Len and Jo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2005
- Posts
- 1,442
We are now back at Codroy and staying at the Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park. We have reservations on the Tuesday ferry (Monday was full when we made our reservations today) to Nova Scotia.
Tuesday June 8, 2010
Well, the sun didn?t shine today, instead it was more rain. At least it wasn?t a downpour like yesterday and it waited until we were finished in Brigus. This is another must see village that dates back to the 1600s. And leave the vehicle parked someplace and just walk the narrow roads. This town takes you back to colonial times with its narrow roads and homes built right up next to the road. Johnny, the RV Park owner, gave us some suggestions as to where to find breakfast, so with the town map he gave us yesterday, we set off on foot for a walk into yesterday. The old houses are very pretty and it was fun walking the quiet streets. We found a delightful restaurant called the Country Corners Restaurant and Gift shop and asked for breakfast. They don?t serve breakfast, but had soups. Since it was about 11:00, we thought that would be fine and ordered the special: cod chowder with a tea biscuit and dessert. Oh my gosh! It was delicious. I could have licked my bowl clean. I also had some Tickle Partridgeberry tea and that was good too. Dessert was a blueberry crisp with ice cream. Oh Yum!
We really needed a walk after that meal so, using the map and the directions the restaurant owner gave us, we walked around town. It has lots of neat old houses, a pretty little harbor, and a tunnel that one of the early merchants blasted through the rock so he could get his supplies from his ships faster and easier. We had a very pleasant morning there before getting on the road again to go see the next village, Cupid?s. This town dates to 1610 and is celebrating 400 years this summer. There was a lot of construction going on in preparation for the festivities in July so it was difficult to really appreciate it.
After saying good bye to Johnny and taking pictures with him, we hit the road for our last easterly stretch of travel. We went to Signal Hill first and drove up to the John Cabot tower. This place was used to signal when ships were coming in to port. (Hence the name.) It is also the place where in 1901, Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message from Ireland. Yet another important use for Signal Hill and its surrounding rocky outcroppings was as the Queen?s Battery. There were fortified battlements around which were important in earlier times.
From the John Cabot tower we had a great view of St. Johns and could see the ?Jellybean Houses.? The rain and mist made them hard to really notice, but Len got a good picture of some. Then on the way out of town, we drove along Waters Street and saw some close up. They are very brightly colored row houses and look like a lot of fun. Each house is a different color so the entire area is very colorful.
Our next stop was Cape Spear National Park which is the eastern most point in North America. We saw the old lighthouse, but didn?t go up to it. It was getting late in the day and we were beginning to think about campsites. This was also another place with battlements and big guns. It was strange to see them and think that an enemy was so close off shore here in WW2.
Finally today, we drove down to LaManche Provincial Park and found a beautiful site. Actually all the sites look pretty nice ? large, very level, and clean. When we got set up, we realized that we hadn?t had lunch, but we weren?t really hungry. That cod chowder certainly stuck with us. We snacked a bit and after looking at photos of the day, we just had a bowl of cereal for a light supper.
As it began to get dark tonight, I looked out and saw the sun peeking through the clouds. Maybe it will shine tomorrow! Hope so!!
Wednesday June 9, 2010
We planned to go to the Witless Ecological Reserve today, but it was so foggy we figured that no boats would be going out so we started our return journey westward. Since we bypassed the Bonavista Peninsula in order to see Cape St. Mary, we will be doing that loop next. I am certainly glad we made that detour because the day we were there watching all the birds has been the only sunny day we?ve had.
As we were driving along the TCH, we saw a sign for Megan?s Fish and Chips, and since it was after lunch time we stopped in for some. Another tasty stop! The cod was excellent, the people were great. The owner said that her family owns the fish processing plant nearby and they personally select the best cod for the restaurant.
We got as far as the Cabot Hi-Way Cabins and RV Park in Charleston, a nice little place on a pond. There are only 20 sites so I?m sure she fills up fast during the season. As it is, we are again the only ones here.
Thursday June 10, 2010
This morning we had another Newfoundland history lesson. Our first stop was in Trinity which turned out to be much longer than we thought it would be. The first European visitor to come to this town was Gaspar Corte-Real, who sailed in on Trinity Sunday in1501. Early English fishermen found the cod fishing to be so bountiful in this area and Trinity?s harbor such a well protected one from the winds that the place quickly became a thriving merchant hub. Fishermen from the surrounding villages brought their cod to the mercantile families of Lester and Garland who would send it on to England.
There were several reconstructed buildings for visitors to tour, homes, a cooper?s, a forge, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, and the admission fee was well worth it because it was well done. Some of the buildings were original, dating back to the early 1800s. The retired RCMP officer who was the visitor?s guide in the Hiscock house was so interesting, that we stayed there to talk with him for almost an hour. Needless to say we were the only ones there at the time. The forge was good too with a blacksmith and his apprentice there to give demonstrations and history of the family business which had been in operation from the 1750s until 1955 in the same family. It rained off and on the whole time we were there, but that didn?t stop us from enjoying the place and its people. It was almost 4:00 when we left.
