August 12-14, 2025–Quebec to Saint John, New Brunswick

We have been in Canada for the last five nights, and have one more night here in Saint John before we head to Bar Harbor, Maine tomorrow.  After staying in a hotel at Niagara Falls the first night, we have been camping since.  For all of you non-campers, which is probably most of you, we have found that KOA Campgrounds in the United States are a step above the others, with more trees, more privacy and nicely kept grounds.  They cost a little more, but they are usually worth it.  This is not the case in Canada.  Each night our KOA campground has been just a little more hard to take, culminating in last night’s site when we stayed on Prince Edward Island.  It seemed like we were in a wagon train of Conestogas on the prairie (read field) rounded up together, ready to fight off wild wolves or hostile natives.  

Our first night we camped in the KOA of the Quebec Redneck French Riviera.  Not really, but we were at a KOA, we we were in Quebec, and our fellow campers spoke French.  We were actually at Levis-Saint Nicole, Quebec at the KOA Holiday Campground.  Being there reminded me of Doug’s mother, Florence, who was an imaginative, fun and witty woman.  She was also quite interested (maybe a little bit too interested) in the people around her and their shenanigans.  Florence would have loved the place because there were so many people there, all from a hardcore camping background and perspective.  It was a study in humanity.  A Holiday KOA means that the place has a swimming pool, a couple of trampolines, a laundry, a community center/Cabana, plus a crappy pizza restaurant.  People who camp at Holiday KOA’s hang out at the swimming pool or by their campers all day long and then they string up a makeshift clotheslines by their campsite to hang their wet towels and bathing suits on at night. They visit each other.   I know.  You all are thinking, “Boy, Ann is a complete snob.”  Yep.  But I kind of like the camaraderie other campers have.

We drove through a little town called Alma on the coast today and had lobster rolls.

Tonight we are staying in a Hampton Inn in a beautiful little town on the coast, Saint John.  Saint John is where the Saint John River meets the Bay of Fundy.  The Bay of Fundy is a body of water between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The tides have the greatest shift in the world — up to 50 feet every 6 hours and 13 minutes, higher than a four-story building.  Did we read about the Bay of Fundy in the history of the War of 1812?  Maybe, but my history buff readers will have to comment on that. First set of pictures are of the Bay of Fundy, low and high tide. Second set of pictures are in Saint John tonight.

We are headed south across the border into the United States tomorrow.