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Newfoundland Travels-Northwest Newfoundland

Posted on Mar 24, 2009 under Need Fos Speed | No Comment

Northwest Newfoundland is a penisula starting at Gros Morne Naitonal Park in the South to L’Anse aux Meadows on the Noth end.  This as one area not to be missed.

Today we traveled to Gros Morne National Park. Our first stop, however, was at the Newfoundland Insectarium outside of Deer Lake. They have a tropical butterfly garden and exhibits of many worldwide insects. Some of them are huge. But the most dangerous ones to man seem to be the smaller ones, like the mosquito.

Off to Gros Morne. We camped at Lomond River Campground, just outside the park. For $16.00 CA, we received full hookup. The campgrounds in the park charge $29.00 per night for no services. That is pretty steep. Took the walking trail along the Lomond River, a salmon river. The salmon were not running, but the scenery was outstanding.

Thursday, August 21, 2003

Off we went hiking today on one of the many trails in the park. We chose the Green Garden Trail. There are two versions: the long one and the short one. Of course we chose the short one, only nine kilometers in length. We avoided the long hill of the one trail. But we did not miss the one going down to the shore. What goes down must go up, etc. The views were spectacular. The garden is known for its sea stacks and sea caves when the tide has ebbed. The hills are a challenge, but WOW! Neither words nor pictures can do justice for the variety of beauty. Once again the weather was perfect. Rain will be coming, however.

Friday, August 22, 2003

This morning it rained. By the afternoon the rain stopped and we were able to hike the Tableland Trail. The Tablelands is an interesting phenomenon in Gros Morne. Millions of years ago, when the Appalachian Mountains were formed by a collision of the African Continent and the North American Continent, the Tablelands were the upheaval of the ocean floor. What were left are deposits of heavy metals, such as nickel, iron, manganese, etc., which do not support much life. The rare plant life is found where there is coursing water down the sides of the mountains.. The Provincial plant of Newfoundland, the pitcher plant, grows in abundance. It does not need nutrients from the soil. It receives its nourishment from insects drawn to their death inside the interior of the plant—Yum, Yum!! Audrey II, where are you? Visually, the area looks like someone stripped mined the region and left slag hills as a reminded. This time, however, man is not responsible. The tops of the mountains are relatively flat; thus giving the name of The Tablelands. Across the road is the Green Gardens trail, which is comparatively lush in growth. That trail we took yesterday.

From the Tablelands we drove to Trout Lake, once a fjord. A delta formed and enclosed the fjord, making it an inland lake. Here the Tablelands rise to the left, while verdant cliffs ascend to the right. The contrast of geological landscapes is stunning. Neither pictures nor words can adequately describe the beauty.

On the way back home, we stopped at the Discovery Center, which explains many of the unique features of this world renowned park. The exhibits were done with a sense of humor, to take some of the stuffiness out of unpronounceable geological names and eras in the world’s development.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

Another overcast day. We wanted to take the fjord trip on Western Brook Pond. A pond is the Newfoundland name for a lake. WB Pond was once an open fjord filled with salt water. Over the years the mouth filled with debris and the only water in it is fresh from snow melt and from rains. The water is almost pure, sustaining very little life. That means that there is very few fish, little plant life and bacterial life. After parking we have to walk almost one hour to the boat ramp through a variety of coastal ecosystems: peat bogs, marshes, boreal forests, etc. Once we arrived at the wharf with the other 120 tourists, we were greeted with a downpour. Welcome to the fjords. A fjord is literally a finger carved out of the mountains by glacial flow thousands of years in the making.. The walls of the mountains rise from almost 500 feet in the water to over 2500 feet into the sky. Combined with the erosion from the water and the air, these monuments of grandeur are in constant change. Rockfalls can occur any time,and do.

The boat takes us through the entire length of the fjord, about 16 miles. The clouds, mists, fog, sun and occasional downpour play with our senses as we travel the canyons.

After two and a half hours we return to the wharf for the hike back. Everyone was a buzz with the experience of the trip.

We headed North out of the park and wisely stopped at Parson’s Pond overlooking the Bay of St. Lawrence. Almost immediately came a sea squall with rains and winds buffeting our trailer. We were happy to have shelter. When the rain ended we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and afterglow, the best one we’ve had since Sarasota, FL. We also learned here that the earth is truly round.  With our GPS in hand we tried to point our satellite dish at 22 degrees.  Even though we were fifty feet up on a cliff, we were unable to get a signal.  To all the members of the Flat Earth Society: “You are wrong”.

Sunday, August 24, 2003

Started our trek on the Northern Peninsula. Our first stop was the Arches, a natural phenomenon of four arches carved into one rock. Further along is Daniel’s Harbour, the home of Myra Bennett, the Florence Nightingale of the North. She ministered up and down the coast as the only medical practitioner around, delivering over 700 babies, setting bones, performing surgeries, and tending to the general health care of the population. The town was in the news yesterday, having the funeral of the modern doctor who had allegedly killed her baby and then herself.

Port au Choix is a National Historic Site, having been the home to the Atlantic Maritime, Dorset Indians and numerous other tribes. Each left records in the earth of their habitation of the area. All along the coast are small towns, whose main occupations were fishing or sealing. Today the government has banned cod fishing, and has put monthly limits on halibut, turbot, lobster, crab and other sea food. From the number of lobster traps seen along the highway, the lobster business must be very good in the area. On the opposite side of the road are the Long Range Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. The scenery is stunning.

