Meanwhile, back at the New Brunswick Road Trip…

Leaving Saint John, we climbed slightly north and east on Route 1, passing Sussex, until we came to Route 114 at Penobsquis, the only road descending into Fundy National Park. It begins at the northeast corner of the park and descends on a diagonal down to Alma at the Bay of Fundy.

It’s 85.3 km (53 miles) from Saint John to Penobsquis, so less than an hour. Then Penobsquis to Alma through the Fundy National Park is 47.4 km (29.45 miles).

This section is part of what is known as the Fundy Coastal Drive.

Road to Alma Leg~

Saint John to the northeast edge of Fundy National Park is green and rolling and pastoral and quiet. It was morning and overcast. I just leaned back in the passenger seat and soaked it in. Didn’t flick through Instagram. Didn’t look for a photo-op. Didn’t open Kindle. Didn’t, didn’t, didn’t.

Once we entered Fundy National Park on Route 114, our view narrowed. Up and down a curvy two lane road with vegetation and trees hugging both sides. We saw nothing and no one except for the occasional residence. At the midpoint on the road to Alma we hit this…

I swoon.

At this spot-I-could-stand-in-forever, we met a couple from Germany who were traveling from Moncton to Saint John as we were traveling from Saint John to Moncton. They had rented a car in Nova Scotia and were seeing what they could see and doing what they could do before heading back to Germany.

On the 10th day of their journey, they stopped for a spa day to get the trip grunge off. Note to self: add Trip Grunge Spa Day to the next roadmance itinerary. They were the most brilliant of travelers.

Don’t forget to look down. Evah.

The G-Man knows how to take a click!

Leaving this little piece of heaven, it was this all the way.

All. The. Way.

Only, more dust, larger gravel, more trucks, more peril.

The road to Alma. Here be construction peril.

This was the calmest point of the rest of this Road to Alma journey. Shifting and grinding and rock flying. Dust, dust, and more dust. I was so glad to see periodic road crew, because there was a good chance we would just slide off the side of the construction never to be seen again. Buried in the construction that was Route 114.

Vibrations kept me from getting any drama clicks.

There’s gravel, and then there’s  G R A V E L .

Alma, New Brunswick (Pop. 232 — 2011) services the Fundy National Park. Quaint and scenic. We stopped at the bakery on Main Street for a much needed decaffeine. I might’ve had a cookie. It was too early for lobstah, even for me. It was the first day on the job for a Nova Scotia high-schooler. I did wonder at the size of the community he came from in Nova Sco that would have him commuting to Alma. He made a mean cup of coffee and found the milk. Big on personality and a gift for gab. I liked him immediately.

Hello, Alma. You sure have a view.

Broody!

I could stay a while.

I’m liking the color scheme on that boat.

Thanks for contributing that click, G-Man.

Working dock.

The road out of Alma leads to our major destination for the day — Hopewell Rocks.

To be continued…

 And Monday is in the house.

Let’s just click it bigger.

Elen