in the opposite direction.

The New Brunswick Museum in downtown Saint John tells this story as well as many more from the Geopark. Travel through geologic time in displays that show the creatures and the rocks that are the fabric of the Fundy landscape. Lily’s Café is a very civilized part of the Geopark set on the shores of Lily Lake in Rockwood Park, itself a geological mishmash. Excellent food and a romantic place to watch the sun go down.

www.stonehammergeopark.com and www.nbm-mnb.ca and www.lilylake.ca

Saint John and St. Andrews

2011-08-04T15:12:00.012-04:00

These two communities live and breathe the Fundy tides. The Harbour in Saint John had the tang of the ocean on the wind and as we strolled the Harbour Passage along the waterfront. The mist rolled in off the bay giving the boats an eerie presence at the wharf. The Old City Market just up the hill from the waterfront is also connected to Fundy: this is the place to buy (and smell and see and sample) the seafood from the cold waters – salmon, shellfish and of course, fresh lobster. I love the place: it’s colourful, friendly and impossible not to succumb to the edible temptations on every side. www.tourismsaintjohn.com and www.sjcitymarket.ca

Another 90 minutes south of Saint John, the resort town of St. Andrews has long been a part of the Fundy scene. This is where families come to stay and explore the Fundy Isles and go whale watching in the Bay of Fundy. There were two places here which had long been on my ‘to-do’ list and which I now have a chance to see: Kingsbrae Garden and Ministers Island.

Kingsbrae Garden is a riot of colour in July. Its 27 acres encompass gardens of all kinds of course - but also mazes, streams, woodland trails, children’s areas, a Dutch windmill, alpacas and an excellent restaurant and art gallery. Don’t miss “Pericles”, Kingsbrae’s Wollemi – this is a living fossil, a very rare pine tree species from Australia that was thought to be extinct for millions of years. There’s something for everyone here, even for someone with poison-green fingers like me.

And last stop on our trip: Ministers Island is truly a child of Fundy. Just a few minutes outside of St. Andrews, this is only an island at high tide. When the massive tidal flow is sucked out of this part of the bay, Ministers Island is connected by a drivable causeway to the mainland. In fact it’s the largest tidal island in North America.

Here is where the great Canadian Pacific Railway magnate Sir William Van Horne built his stately retreat and country estate called Covenhaven. Wandering around the house and the island acres, it’s easy to see why he fell in love with the place. Lovingly guided by Susan Goertzen, we fell into a wistful reverie of times past and views present. We ended up in The Tower on the southern tip of the island; here the views over the Bay of Fundy are boundless and as the sun shimmered on the waters of this magnificent Wonder of Nature, it was a fitting end to our Fundy journey. www.kingsbraegarden.com and www.ministersisland.com

Kingston – The Limestone City

2011-08-01T21:02:00.003-04:00

What a weekend in the Limestone City! On the hottest Ontario weekend of the year, the sun is lighting up the white limestone of the many historic downtown buildings, the restaurant patios are ablaze with flowers and full of visitors, and the annual Buskers Rendezvous is in full swing. This is a city truly connected to the water. It sits astride the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the St Lawrence begins its journey through the Thousand Islands and where the UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal starts its northwards course towards Ottawa. And as part of that unique UNESCO site, Fort Henry hugs the contours of the hill across the bay. www.visitkingston.ca

Buskers Rendezvous

2011-08-01T20:59:00.003-04:00

Music and entertainment are everywhere during this four day festival. We are enjoying everything from comedy to music to acrobats and jugglers. I love the micro Musical Ride Mounties and the drummer using only buckets (and the occasional head of an audience member!) was spectacularly entertaining. There are no admission fees – just reward each act as you wish and move on to the next surprising act. www.kingstonbuskers.com

Culinary Kingston

2011-08-01T20:54:00.006-04:00

There’s cuisine from around the world here in Kingston. In the summer, the patios are everywhere and dining becomes a European style experience. On our short visit here, I have enjoyed the delights of Le Chien Noir (exquisite rear patio), Olivea Restaurant (patio overlooking the Market Square), Tango (great local beer), and Chez Piggy (another lovely patio shaded by vines).