Saw Labrador across the Strait of Belle Isle. We made reservations for the ferry from Cartwright to Goose Bay for Friday evening. We have a few days to spend on the peninsula. The road took us across the peninsula near the northern tip. Here the land is marsh and bog, the home of the highest concentration of moose and caribou on the island. We spent the night along the road near a quarry. So far no moose or caribou. Perhaps they are afraid of Morgana. We did see a bald eagle flying along the coast: a first for us.

All along the road in the bog areas the locals have planted their vegetable gardens, usually of potatoes, turnips, onions, cabbage, etc.-all of the ingredients for a genuine ‘jigs dinner’. Their plots are twenty by twenty and larger. Some are miles from the nearest towns. There is no poaching of another’s garden, except by the moose and caribou.

Monday, August 25, 2003

Drove to L’Anse aux Meadows (Anse is an Old French term for Cove) , an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was discovered by Drs. Helge and Stine Ingstad who had been searching for the Viking settlement known as Vinland in the New World. From the Norse sagas and maps drawn they knew that the Vikings had come to the area about 1,000 AD. They traveled the route taken and recorded by the Viking sagas and stopped at the isolated villages asking if there were any ruins in the area. When they came to L’Anse aux Meadows after hundreds of disappointments, fisherman George Decker brought them to some ruins in the grazing fields. The origins were still unknown. It could have been from paleoeskimo times or other Aboriginal Tribes. With permission they uncovered Viking ruins c. 1000 AD. They found an iron smelter, the first one in North America, with the remains of leftover slag. With the help of the National Geographic Society, they uncovered eight buildings, including dwellings, workshops, smithy and furnace. They have come to believe that a group of 70-90 people settled here as a jumping off point for further exploration South. They are led to believe that Leif Eiriksson even spent some time in the settlement, where ships were repaired and sailors were given a safe haven. The site is directly on the Labrador Current, which extends from Greenland and passes by Labrador and Newfoundland. From the site you can see the shore of Labrador about twenty miles distance. Also found were chips of European Pine, used for ship building and a bronze pin to hold their garments together. No one knows why the area was abandoned. Inuit legend says that they warred with strange men and drove them away. Also on the premises is a modern reconstruction of an Iron Age Viking village. Because of safety reasons more ventilation is provided and the fire is propane. The rest of the building is pretty authentic, judging from my memory of visiting similar structures years ago in Europe.

On the way out of the parking lot, we encountered our first moose: three bulls and one cow. They were at the side of the road, the males laying down chewing their cud, while the female was standing over them. After a while she gave up on them and sauntered off into the forested area. In a month the scene will change and the males will not be so contented. It will be rutting season and they will be vying against each other for the amorous attentions of the cow. Right now they are acting like couch potatoes, munching on their snacks and watching the tourists.

Our next stop was the Black Tickle Ecomuseum of berries. Here local berries are made into jams and other delicacies. These berries include such exotic names as bake apple, squash, partridge, crow, blue, black, cracker, etc. The visitor can view the process of making the products through glass windows and then sample some of the products for sale.

Our next step is the Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve. Guided tours are given by the staff at Pistolet Provincial Park twice daily. We were too late for them and went on our own. The area looks like a barren rock with patches of green interspersed. In these green areas are over three hundred different varieties of plants, at least thirty are extremely rare and some are only found at this site. What makes this place so unique is the weather patterns. The area is about one hundred feet above the shore. The winds and waves have carved out sea caves and other interesting oddities. These same winds, frequent rain and constant fluctuations between hot hand cold make this area a unique ecosystem. Many of the flowers are no larger than a pin head. You have to be careful of where you walk lest you crush one of them. There are trails which you can follow to other parts of the reserve. They are very narrow and the drop-off to the sea is usually fatal. Took the tail a way, but then saw storm clouds quickly rising in the West. Seeing that trail would be very slippery when wet, I did not want to have a swim in the cold waters. So I headed back to safety.

Our final stop was St. Anthony to pick up necessary provisions. This is the home of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, a medical missionary, who helped develop the area and minister to the needs of the settlers about 100 years ago.

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

More rain and wind today with temperatures in the 40s F. We are happy we did our sightseeing yesterday. We made the decision to drive to the ferry in St. Barbe and go over to Labrador. We arrived at the ticket office in plenty of time for the 13:00 crossing, but were told that it was dangerous goods only. We reserved a spot of the 18:00 crossing. Mags was very interested in the departure of the ferry boat, with the bow of the ship closing like a shark’s mouth. So for the next five hours we did an Otis Redding (Sitting on the Dock of the Bay), had lunch and read, while the wind howled around us.

At 17:30 we were the first to board the ship and had a nose position in stern-the ferry opens at both ends for easy moving of cars and trucks. The crossing took only 1 ½ hours, fighting the high winds and the Labrador Current. Many passengers were using the little white bags. The Apollo is quite a dowager, in need of some TLC. She has staterooms, a sit-down restaurant, and cafeteria, play area for the kids, lounge and a few recliners. The latter were hard to get. Since we were one of the first ones on board, we were lucky. They broadcast the news on a television right in front of us. Because of the headwinds we arrived a little behind schedule at Blanc Sablon, PQ. Mags was delighted again, because she saw the boat opening up from the inside this time.(She amuses easily.) First off the boat, we found a perfect parking spot on a hill overlooking Blanc Sablon on one side and L’Anse-au-Clair, NF on the other: A Tale of Two Cities and Provinces.

