August 26 to 31, 2012: Twillingate to Eastport, NFLD

AUG  26, Sunday, to Twillingate, Nfld
We left around 9:30 AM under a warm cloudy sky.  We headed East on TCH 1 and stopped in Badger for breakfast.  The road was mainly the same as yesterday and eventually, we turned north on 340 and headed for Twillingate.  We topped up in fuel along the way @$1.41/litre.  The drive got interesting as we neared the Coast.  We drove through a couple villages and eventually reached Twillingate where we got rained on (it had been forecasted).  What a quaint, pretty coastal village, one of the better one we’ve seen so far!  The town is actually situated on an Island which is joined to the Mainland by a series of causeways (there are 3 Islands joined by causeways).  We found our Park, Peyton Wood RV, paid $23/night cash only for full hook-up and $5 for the internet for the two days we will be here.
After setting up, we drove to town and explored, we saw a really neat little cemetery where folks buried their pets with names and dates on the crosses; there was a young boy hanging around so we talked to him for a while.  I think he was pleased that we paid attention to him.  We then went to “Cow Head” further up the road to find a theatre we want to attend tomorrow.  We had phone earlier and made reservations.  This will be a dinner and live theatre performance.  Looking forward seeing it!  We explored some more but it was so rainy that we decided to come home.  We have a wonderful view of the Bay and the Ocean here.

We drove 120 miles (185 Km) in 2.5 hrs @ 48 MPH average.  We stopped for an hour total.

N  49* 39.563
W 054* 47.017
Alt: 51 ft

 

AUG  27, Monday, exploring the Central Coast
Well, after a downpour last night and strong winds, this morning was greeted by a beautiful sunshine and calm winds.  This campground is much bigger than it appears; I went for a walk this morning and found a road leading into the woods which had more tenting and RV parking.
We went for a drive around and ended up in Musgrave Harbour.  We first stopped at a Beothuck Indian display in Boyd Bay and walked 3 km return.  They were extinct back in the late 1800’s due to small pox and other white sickness.  The display was really interesting but the excavation grounds were a disappointment; there was nothing there to see except a statue and some trinkets in a tree and numbers in the ground.  Anyway, we did enjoy the hike!  We had lunch in Musgrave then came back, visiting Carmanville along the way.  We stopped not far from Twillingate at a road side display which was on cod fishing on the Coast, named “Prime Berth”.  It was very informative and our guide was very knowledgeable.  We got back in time for a beer and a short rest and topping up in fuel @1.41 before heading out again to a play in Cow Head, about 8 km from here.  It consisted of a full course meal, choice of cod, salmon or chicken (we chose the cod) and our seating was already pre-arranged.  We met wonderful people from Ontario and Nova Scotia at our table.  After the meal, the play began which was put on by the waiters and waitresses who served us earlier.  It was 3 hrs of laughs and good Newfoundland sing-along music.  We had fun and it cost only $30 for both of us, what a deal.

 

AUG  28, Tuesday; To Eastport visiting friends.
Sunny with cloudy periods and it was a warm night!  We left around 9:20 AM and headed South and East to Gander.  Somewhere along the way, I wasn’t watching and I missed our turn for Hwy 331 to Gander so ended up going all the way to Lewisport on Hwy 340.  We stopped in Lewisport at TIM HORTON for coffee and breakfast then made our turn on TCH 1 East.  We eventually turned on Hwy 310 for Eastport on a very rough road.  Obviously, it is NOT a major destination.  In Eastport, we turned right and went down to Happy Adventure, a small coastal village.  Geoff’s brother, Eugene, came out to meet us and guided us to Geoff’s place (they left for St-John’s and will be back later in the afternoon).  We were all set up by 1 PM.  I went into town to get bread, eggs and wine and filled up the truck @ $1.36; the cheapest so far!  Right now the sky is covering and the forecast is for rain overnight and strong wind which are picking up in strength now.  Geoff and Donna are people we met at our park; they own a lot and Park Model and are related to Ruth and Dennis, our neighbours up the hill from us.  Val did a couple loads of laundry and I washed the truck’s windshield in and out and checked all the tires pressure; all is good!  Geoff and Donna arrived around 5 pm with their grandson, Jacobs, so we had a happy reunion.
We had dinner together, fried cod fish, delicious!  Then it was an evening filled with good conversations and remembering “the good old days”!  We finally made it to bed by 11 pm after a couple bottles of wine and phoning Ruth and Dennis back in BC.

