Day 44 & 45 .... they confiscated our PEI potatoes

Day 44 Wednesday August 14th, 2013 
... 16 degrees

had the alarm set for 4:30 am but woke up at 4:15....go figure

as we hooked up the night before we were on the road quickly

{anonymous scribe thinks they are getting pretty good at de-camping}

if you can believe it.....when we reached the ferry slip the CFIA confiscated our PEI potatoes

the loading process was very slow again....guess BC Ferries isn't so bad after all

even though we have reserved our booking they make you book again before boarding

once again Missy is in the trailer by herself for 7 hours....she has been a real trouper

once we on deck we decided to have a nap and get a bite to eat after

but guess what.....after breakfast is served the cafeterias all close

except for a very small snack shop...hmmmm BC Ferries come out ahead again

Missy was VERY happy to see us

after a 12 hour day we reach our North Sydney KOA campsite

 sit out for a bit as we have a beautiful view from our site tonight

....and the bites dad has from the nasty little devils that fly around look infected

I can honestly say I have never seen so many bites on anyone....EVER

we are trying to stop the itch with after bite

early to bed as we have a busy day tomorrow

Day 45 Thursday August 15th, 2013 
... 23 degrees

up and on the road @ 7:15 to explore the Cabot Trail

 the first few miles of the trail we passed many colourful, cute houses ... some for sale

{'the anonymous scribe' again wonders if a purchase has been made}

it was suggested to us by people we had met so far on our trip to take the trail clockwise
.... so that is what we did
the road first meanders through the middle of the island until Margaree Harbour
then the road starts following the water

 the views and vistas are WONDERFUL, windy but very scenic and beautiful
once we reach Cheticamp its time for a bite since we left with out breaky this morning

as there was not a Starbucks to be seen and hasn't been for what seems like an eternity
I AM FORCED TO GO TO TIMMY'S!!!

a little further north we enter the Cape Breton Highlands National Park
we stop often at the viewpoints to take photos & to marvel at the scenery

then up an over the 1500 foot French Mountain which travels
inland for a bit then eventually back to the sea
I had read in a book that at Cape North you could take an optional 16km drive
further north to Meat Cove which is the most northerly point on the island

you know us, we're game for anything !!!
the books also said that there was a good chance we would see whales frolicking just off 
the shore putting on a show for us BUT this must have been their day off
as we didn't see any whales...but the view was awesome

the last 8km of the road was gravel and it came to a sudden stop with one lonely house at the end
these folks must have wanted to "get away from it all" because it certainly seemed
like the end of the world to us

Mom needs her eyes checked....I saw loads of whales

 
lots of whitecaps on the water and huge waves lashing at the shore
as we travel down the east side of the trail we stop at many more viewpoints
we have yet to see any boats but that's probably due to the rough seas

as we eventually find our way back to the Trans Can we go in search of some veggies
to have with dinner but to no avail as everything was closed so its plan B....frozen veggies

{'the anonymous scribe' thinks then they should just have chocolate}

 
arrive back at camp at around 6:30 then we pack in prep for leaving in the morning 
maybe I will see some whales tomorrow

tootles

S, G and Missy {the wonder dog}

Days 42 & 43 ...1956 for Fairlaine 4 door hard top

Day 42 Monday August 12th, 2013 
... 20 degrees

woke at 7:30 to a very nice day and yeah....the wind has died down

Dad continued his clean-up of the out-side of the trailer

while I booked our campsite for the next two nights in Sydney

had a lot of trouble using the payphone at the campsite 

and the cell phone service at this campsite is very poor

at noon we head out for drive along the 470 which travels east of Port Aux Basques

the terrain is very rugged, eroded & windswept

this is the first time in NFLD that we've seen this type of terrain

we follow the shoreline for about 50kms passing a few fishing villages along the way

our destination was the village of Rose Blanche

as described in an article I had read, Rose Blanche had turned out to be the perfect

example of a NFLD fishing community with many brightly 

painted little houses dotted around the harbour

the village is also home to the Rose Blanche Lighthouse which dates back to 1873

over the years it fell into disrepair but was restored to it's original granite state in 1999

by several of the towns folk

note to self....always bring an extra camera battery with you

whether you think you need it or not !!!!!!!!
 just as we are having a look around the lighthouse grounds my battery died
thank goodness for the cell phone
an extremely rugged shoreline where the lighthouse sits

we read about several ships that have been lost over the years and can understand why 
the weather was sunny and beautiful but it is VERY WINDY

I can't imagine what it must be like when a storm is coming in off of the water

after a good look around we start to head back to Port Aux Basque

scout out a grocery store and look for a campsite for closer to the ferry terminal

as we will be leaving Wed morning

dinner is steak & shrimp, baked potatoes, mushrooms & onions with some veggies

is your mouth watering ????

