Wednesday 6/22/2022 - Day 11 of 31 on our 2022 Canadian Maritime #2 Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

We departed Prince Edward Campground, which is located on the Humber River. It is a Kinsmen park. What are Kinsmen? Kin Canada is an all-Canadian service organization made up of dedicated member volunteers who serve their community’s greatest need through hosting and sponsoring events and community service projects. Founded on February 20, 1920 by Hal Rogers in Hamilton, Ontario, Kin Canada clubs have impacted countless communities in Canada and beyond our borders. Thousands of dedicated Kin continue to keep Founder Hal's vision of Serving the Community's Greatest Need alive. 

The Humber River is approximately 75 miles long, flowing through the Long Range Mountains, southeast then southwest, through Deer Lake, to the Bay of Islands at Corner Brook. It begins near Hampden, Newfoundland. James Cook first charted the Humber in the summer of 1767. It was named, as so many of eastern North America for its English counterpart the Humber. The Humber is rich in Atlantic Salmon, and was used as a waterway for European trappers and loggers. It continues to be considered one of the world's best recreational salmon fishing rivers.

On TCH #1, just a bit from the campground is Marble Mountain. Nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, towering over the beautiful Humber Valley, it is renowned for the best skiing on Canada's east coast. With the highest vertical drop of any ski area in Atlantic Canada, you'll soar down 250 acres and 39 trails catering to all skill levels. At the summit of the mountain, take in the stunning, rugged panorama as you stand 1,700 feet above the banks of the Humber River. Located just five minutes away from Corner Brook, Canada's snowiest city, Marble Mountain Resort receives an average 16 feet of natural snowfall annually. Take in the stunning scenery with Marble Zip Tours and Aerial Park year round. Ride nine zip lines that traverse the Steady Brook Gorge and Falls – some span 2,000 feet and are 285 feet high.

We passed by the Deer Lake Hydroelectric Generating Station, operated by Deer Lake Power Company. The history of Deer Lake Power Company dates back to 1915 when an extensive survey of the Humber River hydroelectric and timber resources was begun. The original company, Newfoundland Power and Paper Company was granted, along with lands, the water power rights on the Humber River watershed by the Newfoundland Government in return for investment in the industrial development of Newfoundland and Labrador. The First World War interrupted the project. It was not until late 1922 that development of a pulp and paper mill at Corner Brook and, concurrently, a hydroelectric generating station at Deer Lake was started. The original plan was to locate both the paper mill and power plant at Deer Lake. This was changed at the eleventh hour to have the mill in Corner Brook at tidewater. This decision was based on engineering progress in the early 1920's making feasible transmission of power over the 30 miles separating the two sites. Coinciding with the construction of the generating station was the building of a diversion dam at the outlet of Grand Lake which flowed into Junction Brook and the Humber River. Called Main Dam, it is an Ambursen-type structure, 800 feet long containing almost 30,000 cubic yards of concrete. The Dam controls the water elevation of Grand Lake, the main reservoir, and its adjacent feeder lakes. The Grand Lake watershed covers an area of over 3,000 square miles while the reservoir covers 308 square miles. At full storage, Grand Lake is 80 miles long and 4 miles at its widest point. Depths are almost 1,000 feet and its shoreline ranges from sandy beaches to vertical cliffs towering 1,800 feet above normal lake level. 

We continued northeast on TCH #1. Into the community of Deer Lake. Western Newfoundland was an upland area in which vertical movements of crustal blocks along major fault zones led to the formation of two major basins in which accumulations of sediments occurred between 345 million and 280 million years ago. One of these basins extended from Deer Lake to Conche (the Deer Lake Basin) and the other extended from Stephenville to the Codroy Valley (the St. George's Bay Basin). These basins probably resembled the present-day Death Valley of California, surrounded by mountains and with great silty fans extending from the mountain scarps across a lowland with shallow lakes. Sedimentary rocks deposited in both basins are conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and shale, commonly containing fossils of fish, plants and trees. Thin coal seams and oil shales occur in the Deer Lake Basin, and evaporates, like gypsum, potash and salt, as well as coal and oil, occur in the St. George's Bay Basin.