For our efforts of the day, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset and afterglow starring all the colors of the spectrum.

Newfoundland Travels-Labrador

Posted on Mar 19, 2009 under Need Fos Speed | No Comment

On Wednesday, August 27, 2003 we have a beautiful day for traveling in Labrador. We are traveling on the Trans Labrador Highway. Our first stop was L’Anse Amour, the site of a grave 7,500 years old. This was found by a group of students who thought that the rock pattern was quite unusual. Under the rock they found an enshrouded child of about twelve, face-down, painted in red with a flat rock on the lower back. Artifacts associated with the burial include a walrus tusk, a number of stone and bone projectile points, a bird bone whistle, paint grinding tools, an antler pendant, a toggling harpoon and a decorated ivory eagle.

Down the road is the Amour Lighthouse, the tallest one in Newfoundland Province. Even its presence has not stopped ships from the treacherous shores. In 1922, the HMS Raleigh, a 12,000 Ton cruiser, avoiding an iceberg, ran aground. Its wreckage is strewn on the shore. During WWII two ships collided in the dense fog in the straits, because there was a warning of a U-boat in the area. Ironically two other ships were lost in the straits that day too, but in a different area. The Strait of Belle Isle is not only an iceberg alley, but also a shipwreck alley.

Up the road at Red Bay archeologists are still uncovering the first industrial whaling factory in the world. Founded in the 1540s by the Basque fishermen, from the area between France and Spain, the whale oil was used to light up Europe. During its peak, over 2,500 whalers in Labrador, produced approximately 20,000 barrels of oil annually. Using chalupas, a boat not a sandwich, they harpooned the right whales and brought them ashore for processing. In the harbor on Saddle Island archeological digs are still in process. Many artifacts are on display in the local museum, including pieces of the wreckage of The San Juan, a whaling ship, found near the modern wreckage of the Bernier, caught in the same type of storms associated with the Labrador Coast. Many sites exist on the mainland, but have not been explored, because they are on private property. The Basque industry died around 1600, due to their involvement with the Spanish Armada.

At Red Bay, the paved road ends. A new gravel road leads to Cartwright, opening the coastal towns for tourism and commercial development. After traveling 40 or so km on the road, we parked for the night at one of the numerous gravel pits used for the construction of the roadbed.

Today we spent six hours driving the gravel road from Red Bay to Cartwright, a distance of 312 kilometers or 187 miles. The road is approximately ten yards wide and is very will groomed. The speed limit is 70 kph or 42 mph. All along the road are sweeping vistas of pine forest and mountains, something akin to driving the Northern Passage through the Adirondacks. Approximately 80 kilometers from Cartwright is the junction for the planned road to Goose Bay of an additional 250 kilometers.

Most of the towns along the route are bypassed by the new road. There are few services on the highway itself. In Lodge Bay, gas and sundry items are available at Mona’s One Stop; no diesel. Diesel is available at Mary’s Harbour at C & J’s Automotive. St. Mary’s is the embarkation point for Battle Harbour Island and National Historic District. Known as the “unofficial” capital of Labrador, Battle Harbour was a major base for salt cod fishing in Labrador during the 19th Century. The area looks pretty much like it did in 1909. The fishery continued until the 1990s and then was donated to the people. Until the advent of the highway this year the island was pretty inaccessible, except by boat.  Today interpreters in traditional dress guide the tourist through a typical fishing village of the 19th and 20th centuries. Accommodations are available for overnight stays.

50 k. from Mary’s Harbour is Port Hope Simpson on the beautiful Alexis River. Restaurants, sleeping accommodations, fuel and a hospital are available there. This is the last vestige of civilization for the next 187 k. There are very few places to turn off the highway to rest. Most people just park at the side of the road. Most of the traffic encountered were construction vehicles along a 50 k. stretch.

The roads in Cartwight are in complete contrast to the highway: rutted and corrugated. We parked with other trailers at the ticket office parking lot, located near the dock.

Spent a quiet day in Cartwright. We boarded the Sir Robert (not James) Bond Ferry at 4:30 for a 7:00 sailing. The ship was full to capacity, everyone returning home from vacation or making the best of a three day weekend before returning to school or work. The ship is far from luxurious. During the night many people, who did not have a broom closet size room, slept on the deck. The strangest thing about the ship is the food service. The cafeteria was open only until 6:30, ½ hour before sailing. Only snacks and the bar were open during the sailing itself. Wanted to see the Wunderstrand, a mile long white sand beach landmark for the Vikings, a two day journey from L’Anse aux Meadows. By the time we arrived at the coast and Porcupine Point, the sun had already set. After a fun night on board the ferry, we docked at Goose Bay-Happy Valley, NF. We woke up to a typical Labrador day: overcast, wet, and cool.

Our first stop was the Visitor’s center, which was closed: only opened Mon-Fri. I guess the people forget that an influx of people comes off a boat every Saturday between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, who might like some information about the town. We had heard that RVs were allowed to park in the town hall parking lot. But we did not know where that was and our map did not show it. We decided to go to a Tim Horton’s, think Dunkin’ Donuts in the States, and get needed nourishment, a cup of Java, and some necessary directions. Having gotten both and some good advice from the locals who had been on the ship with us, we were headed out the door, when we heard exclaimed, “CHICAGO?” I was wearing my Chicago Heights Roadway Jacket. We turned around and met a couple from Chicago. He worked for Serco, weather forecasters at the air base. After spending some time in conversation, he asked us if we wanted a tour of the facilities. The Greek chorus roared out a resounding, “YES”.

