We crossed the border into Canada at 12 noon exactly. The border crossing wasn't much to get excited about, we were asked where we lived (South Dakota); where are you going (we are going to spend the next 10 weeks touring Canada); if we had alcohol (one bottle in the trailer); any tobacco products (no); and firearms (no). "Have a nice trip." That was it.
Utilitarian border crossing building.
As you know, whenever we enter a new state (country), we stop at the first Information Center, so when we saw a sign for one in Saint Stephen's we took the exit. We thought it would be right by the exit, but after a drive of a mile or so we were in downtown St. Stephen's, Canada's Chocolate Town. We couldn't have planned it any better!
Charming Information Center in a converted train depot.
Lots of good information with friendly, knowledgable staff.
This is Jodi. I couldn't take a picture of her directly, (she went to ask her supervisor who said, "No, not while you are in uniform"???), but it was okay for me to take pictures in the Center. Oops, I got a picture of Jodi by mistake!
After we picked up some information hand selected by Jodi, tide charts, hiking info etc., we got directions to the Chocolate Museum, just about a block away.
St. Stephen's is full of these historic buildings.
Right across the plaza in picture #2, about 25 feet from the Information Center, is the public library; not in a historic building.
We went across the street and had our lunch under one of these shaded picnic tables right on the St. Croix River. It was 93 degrees but there was a nice breeze off the river.
Our campground, Kiwanis Ocean Front Camping, in Saint Andrews, is - ta da - right on the water.
Panorama picture of the shoreline of the St. Croix River where it empties into the Passamaquoddy Bay. When we arrived the wind was coming off the water at a pretty good clip. The wind calmed down about 9pm.
A 15 minute walk along the waterfront brought us into the charming town of St. Andrews. (Sorry about the yellow tint. Pushed the wrong button.)
Mural depicting the harbor at St. Andrews.
St. Andrews if on Passamaquoddy Bay; the tidal variation here is about 26 feet. It was settled by United Empire Loyalists in 1783 following the American Revolution. Many of their white clapboard houses were dismantled, barged from Castine Maine, and reassembled. These houses can still be seen today.
Around the turn of the 20th century St. Andrews-by-the-Sea flourished as Canada's first seaside resort town. More than 250 homes in the historic district are 100 to more than 200 years old. The heart of the town still looks much as it did in early photographs.
The heart of the downtown area. I would call it a Canadian, upscale, but quaint, resort town. There are flowers everywhere. All kinds of annuals growing together in a riot of color. The peonies are just starting to bloom and it looks like the lilacs just finished blooming.
This is seating outside an ice cream shop.
This was my favorite store. Notice the candles in the upstairs windows.
Another panorama picture taken on our way back from town. Campground on the left and Passamaquoddy Bay on the right.
What a cute town....did they make you pull over and drink all your alcohol like we had to eat the produce that time coming back into the states?
ReplyDelete