Aug 28th - Thurs - to Louisbourg NS
Got going early to catch the 9 am ferry today. We were on the smaller ferry this time and the wind whipped up some pretty good waves so it was rough. The captain took a route that kept the rolling down as much as possible but when he had to turn he issued a warning that the rolling would get worse for a while and it did. The bow of the ferry was slamming down on the water and caused one motorcycle to fall over. The bike owner told Terry later that when he was called down to check for damage, our truck and 5th wheel was moving back and forth about 4 inches with each large swell. But we arrived on time and had about a 45 minute drive to our campsite in Louisbourg.
The wind was quite hard and very cold when we were setting up. Another 5th wheel from the ferry was ahead of us driving here and came to the same campground. They are from Revelstoke, B.C. I had hoped to talk with them but we got tickets to a show tonight so don’t know if we will get together.
The show was enjoyable - 5 very good musicians with a couple of comedy routines included. Tea & oatcakes were served at intermission. The playhouse is right beside the campground so we didn’t get too wet walking over in the rain but there were some pretty big puddles to navigate in the dark coming back.
Aug 29th - Fri - Louisbourg
It was still raining this morning but forecast to be nicer tomorrow so we decided to take advantage of a “stay 2 nights and get another night free” offer, stay here another day and delay going to the fortress until tomorrow. I gave Terry a haircut and then we checked out the couple of small gift shops in town and went to the S&L (Sidney & Louisbourg) Railway Museum. The museum is in 3 buildings, 2 of which were built in 1895. A model railway of the S&L line is in one building and there are lots of artifacts, newspaper clippings, original paperwork and a couple of rail cars. We drove out to the lighthouse site but there was too much fog to even see across the harbor to town. When we got back from a short drive to get diesel, the weather was clearing so we had a quick lunch and went to the Fortress of Louisbourg. We have our annual National Historic Site pass so we figured if the rain came back we wouldn’t be out anything.
The weather cooperated and we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Fortress. We started on a tour but the tour leader was having a terrible time trying to remember her presentation and finally admitted that she was not doing well. She said she would understand if we wanted to attend another event starting soon - so we and everyone except one older couple left the tour.
The fortress was built by the French to defend fishing grounds. It changed hands with the British a few times. About ¼ of the entire fort has been excavated and reconstructed. Employees in period costumes are in most of the buildings open for touring and provide lots of information. The also enact different events - punishment for stealing, defending the walls, firing a cannon, herding geese and cooking in a fireplace for example.
Rain started again in the evening.
Aug 30th - Sat - Louisbourg
Good thing we didn’t wait for the nicer weather to go to the fort as it showed up for about a hour in the late morning. It was a great day to get some sewing & ironing done. I also got a much needed haircut. By this time the sun had appeared so we drove out to the lighthouse again to take some pictures and watch the waves. I needed a couple of grocery items and by the time we got back to town it was raining so hard that we sat in the truck for a few minutes before running into the store.
Spent the rest of the day ducking in & out of the rain - there is a waterfront boardwalk beside the RV park. We watched people catching mackerel on nearby docks and watched boats getting ready to go snow crab fishing. After dinner, the rain finally quit and we went for a walk again to watch people fishing. Our “neighbors” from Revelstoke (Doug & Ellie) were also on the dock so we started talking with them. They have just started full time RVing. We had so much to talk about that we invited them in for coffee and are hoping to meet up with them again soon.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Aug 25th to 27th - St. John's to Doyles
Aug 25th - Mon - St. John’s
We all went to Cape Spear National Historic Site today. It is the most easterly point of land in North America. We checked out the visitor center & gift shop and the lighthouse and walked along several trails. There is a defense battery with two 10” guns at the tip of the cape that was installed and manned during WW II. The weather was beautiful.
We returned to downtown St. John’s to visit a music shop and buy nose flutes - don’t ask, you have to see them to understand. Terry also bought a Jaws Harp which he can’t play - yet?
Next to Ches’s restaurant for lunch. This is small chain that has been around for 50 years. Wonderful fish & chips. Terry had chicken fingers that were deep fried in the same crunchy batter as the fish and were excellent. A stop at the liquor store and grocery store before heading back to the park.
We watched Terry H. give both their dogs a bath using the outside shower on their 5th wheel and then shared another dinner made mostly by Judy. I used the time when I wasn’t making dinner to put more captions on pictures and then posted another 100 pictures to the internet after dinner.
Aug 26th - Tues - to Corner Brook
We left at 8 this morning for the 8 hour drive from St. John’s to Corner Brook. We experienced all kinds of weather during the drive - overcast, foggy, rainy, overcast again, some sun and more overcast. We stopped somewhere along the way and I made a late breakfast. A stop for diesel and we discovered that it had gone down to $1.44 a liter.
I picked a campground out of the Trailer Life book that had Terry wondering where we were going as it was across a river from Corner Brook. Turned out to be OK. We drove into Corner Brook for diesel and to have a quick look at the town. It is the second largest city in Newfoundland (St. John’s is the largest) with a large pulp & paper plant. Built, like many other towns, on slopes above bays & inlets with hardly no square intersections so it can be hard to retrace your route.
Dinner, a short walk around the park and early to bed. I had a nice long chat with friends Dan & Dottie in Spokane. It is so nice to catch up once in a while. Terry called his Mom and she is continuing to improve.
Aug 27th - Wed - to Doyles
2 ½ hour drive this morning to St. Andrews which is 17 miles before Port aux Basques. We set up and when I tried to vacuum I discovered that we had no electricity. Terry tracked down the owner and she reset our breaker. But it was on a GFI breaker and each time we plugged in (with our 50 amp to 30 amp connector) we tripped the breaker. The owner said we could move to a spot beside the breaker panel and she could connect us to 110 without a GFI but we figured if we were going to pack up to move that we would go 5 miles back to the park where we stayed when we arrived in Newfoundland. I just love packing up and setting up twice in one day!!
We had a quick lunch and then went to see Rose Blanche lighthouse. It is 26 miles on the other side of Port aux Basques so it was a 48 mile drive each way. The countryside was different from any that we had seen on the island - a lot of small hills without trees, just grass and boulders. Also lots of small lakes that looked black rather than blue. It was very pretty.
The town of Rose Blanche is lovely - set on hillsides around small coves. The lighthouse is made of stone. It has been rebuilt after being destroyed except for the central stone spiral staircase. It is a nice walk out to the lighthouse and the return trip is via a second path that includes a viewpoint over the town.
The campground where we are staying has only a couple of other rigs. When we were here earlier it was probably ¾ full. We washed both the 5th wheel and the truck when we returned. It is finally sunny and not windy so we sat out and ate dinner outside. Updated the blog and we are going up to the office to post it.
We all went to Cape Spear National Historic Site today. It is the most easterly point of land in North America. We checked out the visitor center & gift shop and the lighthouse and walked along several trails. There is a defense battery with two 10” guns at the tip of the cape that was installed and manned during WW II. The weather was beautiful.
We returned to downtown St. John’s to visit a music shop and buy nose flutes - don’t ask, you have to see them to understand. Terry also bought a Jaws Harp which he can’t play - yet?
Next to Ches’s restaurant for lunch. This is small chain that has been around for 50 years. Wonderful fish & chips. Terry had chicken fingers that were deep fried in the same crunchy batter as the fish and were excellent. A stop at the liquor store and grocery store before heading back to the park.
We watched Terry H. give both their dogs a bath using the outside shower on their 5th wheel and then shared another dinner made mostly by Judy. I used the time when I wasn’t making dinner to put more captions on pictures and then posted another 100 pictures to the internet after dinner.
Aug 26th - Tues - to Corner Brook
We left at 8 this morning for the 8 hour drive from St. John’s to Corner Brook. We experienced all kinds of weather during the drive - overcast, foggy, rainy, overcast again, some sun and more overcast. We stopped somewhere along the way and I made a late breakfast. A stop for diesel and we discovered that it had gone down to $1.44 a liter.
I picked a campground out of the Trailer Life book that had Terry wondering where we were going as it was across a river from Corner Brook. Turned out to be OK. We drove into Corner Brook for diesel and to have a quick look at the town. It is the second largest city in Newfoundland (St. John’s is the largest) with a large pulp & paper plant. Built, like many other towns, on slopes above bays & inlets with hardly no square intersections so it can be hard to retrace your route.
Dinner, a short walk around the park and early to bed. I had a nice long chat with friends Dan & Dottie in Spokane. It is so nice to catch up once in a while. Terry called his Mom and she is continuing to improve.