Goose Bay Airport was once one of the most significant military airbases in North America. The US built a mega-runway, long enough to land any aircraft and once employed 16,000 personnel as a SAC base until 1991. In the 1980s one of the space shuttles used the runway for a landing strip. We were escorted to the weather forecasting tower and given a cook’s tour of the facilities. The facility is divided into three sections,: observation, military briefing, and forecasting. They are responsible for the weather observation and reporting of a 240 K diameter area, the size of New England minus Maine. We were unable to go up into the adjacent air tower. The RAF, British Royal Air Force, was planning to start low flying maneuvers in a few minutes. We had missed the take off of a US AWACS plane a couple hours ago. We went out on the deck and watched as Tornado fighter planes took off from the runway, afterburners on and a thunderous roar in their wake; a pretty exciting spectacle. Between take offs a RCMP jet landed and taxied in front of us. Other smaller commercial planes also shared the runway. In other words, Goose Bay is a vibrant living entity. Also using the facilities are the German Air Force (Luftwafte), and the Canada 5 Wing.

On base is a Canex, like a PX in the States. Anyone can shop here. What makes this place unique is the wide selection of food available for Labrador. Specialty items are flown in from Germany and Great Britain, giving the servicemen and women a feeling of home. The German club has a restaurant open to the local citizens, but is closed to them until after tourist season in mid September.

A sunny day in Labrador. We saw some hiking trails in a brochure for Birch Brook Nordic Ski Club. The trails are well groomed and go through different types of forest ecosystems. One aspen tree has the scars of where a bear tried climbing it. At the top of one of the hills, called Lookout Rock, we were able to have a scenic view of Lake Melville and the environs. Along the trail we saw fresh piles of black bear scat. We knew it was black bear, because of the preponderance of blueberries and crackerberries in it. There were enough of them to make jam. NOT!!!

We continued the drive to North West River and Sheshitiu further along Lake Melville about twenty-five miles down lake. The towns are separated by a river and a chasm of cultural differences. Sheshitiu is Innui and is a resettlement community of the hunter/gatherers from Northern Canada. They hold the land in common and have little concept of private possessions and permanency of residences. It is a town you travel through, but do not want to stay. Your possessions are assumed to be communal property and so are treated as thus. On the other side of the river live the Innuit and Metis. Surprisingly there is no restaurant in town, just a grocery store. What the town does have to offer are beautiful beaches and trails. There are also two important museums there: the Labrador Museum and the Labrador Interpretation Center.

The Labrador Museum is divided into four sections: hunters/gatherers lifestyle, Hudson Bay Trading Company, Grenfell’s Medical Mission Work among the population, and the Hubbard Expedition of the Interior of 1903. We spent about one hour there looking at the exhibits.

The Labrador Interpretation Center was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. A modern building with artifacts thousands of years old from the different peoples settling Labrador. On display is a 100 year old sealskin kayak, which still looked pretty serviceable. The mannequins’ models were real people from Labrador. The Center also has a large auditorium which shows two movies about the different sections of Labrador.

On the way home we dropped by the Aurora Hotel and picked up the satellite phone for our journey to Churchill Falls tomorrow. This is a free service, secured by a credit card, on a twenty-four hour basis, whereby you can contact the RCMP in case of an emergency.

Before leaving Goose Bay on our trek to Churchill Falls and beyond, we had heard about the art work at the Labrador Medical Center about one hundred yards from us. The people were right. The art work is beautiful. Diana Dabinett, an artist from St. John’s did a series of painted silk hangings depicting different aspects of Labrador: birds, sea life, animals, and scenery. These are hanging in the cafeteria along with large oil painting of different scenes of Labrador: coastal, waterfalls, tree lined mountains. Along the corridors are folk sculptures done by the Innu and Innuit peoples. All of the signs in the hospital are written in three languages: English, Innu, and Innuit.

With satellite telephone in hand, off we went for the 180 mile adventure along the gravel road of Rte 500. The speed limit is 70 kph (42 mph). The road is well maintained but still rough. We saw two graders working on different parts of the road.. The views are of black spruce forests with aspens, birches, and other fir trees interspersed. The ground cover is primarily Caribou Moss; really a lichen. Near the East Metchin River is the ORMA Caribou Hunting Zone. Off to the side of the road you can see the remains of caribou, which have been killed for sport: hooves, bones, etc.

We reached Churchill Falls after six hours of driving. We averaged about thirty-five miles per hour. This included frequent rest stops. We did not want to race through the area, because of the presence of potholes, etc.

We went on a tour of the Churchill Falls Hydroelectric Underground Plant. This plant is the largest underground plant in the world, seventh largest electrical producer in the world, using eleven turbines to produce enough 60% of the electricity for Quebec Province and all of Labrador. We took an elevator over nine hundred feet into the bedrock, where the rock is over 3,000,000,000 (three billion) year old, some of the oldest rock in the world. I cannot fathom that number. The trip to Labrador is worth just taking this tour of the plant, an unknown wonder of the world. The reservoir of water used for the production is the size of the province of New Brunswick. It takes three days for the water to flow from it to reach the underground turbines.

