Great Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick

Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

We Had Some Great Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick

On our adventure travelling around Eastern Canada, we had some great road trip stops in New Brunswick.

On our last visit to New Brunswick, we travelled in on the Trans-Canada highway to St John, New Brunswick. St John was on the Bay of Fundy and was a great spot for the awesome tide swings. On this trip we bypassed St John and the ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia.

After we finished our visit to Quebec, we travelled through New Brunswick on our way to Sydney in Cape Breton for the ferry to Newfoundland. We planned stops in Bathurst and Miramichi and travelled the lighthouse route between these stops.

When we returned from our stay in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, we came in across the Confederation Bridge. And had another one night stop in Moncton. While we meandered on our initial road trip through New Brunswick, on the way home we travelled most of the way on the Trans-Canada Highway. For large stretches of the road, it felt deserted. But we did watch carefully for the giant moose that seemed to be in this province!

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Arriving In New Brunswick

After our visit to Quebec, we headed to New Brunswick for our first stop in Atlantic Canada. There were several paths across the Gaspé peninsula.

Hwy 132 North took us around the whole Gaspé peninsula at the water but it was a very long drive. Hwy 299 took us through the middle of the peninsula. But since we planned to return to Gaspé later in our road trip in Eastern Canada, we took the more direct route along Hwy 132 South. Sadly our plans changed and we missed the Gaspé entirely on this trip.

There were no Covid-19 checkpoints into Quebec. So we did our first checkpoint as we entered New Brunswick. We chose the smaller Interprovincial Bridge at Bell Island and we were the only car. We did our New Brunswick entry authorization in advance. So at the border we just showed our approved entry authorization and a copy of our double vaccination status and were quickly passed through.

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Campbellton For Lunch

Our planned lunch spot was in Campbellton. But it was not as easy as we thought. We arrived on a Monday and most of the restaurants were closed. Even the La P’tite Bouffe Cantine on the dock that we thought would be open was closed tight. So we picked up lunch and went back to the dock for the view as we ate.

Campbellton Old Wharf - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Campbellton Old Wharf Mural - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Campbellton Old Wharf Bridge - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Campbellton Old Wharf Lighthouse - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

We looked for local seafood on our road trip stops in New Brunswick. It was sad that our first taste of maritime seafood was an Atlantic Lobster Roll at Subway.

One Night In Bathurst New Brunswick

Our first one night stop that night was in Bathurst, New Brunswick. We were delighted when we found local seafood was available! Again, we struggled to find an open restaurant. Finally we found a spot in nearby Beresford and had our first seafood dinner!

Bathurst Beresford Seafood.jpg

Bathurst Beresford Seafood - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

After dinner we went in search one of the few things to do in Beresford. We walked out along the pathways over the Beresford Marsh. The path went through the woods. And then continued a bit later over the sand and along the waterfront.

Bathurst Beresford Marsh - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Bathurst Beresford Marsh - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

It was good to walk for a bit after a day driving on our short road trip stops in New Brunswick.

The Lighthouse Route To Miramichi

The driving time from Bathurst to Miramichi along the highway was about an hour. But we did not plan to head straight there. The coastal road went out along the point to the Miscou Point Lighthouse. The trip there and back along the Acadian Coastal Drive was about 6 hours. We just followed the starfish signs.

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It was very evident that we were in Acadian New Brunswick. Everywhere we looked we saw the red, white and blue colours of the Acadians.

Acadian Colours Grande Anse - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Acadian Colours Grande Anse.jpg

The first colourful lighthouse we found on this route was in Grande Anse. We stopped the car and captured this delightful sight from all angles.

Lighthouse Grande Anse - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Along the way we saw evidence of the seafaring life in this area. We saw working boats in the harbours. And were delighted when we found a long row of colourful boats up on stands. We even saw a Christmas tree made from stacked lobster traps.

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Chasing lighthouses in New Brunswick we found many interesting sights.

