Around Saint John, New Brunswick

Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
edited November 1, 2006 in Journeys
After a brief visit to Datmout/Halifax we drove our rented van to Saint John for the soccer tournament. The games were played at <a href="http://www.rns.cc/"> Rothesay Netherwood School </a> , a setting straight out of Dead Poets Society. I have not edited any of the soccer photos, so cannot share the scene, but it really impressed me. We arrived shortly after kick off for the first game, watched the boys win that one then headed to our hotel in downtown Saint John to settle in for the week. We had arranged for a Kid suite at the Holiday Inn. Despite having two teenyboppers with us, we figured the configuration of bunkbeds in an adjoining room with electronic devices etc. was a good bet for limiting both whining and fighting. It was, but unfortunately was not an eliminator of said behavior.
The soccer games were typically at noon or 1 p.m., allowing us to explore the city of Saint John a bit in the a.m. (while said teenyboppers snored the moring away) and then go for a road trip in the later afternoon, after soccer. The tournament organizer must have understood the importance of this arrangement in providing me SWEET light on most photo outings!
Saint John is one of the very oldest cities in Canada, and has some fabulous old architecture. Coming from the most architecturally boring city in Canada, I have no idea how to shoot buildings! But I did try!
Saint John also sits on the Bay of Fundy, and places here can experience 45 foot tides. There is an active port, and cruise ships dock here along with cargo ships.
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Downtown Saint John is home to many, many old churches. The one that caught my eye our first night was Trinity Church, and I photographed it from many angles:
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Across the bay is the Carleton Martello tower, built for the war of 1812 and used as recently as WWII for military purposes:
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Looking back toward downtown:
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You can see at least three large church spires. The cruise ship in dock is the Queen Mary 2. I had no idea she was in port or I might have gone to the dock instead. I met a fellow from Utah while taking this photo - he was the one that told me about the ship! He was shooting Nikon, but we talked gear anyway:rofl

Gallery:
http://www.canadian-ann.smugmug.com/gallery/2007788/1

More to come!

Comments

  • cdonovancdonovan Registered Users Posts: 724 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    And I take it for granted...this about 2 hours from home...it's a beautiful city and I have been waiting to see your shots...I am loving them soo far...beautiful work!thumb.gif
  • Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    After game 2, a disappointng 0-0 tie, we went to St. Stephen to the Ganong Chocolate Factory, and on to St. Andrews, a very pictuesque village. One of the disappointing things about our trip was that, because we were at low season, many of the shops and attractions were closed. I did find a beautiful, handmade fisherman knit sweater in St. Andrews. We stayed to watch the sunset from the wharf that evening - well okay, I stood outside and shot the sunset for over an hour and the gang sat in the van, oh so patiently. At least I couldn't hear the arguing from where I was!
    I've posted my sweet light shots previously, so will share a sunset shot now:
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    I have many of these, but am having trouble deciding how to edit them properly. Fortuitously, our visit also corresponded with the wonderful harvest moon.
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    We had dinner at a pizza place in St. Andrews that night. It is right on the main shopping street, wish I could remember the name because I highly recommend it!

    Day three saw us head to St. Thomas after the game ( a win) for a walk through the woods and down to the shore beyond St. Thomas.
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    this beach was made up of interesting rocks, including granite. The teenyboppers were content with searching for the nicest rock to bring home, and the whining was at a minimum. We walked about 5 or 6 km this afternoon, in pleasant fall weather. We left the Fundy Coastal driv and headed back toward Saint John. We rounded a corner through a covered bridge
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    to low tide and a settng sun:
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    As we came by a bird sanctuary, that wonderful harvest moon was rising, necessitating a stop for photography:
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    More to come!!!

    ann
  • cdonovancdonovan Registered Users Posts: 724 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    Ann McRae wrote:
    We had dinner at a pizza place in St. Andrews that night. It is right on the main shopping street, wish I could remember the name because I highly recommend it!

    Day three saw us head to St. Thomas after the game ( a win) for a walk through the woods and down to the shore beyond St. Thomas.

    No need to remember the name..it's the only pizza joint there!!! and yes it's fabulous!!!!