The town itself is one of the few company towns still in existence. All of the housing and other facilities are owned and operated by the CFLCL, except the only gas station, and the hotel restaurant complex. The library for a town of only 650 people is quite extensive and is opened more than any library in Newfoundland Province, including St. John’s. The town is a great place to work, but not retire. The winters are quite challenging: -40° F and up to fifteen feet of snow annually. Most people plan to stay only five years, but remain because they become enamoured with the North Country living. Most people purchase pickup trucks, snowmobiles (one per family member), canoes, motorboats, and other adult recreational toys. To get away from meeting the same people while working, shopping, praying, etc., they build a cabin out of town. Everything is subsidized by the company, including food (same prices as St. John’s), housing, and freight transportation costs.

The tour guide mentioned about getting a sheet on the road conditions to Labrador City, which completely slipped our minds. We did remember to pick up the next satellite telephone, for which we are truly grateful. The road to Labrador City was an adventure. Some places you could go fifty mph, but then, almost immediately you hit a series of washboard road, which reduced your speed to less than fifteen mph. There are graders out to improve the road, but there is nothing to improve since most of the top layer has been already scraped off

We were very fortunate during our 160 mile trip. We only lost the cap to our sewer pipe connection and broke one wine glass. Everything was covered with a fine layer of dust. We wanted an adventure and our wish was fulfilled. We could still speak to each other fairly civilly–with a bit of effort.

We went touring Wabush and Labrador City, both towns were built in the late 60s and early 70s because of the iron deposits. First came the railroad from Sept-Iles, PQ. Later the road was built from Baie Comeau.

All of the mine tours ended the Friday before Labor Day. Once again we were a few days too late. We did see a couple of blasts. The Wabash mine set one off at 12:15. It was small. The ICC mine, however, set off a large one about an hour later.

Newfoundland Travel: Avalon Peninsula

Posted on Mar 08, 2009 under Need Fos Speed | No Comment

Sunday, July 20, 2003

Our destination today was Terra Nova National Park, on the East Coast of Newfoundland. We were very surprised at the fees they charged: $5.00 per day per adult for use plus $21.00 per day for camping with no amenities (electricity was $5.00 extra per night). The area boasts arboreal forests reaching to the sea. There are many hiking trails, most between four and ten kilometers in length.

We went to the marine interpretation center. A ranger explains the different aquatic animals they have in their touch tank: stars, scallops, various crabs, barnacles, etc. It was very informative. They also have tanks with local fish in them: cod, caplain, etc.

Monday, July 21, 2003

Took to some of the trails today to view the wildlife and the scenery, which Terra Nova has to offer. We saw three plovers, a herring gull, a whiskey Jack (a gray jay), and squirrels, which are not indigenous to Newfoundland. We saw moose tracks and droppings and bear tracks, but no moose or bear yet.

After a day of hiking, it was early to bed.

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Drove to St. Johns, the capital Newfoundland. We parked at Pitty Park in St. Johns.  This is located close to Memorial University.

Until 1948 Newfoundland was an independent country. On July 22, 1948, they voted whether to become part of Canada. The first ballot was noncommittal. After some negotiations with the Canadian government and necessary concessions, the people voted confederation by a very narrow margin. Many Newfoundlanders, even today many wished that confederation never took place. The other options they had was to become a member of the USA or remain independent.

Drove down to La Manche (French for the sleeve) Provincial Park. We were put in the overflow section, which is perfect for us, because the area is wide open. There is no electricity or water, except for boiling available in any of the provincial parks. So we are happy to pay $13.00 Canadian per night.  We are spitting distance to the lake, which has water the temperature of bath water. There are hiking trails. One leads to a picturesque falls, where swimming is allowed, but not recommended. Another leads to the ruins of the town of La Manche. After the Confederation in 1949, the residents of the town were given the opportunity to resettle to a larger town, because it was too costly to maintain roads and offer other services, such as electricity. Most refused. After a major storm hit the area in the 1960s, the town had been wiped out and so the people were resettled anyway. Only the foundations of the buildings remain today of this once prosperous fishing village. Similar stories exist for many of the fishing villages on the island. When the fisheries died from dredging, the life expectancy of the Newfoundland fisherman was also terminal. Many chose to give up the old ways, which originally had brought their families to this abundant island, and moved to larger towns to find less meaningful work.

Friday, July 25, 2003

Today we were going to go whale watching.  We found out that Gatheralls in Bay Bulls charged $50.00 per person, but someone recommended Seabird or Ocean Adventure Tours out of Bauline East, closer to the Park, for only $20.00 per person for a one hour trip. We decided top check them out and see what they offered. We met Jerry, the owner operator of Seabird, who had just returned from a trip out to Great Island, the Puffin Sanctuary. He said that they had seen about six humpback whales out on the briny. By the time we left our small group of four had increased to over twenty people. There was plenty of room on board for all. Three Islands comprise Witless Bay Ecological Reserve: Great, Green, and Gull. Great is the largest and lays just off the coast of Bauline East. The first bird pointed out was the Northern Fulmar, a rarity since there are only twenty pairs on the island. Then there were the little puffins skimming the waters, wings beating almost as fast as hummingbirds, their colorful beaks contrasting to the black and white bodies. Also in abundance were terns, or Murrs in Newfoundlander, and black-legged Kittiwakes, a smaller member of the gull family, who has dipped its wing tips into bottles of India Ink. Enough of the birds. Off for larger prey.

