Island Girls
- 3womenwhowander
- Sep 16, 2020
- 13 min read
Women Who Wander
Adventure Seven
New Brunswick’s own “Islands in the Sun” have been calling us for quite a while now and the Women Who Wander finally decided to answer the call! Timmy’s coffee in hand, off we went to Deer Island and Campobello Island, New Brunswick!
We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day and although we are not opposed to wandering in the rain - we are sweet as sugar but trust us, sugar doesn't melt nearly as easily as it's reputation says! The sun made for some awesome photo ops and a divine outdoor eating experience which we will tell you all about!
First stop, St. George, NB where LT wanted to get some pictures of the old St. George dam which has been a part of that community for over a century. LT heard that the dam might be on the list for demolition but please don’t quote us on this, as it is a rumour going around and one which we hope is false! LT was bound and determined to make sure she saw the dam one last time in case the ugly rumor is true.
Unfortunately, she didn’t get to see the dam through her own eyes as construction was taking place on the bridge which is definitely the vantage point for snagging the best picture of it. BUT, thanks to a very kind (and very handsome) construction worker who took LT's camera and courageously ventured onto the “under construction” bridge himself, we now have several updated photos of the old dam.
We had a pleasant chat with the other construction workers on the crew that day (also very handsome) while we waited for the first one to come back with LT's camera.
We concluded that they might well be the most handsome, amenable and talented construction workers we have ever met!
T
They definitely were an enhancement to the already very nicely appointed picnic area where we found them enjoying their morning break!
We suggest you drop by for a gander at this beautiful old dam and who knows, if you get there soon, you might just get to meet three handsome (and handy) fellas on the crew fixing the bridge! Take a picnic, get some awesome photos of this historic dam, and enjoy the spectacular scenery!
Once LT was happy (photo wise), we ventured on our way to L’Etete to board the Deer Island ferry. The crossing was smooth and only about 20 minutes in length!
Nobody fell (or was thrown) overboard so it was a good day!
We were not off that ferry for two minutes before making our first stop. That might be a record even for us! Almost before BST got the Incredible Wander Wheels in drive, we were shouting STOP! We saw a very sweet little gift shop to explore!
The shop is called Spirit of the Island located at Butler's Point, Deer Island, NB. Inside, we discovered a wide variety of beautifully painted items, many depicting Deer Island scenes.
All of this incredible painting is done by the shop owner, Michelle Proulx and the woodworking is by Michelle’s husband, Michel Proulx.
Needless to say, we left with a few purchases including a couple of bird houses, a few lampshades, and some treasures for Christmas (which we will show you later in a Christmas Blog we have planned for November!) YT even had a special commission for Michelle that was picked up a few days later! Spirit of the Island gift store gets a Women Who Wander big Three Cheers Award!
If you have Christmas shopping to do, a hand painted birdhouse, apron or something else from Michelle’s delightful shop might please someone on your list this year.... just sayin'.
We headed out on a loop around the Island with an end goal of jumping on the Campobello Island ferry. We didn’t linger long on this portion of the trip (in spite of LT’s protests and requests / demands to stop for photo shoots around every corner) as we planned to spend more time exploring Deer Island on the way back.
With good intentions of moving on, one spot caught our eye and again, the Incredible Wander Wheels was brought to a screeching halt at Janice's Veggies located at 948 Rte 772, Fairhaven, Deer Island, NB.
Janice's Veggies is decorated inside and out with all sorts of interesting paraphernalia including a pig on the porch named "Canadian Bacon"!
The stand operates on the honour system which will give you an idea of how folks on Deer Island feel about their neighbours and island visitors as well!
Veggie stock was low when we arrived and many of the containers were empty proving to us that Janice’s Veggies are a hot item on the Island!
We were later to learn that in 2015 CBC had written an article on Janice Bustin-Doughty and her tiny veggie shop located next to her house on Deer Island. Janice has less than an acre of land on which she grows fresh vegetables for the community. She saw a need for fresh produce on an Island where everything has to be brought in and she acted on it! Janice hopes to expand to be able to fill her shop, supplying vegetables more months of the year, but for now, she is happiest in her garden where we imagine she was when we visited!
