Most ADVers, when they’re headed from New England towards the Canadian destinations of Cape Breton, Newfoundland or Labrador, choose one of two routes. They might take the ferry from Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This is luxurious and expensive, kind of like a GS. Other riders take the land border from Maine and enter the province of New Brunswick through St. Stephen or Woodstock. This is far less swanky, but it allows you a lot more versatility in your planning, kind of like a KLR.

There’s a third option, though, and it combines perhaps the best of land and sea travel. Head to Lubec, Maine, and you can take a bridge to Campobello Island, which belongs to Canada. You can take this route as just an added, fun complication to your journey, but you can also view Campobello as a bit of a destination itself.

FDR’s “cottage” is far more of a house than most of us will own in our lifetimes. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

First off, you’ve got the Roosevelt Campobello International Park when you visit. The main attraction here is Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s cottage, which is actually a mansion, but when you’re wealthy and powerful, the standards of living are changed. FDR had a summer home on the Bay of Fundy and visited here to escape the oppressive heat of the city. In return, he would have ended up with oppressive fog, so whether or not he was any further ahead, you can judge for yourself when you arrive—you’ll almost certainly end up encountering fog on your visit, if you arrive in spring or early-to-mid summer.

Before COVID-19, the International Park had guides stationed in the house to give you tours, and I’d highly recommend taking one, if they’re still available this summer. Maybe it’s not so interesting if you aren’t a history buff, but I thought it was worthwhile.

Then, you’ve got the island itself. Campobello is very close to Lubec (the most easterly town in the United States, so make sure you cross that off the list when you visit). However, Campobello is fairly isolated from nearby Deer Island, and even more isolated from the rest of Canada. You may or may not find an open, operating restaurant when you visit; last time I was there, there was one eatery, and one convenience store. No gas station.

So, stock up on provisions before you arrive. Once you’re there, you can find a camping site at the Herring Cove Provincial Park (where they even have roofed accommodations), or book an AirBnB. You can also try wild camping, but much of the island is private property, so it’s best to ask first. Friendly locals shouldn’t mind helping you out here. And, uh, be super-careful about camping on the beach, as the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. You might wake up floating around on your air mattress.

To get to Campobello by land, you’ve got to ride through Lubec first. If it’s still open, make sure to eat at Becky’s Fish & Chip wagon. Make sure you’ve got food when you leave town to cross to the island, just in case everything is closed down when you get there. And, there are no gas stations on the island., so fuel up, too. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

With your food and accoms sorted, take a scoot around the island. The roads are in excellent shape, as there are no heavy trucks to break them up. But, do try to keep your speeds down, as you’re basically riding through people’s front yards. You’ll find a fun gravel section or two, and generally, while the ride around the island is short, you might agree with me afterwards that there’s tons of potential for a super-fun TT-style event here… if only insurance companies weren’t so keen on banning fun.

Anyway. The island is a collection of fishing communities and wharves. Mix in the fog, rocky cliffs, beaches, plenty of rural decay and some lighthouses, and you’ve got one of the best photo destinations on the east coast. You’ll even find eagles and other birds, and see deer (watch for them while you’re riding). And, there’s whale watching, if you’ve got the time and money for such thrills.

You probably won’t spend a week here; an overnight trip is likely enough, because it’s just so small. But, chances are it will stick in your mind a long time.

Finally, you get to leave by the ferry. This barge from Campobello to Deer Island has increased its service lately, but make sure it’s running before you plan to exit via this vessel. There is a minimal fee, but it’s not bad, and you’ll get more ocean scenery as you take the short sail over to Deer Island, which is fairly scenic itself. On Deer Island, you can then grab another ferry over to the mainland. This is part of New Brunswick’s provincial ferry system, so it’s free of charge and runs more regularly. Be warned that at certain hours, particularly in the morning, it can be jam-packed, so show up in advance if you want to guarantee a spot.

Once you’re on the mainland, you’re right in the middle of some excellent coastal riding through Charlotte County. Work your way through L’Etete and Back Bay on the 172, scoot through St. George and cross over the highway towards Utopia. From there, you can ride the empty, paved Route 785 north to Fredericton, head back down towards Pennfield on the 175, following the coast to Saint John … or take the 780, aka the Old Saint John Road, which is a really fun mix of easy gravel and broken pavement that takes you through blueberry fields and woods towards the town of Lepreau.

Fun times riding through the blueberry fields on the Old Saint John Road. Photo: Zac Kurylyk

There you go! Your adventure ride on Canada’s east coast has started; you already had more fun than the standard land border crossing, and you saved a lot of money when compared to the Yarmouth ferry route!

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