Day 5: The Granite Planet

Elaine (a Newfie by birth) over at A Scattering has been following my trip to Canada's east coast. She's on her way here as well, but we'll miss each other by a few days. "The Granite Planet" is her nickname for this magnificent Newfoundland.


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Our ferry from North Sydney to Port-aux-Basques was nine hours late in leaving. The biggest problem, we would arrive after midnight. That meant we would have to stay in a hotel in town rather than camp as originally planned. On top of everything else, when the ferry docked it was foggy. Wayne called ahead, so we had reservations at the St. Christopher's Hotel. Good thing, a steady stream of cars followed us there. But it wasn't all bad. I got an unexpected shower and shampoo!

This morning we got up and drove north on T.C.H. (Trans-Canada Highway) 1 to Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland. The drive was through forested areas, but the trees here are much smaller. When we pulled into Corner Brook, we drove past the pulp and paper bill. All of the timer stacked for processing was small and short. But if you are grinding it into pulp, I guess the size doesn't matter. From Corner Brook we took Highway 450 to Lark Harbour. It is a beautiful drive along a fjord with little fishing and resort villages along the way.

Back on Highway 1 we headed for the national park and our campground for the evening in Trout River. It is next to Trout River Pond. Here they call a fjord cut off from the ocean a pond. I guess that makes our Powell Lake a "pond" as well. It seem funny calling such large bodies of water a pond, but who am I to argue with a Newfie.

We just finished having dinner in the Town of Trout River at the Seaside Restaurant. It was the best meal we've had so far on this trip. It faces the ocean side of the isthmus between the pond and the sea. Wayne and I tried the caplin fish, a local delicacy. They are a small fish like a smelt that cod and whales eat. We took our turn feeding on their rich flavour. Not bad. Now we are heading back to our campground. Maybe tonight we'll get a chance to sit in our chairs and relax! -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: Seaside Restaurant in Trout River and the Gros Morne National Park. Have a great dinner while you connect!

Day 6: M&N’s, But No M’s

We left Gros Morne National Park and returned to Port aux Basques, but had a few leisurely side trips today.


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After our dinner in Trout River, we headed back to the campground and set up our tent. After several nights of camping without problems, we’ve finally found the land of M&N’s, mosquitoes and no-see-ums that is. They both can drain a pint of blood and leave a nasty welt! We sat in our chairs outdoors for a little bit, but decided the best course of action was to get in the tent and close the doors. And fortunately that did the trick. We slept well with no more problems.

We took a short driving tour of Gros Morne National Park from our campground in Trout River to Rocky Harbour on the north side of the fjord called Bonne Bay. To get there, you first have to back track to Wiltondale. Glacial cut fjords abound here, but their sides are less steep than those back home in Coastal BC. Even so, they are beautiful and majestic.

We first stopped at the Tablelands to see the orange-brown rock, called peridotite, which is where a piece of the mantle layer was thrust up to the earth’s surface. It is an example of plate tectonics, and being a rock nut it was really exciting to see. About 470 million years ago two continental plates collided and the resulting fault pushed the inner earth upwards. The Tablelands is one of the most accessible examples of mantle exposure. Other rocks around the park formed from sediments that were once on the bottom of an ancient ocean that existed until 420 to 570 million years ago. Uplift and faulting twisted and raised them to form the land of today.

We stopped in Rocky Harbour for breakfast. Wayne went “normal” and I went “traditional.” I had something called toutons. They are fried bread dough. The outside was crunchy and the insides barely cooked dough, but covered in homemade Partridge Berry jam they were really tasty. If we had stayed for lunch, we could have stayed for the moose burgers. In fact, in the land of moose (over 4,800 here in the park alone), we didn’t even see one M. We even took Monsieur Argent off road a bit, but still no luck.

The drive south on T.C.H. 1 seemed quicker than up, but I guess that’s often the case when you know the route. Well, it was faster except when we got behind a “touron” in an RV! Our destination was J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park near Cape Ray, just north of Port-aux-Basques. We planned that so we could get to the ferry early, but things are still running late.

On the way to dinner in town, we took the back road to Cape Ray and went out to the lighthouse. This coast can be treacherous, and fog is an almost constant problem, especially early in the morning and late in the evening. Tonight, as we sit in camp, we can hear a foghorn sounding every few minutes.

In addition to some spectacular views of the rugged coast, Cape Ray was the site of a prehistoric Dorset Eskimo village. Wayne and I have read quite a bit about them in books about the arctic. Cape Ray was one of their most southerly sites. The Dorset came here to hunt harp seals in the early spring when they migrated to the ice floes for whelping. They also stayed into the summer to fish for salmon in the rivers and caribou in the nearby Table Mountains. Stumbling onto the display and interpretation site was pretty exciting for us.

Cape Ray is too small to have a restaurant, so we headed back to Port aux Basques to get dinner. We are traveling without cooking gear, so eating out has been simpler. Plus, we had a chance to sample some local dishes. But I think I enjoy that more than Wayne sometimes. -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: The Marine Atlantic ferry MV Caribou has a hotspot on board, but it's too slow to upload pictures.

