I will never forget the first time I visited Cape Enrage. My attention was first drawn to Cape Enrage by the romance of its name and, in the spirit of adventure, my husband and I decided to check it out. Back then, before the cape became a legitimate tourist attraction, the road to the lighthouse was not paved. We had a harrowing drive along the rutted, muddy track. It careened around sharp corners, passed between houses and barns, and crossed marshes. Finally, the road crossed a pebble beach under a towering cliff, made one final hair-raising up-hill one hundred and eighty degree turn, and delivered us to the grassy point where the lighthouse is located. The views at Cape Enrage are breathtaking. As you stand atop the 150 foot high cliffs your senses are assaulted by the richness of the colours - the green of the grass, the white lighthouse with its red roof, the blue of the ocean stretching out and blending in so that it disappears into blueness of the sky. You feel like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet felt, standing on the prow of the ship in the movie Titanic, you want to throw your arms open to the wind and declare, "I'm the king of the world!" It was worth the drive, to say the least.
Cape Enrage is located on the westernmost tip of Barn Marsh Island on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, about twenty minutes outside of Fundy National Park. It is the site of one of Canada's oldest remaining lighthouses. The lighthouse, which was built in 1848, was manned by a light keeper for the first 150 years of its operation. After the light became automated, the light keeper's lodge and the other buildings fell into disrepair. In 1993, around the time of my first visit, Cape Enrage was adopted by a group of local high school students. According to the Cape Enrage website: "Since 1993 they have adopted and restored this abandoned property and sought to preserve it for your education and pleasure." They have done such a good job at fixing it up that Cape Enrage is now one of New Brunswick's most popular tourist destinations. It is a wonderful place to visit, either on its own or in combination with a trip to Fundy Park.
One of the main attractions at Cape Enrage is Adventure Tourism. The Cape features repelling and rock climbing adventures on the 150 foot high cliffs overlooking the ocean. If you'd rather go out on the water, they also offer ocean kayak tours. For something a bit more tame, try hiking along the beach or camping on one of their tent decks. Don't worry if it's your first time rock climbing or kayaking, all adventure activities are run by the experienced staff and you will be shown the basics before starting and they'll guide you throughout your adventure. Cape Enrage still has a lot to offer if you prefer something a bit more tame while you're on vacation. You can enjoy some great Maritime treats, such as Fundy Fish Chowder, at the Light keeper's dwelling cafe, check out some souvenirs at the gift shop, or simply sit back and enjoy the award winning views of the highest tides in the world. But don't forget to take the short walk down to the Cape's small pebble beach, where you'll find the world's best skipping stones.
You can get more information on Cape Enrage at its official website: http://www.capenrage.com. Hope to see you there!
**First image courtesy of the Wikimedia commons, the rest are my own.
