Campobello is one in every of Canada’s most uncommon islands. Situated on the western finish of the Bay of Fundy, it’s a part of New Brunswick however with robust ties to the US because it was the location of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s summer season dwelling. This has made the island a preferred attraction for each Canadians and People.
From the Canadian aspect, it may be fairly a enjoyable journey to go to the island as you’ll must take two ferries. Nevertheless, the island is only one kilometre away from Lubec, Maine in the US, and from there you may drive to the island over a bridge.
Whichever means you enter, it is a actually distinctive place to discover, which is why we’ve created this journey information about one of the best issues to do in Campobello Island, New Brunswick.
Campobello Worldwide Park
Near a 3rd of the island, about 2,800 acres, is dwelling to Roosevelt Campobello Worldwide Park, which is collectively owned by Canada and the US and operated by a fee with members from each nations. It’s equally funded and staffed by each nations and displays the cultural ties and historic hyperlinks that each nations share. The park pays tribute to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR, who for a few years had a cottage on the island and spent summers right here together with his household.
The park was opened in 1964 by a particular treaty signed by Prime Minister Lester Pearson and President Lyndon Johnson. In 2024, the park celebrated its 60th anniversary with a sequence of particular occasions akin to stay music and video games, and talks in regards to the historical past of the park and pure areas.
Your first cease ought to be the customer centre which units the stage for the buildings within the park, and past within the pure areas. The park’s centrepiece is a 34-room “cottage” given by Franklin’s dad and mom to Franklin and his spouse Eleanor as a marriage present after they married in 1908. The household summered in what Franklin referred to as his “beloved island”, even throughout his lengthy political profession. Collectively they loved mountain climbing, biking, crusing, swimming, and all varieties of outside actions.
A lot of the furnishings are unique to the cottage. You’ll even see FDR’s fortunate hat and pipe in the lounge. He would at all times have these alongside when he hit the marketing campaign path. The cottage had operating water, 6 bogs, and a nifty system so that somebody may name the butler and an arrow would level to the room the place the decision got here from. Eleanor’s outsized megaphone can be there – she used it to name her youngsters for meals and bedtime, and hearsay has it that they might hear her calling as far-off as Eastport, Maine. Regardless of all of the conveniences, there was by no means a phone within the dwelling, which was the way in which FDR wished to maintain it even throughout his time as president.
It was within the cottage in 1921 that FDR started to point out signs of polio, and the place he recovered for a number of weeks earlier than with the ability to go away the island. Excursions of the cottage run each quarter-hour from late Could to mid-October, and excursions and admission to the location are free. By yourself, you too can stroll by way of the elegant Hubbard Cottage with its uncommon huge oval window. The opposite close by constructing is Prince Cottage the place the Prince Café serves mild lunch and refreshments.
On the customer centre, make sure you get your free ticket for Tea With Eleanor, held within the historic Wells-Shober Cottage and served twice every day. You may as well reserve a free ticket on-line; reservations are mandatory due to the tearoom’s restricted capability. King Cole tea that’s blended in Sussex, New Brunswick, and freshly baked ginger snaps are served in the lounge of the house.
Whilst you get pleasure from your tea, park employees relate the big influence that Eleanor Roosevelt had on political life, not solely in her function because the president’s spouse and First Girl however in so many different capacities akin to Chair of the United Nations Fee on Human Rights.
The Park’s Pure Facet
Whereas the historic buildings comprise one a part of the park and are open seasonally, the pure space, which encompasses near a 3rd of the island will be visited anytime. It options dense forests, coastal headlands, bogs, seashores, and unspoiled shoreline. You’ll be able to discover alongside three slender drives by way of the forest and alongside the shoreline, in addition to get pleasure from 9 mountain climbing trails. Commentary decks assist to get an excellent vantage level over the ever-changing surroundings, with probably the most spectacular being Liberty Level close to the island’s southern tip.
One path we notably loved was the Eagle Hill Bathroom path, a 1.1-kilometre simple path on a boardwalk with loads of signage on how the bathroom was fashioned and what you may see on this mossy atmosphere. Carnivorous pitcher crops dotted the bathroom, as did brilliant pink blossoms of sheep laurel, a flowering poisonous shrub.
Exploring Different Elements of Campobello Island
Mulholland Level Lighthouse courting to 1885 and inbuilt an octagonal form appears to be like over the slender channel between the island and Lubec, Maine. Subsequent to the lighthouse the park operates the Marine Life Interpretation Centre in partnership with the Canadian Whale Institute the place you may study North Atlantic proper whales, seals and different marine life within the Bay of Fundy. Shows additionally function gear used to rescue whales entrapped in fishing gear.
Subsequent to the lighthouse is the FDR Worldwide Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland at Lubec, Maine. Sarcastically, when FDR was alive he wasn’t in any respect in favour of a bridge, preferring Campobello to stay remoted and unspoiled.
