Early start down to Halifax for an 8:45am follow‑up with the Occupational Therapist about my thumb. The 100‑plus kilometre drive was surprisingly easy, and the OT was really happy with how much motion I’ve regained. She re‑fitted the full brace so it’s more comfortable and set me up with a shorter one for low‑activity times but not sleeping. One more virtual appointment with her before we’re back in Calgary.
We rolled back into the trailer by 11:30am and were ready to head out again an hour later. The catch: we’d already logged over 200km and two hours of driving before even starting what was supposed to be a 5 hour 50 minute travel day. To make things more interesting, the wind had picked up and was gusting over 50kph — never ideal when towing a trailer.
After some Googling, we decided not to retrace our original New Brunswick route. That highway is wide‑open and would’ve meant fighting brutal side winds the whole way. Instead, we chose a slightly longer route that stuck to smaller, tree‑lined roads for better wind protection.
From Truro to Moncton things were familiar, then we headed north up the east side of the province toward Barnaby River before cutting west across New Brunswick. Once off the main highway, the drive was calmer and far more scenic — until we hit Route 108. It quickly became clear this was the worst road surface we’ve encountered anywhere in Canada. Potholes big enough to swallow a moose, heaving pavement, broken shoulders — it felt like riding a bucking bronco for nearly 200km. Even AI agreed, describing it as “passable but known for rough pavement, patchy maintenance, and sections with potholes and surface deterioration… absolutely not smooth highway cruising.”
By the time we rolled into Grand Falls, the trailer’s contents had redistributed themselves, the truck sounded like an aging pensioner, and we both felt thoroughly seasick.
The Falls and Gorge Campground, though, is a gem — tiny, quiet, maybe twenty sites total, and backing right onto an incredible gorge. Once the trailer was settled, we walked the short trail loop from the campground to take in the views. Tomorrow we’ll explore more.
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