Thursday 25 June 2026--I pack up and vacate the Vrbo, and go for a last stroll on Seal Cove Beach. On the way north, I finally get coffee and pastry at Newton's Mercantile & Café in Grand Harbour. Nice place. Then it's the wait in the ferry queue at North Head.

As the ferry curls out around Swallowtail Head, the lighthouse bids us farewell. I have mixed feelings about leaving, and about Grand Manan. I complain so often about favorite places that have been "discovered" and are now overrun with tourists. This island seems refreshingly unspoiled. But it's also underdeveloped. Lodging options are limited, and outside the ubiquitous convenience store fryolators, there isn't much choice for dining. (It's only fair to note that I never checked out the Marathon Hotel in North Head.) Tides Inn & Social could be interesting if they'd find a cook who can do something more than burgers. I don't think of myself as a particularly picky or demanding traveler, but I do tread a narrow corridor sometimes, between the unknown and the overhyped, the obscure and the trendy. That's one reason I like to travel in the shoulder seasons, when interesting places aren't crowded, but aren't dead, either. Grand Manan doesn't ever have to deal with tourist hordes, I don't think, although I'm sure there are high season issues. It's...quiet. I guess I should like that. I've certainly grown fond of the Seal Cove smoke sheds and the beach. The brewpub is a nice enough place for a pint, and Ahmet's pretty good grocery will keep the visitor's kitchen well stocked. I know there is plenty here that I have not seen--I didn't really make much effort these past days. But I think I'm probably done with Grand Manan, and I feel a bit sad about it. I never did get back to Molly, did I? I suppose I could give the Machias Seal trip another go sometime, if Ron wants to do it. But it seems unlikely.

It's a short drive from Blacks Harbour to Letete, where I get in another ferry queue. The short hop to Deer Island is followed by the drive down the length of it, and another ferry hop to Campobello. I'm spending the last two nights of my trip in a tiny cottage at Pollock Cove, six miles north of the ferry landing. It's comfortable enough for one, and the Pier Waterfront Restaurant is just below. I have dinner and a couple of pints there. I should have looked at the menu more closely--the baked haddock comes smothered in a creamy parmesan sauce, which wouldn't be my choice for a fish dish. I do my best to enjoy it.