Two nights in St. John (with a dog)

St. John is located at the mouth of the St. John River on the Bay of Fundy. The Bay of Fundy is home to the world's highest tides. The variance between high tide and low is so extreme, it has to be viewed to be believed. The tides are so strong that at high tide they force the St. John river to flow backwards. At low tide, there is a small section of rapids that flows down the river into the bay. At high tide, the flow is reversed. This site is called the reversing falls. To be fully appreciated, you should go twice, once at low tide and once at high tide.

The city itself is very historical. There are a number of guided and self-guided tours that are available. The city's port is also one of the most active on the Atlantic coast. There is a fantastic waterfront area where one can sit and watch ships sail in and out of the harbour.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

As we drove here, we used our car quite a bit. Some historic sites and points of interest are some distance away making a vehicle the best option for getting around. If you are staying downtown, there is plenty to see and do within the historic downtown core without a vehicle.

This beautifully decorated bed and breakfast was our home for our two-night stay in St. John. The B&B is situated on a cliff with an impressive view of the St. John harbour. They accept pets but make sure that you obtain permission when making your reservation. Each room in the home is given a name. The one we stayed in was called the “Captain's Quarters.” It was very large and included a sitting area, with a T.V., VCR and a partial kitchen as well as a full private bath with a Jacuzzi tub. There are also a number of common rooms in the home were you can find a book or game to play and meet and mingle with other guests. Breakfast is included with your accommodations and is not to be missed. The first morning we had Eggs Benedict while the second morning we had farmers eggs with ham. It’s a nice treat to be able to get a filling meal before heading out for a day of exploring in and around St. John.

It is possible to travel from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to St. John, New Brunswick in six hours, but we were on vacation. We didn’t want to rush to our destination if it meant missing out on some of the sites we wanted to see.

One of those sites, and probably one of the neatest ones we stopped at, was the Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site. This site highlights the amazing power and variance of the Bay of Fundy tides.

In order to get here, you must exit the Trans Canada highway and take highway 114. This highway itself is a nice scenic route that follows the bay, bisects the Fundy National Park and returns to the Trans Canada highway about an hour outside of St. John.

We arrived at the Hopewell Rocks park in the morning which turned out to be lucky as this happened to be low tide. Admission to the park is about $5, and they do allow pets on a leash. Your admission gives you a 24-hour time limit to return to the park so that you are able to see both low and high tides.

At low tide, you are allowed to walk on the beach and observe the "flowerpot pillars." The pillars of stone were carved by the power of the daily tides. At high tide, these pillars look like little more than small islands. It’s about a kilometre's walk from the entrance to the flowerpots, but there is a shuttle service for $1 if you are so inclined.

Walking tours are a great way to learn about a new city and find points of interest that you want to explore further. We went on two walking tours while in St. John: one with a guide, one self-guided.

The Saint John Visitor and Convention Bureau has done a fantastic job in creating three pamphlets/maps--The Loyalist Trail, A Victorian Stroll and the Prince William’s Walk--for self guided tours. These pamphlets are available in most hotels or at the Barbour’s General Store. We decided to take the Prince William’s Walk that explores many of the Merchant buildings in the Heritage section. The tour starts and finishes around the area of the Market Square. The tour takes approximately an hour and a half to complete. We were also able to bring our dog along with us.

The guided tour we went on was called Legends, Ghosts and Real-Life Tales. The cost of the tour is $10 per person and it lasts approximately two hours. The tour starts at 7:00 PM and reservations must be made in advance. This tour was well worth the admission. While this tour followed a similar route to the self-guided tour we took earlier, this one not only described the magnificent architecture but contained whimsical tales of the former, prominent owners.

The Saint John City Market is the oldest common law market in Canada. It has been in use since 1876. The supporting roof beams are in the shape of the hull of a ship. This is a great place to go, look for souvenirs, or--as we did-- grab an inexpensive bite to eat. I was able to pick up a delicious lobster sandwich for about $5!

The Irving Nature Park is located about 15 minutes west of downtown Saint John. The park was suggested to us by one of the staff of the Inn that we were staying at as a great place to bring Bailey, our dog, for a walk. The 600-acre park is located on a peninsula on the Bay of Fundy coast. It has about a half dozen walking trails of various lengths and difficulties, ranging from 25 minutes to 2.5 hours. The park offers some spectacular views of the bay as well as some very diverse terrain and an abundance of wildlife. We were lucky enough to spot some seals sunning on some rocks. I would recommend this park regardless of whether you bring your pet along with you or not.