Quebec
Cross over the border from Vermont and the first stop is on the shores of 28-mile-long Lake Memphremagog in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, where an impressive monastery sits high atop the waters. At Saint-Benoit-du-Lac Abbey, some 50 Benedictine monks create homemade cheeses and cider. Head to the store to sample the crumbly blue cheese known as L’Ermite, among Quebec’s most popular. Then it’s on to Montreal, the city of summer festivals, including comedy, jazz, and electronica. Montreal is home to one of the finest botanical gardens in the country and the fascinating Insectarium, which just reopened after a 2-year closure. Walk the cobblestone streets of the Old Quarter to snack on crepes at the outdoor courtyard of Le Jardin Nelson and buy French wares straight out of Paris. Quebec City is a 3-hour drive to the northeast, where you hopefully booked a room at the classic Le Chateau Frontenac, perched high on the hillside above the St. Lawrence Seaway. Walk the narrow streets to sample the patisserie at Paillard and visit the always intriguing Musee de la Civilisation before heading just outside the city to hike or zipline at Montmorency Falls. Most people stop their trip in Quebec City, but you should continue north to stop in the charming town of Baie-Saint-Paul and sea kayak with beluga whales in the Saguenay Fjord.

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The waters of the Bay of Fundy were by our side the rest of the day. A series of lookouts soon followed on the left as we peered down at the verdant slopes sliding into the sea, not unlike the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton. It only gets better from here. Long Beach is a marvel to behold, stretching about a third of a mile out to sea at low tide. We walked some 2 kilometers on a loop and it was honestly hard to tear me away from this spot. We found colorful green, gray, and granite pebbles, fantastic rock formations, and ripples of sand on the ocean floor that would be awash in water in a matter of hours. Edward Weston would have a field day here and so would any other photographer.

For lunch, we headed to the Cookhouse for a fantastic turkey sandwich, where the meat is processed by Chef Tracy’s turkey farmer neighbor on bread that was baked that morning. Afterwards, we opted for the insanely good molasses cake and walked around the room peering at the century-old photographs of loggers cutting down the cherished white pine to build tall masts at the shipping port of Saint John. To work off lunch, we strolled across the suspension bridge at Salmon River, where the waters were once teeming with so much salmon you could practically walk across the river. After one last requisite stop at Fuller Falls to see the water cascading down the slick rock into the Bay of Fundy, we arrived at the West Gate and the seaside town of St. Martins, the end of a magical coastal drive.

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We took the short ferry to Deer Island from the New Brunswick mainland, geared up, got cozy in our double kayaks, and within 5 minutes we were so close to harbor seals, you could hear them breathe. The waters were serene, with sunlight shimmering on the light surf. The next 4 hours were a magical blur as we could also hear porpoises breathing as pods swam by, arching their backs in and out of the water; paddled past historic circular herring weirs and more modern Atlantic salmon fishing farms; followed a family of great blue herons along the boulder-strewn shoreline; found a mink with a fish in his mouth atop a seaweed covered rock; watched both harbor and gray seals pop their heads out of their waters and look at us in disbelief, like “What are you doing here?” and stopped for a lunch of ripe red rose hips on a deserted beach. All the while we paddled in little surf around quiet islands with no boat traffic. None. When I asked Smith where all the recreational boats were on this blissful weekday morning, he noted that many boaters are spooked by the Bay of Fundy tidal shift, the largest in the world. I would be too! One minute you’re in deep ocean waters at high tide, the next your boat’s docked on the ocean floor, nowhere to go. But for the sea kayaker, this is sheer bliss.

I want to thank Neil Hodge at Tourism New Brunswick for designing a fantastic trip this week. I’d also like to thank Canada for opening its borders to Americans. It was a joy to get away to savor the scenery, adventure, fresh fish, and craft beer of New Brunswick.

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We drove some 90 minutes from Saint John, 13 kilometers past Adair’s Wilderness Lodge (which I suggest you type into your GPS) to reach the East Gate of the Fundy Trail Parkway. Within 5 minutes, we were at our first stop, Walton Glen Gorge, where the granite stretches 200 meters high and the gorge spans some 900 meters. Walk the short kilometer walk to the observation tower and you’ll soon be staring in awe at the Little Salmon River as it surges through the Eye of the Needle. Across from you are sheer rock cliffs and to your right the green mountains slope to the Bay of Fundy in the distance.

The waters of the Bay of Fundy will be by your side the rest of the day. Try to arrive at the gate when it opens at 9 am because you’ll need a full day to see all the mesmerizing sights before the trail closes at 5 pm. A series of lookouts soon follow on the left as you peer down at the verdant slopes sliding into sea, not unlike the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton. It only gets better from here. Long Beach is a marvel to behold, stretching about a third of a mile out to sea at low tide, when you can walk some 2 kilometers on a loop. It was honestly hard to tear me away from this spot, as we found colorful green, gray, and granite pebbles, fantastic rock formations, and ripples of sand on the ocean floor that would be awash in water in a matter of hours. Edward Weston would have a field day here and so would any other photographer.

