Before returning to the trailer around 5:30 we stopped to get the truck's oil changed. We've come 4600 miles so far and the trailer towing rig needed attention. Lube, oil and filter change cost just $20. That's surprisingly low.
Maybe it's because we're approaching the longest day of the year, but the sun sure seemed to pop up early today. That was our cue to roll out of bed and get ready to head south, south to historic Saint John. It's a city of about 80,000 only 70 miles from here, down on the coast.
We followed highway #7 to Saint John, discovering that it was much cooler than the inland areas. And we also found the city in heavy morning fog, first encountering the mist stuff some 15 miles north. By the time we got into the city itself, however, it was beginning to clear a bit. Temperatures were in the 50's.
Our first stop was at the Reversing Falls, a tourist attraction just north of downtown. That's where the 30-foot tides encounter the river. When the tide is out the river's falls cascade toward the sea. But when the tide is high things really do reverse and a water fall in the opposite direction occurs. We arrived to see the backwards cascade about two hours before high tide. When the tide is full and about to ebb once more the water is smooth and there is no sign of the unique phenomenon. That too we got to see, but later in the day as we returned to Fredericton.
Next stop was downtown, near the waterfront. We parked in a lot just a block from the convention center and market place. The downtown area is vital and alive. It invites walking. The stores, public buildings and exhibits are well done and maintained. We had our morning coffee in the indoor courtyard just outside the New Brunswick Museum. Then we paid the $4.50 admission fee to go inside and view the exhibits which are on three levels.
The Museum is very well done and features the Province's
history and culture as both a maritime capital and lumber
industry center. In the old days King George III claimed all
of the tall fir trees for the Royal Navy. The huge
straight trees made excellent masts for the sailing ships.
Much of the museum is devoted to the practice, art and
commerce of wooden ship building. Other parts depict the
lifestyle, clothing, utensils, tools and furnishings of 18th
and 19th century New Brunswick.
There is an impressive art gallery within the museum. We
enjoyed that too, largely because it contains classical art and
maritime paintings rather than modern impressionism or
abstracts. Portraits of famous English and Canadian people are
also abundant. This is a place not to be missed if you visit
Saint John.
Before lunch we wandered through the City Market. It's a marvelous indoor collection of food, craft and art shops. On a smaller scale it reminds one of Seattle's famous Pike Place. It was fun to walk the aisles and browse. It's about one half of a city block in size and all enclosed. Numerous cafes and snack shops offer sidewalk style tables and chairs inside and outside.
We walked up to the top of King Street, the main drag, to
view the downtown area from the hill and within a beautiful
tree-covered park. There are several statues there and a
delightful double-decker bandstand. Quaint.
A little way back down the hill, toward the waterfront, we found a sandwich shop for our lunch. Jean had a quiche and salad plate, while I ordered a Rueben. Jean was satisfied with her meal but disappointed that there was no ice available for her drink. I found that my local version of a Reuben had no sauerkraut, so it was really a corned beef sandwich on dark rye with lettuce and tomato. Ah well.
By early afternoon we decided that we'd walked enough and headed back to the truck. The return drive to Fredericton was smooth and uneventful, though we did get to see more of the countryside because the fog was gone. We bought gas before getting to the campground, noting with pleasure that prices had fallen since yesterday from 59.9 to 51.9 center per liter. My aft tank took 65.5 liters and cost $34.00 (Canadian). We used a credit card to ensure getting the best exchange rate with the U.S. dollar. The current rate is about $1.32 Canadian for each U.S. dollar.