Poor wifi is worse than no wifi at all because you expect something and mostly get nothing. Ah, well. FYI: May 1st to July 15th GiMyC drove 5625 miles pulling Cruiser and touring towns; Tallahassee to St. Andrews, NB, was 2084 miles; to Port aux Basques, NL, was 1550 miles; and north to St. Anthony and a trip to Labrador was 727 miles. We are heading east to St. John’s now.
Western Newfoundland: Two weeks was barely enough to take it all in; the drive is breath-taking all the way with rocks, green mountains, tablelands, coves, harbors, bays, straits, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Be sure to check out our pictures at myphotoalbum; they tell the story better than I’ve kept up with this blog.
A side trip to Woody Point and Trout River is WAY out of the way but a must do. The drive to Woody Point is through the Gros Morne Tablelands and is magnificent. Woody Point is a place you would want a summer cottage. Its location right on the water’s edge of Bonne Bay is stunning. Trout River is a small fishing village with three small but interesting museums that tell the fascinating history of the place. The wharf is busy but inviting. The hardworking fishermen and women have a friendly smile and a hearty hello! Did we mention that these Newfoundlanders are very friendly.
We’ve had a great history lesson all along the way: Maritime Archaic Indians, Vikings, British, French, Western Brook Pond formed by glaciers, Labrador current bringing icebergs from Greenland (just not this year…), Dorset Indians, Beothuk, American bases during WWII, NORAD and DEW bases, and on. Sorry that I haven’t kept up just writing even though we couldn’t get online. A general note though: Irving gas stations are about the only place Regina can get her diet dr. pepper; most villages/towns have populations of 200 to 1000; fishing is really important; fish is always cod unless it states salmon, trout, or something else. Cod earbones make great jewelry; puffins are on the east coast of Newfoundland; it’s easy to get on the ferry to Labrador but getting back to Newfoundland you better have reservations; this land is definitely The Rock. Will update more at St. John’s.