Show and Tell

2011-08-01T20:50:00.003-04:00

We broadcast the Travel Shows this morning from a spectacular location at the Radisson Hotel which sits astride the harbor overlooking Town Hall, Confederation Park, Lake Ontario and Fort Henry. My grateful thanks to Murray Matheson, Executive Director of Kingston Accommodation Partners, for facilitating our trip and for being such a convivial city guide; to Bryan Mercer of Fort Henry and St Lawrence Parks Commission, who guested on the shows and is now Travel Show Family; and to Kaitlin Byrick of Kingston BIA who was a first time guest on the show and is a mover and shaker in the festival and cuisine scene in Kingston. Thanks, too, to the team at Four Points by Sheraton for hosting my stay; this hotel is perhaps the only one in the world where guests can see three Martello Towers from their room.

The 99th Calgary Stampede

2011-07-25T20:59:00.003-04:00

I’m broadcasting the Travel Shows live from the 99^th Calgary Stampede – the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. And what a show! Here’s a normally serious and industrious city of over a million people that just goes nuts for ten days every July in celebration of Cowboy Culture. Everyone wears cowboy hats and boots and is intent on having a good time. Half an hour after flying in, I have my cowboy hat in place and I’m ready to go….

Will & Kate at the Calgary Stampede Parade

2011-07-25T20:55:00.003-04:00

A perfect day for a Parade…And to kick things off in right Royal style, we get a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Will and Kate to you and me) as they travel the route of the Parade. Then comes a cavalcade of hundreds of floats, marching bands, horses, heroes and more that takes two hours to pass by and is watched this year by 425,000 cheering aficionados – the Will and Kate factor! It’s all entertaining fun and a great launch into the first day of the Stampede this afternoon.

Cowboys…

2011-07-25T20:45:00.009-04:00

Rodeo – this is how it all began in 1912: cowboys competing in awe-inspiring events of courage and skill based upon their cowboy lifestyle. I’m watching six major rodeo events: Bareback; Bull Riding; Barrel Racing; Saddle Bronc; Steer Wrestling; and Tie-Down Roping. Each one is a breath-taking display of man and beast, where often the horse or bull is awarded as many points as the rider. With $2 million in prize money to be won, the athletes take the competition pretty seriously. I am fortunate to have the subtleties of rodeo explained to me by a real cowboy: Jim is a Cowboy Hall of Famer who has ridden the broncs to glory in the past and we go behind the scenes to the pens where the riders are released for their 8 seconds of adrenaline rush. As the long evening light fades to twilight, I watch the thrilling Chuckwagon Races, topped off by a rollicking outdoor stage show, “Volte”, and fireworks that light up the Alberta sky.

…And Indians

2011-07-25T20:41:00.005-04:00

It’s heartening to see the First Nations participating as enthusiastically as everyone else in this western party. The Stampede is an excellent way of learning more about First Nations culture. Proud Elders in ceremonial dress add colour to the Parade. In Stampede Park, the Indian Village represents the five tribes of the Treaty 7: the Siksika, T’suu Tina, Nakoda, Piikani and Kainai. Each day they open their tipis to visitors and stage performances of dance and song.

Prairie Oysters and Cowboy Sundae

2011-07-25T20:36:00.004-04:00

The Calgary Stampede is also a celebration of Western Cuisine. And it’s all right here on Stampede Park. Leave all notions of dietary self-restraint behind and just enjoy the fun of heart-clogging creations like “turkey-tini” (a micro turkey dinner in a martini glass); mac and cheese pizza (yummy double comfort food); “Cowboy Sundae” (pretty beef and mashed potato looking like dessert); and doughnut burgers (maple dip, no less). I was tapped to be a Media Judge in the 2011 Stampede Best New Food Competition and so got to try them all. The winner? Kubie Korn Balls – corn fritters with Ukrainian sausage. But my most memorable Stampede cuisine was perhaps at Buzzards Restaurant where I sampled Prairies Oysters – bulls’ testicles. They were surprisingly tasty…

