Len and Jo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2005
- Posts
- 1,442
Sunday May 23, 2010
Today was a day for rest and relaxation. Since we can?t take the boat until tomorrow, we decided to stay put here in Louisbourg. I was so tired last night that I slept in until 8:30 this morning. That was a surprise because I?ve been waking up so early. We both took advantage of the park?s immaculately clean showers and it felt great.
We walked down to the water and did a little beachcombing. I found some shells the girls might like to see and we took some photos of the ocean and Fort Louisbourg across the bay. What did we do before computers?? We spent the next few hours updating our log and picture file. It was good to just sit and not feel like we needed to get anyplace for the day. It was so nice out though that we took a walk into town and along the wharf. There were seagulls everywhere coming down for fish as the fishermen were unloading at the docks. There were also lots of crab shells that obviously had been eaten by the seagulls.
We wanted to go to church this morning and asked at the restaurant where an Anglican church was. She is Roman Catholic and didn?t know; however, on our walk into town we saw one right on Main Street not far from the RC church. She may be Catholic, but I bet she?s too busy with her motel/RV Park/restaurant to pay much attention to church.
The town was very quiet until a group of antique cars came roaring through. They were basically from the early 50?s and 60?s and in beautiful condition. It was funny since we were walking along the road side, they stopped and asked us where the fire hall was. We told them that being from Michigan, we didn?t know, but that we thought it was back the other way.
The restaurant was serving halibut for supper so we made reservations for 7:00 again and had another delicious meal. We got things ready for an early start in the morning and played a couple games of Mexican Train?I won.
Monday May 24, 2010
We were up and at ?em early and at the boat dock by 9:00. Daisy seemed to sense some impending terror and kept trying to find someplace to hide. I made a space for her in the closet, but she ended up under my seat on top of my books. I don?t know how she fit, but she squeezed in. It was a long 6 hours for her, poor thing. She was trembling when we got back down to her when we arrived in Newfoundland.
Our trip on the boat went by quickly and was quite pleasant. Although it seemed windy on shore before we left, the ocean was fairly smooth and we didn?t rock at all. We had nice seats in one of the lounges with a table and we were able to set up both computers, spread out the map and Newfoundland information packs. There was another couple next to us who drove on in a Roadtrec. They were nice and we struck up a friendly conversation with them. They are doing the same kind of trip that we are so we compared notes on routes, as well as camping experiences.
When we were almost to Port aux Basques, other people came to talk with us and suggested places to go to see ice bergs and other scenic areas. They also warned us about the moose. There are lots of them near the road so watch out! Speaking of wildlife, while on the boat, I saw cormorants, terns, and of course gulls at the North Sydney harbor, but while at sea, I saw 3 Northern Gannets flying low to the water. They are very large birds with a wing span of about 6 feet. They need that huge wing span because they are a strictly pelagic bird flying continually over the ocean looking for food. They nest on the islands in this area. That?s a new one for me!
We drove to the nicest campground we?ve camped at so far this trip. Grand Codroy RV Camping in the Codroy Valley about a half hour from the boat dock. It?s beautiful, right on a river, very quiet, and very empty. It?s open, though, and we have a lovely site overlooking the river. I went down to look for ducks or other birds and saw a pair of Greater Scaups, another new one for my life list. Now I can?t go out without my binoculars in case I see something else. I took them when we walked over to the very nice campground craft store. We didn?t buy anything tonight, but plan on picking up a few things on the way home. Everything is made right here on the island and it?s not junk! Great stuff! Also, the owners are very friendly and pleasant to talk to so we stayed quite a while just to talk.
Tomorrow we?re going to head north to the Viking area. Hopefully we?ll see icebergs too.
Tuesday May 25, 2010
It was a beautiful morning even though it was a little chilly. We took showers in the RV park?s immaculate shower rooms before having our simple, but tasty oatmeal breakfast. Len sent out some emails of the log and photos and then we were on our way again. We took Alice?s (park owner) suggestion and went along Highway 406 and 407 which went out to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We had a very pleasant drive along the Grand Codroy River. We don?t usually think of dandelions as a flower to want to have around, but the fields of them that we passed were really pretty. Yellow and green are very nice together. At the end of the road by the ocean, there was a provincial park/bird sanctuary. Piping Plovers nest there so everyone is supposed to stay off the areas of the beach where they would nest. We are a little early for them though.
