It's been a minute...

 Well friends, it's been a minute. 

The world is still in the throes of a global pandemic. There is a glimmer of the light at the end of the tunnel with vaccine rollout well underway. I have received 2 doses, Jeff has his first, the kids are still waiting but kids aged 12 and up have been approved so both kids will be eligible thank goodness! 

Things have been tough. No question. School for the kids has been up and down with ever changing guidelines and recovery phases and in home vs classroom learning. A lot of uncertainty and emotions are running high. Everyone is a little frayed around the edges these days. We are tired. I know we will all be glad to see this school year come to an end. One less thing to stress about for a few months at least. 

My career took a hard left turn this year. I left my position of 16 years as a hospital bedside nurse in favor of 3 smaller jobs in 3 very different settings: infusion nurse, long term care nurse and hospice nurse. It's been a huge change, but it's been a good one. I am never in one place long enough to start to succumb to the pressures of the job which certainly helps keep me fresh and is helping me rebuild some resilience. 

We are very much looking forward to the summer holidays and while it once again will look different than summers past, we hope it's going to be another great couple months making memories together. 

Until next time. 

Love, 

The McDonnells

Bouctouche Baie Chalet & Campground | A Campground Review

This one was a new one for us. I have been wanting to explore areas of New Brunswick we hadn't really spent much time in and Bouctouche was on my list for a couple years. 

We landed on Bouctouche Baie Chalet & Camping. The campground itself was alright. Sites were open and grassy but you are very cozy with your neighbours which is usually not our jam. Luckily we had good neighbours so it was a non issue. For smaller children the playgrounds seemed a bit lacking but they certainly were clean! We watched the staff spray them down at least once a day. Older kids would like the basketball court and biking track. I liked being able to walk the dogs up and down long roads checking out all the seasonal camper set ups (a favorite people watching past time of mine). 

We enjoyed the little village of Bouctouche itself. Very picturesque and quaint. We got ourselves an ice cream and spent some time at the beach and genuinely enjoyed our visit. 

Irving EcoPark | Where to Visit in NB

In the little town of Bouctouche there is a beautiful, quiet little park that boasts a nice sandy beach, picnic area and board walk. The Irving Eco park is a protected sand dune that visitors can come and enjoy, admission free! 

Take a stroll along the 2km of boardwalk and enjoy the ocean breezes and watch the birds and the waves.

Cool off in the clear water or lay out on the sand and just enjoy being in the ocean air.

The park was not at all busy when we visited one Saturday afternoon despite a very full parking lot. We enjoyed playing in the sand and wading out to the sand bar before taking a walk with our ice cream to the edge of the boardwalk. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon at all!

Take care of yourself, be kind to others, wash your hands and don't pick your nose. 

Adventure is out there!

Love,

The McDonnells

Ponderosa Pines | A Campground Review

Hugging the world reknownd Bay of Fundy in Hopewell Cape New Brunswick is the quaint family owned Ponderosa Pines campground. Located just minutes from the Hopewell Rocks and a 30min drive from Fundy National Park this little slice of relaxation is a great spot to unwind for a weekend. 

Easy walking and biking here with a small, clean pool and ample full service shady sites we had no trouble unwinding from the work week. There are two ponds on the property where you can fish or canoe or kayak and if you're up early enough you may spot a moose I'm the marsh having his breakfast. 

The campground overlooks the bay but it is also home to a large flock of Canadian geese who are quite the messy neighbours so watch where you step if you're out for a stroll to see the tides change. 

While we were visiting we took in the Hopewell Rocks and a sweet little cafe called Cinnamon Soul in nearby Hillsborough. We had cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, lattes and lemonades and they did not disappoint! The food smelled delicious although we did not partake...next time for sure!

Take care of yourself, be kind to others, wash your hands and don't pick your nose. 

Adventure is out there!

