St. Martins: A Place of Tidal Wonder

June 02, 2022

Packed with big natural attractions (and we do mean BIG!), there are endless adventures waiting for you in the Village of St. Martins.

Local Instagrammers and photographers Scott (@sjxposed), Curt (@the_curt.b), and Daniel (@danielwithersphotography) recently spent a weekend down by the bay, exploring just some of the highlights of our stunning region. Read on to learn more about their visit:

Sea Caves

Scott and Daniel began their adventures at the St. Martins Sea Caves – the perfect starting point for any weekend getaway.

Did you know: The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world, with billions of tons of water flowing in and out each day! With tides rising as high as 38 feet in St. Martins, visitors are left with epic sea caves to discover.

Some pro tips from Scott for first time explorers:

1. Follow the path that goes over the rocks when exploring; the seaweed is slippery!
2. Prepare to get your feet wet!

Shipyard Café

After journeying through the caves, the duo headed over to Shipyard Café for coffee and treats. Located in the heart of the village, this café has an atmosphere that will make you feel right at home!

Spinneys Seafood Market

Next stop - Spinneys Seafood Market. Offering fresh Bay of Fundy lobster, scallops, halibut, haddock and more, this local market is a one-stop-shop for all your seafood needs. While you’re there, make sure you try a lobster roll. From Scott’s point of view, they’re one of the best around!

Octopus Ice Cream

After coffee, treats, and seafood, dessert is next on the list! Scott and Daniel made their way to Octopus Ice Cream to enjoy delicious ice cream on the wharf. Even better, they were able to watch as the shop’s signature waffle cones were made right on site!

Watch the Instagram Reel of these adventures here!

?: @jordjamison 

Red Rock Adventure

The next stop on the weekend journey found Scott stepping out of his comfort zone with Red Rock Adventure! Providing customized experiences and wilderness guiding, Red Rock Adventure focuses on adventure, culinary, and outdoor education while highlighting the awe-inspiring Bay of Fundy.

Before jumping in a kayak for the very first time, Scott was given an in-depth demo of all the kayaking basics and safety training he would need. After training was complete, the boats were brought to the water and the adventure began!

With no wind, minimal waves, and nothing but sun in the sky, Scott couldn’t have picked a better day for his coastline experience. After journeying through the open waters, Scott and his kayaking team made their way to the sea caves for further exploration. The tour also included an onshore break with a smoked salmon, cheese, and cracker snack!

Check out this Instagram Reel of Scott's kayaking journey!

Local Artwork

What better way to follow up a relaxing adventure on the water than with a visit to check out some local artwork! After safely making it back to shore, Scott headed to art galleries at Octopus Ice Cream and Salty Dog Arts to take in the art of Mary Kennedy, Pat Dunn, and many other talented artists. These are just some of the galleries and artwork you can find in the area!

Beach Street Inn

Of course, every weekend escape requires the perfect nighttime accommodations, and Scott found a home-away-from-home in the form of the Beach Street Inn. Steeped in history, the Inn offers a boutique hotel experience for visitors to the region.

Each room at the Beach Street Inn is named after a shipbuilder or a ship built in St. Martins. Located on the top floor of the mansion, Scott stayed in the Bradshaw – a room including a king-sized bed, rain shower, chandeliers, USB ports, and everything needed to make a visitor comfortable during their stay.

The Beach Street Inn is also home to the Periwinkles restaurant. Scott enjoyed the Cedar Plank Salmon while Daniel tried the Petit Tenderloin Filet with demi-glace. For dessert, the two were treated to the Molten Lava Cake and Carrot Cake with Java Moose Coffee Bay of Fundy blend.

After a night of rest, Scott began his day with a walk and coffee on the beach, followed by a delicious breakfast back at Periwinkles, featuring a veggie frittata, sourdough toast, and fresh orange juice!

See the beauty of the Beach Street Inn for yourself in this Instagram Reel!

Eagles Nest Bay of Fundy

For the second half of Scott's St. Martins adventures, Scott and Curt headed over to Eagles Nest Bay of Fundy to fully immerse themselves in St. Martins’ natural beauty.

Eagles Nest Bay of Fundy is a rustic cabin offering a spectacular view of the Bay of Fundy. Located next to the UNESCO Quaco Head Lighthouse and many prestige beaches, this accommodation provides a serene escape from the main village, and truly showcases the beauty of the region.

Scott and Curt enjoyed breakfast by the cabin and an adventure through Porcupine Trail, making sure to stop at all the lookout points along the way. In the evening, Curt prepared the two a fireside meal, before they finished off the evening taking in the campfire, enjoying smores, and falling asleep to the sounds of the bay in the not-too-far-off distance.