Aug 27th - Wed - to Doyles
2 ½ hour drive this morning to St. Andrews which is 17 miles before Port aux Basques. We set up and when I tried to vacuum I discovered that we had no electricity. Terry tracked down the owner and she reset our breaker. But it was on a GFI breaker and each time we plugged in (with our 50 amp to 30 amp connector) we tripped the breaker. The owner said we could move to a spot beside the breaker panel and she could connect us to 110 without a GFI but we figured if we were going to pack up to move that we would go 5 miles back to the park where we stayed when we arrived in Newfoundland. I just love packing up and setting up twice in one day!!
We had a quick lunch and then went to see Rose Blanche lighthouse. It is 26 miles on the other side of Port aux Basques so it was a 48 mile drive each way. The countryside was different from any that we had seen on the island - a lot of small hills without trees, just grass and boulders. Also lots of small lakes that looked black rather than blue. It was very pretty.
The town of Rose Blanche is lovely - set on hillsides around small coves. The lighthouse is made of stone. It has been rebuilt after being destroyed except for the central stone spiral staircase. It is a nice walk out to the lighthouse and the return trip is via a second path that includes a viewpoint over the town.
The campground where we are staying has only a couple of other rigs. When we were here earlier it was probably ¾ full. We washed both the 5th wheel and the truck when we returned. It is finally sunny and not windy so we sat out and ate dinner outside. Updated the blog and we are going up to the office to post it.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Aug 22nd to 24th - St. John's
Aug 22nd - Fri - St. John’s
Another full day.
We followed the “Admirals’ Coast” on the south end of Conception Bay and then the “Baccalieu Trail” which makes a loop around one of the Northern Avalon peninsulas between Trinity Bay and Conception Bay. We hit the Admiral’s Coast road (Hwy 60) at Chamberlains and followed it until Holyrood where we stopped by a lovely boardwalk for some pictures and a short walk. From here we went to the TCH and west to Whitbourne (Hwy 80) where we headed north on the west side of the peninsula. Our first stop was at Dildo where there is no consensus as to the origin of the name of the town. We stopped at a nice restaurant in Whiteway for lunch. Today was Terry & Judy’s anniversary so we figured it was appropriate that we go to Heart’s Desire where we turned to go across the peninsula rather than driving the whole way around.
On the east coast of the peninsula, we stopped for some pictures of Carbonear, visited the information center at Harbour Grace, tried to spot rock walls at Spaniard’s Bay and took a quick driving tour around Brigus with a thought to come back another day as we needed to “head for home”.
When we were on the TCH on the way back, we were held up very briefly by a car accident on our side of the highway. We heard later that traffic had been blocked for about an hour so our timing was good. The opposite side of the highway had a huge backup of traffic due to construction closing one lane at rush hour.
We had thought about going downtown to George Street but we had both purchased baby back ribs and planned a shared dinner. By the time we were done with that we were all too relaxed & tired to go out.
Aug 23rd - Sat - St. John’s
Decided to explore Bell Island and go on a mine tour today. Bell Island is in Conception Bay and is reached by a 20 minute ferry ride. We arrived at the departure town of Portugal Cove-St Phillips about 10:20 and encountered a line up of cars for the ferry. We couldn’t get on the 10:40 ferry and had to wait for the 12 o’clock sailing. Bell Island is only 10 km long by 2 km wide so it didn’t take long to get to the mine for a tour. This mine started in 1895 and had tunnels running at a 10 degree slope following the vein of ore under the bay. The ore was shoveled into cars by hand so eventually they could not compete with heavy equipment in open pit mines in Labrador and it closed in 1966. The tour goes 650 feet along the main tunnel and a short ways into some side rooms. The ore vein is 17 feet high so that is the height of the ceilings. 40 to 60 percent of the ore is left as support columns in the tunnels & rooms.
After the tour we drove to a cove and had a picnic lunch. The 2:40 ferry was just pulling out as we drove down the road so we went to view a lighthouse. When we returned in a short while to the ferry dock, the 3:20 ferry was loading. We wanted to get ice cream so we drove on the ferry and then walked back off to a little restaurant to get cones - after checking with ferry workers that the ferry would indeed not leave until 3:20. They said if the whistle blew we had to run back as fast as we could.
When we got off the ferry, we continued on a loop drive around the eastern Northern Avalon peninsula which is called the Killick Coast.
We had leftover ribs from last night and we each made a salad for another shared dinner. Then we were off to George Street which, for a couple of blocks, is solid bars & restaurants and is supposed to be the prime area for nightlife. We figured we were there a little early so we walked up & down the couple of blocks to decide where we wanted to have a drink. We ended up in a place with a couple of guys singing traditional songs and a band to show up later. We didn’t stay until “later” as the drinks were pretty expensive and the only table that we could get was a couple of steps down from the entertainment. Guess we are just all too old for partying in a bar!!
Aug 24th Sun - St. John’s
Exciting morning today - a trip to a laundromat. We timed our trip just right as there were enough washers for both of us when we arrived but people waiting in line when our wash finished. Terry had one of our propane tanks filled while I was doing laundry - $33.25 which in the US is the price for both tanks.
We returned to the rigs to put away laundry and have a quick lunch before going to the Johnson Geo Centre. This is a “geological showcase” with the main exhibit area dug into the rocks near Signal Hill. The rock formations of Newfoundland are much older than other areas of Canada and are therefore interesting to geologists.
There is a 16 minute introduction video and then 4 major display areas - Our Planet (how was the earth formed?), Our Province (why this area is “Earth’s Geological Showcases”), Our People (where did humans come from?) and Our Future (are our choices good for our future?). In addition, there is an ExxonMobil Oil &Gas Gallery and “The Titanic Story”. The Titanic is relevant to this area as it sank only 350 miles from here and Newfoundland received the first distress call. I enjoyed the Titanic story most of all. There are just so many facts about the sinking that I didn’t know and found very interesting.
We drove through downtown on the way back and saw a huge Holland Line cruise ship in the harbor. The store that we wanted was closed so we continued on to Costco and WalMart.
Individual dinners tonight. I am catching up on the blog, putting captions on pictures, catching up on our expenses spreadsheet and posting pictures - while the others are playing cribbage!
Another full day.
We followed the “Admirals’ Coast” on the south end of Conception Bay and then the “Baccalieu Trail” which makes a loop around one of the Northern Avalon peninsulas between Trinity Bay and Conception Bay. We hit the Admiral’s Coast road (Hwy 60) at Chamberlains and followed it until Holyrood where we stopped by a lovely boardwalk for some pictures and a short walk. From here we went to the TCH and west to Whitbourne (Hwy 80) where we headed north on the west side of the peninsula. Our first stop was at Dildo where there is no consensus as to the origin of the name of the town. We stopped at a nice restaurant in Whiteway for lunch. Today was Terry & Judy’s anniversary so we figured it was appropriate that we go to Heart’s Desire where we turned to go across the peninsula rather than driving the whole way around.
On the east coast of the peninsula, we stopped for some pictures of Carbonear, visited the information center at Harbour Grace, tried to spot rock walls at Spaniard’s Bay and took a quick driving tour around Brigus with a thought to come back another day as we needed to “head for home”.
When we were on the TCH on the way back, we were held up very briefly by a car accident on our side of the highway. We heard later that traffic had been blocked for about an hour so our timing was good. The opposite side of the highway had a huge backup of traffic due to construction closing one lane at rush hour.
We had thought about going downtown to George Street but we had both purchased baby back ribs and planned a shared dinner. By the time we were done with that we were all too relaxed & tired to go out.
Aug 23rd - Sat - St. John’s
Decided to explore Bell Island and go on a mine tour today. Bell Island is in Conception Bay and is reached by a 20 minute ferry ride. We arrived at the departure town of Portugal Cove-St Phillips about 10:20 and encountered a line up of cars for the ferry. We couldn’t get on the 10:40 ferry and had to wait for the 12 o’clock sailing. Bell Island is only 10 km long by 2 km wide so it didn’t take long to get to the mine for a tour. This mine started in 1895 and had tunnels running at a 10 degree slope following the vein of ore under the bay. The ore was shoveled into cars by hand so eventually they could not compete with heavy equipment in open pit mines in Labrador and it closed in 1966. The tour goes 650 feet along the main tunnel and a short ways into some side rooms. The ore vein is 17 feet high so that is the height of the ceilings. 40 to 60 percent of the ore is left as support columns in the tunnels & rooms.
After the tour we drove to a cove and had a picnic lunch. The 2:40 ferry was just pulling out as we drove down the road so we went to view a lighthouse. When we returned in a short while to the ferry dock, the 3:20 ferry was loading. We wanted to get ice cream so we drove on the ferry and then walked back off to a little restaurant to get cones - after checking with ferry workers that the ferry would indeed not leave until 3:20. They said if the whistle blew we had to run back as fast as we could.
