"Did you want to BBQ the hamburger buns as well?" asked my best friend Debbie, who was visiting from Toronto.

We had driven to Bouctouche, just half an hour outside of Moncton, to spend the day exploring the sand dunes, hiking and taking in the local sights. Of all my friends, she was the only one who had taken me up on my invitation to visit New Brunswick and I was determined to show her everything the Maritimes had to offer, during her short stay.

Courtesy of the Irving's, the Eco-Centre has two barbeques free for all visitors to use. A picnic had seemed like a brilliant idea, but now, having forgotten the condiments and the buns, it was clear that there was a problem.

"You know," I say casually, "there is a great little place across the street where we can grab a bite to eat and have ice cream!"

Half an hour later, with our stomachs full and ice cream cones in hand, we set off to discover the mystery of the dunes. There is a soft breeze and the marram grass oscillates back and forth. Located on the Northumberland Strait, opposite Prince Edward Island, the white sand dunes stretch 12 kilometres across Bouctouche Bay. Debbie is a painter, and she busies herself snapping away with her camera, eager to capture the scenes she will later recreate on her canvas.

Meanwhile, I stroll along the boardwalk scouring the interpretive signs along the way. I learn that three distinct environmental factors are required for the formation of the sand dunes: a faint slope, a supply of sediments, and fluctuating water levels (the latter brought on by the daily tides). The sand dunes only stay intact because of the marram grass roots which are entangled downward and laterally, forming a large net which holds everything together. Though the hypnotic marram grass is impervious to the natural elements, it dies if stepped upon, which is why the boardwalk was built. The sound of birds taking flight breaks my concentration and I look up to find two geese soaring above, side by side. Secretly, I had been hoping to sight the endangered piping plover which still nests across these shorelines, but no such luck. As I stand there taking in the scene before me, I'm struck by its stillness, its beauty, its serenity.

"Where to next, Captain?" says Debbie. I smile and announce that we are going to visit a vineyard.

Though New Brunswick is certainly not known for its wines, La Ferme Maury turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Located along route 475 in St-Edouard-de Kent, it is only a few minutes drive from the Eco-Center. I'd passed by it a dozen times, but had never had the chance to stop. We meet Serge, the owner, who urges us to sample his wines as he recounts both war stories and the tribulations of turning a previous dairy farm to a campsite and an award-winning vineyard in just under a decade. After sampling everything, we each leave with a bottle of Vin de la Dune and elderberry syrup for pancakes. He invites us to the annual grape-stomp in September and I make sure to jot it down on my to-do list in my palm pilot.

Back on route 475, I notice a sign for the Olivier Soapery. Half-shop, half-museum, they sell soap and give live demonstrations on the traditional craft of soap-making from the early 19th century. Unfortunately, by this time we've missed the last live demo of the day, so we're left on our own to discover their soap delicacies. Our favourite: the Ganong chocolate soap which smells good enough to eat. As we pay at the cash, I see a large sign stating that the Queen of England loves Olivier soaps and that Oprah counts them amongst 'her favourite things.' I'm not surprised.

As we drive home under a burnt orange sky, I reflect on how wonderful it was that I had bungled my original picnic plans, as it allowed the serendipitous discovery of some of New Brunswick's best kept secrets.