How do you spell fun in Canada--Bay of FUNdy

We have one photo and my youngest photobombs it.

Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy, near the town of Moncton, New Brunswick, is the home to the highest tides in the world according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We have wanted to visit for years and we are not going to let a little inclement weather get in our way, even if its name is Hurricane Arthur.

The carful of kids drove through sideways rain in the pitch dark of a moonless night to get here but we got here. We are headed to the Bay of Fundy National Park after we leave Saint John, New Brunswick. Hurricane Arthur came ashore a few hours ago across the Bay of Fundy from us at Meteghan, Nova Scotia.

Because of Hurricane Arthur the waves are up.

The power at our hotel made it through the night but the roads are flooded in spots; after checking the weather and calling the Bay of Fundy National Park, we load up the carful of kids and make our move. But first we have to drop off the rental car that I rented in Montreal.

The Bay of Fundy National Park is 81 miles away and should take an hour and a half, but it will probably take a little longer with the weather conditions. Hopewell Rocks, or The Rocks Provincial Park, is 27 miles farther. We look at the tidal charts to find low tide so the carful of kids can walk on the ocean floor.

Low Tide

As we turn onto the road to Bay of Fundy National Park, the Parks Canada ranger calls to tell us our reservation for tonight has been cancelled due to the wind. I had reserved an oTENTik, A-frame platform tent, for the night but the park service called the local hotel right outside of the park boundaries and secured us a reservation. They will give us a full refund when we arrive.

To tell you the truth, the kids are a little disappointed but it's quite windy with spotty showers and I'll take the hotel room with a view instead, thank you very much.

From the stairs on your way down

When the carful of kids arrive at the Bay of Fundy National Park, we have the place to ourselves. Sure the weather is not the best but this area is very busy in the summer so it's nice. Thanks to our Parks Canada Annual Pass ($136.40 CAN) there isn't an entrance fee.

After checking in with the park service to get my refund and the kids Parks Canada Xplorer Booklets, we drive over to Hopewell Rocks for low tide so we can walk on the ocean floor.

The carful of kids are very excited, it seems that Hopewell Rocks are featured in a lot of educational programming and they want to see it. This park is not covered under the Parks Canada Annual Pass but they have a family rate of $24 CAN plus the $2 CAN each way to ride the golf cart--the weather is icky so we get a ride.

The carful of kids climb down a series of rugged industrial staircases and enjoy the wind for a moment. We have timed it correctly because the tide is  completely out and there is plenty to see. At Hopewell Rocks during low tide, the Bay of Fundy is approximately 50 feet lower than at high tide.

It is amazing.

While we are looking at different sea weeds, marine life and shells, the tide is inching back up. The visitors center has a great display explaining how the marine life adapts to the changes of water level.

After exploring the ocean floor, the carful of kids take a break for lunch and warm up with a cup of tea in the  on site cafe. We load back up in the SUV and head back to the Bay of Fundy to complete their Xplorer Booklets.


We tour the whole park, spend some time watching the waves crash against the rocks and finish our Parks Canada Xplorer Booklets before calling it a day. We exit the park and cross a bridge into the town of Alma.

The carful of kids have a room at the Parkland Village Inn with a bay view and the Tides Restaurant downstairs serves up local seafood. The town of Alma is tiny but we find a laundromat for the clothes, a fish and chips shack for the kids and a couple of souvenir shops.

The kids settle in with cartoons and the babysitter-certified big sister is left in charge, Spencer and I walk downstairs to the dining room for a grown-up dinner. We love seafood and that's what is on the menu.

The owners and staff of the Parkland are wonderful and make our evening most enjoyable. The weather might not be perfect but our view is lovely and we make the best of it and enjoy lobster  and scallops for an impromptu date night.

Next up: Cape Breton and the Cabot Trail