When we got off the ferry, we continued on a loop drive around the eastern Northern Avalon peninsula which is called the Killick Coast.
We had leftover ribs from last night and we each made a salad for another shared dinner. Then we were off to George Street which, for a couple of blocks, is solid bars & restaurants and is supposed to be the prime area for nightlife. We figured we were there a little early so we walked up & down the couple of blocks to decide where we wanted to have a drink. We ended up in a place with a couple of guys singing traditional songs and a band to show up later. We didn’t stay until “later” as the drinks were pretty expensive and the only table that we could get was a couple of steps down from the entertainment. Guess we are just all too old for partying in a bar!!
Aug 24th Sun - St. John’s
Exciting morning today - a trip to a laundromat. We timed our trip just right as there were enough washers for both of us when we arrived but people waiting in line when our wash finished. Terry had one of our propane tanks filled while I was doing laundry - $33.25 which in the US is the price for both tanks.
We returned to the rigs to put away laundry and have a quick lunch before going to the Johnson Geo Centre. This is a “geological showcase” with the main exhibit area dug into the rocks near Signal Hill. The rock formations of Newfoundland are much older than other areas of Canada and are therefore interesting to geologists.
There is a 16 minute introduction video and then 4 major display areas - Our Planet (how was the earth formed?), Our Province (why this area is “Earth’s Geological Showcases”), Our People (where did humans come from?) and Our Future (are our choices good for our future?). In addition, there is an ExxonMobil Oil &Gas Gallery and “The Titanic Story”. The Titanic is relevant to this area as it sank only 350 miles from here and Newfoundland received the first distress call. I enjoyed the Titanic story most of all. There are just so many facts about the sinking that I didn’t know and found very interesting.
We drove through downtown on the way back and saw a huge Holland Line cruise ship in the harbor. The store that we wanted was closed so we continued on to Costco and WalMart.
Individual dinners tonight. I am catching up on the blog, putting captions on pictures, catching up on our expenses spreadsheet and posting pictures - while the others are playing cribbage!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Aug 18th to 21st - Gander to St. John's
Aug 18th - Mon - Gander
We were at the office last night to connect to wifi when we heard that the highway was closed at Gambo due to rain building up because of clogged culverts creating a dam. Gambo is 25 miles east of here which is the direction that we were heading. The only way to get around is 180 miles so we chose to stay another night and hope the highway gets fixed in a hurry.
It was clear & sunny this morning so we took over driving duties to go for another sightseeing tour. We actually drove over half of the “detour” route to Newtown. The coastline is quite different with large red rocks. We tried to find a couple of sand beaches that we had been told about but we had to wade to get to one and never found the other. We took a short walk and found a great spot for our picnic lunch. Picked wild blueberries, blackberries and raspberries for dessert. The blackberries look like black blueberries and are not as sweet. The black & blueberries are small and grow very low to the ground.
We saw many examples of another Newfoundland oddity today. Front doors are often not used and so frequently do not have steps leading to them even when the door is on the second floor. Terry H. called them ‘hanging doors”.
Parts of the route we took are very rough so we were happy to hear on the radio on the way back that the road is opened so we don’t have to take the rigs over the detour tomorrow or stay another day.
Aug 19th - Tues - to Charleston
Our plans for an earlier start today didn’t materialize when our large slide started going in crooked. It was another broken bolt but neither we nor Terry H. had the right size so Terry had to make a quick trip to the nearby Canadian Tire. We were on the road a little over an hour later than we hoped.
Short trip today - just over 2 hours to the Bonavista Peninsula. We were planning on spending 2 nights here but since we lost a day to the closed highway we decided to get here early and do our sightseeing in the afternoon.
We set out after lunch and went first to Trinity which is a very picturesque little village. We walked a bit and went into the museum and a huge old church. Next was Elliston - the Root Cellar Capital of the World. We actually went there to see puffins which are cute little birds related to penguins. We walked out to a viewing spot near their nesting area. They were not as close as Judy hoped but she had binoculars so we could easily watch them. The root cellars are set into hillsides with rock fronts supporting the roof & door. Many have been restored to a useful state.
We continued all the way to the end of the peninsula to Cape Bonavista where there is a large lighthouse. We were too late to make it worthwhile to buy a ticket and climb the lighthouse so we just checked out the interpretive center and took pictures. Took more pictures just down the road of a statue of John Cabot who “discovered” this “new found land” in 1497. There is a full size replica of his ship, the Matthew, in Bonavista but, again, it was too late to tour the ship.
We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant on the way back. I think there were 6 tables in all. Terry H. tried the “cod tongue” dinner. He gave me a sample - too “fishy” for my taste. A stop for fuel and we arrived back about 8:30 - a long, full day.
Aug 20th - Wed - to St. John’s
St John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and the largest city. The drive was short again, about 2 ½ hours. It was quite foggy for much of the way but cleared by the time we got here and was warm and muggy. We are staying at Pippy Park which is right in town. It is a huge park (3400 acres) which contains more than you would normally think of in a park - legislative buildings, a university, a trout stream with underwater viewing, a very large campground and lots of “green space”.
We set up, had a late lunch and then all went to Costco. Ended up taking us a while there as our card was expired and Judy decided to get a card as she wanted one before they head for the U.S. this winter.
Terry got ambitious when we got back and washed the truck and got the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel while I was dealing with food purchases and making brownies.
Judy & Terry had us over for dinner tonight - chicken with their special sauce. Very good.
Aug 21st - Thurs - St. John’s
We certainly cram a lot into a day.
Started out about 10, went downtown and did a lot of walking and shopping in gift/souvenir type stores - and took lots of pictures. One of the “trademarks” of St. John are the “jelly beans houses” which are rows of tall, connected houses painted different bright colors. The city is built on hills & rocks so the streets are different levels and often not square to each other.
Next was a visit to Signal Hill National Historic Site. Signal Hill is a high spot of land near the mouth of the harbor and was used to signal the town when ships - naval & commercial - were entering the harbor. It is also the location of several fights to gain & keep control of the town and thereby have control of the fishing. Cabot Tower, which was built in 1897 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s landing, is now on the site. We viewed a good film in the interpretive center about all the history of Signal Hill.
Then on to Quidi Vidi Village and the Quidi Vidi micro brewery. We took a tour of the brewery which started with tasting 7 beers - Iceburg, 1892 Traditional Ale, Erick’s Red cream ale, “7”, Honey Brown, QV Light and Cranberry Cloud which is a beer cooler - while the tour guide related some history & anecdotes. We each got to select a bottle to drink while on the rest of the tour through the processing & bottling areas.
We had taken a lunch so we sat at a picnic table outside the brewery to eat our lunch and finish our beer.
We stopped at a grocery store, brought the groceries back to the rigs and went to the Fluvaium to watch the feeding at 4:00. The Fluvarium is a trout stream with a viewing area wrapped around a building. There are also tanks inside with different species of fish, frogs and one eel that are included in the feeding. The facility is really geared to kids with different activities so we were less than overwhelmed.
We were going to have a shared baby back rib dinner but the weather got colder and windier during the day so we decided to wait for a better day for barbequing and went our separate ways for dinner.
Oops, not done yet. I was just working on the blog when Judy came over and asked if I wanted to go shopping with her. I said no and she twisted my arm - NOT! So off we went, leaving the Terrys to do their own thing.
We were at the office last night to connect to wifi when we heard that the highway was closed at Gambo due to rain building up because of clogged culverts creating a dam. Gambo is 25 miles east of here which is the direction that we were heading. The only way to get around is 180 miles so we chose to stay another night and hope the highway gets fixed in a hurry.
It was clear & sunny this morning so we took over driving duties to go for another sightseeing tour. We actually drove over half of the “detour” route to Newtown. The coastline is quite different with large red rocks. We tried to find a couple of sand beaches that we had been told about but we had to wade to get to one and never found the other. We took a short walk and found a great spot for our picnic lunch. Picked wild blueberries, blackberries and raspberries for dessert. The blackberries look like black blueberries and are not as sweet. The black & blueberries are small and grow very low to the ground.
We saw many examples of another Newfoundland oddity today. Front doors are often not used and so frequently do not have steps leading to them even when the door is on the second floor. Terry H. called them ‘hanging doors”.
Parts of the route we took are very rough so we were happy to hear on the radio on the way back that the road is opened so we don’t have to take the rigs over the detour tomorrow or stay another day.
Aug 19th - Tues - to Charleston
Our plans for an earlier start today didn’t materialize when our large slide started going in crooked. It was another broken bolt but neither we nor Terry H. had the right size so Terry had to make a quick trip to the nearby Canadian Tire. We were on the road a little over an hour later than we hoped.
