Salmon Fishing on the Miramichi River

  Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada
Thursday, July 12, 2007

 After leaving Woodstock we took the River Route along the western edge of NB.  First stop, the covered bridge  Hartland NB. 



The 1,282 foot Hartland Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge in the world.  It was originally constructed by the Hartland Bridge Company, which was formed by citizens on both sides of the St. John River, and officially opened July 4, 1901.

We encountered a few sprinkles but all in all, the ride took us through beautiful country...lots of small villages, farms, factories, etc. 

Florenceville, NB is home to fewer than a thousand people, but this quiet rural community is associated with one of the most universal phrases in the fast food industry, recognized in a variety of languages around the world: "Would you like fries with your order...?"

This unpretentious village, tucked away among rolling farmland on the eastern shore of the St. John River, bears the title of "French Fry Capital of the World".   Florenceville is the home of McCain Foods, which operates in more than 110 countries.  The homegrown New Brunswick company was founded in 1957 by the local McCain family, and today produces over one-third of the world's entire supply of frozen fries!

Saw lots of lobster boats...one with my name on it.

We arrived at our destination for the next two nights, Governor's Mansion, in the town of Miramichi.
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay.

The Governor's Mansion was built in the 1850's and was...you guessed it...the home of the Governor in ages past.  It's been a B&B for more than forty years and is a registered historical site.  Feels like a museum...it's huge and chock full of antiques. In fact, there are so many antiques that the owners keep them stored in this building directly across the road from the mansion.  In days past, this building was the company store. 

We got checked in, met Hugh and Leanna, the owner's precocious children...they're six and four and are so very bright and astute.  As usual we began our search for food.  Mike, the owner recommended a great place, Bistro 104 on the wharf in the village...the food was great.