Down East has several connotations in Maine and the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Sailing ships from Boston that plied the eastern coasts of the US referred to sailing to Maine as sailing "down east" with prevailing westerly winds and the northeast heading required when leaving Boston. For the easternmost Canadian provinces they are "Down East" in reference to other parts of Canada "up" the St Lawrence River.In any event we have arrived Down East in every sense of the word as we crossed into Canada at Perth-Andover NB from northern Maine yesterday morning and followed the Queen's Hwy, Rte 2, down to Fredericton, New Brunswick where we are spending a few days. We are parked at the Woolastook Park, a former Provincial Park that is now a private campground overlooking the St John River.
Jeff's maternal grandmother came from the Fredericton area and his great great grandparents probably have descendants here but there is not time for any more genealogical research this time. While she was definitely Canadian (eh) she may well have ancestors from the US as Fredricton was settled for the final time by Loyalists fleeing to Nova Scotia from the American Colonies at the end of the Revolutionary War. These colonists petitioned the King to create a separate province that was named New Brunswick and Fredricton was soon named it's capital.
We had time Thursday afternoon for the changing of the guard and a tour of the restored military barracks that protected Fredericton since the late 1700's. The people here are unbelievably helpful wherever you go so being a tourist is a delightful experience.Friday started out raining and let up enough for Jeff to wash a few weeks grime off the m/h before heading to town to see a movie and dinner this evening.
Tomorrow we will visit King's landing, a Historical Village depicting the early settlements of New Brunswick including a paupers auction this weekend depicting the sale of the destitute 200 years ago. Sue is planning on being at the Boyce Farmers Market Saturday morning that opens at 6:00AM, a longtime tradition of Fredericton.
