Brian and the kids were up first Saturday morning, leaving the hotel for the seven-minute walk to the Moncton Farmer’s Market. Brian reports the market had a similar scope to the one we visited in Halifax, though stretched out among a series of hodgepodge buildings instead of being in a single, large facility. They sampled popcorn, cheese, donuts, and more during their hour at the market.
Late on the ninth day of our trip, Gee Gee suddenly and unfortunately started to feel unwell. While she hoped to improve on her own, that didn’t happen, so she finally caved and agreed to try out the Canadian healthcare system and go to an urgent care clinic. Of course there were concerns about insurance and payments, but I made a few calls to the clinic and Gee Gee’s insurance company, got consistent answers, and were able to setup an appointment for her in the afternoon.
Gee Gee wasn’t interested in leaving the hotel for lunch, so Brian secured a late checkout before running back to the Farmer’s Market and bringing back some Thai noodles and Samoan meat pies. We ate quickly before loading the van and heading to the doctor’s office.
While we had a bit of a wait, and the health clinic facility had seen better days, the receptionist was pleasant and the doctor was courteous. Gee Gee was prescribed an antibiotic which we were able to fill at the pharmacy next door. We were then off to our main destination for the day: the Bay of Fundy and Hopewell Rocks.
Moncton’s finest Urgent Care clinic.
While Gee Gee and I were at the doctor’s office, Brian took all three of the kids to Harvey’s where Noah and Emmie had more hot dogs, French fries, and bright blue slushies. They also experienced Moncton’s famous Magnetic Hill, which gave the illusion of rolling uphill. While interesting, Brian said the attraction was overpriced and under-appreciated by the kids.
After a journey to the ‘bottom’ of the paved hill, Brian put the van in neutral and it rolled back.
The weather was perfect, and Hopewell Rocks was a highly-recommended natural wonder. Featuring the highest tides in the world, at low tide, the Bay of Fundy offers visitors the opportunity to literally walk on the ocean floor among gigantic rock formations. The most popular of the formations are affectionately called the “flower pots.”
The kids held hands, at least long enough for a picture, on the hike to the “flower pots.”
In about 6 hours, the entire photographed area will be covered by water.
While the view from the ocean floor was cool and the flower pots impressive, our family was most intrigued by the mud. Specifically, the loud splat and huge splatters of mud created after throwing large rocks. I admit to starting this exciting pastime by bringing the mud and rocks to the children’s attention. It was all fun and games until Emmie threw a rock in front of me, yielding a mud-covered Mommy.
After hosing off our boots, we hitched a shuttle back to the visitor’s center.
We hit the road one last time, making only a few stops on the way to a nondescript Hilton Garden Inn located close to the airport. The first was at Brian’s Variety store, which was of course an appealing stop because of the great name. The second was Masstown Market, one of the only well-rated places to eat between Moncton and Halifax. The store, which included everything from homemade crafts to local cheeses, was more impressive than the accompanying deli, but we certainly had a serviceable dinner.
Gee Gee and I changed Eilidh outside Brian’s Variety.
Emmie had corn chowder and a biscuit at Masstown Market.
Gee Gee had six Canadian dollars left to spend before leaving the country, so Brian suggested a final stop at the Atlantic Superstore, his favorite in the provinces we visited. She found a few candy bars and a hat for grandson Elliott, while Brian made one final run at their cute selection of Canadian clothing for Eilidh and Emmie.
Emmie is always happy to pose for a photo in front of the Atlantic Superstore.
At the hotel, the children were bathed and plunked unceremoniously in front of the television while Brian cleaned out the rental car and Gee Gee and I attempted to consolidate 11 days of dirty clothes and souvenirs into our luggage in the arrangement most conducive for tomorrow’s travel. Noah and Emmie went to bed around 11:45. Brian, Gee Gee, and I crashed a little after midnight. Our 3:00 a.m. wakeup call would come quickly the next morning!