On the way out of town I was hoping to see the Common Loon that we saw on the way in, but of course it had moved on. At least we saw it once!
We drove on through some more small villages to the village of Elliston. There is a place here where you can see lots of Puffins. The ladies in the store gave us directions to the trail and also to the community campground.
We went to the campground first to get a site and drove onto as grassy site. I thought we might be able to see the ocean better from the other side of the road so Len drove across. Unfortunately that grassy area was a low spot and with all the rain we discovered (too late!) that it was super saturated and we got stuck in the muck. We tried to get out, but it was no use. Fortunately a young woman happened to drive through and we asked her if she knew of anyone who could help us. She called her husband and he came with a friend. The first rope they tried wasn?t strong enough so they went to get a stronger one. They were a good team, Wayne Cooper and Clifford, and after rocking, pulling, digging for almost 45 minutes, they got us out. Typically for these Newfoundlanders, they wouldn?t take anything for their efforts. Len tried to give them some cash, but they just said that they?d ?help anyone out of a hole.?
Then when we tried to clean up our stuff, lots of mud on the mats and ramps, we discovered that the water faucets were not turned on. So we thought we?d be ok and just plug in?but no electricity. Len wasn?t crazy about staying anyway, so we just packed up and left. We drove to Bonavista, to the lighthouse, and back out of town and finally found a nice park: Paradise Trailer Park. We were tired and hungry so just made a quick bowl of soup for supper.
Maybe we?ll see some puffins tomorrow.
Friday June 11, 2010
Last night I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting for a long time. It sounded like it was right behind the van.
We talked to the owner of the park a while this morning ? he?s quite the jokester. He and his wife also gave us some good information about what to see in the area. So it was back to Bonavista. First we went to the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, a restored fish merchant?s multi-building premises. That was another well done historical museum that was dedicated to all the cod fishermen as well as the seal traders. I found the fishing history interesting, but did not care to look at the seal industry. It is unfortunate that the cod have been over fished and I hope that the regulations on fishing seasons helps to bring them back.
We tried to get some cash on our American Express card at the Scotiabank (the only bank in town), but this bank does not accept American Express. We?ll try again on Monday in another town in different bank.
John Cabot landed here in Bonavista in 1497 and claimed the land for England. For the 500 year celebration of his journey here, the locals built a replica of his ship, the Matthew. It was a very good tour. The young man, who took us around the boat, certainly knew a lot about it.
Len didn?t want to go back to Eliston to look for puffins, so we went out to the Bonavista Lighthouse to see if we could see them, but there was a fee to get in. Then we tried Dungeon Provincial Park. The collapsed sea cave and other high cliffs were pretty there, but there were no puffins.
We left then taking Hwy 235 along the northern or western side of the peninsula, passing through more picturesque fishing towns. Kings Cove is another old one, being founded in the 1700s. We stopped for the night at the Cabot-Hwy Cabins and RV Park where we were two nights ago. This time there were 5 or 6 other campers here. It looks like they are all together.
Saturday June 12, 2010
We were on our way early this morning, by just after 8:00, but not before I saw a Cedar Waxwing in the tree outside our van. Such a pretty bird ?I love the coloration.
We arrived at the Terra Nova Visitor Center a few minutes before it opened at 10:00. They let us in early and we spent the next hour looking at the live ocean creatures touch tank. It was fascinating. A very nice young lady explained about a lot of the animals there and encouraged me to touch and hold some of them. There were also some salt water aquariums with some of the local fish. There was also an introductory film to watch about the national park.
Our next stop was the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander which is right on the Trans Canada Highway and worth the stop. There?s a nominal entrance fee, but again well worth it. Len was very interested in all the planes and WW2 information. They, of course, had a display about 9/11 including many thank you cards and letters from Americans who stayed there during that time of crisis. There was even a display of some beautiful quilts sent by some Michigan quilters as thank-you gifts.
We got as far as South Harbour and found an RV park for the night (Kona Beach) that is right on the highway. It?s on a lake and is pretty full of seasonal campers. There are lots of kids running around playing which seems strange because we haven?t seen many at all. It?s is the weekend though.
I haven?t mentioned the weather; well the day started off beautifully: sunny skies, warm; just very pleasant. However, when we were almost to the campground, it clouded up and sprinkled a little. Later in the evening it rained. Can?t go a day without rain.
