11: Gros Morne (9/23-9/24)

Our stay in Gros Morne was quite different from what we'd anticipated.  For one thing, the weather changed our plans - pouring rain one day, lighter rain the next, not so cold, thankfully, but dreary, dreary, dreary, not unusual for this time of year on Newfoundland.  We feel lucky we got in a good sunset the first night here.

The park's visitors center was a font of information, both local and in planning how to spend all of our NL time. One ranger was from St. John's, and she pretty much led us to decide we will make the drive all the way over there and back.  The rangers also helped us decide some of the trails we'd wanted to try just wouldn't work, between our stamina and the weather.  Allen continued his moose hunt, finding one he could hug at the visitors center.

Our campground was filled with screaming and hoots of laughter one morning, as the owner, a high school gym teacher, had a class spend the day in kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats on the campground lake.  Yep, some got wet.  A wonderful walking path ringed the entire lake, along which provided brilliant fall colors for a scavenger hunt of sorts.

Found the seafood shop at the end of the Rocky Harbour road, where we bought cod filets for the home-made chowder I later produced (and shared leftovers with the camp cat who ate all but the potatoes).  Also on sale there were seal flippers for $2.00/pack.  I innocently asked if these were doggie chew toys; turns out they have been, and in some places still are, a reliable mainstay, especially when boiled, skinned and de-padded and made into a potpie with local carrots, potatoes, and turnips.

Following are a few snaps for no reason just because this place is so beautiful, fall is sneaking in, and the landforms are incredible....

Recommended in Rocky Harbour was our new favorite lunch place, Jackie's. Not much to see on the outside, but right on the water and all the ways there are to enjoy cod.




End of the road in Rocky Harbour.

Our days here brought oceanside trails, mosquito clouds (we thought they would be gone by now), a moose dinner at Earl's for Allen (cod tongues for me), an evening's drive to Norris Point to look for moose (zilch sighted), and a visit to the Norris Point ER for me (UTI that just won't quit).  The last has colored my days a bit, unfortunately, cost of doing business, I guess.  Cutest little hospital we ever did see, however, about the size of an elementary school at home.  And more culinary pleasures include local beer names in honor of my brother and toutons, the fried-dough-and-molasses-and-lingonberry ("partridgeberry" here) wonder dish.

Ocean trail hike was just stunning.  Can't believe plants can grow on the rocky beaches.  Lots of rain the day before, so trail was runny.  Scavenger hunt was loaded with sea urchins.

Enough driftwood for crafters worldwide

We're still finding raspberries from time to time, a treat.

And then there is the tuckamore. "Buffeted by storms and onshore winds, coastal white spruce and balsam fir trees develop into a contorted tuckamore forest. Salt spray and desiccation kill exposed buds. Growth occurs only on the protected side of these trees, so they seem to lean away from the sea as they grow." It's an elfin playground as far as we're concerned.

10: Port-aux-Basques to Gros Morne (9/22)

We woke to this view of the North Atlantic from our hotel window in Port-aux-Basques, an amazing way to begin the day.  The day also began amazingly because we had TV, great wi-fi, and two real beds the night before!!  Cabin camping is all right, but it does make one appreciate the missing comforts we normally take for granted.

First stop was a nearby park with a wooden walkway going around a good-sized lake.  Lots of other walkers were out, as it was Sunday and a surprisingly warm (75) day for this time of year.  Newfoundland is beginning to show autumn colors.  The strongest yellows and oranges in the photo below come from ferns, surprising to me.

I was so happy to see pitcher plants all along the walk, an insectivore plant I'd read about but have never seen in the wild before.  Turns our they're the provincial plant of Newfoundland and Labrador...who knew?  I certainly never thought of them in that light.

Another lovely bog plant is the one below with the stunning blue berries.  I haven't yet learned what it's called.

And so our Sunday drive was to head north towards Gros Morne National Park along the Trans Canadian Highway.

One of our favorite jokes this year is that Allen really wants to see a moose.  He was disappointed when we didn't see one during our jaunt along Lake Superior this summer, so his cousin Joan and I got him a moose cap as a consolation prize.  He has spoken to people all along our way yesterday and today about moose sightings, has heard many good stories, but so far no luck.  We even headed out at dusk this evening to drive along slowing, hoping to see one.  It about killed him that the gal who runs the office at our campground here saw one nearby last night.  I'm also excited to see one, except I'm also terrified that we actually will.

A stop for groceries in Corner Brook included the surprise of seeing another Norwegian cruise ship in port.  Again, who knew Corner Brook was a destination port?  

Entering Gros Morne National Park In 1987, the park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its geological history and its exceptional scenery. The geology of the Park in particular illustrates the concept of plate tectonics, and has shed important light on geological evolution and its processes.