A Stop At the Miscou Point Lighthouse

Our target for this driving day was the Miscou Point Lighthouse. We travelled down the peninsula and crossed onto Miscou Island. As we rounded the last bend in the road, we saw the lighthouse in the fog. But as we got closer, the fog seemed to lift.

Miscou Pt Lighthouse.jpg

We parked and wandered around the lighthouse. It was an interesting structure with steel ropes on 4 sides. The eight sided wooden tower stood 23 m (76 feet) above sea level. Apparently the lighthouse was moved inland several times as the seas rose. There was a fee to go up to the top of the lighthouse. But with low clouds all around us, we passed on that view. Instead we wandered along the seashore and got another view of this lighthouse.

Miscou Pt Lighthouse.jpg

Miscou Pt Lighthouse - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

On our trip back out along the coastal road, we made one more lighthouse stop and saw the lighthouse at the Tabusintac River. We wandered along the boat pier and got a better view.

Tabusintac River Lighthouse - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

The rain came and went as we drove. We were sure it would be a far nicer drive with bright sun and blue skies. But we were still glad we did the long detour chasing lighthouses in New Brunswick.

Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Included Miramichi

We booked the Rodd Miramichi Hotel with a water view in Miramichi. Our room was on the ground floor and there was a table and chairs on the patio. When we booked we imagined a relaxing night sitting outside. But it rained much of the time we were in Miramichi.

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When the rain stopped, we went for a walk along the river at the Waterford Green. From there we got a better view of the Miramichi Bridge over the Miramichi River. David posed with the Francis Peabody statue and assumed a thoughtful pose.

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Miramichi Waterfront Waterford Green Francis Peabody Statue.jpg

The main street was mostly deserted and shops were closed. But we wandered down the flower decorated street and looked at the buildings. We found one colourful piece of street art.

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Miramichi Water Street Mural - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

We were glad we found the hotel restaurant open. It was the perfect spot for a seafood dinner and finally a full serving of salad and veggies. With so many long days and one night stops, our diet suffered badly. So it was good to enjoy our meal with a view.

Rodd Miramichi Dinner - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Rodd Miramichi Dinner - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Refreshed after a good night’s sleep, we got back on the road early. Our road trip stops in New Brunswick left us little time to dawdle. It was a 7 hour drive to our next stop in Sydney on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

Crossing The Confederation Bridge Into New Brunswick

When we started our visit in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island (PEI), we took the ferry. But for the trip back we crossed on the Confederation Bridge into New Brunswick. This was Canada’s longest bridge and the world’s longest bridge over ice-covered water. As we approached, we pulled off onto a side road in Cape Traverse and got our first view of the bridge over the PEI potato fields.

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As we approached the bridge, we saw the very long line up of cars waiting to be processed for Covid-19 checks coming into PEI. We were lucky that when we entered PEI by ferry the check-in process was done on the ferry for most people. So when we docked, we left without a screening wait.

Confederation Bridge Covid.jpg

Confederation Bridge Covid.jpg

We stopped at the toll booths at the bridge. When we paid for our ferry ticket to PEI, we thought the cost to leave the island was zero. But that was only if we left by ferry. So we paid again at the bridge and began the long 13 km (8 mile) drive across the bridge. Unfortunately the side barriers were high and we really saw nothing on our drive across the bridge.

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We did a Covid-19 screening when we entered New Brunswick a few weeks prior. But during the time we were away from the province, all travel restrictions in New Brunswick were lifted. So we drove off of the bridge without a check point.

A View Of The Confederation Bridge From Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area

When we got off the Confederation Bridge, we made an immediate turn into the Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area. It was a gated entrance with no set fee. But they accepted donations to help maintain the property. Not all of the buildings were open but we were happy when we found out that the tower was still open.

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area.jpg

We parked and made our way to the tower and climbed to the top. From the top we got a great view back over the Confederation Bridge. The tide was out and we saw the red mud on the banks. The view the other way showed the hiking paths to the point and far in the distance another lighthouse.