Day 43 Tuesday August 13th, 2013 
HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY AUSTIN

 woke to another beautiful sunny day

dad continues to clean the outside of the trailer only to get eaten alive by those dastardly little black flies

{anonymous  scribe thinks the trailer must be really clean by now... lol}

they somehow are able to get down the back of his t-shirt and feast on his back
funny thing is whenever dad is working outside, Missy feels she needs to sit in the truck
hmmm she is catching on in her old age
and since this campsite is half empty she can go off leash

we decided not to move closer to the ferry as it's not that far of a drive
we head out on the road towards Port Aux Basque to get cell phone service
we caught Austin just as he was getting up to wish him a happy birthday
so that worked out well with the time difference

on our way back to camp we decide to explore the Codroy Valley via RTES 407 & 406
very pretty and more fertile than we've seen in most of NFLD

 along the way we run across 'CHAPS GARAGE'

and he has abeautiful 1956 Ford Fairlaine 4 door hard top sitting outside

SO WE MUST STOP

he also has several other vehicles on display & I took photos and dad took a video
the whole place is like a blast from the past

 

inside he had ALL KINDS of vintage bits & bobs from the 50's & 60's
most of them I can remember
a very worthwhile stop as you can tell from our pictures

 

then we continue to Cape Anguille which is at the end of the road

back to the campsite at 5:30 to get supper on the go and dad finished cleaning the truck

then about 7 pm guess who drives though the campsite in his

1956 Ford Fairlaine 4 door hard top

yep....Chap stopped by to say hi with his wife in the car too,what a treat for us

as we are leaving NFLD in the morning we get camp packed up as much as we can for the morning

a few things to mention

...almost EVERY HOUSE has washing on the line (with this wind it dries fast)

...dad says the bites on my legs are so bad they might be there FOREVER

early to bed for an early start

Day 40 & 41 ...No. 1 looks perfect

Day 40 Saturday August 10th, 2013 ... 21degrees

up very early at 6:15 am

we need to get a move on because we are leaving Twillingate for the 

Port Aux Basques area where we need to catch our ferry back to Nova Scotia

No time for breaky

its nice to start out early....the traffic is light which makes it easier

navigating through these heavy rainstorms they have

a quick pit stop for a bun and coffee then on the road again

spotted another moose and calf...brings the total up to 5 sightings

as we get closer to our campsite we are hit by heavier rain and huge wind gusts

the gusts are so strong the highway signs are warning drivers of winds

up to 85 kms an hour and that trucks should pull over

we did see several semis and rv's pulled over but

we didn't have far to go so on we went

{anonymous  scribe wonders why there are 

no pictures of this weather ... lol}

arrived at the campsite around 2 pm

still raining but as we unpacked the sun starting to shine again

Dad worked on his photos while Missy napped

after dinner Dad continued to try to figure out how to send pictures home

 and I took Missy on a nice little walk

when we got back Dad said he finally figured out how to send the pictures

Yeah !!!!!!!!!

crappy WiFi at campsite No. 69 {insert frown here}

off to a well deserved sleep by all

Day 41 Sunday August 11th, 2013

up to a mostly empty campsite

looks like a lot of people were on the road early

including a large group on a caravan excursion

sooooo off we go to get a better site

No. 1 looks perfect

a quick move over and we soon discover the No. 1 has perfect WiFi

we are happy we moved as the messages from home start flying in

the plan today is to stick close to camp and do some much needed cleaning and laundry

5 washer and dryer loads to finish the mound of laundry !!!

I had to body-check a few people to get the machines

{the anonymous scribe knows not to mess with Gran when she is on a mission}

most of the rest of my day was spent cleaning inside the trailer while Dad cleaned the outside

it was a nice sunny day but also very windy but not as bad as yesterday

the campsite we are in is very nice and spacious

it is the same campground we stayed at on our first night in NFLD

after we got of the ferry at 11 pm

we would highly recommend the Grand Codroy RV Camping Park

it comes complete with a craft shop where goods are made by 32 locals

....any campsite with a craft shop is a good one

after dinner dad continues to work on the pictures while I plan the next few days

{anonymous scribe thinks there will be more pictures coming soon}

... off to bed  

Days 38 & 39 - I got a new pen

Day 38 - Thursday, August 8, 2013 
16 to 23 degrees

I got a new pen!!

Up at 8am to a quick breakfast, cleanup and pack up

we are on the road to Twillingate at 9:30

on our way out of the park we spotted another moose

this one had a large calf with her

Dad was able to snap a few good photos

 click on the pictures to make them bigger

the road was the same old same old

most good but bumpy in spots

the terrain is very wooded with no houses and the traffic is light

a stop in Grand Falls-Windsor for lunch in the trailer then back on the road

along the way we received a call from Melissa at Marine Atlantic

Dad laid it on thick about two senior citizens having to sit up in chairs all night
because we no longer have a berth due to the rescheduling

