Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Refuge, New Brunswick

There are two ways to get on or off Prince Edward Island: Via the ferry from Nova Scotia to the east or the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to the west. I chose to circle around, going over to the island on the ferry, and coming back on the bridge mainly because you only pay when leaving the island, and the bridge is over $20 cheaper for a passenger car. You may be wondering why not just take the (much shorter) bridge both ways, but I happen to love riding on boats. Plus, I wanted to visit places in Nova Scotia on both the northern coast (Northumberland Strait) and the southern Bay of Fundy/Minas Basin so I would have had to make a loop around this part of Nova Scotia in any case.

And so I returned to the mainland from Prince Edward Island via the Confederation Bridge, which terminates at Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area in New Brunswick, just west of the border with Nova Scotia. I had passed by here the wildlife area about ten days earlier on my way into Nova Scotia, but this time I was traveling from the bridge, which deposited me in front of a previously-unseen visitor center and trails. The trails both follow the shore providing fantastic views of the bridge as it crosses the Northumberland Strait, and the easterly trail accesses the Cape Jourimain Lighthouse as well. Built in 1870, the octagonal lighthouse is unique for its delicate trim work and tapered tower.