Campobello Island and FDR

Last month we visited Campbello Island

            for the first time.

Curiously, we went to Lubec, Maine

            to access the only bridge to this Canadian island.

It’s one of several islands in the Bay of Fundy

            which are part of the Canadian province

                        of New Brunswick.

Campobello is roughly nine miles long

            and three miles wide.

It has 1000 year-round residents.

The summer home of Franklin D. Roosevelt

            for over 40 years,

                        this beautiful place was a cool retreat

                                    in the late 1800s

                        for wealthy families from New York,

                                    Boston and Montreal.

Large resort hotels were built here.

FDR’s parents bought a cottage here in the early 1880s.

            As a child and young man,

                        Roosevelt sailed and canoed

                                    around the coastline

                                                and played golf here.

In 1909 the Roosevelt family acquired

            what is now called the “Roosevelt Cottage”,

                        a fascinating 34-room wooden structure

                                    that housed FDR’s growing family       

                                                and a number of servants as well.

Beautifully maintained,

            it is open to the public at no charge.

The Roosevelt Campobello International Park

                        was opened in 1964, operated jointly

                                    by the Canadian

                                                and United States governments.

It preserves 1,134 hectares of land,

            including bog-land,

                        several beaches and points,

                                    a picnic area,

                                                walking trails and park drives.

The adjacent Herring Cove Provincial Park

            boasts an outstanding beach,

                        golf course and small golf club restaurant.

We really enjoyed Herring Cove Beach,

            with few people there on August 2, 2010.

Before we left, we drove up to the northern tip,

            to East Quoddy Light.

We watched several whales surfacing,

            to the delight of those gathered

                        at this beautiful scenic location.

We hope to go back soon!