Off TCH 1 onto Highway 430, the Viking Trail. The Viking Trail is the largest themed highway in Newfoundland and Labrador. Stretching all the way from the province's west coast to Southern Labrador, the Viking Trail is the only route to the popular UNESCO World Heritage sites at Gros Morne National Park of Canada and L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Canada. Newfoundland Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion. I can honestly say, I have never seen an Insectarium! It is 20 acres of land and nearly 8,000 square feet of indoor space. The attraction features thousands of live and mounted insects, arachnids and arthropods from around the world. There is a special section dedicated to the insects of Newfoundland and Labrador. I am not sure, if I want to see that many creepy crawling things!

We drove through, Gros Morne National Park, we will visit the park on our way back down.

There was a lot of up and down and up and down today, but the sights were amazing!

There are benefits to drive on slightly overcast days, you miss the sun shining into your windows and windshield, but your pictures are muted colors, but you see some unique low hanging clouds.

Skirting along the Bonnie Bay as we headed toward Port au Choix. The bay separates the Great Northern Peninsula from the rest of the island. It is a part of Gros Morne National Park. There are two sections: Inner Bonne Bay and Outer Bonne Bay. Inner Bonne Bay consists of two arms, one is south which has wooded coves and beach landings. Outer Bonne Bay consists of the entrance to the fjord of Bonne Bay. Bonne Bay was carved out approximately 10,000 years ago by two large glaciers in each one of the arms. The glaciers then came together in the middle part of the Bay and continued to push on out to the Ocean.

It is said that Jacques Cartier, the French explorer and navigator, anchored at nearby Cow Cove in 1534. At Shallow Bay you can roam the sandy beaches in search of a prized piece of gnarled driftwood, just one of the treasures from the sea that wash up along this coast. The beach's back shore dunes have been planted with dune grasses to help prevent erosion. Just behind the dunes you can explore the Old Mail Road Trail, where dappled sunlight, the soft chirps of birds and the nearly muffled sound of waves breaking on the other side of the dunes will entice you to linger.

Continue to the next stretch of coast, which includes the Portland Creek River. Portland Creek River was made famous by the late Lee Wulff, one of the foremost anglers of the mid-20th century. This part of the highway takes you through Portland Creek, Daniel's Harbour, Bellburns, River of Ponds, and Hawke's Bay. The Portland Creek area is filled with lakes, rivers and ponds that teem with salmon and trout. Fishermen from all over the world come to try their luck in these waterways. Keep an eye out for the herd of caribou in this area.

We saw this sign, but never any Caribou :(

We completed our caravan, for today, and arrived in Port au Choix.

Port au Choix is a tri-town area, which is comprised of Hawkes Bay, Port Saunders and Port au Choix. The name of Port au Choix is translated as Port of Choice because the fishermen had the choice of ports to land their fish. Port au Choix is known as “the Capital of the Shrimp fisheries.”

In Port au Choix, in 1967 while excavating a basement for a theater, workers found what is now Port au Choix National Historic Site by accident. They found a mass of bones, tools and weapons. The following year, archaeologists discovered three ancient cemeteries and scores of skeletons. By studying the artifacts and human remains, archaeologists have been able to determine the Maritime Archaic People, a group of hunters and gatherers who lived along the eastern seaboard from Maine to Labrador, occupied the site 3,200 to 3,700 years ago. Over thousands of years, many groups have moved into the Port au Choix area because of its marine resources. Cultural habits and technologies have come and gone, but dependence on the sea remains a way of life, and a bond that connects half a dozen cultures over more than 50 centuries.

Staying at Oceanside RV Park, where the sun meets the sea every evening and rocks you to sleep through the sounds of the waves hugging the shores. It is owned and operated by the United Towns Lion Club.

We had a unique afternoon at the French Bread Oven and Chaloupe. 

Fresh rolls are served up using a French bread oven in Port au Choix. 