We drove 146 miles (237 Km) in 3 hrs at an average 49MPH.

N  48* 38.246’
W 053* 45.639’
Alt: 81 feet

 

AUG  29, Wednesday, Eastport
It rained overnight but now we have some blue sky and the sun is shining through!  We had coffee with Donna and Geoff and grand-son Jacobs.  They were going fishing today with Jacobs and we drove around the area for some sightseeing.  We went to the oldest fishing village in NFLD called Salvage.  Not only was a very scenic drive, the village was wonderfully well maintained and quaint.  We stopped at a small pub here and had a beer and lunch but had to wait almost 45 minutes for our lunch as there was a bus tour just ahead of us.  We didn’t mind as we enjoyed the Atlantic Ocean view from the outside porch.  We drove through Eastport and headed for two other villages on the opposite peninsula; St-Chads and Bayside Bakers.  From here, we drove to Gambo, the birth place of Joey Smallwood who was instrumental in bringing NFLD into the Confederation of Canada and also became NFLD first Prime Minister.  By this time, it was time to return home and we stopped at grocery store along the way to buy some vegetables and bread then at the Eastport liquor store where Geoff and Donna caught up to us.  They were just returning from their fishing trip; they caught lots of trout but kept 17 of the bigger ones.  We came home and had HH on the deck and Eugene (Geoff’s brother) and his wife, Beulah, joined us.  We had a marvellous dinner of chicken, potatoes, carrots, yam, a vegetable salad from Beulah and a salad from Val.  It was a feast and good conversation all around the table.  In the evening, we sat outside on the deck under the gazebo and Geoff started the little propane fireplace which is situated in the middle of the glass table.  It kept us warm!  We finally went to bed around 11 PM.

 

AUG  30, Thursday, Eastport
Another beautiful sunny day but it is windy and cool!  Donna, Geoff and Jacobs left early afternoon for a family wedding and won’t be back until Saturday.  In the meantime, I decided to wash the BEAR and the BEAST which are both overdue big time and Val did a load of laundry.  I also made reservations for Charleston for Sept 2 & 3 and in St-John’s for Sept 4 to 6 inclusive.  I forgot that this was a long week-end so in Charleston, we will have to spend one night in the overflow at the Park.  One forgets these little things once one is retired: all days look the same!
We went to visit our friend Dennis’ mom here locally and spent over a good half hour with her.  We had a downpour around 5 pm but at least both rigs are clean now.  Donna had given us some of the trout they caught yesterday so we had them for dinner with salad and rice/broccoli; they were delicious!
 

AUG  31, Friday, Newton

The day began with sunshine but it soon clouded over.  Geoff had offered us his jeep instead of running around in the truck so we took him up on his offer and decided to drive to a small village called Newton which is known as “NFLD Venice look alike” as it is built on a series of small Island connected by either bridges or causeways.  It was quaint and very beautiful.   We even saw a gondola like in Venice but unfortunately it was raining so the place looked pretty desolate.  We had lunch in a building that used to be a store/warehouse.  We drove back in pouring rain but it did stop by the time we got home.  I called my daughter and son in law and chatted with them for a while, they are in Tofino on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  I also got a text from my son with a picture of his new boat, a 28’ motorboat.  He was on his way to the Shuswap for the week-end.  We also got a call from our friend Donna who was worried because I hadn’t posted any blog in the last 5 days so...Here you have it Donna!!  Val’s cousin, Linda, from Chwk also called; it was our day for phone calls.  I BBQ steaks for dinner and now we are listening to CBC radio, “just like the good old days”!!!