Short trip today - just over 2 hours to the Bonavista Peninsula. We were planning on spending 2 nights here but since we lost a day to the closed highway we decided to get here early and do our sightseeing in the afternoon.
We set out after lunch and went first to Trinity which is a very picturesque little village. We walked a bit and went into the museum and a huge old church. Next was Elliston - the Root Cellar Capital of the World. We actually went there to see puffins which are cute little birds related to penguins. We walked out to a viewing spot near their nesting area. They were not as close as Judy hoped but she had binoculars so we could easily watch them. The root cellars are set into hillsides with rock fronts supporting the roof & door. Many have been restored to a useful state.
We continued all the way to the end of the peninsula to Cape Bonavista where there is a large lighthouse. We were too late to make it worthwhile to buy a ticket and climb the lighthouse so we just checked out the interpretive center and took pictures. Took more pictures just down the road of a statue of John Cabot who “discovered” this “new found land” in 1497. There is a full size replica of his ship, the Matthew, in Bonavista but, again, it was too late to tour the ship.
We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant on the way back. I think there were 6 tables in all. Terry H. tried the “cod tongue” dinner. He gave me a sample - too “fishy” for my taste. A stop for fuel and we arrived back about 8:30 - a long, full day.
Aug 20th - Wed - to St. John’s
St John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and the largest city. The drive was short again, about 2 ½ hours. It was quite foggy for much of the way but cleared by the time we got here and was warm and muggy. We are staying at Pippy Park which is right in town. It is a huge park (3400 acres) which contains more than you would normally think of in a park - legislative buildings, a university, a trout stream with underwater viewing, a very large campground and lots of “green space”.
We set up, had a late lunch and then all went to Costco. Ended up taking us a while there as our card was expired and Judy decided to get a card as she wanted one before they head for the U.S. this winter.
Terry got ambitious when we got back and washed the truck and got the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel while I was dealing with food purchases and making brownies.
Judy & Terry had us over for dinner tonight - chicken with their special sauce. Very good.
Aug 21st - Thurs - St. John’s
We certainly cram a lot into a day.
Started out about 10, went downtown and did a lot of walking and shopping in gift/souvenir type stores - and took lots of pictures. One of the “trademarks” of St. John are the “jelly beans houses” which are rows of tall, connected houses painted different bright colors. The city is built on hills & rocks so the streets are different levels and often not square to each other.
Next was a visit to Signal Hill National Historic Site. Signal Hill is a high spot of land near the mouth of the harbor and was used to signal the town when ships - naval & commercial - were entering the harbor. It is also the location of several fights to gain & keep control of the town and thereby have control of the fishing. Cabot Tower, which was built in 1897 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s landing, is now on the site. We viewed a good film in the interpretive center about all the history of Signal Hill.
Then on to Quidi Vidi Village and the Quidi Vidi micro brewery. We took a tour of the brewery which started with tasting 7 beers - Iceburg, 1892 Traditional Ale, Erick’s Red cream ale, “7”, Honey Brown, QV Light and Cranberry Cloud which is a beer cooler - while the tour guide related some history & anecdotes. We each got to select a bottle to drink while on the rest of the tour through the processing & bottling areas.
We had taken a lunch so we sat at a picnic table outside the brewery to eat our lunch and finish our beer.
We stopped at a grocery store, brought the groceries back to the rigs and went to the Fluvaium to watch the feeding at 4:00. The Fluvarium is a trout stream with a viewing area wrapped around a building. There are also tanks inside with different species of fish, frogs and one eel that are included in the feeding. The facility is really geared to kids with different activities so we were less than overwhelmed.
We were going to have a shared baby back rib dinner but the weather got colder and windier during the day so we decided to wait for a better day for barbequing and went our separate ways for dinner.
Oops, not done yet. I was just working on the blog when Judy came over and asked if I wanted to go shopping with her. I said no and she twisted my arm - NOT! So off we went, leaving the Terrys to do their own thing.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Aug 16th to 17th - Gander
Aug 16th - Sat - to Gander
Lovely day for a drive. We stopped at the Mary March Museum in Grand Falls as Terry was interested in seeing where the name originated. Mary March was actually a Beothuck Indian and was given the name when she was captured by Europeans in the month of March. The Beothuck are now extinct with the last known woman dying of TB in 1829. The museum also had a traveling display about the town of Tilting with some stories/quotes from residents that were fun to read.
We arrived first at our agreed upon campground to find that they were full. We had driven past a campground closer to town so we returned and got 2 sites. Luckily, I had Judy’s cell phone number so we were able to tell them the new plans. We all went to a nearby grocery store and Canadian Tire before having some appies & a drink. We each fixed dinner and then we took our plates over to eat together. Sat around for a bit with the propane “campfire” and then caught some Olympic coverage.
Aug 17th - Sun - Gander
Rain started about 3:30 last night and it was still raining a bit this morning. Terry H. drove today to go to Twillingate which is at the end of a “finger” of land and a string of 4 islands joined by causeways. On the way there, we stopped at the Beothuck Heritage Centre in Boyd’s Cove. The remains of a Beothuck settlement was discovered here in 1982 and partially excavated. There is a very nice building with information panels, artifacts and a film. A walking trail leads to the site of the settlement which is only depressions showing building sites and it was still raining so we did not go on the walk.
Twillingate is a very pretty town but the rain continued so a stop at a view point did not yield good pictures. We did see some whales fairly close in and did buy some fudge at a gift shop so the stop was not all a waste of time!
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Twillingate that had a lot of cars parked in front and we had a good lunch. We tried a sample of a traditional dish called “Fisherman’s Brewis”. It is hard bread that has been soaked & broken up and then mixed with cod and “pork fat”. The pork fat has been cooked until crisp and then softened & chopped. It is an interesting combination but I would not like an entire meal of the dish.
We took a different route back but the rain continued so we did not stop anywhere.
Terry & Judy came over for a bit while we made some campground reservations and then we each did our own thing for the evening.
Lovely day for a drive. We stopped at the Mary March Museum in Grand Falls as Terry was interested in seeing where the name originated. Mary March was actually a Beothuck Indian and was given the name when she was captured by Europeans in the month of March. The Beothuck are now extinct with the last known woman dying of TB in 1829. The museum also had a traveling display about the town of Tilting with some stories/quotes from residents that were fun to read.
We arrived first at our agreed upon campground to find that they were full. We had driven past a campground closer to town so we returned and got 2 sites. Luckily, I had Judy’s cell phone number so we were able to tell them the new plans. We all went to a nearby grocery store and Canadian Tire before having some appies & a drink. We each fixed dinner and then we took our plates over to eat together. Sat around for a bit with the propane “campfire” and then caught some Olympic coverage.
Aug 17th - Sun - Gander
Rain started about 3:30 last night and it was still raining a bit this morning. Terry H. drove today to go to Twillingate which is at the end of a “finger” of land and a string of 4 islands joined by causeways. On the way there, we stopped at the Beothuck Heritage Centre in Boyd’s Cove. The remains of a Beothuck settlement was discovered here in 1982 and partially excavated. There is a very nice building with information panels, artifacts and a film. A walking trail leads to the site of the settlement which is only depressions showing building sites and it was still raining so we did not go on the walk.
Twillingate is a very pretty town but the rain continued so a stop at a view point did not yield good pictures. We did see some whales fairly close in and did buy some fudge at a gift shop so the stop was not all a waste of time!
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Twillingate that had a lot of cars parked in front and we had a good lunch. We tried a sample of a traditional dish called “Fisherman’s Brewis”. It is hard bread that has been soaked & broken up and then mixed with cod and “pork fat”. The pork fat has been cooked until crisp and then softened & chopped. It is an interesting combination but I would not like an entire meal of the dish.
We took a different route back but the rain continued so we did not stop anywhere.
Terry & Judy came over for a bit while we made some campground reservations and then we each did our own thing for the evening.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Aug 12th to 15th - Newfoundland
Aug 12th - Tues - to St Anthony
Dumped our tanks and headed north by just after 9. We are happy to have Terry & Judy continuing to travel with us. We made a stop to look at The Arches which are natural stone arches right on the shore. The tide was out so we had a good view for some nice pictures. We were thinking about walking in to look at salmon and fish ladders but it would have added a couple of hours to a longish travel day so we skipped it. Terry & Judy passed us when we stopped for diesel and decided to join us viewing the salmon so they were waiting for us (1 ½ km off the main road) when we drove by!
Some of the road was fairly rough but then we hit a newer section of highway which was very nice. A notable feature of the drive was the huge piles of firewood stacked along the roads. Most people heat with wood and it is mostly small rounds. I guess that it would burn pretty fast and the winters are cold so the wood piles are huge.