Everyone on the boat was scanning the horizon as we headed out to sea. Finally someone shouted, “Thar she blows, starboard.” Off on the chase we went and there was our first humpback whale, complete with a dive with a wave of his tail fluke. All in all we must have seen about a dozen whales. The number might have been more or less. It is very hard to identify them unless you get pictures. We got a couple of their flukes, which usually have the identifying marks. Some of the whales were even vocalizing to us. Everyone on board acted like eight year old David, full of enthusiasm and awe at these magnificent persons. Sometimes we were less than five feet from the whale. Somehow I believe that they were having as much fun as we were, like the porpoises in Charleston, SC Harbor. Our trip on the sea was over an hour long and we hadn’t even started to return to Great Island or to the wharf.

We returned to the leeward side of the island and saw the nesting sites of the Kittlwakes, with adults and babies. We passed by numerous caves, one called skull cave because it looked like one, and natural arches etched from the rock by water and wind. The entire trip took almost two hours. Everyone got their money’s worth, plus some.

After a quick sandwich we left for the twenty minute drive to Ferryland. We wanted to see the Colony Avalon and other interesting sights there. We would be returning to Ferryland for the Shamrock Festival tomorrow. When we arrived, they were still setting up the venue. Colony Avalon is right there too. We joined a guided walking tour, which had just begun, outside the visitor’s center. Jennifer Carter was our guide. If she did not know the answer to our questions, she was in constant communications with someone who did.

Colony Avalon is an active archeological site of a four acre plus community founded by George Calvert, AKA, Lord Baltimore, in 1621. Situated on the banks of a naturally protected harbor, the colony thrived throughout the 17th century, cod fishing being the primary industry. Thousands of artifacts have been found on the site, some dating back even further to the Beotuck tribes and 16th century Basque, Portuguese, French and English seasonal fishermen. The Avalon Colony, however, had cobblestone streets, sewerage system flushed twice daily by high tide, forge, wells, warehouses with doors on the harbor, palisades, a manor house, plus many other buildings. Excavations are still underway, with new artifacts found daily. On the day we were there, they had found part of a crystal goblet and a gold coin.

Lord Baltimore abandoned the settlement to Sir David Kirke and went on to found the colony of Maryland. Kirke did so well in building the colony, he was put on trial in England and convicted, most probably of embezzlement of funds which should have gone to the crown. His wife took over for another twenty-five years. Most people have never heard of this prosperous settlement which predates Plymouth Rock. St. Augustine had been founded in 1565 and Jamestown in 1607.

Sunday, July 27, 2003

Went on a hiking trail to the ruins of the town of La Manche. The town was started in 1840 and built on the side of a steep hill, at least fifty feet above the shoreline. Living there had to be pretty tough because everything was up and down the steep hillside. Even though it was almost a mile from the closest road, the town prospered. When confederation with Canada took place in 1949, the government wanted to relocate the town so that services good be given. They refused. But their decision was reversed when a storm wiped out the town. It had to be one heck of a storm, because the town was so high from the water’s edge. All that remains are foundations, some with basements, the cables from a suspension bridge traversing the river, and a doctor’s house in ruins across the river and up the hill.

We saw a humpback whale frolicking in the bay. On the return home I found an old stone spearhead and gave it to Jordan, a ten year old boy who was taking the hike with us. Tanya Herlidan was our naturalist guide. Later she brought to our trailer pictures of the town as it once had been.

Monday, July 28, 2003

‘Tis a fresh lovely Irish day to tour the Irish Loop: foggy, rainy, and windy. Our first stop was to Ferryland to the historical museum. We wanted to hear about the German W.W.II burials. The young people who were at the museum knew nothing about it, but had heard stories of U-boats in the area. We had been told that the Germans brought the body bags ashore and the local citizens had services for them and then buried them in their cemeteries. We were told that it was possible, because of the solitude of the local lighthouse, presently shrouded in fog, would be a good place to dump the bodies. They could not confirm the story, however. We asked where the old cemetery was located. We found it. As you can see in the picture, it was quite unkempt; many of the headstones were illegible and broken. Whether the story is true or legend, it still is a great story.

Drove through Renews, where the Mayflower stopped for supplies while on the way to Plymouth Rock. Then off to Portugal Cove South. The landscape was fairly open at this point, a great place to view the caribou herds, which number in the thousands. Arrived at the visitor center at Portugal Cove South in the fog. We were told by the young ladies at the center that the fog had lifted and it was quite nice outside. For the past week, they could not see across the road. Portugal Cove South has 158 days of fog per year, which is almost ½ of the time. When asked for the reason why they were so blessed, they said that it was because of the confluence of the Labrador, Gulf of Mexico and St. Lawrence Currents. In the visitor’s center were exhibits on the Titanic and on fossils. The lighthouse men at Cape Race were the first ones to hear the SOS from the ill fated Titanic in 1912. The wireless and the old house were demolished for a new on a few years later. So some historical artifacts lay buried. Along the road to Cape Race is Mistaken Point, a treasure trove of 575 million year old fossils. Because the cod industry of the area has been destroyed, the local citizens have become the self-appointed keepers of the fossils offering tours and chasing off the poachers. Today was not an optimal day for viewing them, because they turn into a slip and slide into the North Atlantic. When I asked the young ladies what was available in the area to keep them here, they said, “Nothing.” Both were college students at St. John’s majoring in Social Work and Physical Therapy and were home only for the summer.

