There are places you visit and then there are destinations. A destination is a place who's personality is so distinctive, your memories of it never fade, even after years and years. When you recall a certain day, a certain activity or even a certain meal, you never have to think twice about where you were when you first experienced it. Canada's maritime province of New Brunswick definitely qualifies as a destination.

From its rocky coasts, dotted with quaint, but functional, lighthouses, to it's brightly colored rolling hills in autumn, to its covered bridge covered streams (there are actually more covered bridges in New Brunswick than in Vermont!) to its unforgettable regional cuisine, New Brunswick will leave you filled with memories.

The province literally has something for everyone. Rugged adventurers will have almost too many activities to choose from: kayaking, sailing, canoeing, horseback riding, rappelling and rock climbing, to name but a few. Golf enthusiasts will find miles of green to keep them happy. Hunters and fishermen alike will find no shortage of game in the waters or woods. History buffs could spend years exploring this province, which was originally settled by loyalists in the 1700's.

Last, but not least, everyone will marvel at the Bay Of Fundy, home of the highest tides in the world! If you arrive at low tide, you'll be greeted by the strange site of boats lying in mud, a long, long, long way from the water. Just wait till the tide comes in, however, and all will be well.

Bountiful Land, Bountiful Sea
These same high tides are what gives New Brunswick much of its culinary bounty. Lobsters, scallops, mussels and salmon are all abundant in the waters surrounding the province. So abundant, in fact, that they're hardly considered luxuries! A local native, Percy Mallet, regaled us with a humorous story of his school days. "You could always tell who the poor kids in school were," he said. "Their fathers were fishermen and they always had lobster in their lunch boxes."

All of a sudden brown bag lunches are looking up!

New Brunswick also has a bountiful land. All sorts of berries grow wild: strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries and raspberries. Mushrooms line the forest floors and for a short while during the summer, fiddleheads grow.

Fiddleheads and mushrooms. It sounds magical. Enchanted even. I can just imagine a group of gnomes huddled under a giant mushrooms cap, playing on a fiddle. And in a way, fiddleheads are magical. They're only in season for about two weeks per year.

If you've never tried these delicacies, make the effort. About the size of a half dollar when at their prime, these ferns resemble, you guessed it, fiddleheads. Their tightly coiled fruit is crunchy with a bit of an asparagus taste. New Brunswick natives use them in soups and stews, as a side dish, as an appetizer and in salads. You'll find fiddleheads in a lot of the regional cuisine of New Brunswick and the maritime provinces.

Fiddleheads, because of their short growing season, are likewise hard to find. They are available frozen, although not widely so. If you're lucky to have them in your area, grab them.

Great Chefs
New Brunswick is not only blessed with a great culinary bounty, they also have some incredible chefs to prepare it. From one side of the province to the other, we were continually delighted with the wonderful meals we were served and the creativity and originality that went into preparing them.

Our tour starts in Saint John, where you'll also arrive if you happen to fly into New Brunswick. Saint John, originally founded by loyalists in 1785 sits near the mouth of the 450 mile Saint John River, which runs backwards twice a day during the high tides! Adventuresome tourists can take a jet boat to ride through the rapids at  Reversing Falls, truly an "E-Ticket" ride. Those wishing a calmer pace will delight in a historical tour of this fascinating town.

We dined at downtown Saint John's Tapp's Brewpub, a casual bar and restaurant with a variety of great micro-brews. The fare was typical of pub fare, hearty sandwiches and snacks (unfortunately, not much for vegetarians), with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. In addition to the good brew, Tapp's had excellent soups (like the potato beer soup we got the recipe for) and one of the best chocolate pies I have ever had (they also graciously shared this recipe). Much of their fare, like the Tapp's recipes we are publishing here, have beer as one of the ingredients.

Yes, you read that right. Chocolate pie made with beer! A hearty dark stout to be exact. The bitterness of the stout, mixes wonderfully with the richness of the chocolate. Give it a try, you won't be sorry!