We put our rig in a spot at the RV park, reserved a site for Terry & Judy and headed in to town since they weren’t here yet. Very interesting liquor store in St Anthony - it includes electrical supplies, videos & CDs, ice cream snacks and lottery tickets.
We bought a couple of bundles of wood and enjoyed a lovely fire before and after dinner. Our sites are treed and somewhat protected from wind so it was pleasant. We had a visit from the friendly campground moose and Terry H. got a lot of pictures.
Aug 13th - Wed - St Anthony
Foggy and drizzly this morning so we changed our plans and went into town instead of going to L’Anse aux Meadows. We hoped the fog would lift by the afternoon. We checked out the few stores, watched (and watched for) whales and walked on some paths & boardwalks. The weather had gotten worse so we came back to our rigs, had a light. late lunch and kicked back before getting together for a pre-dinner drink at the Hubers’.
Back to town (7 km from here) for a dinner & music evening (Kitchen Party) at the Legion. Terry H. & I had the Jiggs’ Dinner which is a traditional Newfie meal - lots of boiled potatoes, carrots, turnips; sautéed cabbage, peas pudding, bread pudding and a small amount of salt beef. Not something I would order again! The peas pudding is dried yellow peas put in a pudding bag and boiled with the rest of the meal before being mashed. The bread pudding was like steamed stuffing - not bad. The salt beef was very stringy with lots of fat. Judy & Terry M. had a seafood platter with shrimp, cod, salmon & scallops.
The band started about 9:30 and it was very loud. After a break they finally turned down the instruments so you could sort of hear the vocals. One accordion player was also the designated dancer and made sure he danced with every woman (not a huge crowd) at least once.
And we all got “Screeched In” and became honorary Newfies. It is quite the little ceremony. You have to “talk like a Newfie, eat like a Newfie, romance like a Newfie, drink like a Newfie and dance like a Newfie”. There were 10 of us going through the procedure.
“Talking like a Newfie” involved the “designated dancer” (now dressed in fisherman’s oilskins) quickly speaking a typically convoluted phrase and everyone having to individually repeat it. “Eating like a Newfie” was a three part process. First a disgusting dried small fish (carapin) like a sardine (didn’t have to eat the head and a lot of the rest ended up in a paper towel), then a piece of bologna (VERY popular in Newfoundland) and finally “lassie loaf” which is molasses on bread. “Romancing like a Newfie” is complimenting and kissing a cod - frozen in this case. “Drinking like a Newfie” is where the ceremony gets its name - you down a shot of dark, Screech brand rum. “Dancing like a Newfie” is any stomping/hopping type step that you wish to do to fast music. We all then received our certificate.
Aug 14th - Thurs - St Anthony
Two of the people that we met last night (Glen & Theresa) are traveling on a motorcycle and staying in a tent across from us. It was pretty cool this morning so I had Terry go over and ask them if they wanted to come for coffee and to get warmed up. They came over and I ended up making breakfast for all of us.
By this time, Terry & Judy were waiting for us so we headed up to L’Anse aux Meadows. This is a site where Vikings were found to have lived 1000 years ago. The spot was discovered by a couple from Norway and then excavated by them and later by the Canadian government. There is a large visitor center, some mounds where the original remains were found and some recreated sod buildings. I am not a huge history fan but this was very well done and interesting.
We stopped at a recommended restaurant for lunch and had to try the deep fried ice cream for dessert - yum! Then we drove to a spot called Cape Onion with a lookout area on a hill. Wonderful views and lots of little wildflowers along the path. Yes, I will post pictures some time.
We had some time so we continued past the RV park to St Anthony and went back to where we had seen whales. Saw one blow a long ways out but that was all.
It was nice enough to have a fire when we got back. Judy & I both did some laundry before we got together for a dinner mostly provided by Terry & Judy. It had cooled down a lot so we played some cards rather than going back out to the fire.
Aug 15th - Fri - to Deer Lake
We headed back down the Northern Peninsula today. We took a different route for the northernmost part and went along the coast. There was too much fog and clouds to see Labrador across Davis Strait. I mentioned all the wood piles on the side of the roads. There are also many small garden plots on the highway right of way. Soil is at premium in most parts of Newfoundland so people plant gardens wherever they can. When the roads were built, fill was brought in so people use it (enriched with seaweed) for gardens. They are roughly fenced to keep out the moose and often have scarecrows or plastic bags for additional “protection”. A lot of potatoes are grown in these plots.
We are staying at Deer Lake which is at the junction of the TCH and Hwy 340 which goes north. We got the last 2 drive-through sites as there is a caravan staying here. Our site is “waterfront” thanks to a huge rain storm before we got here which left some large puddles.
We have been without phone service and internet access for 3 days so I called Dad when we got here. Marg is away fishing so I got to talk to Dad for a change. All is well with them.
We sat out with Terry & Judy and started to plan the next few days so we could reserve an RV site in St Johns. We got together for another shared dinner and finished our trip planning.
Terry’s Mom is home from the nursing home now. She has only been home a couple of days and sounds good.
Dumped our tanks and headed north by just after 9. We are happy to have Terry & Judy continuing to travel with us. We made a stop to look at The Arches which are natural stone arches right on the shore. The tide was out so we had a good view for some nice pictures. We were thinking about walking in to look at salmon and fish ladders but it would have added a couple of hours to a longish travel day so we skipped it. Terry & Judy passed us when we stopped for diesel and decided to join us viewing the salmon so they were waiting for us (1 ½ km off the main road) when we drove by!
Some of the road was fairly rough but then we hit a newer section of highway which was very nice. A notable feature of the drive was the huge piles of firewood stacked along the roads. Most people heat with wood and it is mostly small rounds. I guess that it would burn pretty fast and the winters are cold so the wood piles are huge.
We put our rig in a spot at the RV park, reserved a site for Terry & Judy and headed in to town since they weren’t here yet. Very interesting liquor store in St Anthony - it includes electrical supplies, videos & CDs, ice cream snacks and lottery tickets.
We bought a couple of bundles of wood and enjoyed a lovely fire before and after dinner. Our sites are treed and somewhat protected from wind so it was pleasant. We had a visit from the friendly campground moose and Terry H. got a lot of pictures.
Aug 13th - Wed - St Anthony
Foggy and drizzly this morning so we changed our plans and went into town instead of going to L’Anse aux Meadows. We hoped the fog would lift by the afternoon. We checked out the few stores, watched (and watched for) whales and walked on some paths & boardwalks. The weather had gotten worse so we came back to our rigs, had a light. late lunch and kicked back before getting together for a pre-dinner drink at the Hubers’.
Back to town (7 km from here) for a dinner & music evening (Kitchen Party) at the Legion. Terry H. & I had the Jiggs’ Dinner which is a traditional Newfie meal - lots of boiled potatoes, carrots, turnips; sautéed cabbage, peas pudding, bread pudding and a small amount of salt beef. Not something I would order again! The peas pudding is dried yellow peas put in a pudding bag and boiled with the rest of the meal before being mashed. The bread pudding was like steamed stuffing - not bad. The salt beef was very stringy with lots of fat. Judy & Terry M. had a seafood platter with shrimp, cod, salmon & scallops.
The band started about 9:30 and it was very loud. After a break they finally turned down the instruments so you could sort of hear the vocals. One accordion player was also the designated dancer and made sure he danced with every woman (not a huge crowd) at least once.
And we all got “Screeched In” and became honorary Newfies. It is quite the little ceremony. You have to “talk like a Newfie, eat like a Newfie, romance like a Newfie, drink like a Newfie and dance like a Newfie”. There were 10 of us going through the procedure.
“Talking like a Newfie” involved the “designated dancer” (now dressed in fisherman’s oilskins) quickly speaking a typically convoluted phrase and everyone having to individually repeat it. “Eating like a Newfie” was a three part process. First a disgusting dried small fish (carapin) like a sardine (didn’t have to eat the head and a lot of the rest ended up in a paper towel), then a piece of bologna (VERY popular in Newfoundland) and finally “lassie loaf” which is molasses on bread. “Romancing like a Newfie” is complimenting and kissing a cod - frozen in this case. “Drinking like a Newfie” is where the ceremony gets its name - you down a shot of dark, Screech brand rum. “Dancing like a Newfie” is any stomping/hopping type step that you wish to do to fast music. We all then received our certificate.
Aug 14th - Thurs - St Anthony
Two of the people that we met last night (Glen & Theresa) are traveling on a motorcycle and staying in a tent across from us. It was pretty cool this morning so I had Terry go over and ask them if they wanted to come for coffee and to get warmed up. They came over and I ended up making breakfast for all of us.