At the end of Forest road in this historic fishing community with thousands of years of indigenous culture and also a part of the French Shore, we visited a bread oven, chaloupe and we ventured in to enjoy history over a cup of tea, wildberry jam and those melt in your mouth rolls from ladies and men dressed in period costumes.

We enjoyed some music from Davey Jones too!

Our campground host told us, we had to see the Painted Rocks ... so, we did .... nothing that we expected!

There is a talented boat maker in this town too!

One significant site of Dorset Paleo-Eskimo remains are located on the Port au Choix peninsula in the region known as Phillip's Garden. This archaeological dig has been divided into three sites, Phillip's Garden, Phillip's Garden East, and Phillip's Garden West. 

The Phillip's Garden sites are regarded as the most important discoveries in the Port au Choix area since the remains of structures were preserved from rising sea levels. There have been discoveries of dwellings by Dorset Paleo-Eskimos dating back to approximately 2140 BP. The first excavation of Phillip's Garden was William Wintemberg of the National Museum of Canada in 1929. At this time he discovered numerous sites of Newfoundland's Great North Peninsula, including Port au Choix. Phillip's Garden was the largest site found during the survey. Phillip's Garden remained unexamined after its initial discovery by Wintemberg until 1949, when Elmer Harp Jr. began to excavate at Port au Choix and made many discoveries through the early 1960s. Harp, a distinguished archaeologist who specialized in the Arctic and Paleo-Eskimos, was the first to determine that some remains and artifacts discovered at Port au Choix were those of Paleo-Eskimos, not Indians.

Some of us drove to Pont Riche. The first lighthouse at Point Riche, formerly part of the French Shore, was completed by the Canadian government in 1871 to assist steamers transiting the Strait of Belle Isle on their voyages between the St. Lawrence and Europe. The buildings at the station, constructed simultaneous with the ones at Cape Norman. The Point Riche Lighthouse was destroyed by fire on August 15, 1890. As there was some difference of opinion among “nautical men” whether the lighthouse should be rebuilt, the opinions of the masters of vessels using the Strait of Belle Isle were solicited on the matter. When a majority was in favor of rebuilding the lighthouse at its former location, plans were drawn up and tenders invited for the work.

Daniel McDonald of Pictou, Nova Scotia submitted the lowest tender, at $1,750, and was accordingly awarded a contract for the new lighthouse. During the summer of 1892, McDonald built the present octagonal wooden lighthouse. Built on ground situated forty-four feet above the water, the lighthouse measured fifty-eight feet from base to vane and had a focal plane of ninety-three feet. The new light was placed in operation on October 20, 1892.

When plans were made to install a third-order Fresnel lens at Point Riche, it was deemed necessary to build concrete foundations to support a wooden framework that was carried up around the outside of the lighthouse. With this support structure in place, the old lantern platform was removed and the new one put in place. This work was done and the new 100,000 candlepower light commenced operation in 1908. The illuminant used in the Fresnel lens was petroleum vapour burned under an incandescent mantle. A new keeper’s building was also built in 1908, but it burned down in the 1998, leaving the foundation found near the lighthouse. Pointe Riche Lighthouse was declared a Recognized Federal Heritage Building in 1991.

There is another Dorset Site connected to Phillip's Garden by a trail. Port Aux Choix is a great place to explore the crossroads of 6,000 years of human history where the sea’s bounty drew Maritime Archaic, Dorset, Groswater and Beothuk people long before Europeans arrived. Discover the richness and rarities of vibrant cultures that lived off the land and from the sea, where seals on passing ice flows were hunted for food, shelter and clothing. Explore one of North America’s most fascinating archaeological finds, amid a rugged coastline of unique limestone barrens, forests and bays.

 

Sheryl and I had to put our feet in the water! The wind was cool, but the water was not too bad!

Some went to an optional dinner, others enjoyed a quiet dinner at the campground. Whichever the caravaneers enjoyed, we all enjoyed the awesome views of the Gulf of the St Lawrence. We had an evening road log review and little known facts about the caravaneers.

