The coastline as far as you can see and wildlife filled Great North woods surrounding you can make Maine vacations pretty peaceful.

But when you vacation in Maine or live here full or part time, Canada is always near your Maine doorstep. Just a short hop across the border in many Maine locations means tap into the magic of Canada too. For an international blend of Maine and Canada on tap for vacation fun.

Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada that the is closest to where I live in Maine.

It comprises of four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, the three Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. Quebec is the other Canadian province that borders Maine and offers more vacation options. With the loonie worth less than the American dollar, the vacation value of crossing the Maine border into Canada combine to be a change of scenery / sound fiscal decision all rolled up into one.

I have lots of Canadian relatives and my two youngest children, boys, each played lots of hockey on “over home” polished sheets of frozen solid ice.

Ice hockey arenas are a cornerstone of many Canadian provincial towns and cities. Hop in the Jeep, let’s take you through the Canadian immigration and leave Maine for a view minutes.  Ski areas in New Brunswick Canada account for some of the cross border traffic in our family.

If you follow the Me In Maine blog you see different areas around Vacationland high-lighted as possible places to visit. But being this close to the Atlantic Canadian provinces means it is time for a blog post rotated in to the mix of over 1000 about what lies just a few miles away.

My first visit to Halifax Nova Scotia was because one son was thinking about attending Dalhousie University in Canada.

We visited Fairlawn Cemetery while in Halifax Nova Scotia which has the remains of many who perished on the wreck of the HMS Titanic during her maiden voyage. I plan to visit Prince Edward Island Canada this summer and will post images and blog a post or two on that vacation adventure. In Quebec, on vacations growing up my three older brothers and I made several trips to that Canadian province and usually during Winter Carnival. Staying at the Hotel (Chateau) Frontenac in old Quebec City Canada, the frozen toboggan runs, skating on iced over ponds added to the history lesson of this province where French was the primary language.

In New Brunswick Canada that borders Maine, there are vacation options from the Fundy coastal area into the river valley and Miramichi River route.

Lots of cultures clashed and melted into the landscape and history of casting the rod and reel line along the Miramichi River region of New Brunswick Canada. Life is a beach and in New Brunswick Canada there are fifty of them to spread out your towel or set up a folding chair to just unplug and recharge as you gaze out over the waterfront that expands well beyond the eye sight of you or me.

More on New Brunswick Canada beaches. More on provincial and national parks in New Brunswick Canada.

Hit the World’s longest covered bridge in Hartland New Brunswick Canada. Visit King’s Landing and step back into colonial times with 70 historic structures on 300 acres. Sample the ale, toe tap and hum, sing, dance to the music of the Maritimes. Visit St Andrew’s By The Sea.

You decide the mode of transportation in the site seeing on your vacation weaving back and forth from Maine to Canada too.

Maybe what works best is a combination of biking along Eastern Canada’s best mountain trails, hiking to the waterfalls hidden in the wildlife filled forests, or camping and cooking outdoors under the stars of New Brunswick. One New Brunswick Canada park in particular to scope out is Hopewell Rocks located on the shores of the Bay Of Fundy. The Hopewell Cape location is one of the Marine wonders of the World and is the site of some of the World’s highest tides. When the sea is removed, the walks on the ocean floor who unique rock formations that have been carved by the wear and tear of tides and wave action.

The “flower-pot rocks” as they are called are over a thousand years old in the Hopewell Rocks region of New Brunswick Canada.

The tides manipulate the water to rise to four story high levels. Kayaking around the rock formations is one memorable way to explore the Hopewell Rocks. More on the New Brunswick province region called the Bay of Fundy. More on the festivals of New Brunswick Canada. The food of New Brunswick Canada includes a lot of seafood, because like Maine, the rich fishing grounds of the Atlantic Ocean include the gulf of St Lawrence and Northumberland Strait. Enjoy lobster just like in Maine but also year round the arctic char, salmon, haddock, trout, sole, crab, clams, and blue mussels.

The propaganda I read from the tourist sites say the Bay of Fundy scallops are fat and juicy like the lobsters.

Oysters are harvested from September to the end of November and to really load up on them visit the Acadian Coastal Drive as part of your New Brunswick Vacation.  Used to ski Mont Fralagne when the kids were little in Edmunston New Brunswick Canada.

The food in the Edmunston New Brunswick area offers unique Acadian dishes that were part of the local 39th Acadian Festival highlights showcased last year. The Acadian Festival spanned both sides of the Maine Canadian border. Events included a re-enactment of the first Acadian Landing in Northern Maine, traditional Acadian supper, entertainment, cultural displays, a festival Parade, Party du Main Street.

The Acadian Festival is held each year in conjunction with a large family reunion, honoring one of the Acadian pioneer families.  Edmunston New Brunswick Canada is one of eight cities. In Houlton Maine a quick trip where I-95 connects to the Trans Canada highway to shop in Fredericton the capital of New Brunswick Canada is abut 70 miles. Fredericton provides a city setting and going on to Moncton, to St John New Brunswick Canada’s largest city just adds to the road trip.

If you are in Downeast Maine, you might consider a ferry boat trip across to Roosevelt Campobello International Park.

The 35 room historic International vacation home of President Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt called Campobello is one worthwhile visit on Vacation in Maine or New Brunswick Canada! FDR’s family vacationed here for 65 years on his beloved small Canadian island where he could be himself! On an island, you and I are all the same. Watch the video on Campobello Island with its 35 foot tidal waves and total privacy away from the high society of New York and training to be mentally tough, to wrestle with polio at age 39.

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Like Maine, whale watching, visiting the museums, learning about the history and sampling the local food served by friendly Canadian locals make your two nation vacation one to remember. To continue year after year as you straddle the border between Maine, New Brunswick and the rest of Atlantic and Quebec Canadian provinces we will highlight in detail in the future!

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | [email protected] | 

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730 USA