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area.jpg

When we got to the ground, we followed one of the hiking paths along the shore towards the bridge. From there we got closer views of the bridge and a slightly different view when we crossed under the bridge.

Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area.jpg
Confederation Bridge Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area.jpg

We were glad we planned road trip stops in New Brunswick that showed us great sights like the Confederation Bridge.

A Final Stop In Moncton, New Brunswick

We left late from our great stay in Charlottetown, PEI. And as we normally did, we meandered our way along the PEI coast on our drive to Moncton NB. What was a 2 hour drive took us 4.5 hours. We checked in on the Marriott Bonvoy app and our room key showed up. So we knew a room was set aside for us. But we again were wowed by the value of Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.

We checked into the Delta Beausejour Moncton at the front desk and headed to the top floor. We were happy our room was at the end of the hall and should be quiet. But when we opened the door we were amazed. The one door we opened was only one of 3 doors for our Penthouse Suite!

We went from room to room and marvelled at the modern style. There was again enough room for David and I to have our own spaces. We really did not want to leave our room! And were very sorry we had an early departure the next day to head to Quebec City for our last Quebec stay on this trip.

Delta Moncton Beausejour Penthouse Suite - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Penthouse Suite - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Penthouse Suite - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Penthouse Suite.jpg

Most of our road trip stops in New Brunswick were basic accommodations. This final stop in Moncton was the exact opposite. We sure wish we had more time to enjoy it.

Great Food On Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick

With such great accommodations, we were tempted to just order room service and not leave our suite. But we decided to head downstairs to the Windjammer Restaurant and try the tasting menu.

The restaurant was decorated like an up-scale ship dining room. We ate our way through 4 tasty courses. David had the bison carpaccio. He continued to order raw meat on this trip. But this time it was not the moose he got on our visit to Newfoundland. Again he was asked several times if he knew it was raw!

On our stay in PEI, we discovered a new red Malbec wine we liked. And when we found it on the restaurant menu we ordered a bottle.

Delta Moncton Beausejour Windjammer - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Windjammer Dinner.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Windjammer Dinner - Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick Canada.jpg

Delta Moncton Beausejour Windjammer Dinner.jpg

We were so glad we did not order room service!  A great luxury splurge finished our road trip stops in New Brunswick in style. We were up early in the morning for the long drive to Quebec City.

Good Road Trip Stops In New Brunswick

We passed through New Brunswick at the beginning and end of our road trip through Eastern Canada. On this trip, we planned just overnight stays as we transited. But we enjoyed some great road trip stops in New Brunswick. And enjoyed a great variety of different experiences.

Have you done road trip stops in New Brunswick? Did you have a favourite spot to stop?

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60 Comments

  1. Canada is great for road trips. So beautiful scenery and so many interesting places to explore! You surely stopped in some beautiful places in New Brunswick. I particularly like the view over the Confederation Bridge from the tower. As for the food stops on this trip, it seems you have a good eye for fancy restaurants. 4 tasty courses and bison carpaccio? I’d go there right now for dinner if I could.

  2. I want to try making those seafood skewers at home. I think I even have the ingredients. I also iked that weird junk art Christmas tree. I always like the unique artwork.

  3. New Brunswick sounds like a fab stop-off on your road trip. I loved seeing the lighthouses along the coast, street art in Miramichi and delicious seafood dinners. I was interested to learn about Acadians and their flag – this was news to me! You struck gold with the tasting menu at Windjammer Restaurant.

    • We did not have a lot of time on our road trip stops in New Brunswick but we did love the variety of the sight we found. Great to wander and work out the kinks from long driving days.

  4. What a lovely place. Thanks for this interesting post. It really made me want to visit and I guess that’s the point.

  5. If that was a great road trip for you, it was a fantastic geography lesson for me! I haven’t been to New Brunswick, so kept referring to google maps to see where you were visiting. Great stuff.