You can read the CBC article for yourself at https://ca.news.yahoo.com/deer-island-woman-grows-vegetables-180022113.html .
A Women Who Wander Three Cheers Award for Janice Bustin-Doughty and her awesome garden! You can also check out Janice's Veggies Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Janices-Veggies-729980153708586/
Don't forget - when you go, look for "Canadian Bacon" on the porch!
Before we knew it, we were in line for the Campobello Island ferry and with a bit of time to spare (and perhaps a bit of coffee to find) while we waited for the boat, we headed up the hill to the office of the Deer Island Point Park Campground located at 333 Lord's Cove, Deer Island, NB.
Owner, Valerie Justason, was kind enough to let us use the "facilities" in the Clubhouse and she joined us while we admired her office! After you finish reading about our Island adventures jump over to the "Friends We Meet" tab on our website and meet Valerie Justason for yourself!
With Covid restrictions in place, the Clubhouse is, understandably, partly closed off but it still offers generous space for campers to socialize within their bubbles.
Another stellar example of how NB entrepreneurs are reacting to Covid and doing a great job implementing healthy practices within their businesses!
What a view we enjoyed from the many windows in the campground Clubhouse!
We can imagine how cozy it would be to wile away a rainy evening, playing one of the many available board games with your family bubble while snuggled in one of the generous comfy chairs, occasionally glancing out the window at that awesome view (sigh).
The good news is that in spite of the Covid situation, the campground was filled with restriction-following, outdoor-loving campers! Oh...... and LT says not to forget that they have an ice cream stand with a pretty impressive selection of flavours from which to choose!
We didn’t camp out ourselves but we know enough folks who stay here often that we feel completely comfortable giving the Deer Island Point Park Campground a Women Who Wander Three Cheers Award!
It wasn't long before we were scurrying back to the Incredible Wander Wheels to board the ferry en route to our next destination!
Although pricey, the Campobello Island ferry ride brought us to the shores of the Island in about 20 minutes (beats swimming or paddling ourselves).
Upon our arrival, it struck us that a more logical approach to this adventure might have included an overnight stay.
We did feel a bit harried and hurried for, like Deer Island, Campobello Island tempts visitors with a photo opportunity awaiting you around every corner.
It was very hard but BST and YT had to simply put our fingers in our ears and sing La la la la la when LT would beg to stop for just one more shot of this or that. How many times could we say “no” to sweet LT, our resident photographer? (There are two things that make her quite cranky: when she doesn’t get her way and when she can't have a peanut butter fudge crunch ice cream cone! On the other hand, there are two things that make her very happy: letting her have her way and giving her a peanut butter fudge crunch ice cream cone)!
By the time we came to the realization that we hadn’t given ourselves sufficient time to explore, we were already past lunch and approaching starvation so we went directly to the Herring Cove Restaurant located at the Herring Cove Golf Course, 136 Herring Cove Road, Welshpool, NB.
The Golf Course overlooks a magnificent beach! One that we think would make for an awesome romantic walk with each of our very own significant others!
We could have stayed for a very long time breathing in the freshness of the sea air, basking in the warmth sun on our faces, and sighing while we admired the stunning views.
But, reality set in. We were HUNGRY!
Up the hill we went to Herring Cove Restaurant hoping to find something delicious!
That's where we first met our cute-as-a-button waitress, Taylor Paul-Davidson who did her best to help alleviate our peckishness. You can meet Taylor Paul-Davidson in the "Friends We Meet" tab on our website!
Sadly, we arrived at the restaurant at the tail end of lunch time and even though menu choices were a little limited, Taylor pulled through for us. Might we just say that if you ever see raspberry cobbler on the Herring Cove Restaurant menu, don't think about it even for a second. Order it! You won't be sorry.
We think they may have just picked the raspberries that very morning, they were so tangy and delicious! A little scoop of whipped cream, a cup of tea or coffee and you will be on your way with a smile on your face and a happy tummy!
After scraping up every cobbler crumb and drop of cream, (we may or may not have licked the bowls) and opting to to get back to Deer Island on a relatively early ferry, we set out to see what we could find in a limited amount of time . (The Incredible Wander Wheels may have squealed a bit on the corners on this part of our adventure but, rest assured, nobody was harmed in the making of this Wander)!