We staying in a kabin at the only KOA campground in all of Newfoundland, located amid the national park.  We are one of five sites occupied in the entire place, and these are the views from our little nest.

9: NS to NL (9/20-9/21)

Because our Cape Breton campground was in a beautiful spot, it was near nowhere, so we went exploring to North Sydney and Sydney Mines (never heard of them?  me, neither).  Both towns are small but bustling, somehow.  Did some grocery shopping.   We can tell we're getting farther out; prices are climbing.

Back to camp for an beautiful early evening walk and loved this riverfront (well, oceanfront, really) lake hut.  Steak campfire cookout followed.

Somewhat unfortunate name choice.....

Morning brought a hurry-up-and-out, as I neglected to recall we had to be at the ferry to Newfoundland two hours before departure until I reviewed our ticket confirmation.  No showers or anything...we just ran!

At the ferry, we were impressed by a number of things.  So many fellow passengers were hunters and anglers from all over the U.S., headed to NFLD with coolers for their bears and fish.  And many tractor trailers were pulled onto the ferry by a tractor of some kind, rather than under their own power, then chained to the deck.  Seasick bags were prominently displayed, although we had a beautiful day and a gentle crossing.  And for $59, we got a window cabin for the trip, welcome, as the only entertainment on board was food lounges.  At least Allen got to learn the (losing) results of the UNC football game on our cabin's TV.  We both got good naps.

After a six-hour crossing, welcome to Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador!  Just like we see in our friends' photos, it's cloudy, misty, rainy.  But it's dry and sunny in our overnight town, the hotel is comfy, and there's a Subway.  A quick driving tour of the town shows us it's modest, perhaps a bit poor, but has a huge indoor sports center and a branch of the College of the North Atlantic.

Allen has discovered the joys of Tim Hortons on this trip, the ubiquitous Canadian version of Dunkin' Donuts, but with a bit more class.  He gets the $.69 espresso, a wonder in his book, and sometimes a bad, bad pastry of some kind to go with it.

Newfoundland and a small part of Labrador are 1/2 hour ahead of the Atlantic Time Zone.  When the province attempted to join the western provinces in being on the hour in the early 1960's, the public outcry was such that the attempts was abandoned, so we remain 1.5 hours ahead of Frederick.

This photo pretty much sums up Port-aux-Basques.

Ferry captain turned the boat around in the harbor and so gently backed into the dock, quite the amazing drive.

8: Farewell, PEI (9/18-9/19)

Our last full day on PEI was a stunning fall day and a mix of fun and housekeeping.  Spent the morning touring the beautiful grounds of Fort Amherst, the French-built and Brit-controlled fort at the mouth of Charlottetown’s bay.  

Went down a dirt road to discover the Block Point lighthouse, truly a house (uninhabited now) and working light. In fact, haven’t seen a single lighthouse anywhere that's non-operational, and we've seen plenty of lighthouses. 

Even the drive to and from the park was a winner – it’s hard to find a coastal drive that isn’t just stunning.  PEI is just a beautiful island.

Mother nature gave us several gifts. The mountain ash trees are just stunning in their flaming red/orange berry fineries. We were tickled by the antics of Chip and Dale and friends at the entrance to our campground.  Early morning brought a hoard of cormorants energetically feasting for half an hour on a school of fish in front of our campsite.  And we had a great view of cruise ships going in and out of Charlottetown from our little campsite.

The afternoon brought the necessary windshield replacement (thank-you, Allen) and loads of laundry (me), followed by PEI oysters and grilled fish at our favorite Claddagh Oyster House – again!  All in all, a winner of a day.

A quick up-and-out Thursday got us to the ferry running from PEI to Nova Scotia.  A 75-minute trip, the run repeats 10 times each day, ice permitting.  The change in landscape from PEI at the end of the ferry trip is stunning.  No red soil.  A pulp factory welcomed us, as well as highways busy with trucks and zillions of tourist-trap billboards.  Disneyland was gone for sure.

But the farther east you travel, the more stunning the natural scenery gets, and the tourism stuff eases somewhat.  Mountains, lakes, scenic vistas become the norm again.  Spending a couple of nights at another KOA cabin (“kabin”) near Sydney, as the ferry to Newfoundland was completely booked on Friday; we’ll travel again on Saturday instead. The campground is located on an ocean inlet at the base of a mountain where the face of the mountain looks as if it has literally fallen away at some point.  Actually, the entire thing was used to build the causeways for the adjacent bridge over the Atlantic inlet in the 1950's.  It is just a bit disconcerting to look up to see the forest floor and trees at the top of the mountain hanging like a stiff mat over the edge of a table; there’s literally nothing underneath some of it.