Tuesday June 8, 2010
Well, the sun didn?t shine today, instead it was more rain. At least it wasn?t a downpour like yesterday and it waited until we were finished in Brigus. This is another must see village that dates back to the 1600s. And leave the vehicle parked someplace and just walk the narrow roads. This town takes you back to colonial times with its narrow roads and homes built right up next to the road. Johnny, the RV Park owner, gave us some suggestions as to where to find breakfast, so with the town map he gave us yesterday, we set off on foot for a walk into yesterday. The old houses are very pretty and it was fun walking the quiet streets. We found a delightful restaurant called the Country Corners Restaurant and Gift shop and asked for breakfast. They don?t serve breakfast, but had soups. Since it was about 11:00, we thought that would be fine and ordered the special: cod chowder with a tea biscuit and dessert. Oh my gosh! It was delicious. I could have licked my bowl clean. I also had some Tickle Partridgeberry tea and that was good too. Dessert was a blueberry crisp with ice cream. Oh Yum!
We really needed a walk after that meal so, using the map and the directions the restaurant owner gave us, we walked around town. It has lots of neat old houses, a pretty little harbor, and a tunnel that one of the early merchants blasted through the rock so he could get his supplies from his ships faster and easier. We had a very pleasant morning there before getting on the road again to go see the next village, Cupid?s. This town dates to 1610 and is celebrating 400 years this summer. There was a lot of construction going on in preparation for the festivities in July so it was difficult to really appreciate it.
After saying good bye to Johnny and taking pictures with him, we hit the road for our last easterly stretch of travel. We went to Signal Hill first and drove up to the John Cabot tower. This place was used to signal when ships were coming in to port. (Hence the name.) It is also the place where in 1901, Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message from Ireland. Yet another important use for Signal Hill and its surrounding rocky outcroppings was as the Queen?s Battery. There were fortified battlements around which were important in earlier times.
From the John Cabot tower we had a great view of St. Johns and could see the ?Jellybean Houses.? The rain and mist made them hard to really notice, but Len got a good picture of some. Then on the way out of town, we drove along Waters Street and saw some close up. They are very brightly colored row houses and look like a lot of fun. Each house is a different color so the entire area is very colorful.
Our next stop was Cape Spear National Park which is the eastern most point in North America. We saw the old lighthouse, but didn?t go up to it. It was getting late in the day and we were beginning to think about campsites. This was also another place with battlements and big guns. It was strange to see them and think that an enemy was so close off shore here in WW2.
Finally today, we drove down to LaManche Provincial Park and found a beautiful site. Actually all the sites look pretty nice ? large, very level, and clean. When we got set up, we realized that we hadn?t had lunch, but we weren?t really hungry. That cod chowder certainly stuck with us. We snacked a bit and after looking at photos of the day, we just had a bowl of cereal for a light supper.
As it began to get dark tonight, I looked out and saw the sun peeking through the clouds. Maybe it will shine tomorrow! Hope so!!
Wednesday June 9, 2010
We planned to go to the Witless Ecological Reserve today, but it was so foggy we figured that no boats would be going out so we started our return journey westward. Since we bypassed the Bonavista Peninsula in order to see Cape St. Mary, we will be doing that loop next. I am certainly glad we made that detour because the day we were there watching all the birds has been the only sunny day we?ve had.
As we were driving along the TCH, we saw a sign for Megan?s Fish and Chips, and since it was after lunch time we stopped in for some. Another tasty stop! The cod was excellent, the people were great. The owner said that her family owns the fish processing plant nearby and they personally select the best cod for the restaurant.
We got as far as the Cabot Hi-Way Cabins and RV Park in Charleston, a nice little place on a pond. There are only 20 sites so I?m sure she fills up fast during the season. As it is, we are again the only ones here.
Thursday June 10, 2010
This morning we had another Newfoundland history lesson. Our first stop was in Trinity which turned out to be much longer than we thought it would be. The first European visitor to come to this town was Gaspar Corte-Real, who sailed in on Trinity Sunday in1501. Early English fishermen found the cod fishing to be so bountiful in this area and Trinity?s harbor such a well protected one from the winds that the place quickly became a thriving merchant hub. Fishermen from the surrounding villages brought their cod to the mercantile families of Lester and Garland who would send it on to England.
There were several reconstructed buildings for visitors to tour, homes, a cooper?s, a forge, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, and the admission fee was well worth it because it was well done. Some of the buildings were original, dating back to the early 1800s. The retired RCMP officer who was the visitor?s guide in the Hiscock house was so interesting, that we stayed there to talk with him for almost an hour. Needless to say we were the only ones there at the time. The forge was good too with a blacksmith and his apprentice there to give demonstrations and history of the family business which had been in operation from the 1750s until 1955 in the same family. It rained off and on the whole time we were there, but that didn?t stop us from enjoying the place and its people. It was almost 4:00 when we left.
On the way out of town I was hoping to see the Common Loon that we saw on the way in, but of course it had moved on. At least we saw it once!