We made it to the opposite end of the Island in jig time and got to see the Head Harbour Light Station also known as the East Quoddy Lighthouse near Wilsons Beach. This lighthouse has been standing guard on the north shore of Campobello Island since 1829! It is only accessible by land or low tide. It has a rich and interesting history protecting sailors navigating the mokey and foggy weather of the Bay of Fundy and is a must-see if you find yourself on Campobello Island looking for something interesting to see.
Thankfully, the Light Station wasn’t accessible to us due to high tides or, likely, we would never have made it off the Island. It is located at 210 Lighthouse Road, Wilsons Beach, NB and it's lookout points provide an excellent vantage for the photographer in your life or the perfect spot for some peaceful sea gazing and just drinking in the beauty!
We support checking out our many New Brusnwick lighthouses and this one is as impressive an example as you will ever find.
On our way back down Island, we passed a sweet private cottage and experienced another one of those “only in New Brunswick" moments we love so much!
As we have been known to do on a fairly regular basis, we were scooting along through a charming, small community when LT suddenly put her foot down and insisted (loudly) that the Incredible Wander Wheels come to a stop NOW!
It seemed that LT wanted to take a photograph of the cottage shutters adorning a sweet little abode that we were passing at that very moment!
The shutters were in the shape of a flip-flop with ropes for the flip-flop straps.
VERY adorable and so different that BST and YT completely agreed with LT - we needed a photograph of these shutters and hopefully, meet the folks behind the shutters, so to speak.
The owners of the cottage and their visitors were sitting out on their lawn at the top of a grassy knoll enjoying an afternoon libation in the sun. LT, being LT, climbed the knoll to chat.
Turns out, the owners, Shawn and Jennifer McCrea, were from YT’s neck of the woods, Lincoln, NB! Well, Lincoln New Brunswick isn't very big and Campobello Island isn't what you would call in Lincoln's back yard so it was quite a coincidence that The McCrea's had that in common with YT! What are the chances! Another "only in New Brunswick" moment!
Well, this is New Brunswick and as New Brunswickers do, Shawn invited all of us in to have a little look around this dear little cottage that he and his wife Jennifer are renovating. Shawn told us the story of how they came to own this piece of paradise and his great good luck in being in the right place at the right time to snag it almost before the paint on the For Sale sign was dry!
Thanks Shawn and Jennifer for your incredible hospitality. It was a pleasure to meet you and your friends Dianne Jackson and Michelle Greene who, we're sure, would be a blast to hang out with! We're just a tiny bit jealous that you get to spend your summers here, looking out on that beautiful Bay!
Should you ever want company, we are excellent guests.....just sayin'!
Although pressed for time, Shawn recommended that we take a quick peek at the Pier Waterfront Restaurant just down the hill from his cottage. We did and although we didn’t have time to partake of any vittles, we can say with assurance that the view from their patio might be enough to satisfy your appetite all by itself! We had a hard time tearing ourselves away from it!!
A good excuse for us to go back for another visit with the McCrea's and sample the menu at Pier Waterfront Restaurant located at 6 Pollock Cove Road, Wilson's Beach, NB!
With Shawn's directions in hand, we jumped into the Incredible Wander Wheels and sprinted back down the road to take a quick peek at the iconic Roosevelt Cottage.
Sadly, we missed the summer scheduled tours of the property - more Covid induced restrictions - but we took our own self guided tour around the beautifully manicured grounds!
The flower gardens are spectacular and we imagined our selves back in 1938 strolling the grounds with flowing summer frocks, parasols in hand and in the company of three handsome young gentlemen (our own fellas, of course) strolling with us while we all went visiting the Roosevelts in their 34 room "cottage". (Sigh) , yes, we do have active imaginations!
Their website tells us that The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is "a singular example of international cooperation - jointly administered, staffed and funded by the peoples of Canada and the United States".
It's a safe bet that 90% of New Brunswickers have visited Campobello Island and have seen The Roosevelt family cottage for themselves as it is very nearly in our own back yard.
Roosevelt Campobello Roosevelt Cottage
International Park
Welcome Center
However, folks in the U.S. or other parts of Canada (and maybe even some New Brunswickers) may not know that it was at Roosevelt Cottage on Campobello that young Roosevelt spent most summers growing up. It isn't common knowledge that FDR and his future wife, Eleanor courted there in 1904.
