Whale Watching, Sea Kayaking and Deep Sea Fishing

The following organizations run whale watching and other day adventures out of or near the town wharf at Market Square, just a five minute walk from the Seaside Beach Resort:

• Fundy Tide Runners: A small, fast boat gets you out to where the whales are in short order. You can also get close to islands and the like for up-close shots of eagles nests, seals, and other marine life.
• The Jolly Breeze: A beautiful 72-foot gaff rigged square rigged cutter.
• Quoddy Link Marine: A glassed-in catamaran.
• Island Quest Marine Adventures: A 38-foot custom-built cruiser.

Historic Sites

• Minister's Island: Guided tours of the former summer home and estate of William Van Horne, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway at the turn of the century and one of its most interesting characters. A fascinating look into the St. Andrews of about 100 years ago, when the place was the hangout of some of the continent's richest men. The author has just published a history of Minister's Island, beautifully illustrated, which can be previewed and ordered here.
• St. Andrews Blockhouse: The Blockhouse was built during the war of 1812 to protect against a possible American invasion. So far it has served its purpose well.
• Ross Memorial Museum: Built by Harris Hatch, a Loyalist, later purchased by Henry Phipps and Sarah Ross in 1824, this impressive house boasts an impressive neoclassical interior and ornate period furnishings.  Visitors can see fine 19th century furniture by New Brunswick's best cabinetmakers, oriental carpets and artwork. Wander at leisure or take a guided tour. 188 Montague Street. 529-5124
• Churches: St. Andrews has a number of lovely churches.  Most of them are located along King Street. These include the All Saints Church (Anglican), United Baptist, Full Gospel Assembly (Pentecostal), and Church of St. Andrew (Catholic). The Greenock Church (Presbyterian), located at Edward and Montague Streets, with its high pulpit and birds eye maple pillars, is an especially fine piece of architecture. The United Church is located on William Street.
• County Courthouse, Gaol and Loyalist Burying Grounds: The old Courthouse and Jail are right beside one another on Frederick Street. The jail is now the Charlotte County Archives, but the staff will open the massive iron door for you and you can venture down the dark, dank and stony interior lined with tiny, forbidding cells. Frederick Street. 529-4248
• Sheriff Andrews House: "Built circa 1820, the house was first owned by Elisha Andrews, Sheriff of Charlotte County. The warm interior of this neoclassical-style home immerses you in the daily life of a family that lived long ago and was very much involved in the community." King Street at Queen.

Day Trips

• King's Landing Historical Settlement: A fully restored Loyalist village, with "daily adventures, live theatre, unique dining, special events, and hands-on activities."  About an hour's drive from St. Andrews.
• Quoddy Loop: Take the ferry from L'Etete to Deer Island and from Deer Island to Campobello Island. There was a time a hundred years ago when Campobello was a happening summer place for rich folk, with three hotels, the obligatory casino and bowling alley, and a small but affluent cottage development, of which only the Roosevelt cottage remains. Make your way back through the states by taking the bridge to Lubec. You might want to stop off at Eastport, in its day a great canning center.
• Grand Manan Island: The island is a bit remote; the ferry takes about an hour and a half and you don't want to miss the last boat. It's busy in the summer and you might wind up sleeping in your van. Willa Cather wrote some of her novels there. The island is pretty and undeveloped.

Marine Stuff

• Huntsmarine Science Center: A smallish aquarium that is a nice place for kids and adults interested in picking up friendly sea-creatures in the touch tank, watching the seals being fed, and learning about marine life in the Gulf of Maine. If you take the time to examine the exhibits at length, a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. 529-1202
• Atlantic Salmon Center: A privately run organization a few miles outside of town. It does important work in salmon conservation and education.  Interesting for adults and kids alike. 529-4581

Arts and Nature

• Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Center: The local gallery. You can usually find something interesting on display here, from crafts to fine art. Sunbury Shores also offers summer courses in painting and other arts. 529-3386
• St. Andrews Summer School for the Performing Arts: St. Andrews offers a summer program of drama, dance and music.
• Kingsbrae Gardens: "Built on the grounds of several grand old estates, Kingsbrae Garden has been developed incorporating existing mature cedar hedges, flower beds and old-growth forest. Complementing this are thousands of new flowers, shrubs and trees, both indigenous and exotic. Kingsbrae Gardens also includes several ponds as well as a working windmill, handcrafted in Holland."
• Jon Sawyer Glass Studio. Just outside of town. 529-3012
• Gisela Lindlau Sculpting Painting Studio. 529-4076