Melissa must have felt sorry for us because she spoke to her supervisor 

who was able to change our reservation to a daytime sailing on August 14th

now no berth was needed which we are happy about

once we turned on to Route 340 out of Lewisport

we came across the nicest houses we have seen so far in NFLD

the road is just two lanes with no passing lane

arrive in Twillingate about 4pm

our first encounter in the campsite was with two gals from Burnaby

they have been on the road since May and won't return home until October

they recommended a great dinner theatre in town

the campsite proprietor booked us tickets for the dinner theatre

and also recommended tours for both a lighthouse and winery

also picked up brochures for a boat tour

dinner is hamburgers outside

Dad still working on photos

to bed at 10pm

Day 39 - Friday, August 9, 2013

Woke to a beautiful sunny day

we are ready to explore Twillingate

first we book a boat tour with Twillingate Adventure Tours for 1 o'clock

 while waiting for the boat tour we drive up to Longpoint Lighthouses 

 

where we see a travelling exhibit on the Titanic

an excellent exhibit so much to read I didn't get through it all before we had to leave

while we were there we also went on a tour of the lighthouse

where we had to climb to the top

as we  climbed the staircase it got narrower and narrower

my concern was getting back down but I managed to make it

then off the whale watching tour ...our guide was Kim who along with
her brother, the skipper, said she had been doing this for 9 years

she is a local so is very knowledgeable about the area

first order of business is to give us the lowdown on Newfie speak
... which was quite funny

then lo and behold a humpback whale is spotted close to the boat

it surfaces twice

Whale #2 spotted was a Minke whale
Minke whale, or lesser rorqual, is a name given to two species of marine 
mammals belonging to a clade within the suborder of baleen whales

having not expected to see any whales this made it a great tour

at one point Kim hollered up from down below that she was going fishing

within about 10 minutes she pulled a good sized cod from the water

after the tour we hurried back to the trailer to take Missy for a walk along the beach

got cleaned up for our dinner theatre

we are seated at a table with two other couples 

one from Ontario and the other from Massachusetts

dinner was soup, main course and dessert

all prepared by the folks from the community

after dinner the same folks put on a show that consists of 

singing instrument playing and some very funny skits

the stage and props aren't quite as polished as some we have seen at home

but very enjoyable all the same

back to the trailer at 10 o'clock 

and off to bed

Day 36 & 37 .... but wait this is NFLD

Day 36 - Tuesday, August 6, 2013 - 21 degrees

woke at about 8 to a glorious sunny morning...but wait this is NFLD

within one half hour a cloud rolled in and we had pelting down rain
but wait this is NFLD ... that soon blew over to sun again

a very nice campsite, tons of space between each site

the landscape is very nice with rolling hills all around

we make a note to try to get back here one day

Telus 3G not working very well here

we were able to find out that the Lions won last night ... way to go Lulay!!!!

on our way to Gros Morne National Park

the rain came and went a little along the way

we are now seeing the highest mountains and hills since Alberta

trees appear to be stunted the land is sparsely populated

for the most part Highway 1 is a good road

but had a few bumpy parts like most of the roads along our whole trip

the first time since Winnipeg that the road signs are in English only

 "Watch for Moose" signs have re-appeared

we stopped in Corner Brook for supplies and fuel

nice again at about 20 degrees, back on the road at 4 o'clock
 just east of Corner Brook we come across the first farms so far 

but for the most part it is still very wooded

we arrive at our KOA campsite at Gros Morne at about 5:30

a quick setup,a light dinner

getting back to the change in plans for the return ferry.......good news & bad news

the good news is that Missy will NOT have to be in the kennel for 16 hours

the bad news is that we will have to back-track on Hwy 1 to get back
to Port Aux Basques

we are not sure if we should try to go as far a St. John's

another good thing,we won't need the kennel so we'll return it as soon as we can

Day 37 - Wednesday, August 7, 2013 - 18 degrees

Gros Morne KOA

I woke up at 7:30 and Dad a little later

it looks a little overcast but that didn't last long, soon became a very nice day

some time was sent trying to send pictures back home without much success

off to explore Gros Morne National Park about noon

first stop visitor's center to get oriented

and the scoop on what there was to see and do

 

the young man we spoke to told us it was at least another 8 hours drive to St. John's

 with our limited time here and the fact that we now have to backtrack to board the ferry at Port Aux Basques instead of St. John's as planned

we made the decision not to visit this St. John's on this trip

followed Route 430 through the park

stopping at several spots of interest and a couple of really cute fishing villages

a beautiful ride along the coast , very short and stubby spruce and fir trees

at one beach we stopped at we encountered a few people swimming

we thought the water would be freezing and cold

but they insisted it was lovely and warm

at another spot we were able to catch up with a Parks Canada guided tour of an old fishing camp

finally on our way back we saw the elusive moose that we have been warned about for weeks

it was foraging and meandering a little way off the road

we stopped for a couple of pictures

here is a picture of the truck but I promise you will see a picture of a moose tomorrow

 

then back to camp at about 6

called Marine Atlantic again about our return to Nova Scotia

even though we had booked a berth on our original reservation

there wasn't one available on our current reservation

we might just be sitting up all night

we then tried to plan out the rest of our days in NFLD

and decided on spending the next 2 nights in Twillingate

then off to bed

S, G and {a very grateful} M