Sadly, it is thought that Campobello is where the President was stricken with Polio in 1921 even though the Polio epidemic wasn't declared until 1949 ending in 1952. After he became ill, the President wasn't able to visit "his beloved Island" as frequently but Mrs. Roosevelt spent many weeks there every summer until her death in 1962.
FDR climbing rocks at FDR and Eleanor courting Eleanor Roosevelt's last
Campobello in 1902 at Campobello in 1904 trip to Campobello in 1962
Although the buildings are not open to the public during covid restrictions, walking tours of the grounds are available. We recommend that you visit the website at www.rooseveltcampobello.org for times and tour descriptions.
Having the visit to the Roosevelt Cottage under our belts we pointed the Incredible Wander Wheels back toward the return ferry to Deer Island!
With an uneventful crossing behind us the plan was to catch the next ferry back to the mainland and make our way home. By now you know how the Women Who Wander operate. We altered our plan slightly, squeezing in a couple more beautiful photo grabs on Deer Island moving ever closer to the last ferry and home.
It was then, almost to the ferry back to the mainland, just as we rounded the corner in Lord's Cove, LT, once again, was inspired! This time by a tiny, little building she spied, covered with colourful buoys occupying space and growing old by the side of the road!
LT has such a great track record recognizing stunning photo ops that we just can't say no very often, so, The Incredible Wander Wheels slowed down to a roll, LT jumped out before we stopped and she was gone!
Figuring she would come back when she got hungry, YT and BST waited patiently in the car.
We waited......... and waited........ and waited. Finally coming to the realization that LT was not coming back - at least not without some persuasion, off we went to try to find her and offer that persuasion.
What we found was LT knee deep in conversation with the owner of that dear little buoy-covered building.
The owner of the dear little buoy-covered building is also the owner of the Deer Island Inn next door to the dear little buoy-covered building, both located at 272 Route 772, Lord’s Cove, Deer Island, NB!
We do so love a good inn, so off we went for a self-guided tour of this one. It's a gem, inside and out!
Had we planned this filled-to-overflowing day better, we might have rested our weary heads on one of the fluffy pillows on offer here!
The Inn, originally owned and built by the Lambert family in 1903, once stood as "a beautiful beacon of gracious and grand Victorian living". It's current owners have restored the building preserving those beautiful Victorian details.
We oohed and ahhed our way through the many rooms and sighed our way back outside through the charming sun-filled porch to find the Incredible Wander Wheels waiting for us in the car park.
You really must check out the Deer Island Inn website at http://diinn.com
We give a Women Who Wander cozy Three Cheers Award to Deer Island Inn and look forward to, someday, enjoying the ambience there for a longer visit!
Women Who Wander Note: A charming little gift shop sits just behind the Inn on the property. On the day we were there, however, there was gnashing of teeth and desperate howls risen by the Women Who Wander because the shop wasn't quite open yet. Just think though....... it will be open by the time you visit!
Back on the mainland and worn out from our adventures we were still a long way from home. We decided that we might expire on the way if we didn't stop for a bite to eat soon when, what to our wondering eyes should appear? The infamous Ossie's Lunch, located at 3034 Route 760, Saint George, NB!
Funny, we had no problem at all getting the Incredible Wander Wheels to stop. After all, we had generously filled HER up before leaving St. George, so how could she deny us the same treatment!
We could wax eloquent about Ossie's seafood, (as many have before us), but most of the descriptive words have been used over and over (delicious, hugh portions, excellent, amazing).
We feel the most appropriate thing to say is: "just go and eat there".
If you love seafood, you will love Ossie's! A Women Who Wander delicious Three Cheers Award to Ossie's Lunch.
( Women Who Wander Note: Just to put it in perspective, YT's significant other was able to enjoy a heaping helping of fish, scallops, shrimp and clams later that evening, owing to the generous size of the small seafood platter! Delicious even left over!
Well, that will do it for this escapade. We arrived home tired, full of salt air and seafood and ready to rest up for our next adventure!
Just adventure!
Women Who Wander NB
Lynne, Barb & Gail
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