Tuesday 6/21/2022 - Day 10 of 31 on our 2022 Canadian Maritime #2 Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Tuesday June 21, 2022 we drove to Prince Edward RV Park, a Kinsmen endeavor. The Kinsmen Club of Corner Brook have been operating this campground for over 15 years.

As we drove, we were running along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, we saw the Table Mountains section of this range, a section of the Earth's mantle exposed at the surface. Once paralleled the east coast of North America from Newfoundland to Alabama, and rivaled the present-day Rockies in their beauty. The forces of erosion, however, have taken their toll, and our Appalachians have been worn down to a gently rolling terrain, with only a few upland areas remaining to remind us of their former magnificence. The erosion of the Appalachians has revealed in Newfoundland a superb cross-section of the core of an ancient mountain belt, and made it the Mecca for earth scientists from around the world.

We passed by Barachois Pond, it is the largest Provincial Park in Western Newfoundland. All 1,000 acres of the park are in the Western Newfoundland Forest ecoregion which is characterized by a balsam fir forest with an underlying of ferns and moss. The Western Newfoundland Forest is distinguished from the rest of the 19 provincial ecoregions by its vegetation and climate. These in turn limit what types of animals one would expect to find in the area.

Situated in the spectacular rolling terrain of Western Newfoundland, the Little Grand Lake Provisional Ecological Reserve protects extensive bogs and barrens, as well as mature boreal forest that is prime habitat for the endangered Newfoundland marten. The reserve's borders were designed to capture specific ecosystems-making it the province's first true ecosystem ecological reserve-and also provide the highest level of protection to the marten habitat at its core. Little Grand Lake Provisional Ecological Reserve is one of three protected areas surrounding Little Grand Lake. The other two are the Little Grand Lake Wildlife Reserve and the Glover Island Public Reserve. These reserves extend the area of Newfoundland marten habitat under protection, and provide buffers against the effects of any human activity that would be harmful to the marten's recovery. What is a Newfoundland Marten? It is one of only 13 native land mammals inhabiting the Island, the Newfoundland marten is in the same family as the weasel, mink, and ferret. Marten thrive in mature, closed-canopy forest, a habitat type that is disappearing from the Island portion of the province. The total Newfoundland marten population in the province is estimated to be around 300 animals. The forests within the Little Grand Lake reserve system are home to the largest remaining core population of Newfoundland marten on the Island.

We arrived in Corner Brook and had the afternoon to go to the grocery store and explore the area. There was a park with a great waterfalls, but it was over an hour each way to get to it.

We had a short time to rest before we headed out to our “Screech In” at the Pasadena Ski and Nature Lodge. The Pasadena Ski and Nature Park is a not-for-profit organization located in the ‘Crown of The Valley’ beautiful Pasadena. The park is a must-see tourist location and local attraction. 

It features over 11 miles of wilderness trails featuring breathtaking views and the wildlife of Western Newfoundland. In the winter, their ski trails are groomed and tracked daily. If skiing is not your cup of tea, they also have over 4 miles of groomed snowshoe trails for your enjoyment. The cozy chalet offers a comfortable place for guests to enjoy a hot cup of joe, tea or hot chocolate, and a snack by the fire. It is in the cozy chalet that we had our dinner.

Our dinner was traditional Newfoundland Moose Stew. I was a bit leery, I am not a gamey tasting meat kind of person … but when in Newfoundland … do as they do! The list of ingredients include Moose meat, of course … plus a nob of this, or an enormous glob of that and a bunch of the other thing. It might be a tough recipe to follow! I have to admit, it was so good … I could have had a second helping!

We were entertained by a local folk trio but they were only a duo tonight, the Sharecroppers. They are three retired teachers, who learned their harmony was a natural fit! They have been performing together for 35 years. They sing about their homeland, exploration, culture and heritage. Some songs are serious and some songs are silly. But all the songs are good!

There is a rite of passage for those who visit Newfoundland & Labrador and want to be an honorary citizen – this ritual is known as the Screech-in. The caravaneers, us non-Newfoundlanders, also known to Newfoundlanders as a "come from away" or "mainlander", were asked if we wanted to be become a Newfoundlander.