Day 7: Hurry Up and Wait

We left the campground to go into Port aux Basques for breakfast since we had several hours to wait for the ferry back to Nova Scotia. We ate at the Harbour Restaurant just like last night. Then we got ice and Subway sandwiches to eat later for dinner on the ferry.


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I will never again complain about BC Ferries. I know the Atlantic Vision (one of two ferries on this route) had a heating unit fire on July 29, but this is ridiculous! It’s August 6 and they’re still running about five to six hours late. And that isn’t the worst of it. Marine Atlantic ferries are just plain disorganized. We arrived 45 minutes early for our 1:00 pm “required” check in, but were turned away by an attendant on the off ramp, telling us to return in half an hour. When we finally got in, there were four entry booths, but then everyone had to merge into one line for the Canada Agricultural Inspection.

After lots of confusion on everyone’s part, we were finally given a line assignment for our two-hour wait for departure. But we know it will be later than that because the ferry was at least half an hour late on their “delayed arrival time.” Are you confused yet? I know we are, plus a little bit frustrated since we lost one of our three planned days here on the “Granite Planet” and two camping experiences.

Enough complaining. We did enjoy our brief (briefer than expected) visit to Newfoundland. We enjoyed the geology, different types of topography, sweeping ocean views, small fishing villages, food and friendly people. I even found some handmade wool socks and a toque for John. We want to return someday, but think we’ll fly direct rather than driving all the way from Montreal. The airfare will be more expensive, but cost less for ground transportation, meals, accommodations and the $278 ferry cost for two adults and a car to get here. Actually, in the end, it might be cheaper. We can spend more time in Newfoundland and then cross over to Labrador to see that province.

Because of our late arrival in Nova Scotia, we had to cancel our campground reservations for tonight. We didn’t want to backtrack into Sydney, so we are staying at the Clansman Motel in North Sydney. That’s where we ate before our departure a few days ago. It isn’t a modern establishment, but it’s well kept. Then we can get an early start to our camping destination on the Bay of Fundy. I’m excited about seeing that. It was one of the places we studied in school that really stuck out in my mind. -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: The Clansman Motel has three (count them) hotspots to choose from. Now my pictures are posted.

Day 8: Long Rides and Big Tides

Today we started our trip back south heading from North Sydney to the world famous Bay of Fundy.


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We left North Sydney too early to stop for "The Best Tasting Chicken on the Island" (Cape Breton) at the Lick-a-Chick Restaurant in Bras D'Or. We saw it on our way north, but didn't have the time then either. You could smell the chicken cooking all the way out on the highway. The adjacent Lick-a-Cone didn’t look half bad either. Too bad, but we were looking for a breakfast stop.

We pulled off the road at Baddeck along the Bras d’Or Lake. This is a long lake that is open to the ocean at both ends. There’s a marina here with large sailboats and cruisers. We walked down to the docks and then up the street to the Yellow Cello Café. It had a good business going, but we got a table inside and our breakfast was ready in no time. Benneck has two claims to fame. In 1885, Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel discovered Baddeck and built a summer home here where they lived until their death in 1922. It is also the birthplace of Canadian powered aviation with the Silver Dart. Now it looks to be cottage country. Busy little place, then and now!

Our drive today is backtracking down Cape Breton on Highway 105 to the Canso Causeway. We had to stop and wait for the bridge to close after three boats made it through the canal. After we junctioned with Highway 102 towards Halifax we decided to try a byway instead. We turned onto Highway 14, a two lane road through farming country. The crops of choice are hay and corn. There were also some dairies along the way. Here they bale their hay in rounds covered in plastic. It they sit in the green fields like giant white caterpillars.

The coastal plain continues to be farm country. We saw vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes, onions, more corn and of course hay. The farms are small family operations with a house and barn near the road. Periodically there’s a small village with minimal services such as a general store and possibly a gas pump. Churches are important here. As you gaze across the green fields you will see a spire rising in the distance.


At Highway 101 (no relation to our west coast Highway 101 that starts in Lund), we turned west for the Bay of Fundy. We decided to stop for an early dinner in Wolfville. This is the location of Acadia University. It has a restored downtown with quaint restaurants and shops. We ate at Paddy’s Brew Pub. Since it was Wayne’s turn to drive, I had their Annapolis Valley Ales. It was smooth and rich, just the way I like it. We grazed on appies and then headed out to the Bay of Fundy.

Just past Canning we found our campground for the night, Blomidon Provincial Park. It's located right on the Bay of Fundy, the location of the highest tides in the world. Our campground was right on the edge of the Bay of Fundy. It’s perched on a cliff of red earth with sweeping views of the bay. We had reservations, but when we checked in they were still assigning sites to drop in campers. Our site is large and protected by trees and shrubs. At least in our section of the park, you don’t feel like you’re crowded up against another camper.

