It was a cloudy and breezy start to the day but it hadn’t
started raining yet. A check of the forecast indicated that the rain was to
start “near noon” so we figured if we are going to get out for a walk into
town, we’d better do it this morning. So shortly after 9, we headed off with
umbrellas in hand.
We started by walking through the campground to find the trail that led to another trail that is a shortcut into town...
We weren’t even all of the way into town when we started to feel the occasional rain drop…and it got a little heavier. At least we didn’t have a heavy downpour…just steady rainfall.
The Town of Saint Andrews, also referred to as St. Andrews by-the-Sea is also known to the Passamaquoddy First Peoples as Qua-nos-cumcook. Established as a British colony in 1783, the community incorporated in 1903. From 1784 to 1967, Saint Andrews was the shiretown of Charlotte County being the centre of justice, local government and professional services for the region including the Fundy Isles. In the 21st century, marine sciences, education, tourism and heritage are the economic drivers in this historic town.
The Town of Saint Andrews is Canada’s first and oldest sea-side resort and is home to the largest collection of authenticated heritage buildings in the country, the earliest dating back to the late 18th century. Following the demise of shipbuilding in the mid 19th century, tourism gradually took a foothold and was given a big boost with the opening of the Algonquin Hotel in 1889.
Water Street, in the heart of the downtown, was selected by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) in 2016 as the juried winner of the “Great Places in Canada” competition in the category of “Great Street”.
The Crocker Hill Store...
After walking up one side of the road, crossing the street and walking back down the other, we took a side street to check out a heritage building…Sheriff Andrews House. The woman inside was very knowledgeable, telling us all about the house and the people who had lived there….most notably the Sheriff and his family and maid and butler.
Elisha Andrews, High Sheriff of Charlotte County and son of the Loyalist Reverend Samuel Andrews, built this lovely home in 1820. The house is recognized for its architectural value in illustrating the neo-classical style in New Brunswick. The finely detailed rooms display period furniture drawn from the provincial collection.
The bucket on the right sits on top of an indoor well. Also the floor is dirt covered with bricks to allow flood waters to drain...
By law everyone had to have a fire bucket...
After our tour of the house, we returned to the main street to find a spot to stop for coffee.
Canada Post...
Honeybean coffee shop had been recommended to us by fellow RV'ers, Pam and John…but unfortunately it was closed today, as were a number of other shops. Some places were already closed for the season. However, Lumber Jacks Café was open so we stopped there for a coffee and Steve had a fresh baked cinnamon bun.
Lumber Jacks Cafe left, and Red Herring Pub and Eatery right...too early for the pub!
On the way home, we took a side street down to a restored lighthouse and view of the inlet...
Pendlebury Lighthouse
Constructed in 1833, St. Andrews Lighthouse is the oldest remaining mainland lighthouse in New Brunswick and is commonly referred to as Pendlebury Lighthouse, the name of the family that tended the light for almost 100 years (from the 1840s to the 1930s). Sand Reef (Tongue Shoal) Lighthouse (1876) and Navy Bar Lighthouse (1904) were later built just offshore from St. Andrews to better guide vessels to the town’s harbour, but St. Andrews Lighthouse is the only one of the three that remains standing.
As we continued walking home, we spotted some deer…
The bay across from the campground...
Tide is out!
A little different from yesterday's picture when the tide was in all the way to the stairs!
We got home around noon and settled in for the afternoon as it rained and the wind howled. Steve spent the afternoon working on pictures while I made appointments for when we are back in Victoria this December (since we weren’t back home like usual in September).
John and Laura, folks that we had met while visiting Forillon National Park in Quebec, arrived in the campground this afternoon and came over for happy hour. We had a great couple of hours catching up...glad we were able to see each other one final time before we go in separate directions! Hope to see you again somewhere 'down the road'!