August 23 to 25, 2012; Anse au Meadows to Badger, NFLD

AUG  23, Thursday, to St Anthony, NFLD
 Change in plans!  The sky is clear and the forecast looks good for today but rain tomorrow so we decided last night to cancel today and head out for the Northern Tip.  The owner was kind enough to refund us one night.
We left around 9 am under sunny sky and a tail wind; we headed north on 430.  We stopped at the “Provincial Arches Park” and looked around and took a couple pictures then were on our way again.  At “Port au Choix”, we turned in and went to look at the National Historic Site.  This area was populated by three different types of people, Eskimos, Indians and Icelanders over the centuries lasting over 3,000 years.  There is also an archeological dig going on to this day, discovering all kinds of artifacts and left over villages.  A few artifacts were on display at the Visitor Centre.  We also watched a 12 minutes film on the history of the area.  We left and had to drive back to 430 then headed north again.  At St-Barbe, we saw the ferry to Labrador at the dock and also Labrador coast across the Strait of Belle-Isle.  The road became quite rough from here all the way to Eddies Cove where we headed inland.  I stopped  for fuel @ $1.42.  I was told that prices either go up or down once a week every Wednesday in NFLD as regulated by the government.  We finally arrived at our Park, “Triple Falls RV Park” and set up after paying $56 for two nights for electricity and water; no sewer.  There’s supposed to be access to WIFI where we are parked but there is no signal so we have to go to the office.  We went to town after setting up and checked out the place.  We drove to the end of 430 and found a restaurant called “The Lightkeeper”; it was a very interesting place with an area near the restaurant that was buried as a Viking hut and inside was a restaurant and a theatre where they put on shows every Sundays for $48 each which includes a dinner fit for a Viking King!  It all sounded very appealing but unfortunately we won’t be here Sunday.  We drove to the Harbour and took a look at the “Enterprise”, a huge shrimper.  We came back to our site after stopping at the Legion for a quick beer and had dinner home.

As we drove up, we saw lots of piles of wood ready to be cut; we also saw small garden plots, at times miles from towns and well kept.  We learned that it is quite normal for this part of the Province as fertile land is scarce.  I also became to respect the people who live here; it is a harsh environment.  I am disappointed that we never saw any moose but I am still holding my hopes high!  The other thing that I find surprising is the cost of fish; it is very expensive considering that it is harvested nearby.  I was told the fishermen get very little but the retailers get all the profits and the market will bear the high cost...it really is too bad!

N  51* 26.171

W 055* 38.202
Alt: 132’
We  drove30 miles (375 Km) in 4.5 hrs at 53Mph average.  We stopped 1.5 hrs.

 

AUG  24, Friday, ANSE aux MEADOWS National Historic Site
It rained overnight and now it is overcast and windy and 12*C at 7AM.  We’ve been on the Island one week today.  I decided to take Val out for breakfast so we left under cloudy sky and a cold wind.  We drove to Raleigh on Hwy 437 but unfortunately the restaurant was closed so we drove to Cape Onion, looked around, took some pictures then drove back to 436 and turned North again to Quirpon where we stopped at “The Catch of the Day” restaurant and had lunch.  I had the “fish and brewies” which is salted cod, dried Pork soften by the pork and bread.  Interesting dish but glad I didn’t order the meal, it was kind of bland!  Val had the fish chowder and loved it.  We explored the area after eating then drove to Anse au Meadows National Historic Park and a full view of the Atlantic Ocean.  The grounds and display were really interesting and we walked the whole thing.  There were guides dressed in Viking who gave us a good show for our money...took lots of pictures!  Afterwards, we drove down the road to where they had an actual Viking (Norse people as they were known) village with real animals (pig, chicken and a lamb), a church, a house, stores and a blacksmith house.  There was also a real Viking boat, 60 feet long, in a shed which volunteers sailed back from Greenland in 87 days.  There were guides dressed in the era and full of information; three ladies were knitting in one hut and as I walked in, they took one look at me in my shorts and decided to make me a pair of pants; one of them was looking for a husband as hers went overboard in a boat accident (as she explained).  Anyway, we had a couple pictures taken then I left before the situation  became any more serious.  I wasn’t getting help from Val either!    The sun came out in the afternoon and we enjoyed it as much as we could.  It even warmed up to a balmy 15*C!  We stopped for lunch at the “Norseman” a seafood restaurant and I had a scallop salad and Val a crab quesadilla

This completes our most Northern point ( N 51* 36.1’) in Newfoundland and the exploration of the Northern Peninsula.  I fuelled in St-Anthony for $1.42 then we came back to our site for the night.  I got a call from my son who is now in Quebec.  He will be there for a week then returning home to BC.  His girlfriend, Debbie, is back from England so he sounded happy.