St. Martins truly is the village where stunning comes standard. Whether you’re exploring the highest tides in the world, taking in the local artwork, chowing down on some of the freshest seafood around, relaxing at an Inn, or roughin’ it in the woods, adventure is waiting around every corner. If you’re looking for your next great escape, make sure you add St. Martins to the top of your list!

Winter Adventures in #SJTownsByTheBay

March 11, 2022

Winter may be winding down in the Saint John region, but oh what a winter it was!

We handed over the reigns to Instagrammers Scott McDade (@sjxposed) and Alex Chouinard (@chouin23), who set out to showcase just some of what our region has to offer. Check it out!

Holiday Markets

November 03, 2021

The holidays are a fantastic time to shop local. With so many holiday markets in our region, here's a list of where to shop and when, so you don't miss a single one!

Sea Dogs on the Loose!

February 18, 2021

Harbour seals are familiar winter residents of Irving Nature Park’s shores on the Bay of Fundy.  They are known as “sea dogs” because of their expressive, dog-like faces and barking cry. 

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

During the winter months at low tide, as many as 200 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) can be seen splashing and diving in the water or basking in the sun on the rock outcroppings near the park’s observation deck.  Although they live in salt water, harbour seals sometimes swim up the St. John River searching for food. 

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

Seals - like all marine mammals - evolved as land animals, then returned to the sea, their arms and legs becoming modified into flippers.  Like us, seals are warm-blooded and breathe oxygen.  Adult seals may weigh as much as 113 kilograms and grow to a length of 1.5 metres. 

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

Harbour seals gather each winter into loosely organized colonies to mate.  Usually only a single pup is born on land to each couple in late spring.  Pups remain on land until they have built up a layer of blubber (fat) to insulate them from the cold water. 

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

Seals wiggle on their bellies awkwardly on land; but they are excellent swimmers, with bursts of speed up to 15 knots (27 kph)!  They eat fish such as herring and dive for invertebrates on the bottom. 

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

A dive can last as long as 15 minutes before they come up for air.  During a deep dive the seal’s metabolism changes, the heart rate slows dramatically, and the blood flow to the extremities is cut off to conserve oxygen.

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

If you walk to Irving Nature Park’s observation deck this winter, you can watch these lively sea dogs having fun.

Photo courtesy of Melinda Foster.

Visit Saint John and Discover Saint Awesome

August 31, 2020

Saint John ~ Truly is ~ Saint Awesome

Saint John, New Brunswick is a gem. It is home to so many green spaces ~ charming parks and elegant public gardens, tree-lined streets, and one of the largest urban parks in North America. Victorian era architecture is evident everywhere and amazing public art is scattered throughout the city. There are museums and art galleries, day and night markets, quaint local boutiques and unique shops, and fabulous restaurants and cafes. It has earned the title ~ Saint John ~ truly is ~ Saint Awesome!

"I have to say, the city is doing a million things right welcoming visitors to Saint John."

Click the link to read all of Maritimes Maven's blog:

https://www.maritimesmaven.com/new-blog-1/2020/8/26/visit-saint-john-and-discover-saint-awesome

2 Days By The Bay

August 25, 2020

As you all know by now, I LOVE New Brunswick. I grew up on the north shore, have been living in the St. John River Valley for over 5 years and I’ve seen just about every river, trail, mountain and beach the province has to offer, but I still cannot get enough of it. When Discover Saint John reached out to me to send me on a 2-day trip full of adventures, there was no way I was going to refuse. I immediately reached out to my best friend Autumn who agreed to tag along for the ride. Growing up, I visited Saint John many times for dance competitions and softball tournaments, but this visit takes the cake. Discover Saint John built the perfect itinerary for this self-proclaimed “all-around outdoor gal”. 2 days by the Bay of Fundy, full of outdoor time, delicious seafood and refreshing craft beer. It doesn’t get much better than this.

I was so excited to leave for our first day of our little getaway. I packed my car the night before and got to bed nice and early so I could wake up for sunrise and finish getting my trail bike on my car. After picking up Autumn and a nice hot cup of coffee, we drove to Saint John where we met Sam and Lauren for our first activity of the day with Be Rad Adventures. We met them by the Horse Stables in Rockwood Park where Sam set Autumn up with a mountain bike from a local bike shop called Bikes and Beans and we made our way to the trails. They gave us a tour of the park by showing us a few trails, the skills park and some of the lakes. While the views were definitely a highlight of our tour, the knowledge, skills and patience these ladies had is what I was most impressed with. These ladies are the perfect instructors for anyone from those searching for that confidence to get on a mountain bike for the first time to those avid bikers looking to improve their technique.