By this time, Terry & Judy were waiting for us so we headed up to L’Anse aux Meadows. This is a site where Vikings were found to have lived 1000 years ago. The spot was discovered by a couple from Norway and then excavated by them and later by the Canadian government. There is a large visitor center, some mounds where the original remains were found and some recreated sod buildings. I am not a huge history fan but this was very well done and interesting.
We stopped at a recommended restaurant for lunch and had to try the deep fried ice cream for dessert - yum! Then we drove to a spot called Cape Onion with a lookout area on a hill. Wonderful views and lots of little wildflowers along the path. Yes, I will post pictures some time.
We had some time so we continued past the RV park to St Anthony and went back to where we had seen whales. Saw one blow a long ways out but that was all.
It was nice enough to have a fire when we got back. Judy & I both did some laundry before we got together for a dinner mostly provided by Terry & Judy. It had cooled down a lot so we played some cards rather than going back out to the fire.
Aug 15th - Fri - to Deer Lake
We headed back down the Northern Peninsula today. We took a different route for the northernmost part and went along the coast. There was too much fog and clouds to see Labrador across Davis Strait. I mentioned all the wood piles on the side of the roads. There are also many small garden plots on the highway right of way. Soil is at premium in most parts of Newfoundland so people plant gardens wherever they can. When the roads were built, fill was brought in so people use it (enriched with seaweed) for gardens. They are roughly fenced to keep out the moose and often have scarecrows or plastic bags for additional “protection”. A lot of potatoes are grown in these plots.
We are staying at Deer Lake which is at the junction of the TCH and Hwy 340 which goes north. We got the last 2 drive-through sites as there is a caravan staying here. Our site is “waterfront” thanks to a huge rain storm before we got here which left some large puddles.
We have been without phone service and internet access for 3 days so I called Dad when we got here. Marg is away fishing so I got to talk to Dad for a change. All is well with them.
We sat out with Terry & Judy and started to plan the next few days so we could reserve an RV site in St Johns. We got together for another shared dinner and finished our trip planning.
Terry’s Mom is home from the nursing home now. She has only been home a couple of days and sounds good.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Aug 9th to 11th - Doyles & Rocky Harbour
Aug 9th - Sat - Doyles
We went exploring today. Drove back to Port aux Basques (where the ferry terminal is). It is a small town built on hills of rocks around the ice-free harbor with the houses very close to the streets. We stopped at the tourist information, talked to a very knowledgeable employee and ended up with enough reading material for a week. On the way back to the RV park, we took a route off the TCH (Newfoundland’s terminology for the Trans Canada Highway - certainly less of a mouthful) which was very pretty. The sun came out for a while which was wonderful.
Back at the RV park, we chatted with a guy (Terry Huber) from Summerland B.C. He didn’t know Aunt Jessie, would have been too much of a coincidence. Later, we walked to the office to post the blog and then stopped by and met Terry’s wife Judy. Ended up getting along really well and having a drink with them. After dinner, Terry & Judy joined us at our campfire and it was midnight before we knew it. A young neighbor traveling with his wife & 4 children stopped by for a while and told us about some places that they had really enjoyed.
Aug 10th - Sun - to Rocky Harbour
Yes, Harbour has a “u” in Canada!
We had a lovely day for the 3 hour drive to Gros Morne National Park where Rocky Harbour is located. Terry & Judy were planning on stopping sooner but decided to join us which is great. After setting up, we had a beer while we looked at maps and information books. Next we all went into (the small) town , stopped at a couple of stores and then found a great lookout with beautiful views of the town.
We decided to eat out, found a small restaurant that had a lot of cars parked in front of it and had great fish & chips.
No fire pit here but Terry & Judy have a propane “campfire” so we put on jackets and sat out. Unfortunately, their “campfire” wasn’t working too well so we pulled out our buddy burner to add some more flames. It really cooled down so we called it a night about 10.
Aug 11th - Mon - Rocky Harbour
We had an absolutely wonderful day!
After breakfast, the Hubers took over the driving duties and we first bought tickets for a boat tour on Western Brook Pond. We didn’t know that we should have made reservations but we managed to get some of the seats that they keep for walk-up customers.
We were early so we drove a little further and walked on a beach for a while. The water is so clean.
For the boat tour, you have to walk in 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) on a boardwalk and gravel trail through bogs and forests - very pleasant. The lake (pond) is very deep and surrounded by very steep mountains. It is still referred to as a fjord even though it has been cut off from salt water for many years. The tour was 2 hours and was made most enjoyable by the sunshine.
We took a scenic loop that added a kilometer to our walk back to the parking lot. We decided to make baby backs for all of us for dinner but were going to a musical show so had to hurry up and get the ribs boiled when we got back.
We “ate & ran” to get to the pub at 7 for a 9 o’clock show as we were told that it fills up early. We didn’t have to be quite that early but got a good table. The show was a 5 man band (Anchors Aweigh) which provided local bits of information and comedy as well as maritime music. It was great and highly recommended to anyone who visits here. The show lasted until 12:15 so we canceled our plans for dessert and hit the hay.
We went exploring today. Drove back to Port aux Basques (where the ferry terminal is). It is a small town built on hills of rocks around the ice-free harbor with the houses very close to the streets. We stopped at the tourist information, talked to a very knowledgeable employee and ended up with enough reading material for a week. On the way back to the RV park, we took a route off the TCH (Newfoundland’s terminology for the Trans Canada Highway - certainly less of a mouthful) which was very pretty. The sun came out for a while which was wonderful.
Back at the RV park, we chatted with a guy (Terry Huber) from Summerland B.C. He didn’t know Aunt Jessie, would have been too much of a coincidence. Later, we walked to the office to post the blog and then stopped by and met Terry’s wife Judy. Ended up getting along really well and having a drink with them. After dinner, Terry & Judy joined us at our campfire and it was midnight before we knew it. A young neighbor traveling with his wife & 4 children stopped by for a while and told us about some places that they had really enjoyed.
Aug 10th - Sun - to Rocky Harbour
Yes, Harbour has a “u” in Canada!
We had a lovely day for the 3 hour drive to Gros Morne National Park where Rocky Harbour is located. Terry & Judy were planning on stopping sooner but decided to join us which is great. After setting up, we had a beer while we looked at maps and information books. Next we all went into (the small) town , stopped at a couple of stores and then found a great lookout with beautiful views of the town.
We decided to eat out, found a small restaurant that had a lot of cars parked in front of it and had great fish & chips.
No fire pit here but Terry & Judy have a propane “campfire” so we put on jackets and sat out. Unfortunately, their “campfire” wasn’t working too well so we pulled out our buddy burner to add some more flames. It really cooled down so we called it a night about 10.
Aug 11th - Mon - Rocky Harbour
We had an absolutely wonderful day!
After breakfast, the Hubers took over the driving duties and we first bought tickets for a boat tour on Western Brook Pond. We didn’t know that we should have made reservations but we managed to get some of the seats that they keep for walk-up customers.
We were early so we drove a little further and walked on a beach for a while. The water is so clean.
For the boat tour, you have to walk in 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) on a boardwalk and gravel trail through bogs and forests - very pleasant. The lake (pond) is very deep and surrounded by very steep mountains. It is still referred to as a fjord even though it has been cut off from salt water for many years. The tour was 2 hours and was made most enjoyable by the sunshine.
We took a scenic loop that added a kilometer to our walk back to the parking lot. We decided to make baby backs for all of us for dinner but were going to a musical show so had to hurry up and get the ribs boiled when we got back.
We “ate & ran” to get to the pub at 7 for a 9 o’clock show as we were told that it fills up early. We didn’t have to be quite that early but got a good table. The show was a 5 man band (Anchors Aweigh) which provided local bits of information and comedy as well as maritime music. It was great and highly recommended to anyone who visits here. The show lasted until 12:15 so we canceled our plans for dessert and hit the hay.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Aug 7th & 8th - Nova Scotia to Newfoundland
Aug 7th - Thurs - to North Sydney NS
We only had an hour drive today so took our time getting up & going. We checked into the Arms of Gold RV park just out of North Sydney - more grass sites that were pretty waterlogged. The guy leading us to our site asked Terry to put the truck in 4-wheel drive BEFORE he started spinning so he wouldn’t tear up the campground like the guy beside us did when he left.
The sun came out so we took a walk and ended up chatting with a couple (brother & sister) from Kelowna until Terry had to take the truck into Sydney. I puttered around the rig and enjoyed some quiet time with a book while he was gone. It didn’t take long to fix the truck (to the tune of $639 - good thing there was only an hour of labor on top of the $401 for the part!) so when Terry got back we headed out to find a grocery store and some diesel.