Love,

The McDonnells

Hopewell Rocks | Where to Visit in NB

One of New Brunswick's claims to fame is the bay of Fundy which boasts the highest tides in the world. In tiny Hopewell Cape these tides have created a beautiful and fascinating experience for tourists to enjoy - the Hopewell Rocks

Thousands of years of high and low tides have carved these cliffs into free standing rock structures with tiny little separated forests still growing on their tops giving the flower pot rocks their iconic appearance. 

Best seen at high tide and again at low tide, visitors can truly appreciate just how high the tide goes in the Bay of Fundy...30ft! At low tide you can walk along the ocean floor and meander in and around these structures looking up at the tide markers waaaay at the top of the cliff side. Hard to imagine from the bottom that at high tide whales can swim right where you're standing. At high tide, guided kayak tours are available and it's just incredible to see how the area changes in a mere 6ish hours. 

If you're planning to visit the Hopewell Rocks on your staycation or your visit to New Brunswick be sure to check the tide tables before arriving to ensure you're going to get the view you want to see and the experience you're after. Pro tip: your entrance fee covers 24hr so you can come back and see the opposite tide if you choose! Wear good walking shoes as you'll hike down groomed trails to get to the rocks and it's all uphill on the way back. Trolly rides are available for $2 per person per trip if you aren't up for the walk...we like to walk down and trolley up just for fun! 

Pack a picnic, bring your camera and plan to have a fun afternoon visiting this beautiful Canadian wonder and don't forget to check out the visitor center while you're here!

Take care of yourself, be kind to others, wash your hands and don't pick your nose. 

Adventure is out there!

Love,

The McDonnells

Escuminac Beach and Family Park | A Campground Review

Located on Miramichi Bay in Escuminac New Brunswick is the family owned campground and beach called Escuminac Beach and Park. Recently we spent a weekend here and this is what we thought:

The campground is small, mostly open spaces and mostly seasonal campers. Our site was grassed, full service, in an open field and backed onto the main road. We were on an end so neighbours only on one side. Very little privacy in a set up like this but we had a bird's eye view of the comings and goings around the campground.

It was very quiet down here. Great for relaxing outdoors in a lawn chair with a book and a beverage. Our site fee included access to the beautiful beach but unfortunately the water was way too cold to get in in early June but we enjoyed the waves and watching the sunset and just being near the ocean. 

Amenities at the campground were scarce. It's the type of place you go when you want the beach, and it certainly delivered in that regard. There were 2 small playgrounds that little ones could enjoy. No real space for walking and biking other than along the beach. There were some beach look out points that provided great views of the beach but looked like they could use some TLC.

The office boasts a canteen and ice cream but offerings were very limited. There is a huge covered porch with book shelves full of novels you could borrow which was a nice touch. Firepits were large and gave off great heat on chilly nights and staff deliver your firewood right to your site which is very convenient and appreciated. 

We spent our days relaxing and enjoying the outdoors and in the evening we were treated by beautiful sunsets and warm campfires. 

The small village of Escuminac is fairly remote from any bustling town so if you plan to visit, make sure you have what you need with you. Some essential things can be found in nearby Baie Saint Anne as far as grocery, hardware, liquor and gas needs. A short drive down the road you'll find O'Neil's fish market located right on the wharf so if you're a seafood lover, be sure to stop in for the best lobster you'll ever have. Fresh caught, live or steamed you can't beat it. You can see the boats they've come in on docked right there so you know it's as fresh as can be. 

Consider Escuminac on your travels around New Brunswick if you'd like a quaint, relaxing place near the ocean with a beautiful beach, friendly people and delicious seafood. Here's the link to their site for you to check out

Escuminac Beach and Park

Take care of yourself, be kind to others, wash your hands and don't pick your nose. 

Adventure is out there!

Love,

The McDonnells

Well, it's been a minute...

    It has been a VERY long time since I have sat down to write anything anywhere other than a Facebook or Instagram caption or comment...so welcome, or welcome back to our family adventures. 2020 sure has taken us on an unexpected adventure to say the least. Living in the midst of a global pandemic as an individual, as a mother and as a registered nurse all come with quite a few navigational and anxiety ridden challenges I certainly was not prepared to handle.

    When the news first broke in our corner of the world that there was a new virus on the market wreaking havoc in China, I, like most of the world, thought it was another problem not really going to directly impact me. I was fairly ignorant to what was really going on in other parts of the world and just how much my life was about to change. 

    Fast forward a few weeks to the whole world watching with bated breath as the cases of Covid19 slowly trickled into other parts of the world. Those cases exploded into massive outbreaks and spread like wild fire. My eyes were opened and my heart was gripped in fear. Pandemic. The buzz word of 2020 was here on our doorstep. 

    Things changed quickly after that. Schools closed here March 13th and we weren't sure they would open again. Mass chaos of stockpiling hand sanitizer, masks, gloves and toilet paper ensued. N95 masks started disappearing. Bulletins and hollow reassurances from work places started to circulate trying to ensure health care workers need not fear running out of personal protective gear. We held our breath. We watched. We waited.

    Weeks and weeks of feeling like we were on the edge of tipping over the railing and tensions rising as more and more new cases of Covid19 started springing up in our area and we feared the worst. We watched in horror as other countries and parts of our own country drowned in trying to help care for sick people. We waited for our turn. We tried to flatten the curve.

     As a nurse living and working amidst a global pandemic your worries go to your patients. You worry you won't be able to do enough, that you'll lose people, that you'll get sick yourself. You fear running out of precious protective equipment. As a mother, that fear extends to "what am I bringing home to my family". Am I an asymptomatic carrier? That fear is real and palpable and keeps you up at night. I would never forgive myself if I carried this virus to my children. To my grandmother. So you close yourself off. You keep your distance and you let that quiet anxiety continue to hum beneath the surface. I keep my children shut away safely in the house. I wash my hands until they are raw. I strip down at the door way when I come home, scurry up to the washing machine and throw my clothes directly in for a hot wash then throw myself directly in the shower for a hot wash. Only then do I feel a tiny bit safer to be near them. I second guess every hug and every kiss and every touch...are they safe? Did I do enough? 

    Time passes as it always does and things in our little corner of the world seem to calm down. We are successfully flattening the curve. We are winning the war against this invisible enemy. Things slowly get back to the "new normal" and we can all breathe a little easier. 

    Now it is summer and sunshine and we are trying to live within the means of our "new normal". Common practices are social distancing, carrying hand sanitizer, waiting in line to go into a store, wearing masks, following arrows on the floors but also getting creative, learning what's truly important, spending time outdoors, exploring your own backyard and taking a deep breath and a step back from the everyday hustle and bustle. 

   Living in a global pandemic is not easy. It's not without its challenges and disappointments. It's cancelled weddings, and dying alone. It's missing friends and family. It's staying home. It's losing your job. It's closing businesses. But it is also becoming closer to the ones you love in your own bubble. It's appreciating time spent with family and friends after having the ability to see them taken away rather than using an excuse of "I'm too busy". It's creative business ventures, it's being forced to have a new outlook and a new direction. It's slowing down. It's taking a deep breath. It's not all good, but it's also not all bad. 

    That is my take home. It's not all good but it's not all bad. We had many sad disappointments for our cancelled adventures but we also have many things to be thankful for...number one being the health and safety of those who mean the most to us. We are grateful for the measures taken to keep us all safe and healthy because nothing is more important than that. 

    Our summer and our future look a little different than we had planned, but sometimes that curve ball thrown your way can be the best thing to happen to you. Embrace it, go with the flow and make the most of what you've got. I know we certainly are.

     Take care of yourself, be kind to each other, wash your hands and don't pick your nose.

Adventure is out there!
Love,
The McDonnells