Fresh water flows east from the Great Lakes, the Canadian Shield, and the St. Lawrence River, arriving at the shallow Gulf of St. Lawrence where it meets the salt water confluence of the cold Labrador current and the Gulf Stream. The conditions are perfect for an explosion of marine life, which in turn attracts indigenous communities and later, European settlers. This was the New World, and the Old World wanted it badly, drawn by resources the likes of which they’d never seen.

This area is still a prize, rich with architectural wonders, cultures, and spectacular scenery. In the course of a day, you might pass an 18^th-century garrison, iconic lighthouses, and restored red brick warehouses brimming with galleries, microbreweries, and hip farmers’ markets. Watercolor fishing villages come to life under the squawk of seagulls. French conversations flow with the scent of fresh croissants from boulangeries. And colonial history is literally under your feet.