Here on the Atlantic coast, it's still possible to cross the border spontaneously.
Bonding time with the special people in life is vital. Sometimes, because of distance, years go by without being together physically, but strong connections remain. The only female kidlette in the first six years of my life was Irene-and the connection made then has remained as strong as ever throughout the years.
Irene now lives about as far away from me as she can get-the West Coast-but whenever we get together, be it in a couple of years or dozens, we tend to resume the conversation where we left off. You can't get much more special than that. Each time we part, I feel the same wrench that I felt back in Grade 2 when she moved with her family to Ontario. E-mail now allows us to keep the conversations alive, but we both know that even without it, we would remain tied together in some way.
Another of the people special to me is my cousin Penny. She recently moved to Sackville, NB-an hour further away, but, strangely, it seems that she is closer. Maybe it's Sackville that knits us closer and makes sure that we spend more time together! Just recently I had a delightful young dog sitter come in for four days so I could spend that time with Penny-doing just anything we wanted to do! No agenda or itinerary. A true holiday!
I arrived in time for dinner and a visit with our mutual friend, Mary Kate. The next day we spent hanging out in Sackville-brunch at the Bridge Street Café, the purchase of more socks at Wanderlust (the great outdoor shop), a walk around the town and the waterfowl park, and dinner at Joey's, one of my all-time favourite Italian restaurants.
We agreed that our next three days would be on the road, but without a definite plan. Since we both wanted to visit friends in Saint John, NB, the car headed in that direction-but a hankering for Ganong's almontinos saw us scream past the Saint John exit. (The visits would have to wait 'til the return trip.) Almontinos are one of my many sweet-tooth weaknesses. I loaded up with enough to last a few months.
The border was right there in St. Stephen, NB. Passports were in our purses, so a totally unplanned jaunt across the border into Maine was in order. A very pleasant woman in the Tourism Bureau in Calais, Maine, welcomed us and answered our questions about places to see along Route 1. Though within spittin' distance of New Brunswick, she very definitely spoke with a broad Maine accent.
Along route 1, we headed for Lubec, Maine, then over the International Bridge and right back into Canada on Campobello Island, NB. A sign advertising chocolates just before the bridge tempted us, but we didn't stop. We were anxious to explore Campobello for accommodation, restaurants, and generally what to do and see.
With plenty of daylight left, we got the lay of the land on the island, found a place to spend the night and a restaurant. Settled in a delightful log cabin overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay with a view of both the US and nearby Deer Island, NB, we watched eagles flying low and small fishing boats busy at sea.
Many Canadians assume Campobello Island is part of the United States, perhaps because it is best known as the summer haven for former US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Roosevelt House was not open when we were there, but we trooped around the grounds and hiked on some of the trails around the house and Roosevelt-Campobello International Park. But that area is only a small part of the island. There's much more to do and see.
Rob Leahy, owner of the log cabin, described the island as a paradise for outdoor activity, and he was right. There are two main thoroughfares, one on each side of the island, with intersecting roads in between. Penny and I travelled many of them. We saw a mix of long-settled communities and new monster homes. And there are extraordinary beaches and trails and vistas you won't find anywhere else.
A small bakery and a restaurant was our stop for dinner, and we tucked into some of the best fish cakes ever. The eight or 10 tables and booths were filled with islanders enjoying their meals and (perhaps more importantly) catching up on the local news. Since those present obviously knew each other, communication table-to-table was active-much kibitzing and much serious connection.
Initially, Penny and I felt like outsiders, but when we questioned our server about a place we had passed called Family Fisheries, many of the patrons joined in to tell us about it. We were told that it is a restaurant, that the seafood is the best in the country-and that it was closed that day to host a baby shower. Then they went back to talking among themselves about the baby shower and the expected new island resident.
What is particularly poignant here, in these small communities of totally laid-back people and lifestyles, is that Campobello, NB, and Lubec, Maine, seem to have created their own happy world. They appear neither American nor Canadian, but combine the best of the two countries. There were no thoughts of Homeland Security issues here, or terrorists or drugs or smugglers….
Penny and I travelled back and forth across the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Memorial Bridge, each time going through a border check. Nothing was easier or more pleasant. It made perfect sense to us that if any group of people was going to be sensible about this whole border patrol thing, it would be here, among Mainers and New Brunswickers.
Totally relaxed and feeling spontaneous, we were drawn to Monica's Chocolates on the Lubec side, walking and wearing off the chocolates on the Campobello side.
One thing we noted on Campobello was the absence of crass signage directing visitors to tourist attractions. This gave us the freedom to explore what appealed to us on our own. One of the greatest finds was the small cement tablet, with a notation about the Passamaquoddy lighthouse being the most photographed in the East, all hand-printed, like graffiti! That's what tourism should be-local folks directing you to an attraction because they themselves love it!
It was clear that there are close connections between communities in the two countries that are within spittin' distance of each other. Spoken language is accented the same-neither like Maine nor New Brunswick, but a blend of the best of each. Currency is no problem, and probably wasn't even before the Canadian and US dollars reached close to par. Both being fishing communities, I'm sure there are shared family, kinship and community values.
We hear horror stories of long lines and vigilance at border crossings elsewhere in the country. Not so at the International Bridge. At our first crossing we were formally queried by the border guards. Subsequently, we were greeted like old friends!When we reluctantly departed the island, we asked the border guard to stamp our passports. He seemed pleased at the request-we were the first "tourists" of the year. It meant going inside the building and waiting until the in-house guard found the stamp, changed it to a new year and date, and finally found a pad that actually had ink.
Penny and I will return to Campobello and Lubec, perhaps entering the island from Deer Island, NB, by ferry. First stop will be across the International Bridge to Monica's Chocolates. I swear, her fruit bonbons are the healthiest food I've ever eaten!