For lunch, head to the Cookhouse for a fantastic turkey sandwich, where the meat is processed by chef Tracy’s turkey farmer neighbor on bread that was baked that morning. Afterwards, opt for the insanely good molasses cake or a slice of bumbleberry pie as you walk around peering at the century-old photographs of loggers cutting down the cherished white pine to build tall masts at the shipping port of Saint John. Then work off lunch by climbing across the suspension bridge at Salmon River, where one old-timer told me the waters were once teeming with so much salmon you could practically walk across the river. There’s one last requisite stop at Fuller Falls to see the water cascading down the slick rock into the Bay of Fundy before arriving at the West Gate and the seaside town of St. Martins.

Mitchell Franklin had to face much adversity to make his dream a reality, but he’ll be happy to know that it’s finally come to fruition. I can’t wait to return to bike the parkway and then go sea kayaking at Fundy National Park.

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It’s no surprise that Whiskey Magazine has named the Lunar Rogue one of the great whiskey bars of the world. In 2016, Scotland bestowed on Frank the coveted Keepers of the Quaich title for being such a wonderful ambassador for Scotch. Scott is also founder of the Canada’s oldest whiskey festival, one of the rare joint ventures between the Canadian government which controls the liquor trade, and a private business owner. The 4-day festival takes place each year in November and usually sells over $500,000 worth of whiskey to some 6,000 collectors that come to Fredericton from across the globe. This year’s event might not happen since alcohol sales surged during the pandemic and there’s a shortage of whiskey. That would be a shame because the Feast for the Senses event, where whiskey is paired with the Turner, Sisley, Dali, and Lucian Freud paintings, among others at Fredericton’s renowned Beaverbrook Art Gallery, is one of the signature New Brunswick events of the year, often selling out in minutes. In the meantime, you can download the Lunar Rogue app and read about all those whiskeys Frank has managed to collect.

If you prefer craft beer to whiskey, Fredericton now boasts the largest number of craft brewers per capita in the the Atlantic Maritimes with 26 local breweries, cideries, distilleries, and wineries. Not too shabby for a population a tad over 65,000. While in town, I tried the Yippee IPA from one of the oldest establishments, Picaroons, a pilsner from Graystone, and an Island Red from Gahan House Riverside, set in a former bank. The beers are even tastier if you pedal some of the 120 kilometers of bike trails found in Fredericton, much of which line the shoreline of the wide St. John River. Second Nature Outdoors rents bikes and offers guided rides that feature the best of the local cuisine and beers. It’s the perfect introduction to a city that should not be overlooked on your New Brunswick itinerary.

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Take, for example, one Mrs. Lucinda Flemer of St. Andrews. In 1998, she had the brilliant idea of taking the century-old hedges and boxed gardens of her youth and creating arguably the most magical botanical garden in Canada. In 2010, I was so enraptured with the 27-acre grounds that I named the Kingsbrae Garden one of my top travel destinations of the year, competing with trips to Africa, Europe, and Latin America that year. When I returned yesterday, I was even more impressed. The yearly sculpture contests in the garden has led to one of the largest permanent sculpture gardens in Canada. The perennials were still in bloom, as they are throughout the spring, summer, and fall. This time, the pinkish-purple echinacea radiated throughout the garden. The sensory garden is just as seductive to touch and smell as I happily felt the velvety lamb’s ear and inhaled the powerful lemon scented geraniums.

Next door to the garden is Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts and a glorious amphitheater for outdoor concerts and performances created in 2016. Monthlong arts residences are open to artists, sculptors, writers, and filmmakers and I had the good fortune to meet one illustrator working on a children’s book based on the groundbreaking work on indigenous culture, Braiding Sweetgrass. Now a nonagenarian, Mrs. Flemer was also seen walking the grounds, her imagination still fertile as she continues to build on her whimsical creation. She continues to inspire the next generation of horticulturalists, botanists, sculptors, artists, chefs (as evidenced by the innovative fare we had for lunch in Garden Café) and yes, even travel writers.

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Opening December 2021 is Club Med’s first foray in Canada and it’s a beauty. Having written about skiing Le Massif for the Boston Globe, I’ve had the good fortune to witness the exquisite views of the St. Lawrence Seaway from the slopes. Located 90 minutes northeast of Québec City in the Le Massif de Charlevoix region, the four-season all-inclusive mountain resort is spread across 300 acres. The new Club Med offers 302 rooms and a private luxury space featuring 25 suites. All-inclusive dining features the main restaurant, Le Marché, the gourmet lounge, Le Chalet, and the family restaurant, Terroir & Co, where kids and parents will enjoy fondue and raclette, local Québec cheeses and charcuteries, freshly baked cookies, and Québec’s famous maple taffy. Aside from ski-in/ski-out access, guest will enjoy ice skating, dogsledding, and sugar shack visits in the winter; biking, guided hiking tours, and whale watching in the warmer months. Let ActiveTravels know your dates and we’ll check availability and package together with Quebec City.

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