Eating, Shopping and Laughing..... nothing better!

Women Who Wander NB

Adventure # 1

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Important note: All of the businesses mentioned below were set up for and encouraged social distancing! Thanks for that!!!

In keeping with the Covid-induced Staycation, we have decided to do a day trip in NB once a week. (We, as in Barb (BST), Lynne (LT) and Gail, Yours Truly (YT). Occasionally, we may even do an overnight or two. We will share our adventures in hopes of encouraging you to wander too! Here’s a look at how our first wander went!

Only one of our party is an early riser (I will let you figure that one out but you know it isn’t me and probably isn’t LT). So our adventure began at the quite decent hour of 10 am. After a pleasing tour of LT’s backyard (which may or may not be open to all, depending on her state of mind, and I, therefore, am not including her address), we headed to the North side of Fredericton and out the Killarney Road.

Thanks to Kevin Thomas and Sandra Thomas, we had been alerted to the existence of a very fine eating establishment called JPM Canteen located at 729 HWY-148, Fredericton, NB.

If there is one thing we three always agree on (and so should any bone fide Wanderer), it’s that the dining experience is a key part of any road trip!

So, never mind that we had only been on said road for 20 minutes, we stopped to eat.

JPM Canteen could surely be re-named as Burger Heaven or French Fry Fantasy Land! No finer burger or tastier French Fry will ever come your way than that which is cooked at JPM!

Our milkshake aficionado, LT, gave a big thumbs up to her chocolate milkshake as well. Like any good gourmet restaurant, the presentation was awesome - chocolate syrup drizzled down the in-sides of the milkshake cup in a most pleasing pattern.

Add to all this, the fab ladies who cook and serve, seem to share our penchant for humour, and we give this establishment our very first Three Cheers Award! (See our website homepage for an explanation about our Three Cheers Award).

Well (if not overly) sated, we set off for the waters of the Miramichi via the waters of the Nashwaak Valley. We drove by John’s Tubing, but given the Covid weight gain situation that two of us are struggling with (and yes, we know JPM’s stop may mean we aren’t struggling hard enough), let’s just say we weren’t sure how much a tube could handle! We have heard it’s an awesome experience, however!

The early riser amongst us, had suggested this Wednesday’s outing should include a visit to Candle in the Window, located at 6166 Route 8, Boiestown, NB. which is a beautiful gift shop in downtown Boiestown! 35 or so minutes later, we arrived. I’m not sure that anything could have prepared the sales lady for our visit, but she remained gracious throughout!

As purveyors of Fusion Mineral Paint, the Candle in the Window folk brought LT, lover of all paint chip samples, joy mixed with indecision. BST and YT had time to explore the entire store many times over whilst LT deliberated on colours for her dresser, which she has been wanting to paint for many years and doesn’t need but can’t decide on colours.

We would share with you what colours she chose but our heads are still spinning from that experience! Whilst we don’t suggest taking LT with you (unless you have several hours to spare and have an abiding love of paint samples), we do suggest you visit this charming shop! It is beautifully laid out in a heritage home and has lots of unique gifts from which to choose. And paint.....

Another Three Cheers Award!

Although our day was far from finished, we headed back to Fredericton after our shopping experience extraordinaire and putting all thoughts of tubing behind us stopped briefly (again) at JPM’s for dessert and a chat with the ladies who remembered us by name! Did I mention that JPM’s is also one of the best hard ice cream stands thus far known to the Women Who Wander? Next time you are craving ice cream go there....... but don’t, for goodness sake, ask for a medium if you have eaten in the previous 24 hours!!!

Our next stop was at 22 Independence Street off the Killarney Road at a relatively new establishment known as Hosta Heaven. Our friend, Helen Jean Newman, put us on to this place for which we are grateful! Brenda and her husband, Hosta Heaven owners, moved here two years ago from Ontario and we are so fortunate they did.

If you love hostas or day lilies, you must, must, must visit. They have hostas by the hundreds .... and they are expanding! Soon they will have even more hostas and day lilies and a pond!!! We will return! And we happily give a great big Three Cheers Award to Hosta Heaven!

Although our day didn’t quite end here as LT managed to charm her way into a private residence downtown that she had been longing to see. It was a lovely home but I’m pretty sure the owners wouldn’t appreciate being listed as a Staycation NB option so we won’t go there and you shouldn’t either!

So friends, that’s it for Women Who Wander escapade #1 ! Stay tuned for #2 and get out there and start wandering!!!

Just adventure!

Women Who Wander NB

Lynne, Barb & Gail