The proper response, of course, would be a hearty "Yes b'y!" We each had to eat a piece of hard tack, which is a hard, dried bread like substance. Back in the day, this was a meal on the fishing boats most of the days! We also enjoyed a piece of "Newfie steak", we us “come from a wayer” would call it a chuck of bologna!

Each holding our shot of Screech, we were asked "Are ye a screecher?" and were taught the proper response: "'Deed I is, me ol' cock! And long may yer big jib draw!" Translated, it means "Yes I am, my old friend, and may your sails always catch wind." Screech is a Newfoundland rum with 40% alcohol by volume. The term screech is a colloquial term that has been used to describe almost any cheap, high alcohol spirit, including moonshine. The term is used in the brand name for this mid-priced rum to associate the brand with this tradition.

Before COVID, a cod fish, is then held up to the lips of each participant, who then bestows the fish with a kiss. Now, we have to give the ole Cod a wink and a nod. Good thing we had the drink before we were asked to wink at the fish! With that, we became an honorary Newfie!

We also learned and sang the unofficial anthem of Newfoundland. "I's The B'y" is a traditional Newfoundland folk song. "I's the B'y" is in the Newfoundland English dialect, and translates to "I'm the Boy" or "I'm the Guy".

Here are the words to the song … I can’t describe the tune!

I'se The B'y that builds the boat, I'se The B'y that sails her; I'se The B'y that catches the fish and brings 'em home to Liza. Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

Salts and rinds to cover your flake, Cake and tea for supper; Cod fish in the spring of the year, Fried in maggoty butter. Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

I don't want your maggoty fish, They're no good for winter; Well I can buy as good as that, Way down in Bonavista! Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

I took Liza to a dance, As fast as she can travel; And every step that she could take, Was up to her knees in gravel. Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

Susan White she's outta sight, Her petticoat wants a border; Well old Sam Oliver in the dark, He kissed her in the corner! Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

I'se The B'y that builds the boat, I'se The B'y that sails her; I'se The B'y that catches the fish, Brings 'em home to Liza. Hip-yer-partner Sally Thibault, Hip-yer-partner Sally Brown; Fogo, Twillingate, Morton's Harbour, All around the circle.

Newfoundland was once its own country. They gave up their independence to become the youngest province in Canada. The official anthem of Newfoundland and Labrador is the Ode to Newfoundland. The Sharecropper and the wait staff at the chalet sang it for us.

Ode to Newfoundland:

When sunrays crown thy pine-clad hills, And Summer spreads her hand, When silvern voices tune thy rills, We love thee smiling land, We love thee, we love thee, We love thee smiling land. When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white, At Winter's stern command, Thro' shortened day and starlit night, We love thee frozen land, We love thee, we love thee, We love thee frozen land. When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore, And wild waves lash thy strand, Thro' spindrift swirl and tempest roar, We love thee wind-swept land, We love thee, we love thee, We love thee wind-swept land. As loved our fathers, so we love, Where once they stood we stand, Their prayer we raise to heav'n above, God guard thee Newfoundland, God guard thee, God guard thee, God guard thee Newfoundland.

It goes to show you the pride that they still have in their heritage and are united. Speaking of unity, their unofficial flag is a symbol of unity. The flag of Labrador is used to represent the mainland part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador as distinct from the island of Newfoundland. It was designed in 1973 by Michael S. Martin. The flag has been influential in Labrador; its colors are mirrored in the flag of Nunatsiavut, and its spruce twig was adopted for use on the Franco-Terreneuvien flag. The three colors of the flag, white, green and blue, represent the elements of nature central to life in Labrador: the snow, the land and the water. The three branches of the twig in the top left corner represent the three founding nations of the land: the Innu, the Inuit and the white settlers of the territory. Talk about inclusion, it does not get any better than that!

Tomorrow is another adventure!