St. Andrews By The Sea.
The Algonquin and The Pansy Patch
The following day we to journeyed to the very charming town of St. Andrews By The Sea. I had the privilege of staying at the historic Algonquin Hotel. Folks there that say that Stephen King stayed at the Algonquin early in his career, and that it was the inspiration for his masterpiece "The Shining." It's easy to understand why, as the sprawling old wooden hotel physically looks like the fictional "Overlook Hotel" might have looked. The similarities end there, however, and a good thing for the guests.

The Algonquin has gorgeous rooms with even more gorgeous views, first class service and one of the best chefs I've encountered ever! Willie White, originally from Scotland, has taken to New Brunswick's regional cuisine like a fish to water (perhaps Scotland's bounty is similar, but I never had food anywhere near this good in Scotland). Our dinner at the Algonquin was simply one of the finest meals I have ever had. It was also one of the most visually stunning (and I come from Los Angeles, an architectural cuisine mecca!). Chef White oversees everything from menu planning and preparation to picking the flowers that adorn the dinner tables. Of course, he has an excellent staff to help him.

We were served a rich roasted banana squash soup, followed by a delicious and original salad of strawberries, greens and peppered Parmesan cheese. The main course was a seafood platter highlighting the best New Brunswick has to offer: lobster, scallops and salmon. Dessert was truly spectacular, a chocolate tower filled with rich maple mousse in a pool of creme anglaise and raspberry coulis. Outstanding.

Dinner was followed by port, cognac, or liqueurs and fine cheeses, along with fine Cuban cigars (they're legal in Canada).

Now you might think that since St. Andrews By The Sea is such a small town (village?) that the Algonquin is the only place to stay and eat. Not so. Directly across the street from the grand old hotel is the Pansy Patch, a charming bed and breakfast that has a four star rating. Built in 1912 in the French Normandy tradition, the Pansy Patch is a page out of time. The rooms are beautifully appointed with gorgeous antiques, and there are beautiful gardens to stroll through. Full breakfast and afternoon tea are included with your room, lunches and dinners are by special arrangement. Guests also get full use of amenities at the Algonquin Resort.

St. Martins and Albert County
After spending a couple of days in St. Andrews, where we were able to fit in kayaking, whale watching, golfing and a cruise on a tall ship, we headed towards Albert County where we would kayak at the famed Hopewell Rocks and rappel down steep granite cliffs at Cape Enrage. But before this, lunch

We stopped at the St. Martin's Country Inn, a flawlessly restored Victorian Mansion perched majestically on a hilltop overlooking the local scenery. Even though we didn't have time to stay at the inn, it was well worth the lunch stop. They served a New Brunswick seafood stew, but what a seafood stew! Rich and creamy, it was chock full of lobster and scallops. Luckily for us, the innkeepers were kind enough to share the recipe, a fact which seemed to surprise their staff. They are, evidently, quite secretive about this trademark dish. Needless to say we were honored and are proud to share it with you. While the recipe is misleadingly called Coquilles St. Martins, it has much more to offer than scallops. If you're looking for a truly impressive soup for a special occasion dinner. This is it!

After some sightseeing, we settled into our lodging at the Florentine Manor, a small bed and breakfast out in the country. Innkeeper Mary Tingley prepared a wonderful lobster dinner, another New Brunswick staple, followed by a simple but delicious dessert Mary calls Florentine Manor Blueberry Pudding. This is another name that is potentially misleading. The dessert isn't so much a pudding as it is a cake. Made in a similar style to a grunt or cobbler, Mary's Blueberry Pudding is very simple to prepare. Tangy blueberries are baked with a layer of cake then topped off with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This is comfort food at its finest.

After a busy day of hiking at the Hopewell Rocks at low tide (the same area we had kayaked through at high tide) and the Fundy National Park, we motored off to the city of Moncton.

Moncton was much more cosmopolitan than the quaint rural areas we'd just came from. We stayed at Hotel Beausejour, like the Algonquin, another in the chain of Canadian Pacific Hotels (yes Canadian Pacific Hotels have properties on the Atlantic coast as well). Beausejour chef

A must stop in Moncton is the Acadian Museum, which traces the history of the Acadian people from Europe, to the new land, to Louisiana. The Acadian influence in cuisine is widespread, but many people may not realize that you don't have to go to Louisiana to experience it. There's another whole branch alive and well in New Brunswick.