We hiked the Jodrey Trail to a viewpoint overlooking the bay. The cliffs are crumbling so you couldn’t get too close. The tide was just starting to ebb, so you can’t see much difference yet. In the distance we could hear thunderclaps, but so far all we have is a chilly breeze. This is only the second time I’ve had to wear my jacket on the trip. Think I’ll get in the tent and snuggle down in my warm, cozy sleeping bag. -- Margy

Day 9: Byway Bypass

Today we headed to our last camping stop in Riviere du Loup, Quebec, before heading back to Montreal.


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We followed our previous course in reverse along scenic Highway 14 to Trans Canada Highway 2 in Truro, Nova Scotia. To break up the monotony of driving on the same roads, we took a scenic byway into Fredericton. It followed the St. John River all the way. It's very wide in some sections, but narrows somewhat as you near town. It looks like a great boating place with water almost slow enough to be almost lake-like.

If you remember, Fredericton is a free wireless town. Wayne and I headed back to Wilmot Park to check e-mail and upload a post using their Fred-e-Zone. It took about an hour and gave us a good break in a long driving day.

Highway 2 changed names at the border between New Brunswick and Quebec to Highway 185. It also changed from a four lane divided highway to a two land road with lots of construction. But it was still pretty easy driving. With Wayne and I taking turns, it isn't so bad having 8-10 hour days.

We arrived at Riviere du Loup before 5:00 and checked into Camping Municipal de la Pointe. It is a nice park at the edge of town near the ferry terminal on the St. Lawrence River.

We have been pleasantly surprised with all the help we've received as English speakers in this French speaking province. We feared the worst, but have found the best. And they even have wireless access right in the camping area. Not bad, but I have to quit before the mosquitoes eat me alive! -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: Fred-e-Zone is Fredericton NB's free citywide wireless service and we enjoyed using it again on our return trip. Our Riviere du Loup campground Camping Municipal de la Pointe has wireless right to the campsite.

Day 10: Back to the Beginning

Today we drove from Riviere du Loup back to Montreal


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At the Riviere du Loup Camping Municipal de la Pointe campground we stumbled onto the Pleins Feux sur la Pointe that was held at the park. We went to bed with music and a DJ (English tunes, French DJ). Then at about 10:30 the fireworks started. They were SPECTACULAR and we could see them from inside our tent!

We took an alternate route, Highway 20, following the south side of the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. It's nice when you can take a circle route and see different country.

We fly out of Montreal Trudeau International Airport early in the morning, so we are staying at the Courtyard Montreal Airport again. We've come full circle. This has been a great vacation. Even with all the driving, it has been a leisurely trip.

Here are some of my reflections:

• It's a long but beautiful drive from Montreal to Newfoundland and back.
• Everyone in Quebec made us feel welcome, even with us speaking English.
• There are more people living in the Maritime Provinces than I thought.
• Nova Scotia has lots of small family farms with cows, hay and produce.
• Newfoundland was my favourite province to visit.
• Even though the waits were long, the ferry rides to/from Port-aux-Basques were fun.
• Sit in airline seats at the back of Atlantic Vision's Deck 8. Hurry, they fill quick.
• The MV Caribou is older but has much better seating. A cabin isn't necessary.
• The highlight of the trip for me was Gros Morne National Park.
• Stop in small fishing villages and sample the local foods.
• Get some hand knit socks or tuques as souvenirs.
• Take time to hike and see the land up close.
• Travel in August for fewer mosquitoes and no-see-ums, but still bring bug juice.
• There are enough free hotspots to keep get connected.

Thanks for following our trip to the Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland. We are going to come back for more of Newfoundland and Labrador. -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: Free "wired" Internet at the Courtyard Montreal Airport. It's a good thing to carry a cable just in case.

Skagit Regional Airport

One of the benefits of returning to Bellingham is flying our airplane, 997. While we're in Powell River, she patiently waits in her hangar for an aerial excursion.

It's blazing hot right now, so we got up early to beat the density altitude. Wayne went to the hangar yesterday to plug in the battery charger. With all that sitting, 997 sometimes gets tired of waiting. There are so many benefits of having a hangar.

Today's flight was multi-purpose. We wanted to get current with our take-offs and landings, we wanted to exercise 997 and all of her systems, and we wanted to heat up the oil to make it easier for a change. Our next visit to the States will include a long distance flight to Los Angeles and we want to be ready to go. So, our destination of choice was Skagit Regional Airport.

Skagit (KVBS) is located thirty miles southeast of Bellingham. It's on the coastal plain near the mouth of the Skagit River and Padilla Bay. The elevation is 144 feet (43.9 metres) and Runway 10/28 is 5477 feet (1669 metres) long. That was good considering the density altitude and 997's performance requirements. Skagit can be a busy place on weekends with student pilots and visiting aviators, but today was a quiet Tuesday morning. Just right for our touch and go needs.

After some much needed exercise for 997 and practice for her pilots, we headed back to our home base in Bellingham (KBLI). First we gassed up from the Bellingham Aviation Services truck (check into their fuel discount program) and then started a quick drain while the oil was hot and thin.

Then it was time for 997 to settle in for another a long summer's nap. Sleep well and dream about your trip to the big city! - Margy