Monday 6/20/2022 - Day 9 of 31 on our 2022 Canadian Maritime #2 Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Monday June 20, 2022, we left the Arm of Gold Campground in Little Bras d’Or and traveled to the eastern terminus of Highway 105, the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in North Sydney. Where we planned to travel on and continue to Newfoundland.

Once at the Ferry Terminal, we were ready to have our coaches were measured again. But, we were so prepared … they said it was not necessary! We parked in the marshalling line we were directed to and now, we waited. The purpose of getting there early is to ensure that we are manifested early enough to get all 9 coaches on the same ferry. Ambulances and a few other vehicle types have priority, no matter what time they arrive. Rod told us, the caravan was only separated once in 30 years of leading this caravan.

When it was our turn, we drove onto our ferry, the MV Blue Puttees. The ship was named the MV Blue Puttees, a little bit about this ship. The MV Blue Puttees joined the fleet just 10 years ago, along with her sister ship, the MV Highlander. At almost 650 feet in length, this vessel features comfortable seating areas, 96 spacious cabins (featuring 2 and 4 berths), approximately 500 reclining seats, a gift shop, personal headphone jacks, USB charging stations, deck access with panoramic views and several dining options. This vessel helped increase their capacity by 25 percent with 2,840 lane meters on the vehicle decks. These two ships were designed to make our journey a relaxing one.  These ships are a modern fleet, traveling a historic route and offering passengers a vital connection between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

Our journey on the ferry is what is considered Route 1. It ferries passengers and vehicles between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. It is an approximately 7 hour ride across the Cabot Straight. Ferries have been operating across the strait since 1898 and a submarine telegraph cable was laid in 1856 as part of the transatlantic telegraph cable project.

The Cabot Strait is approximately 70 miles wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Cape North, Cape Breton Island. It is the widest of the three outlets for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, the others being the Strait of Belle Isle and Strait of Canso. It is named for the Genoese explorer Giovanni Caboto. A strategically important waterway throughout Canadian and Newfoundland history, the strait is also an important international shipping route, being the primary waterway linking the Atlantic with inland ports on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. An infamous location in the strait for shipwrecks, was St Paul's Island. It came to be known as the "Graveyard of the Gulf" of St Lawrence. In October 1942, German U-boat U-69 torpedoed and sank the unlit Newfoundland ferry SS Caribou, killing 137 people. Then on 25 November 1944 HMCS Shawinigan was torpedoed and sunk with all hands on board (91 crew) by U-1228. On the extended ride, ventured out onto the deck for pictures or fresh air, watched TV, read, worked on loom knitting socks for the Inuits, some ate at the restaurant. We were given notice to return to our vehicles from the comfortable reclining chairs we had in the TV lounge. Once in our vehicles, we exited the Ferry in the same orderly fashion we boarded it. We followed the signs for TCH #1. We all rallied at a planned rest stop. The advice we were given, is move now … before the winds pick up! So, we headed out quickly!

Newfoundland has a long and colorful history, some might say there isn't a rock, cliff, tree or cave around here without a legend attached to it.

The complex human history of this province can be traced to about 9,000 years ago when the first groups of a marine-oriented people moved into southeastern Labrador. Those first groups developed into what is now called the Maritime Archaic Indians. They buried a child in what is the oldest known funeral mound in North America. Their descendants moved into Newfoundland. A separate and distinct culture arrived in northern Labrador, later. These arctic-adapted people are now called Paleoeskimos and spread to the Island of Newfoundland. Some 3,600 years ago a new culture showed up in the Labrador archaeological record. They are known as the Intermediate Indians and moved into central Labrador, and shortly after that the Maritime Archaic Indians vanished. Then, about 2,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Innu and the Beothuk are recognized in Labrador. These people were more land-adapted than some of the earlier groups. The most recent aboriginal group to arrive was the Thule people who migrated across the northern part of the continent from the Bering Strait to Labrador, their descendants of the Thule are today’s Inuit.

