Sept 22: PEI to St Andrews, New Brunswick

As the sun slowly rises over the bay, the sky turns bright orange and the water seems to glow. The day begins with a symphony of color. North Rustico sits on the bay overlooking fishermen shanties decked out with lobster traps and nets of its owner's occupation. Last night's dinner came directly from the sea!

Today's venture is first a drive along the north coast and the magnificent red cliffs of PEI. The color sharply contrasts the blue of the sea and the green of the grass to give a vibrant visual effect. Then it is off to explore another of the Maritime Provinces. New Brunswick sits to the southwest of PEI and can be easily reached by crossing the Confederation Bridge opened in 1997. The 12.9 kilometer (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, and endures as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century.

Having no special plans or itinerary the car was just set in a westerly direction and decisions to follow the coastline for the day were set. Reading guide books and literature results in the discovery that the town of St Stephens is the home of the Ganong Chocolate Factory and the Chocolate Museum! St Stephens lies on the east bank of the St Croix River, which serves as the international boundary line between the US and Canada. Originally it was a lumber and ship building community until the early part of the 1900s, but by the end of World War II the town's main employers were the Ganong Bros. Limited chocolate company (established 1873, Canada's oldest candy company). Definitely a good reason to visit. After touring the facilities and sampling every type of candy made today (many!) the decision was to head up the coast to St Andrews and the Bay of Fundy.