Fredericton
After Moncton we headed to the capitol city of Fredericton where we went canoeing on the Saint John River, visited King's Landing Historical Settlement and some wonderful regional cuisine prepared by Chef Tasos of the Fredericton Sheraton.

Some of you may be skeptical about getting fine regional cuisine at a large hotel chain, but let me assure you, this is what you can expect at the Fredericton Sheraton. Chef Tasos has won countless culinary awards for his fine cooking and he delights in using local fish, game and produce in his creations. He has lived in the area for many years and it's readily apparent that he is intimately familiar with its bounty. A small animated man, his entire being lights up when he talks about local cuisine. When I mentioned that I hadn't tasted fiddleheads in years, he quickly invited me to stop by the following afternoon. What greeted me was a delicious steaming plate of bright green fiddleheads sautéed in just the right amount of garlic. The perfect appetizer.

Chef Tasos was also generous enough to share his gold medal winning recipe for Shrimp Tasos. This delicious dish is a great appetizeror make extra and serve it as a main course. Be sure to have some crusty French bread handy in order to get every bit of the delicious sauce.

King's Landing
Culinary historians will have a wonderful time exploring King's Landing Historical Settlement, a place where 19th century New Brunswick comes to life. An entire village re-creating life from various periods of that century, everything at King's Landing is authentic, right down to the cuisine prepared in wood burning stoves at the King's Head Inn. You could easily spend a couple of days exploring this fascinating area that re-creates nearly every aspect of day to day life, as it used to be.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the King's Landing cookbook. While the recipes are authentic for the 19th century time period, they are no less delicious today. Here are two to whet your appetite: Batter Pudding with Strawberry Sauce and Friar's Applesauce Omelette.

Ghosts and Schades
The city of Fredericton has a long and colorful history itself, from the Acadian culture to the loyalist settlers to pirates who used to stash their treasures on the small islands dotting the river, to ghosts! Yes, ghosts.

One of the finest ways to experience Fredericton's history is by going on a walking tour hosted by the Calithumpians, a local theatre group founded by Peter Pacey. Pacey and his costumed ensemble take visitors through the streets, re-enacting scenes of historical interest, including the aforementioned ghost stories. The Calithumpians really make local history come to life in a fun and fascinating way. I don't know why more local theatre groups don't follow suit, for their program has been wildly successful.

Before or after your tour, be sure to stop for dinner at downtown Fredericton's Schade's Restaurant for some of the best authentic German food this side of Europe. Wolfgang and Elvira Schade run a cozy,  friendly restaurant with food that will have German natives thinking they are home again. There were so many varieties of schnitzel it was impossible to decide. Another specialty is Elvira's Hungarian Goulash. (We were lucky enough to get her to share the recipe.) The food at Schades is so good, it's worth a special trip if you are anywhere near the Fredericton area (and if you're a big fan of German cuisine, it may merit planning a trip to Fredericton).

As you can see, New Brunswick is a little known destination, that offers a tremendous amount. It's also a good value for American travelers, as the dollar is currently strong in Canada.

New Brunswick Tourism's new Day Adventure Plans makes it very easy to pick the adventure of your choice and be on your way. Call them at 800-561-0123 for more information or to request a vacation planner. You'll be glad you did.

Visit the New Bruswick Tourism Website

Other Useful Numbers:

• Air Canada - 800-776-3000
• Canada Outdoor Adventure Company (kayaking, canoeing, biking, whale watching etc.) - 800-667-2010, email havefun@nbnet.nb.ca
• Tapp's Brewpub - 506-634-1957
• Schade's Restaurant - 506-450-3340
• Saint John Hilton - 506-693-8484
• Algonquin Hotel - 506-529-8823
• Pansy Patch Inn - 506-529-3834
• St. Martin's Country Inn - 506-833-4534
• Florentine Manor - 506-882-2271
• Hotel Beausejour - 506-529-8823
• Sheraton Fredericton - 506-457-7000
• King's Landing Historical Settlement - 506-363-5090
• Calithumpians Historical Tours - 506-457-1975
• Acadian Museum - 506-858-4088