The oldest known European contact was made here a few thousand years later when Leif Eriksson and his crew of Vikings landed on the Northern Peninsula in 1000 AD. Although they didn't settle permanently, they left their mark on this part of the world at L'Anse aux Meadows – now a National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fast forward hundreds of years to 1497, when Italian-born Giovanni Caboto – more commonly known as John Cabot – dropped anchor in Bonavista and "discovered" the New found land. During the 16th and 17th centuries, fishermen from France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and eventually England arrived to feed on the fish of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of the early permanent settlers came from southwest England and southeast Ireland, with the majority emigrating between 1750 and 1850 prior to the Great Irish Famine. Although Newfoundland was England's oldest overseas colony, France played an important part in helping shape their history. French explorer, Jacques Cartier, arrived in 1534 and eventually the French established a colony in Placentia in 1662. By then, tiny settlements popped up around Placentia Bay, the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon – still a colony of France today. During the 17th century, Newfoundland was more French than it was English. Oddly enough, by the middle of the next century, French settlement disappeared, mostly due to military success elsewhere.

Before 1949, Newfoundland had a history as a British colony, Britain’s "Grand Cod Fishery of the Universe", eventually becoming equal to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as a full Dominion of the British Empire. Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada on 31 March 1949 and the next day, the leader of the Confederation campaigns, Joseph R. Smallwood, became the new province’s first Premier. Today, even though they are the youngest province in Canada, they are considered one of the fastest growing in the country with booming oil and gas, mineral exploration, and marine industries. On the cultural side, the eastern edge, St. John's is brimming with musicians, artists, writers, dancers, and craftspeople. However, many of us are drawn to Newfoundland’s western edge for the inspiring natural beauty.

Just ahead north on the Trans-Canada Highway from Port aux Basques. The first thing you will notice are the Twin Hills aka Mae West by the locals. The symmetry is amazing. Oddly enough if you are coming from the north, heading south, you do not see them.

As we started our drive on the west coast of Newfoundland, we traversed alongside of the Long Range Mountains. They form the northernmost section of the Appalachian Mountain chain. The International Appalachian Trail extends through the Long Range Mountains. We found snow on these mountains!

Just about 5 miles up the highway you will enter the area of Wreckhouse. On your right, the east side of the highway, there is a large paved parking lot. This marks the homestead site of Lochie MacDougal referred to as the Human Wind Gauge. For 30 years he would notify the railway in this area of dangerous high winds. His advice, being ignored one time, led to 22 rail cars being completely blown off the rails. Winds as high as 125 miles per hour have been recorded here. Today transport trucks put themselves at great risk if they ignore high wind warnings in this area. Across the highway from the parking lot, you will see the old railroad bed. It is part of a massive walking trail, the T-Railway Provincial Park, which stretches almost 900 km from Port aux Basques to St John's.

As you look to the east, you can watch how the winds play with the clouds as they meet the mountains. Look to the west and you can see the clear blue Gulf of St Lawrence. We entered the Codroy Valley, where those wicked winds continue. It is a glacial valley formed in the Anguille Mountains, a sub-range of the Long Range Mountains which run along Newfoundland's west coast fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The valley runs inland at a perpendicular angle from the coast carrying the Codroy River and its tributaries to the gulf. The area was settled families of French, Irish, Micmac, English, and Scots. The Scots were Highlanders who arrived between the 1840s and 1860s, most of them secondary migrants who had been living on Cape Breton Island. Of the roughly 171 households at Codroy Valley in the 1880s, 38% belonged to people of Scottish descent. The Scottish Gaelic language was once commonly spoken here, with some families continuing to speak Gaelic at home until the 1960s.

We spent the night at the Grand Codroy Campground. This was a much better option than we had in the past. We used to drive almost 130 miles after we exited the ferry. Usually, it was dark when we got there. Today, it was a half an hour and easy into the campground. Back in sites for most and three pull-thrus. 

We enjoyed a dinner of cheese and crackers and soda with the caravanners, before we had our road log briefing for the next day. The campground owner said the sunsets over the lake were beautiful, but Mother Nature did not cooperate!

See you tomorrow for more adventures!