Saint-Louis de Kent

We chose to make a side trip to Kouchibouguac National Park near Saint-Louis de Kent before heading to Prince Edward Island.

After setting up the motor home, we headed into town and visited an antique shop inside a converted chapel.  We talked with the proprietor for over an hour about history, glass, and the accumulation of artifacts that completely filled, from floor to ceiling, this small antique shop.

We stopped by this historic farm.  It was the home of Andrew B. Law, the Premier of Great Briton from 1922-1923.  He resigned in 1923 and died from cancer several months later.  He was the only “non-British Isle” Premier ever to hold that position and was interred in Westminster Abby.

The facility was closed for the evening but that did not prevent us from poking about. This is the barn, inside were chickens and a couple of very hungry sheep.  I gave them a granola bar and they seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.

This is Andrew Law’s home and the view of the Kouchibouguacis River from his front porch…

We stopped a runner in town (Saint-Louis de Kent) and got a good running trail for the morning.  He suggested using the National Park trail system for a long run, specifically starting at Kellys Beach and running alongside the Kouchibouguac River.  We went to the beach to get our bearings for the next morning.  There was a very nice trail for running and a beach on the North Kouchibouguac Dune in the Detroit de Northumberland Strait. (Don’t ask me to repeat that!!)  This boardwalk is leading over the aforementioned dune to the aforementioned straight.  We stopped and observed numerous hermit crabs scurrying about, lots of little fish and a lone lobster…

This little guy apparently heard that Cathy was packing (granola bars) that is…

The beach at the straight; and and warmth, we did not expect to find this in New Brunswick.

In the morning Cathy went to the beach and enjoyed the sand and the sun and I made use of the trail system, getting in my 12 mile run.  The pathway was a very good running surface and there was little traffic early in the morning.  I ran one stretch of about 5K without seeing anyone.  I did get stopped by a black bear who was in the middle of the path, about 3K from the trail’s end.  After a brief stare down, he decided to give me the right-of-way and went back into the thick trees.  I guess I was lucky and he was too big to argue with…about 250 lbs, and I was alone.  I did report him to the ranger at the end of the trail (as requested by the National Park system) and the ranger indicated that they are very rarely seen on the trails as they are afraid of humans.  I was expecting moose and got bear.