LAST DAYS NL & NS
WEEK EIGHT
August 5 – Last night stayed at Gros Morne KOA near Rocky Harbor, NL and Gros Morne National Park. Another LTV camper across the road, bicycling couple from Quebec and next to them, a Korean couple from Vancouver, BC. The diversity of campers makes for an interesting mobile community.
We motor on north along the coast all the way to L’Anse Aux Meadows, the landing site at the northern tip of Newfoundland where the Vikings landed in 1021. The recreated village has a replica of one of the Viking ships, 13 tons with ballast to keep it steady, 8’ tall from top of gunnels to keel bottom. Several other buildings built with earthen outer walls and roof provide examples of life in the village including the blacksmith, weavers, and crafts people. They also kept some farm animals and grew their own food. There is not much evidence how long they stayed or whether they left and returned.
August 6 – Early sunrise in Quirpon, NL before starting back south along the coast. Even when – returning the same route we traveled north, the view facing south is an entirely different land and sea scape, a change in perspective by 180 degrees. We find a small RV park in Cow Head, Seebreeze B&B and sites for 8 RV’s. We snag the last one available and all have a water view of the rocky beach. From here about 20 minutes to Western Brook Pond for our boat tour up and back in an inland fijord. Used to be saltwater, now fresh water. Granite walls on either side with waterfalls, crevices. Very windy and cloudy and a 3 mile RT walk from parking lot to the boat and back.
August 7 – We detour off the TCH (Trans Canadian Highway) # 1 to Rocky Harbor for lunch at Fishernan’s Café and then go on to Corner Brook where we find a spot at Prince Edward RV Park operated by a youth group called The Kinsmen. Time for laundry again, the perennial housekeeping chore regardless where we are, at home or on the road.
August 8 –26 year anniversary and celebrating in our 8th RV on the road, how appropriate! We check out a hotel, Hew and Draw, and they are chock a block full with two tour buses, not our crowd anyway and we opt for Zensville campground in Kibbens, just beyond Stephenville. We used to think driving 5 mi off a highway to find a campground was an inconvenience. This one some 26 mi from the TCH and we’re glad to have found a spot here.
August 9-11. We motor on to Port Aux Basque, find a great parking space north by 10 miles as we need to check in for the North Sydney ferry at 4:30 AM on the 10th, a 6.5 hour ride. Several other campers there also boondocking for the night. Loading onto the MV Atlantic Vision is a long but orderly process with lanes and lines of several hundred cars, RV’s and only about 19 tractor trailers make it onto this one due to heavy tourist traffic. The MV Leif Ericson is commercial only. We booked a comfortable cabin on Deck 8 and it’s fully equipped with bathroom/shower. Arriving at North Sydney after 6.5 hr. crossing, we hop on the highway and head for Masstown Market and nearby Elm River campground where we had been previously. It’s just off the highway near Truro and then we’re set for the drive to Yarmouth the next day.
https://www.marineatlantic.ca/
With a reserved spot at Campers Haven, just 15 miles from Yarmouth, we hunker down for the night before leaving Canada in the rear view mirror the next morning .