We had planned on barbequed ribs for dinner and stuck with it even when clouds moved back in. Terry only got sprinkled on a little bit.
Aug 8th - Fri - to Newfoundland
We had a reservation on the 12:30 ferry and had to be there at least one hour ahead. We killed some time by walking a short ways to a discount store and browsing around. Saw many items there that I had bought yesterday and they were all cheaper at the discount store.
Got to the ferry terminal about 10:30 and there were already a lot of vehicles there. I used some of the wait time to make some a lunch to eat on the ferry and we chatted with several people. Terry was so happy when we arrived to see that the whole nose of the ferry opens and lifts up for level vehicle access. The ferry has two entire vehicle decks with a permanent ramp leading to the top deck.
We were late loading but it didn’t take too long and we were on board at 1:00. We were parked so close to a semi trailer (no tractor, just the trailer supported on a big metal stand) that I could barely squeeze between and open the door to put Dolly in the 5th wheel.
I am glad that the trip was only 6 ½ hours. We watched a movie (The Bucket List - again) and spent some time in the bar listening to 2-man band perform a wide variety of music with one of the guys playing an accordion for most of the numbers. Had Poutine for a snack just before we arrived but it is nothing special without Lamaire cheese.
The weather was nice when we arrived and we had a short 20 mile drive to the RV park. After we set up, Terry went to a free pile of wet firewood and stocked up. He was having a hard time getting a fire going so a neighbor came over with a bag of shavings which did the trick. The neighbor is from Newfoundland and he and another guy (from Peachland B.C.) from right beside us joined us for a while by the fire.
We only had an hour drive today so took our time getting up & going. We checked into the Arms of Gold RV park just out of North Sydney - more grass sites that were pretty waterlogged. The guy leading us to our site asked Terry to put the truck in 4-wheel drive BEFORE he started spinning so he wouldn’t tear up the campground like the guy beside us did when he left.
The sun came out so we took a walk and ended up chatting with a couple (brother & sister) from Kelowna until Terry had to take the truck into Sydney. I puttered around the rig and enjoyed some quiet time with a book while he was gone. It didn’t take long to fix the truck (to the tune of $639 - good thing there was only an hour of labor on top of the $401 for the part!) so when Terry got back we headed out to find a grocery store and some diesel.
We had planned on barbequed ribs for dinner and stuck with it even when clouds moved back in. Terry only got sprinkled on a little bit.
Aug 8th - Fri - to Newfoundland
We had a reservation on the 12:30 ferry and had to be there at least one hour ahead. We killed some time by walking a short ways to a discount store and browsing around. Saw many items there that I had bought yesterday and they were all cheaper at the discount store.
Got to the ferry terminal about 10:30 and there were already a lot of vehicles there. I used some of the wait time to make some a lunch to eat on the ferry and we chatted with several people. Terry was so happy when we arrived to see that the whole nose of the ferry opens and lifts up for level vehicle access. The ferry has two entire vehicle decks with a permanent ramp leading to the top deck.
We were late loading but it didn’t take too long and we were on board at 1:00. We were parked so close to a semi trailer (no tractor, just the trailer supported on a big metal stand) that I could barely squeeze between and open the door to put Dolly in the 5th wheel.
I am glad that the trip was only 6 ½ hours. We watched a movie (The Bucket List - again) and spent some time in the bar listening to 2-man band perform a wide variety of music with one of the guys playing an accordion for most of the numbers. Had Poutine for a snack just before we arrived but it is nothing special without Lamaire cheese.
The weather was nice when we arrived and we had a short 20 mile drive to the RV park. After we set up, Terry went to a free pile of wet firewood and stocked up. He was having a hard time getting a fire going so a neighbor came over with a bag of shavings which did the trick. The neighbor is from Newfoundland and he and another guy (from Peachland B.C.) from right beside us joined us for a while by the fire.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
August 4th to 6th - Baddeck NS
Aug 4th - Mon - to Baddeck NS (Cape Breton Island)
On & off showers all of the way today. We were heading for a PA park but after Terry drove for a few miles on a rough road into “nowhere”, he decided that we would pay more for a site that was more centrally located and on a good road. So we came back to a nice park just south of Baddeck which has the same problem right now as every other park in the area - more rain than the ground will soak up. We are tiptoeing through muck & puddles again.
We chatted with a neighbor as we were setting up and then made a trip into Baddeck for a few groceries and some more pieces to fix our falling apart lamp. I would buy a new lamp if I saw one just like the old one! Made a couple of trips to the office & laundry room to get an internet connection - turned out it needed resetting and then we could get it at our site.
Lightning and thunder started about 8 and lasted almost 2 hours with just a few short lulls. I have never been in a lightning storm of such long duration. Of course, the rain had to intensify also but let up so we could sleep.
Aug 5th - Tues - Baddeck
Still overcast and drizzly today so a good day to do laundry, internet stuff & read. We made another trip into Baddeck for fuel, booze and a visit to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Alexander Graham Bell had a home in Baddeck for part of his life which explains the location of the museum. I was not aware of his many accomplishments. The invention of the telephone was just the most well known and provided him an income to do other things. Before the telephone, he developed a very successful system to teach deaf people to speak. The museum was very well done and a great spot to get out of the nasty weather.
It quit raining before dinner so we decided to check out the line marked “river trail” on the campground map. A faded sign called it a “nature walk”. In spite of the incline down to the river, many spots were mud holes. But it was a fun change and I got a picture of the prettiest little plants that I found out were called “bunch berry”. They look like a ground dogwood but at this time of year the blossoms have turned to bright red berries.
Aug 6th - Wed - Baddeck
We were excited to hear the weather forecaster last night say “clearing skies for Nova Scotia” until she went on to say “except for Cape Breton Island”! But in spite of the low clouds, we headed out for a drive on the Cabot Trail today. It is a 195 mile scenic loop around the north part of the larger, more westerly portion of Cape Breton and includes (in the northern third or so ) Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The roads are good and the scenery, when the fog lifted, was lovely. We stopped at a spot called “Joe’s Scarecrows” which is a restaurant & gift shop that has a huge circle of “scarecrows” in all manner of clothing. Some are seated, kids are on bikes, some are set up so you can stand behind and include your head as part of the scarecrow and most have a printed tag with their name and a little blurb. Just the goofy, fun type of thing that we enjoy. We stopped for a late breakfast and walked a couple of short trails.
About halfway through the drive, Terry decided that we should detour to Sydney and get someone to diagnose a “not normal” sound from the front end of the truck. He thought it might be a wheel bearing. A guy at the Chev dealer took the truck for a short drive and agreed with Terry so we have an appointment to take it in tomorrow afternoon.
We took the shortest ferry ride I have ever seen (the trip was about 4 times the length of the ferry) to cut off about 20 miles of the bumpy drive from the Cabot Trail to Sydney.
On & off showers all of the way today. We were heading for a PA park but after Terry drove for a few miles on a rough road into “nowhere”, he decided that we would pay more for a site that was more centrally located and on a good road. So we came back to a nice park just south of Baddeck which has the same problem right now as every other park in the area - more rain than the ground will soak up. We are tiptoeing through muck & puddles again.
We chatted with a neighbor as we were setting up and then made a trip into Baddeck for a few groceries and some more pieces to fix our falling apart lamp. I would buy a new lamp if I saw one just like the old one! Made a couple of trips to the office & laundry room to get an internet connection - turned out it needed resetting and then we could get it at our site.
Lightning and thunder started about 8 and lasted almost 2 hours with just a few short lulls. I have never been in a lightning storm of such long duration. Of course, the rain had to intensify also but let up so we could sleep.
Aug 5th - Tues - Baddeck
Still overcast and drizzly today so a good day to do laundry, internet stuff & read. We made another trip into Baddeck for fuel, booze and a visit to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Alexander Graham Bell had a home in Baddeck for part of his life which explains the location of the museum. I was not aware of his many accomplishments. The invention of the telephone was just the most well known and provided him an income to do other things. Before the telephone, he developed a very successful system to teach deaf people to speak. The museum was very well done and a great spot to get out of the nasty weather.
It quit raining before dinner so we decided to check out the line marked “river trail” on the campground map. A faded sign called it a “nature walk”. In spite of the incline down to the river, many spots were mud holes. But it was a fun change and I got a picture of the prettiest little plants that I found out were called “bunch berry”. They look like a ground dogwood but at this time of year the blossoms have turned to bright red berries.