Midway Magic

2011-07-25T20:32:00.003-04:00

Stampede is so much more than the richest rodeo show. Stampede Park is a vibrant collage of Midway attractions, kids’ events, food vendors (don’t forget those Kubie Korn Balls), Western art exhibitions (the photography exhibit was inspirational), agricultural attractions (my favourite: a sow with umpteen squealing piglets suckling) and great shows. This year the stars include Kate Perry, Kenny Chesney, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, Kevin Costner, Sale and Pelletier and even a human cannonball fired across Saddledome Plaza twice daily! Another attraction I find strangely compelling: the World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition. There is such a potpourri of events and attractions here – there’s something for everyone…which is exactly what a Midway should be all about.

Stampede Friends

2011-07-25T20:27:00.005-04:00

My Stampede experience has been facilitated and enhanced by some wonderful people in Calgary. Lindsay Jardine is the Stampede Tourism Sales Manager who set up my visit and radio broadcasts and who looks magnificent in a Fascinator. Sally Leung, Tourism Sales Coordinator, worked hard on all the details of my trip and still managed to be perky on almost no sleep. Jennifer Booth, Publicity Manager, was my effervescent guest on both my radio shows – knowledgeable and entertaining. And Hala Dehais, PR Manager at Tourism Calgary, seduced me into experiencing bulls’ balls, but was kind enough to let me escape the rigours of the mechanical bull. To all: my grateful thanks. And I can hardly imagine the excitement of next year’s 2012 Centenary Calgary Stampede!

Quebec’s Cantons-de-l’Est

2011-07-09T23:09:00.002-04:00

There’s a corner of Quebec that I have long wanted to explore and I have the opportunity to do so at last, linked to a Travel Show on Quebec. Facilitated by Danie Beliveau of Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est, we are spending an idyllic few days meandering through what we Anglophones still call the Eastern Townships. As we are to discover, this land doesn’t merely flow with milk and honey, it also gushes with wine, cider, cheese, chocolate, roses and more..

Trains and Boats

2011-07-09T23:06:00.003-04:00

It’s good to hand over the wheel to someone else once in a while, the better to take in the scenery. Even though the weather is a little uncooperative, the Orford Express tourist train is a relaxing and rather luxurious way to take in the delights of the Cantons-de-l’Est countryside as we wend our way from Sherbrooke to Magog and Eastman, supplemented by a gourmet dinner. As the sun sets and the shadows deepen, a local chanteuse adds to the joie de vivre on board.

From rails to the waters of Lake Memphremagog’s new cruise boat which plies the waters of this unpronounceable lake that stretches long and thin all the way south into Vermont. This sparkling new ‘Grand Cru’ excursion boat from Escapades Memphremagog also offers a first class service and floating cuisine to match, as the mountainous shoreline slips by, dotted by gorgeous lakeside properties.

Cider With Roses

2011-07-09T23:00:00.011-04:00

Laurie Lee comes to life! A beautifully sunny day spent sampling all kinds of tasty, visual and scented treats…Val Caudalies in Dunham is a great place to taste the local wines – and also a speciality of this region: ice cider. Deliciously sweet and bursting with flavours, I highly recommend this!

Then on to Rose des Champs near Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, where you can wander among thousands of roses of all kinds and sample the many products made from rose petals, including jellies, jams, perfumes and soaps. The countryside around here is particularly beautiful.

Chocolate, Cheese and Lavender

2011-07-09T22:55:00.006-04:00

More sensory overloads followed! Bromont Chocolate Museum not only explains much of the mystery of chocolate production, but also tempts with home made chocolates to die for. The Fromagerie des Cantons in Farnham is a tiny cheese boutique where we sampled (and bought!) some of the home made cheeses that seem so deliciously creamy to Ontario palates. And at Joie de Lavande in Lac-Brome we floated in a sea of lavender colour and smells, where Christopher and Alison Marks have created their own little bit of floral heaven.