Fifteen years after his dying, Eleanor Roosevelt was nonetheless a revered political power. So when John Kennedy ran for president in 1960 he requested Eleanor for her endorsement. She agreed however had circumstances, together with that Kennedy add extra human rights guarantees to his platform and that he look into constructing a bridge to Campobello Island to acknowledge Franklin’s achievements. This obtained the ball rolling for talks between the US and Canadian governments, which finally led to constructing the bridge and establishing the park.
The tiny group of Welshpool is dwelling to the second-oldest library in Canada. Established in 1887, it homes each a museum that preserves the early historical past of the island and a library. Franklin Roosevelt even served on the library board in 1916. Plus, the library has among the Roosevelt youngsters’s books with their names written inside.
East Quoddy Lighthouse
The northern finish of the island narrows into a degree that juts into the ocean. Simply off the purpose on a tiny islet sits the Head Harbour Lighthouse, although extra generally known as the East Quoddy Lighthouse. Due to the Bay of Fundy’s excessive tides, the look of the lighthouse modifications dramatically. Throughout excessive tide, it’s clearly on a separate island, however throughout low tide, the ocean ground is uncovered and you’ll stroll to the lighthouse. Watch out that you simply don’t get caught on the lighthouse when the tide is available in – the water rises 5 ft per hour.
Inbuilt 1829, the lighthouse is exclusive with an enormous pink cross protecting a lot of the gleaming white exterior. It’s regarded as the second most photographed lighthouse within the Maritimes after Peggy’s Cove. That is additionally a whale-watching hotspot. You’ll be able to take organized whale-watching boat excursions however it’s fairly potential to identify whales, porpoises or seals proper from shore. There’s a clearing with a terrific view of the ocean subsequent to the parking space on the finish of the street.
Beachcombing for Seaglass
Beachcombing followers will wish to try the Campobello Island Seaglass Competition held in late August. Because the identify suggests, seaglass is glass discovered within the sea. Not simply any outdated chunk of a damaged bottle, however items of glass which were tumbled, polished and labored by the waves for years leading to some intriguing shapes and colors. They’re utilized in a wide range of artworks and jewelry.
For an introduction to this uncommon pastime, we took a stroll on the seaside with competition organizer Stephanie Anthony who can be the librarian on the Campobello Library. It must be the proper of seaside to seek out seaglass, she defined. Sandy seashores or ones with enormous boulders don’t yield the identical findings. One thing in-between with smaller pebbles is normally one of the best guess.
Stephanie knew precisely what to search for. Her skilled eye noticed a damaged piece from a china cup, small chunks of blue and white glass, and even black glass that she known as black pirate glass from the rumrunning days of Prohibition. We discovered a number of stones that have been initially ballast utilized by ships years in the past after they sailed from England to japanese Canada to select up a load of fish.
The place to Keep and Eat on Campobello Island
Chalets, motels, and cottages dot the small island, and there’s additionally tenting at Herring Cove. Lodging isn’t plentiful so it’s vital to e-book forward throughout busy instances. We stayed on the Friar’s Bay Inn & Cottages overlooking the seaside on Friar’s Bay. Its central location proved to be a perfect spot, near Roosevelt Park however inside simple attain of the opposite aspect of the island as properly. Plus, we may simply see the long-lasting Friar’s Head formation that appears like a friar standing subsequent to the cliff.
Eating places aren’t plentiful both however sufficient to offer ample alternative. A well-liked spot is The Porch, which is a part of Friar’s Bay Inn. Prince Café on the historic website is one other good choice, particularly for lunch once you’re touring the location. It’s situated within the historic Prince Cottage the place you may sit inside surrounded by interval décor or select the outside verandah overlooking the ocean. On a sizzling summer season day, the Scoop Shack ice cream stand on Herring Cove Street is a should.
Attending to Campobello Island
There are two major choices. From the New Brunswick mainland, it’s important to take two ferries. First is the free ferry service that runs from L’Etete (a bit east of St. Andrews) to Deer Island, a pleasing island in its personal proper and value a cease. From the south finish of Deer Island one other ferry runs to Campobello Island (value is $25 for automotive and driver and $5 for added passengers).
The opposite choice is the overland route by way of Maine, then crossing to the island on the FDR Worldwide Bridge. The very best is to mix each into an pleasing circle journey. Once we visited, we took the ferries to Campobello Island after which on the return crossed the FDR bridge into Lubec, Maine. From there it was about an hour and a half drive to the border crossing into St. Stephen, New Brunswick which is northwest of St. Andrews.
All in all, it makes for an exquisite journey and a novel expertise in North America.
For extra issues to do in New Brunswick, try our journey guides under: