Moncton to Grand-Barachois   |   Campsite: 46.22718° N, 64.42043° W

I wake at 4:00 as I want to make use of the morning in order to transcribe three more days of notes. More packing and organizing gear is done before a quick shower is enjoyed. At 7:00 I walk over to the restaurant to have the breakfast included with the room. My goal is to be back on the road by 8:00 at the latest, as I really want to reach the town of Shediac on the coast today—further if at all possible. I will be able to refill the water there, so I am feeling confident. Outside, the ground is wet and the sky is grey, but no rain is falling. I eat a full breakfast, fuelled by lots of coffee. I am excited to walk through Moncton this morning in order to see even more of this city along its more north-easterly sections. I’ll be walking Shediac Road on my way to the coastal town of Shediac. By 7:30 I return to my room, finalize all packing, and stretch for the upcoming day. I check out at the hotel office, and begin the sixth segment of this long walk: from the city of Moncton to the city of Charlottetown. I reach the edge of Moncton easily, followed by numerous waves of suburban developments. This is where the sidewalks end, replaced by sand and gravel shoulder. For the most part, the road to the town of Shediac is good. Perhaps in places, my walking space is a bit narrow for comfort, but overall I have a great day out on the road. Rain falls between 10:00 and 11:30, with the rain jacket put on only once over the course of the morning for about 20 minutes. The new footwear works quite well without incident, and the new trekking poles help well in distributing weight while creating a good rhythm. I am happy with both for the time being. I reach Shediac by 2:00. The town is fun, with both historic and newly-created fake vernacular elements to delight tourists. I met Kevin as I was purchasing pints for lunch at the NB Liquor store. He was interested in why I was walking, and we sank into a ten-minute conversation. He and his family had moved to the town from Ontario in 2019, just before the pandemic outbreak. He had never been to the area before the move, and so he was still exploring the province. It was, he said, an expensive place to live. He had confirmed a thought I had when I arrived in New Brunswick that all of the beautiful coast and beachfront land has largely been privatized. This was a source of frustration for Kevin as he believed that these resources should be enjoyed by all Canadians. I find an area with picnic tables adjacent to the building, and I make use of them to cook both rice and ramen. The day has mostly consisted of clouds with drizzle, however sunshine angles into the afternoon as I eat. After packing up and returning to the road by 3:00, I will walk 42.07 km to a church and cemetery where I will rest on a bench and enjoy a few cold pints purchased across the road at a local grocery store. The grounds of the cemetery extended quite far away from the road, and when I explored the extent of the grounds I found a perfect place to camp in the treeline just beyond the cemetery boundary. The tent is raised by 6:30, and by 6:45 I am journalling and decompressing from the day—a good day walking and realizing the benefits made from good gear recommended by knowledgeable people.

Today’s distance walked: 42.47 km    |    Total distance walked: 1,899.39 km