NEW BRUNSWICK: Just past Maine, time slows down and the tides speed up.

WHERE TO STAY: On Grand Manan, the most talked-about place is the Inn at Whale Cove (506-662-3181, www.holidayjunction.com/whalecove), a well-reviewed inn and restaurant on the north end. Rooms start at $64 a night, cottages from $473 a week.

The island is also full of small, family-run guest houses and cottages. Beach Front Cottages (506-662- 3115, www.beachfront cottages.ca; rates from $425 a week), where we stayed, are perched on a bluff, overlooking the sea and the handsome village of Seal Cove.

Florentine Manor (800-665- 2271, www.sn2000.nb.ca/comp/florentine- manor-b&b), between Hopewell Cape and Fundy National Park, is a grand old shipbuilder's mansion in a rural setting. They do a mean lobster feast. Rooms begin at $60.

In St. Andrews, the epicenter of resort life is the grand Fairmont Algonquin (800- 257-7544, www.fairmont .com/algonquin), a sprawling Tudor resort overlooking the town, with rates starting at $135 in summer.

WHAT TO DO: To experience the Bay of Fundy's signature massive tides, go to Hopewell Rocks. The park offers paddling tours of the offshore rock formations at high tides, and then you walk the same ground when the 50-foot tide retreats. Admission: $4. The park opens mid-May; be sure to check the tide tables beforehand. Info: 877-734-3429, www.the hopewellrocks.ca.

In St. Andrews, the lush Kingsbrae Gardens (866- 566-8687, www.kingsbraegarden .com; $5) are worth half a day. And while whale-watching trips abound around the Bay of Fundy, the majestic gaff-rigged cutter Cory made our trip especially interesting. Rates are about $35 for adults, $24 for kids under 16. Details: 506-529-8116, www.town search.com/svcory

INFO: Tourism New Brunswick, 800-561-0123, www.tourismnew brunswick.ca.

-- Steve Hendrix