My First Trips to New Brunswick

So I want to talk a little bit today about new beginnings, but in some ways, that new beginning goes back ten years to when my wife and I moved here to New Brunswick. I first heard about the Bay of Fundy in the late 1990s when I was living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. And a friend told me how wonderful it was with all those tides and everything, not dreaming that some years later, I would actually be living on the Bay of Fundy.  In 2003, I made my first trip to New Brunswick when my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary at Marsh Harbor Inn in Sackville and visited Hopewell Rocks where I could walk on the ocean floor and then six hours later see that same area under over 30 foot of water. On that trip, we also visited Prince Edward Island in Nova Scotia before coming back to St. John on the ferry from Digby and spending a night at Homeport Bed and Breakfast. Homeport originally was two homes that were side by side overlooking the water of Saint John Harbour. They were owned by ship captains and called the Wedding Cake Houses because of their shape. These two houses were later purchased by one individual and turned into a bed and breakfast. At that time, I just sort of saw myself as a drive through traveler who stopped in Saint John on the way back to Ontario. My second trip to New Brunswick is in 2010  when I came here to attend the annual convention of Eastern Canada and the Caribbean district of Kiwanis International, which was held in Saint John. One thing that impressed me about the city at that time was the friendliness. When I married Linda in 2002, she told me that when she retired, we were moving out of the city that she had lived in for over 40 years. She was a South Shore Montreal girl who never felt particularly at home in that Toronto suburb where she was teaching elementary school.  So, in 2013, retirement happened, and it wastime for a new beginning.  We chose Saint John because there was an active Kiwanis club here, it was near the water, property was affordable to rent or own, and the people were friendly and very welcoming. We came eight years ahead of that massive immigration of Ontarians who have arrived over the last two years. Five years ago, I started working for Aquila Tours spending time sharing the wonderful things about the history of Saint John with those cruise passengers that would come.  And we're excited that each year, it seems that there's more cruise ships that are stopping here in Saint John. Even after 21 years of living in Canada, I still have that Yankee and on cruise ship days might be accused of being a passenger instead of being a resident of Saint John. I've enjoyed living in the area for the last 10 plus years, helping the Kiwanis Club to raise over 100, 000 annually through their Cash Calendar Project.  In 21 years, they've put over one and a half million dollars back into the community, helping kids. I bought a kayak to use in the summertime and snowshoes for the winter. Spending time with the Outdoor Enthusiast Club here in Saint John as they explore the lakes, trails, and parks in the area. For me, New Brunswick is home. I started the New Brunswick Traveler podcast so that we can explore and enjoy it together. Do you have a special place in New Brunswick that you would like  my other listeners to know about?  If so, go to my website at mbtraveler. com and either leave me a voice message or just send an email from that link. An Evening with James Mullenger and Friends New Brunswick Youth Orchestra Mark J Brewer, Host