  6. What a great road trip! I find the same problem trying to find good places to eat that are open on Monday and Tuesday’s. The Acadian area looks so neat with all the colors, lighthouse and the lobster trap Christmas tree! The Confederation Bridge and surrounding coastline is beautiful!

  7. I haven’t had the chance to tour around Atlantic Canada yet unfortunately, but your photos are making me want to plan a trip asap. New Brunswick looks amazing to do a road trip around – and that seafood looks fantastic!

  8. This looks like a great place for a road trip & an interesting insight into the challenges of taking on a trip like this at the time of a pandemic. And I love the sound of that amazing room at the end – being a loyalty member definitely has its perks! That final meal looked & sounded delicious too, the perfect way to end to end the trip!

  9. Sorry to hear most of the restaurants were closed, not sure if it was COVID or just everyone taking Monday off? It looks like the hotel food at each stop was a bit hit though. The Windjammer really does look luxe, made my mouth water just looking!

  10. New Brunswick looks beautiful – it reminds me a bit of the beach areas in northern Europe. But – how many lighthouses do they have?! What’s also very impressive is the food your presenting. I love seafood and those shrimps look like – yummm! I’m happy that you had such a great stop there – as I said, it looks really familiar 😉

  11. What a great trip. The Christmas tree is cute! Having owned a restaurant before most do take Monday’s off mainly because Weekends are so busy. Raw meat..not my cup of tea but each to their own lol. I throughly enjoyed this trip and I felt as if I was riding along with you.

  12. Have always wanted to explore the islands in eastern Canada. Not sure if the Covid checks would still be in place when I do go, but good to know your travel tips on checking in early on those.

    • Things continue to change daily for doing any travel these days during the pandemic. So far we have still been able to travel and stay safe on our Canadian road trips. This was a lovely chance to see the Atlantic provinces.

  13. You have photographed the region so well. The weather and the neighboruhood looks spectacular. I have this penchant for lighthouses and always want to live in one :P. It sounds like a really cool end with a penthouse stay!

  14. I love lighthouses and having a lighthouse route sounds very exciting. Each one of them looks stunning and unique. I have never been to New Brunswick before but I surely want to go there now after reading your post. All the stops in Canada looks so scenic and pretty.

  15. I can see how great the trip was. You have done so many road trip stops in New Brunswick . I been to Sydney earlier and I had no idea about these places , I wish I read this blog earlier. I am saving this post for my future trip to Brunswick

  16. I had no idea that New Brunswick offers so many exciting attractions. As I’m a fan of the lighthouses, I would love to see Miscou Point Lighthouse. Also, the colorful lighthouse in Grande Anse is so picturesque. I love the idea of taking photos of the Confederation Bridge from Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area. It’s impressive. I would like to taste local seafood in Beresford as well.

  17. Looks like a great road trip through New Brunswick. I love to visit lighthouses, so I would go on the Miramachi light house route! The food must have been amazing too – looking at the pictures!

  18. This is what I love about roadtrips! There are just many stops that you can encounter along the way. Happy to knoe that you found local seafood and it actually looks so delicious.

    By the way, your penthouse suite looks sooo nice. Thank you for sharing about your wonderful trip. Enjoyed reading it.

  19. We wanted to do the Eastern Canada trip for sometime now. Never worked. The pathways over the Beresford Marsh look interesting. I like that Francis Peabody statue and the pose with the lovely background. The food images look yummy! I am saving your blog for my future reference. 🙂

  20. I’ve only been to one part of Canada but you’re making me want to explore more! I love how they made the Christmas tree from the old lobster cages (?), it’s resourceful and creative! All of your meals looked delicious, I could taste the freshness!

    • We loved the chance to spend some time in New Brunswick this year. We had been waiting for fresh seafood so were delighted when we found so much. Hope you get to visit one day.

  21. I’m traveling up to New Brunswick this summer so it’s great to get some information about what to see and where to eat and stay. These are some excellent ideas. I do love all the light houses so I will be stopping there.

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