Delicious eats and winter fun: the ultimate Chaleur weekend!

What’s your idea of winter fun? A long day out enjoying the outdoors, or café-hopping in search of the coziest spot? In the Chaleur region this winter, you don’t need to choose: come enjoy the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for a destination where you can make the most of excellent winter recreation and sublime eats, you’re in for a treat: the Chaleur region is waiting for you with its full array of winter fun and some of the best restaurants in the province. Five activities, five places to eat: we’ve prepared a full itinerary for you to experience the best of the Chaleur region in just two days – but don’t let that stop you from staying longer with us.

Day 1

Breakfast in Downtown Bathurst

Many options await you in beautiful Downtown Bathurst! Head over to Kaffeine Espresso Bar for your coffee fix or one of their signature hot drinks, like the cardamom hot chocolate. Just a block away, visit Papa Joe & Evy's Restaurant, a local favorite for many years with their home-style food. Néctar Cuisine Internationale or Boulangerie artisanale R & J are located a short walk away in La Promenade Waterfront. Offering spectacular views, and delicious dishes or pastries, they are must stops in the Chaleur region! 

[Kaffeine Espresso Bar]

Top-notch trails at the Snow Bears Cross Country Ski Club

Get ready to warm up: you’re going skiing! The Chaleur Region is home to the wonderful Snow Bears Cross Country Ski Club, whose ski trails are superbly maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers. From the back of the Nepisiguit River Company shop, start off with an easy trail before tackling more advanced and expert trails. If you get tired, try to find Don’s Inn, a shelter where you can sit down for a little break. If you’re lucky, a fire will be going in the pit! With more than 10 km of trails, you could spend an entire day enjoying the fresh snow.

[Bathurst Cross-country ski club]

Tip: if you don’t have skis, rent your gear at the Nepisiguit River Company.

Lunch options

At this stage, you should start feeling hungry. Before moving on to your next adventure, how about a restorative lunch at the Cast & Crew Gastropub, close to the Nepisiguit River Company? This cinema-themed pub is right by the Apollo movie theater. Also nearby is Pür & Simple with its varied menu, which stands out for its freshness and the flavor of its dishes. Many more options are available following a short drive, discover them HERE. Wherever you chose to go, everything will be excellent and served with a smile!

[Cast & Crew Gastropub]

Fat bike adventures

Spend the afternoon relearning everything you know about biking and get fat-biking. Fat biking is the ultimate 2020s winter sports. It is so successful that bike shops are all sold out right now. What’s not to love in a sport that makes you rediscover the outdoors with a healthy dose of adrenaline? If you are unsure about it, just know that if you have fun riding a bike, you’ll have fun riding a fat bike! You’ll find fat bike trails crisscrossing the ski trails in the Snow Bears Cross Country Ski club. The club is serious about keeping them in a pristine condition and will even close them if the weather is not the best. To get started, park at the Squire Green Golf Club, from where you can access several kilometers of fun-filled trails.

[Mountain & Fat Bike Chaleur]

Tip: get in touch with the K. C. Irving Center at 548-0410 to rent your bike.

Supper at Fresco Kitchen

Top off the day with an exceptional culinary experience in one of the best restaurants in the province, no less: Fresco Kitchen, a European-style restaurant by Chef Joel Aubie, of Top Chef Canada fame. Don’t expect a long list of dishes: the chef keeps the menu short and efficient, a hallmark of local and fresh products. Enjoy well-balanced flavours like the seared scallop and squash risotto or the crispy chicken bucatini.

[Fresco Kitchen]

Tip: book your table in advance, especially on the weekends, if you want to make sure you get a seat on your chosen date and time.

Day 2

Brunch at the Cocooning café

Start the day with a hearty brunch at the Cocooning Café in Petit-Rocher. There’s no better place to get some fuel before taking off on an adventure. Try their brunch plates complete with decadent eggs, loads of roasted potatoes and fresh fruits. Make sure you get plenty of energy as today is going to be even more intense than yesterday.

[Auberge d'Anjou - Cocooning Café]

Tip: since you’re in a French café, store up all the delicious pastries for later. Pain au chocolat, anyone?

Dog sledding through the Acadian forest

Did you know that the Chaleur region is New Brunswick’s dog sledding capital? Start off by visiting the kernel at Aventures Birch Bark, then buckle up for a sled ride through the woods with happy dogs. Exhilaration guaranteed. The musher will let you to lead the sled dogs under its supervision. How is that for an unforgettable experience? However, do keep in mind that this is a serious workout: keeping six eager dogs under control is more energy-intensive than you think!

Snowshoe hike on the Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq trail

It’s time to see a majestic, wild side of the region. From Allardville, Middle Landing and the Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq Trail are just a 15 minutes drive away. Park in Middle Landing and strap your snowshoes on for either a shorter 4 km return hike to a rope bridge or a longer 7 km loop – both gorgeous options along a pristine and well-blazed trail.

[Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq Trail]

The Chaleur region offers plenty of snowshoeing options, from the kid-friendly Boisé trail network and the bird-lover Daly Point nature preserve in Bathurst, to the CN trails in Petit-Rocher or even the Atlas Park in Pointe-Verte.

Beer and panini combo at 13 Barrels brewery

After such a fun-filled day, you deserve a treat. Did you know that the 13 Barrels microbrewery now offers paninis prepared by the Cocooning Café? Enjoy a panini + beer combo to try one of their brews. Sink into the huge sofa in front of the fireplace and let the day slowly take a quieter turn while sipping your beer or playing one of the board games.

[13 Barrels Brewing]

For dessert, head off to the Andrea confectionery for homemade sweets and chocolates. Take our word for it… you deserved that!

* This blog was written with the collaboration of Audrey Favre - Arpenter le chemin *