Scenic Tour of New Brunswick, Canada
Get the Tour Map That Shows the Scenic Routes
Let's Take a Trip to New Brunswick
Following the scenic routes marked on the New Brunswick map, you'll circle the province enjoying the wonderful sights of this Canadian province. It's in the maritime region of Canada on the east coast.
I'm sure that almost any road you take in the picturesque region will delight the eye, but we found it easy to take the designated routes which mostly followed the coastline. We wanted to explore the English and French history of the area and to track my husband's ancestors in the Acadian region.
What a great trip we had with wonderful scenery and delightful regional foods.
Have You Been to New Brunswick?
Vote in the Poll
Stop to See the McAdam Rail Station at the Border
Right as you enter New Brunswick, Canada from Maine, you see the McAdam Rail Station. This historic site dates back to 1900 and is a fine example of a Victorian stone train station in the chateau style. The stone is local granite.
They've preserved the interior so you can see the agent's office with the wood wainscotting and the window that overlooks the waiting room.
Back in the day, you could send telegraphs and money orders at the train station.
It no longer functions as a train station with the service ending in 1994, but is preserved as a museum. The second floor originally was a hotel for the train travelers.
The lunchroom dates from the 1950s and is well-preserved. During the summer season, local ladies sell homemade pie slices on Sunday afternoons to raise funds to maintain the historic building.
You can learn more about this architectural gem from the McAdam Railway Station website or their Facebook group. It also has a page on Wikipedia with some railway history.
All photos by Virginia Allain
New River Beach, New Brunswick
The Coastal Beauty of New Brunswick, Canada
You might think that staying in a Provincial Park like New River Beach is like staying in a state park in the United States. It turns out there is electricity at the campsite, but not water, so it is necessary to walk to the bath house for a shower. There were trees around the campsites, so it is a pretty place to stay.
You will like the nearby lovely wide and sandy beach that is essentially deserted.
Maybe on the weekend, it fills up but we pretty much had it to ourselves. From the beach, you see Mink Island (map below).
There's a pleasant, grassy picnic area by the beach and room to park your car.
We were there at the wrong time for the sand castle festival. Apparently, they draw a big crowd for that event. Because the high tide covers the beach, they have to make the sand sculptures very fast.
Nearby to New River Beach, you can catch the free ferry to Deer Island.
Visit the Giant Lobster in New Brunswick
There's something fascinating about larger-than-life creatures placed to entice tourists. This oversized lobster in New Brunswick, Canada caught our eye and got us to stop.
Put in place by the local Rotary club, the enormous crustacean did a good job of getting tourists to stop in their town.
It's quite realistic with its big claws and segmented tail. I must admit I love eating lobster so much that I tried to imagine a pot large enough to steam this monster.
Of course, everyone wanted their photo taken next to the figure and little kids couldn't resist clambering about on it.
Here are a few facts about it. It was created in 1990 and is 35 feet long. You can find it along the main road in the town of Shediac, New Brunswick. For contrast, the statue of a normal sized fisherman is shown with the huge lobster. It's made of reinforced concrete and steel.
It makes a great stopping place to get out and stretch after driving along the scenic eastern coast of the province. Take time for a seafood lunch too.
The Covered Bridges of St. Martins, New Brunswick
While traveling the scenic highways of New Brunswick, we detoured down a side road to the very small, coastal town of St. Martins. I'd noticed on the map that they had a covered bridge.
Upon arriving in the village we stopped by the tourist center in a small lighthouse. The covered bridge was right behind that. They instructed us on where to position ourselves to capture both of their covered bridges in one photo.
You see the results below.
We were traveling with an RV, and if yours is too tall for the bridge, it's just a short walk to it. Notice the pedestrian walkway attached to the side of the auto bridge.
© 2017 Virginia Allain