Off to Trepassey we drove. Trepassey was the liftoff point for Amelia Earhart’s Transatlantic journey in 1928. We were in a driving rain storm. We took refuge in a restaurant, ate lunch and watched the storm. Off to St. Shotts to see some caribou. They were all hiding behind the fog. We saw zero caribou on the entire trip. We were told that the numbers have been severely reduced due to disease. There are very few left on the Avalon Peninsula.

We proceeded to the West side of the Irish Loop. The shroud of Brigadoon lifted to reveal a beautiful Kelly Green landscape with small farms dotting the hillside. We broke into song, happy to see the remaining seventy miles of the Irish loop.

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Went to Cape Spear, the Easternmost point on the North American Continent. Even though Newfoundland is an island, it is still considered part of the North American Continent. Just as Nord Cap in Norway, also an island, is considered the Northern most point in Europe. Besides an 1835 lighthouse, one of the oldest in Newfoundland, the cape is also the emplacement of battlements erected by the US and Canadian Armies during W.W.II to protect the St. John’s shipping lanes from Nazi submarines. While there we saw minke whales breaking the surface. They were pretty far out to get pictures. Nevertheless it was exciting.

Returned back to the city and drove through the city. We stopped for ice cream at Moo Moo’s, a favorite spot for their 88 flavors of hard packed ice cream. After the cones we went to the Basilica of St. John’s, where the diocese keeps their archives. We were told by the historian there that most of the Pelley clan settled in Anglican communities. St. John’s was the closest port to Ireland. From St. John’s they traveled to Halifax and then to Boston. Many Catholic Irish came over and settled in protestant towns because the Catholic Church was not well established in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The research which has been done is now being catalogued. I will send more information on to those who are interested in their genealogy.

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Today we drove the Killick coast. A killick is an anchor made out of long stones enclosed in pliable wooden sticks tied at the top and with crossed ones at the bottom to dig into the seabed.

Along the way are towns with names like Torbay, where the English landed to retake St. John’s from the French.

Further on is Flat Rock, where the cod was laid out on the flat rocks to dry. Pope John Paul II was there to bless the fleet. It is also home to a replica of the Grotto at Lourdes, which is visited by many pilgrims.

Further on is Pouch (pronounced Pooch) Bay, founded earlier than 1611, which was the first documented date. Although permanent houses were taxed by the Crown in the 17th and 18th Centuries, neither the Royal Navy nor pirates dared to enter the dangerous waters of the harbor. So the town thrived.

We then took a side track to St. Francis Point, via a gravel road with barely enough room for passing. At the end of the road is a helicopter pad and light beacon to warn sailors of the rocks. To the North are Baccalieu Peninsula and Baccalieu. The view is breathtaking.

The Sierra Club must also think this too, because we met a group of hikers on tour of the East Coast Trail having lunch on the pad.

Finally on the trail is Portugal Cove, the terminus for the ferry boat to Bell Island. Bell Island is noted for its iron mines, which go under the sea. During W.W.II, the German Government hired the local boat captains to man their U-boats, because they were familiar with the area’s waters. Newfoundland, at the time was an independent country. One of the ferry boats recently had a collision with a Russian trawler,  in restricted waters ,putting it out of commission. The government does not know whether to prosecute or reward the ferry captain. We had lunch at Beach Cove Café, part of a B & B by the same name. The fries were superb, a large platter of thick wedges.

Drove to the Cape Shore loop, which includes Placentia, the original French Capital. We took the overland route via a gravel road. The Fradshams have a summer home on this road, called Misty Mountain. No one was at home. So we left a note. The road passes by the Cataracts which cut a sixty foot gorge through the hills; a pretty sight. We parked at the beach where the Placentia Regatta takes place in July, part one of the Triple Crown of Newfoundland.

We visited the town of Placentia settled in 1662 to protect the French interests in North America. Castle Hill overlooking the city is a National Historical site. It successfully protected the city from invasion, but not from blockade. The ground was not conducive for farming and rival factions slowly doomed the colony. The French then built the fortifications Louisbourg, NS, leaving Placentia to the British.

Also in Placentia are other archeological excavations happening at the base of the harbor. A dig is being done at Fort Louis, a military post, and at Fort Frederick, across the harbor inlet. The former can be visited and you can see the process at work. The latter is less accessible, but a better quality of artifacts is being discovered there. They can be seen at the archeological treatment center in town.

Drove to St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, which is strictly for the birds: gannets,

On the return trip to Placentia we stopped at different towns along the way. First was St. Brides, whose population doubled in 1941, when the Americans set up a listening base for German ships in the area. More than 400 GIs stayed for the war years. They were able to relay messages to the US Naval base at Argentia thirty miles to the North.The military medical staff also took care of the locals since their was no other medical care available to them.

Next we stopped at Gooseberry Cove, a small cove with a blackish sandy beach. It was quite peaceful, watching the wave come on the sand. Sand is unusual in Newfoundland, since most of the beaches are rocky. Some rocks strewn the beach, but most had been pulverized into sand by the action of the currents.

Our next stop was Ship Cove, which had a man made stone breakwater. On the breakwater people erected cairns. I added mine to the collection. Meanwhile Maggie collected drift wood to work on her carving.