As we continued on after a walk along the shore, we drove passed a flash from the past. There was a garage that looked like it came straight from the 1950s. We stopped to take a quick picture and the man, Mr. Skeard, beckoned us to pull in. Oh, my goodness! What a place. He had his garage all fixed up with old American memorabilia ? Elvis, cars shined and sparkling, tools, license plates, etc. He even had a mock up of an A&W drive-in food tray to put on the window of his ?56 Ford Fairlane. And for the little kids, there was Mader, made out of wood, but cute just the same. He was as friendly and talkative as they come and it was a fun stop. We offered him our Route 66 license plate to add to his collection which he eagerly accepted. He had a Phillips screwdriver handy and in a few seconds added to his stash. He said he gets things from people from all over when they stop. What fun! Len was ready to replace that seven year old plate anyway.
By the way, Mr. Skeard warned us about the moose on the highway. We have been warned now several times by folks on the ship and now him. He said that last night he was coming home from Port aux Basque and had to swerve very fast when one came out onto the highway. Even then he hit the moose?s hooves as it stumbled on the road. I think they were both lucky!
We drove on as far as the town of Codroy where we found a small Anglican church. It looked quaint and was a good turn around point so we pulled in. There were two men working in the cemetery fixing old tombstones. We got out for a look and I was taken with how pretty the markers were. Most of them were really white too. I wonder what kind of stone they were? We talked to one of the men for a bit, but he was very hard to understand. He spoke English, but the dialect here is quite different, one I?ve never heard before.
From Codroy we went back to Highway 1 and on to Stephenville. We stopped at a Walmart (not my favorite store) for a few supplies and continued on along the southern edge of the peninsula. We passed a private campground along the way and after having enough of the beautiful view of St. George?s Bay went back to it for the evening.
Wednesday May 26, 2010
The day started off sunny and pleasant so after our birdie baths and breakfast we headed out for Blow Me Down Provincial Park on the next bay. As we were driving east on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) we saw a moose run across the road. It was quite a way down the road, but we still had a good look at it. If they all stay that far away when we?re on the highway, it?s ok with me. I?d just as soon not have an upclose and personal encounter with one! Later as we were returning from Lark Harbour to Hwy 1, I saw another moose down the hill in the brush below the road. That?s two for the day.
Our drive today took us along the Humber Arm of the Bay of Islands. It was a very picturesque ride through several small fishing villages. The road wound up and down the low mountains along the coast. At one moment we were at sea level, then, it was up again about 300 feet. All along the road when we came to the little towns, the homes were perched here and there on small pads of land that was leveled out with just enough room for the house and driveway. In some areas the homes were nestled close together on a small area by the sea shore. And of course there were lots of dories and larger fishing boats. In the distance across the bay we could see snow in the mountains behind the villages.
We drove all the way to Lark Harbour and had lunch at a small caf? called Marlaines Whalewatcher Caf? and Craft Shop. She made us some delicious crab sandwiches. I finally found some postcards for our little girls there and will try to get them out tomorrow.
After lunch we retraced our steps to Hwy 1 without going to Blow Me Down Park because it doesn?t open until June 1. That is a bit of a problem on this stretch of the trip. When we got to the Gros Morne National Park visitor center, we found out that some of the park?s attractions are not opened yet. But perhaps we can try again on our way back down from the northern tip of this peninsula.
We?ll go back to the center tomorrow to buy an annual pass so we can use it when we go to Tobermory in July with Heather and Noe. We need one here to go on any of the trails as well as a boat ride on Western Brook Pond, which is an enclosed fjord. We?re not sure what we?ll do for the day tomorrow, take a hike or visit some of the indoor interpretive centers. It?s raining now and we?ll have to see what the weather brings tomorrow.
We chose the Gros Morne KOA campground for the night and it is one of the nicest KOAs we?ve ever been in. The sites are very private with lots of trees between each one, it?s very clean, sites are a nice size, and the office has an adequate supply store and even a small lounge area. While in the office, we started talking to a couple of young men traveling from Ontario. They have already been to the east end of the island and said that Cape St. Mary Ecological Preserve is a great place. They saw all kinds of birds all over the place and could get pretty close to them. We?ll have to go there for sure!!
