BEST OF SAINT ANDREWS
NEW BRUNSWICK
It started out as a quintessentially prim and proper late-18th-century Loyalist settlement on the shore of Passamaquoddy Bay, but today Saint Andrews, N.B., is arguably Canada’s prettiest — and most interesting — seaside resort town. Here are five must-not-miss experiences that will give you the full flavour of everything this genteel gem has to offer.
1 STAY IN STYLE The Algonquin Resort
Nothing beats staying at the grand old dame of New Brunswick hotels — and the 129-year-old Algonquin, lavishly refurbished to the tune of $30 million and reopened in 2014, is worth every penny. Whether you’re lazing in a kingsize bed with a cool bay breeze washing over you, sluicing down oysters and stout in Braxton’s Restaurant & Bar or playing the province’s best golf course, that rarified sense of being somewhere quite grand never leaves you. Indulge in it while you can. algonquinresort.com
2 GARDEN OF DELIGHTS Kingsbrae Garden
Kingsbrae’s beguiling 11 hectares include a dozen gardens-within-a-garden (among them the Sculpture Garden and the Scents and Sensitivity Garden) and Pericles — the name the garden gave to its Wollemi pine tree, one of the oldest and rarest tree species in the world. kingsbraegarden.com
3 FANTASTIC FOOD Niger Reef Tea House
David Peterson’s restaurant offers not only respite from the summertime buzz of nearby downtown Saint Andrews but remarkable food and views of Passamaquoddy Bay, too. Tuck into classics such as seafood chowder or pray that Peterson has prepped his delectably smoky, fall-off-the-bone barbecue beef ribs as a special. nigerreefteahouse.com
4 OCEAN EDUCATION Fundy Discovery Aquarium
Go for the underwater acrobatics of harbour seals Loki and Snorkel, stay for the captivating exhibits at this small but excellent aquarium, part of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, the oldest permanent research facility of its kind in Canada. huntsmanmarine.ca
5 ART IT UP Sunbury Shores
The Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre is one of the best places in town to appreciate “the connection between art and nature,” the centre’s raison d’être. Explore that link by summoning your muse and signing up for a course in painting or drawing, to name but two options. sunburyshores.org See more of these and other Saint Andrews attractions at cangeotravel.ca/ss18/saintandrews.