Ferry Day!

Woke up to more rain. Packed up and got ready for the ferry ride today. Reservation day is here! Have felt quite isolated on the island as we could not leave easily because of the length and height of our rig.

Arrived 2 and a half hours early as requested because the ferry system likes to double and triple check boarding. Were checked for root vegetables as they are not allowed back onto the mainland.

After boarding, settled in for the day long ferry ride.

Arrived at the other side with friends of ours, Patrick and Rainee and Doug and Kathy, waiting to go for dinner. They flew themselves and their bikes to Montreal for a month long trip riding through the Maritimes and Newfoundland, then riding through the United States back home. Glad to see their smiling faces. Had a nice dinner, then back to their hotel for wine. We dry camped in the motel parking lot for the night.

Patrick and Rainee Frampton

Doug and Kathy Wilkins

Laundry and waiting to leave

Woke up to heavy drizzle. Perfect day to get some laundry done. Had to unhook the trailer and use the truck to go into Port Aux Basque to do laundry as there was no machines on site. After laundry was done drove around the town and went for lunch.

Weather clearing a bit, so after arriving back at the campsite and re-setting up, went for a nice long walk.

Little grotto..

Lots of iron in the water, all over Newfoundland

Little windy, wouldn't know it by my hair....

Just after we got back to the campsite, a large storm moved in, just about flooding everything. Happy to be off the ground in a camper. Felt sorry for the tenters.

J T Cheeseman Provincial Park

Drove to J T Cheeseman Provincial Park, 9kms from the Port Aux Basque ferry terminal.  Has electricity and limited WIFI, but the no cell service as it is in a hole. Nice campsite used by people getting on and off the island. Weather is turning iffy. Walked down to the beach about 2.5 kms away. Nice area.

We all feel like the dog....

Sir Richards Squires Memorial Provincial Park

Drove to Sir Richards Squires Memorial Provincial Park today, west of Deer Lake, down about 30 Kms of gravel road. Nice campground used by people who fish the Humber River. Supposedly had numerous walking trials.

About 12:30 in the morning some drunken asshole decides to serenade us with his Karaoke machine... Finally someone went over and told him to shut it off, but the jerk left his generator running all night long. Ran out of gas about 10am the next morning. Generators are to be turned off at 11pm.

This park is used by anglers fishing for salmon. Park tends to be full during the fishing season in June and July. Has a small waterfall that the fish jump, but we didn't see any.

No electricity, no wifi, no cell service.

Villages of Twillingate

Up late as the rain is falling. About noon, decided to unhook the trailer and use the truck as our commuter vehicle. Just about the time we were ready to head out the rain finished. Still, we took the truck and headed off for the day.

First stop, Auk Island Winery. Yes they have a winery in Twillingate. To our surprise also. But we heard it is a fruit winery so we had to check it out. Turns out that their wine is predominantly made with local berries, Applebake, Crowberry, low bush Blueberry, Partridge berry and Strawberry. Had a tour and wine tasting and they are very good! Very fruit forward, so you can taste the fruits they are made from. Great names for the wines, great novelty, so we bought 2 cases...Hmmmm...

Then down the road to some local bays and villages. 

Crow Head

Long Point Lighthouse

Durrel

Durrel

Bridgeport

Tizzard's Harbour

Tizzard's Harbour, Old and Newer

Moreton's Harbour

Carter's Cove

Back Harbour

"Retired"

Twillingate

Drove to Twillingate today. En-route, stopped and picked up groceries in Gander. Arrived mid afternoon. Once set up at the campsite, went for a long walk up a steep hill nearby. Great to get some exercise and awesome view!

Kyle hunting on hill overlooking Back Harbour, Twillingate

Yours truly on hill facing the opposite direction of Kyle

From top of hill facing north over the Atlantic Ocean

Kyle frolicking in the Atlantic.. This dog supposedly doesn't like the water!?

Chatted with a couple of fishermen on the dock and they were saying the Cod are coming back. Offered us a fresh Cod, but our fridge is full. Respectfully declined.

 Went to Twillingate Dinner Theatre for some local Newfie entertainment. Music and comedy skits after a good salmon dinner. Met a nice couple from Newfoundland, now living in Fort McMurray.  Great evening!

Cast

Jody with his "Ugly Stick"

Bonavista Peninsula (Discovery Trail)

Today we traveled the Bonavista Peninsula to the lighthouse where John Cabot landed in 1497 and "discovered" the New Founde Lande. Much of the main road was inland, but were able to see some of the coastline when we veered off the beaten path. The town of Bonavista is larger than we thought it would be. Had lunch at a highly rated little restaurant and the food was excellent. Our server was even better than the food. Gave us a bunch of local stories in her newfie accent, she was a card.

60 year old, 16 pound lobster

Fish-n-brewis and a brew. A traditional Newfoundland meal...

Mmmm Mmm Good!

Went to the lighthouse. Seen a bunch now. Saw some whales breaching offshore. Beautiful warm summer afternoon.

Down the road to see Puffins at Elliston, root cellar capital of the world... Hundreds of these man-made, frost-free food preservers, many still in use.

Walked out to a point and on the adjacent island where Puffins and Seagulls were perched.

Puffin, centre

Great rock formations

"The finger"

The waitress where we had lunch told us of a new brewery that just opened up 2 weeks ago in Port Rexton, then while watching the Puffins, another couple told us the same.

 Schoolhouse to Brewhouse

Tried to buy a 4oz taster glass but they have had such a success most everything was sold out. All the growlers, glasses and t-shirts were sold out. Only beer on tap was left. Good beer too.....

Homeward bound, Baccalieu Trail

Started heading west today. There are still many areas of Newfoundland that we haven't seen yet, but we have 7 days before our boat leaves.

Just west of St Johns

After a bunch of roadwork, (paving, they need it) we stopped about 125kms west at Bellevue Beach Provincial Campsite. Beautiful setting right on the south end of Trinity Bay. After setting up and lunch, we headed out to ride the Baccalieu Trail loop. Dodging rain drops is the order of the day.

Trinity Bay from our campsite

Kyle hasn't been getting into enough pics...

Stopped and took a pic of the village of Dildo because of its name.

Dildo

Grace Harbour is where Amelia Earhart set out on her solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932. The SS Kyle was the first ferry boat to Labrador and had major ice damage above the waterline. It was brought to the harbour for repairs and a fierce storm broke it's anchor. Then pushed it to shore where it has sat since 1967. Sailers felt this was a good omen as normally when a boat is blown ashore, they sink...

SS Kyle,  also like the name because of our dog...

Around the head of the peninsula where the rain had just finished and the roads were still wet. Came down the Trinity Bay side into Winterton and saw a few great pictures..

Hearts Desire is where the first successful transatlantic cable landed here in 1866 from Ireland. They are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the cable crossing. As numerous cables failed, they actually laid 4. Saw the remnants of the these cables on the beach.

The original cable building where over 300 employees worked

Cavendish, Newfoundland... For the travellers that have picked up the Newfoundland Labrador 2016 Traveller's Guide, the cover photo is of these buildings.

This old shed was left out, the first time, felt sorry for it...