You know how first impressions can make or break a destination? Moncton could easily have been one of those rare fails, were it not that a mere three blocks from our shitty little airbnb were historic, well maintained buildings, cute pubs and some manicured parks for Chance to explore.

After the remote beauty of our stay on the Bay of Fundy, Moncton offered up the promise of a little night-life and some much-need re-provisioning. It was also PRIDE weekend, so we were ready for the festivities.

After an initial “discovery tour” of our surroundings, we set out on an Urban Tour, mapped-out by yours truly, of the numerous murals scattered throughout the city. Being a sucker for street art, I was thrilled to learn that Moncton is the only city in Canada’s Maritimes that hosts the Inspire Festival, a celebration of muralists that encourages people to get out and be inspired by art, try their hand at creating something unique, or participate in things like Disco Bike Rides and Giant Pillow Fights. (Our visit fell on the week before the festivities began, but we still enjoyed the art that was created over the previous years.) 

Inspire Street Art-Created by Bordallo II from Portugal. Uses art to highlight environmental problems related to pollution. More than 1 ton of plastic was saved from the dump to create this piece.

Aside from the crappy airbnb, and the teeny-tiniest Pride Festival we’ve ever attended, Moncton was a fine stop for us. Not great, not bad, just fine. When the time was right, we were ready to move on for more of New Brunswick’s natural beauty.