The city makes a good goal for a scenic drive along the valley in the fall, when the hillsides are ablaze with foliage and orchards sell tangy fresh-pressed cider. From Saint John — about 70 miles from the border crossing at Calais — ultra-scenic Rte 102 skirts Grand Bay, then follows the river northward to historic Gagetown. A highway bridge crosses here, but it’s more fun to take the ferry to follow the northern riverbank to Fredericton.
The river is very much a part of the city, an airy blue backdrop to its stately British-looking buildings and its waterside parks. Walking and cycling paths border the shore, and elegant 19th-century homes face it along Waterloo Row.
Kayaks launch from public landings a few yards from shop-lined Queen St. and Christ Church Cathedral rises within sight of the water. The tourist information office is in a lighthouse at the river’s edge (its top deck is a favorite proposal spot for locals), behind the world-class Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
Salvadore Dali’s masterpiece “Santiago El Grande” is only the beginning of the museum’s collections, which include works by Boticelli, Turner, Copley, Gainsborough and Whistler. Across the street in the red sandstone Legislative Building, tours disclose an original folio of Audubon’s “Birds of America,” as well as the beautifully restored legislative chamber. Audubon stayed and worked in Fredericton, at the Old Government House, also open to tours.
A block from the river, Queen St. is lined with shops and galleries that sell the works of local artisans in fiber, metal, pottery, wood and other media. Fredericton has Canada’s highest concentration of working craftsmen; its arts community includes such well-known designers as Trudy Gallagher, whose jewelry shop, Bejewel, is opposite the early-1800s Garrison District. These buildings house a restored barracks, guard house and a museum with a surprising range of historical collections.
Just up the river from the center of town, there’s plenty to nibble on at Fackelman Chocolaterie & Patisserie. At the cozy café, Uwe and Beate make chocolate truffles, luscious spheres of creamy-dreamy chocolate ganache dipped in yet more chocolate. After an energizing infusion here, you could almost run alongside the car all the way back to the Maine border.