Today was a day for rest and relaxation. Since we can?t take the boat until tomorrow, we decided to stay put here in Louisbourg. I was so tired last night that I slept in until 8:30 this morning. That was a surprise because I?ve been waking up so early. We both took advantage of the park?s immaculately clean showers and it felt great.
We walked down to the water and did a little beachcombing. I found some shells the girls might like to see and we took some photos of the ocean and Fort Louisbourg across the bay. What did we do before computers?? We spent the next few hours updating our log and picture file. It was good to just sit and not feel like we needed to get anyplace for the day. It was so nice out though that we took a walk into town and along the wharf. There were seagulls everywhere coming down for fish as the fishermen were unloading at the docks. There were also lots of crab shells that obviously had been eaten by the seagulls.
We wanted to go to church this morning and asked at the restaurant where an Anglican church was. She is Roman Catholic and didn?t know; however, on our walk into town we saw one right on Main Street not far from the RC church. She may be Catholic, but I bet she?s too busy with her motel/RV Park/restaurant to pay much attention to church.
The town was very quiet until a group of antique cars came roaring through. They were basically from the early 50?s and 60?s and in beautiful condition. It was funny since we were walking along the road side, they stopped and asked us where the fire hall was. We told them that being from Michigan, we didn?t know, but that we thought it was back the other way.
The restaurant was serving halibut for supper so we made reservations for 7:00 again and had another delicious meal. We got things ready for an early start in the morning and played a couple games of Mexican Train?I won.
Monday May 24, 2010
We were up and at ?em early and at the boat dock by 9:00. Daisy seemed to sense some impending terror and kept trying to find someplace to hide. I made a space for her in the closet, but she ended up under my seat on top of my books. I don?t know how she fit, but she squeezed in. It was a long 6 hours for her, poor thing. She was trembling when we got back down to her when we arrived in Newfoundland.
Our trip on the boat went by quickly and was quite pleasant. Although it seemed windy on shore before we left, the ocean was fairly smooth and we didn?t rock at all. We had nice seats in one of the lounges with a table and we were able to set up both computers, spread out the map and Newfoundland information packs. There was another couple next to us who drove on in a Roadtrec. They were nice and we struck up a friendly conversation with them. They are doing the same kind of trip that we are so we compared notes on routes, as well as camping experiences.
When we were almost to Port aux Basques, other people came to talk with us and suggested places to go to see ice bergs and other scenic areas. They also warned us about the moose. There are lots of them near the road so watch out! Speaking of wildlife, while on the boat, I saw cormorants, terns, and of course gulls at the North Sydney harbor, but while at sea, I saw 3 Northern Gannets flying low to the water. They are very large birds with a wing span of about 6 feet. They need that huge wing span because they are a strictly pelagic bird flying continually over the ocean looking for food. They nest on the islands in this area. That?s a new one for me!
We drove to the nicest campground we?ve camped at so far this trip. Grand Codroy RV Camping in the Codroy Valley about a half hour from the boat dock. It?s beautiful, right on a river, very quiet, and very empty. It?s open, though, and we have a lovely site overlooking the river. I went down to look for ducks or other birds and saw a pair of Greater Scaups, another new one for my life list. Now I can?t go out without my binoculars in case I see something else. I took them when we walked over to the very nice campground craft store. We didn?t buy anything tonight, but plan on picking up a few things on the way home. Everything is made right here on the island and it?s not junk! Great stuff! Also, the owners are very friendly and pleasant to talk to so we stayed quite a while just to talk.
Tomorrow we?re going to head north to the Viking area. Hopefully we?ll see icebergs too.
Tuesday May 25, 2010
It was a beautiful morning even though it was a little chilly. We took showers in the RV park?s immaculate shower rooms before having our simple, but tasty oatmeal breakfast. Len sent out some emails of the log and photos and then we were on our way again. We took Alice?s (park owner) suggestion and went along Highway 406 and 407 which went out to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We had a very pleasant drive along the Grand Codroy River. We don?t usually think of dandelions as a flower to want to have around, but the fields of them that we passed were really pretty. Yellow and green are very nice together. At the end of the road by the ocean, there was a provincial park/bird sanctuary. Piping Plovers nest there so everyone is supposed to stay off the areas of the beach where they would nest. We are a little early for them though.
