Canadas lesser-known Atlantic Coast is heating up this winter

Toronto.Montreal.

Vancouver and Quebec City — when it comes to Canada, its best-known cities have been thoroughly discovered.But there is a far more rural, small-town and distinctive side to our neighbor to the north — its farther-flung Maritime provinces.French-inflected New Brunswick, colorful Nova Scotia and stark, otherworldly Newfoundland are entire worlds unto themselves, each with a slip-back-in-time flavor.Just a few hours away by airplane, the Maritimes are relatively easy to reach and filled with monumental architecture, eye-popping icebergs and pristine wildlife.

They make for an easy Gotham escape over and over again.Most folks think of Quebec as Canada’s only French-speaking province.But New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province — meaning French and English are equally codified by law (Quebec is officially Francophone only).The province’s French roots are different than in Quebec: this is the heart of Acadian country, home to the descendants of French settlers who arrived during the 16th century.

In fact, the word “Cajun” comes from the word Acadian — a result of some Acadians making their way down to Louisiana to join their fellow Catholics in the one-time French colony.Today, Acadian culture is still alive and well in New Brunswick, where most folks speak both French and English, often at the same time.Amid this cultural mishmash, New Brunswick offers some of North America’s most stunning natural beauty.Make your base in Moncton, where New Brunswick’s French and English cultures collide and explore breathtaking landscapes, including the Bay of Fundy, to witness the highest tides in the world.Twice daily the tides surge upwards of 35 feet owing to the Bay’s unique shape, like water sloshing in a giant bathtub.

The Bay is an easy drive to New Brunswick’s dense and verdant Acadian forest, another setting of geological firsts.Where the northern boreal forest and the southern deciduous forest collide, a mix ...