Swimming

• Katy's Cove: A scenic place to swim and boat. An enclosed cove, with floats and children's beach. 529-3433
• St. Andrews doesn't have a classic sandy beach. For that you need to go to New River Beach, about forty miles on the route to Saint John.

Reading and Movies

• Ross Memorial Library: 110 King St. 529-3886.
• If you are interested in local history, you might want to read my book called The Algonquin: On Passamaquoddy Bay. It is a coffee-table hardcover, well-illustrated, and tells the story of how St. Andrews became a resort town, with a particular emphasis on the role played in this transformation by the Algonquin Hotel. The Algonquin was part of an American business venture out of Boston which hoped to lure Americans tired of crowded New England resort across the border to sumething a little more rustic. The hotel was later owned by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, which turned it into a kind of clubhouse for some of its more well-heeled executives, such as Sir Thomas Shaughnessy and Sir William Van Horne. It's a colorful story and an important piece of New Brunswick history. St. Andrews is still its only resort town.
• W.C. O'Neill Arena Complex: 24 Reid Ave. 529-1826. Movies are offered in the summer. Take a jacket.

Restaurants

• There are lots of eateries around and just outside of town. All serve seafood and have a mixed menu. Click here for the Town's own complete listing, or check out a few of the author's preferences below.
• The Gables: 143 Water Street. 529-3440 Buy one of the owner's excellent paintings.
• Elaine's Restaurant, Market Square. Delicate mixed menu. Quiet and cool. 529-4496
• Harbour Front Restaurant: 225 Water Street. 529-4887 Try the salmon souvlaki.
• Rossmount Inn: Just outside of town on the 127. Taste, service and price in perfect equipoise. Great view of Minister's Island.
• Europa Restaurant: right at town center, near Market Square. A mixed menu with a German accent.

Kennels

• Fundy Trail Kennels Boarding and Grooming: Hwy 1 Bocabec 506-755-2021 At the turnoff for St. Andrews coming from Saint John.
• The Dog House Kennels Boarding and Grooming: 19 Route 745 Highway 506-466-5350

Transportation

HMS Transportation. Auto Rentals, Limo and taxi service, Towing and trucking, Ambulance and Charter Bus Service. 529-3371. Very handy at extracting keys from locked vans.

Walks

St. Andrews is on a small and developed peninsula, so aside from the stroll around Indian Point, the old train track crossing Katy's Cove, or the Brandy Cove Road to the Biological Station, your hiking options in town are fairly limited. Outside of town, however, there is:

• Simpson Mountain. Shady woodland paths snake up the mountain. At the top a spectacular view of St. Croix River overlooking Todd's Point.

• Chamcook Mountain. Gorgeous view of the bay at the top of a snaking wooded road up the mountain. It is considered good etiquette to ask permssion at Rossmount Inn.

• Ganong Nature and Marine Park. At the intersection of the two arms of the St. Croix River, near St. Stephen. Fantastic view down the river to St. Croix Island. Summer programs for children. Beautiful large spread, the former estate of Frank Todd, local lumber baron of days gone by. One of the area's best kept secrets.

• The old train track along Chamcook Lake. You can walk a very long way beside lovely lakes. Take the Rankine Road beside the Atlantic Salmon Federation just outside of town, and park your car at the dam. Great for both hiking and biking.

Golf

• Fairmont Algonquin Golf Club and Academy: Scenic holes along the water at Joe's Point. Number 12 one of the most picturesque in Canada.
• St. Stephen Golf Club. A more modestly priced but less spectacular alternative to the Algonquin Golf Club. 466-5336
• St. George Golf Club. Ditto. 755-3391

Seaside Beach Resort
339 Water Street, St. Andrews, NB E5B 2R2
1-800-506-8677 seaside@nb.aibn.com