Home to Placentia and a stop at the Archeological Center. They had just found a silver coin, slightly smaller than a dime, with a cross inscribed on one side. The opposite side was more difficult to read. The lady also show us a copper coin, recently found, with three fleur d’leis on one side.

Off to the O’Reilly house, built around the turn of the century for the local magistrate. It has been refurbished with donated items. The house also contains exhibits regarding the resettlement of many communities in Placentia Bay. The stories are quite sad. All of the towns were fishing villages, independent from each other. As long as there was fish, there was work. When fishing was forbidden to them, their way of living was taken away. This is somewhat reminiscent of the destruction of the buffalo and the resettlement of the Native Americans.

Newfoundland Travels-Bonavista Peninsula

Posted on Jan 24, 2009 under Need Fos Speed | No Comment

We drove to the Bonavista Peninsula and found a place to park in Catalina. Drove up to Bonavista, which lives up to its name. Just outside of the town is a natural phenomenon called the dungeon. It is a couple of water caves where the roof has collapsed leaving a gaping hole with two arches where the water flows. A short distance from there is a one hundred sixty year old lighthouse. The area around it is open grazing for the community animals: cows, horses, cattle, sheep and goats. Morgana had her first encounter with goats. They were very curious about her. She was pretty tolerant of them until all four of them wanted an in-your-face encounter. She reacted with a feline hisss.

John Cabot is reputed to land here in 1497. There is a statue honoring his landing. I personally believe that he chose a better area. This place is very craggy with “shipwreck” written all over the coves.

In town are some very historic buildings. First is the Mockbegger Plantation, which was the home of F. Gordon Bradley, an advocate for Confederation in 1947. There is also a replica of The Matthew, Cabot’s ship. The Ryan Premises is a National Historical Site, which housed the wealthy merchant’s business. His counting office, mercantile store and home have been restored to its former glory. The salt cod business thrived for well over one hundred years until 1954, when refrigeration and factory ships took over the industry. There are many exhibits which detail the various forms of fishing in the area and the lives of the fishermen, including movies of the process of catching and salting of the cod. Exhibits also show the sealing industry, including actual film of a sealing expedition in the 1930s and the loss of 77 men from The Newfoundland in the early 1900s.

It was not a film for the faint of heart.

Friday, August 15, 2003

Visited historical Trinity. In 1615 Sir Richard Whitbourne held the first Court hearings in the New World and wrote a book about Newfoundland in 1622. The area became known for its fishery and prospered. In 1748 Benjamin Lester developed a mercantile trade route all along Newfoundland and Labrador. After his death in 1802, it was passed on to his son-in-law George Garland who became very wealthy in the salt cod trade. Later, in 1906, the business was sold to the Ryans, who have major operations in Bonavista, which is now a national historical site. The Lester-Gardner Premises and home are open to the public and have some of the original furnishings in them.

The merchants’ wealth came from the truck system, where the local fishermen sold their fish to the merchant who in turn sold the fisherman the staples he needed to feed his family. No money ever exchanged hands. This was a good deal for the merchant because he set the prices for both the fish and the wares he sold. The fishermen did all of the work, while the merchant took some risk in getting the goods to market, but reaped all of the profits. In the mid 1920s Sir William Ford Coaker fought against this system of servitude. He founded the Fisherman’s Protective Union which gave the fisherman the possibility of earning a fair living. The union even built a town, Port Union, half way between Trinity and Bonavista. This was the only town in Canada built for and by the union. The movie, The Shipping News was partially filmed there. The new system worked well until after the Confederation, when the Canadian government wanted the fishermen to use larger ships and exploit the fishery. In 1954 refrigeration began taking place of salting. 1958 saw the beginning of the trawlers and the factory ships, which stripped the ocean’s floor of its natural breeding grounds. By 1990 the Great Banks, once known as the fishing bread basket to the world was almost a desert. Once again too much greed and avarice shot the goose which laid the golden egg. It will take generations for the fishery to ever come back, if it does.

Back to Trinity. Another important house was that of Richard and Emma Hiscock. After marrying in 1883, Richard had a prosperous forge and his wife a merchant shop. In 1893 Richard died at sea leaving Emma widowed with six children. This did not stop Emma. With her children, she continued business as usual, even turning the front parlor of her home into the post office, and later the bank. Her children prospered, married well and became established in their own businesses. The two youngest daughters never married and lived in the house. They were very active in the community. In 1992 the house was given to the State as a museum with all of its artifacts. Florence, the youngest daughter, at age 94 was present at the ribbon cutting ceremonies.

Down the road from Trinity is the set for the movie Random Passage, a story about the immigrants to Newfoundland.  It is very popular in Canada and many people visit the reproduction of the town.  We did not.

We had heard of a place on the highway which had great French fries. It is called the chip truck and is off Rte 230. The fries were excellent. Drove to Musgravetown and parked for the night at the elementary school. We had heard about a place called The Arches, about 30 miles away. Being early we took the trip, without the trailer. The journey was well worth the effort. The Arches is a small unknown gem in Tickle Cove. The slate rock is reddish in color, giving the name to the next town of Red Cliff. The Catholic Church in Open Hall was also noteworthy because of the design of its windows and of its steeple.

Had dinner in Musgravetown at the Barracks, an old Salvation Army Church. On the menu was Fisherman’s brewis served with scrunchions (little pieces of pork fried in butter. The food was excellent. We also found a book of Newfoundland songs to add to our repertoire.