As we continued on after a walk along the shore, we drove passed a flash from the past. There was a garage that looked like it came straight from the 1950s. We stopped to take a quick picture and the man, Mr. Skeard, beckoned us to pull in. Oh, my goodness! What a place. He had his garage all fixed up with old American memorabilia ? Elvis, cars shined and sparkling, tools, license plates, etc. He even had a mock up of an A&W drive-in food tray to put on the window of his ?56 Ford Fairlane. And for the little kids, there was Mader, made out of wood, but cute just the same. He was as friendly and talkative as they come and it was a fun stop. We offered him our Route 66 license plate to add to his collection which he eagerly accepted. He had a Phillips screwdriver handy and in a few seconds added to his stash. He said he gets things from people from all over when they stop. What fun! Len was ready to replace that seven year old plate anyway.
By the way, Mr. Skeard warned us about the moose on the highway. We have been warned now several times by folks on the ship and now him. He said that last night he was coming home from Port aux Basque and had to swerve very fast when one came out onto the highway. Even then he hit the moose?s hooves as it stumbled on the road. I think they were both lucky!
We drove on as far as the town of Codroy where we found a small Anglican church. It looked quaint and was a good turn around point so we pulled in. There were two men working in the cemetery fixing old tombstones. We got out for a look and I was taken with how pretty the markers were. Most of them were really white too. I wonder what kind of stone they were? We talked to one of the men for a bit, but he was very hard to understand. He spoke English, but the dialect here is quite different, one I?ve never heard before.
From Codroy we went back to Highway 1 and on to Stephenville. We stopped at a Walmart (not my favorite store) for a few supplies and continued on along the southern edge of the peninsula. We passed a private campground along the way and after having enough of the beautiful view of St. George?s Bay went back to it for the evening.
Wednesday May 26, 2010
The day started off sunny and pleasant so after our birdie baths and breakfast we headed out for Blow Me Down Provincial Park on the next bay. As we were driving east on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) we saw a moose run across the road. It was quite a way down the road, but we still had a good look at it. If they all stay that far away when we?re on the highway, it?s ok with me. I?d just as soon not have an upclose and personal encounter with one! Later as we were returning from Lark Harbour to Hwy 1, I saw another moose down the hill in the brush below the road. That?s two for the day.
Our drive today took us along the Humber Arm of the Bay of Islands. It was a very picturesque ride through several small fishing villages. The road wound up and down the low mountains along the coast. At one moment we were at sea level, then, it was up again about 300 feet. All along the road when we came to the little towns, the homes were perched here and there on small pads of land that was leveled out with just enough room for the house and driveway. In some areas the homes were nestled close together on a small area by the sea shore. And of course there were lots of dories and larger fishing boats. In the distance across the bay we could see snow in the mountains behind the villages.
We drove all the way to Lark Harbour and had lunch at a small caf? called Marlaines Whalewatcher Caf? and Craft Shop. She made us some delicious crab sandwiches. I finally found some postcards for our little girls there and will try to get them out tomorrow.
After lunch we retraced our steps to Hwy 1 without going to Blow Me Down Park because it doesn?t open until June 1. That is a bit of a problem on this stretch of the trip. When we got to the Gros Morne National Park visitor center, we found out that some of the park?s attractions are not opened yet. But perhaps we can try again on our way back down from the northern tip of this peninsula.
We?ll go back to the center tomorrow to buy an annual pass so we can use it when we go to Tobermory in July with Heather and Noe. We need one here to go on any of the trails as well as a boat ride on Western Brook Pond, which is an enclosed fjord. We?re not sure what we?ll do for the day tomorrow, take a hike or visit some of the indoor interpretive centers. It?s raining now and we?ll have to see what the weather brings tomorrow.
We chose the Gros Morne KOA campground for the night and it is one of the nicest KOAs we?ve ever been in. The sites are very private with lots of trees between each one, it?s very clean, sites are a nice size, and the office has an adequate supply store and even a small lounge area. While in the office, we started talking to a couple of young men traveling from Ontario. They have already been to the east end of the island and said that Cape St. Mary Ecological Preserve is a great place. They saw all kinds of birds all over the place and could get pretty close to them. We?ll have to go there for sure!!
