Beautiful St. Andrews by the Sea

Acckkk! Another busy week has passed! I've been off on three "road trips" in the last ten days- first a day trip with a friend, then a quick trip for a funeral, and lastly a teaching gig. In between, there's gardening chores of watering, fertilizing, weeding and deadheading and all the usual fun stuff like laundry, meals, etc. etc. You know how it is. Days pass and blur together...
My blogging will tend to be sporadic this summer (as you have already seen.) I made a promise to myself to try and enjoy the summer days more and not worry about "I should be doing this" or "I should be doing that." If a friend calls with a suggestion or plan for the day, I'm going to say YES as often as I possibly can!  (Take note, friends. I'm waiting for your call...) Our winter is much too long, and summer is way too short and should be enjoyed at every opportunity. I'll blog when I can but I'm trying to not feel "tied" to it.

Last week my friend Karen H. and I did a quick day trip to St. Andrews, a lovely little seaside town in the southwest corner of New Brunswick. It sits on the tip of a peninsula which stretches into Passamaquoddy Bay, part of the Bay of Fundy. St. Andrews by the Sea, as it is known, is picturesque, to say the least. It was founded by United Empire Loyalists in 1783 and has a rich history, enjoying a National Historic District status. Many of the charming homes are between 100 and 200 years old. St. Andrews has long been known

as a charming summer resort town, and there is something for everyone - whether you want luxury accommodations at the Algonquin Hotel, a game of golf, more adventurous activities such as sea kayaking or whale watching, or you just want to stroll the charming streets  to shop or dine, it's all there! Karen and I had a lovely lunch at the Niger Reef Tea House (built in 1926) next to the Blockhouse. The cream of mushroom soup and fishcakes were out of this world!! Oh soooo good!  :) 

The West Point Blockhouse next door is the only one remaining of the twelve that were used in defense of New Brunswick during the War of 1812-1814 between Britain and the USA.












A visit here is not complete without a stroll along Water Street to enjoy the shops. The Whale Store has always been one of my favourite shops. I love the colorful wood carving by artist Werner Arnold on the front of the shop.












Of course you also have to walk out to the end of the town wharf. You never know what activities will be going on.. we watched one boat loading their crab pots...

What a beautiful view, looking from the wharf towards the shops and homes on Water Street. It was a hot day but there is always a nice breeze out on the wharf.










We had tentatively planned a visit to Kingsbrae Gardens, but it was 5pm by the time we made our way there. After a visit to their plant centre, and some deliberation (will we? won't we?) we decided to go for it, and we had the entire 27 acres to ourselves! Never saw one other visitor other than a few people who were leaving as we entered. What a delightful place to spend a few hours. I still have many Kingsbrae photos to edit and will share them with you in another post, but here are just a couple for a sneak peek...

A visit to St. Andrews is not complete without seeing the Algonquin. This grand old lady first opened her doors in 1889, and not long after was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was a CPR Hotel for many years, but has changed hands several times since then. It closed in 2012 for over $30 million in renovations and re-opened last year, under Marriott. I'm sure the room costs have risen from the $3-$5 range of 1889....

Ahhh, what a beautiful day we had. Thanks Karen!

I hope you've enjoyed this brief look at St. Andrews by the Sea and I hope you'll return to join me for a stroll around beautiful Kingsbrae Gardens.

Peace,
Linda

"Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it." ~ Samuel Butler