    Absolutly beautiful series so far...I love what you are showing!
  • Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    We had Saturday off (from soccer) so structured the day to arrive at Hopewell Rocks for low tide (+/- 2 hours) to walk out on the ocean floor. It so happened that low tide coincided with.....sweet light!
    So we started our day in Fundy National Park, visiting a peat bog, a covered bridge and the shore:
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    We had a wonderful lunch in Alma. From Fundy Park we proceeded along the coastal highway to Cape Enrage. This lighthouse has been adopted/restored by a highschool in Moncton and in the summer outdoor adventure camps take place here. This is a very rugged, isolated and beautiful place:
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    We arrived at Hopewell Rocks at 5:20 but, much to my surprise, the park closed at 5 p.m. Oh well, we were still able to access the stairway to the shore - for free even!

    The Hopewell Rocks stand many,many stories above the ocean floor. At high tide, the ocean comes to near the top of the rocks. At low tide, you can walk along the ocean floor. This is a really cool place. We arrived to see the shoreline of Nova Scotia being lit with sweet light:

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    A GBH BIF for Harry
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    and some winged rats for Windoze:
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    And, although they are called the flowerpot rocks, I do not think this is why:
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    Despite the teenyboppers decree of this being the 'gayest day ever', I feel it was a great day, with great scenes and an opporunity to experience a natural phenomenon that we will probably never see again. The icing on my cake that day was coming up the hill out of the park and finding this scene waiting:
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    and yet more to come!!!!

    ann
  • Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    The next morning started at the Carleton Montello Tower (see above), and since the game wasn't until 3 p.m. we were going to take a ferry across the Saint John River. We found out that our 11 year old has a fear of boats (or put on a pretty good show). so plan B was the zoo, but our 14 year old "doesn't do zoos".......shoulda left them in the room......so we bought picnic supplies and had a picnic in Rothesay. I think I might find a job in Rothesay, cuz it sure is beautiful.
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    While lunching and enjoying the view, a plan was hatched: 'I'll bet this place is spectacular at sunrise' I says, and the hubby says ' well, lets find out' ....

    after the game that day (semi finals, win, putting the boys into the final for a medal), we drove further northish toward Quispamsis:

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    On our final day in Saint John, hubby and I got up early and went back tot he park in Rothesay for sunrise. I had kind of hoped there might be fog or mist, but was not too disappointed by the lack thereof:
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    and the setting harvest moon:
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    We left New Brunswick the next day, after the boys had won silver, by flying from Moncton. We drove the scenic route between Saint John and Moncton, as I was hoping that I would capture one of the beautiful farming landscapes near Sussex. Turns out I was too close to the farms and could not get the perspective I wanted. However, I did get ashot or two:
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    and so we returned home.


    I thoroughly enjoyed my tip to New Brunswick. I hope that you enjoyed it too!:D

    ann
  • Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited October 29, 2006
    cdonovan wrote:
    No need to remember the name..it's the only pizza joint there!!! and yes it's fabulous!!!!



    Absolutly beautiful series so far...I love what you are showing!

    Hiya

    Thanks! I am pleased too. :D

    I sure appreciate all the lowdown you gave me ahead of time.

    ann
  • nwilkinsnwilkins Registered Users Posts: 117 Major grins
    edited October 30, 2006
    Ann,

    These are absolutely stunning! Love the contrasts in the locations; from seaside to almost a rainforest appearance. Especially liked the keyhole pix.

    Thanks for sharing this trip with us!
    Nancy Wilkins
    Canon 5D
    Canon 40D
  • Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited November 1, 2006
    Hi Nancy

    Thanks! The forest in New Brunswick is very different from forest in western Canada - it is primarily hardwood and ours is softwood. The undergrowth was amazing ferns and so green. Our forest floor, especially at higher elevations, is mostly mosses.

    I love the key hole shot(s) too - I have several ne_nau.gif

    Nice to hear from you.

    ann
    nwilkins wrote:
    Ann,

    These are absolutely stunning! Love the contrasts in the locations; from seaside to almost a rainforest appearance. Especially liked the keyhole pix.

    Thanks for sharing this trip with us!
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