Aug 6th - Wed - Baddeck
We were excited to hear the weather forecaster last night say “clearing skies for Nova Scotia” until she went on to say “except for Cape Breton Island”! But in spite of the low clouds, we headed out for a drive on the Cabot Trail today. It is a 195 mile scenic loop around the north part of the larger, more westerly portion of Cape Breton and includes (in the northern third or so ) Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The roads are good and the scenery, when the fog lifted, was lovely. We stopped at a spot called “Joe’s Scarecrows” which is a restaurant & gift shop that has a huge circle of “scarecrows” in all manner of clothing. Some are seated, kids are on bikes, some are set up so you can stand behind and include your head as part of the scarecrow and most have a printed tag with their name and a little blurb. Just the goofy, fun type of thing that we enjoy. We stopped for a late breakfast and walked a couple of short trails.
About halfway through the drive, Terry decided that we should detour to Sydney and get someone to diagnose a “not normal” sound from the front end of the truck. He thought it might be a wheel bearing. A guy at the Chev dealer took the truck for a short drive and agreed with Terry so we have an appointment to take it in tomorrow afternoon.
We took the shortest ferry ride I have ever seen (the trip was about 4 times the length of the ferry) to cut off about 20 miles of the bumpy drive from the Cabot Trail to Sydney.
Monday, August 04, 2008
July 31st to Aug 3rd - Quebec to Nova Scotia
July 31st - Thurs - Drummondville
Lots of rain, lightning and thunder last night.
We had another wonderful day with Claude & Val. I took enough time from reading a book to vacuum the floor before they picked us up to go to lunch. I wanted to try the dish “Poutine” which I mentioned in a previous blog so we went to the place where they make the cheese and also have a restaurant. I enjoyed the dish, Val loves a version with hamburger added and Terry liked the same version as Val but he got a larger size which turned out to be too rich & cheesy for him to finish.
Then we went for another sightseeing drive, this time ending up in Sherbrooke. I had mentioned that I was looking for a used poker to use on campfires so we used that as a thin excuse for the drive. We came across the most amazing junk collection that you have ever seen. It had bright advertising signs all over and stands with “merchandise” spread around a grassy area - as well as a rickety building with lots of paint, antiques, dust and cobwebs. I did not have my camera but Claude took some pictures which I have and will get posted sometime.
In Sherbrooke, we hunted down some incredible murals on the walls of buildings, viewed great old churches and other buildings and “took a load off” while we had a beer. The landscape is very picturesque in this area - rolling hills, lots of farms and lovely old brick houses.
Val had us over for dinner again and then we got to enjoy pictures of their trip to the Maritimes and received lots of tips on where to go and what to see.
Aug 1st - Fri - to Levis, QC
Short drive today to Levis, Quebec which is across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. We arrived at the campground about 10:15 (without a reservation, of course) and they were pretty much booked up. They had one site but the previous occupant hadn’t left yet. So they parked us out of the way and I made breakfast while we waited. Still had time for a walk all around to roads of the park before our spot became available shortly before noon.
We set up quickly and went to catch the ferry to Quebec city. The ferry takes cars and passengers and right now runs every half hour. The actual trip across is 10 minutes and you end up in “Old Quebec”. We walked along the narrow streets with shops & restaurants in wonderful old buildings. Took the funicular (box on a rail as explained by Val!) up a steep hill to the walled portion with the Chateau de Frontenac, horse drawn carriages, a partially excavated ruin open to tours and many more stores and restaurants. We watched a street juggling/etc show before walking back down several sets of stairs to the lower level. We sat outside under awnings (it had started to rain) and had an early dinner before catching the ferry back.
Aug 2nd - Sat - to Charlo, New Brunswick
Long driving day today. We left about 8, drove along the St. Lawrence River and took the first main road to Edmunston, NB. From there we headed NE to the top NE corner of NB and ended up at Charlo which is not far from Campbellton if anyone is trying to find it on a map.
The weather continued gloomy and rainy all day. There were some steep hills (11%) through the wooded, unpopulated countryside that was most of the NB part. When we arrived in Charlo, the wind was really blowing so we did not even take advantage of the nice park to walk around.
Aug 3rd - Sun - to Pictou, NS
The wind and rain did not quit last night. We had a terrible night’s sleep. Terry took advantage of a lull in the rain to undo the power and water and we were on our way - didn’t even unhook the truck last night.
We started out in fog this morning so don’t know if we could have seen the ocean along the drive for a while. The fog cleared when it started to rain. We stopped at a pullout along the way so I could make lunch and then stopped for fuel and an ATM. It is so great that Wanda can find a Scotiabank ATM when we need one.
We left the main highway just south of Moncton to travel closer to the coast - MISTAKE! The road was very rough and probably not a lot more scenic than the main road would have been. We are in a PA park just out of Pictou. At this time of year the discount is 25% rather than 50% but it all helps. The park and manager are very casual. He walked us to our site on a corner and said we could park whichever way was best for us and then told us to set up and have a drink before coming over to pay. It is a large park and we took a nice walk before the rain interrupted a chat with a summer resident down the road. The rain continued to pour all evening. I took advantage of the “inside time” to phone brother Bob and friend Georgia. We have wifi at the site so Terry did some surfing while I was yapping.
Lots of rain, lightning and thunder last night.
We had another wonderful day with Claude & Val. I took enough time from reading a book to vacuum the floor before they picked us up to go to lunch. I wanted to try the dish “Poutine” which I mentioned in a previous blog so we went to the place where they make the cheese and also have a restaurant. I enjoyed the dish, Val loves a version with hamburger added and Terry liked the same version as Val but he got a larger size which turned out to be too rich & cheesy for him to finish.
Then we went for another sightseeing drive, this time ending up in Sherbrooke. I had mentioned that I was looking for a used poker to use on campfires so we used that as a thin excuse for the drive. We came across the most amazing junk collection that you have ever seen. It had bright advertising signs all over and stands with “merchandise” spread around a grassy area - as well as a rickety building with lots of paint, antiques, dust and cobwebs. I did not have my camera but Claude took some pictures which I have and will get posted sometime.
In Sherbrooke, we hunted down some incredible murals on the walls of buildings, viewed great old churches and other buildings and “took a load off” while we had a beer. The landscape is very picturesque in this area - rolling hills, lots of farms and lovely old brick houses.
Val had us over for dinner again and then we got to enjoy pictures of their trip to the Maritimes and received lots of tips on where to go and what to see.
Aug 1st - Fri - to Levis, QC
Short drive today to Levis, Quebec which is across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. We arrived at the campground about 10:15 (without a reservation, of course) and they were pretty much booked up. They had one site but the previous occupant hadn’t left yet. So they parked us out of the way and I made breakfast while we waited. Still had time for a walk all around to roads of the park before our spot became available shortly before noon.
We set up quickly and went to catch the ferry to Quebec city. The ferry takes cars and passengers and right now runs every half hour. The actual trip across is 10 minutes and you end up in “Old Quebec”. We walked along the narrow streets with shops & restaurants in wonderful old buildings. Took the funicular (box on a rail as explained by Val!) up a steep hill to the walled portion with the Chateau de Frontenac, horse drawn carriages, a partially excavated ruin open to tours and many more stores and restaurants. We watched a street juggling/etc show before walking back down several sets of stairs to the lower level. We sat outside under awnings (it had started to rain) and had an early dinner before catching the ferry back.
Aug 2nd - Sat - to Charlo, New Brunswick
Long driving day today. We left about 8, drove along the St. Lawrence River and took the first main road to Edmunston, NB. From there we headed NE to the top NE corner of NB and ended up at Charlo which is not far from Campbellton if anyone is trying to find it on a map.
The weather continued gloomy and rainy all day. There were some steep hills (11%) through the wooded, unpopulated countryside that was most of the NB part. When we arrived in Charlo, the wind was really blowing so we did not even take advantage of the nice park to walk around.
Aug 3rd - Sun - to Pictou, NS
The wind and rain did not quit last night. We had a terrible night’s sleep. Terry took advantage of a lull in the rain to undo the power and water and we were on our way - didn’t even unhook the truck last night.
We started out in fog this morning so don’t know if we could have seen the ocean along the drive for a while. The fog cleared when it started to rain. We stopped at a pullout along the way so I could make lunch and then stopped for fuel and an ATM. It is so great that Wanda can find a Scotiabank ATM when we need one.
We left the main highway just south of Moncton to travel closer to the coast - MISTAKE! The road was very rough and probably not a lot more scenic than the main road would have been. We are in a PA park just out of Pictou. At this time of year the discount is 25% rather than 50% but it all helps. The park and manager are very casual. He walked us to our site on a corner and said we could park whichever way was best for us and then told us to set up and have a drink before coming over to pay. It is a large park and we took a nice walk before the rain interrupted a chat with a summer resident down the road. The rain continued to pour all evening. I took advantage of the “inside time” to phone brother Bob and friend Georgia. We have wifi at the site so Terry did some surfing while I was yapping.
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