We drove on through some more small villages to the village of Elliston. There is a place here where you can see lots of Puffins. The ladies in the store gave us directions to the trail and also to the community campground.
We went to the campground first to get a site and drove onto as grassy site. I thought we might be able to see the ocean better from the other side of the road so Len drove across. Unfortunately that grassy area was a low spot and with all the rain we discovered (too late!) that it was super saturated and we got stuck in the muck. We tried to get out, but it was no use. Fortunately a young woman happened to drive through and we asked her if she knew of anyone who could help us. She called her husband and he came with a friend. The first rope they tried wasn?t strong enough so they went to get a stronger one. They were a good team, Wayne Cooper and Clifford, and after rocking, pulling, digging for almost 45 minutes, they got us out. Typically for these Newfoundlanders, they wouldn?t take anything for their efforts. Len tried to give them some cash, but they just said that they?d ?help anyone out of a hole.?
Then when we tried to clean up our stuff, lots of mud on the mats and ramps, we discovered that the water faucets were not turned on. So we thought we?d be ok and just plug in?but no electricity. Len wasn?t crazy about staying anyway, so we just packed up and left. We drove to Bonavista, to the lighthouse, and back out of town and finally found a nice park: Paradise Trailer Park. We were tired and hungry so just made a quick bowl of soup for supper.
Maybe we?ll see some puffins tomorrow.
Friday June 11, 2010
Last night I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting for a long time. It sounded like it was right behind the van.
We talked to the owner of the park a while this morning ? he?s quite the jokester. He and his wife also gave us some good information about what to see in the area. So it was back to Bonavista. First we went to the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, a restored fish merchant?s multi-building premises. That was another well done historical museum that was dedicated to all the cod fishermen as well as the seal traders. I found the fishing history interesting, but did not care to look at the seal industry. It is unfortunate that the cod have been over fished and I hope that the regulations on fishing seasons helps to bring them back.
We tried to get some cash on our American Express card at the Scotiabank (the only bank in town), but this bank does not accept American Express. We?ll try again on Monday in another town in different bank.
John Cabot landed here in Bonavista in 1497 and claimed the land for England. For the 500 year celebration of his journey here, the locals built a replica of his ship, the Matthew. It was a very good tour. The young man, who took us around the boat, certainly knew a lot about it.
Len didn?t want to go back to Eliston to look for puffins, so we went out to the Bonavista Lighthouse to see if we could see them, but there was a fee to get in. Then we tried Dungeon Provincial Park. The collapsed sea cave and other high cliffs were pretty there, but there were no puffins.
We left then taking Hwy 235 along the northern or western side of the peninsula, passing through more picturesque fishing towns. Kings Cove is another old one, being founded in the 1700s. We stopped for the night at the Cabot-Hwy Cabins and RV Park where we were two nights ago. This time there were 5 or 6 other campers here. It looks like they are all together.
Saturday June 12, 2010
We were on our way early this morning, by just after 8:00, but not before I saw a Cedar Waxwing in the tree outside our van. Such a pretty bird ?I love the coloration.
We arrived at the Terra Nova Visitor Center a few minutes before it opened at 10:00. They let us in early and we spent the next hour looking at the live ocean creatures touch tank. It was fascinating. A very nice young lady explained about a lot of the animals there and encouraged me to touch and hold some of them. There were also some salt water aquariums with some of the local fish. There was also an introductory film to watch about the national park.
Our next stop was the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander which is right on the Trans Canada Highway and worth the stop. There?s a nominal entrance fee, but again well worth it. Len was very interested in all the planes and WW2 information. They, of course, had a display about 9/11 including many thank you cards and letters from Americans who stayed there during that time of crisis. There was even a display of some beautiful quilts sent by some Michigan quilters as thank-you gifts.
We got as far as South Harbour and found an RV park for the night (Kona Beach) that is right on the highway. It?s on a lake and is pretty full of seasonal campers. There are lots of kids running around playing which seems strange because we haven?t seen many at all. It?s is the weekend though.
I haven?t mentioned the weather; well the day started off beautifully: sunny skies, warm; just very pleasant. However, when we were almost to the campground, it clouded up and sprinkled a little. Later in the evening it rained. Can?t go a day without rain.
Attachments
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2 Fishing Boats.JPG -
3 Shoreline.JPG -
4 A home.JPG -
5 Jelly Bean Houses - St. John's.JPG -
6 EVERY PERSON in Norht America is west of us.JPG -
7 Party for two.JPG -
8 Half of the two.JPG -
9 Signal Hill Sign Post.JPG -
10 Local Architecture - Anglican Church In Trinity.JPG -
11 Dang It.JPG -
11 Local Architecture - Trinity Area.JPG -
12 The Dungeon.JPG