 

AUG  25, Saturday, Back down to TCH 1 and to Badger Nfld
We left around 8:30 AM under sunny sky.  We drove back the same way we came up; there is an interior road but we were told there wasn’t much to see.  As we pulled along the West Coast, we could clearly see Labrador across the Strait.  It appeared very close in fact.  The road from here down to the ferry crossing is quite rough so we took our time, going as slow as 50 KMPH at times.  We stopped for coffee at a small community and I proceeded to spill a full cup of coffee on the counter and the register.  After profusely apologizing, we got the hell of there before I did anymore damage or they discover that the register didn’t work anymore.  We stopped in Rocky Harbour for fuel, $1.39/Litre and had lunch here.  The drive down was absolutely fantastic with very little traffic.  The Strait was calm and not a ripple on the Sea.
We drove to Deer Lake and since it was still early, we decided to continue on TCH 1 East.  We stopped at a place on the highway but they were full, I should have known, what with being a week-end.  Anyway, we continued to Badger where we stopped for the night at Catamaran RV Park.  We are in the overflow with water and 30 amps.  The drive from Deer Lake to here was somewhat boring and long.  The Hwy was good but there was very little to see except trees and more trees.  Tonight, in the Park, it is Halloween in August but unfortunately, we have no candies for the little bandits and ghosts so we improvising with healthy food.

I called Twillingate and made reservations for tomorrow and Monday.  We plan on exploring from there.  We are now in the Central Region of Newfoundland!

We drove 360 miles (585 Km) in 6.5 hrs at an average 55 MPH.  We were stopped for an hour total.

N  49* 03.080’
W 056* 04.984
Alt: 454 feet

August 19 to 22, 2012; NFLD, Cape Anguille to Rocky Harbour

AUG  19, Sunday; Cape Anguille
It poured overnight and it was very windy with strong gusts.  Right now, at 9 am, the sky is clearing and the sun is coming through.  I caught up to my blog and all the pictures so far and posted them all on Web Picasa.  I put the LAST sticker on my map showing that we have now travelled all 10 Provinces and the Lower 48 States in the USA.  Yukon, North-West Territories and Alaska are all that’s left to do!  I forgot to mention that yesterday, I bought two new windshield wipers as the old one are worn out from the sun and dust from the past month I guess.  I feel much better today and rested.
After breakfast and showering, we drove to Cape Anguille, the Western most Point in NFLD (Longitude W 059* 24.677’) on Hwy 407/406, not far from here.  More coastal villages including a very scenic drive, it took a couple hours with all the stops along the way.  Cape Anguille consisted of a light house, still in operation, an Inn which was open and a couple of other building.  We looked around then drove back the way we came.  We stopped at an Esso garage on TCH 1 that had a sign for a liquor store so we bought a couple bottles of wine and ice cream cones for the drive home.  We arrived back at our site just in time as it began to rain, heavy at times.  We are inside relaxing and reading enjoying a glass of wine.  It is still warm outside but very humid, even inside the rig.  We have some window open to air out but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

 

AUG  20, Monday, to Stephenville.
Awake at 7 am and Val at 8, we showered and got ready to leave.  It poured quite heavily overnight and now the Park has large puddles of water everywhere.  We dumped on the way out then were on our way by 9:45 AM.  We drove north on TCH 1.  The scenery was mainly forest, marshes and the odd cultivated field.  An hour later, we turned on Hwy 490 and headed through Stephenville Crossing and Stephenville then Kippens where our campground, Zenzville Park, is located.  We paid $26 for water and electricity, set up at site 32 and left right away back to town.  We had lunch at a local restaurant then went to Holiday Inn where we met Bernard Schump, the brother of a good friend, Dennis Schump age 75, who passed away a few years back.  We had a short but very nice visit.  From here, we drove along 460 to Cape George on Port au Port Peninsula which is renowned for whale watching (we looked but didn’t see any).  There is a big commemoration at this site about the Acadians who fled Nova Scotia and New Brunswick back in the 1700’s after the English won the war over the French.  Stephenville and the Peninsula is very much French and home to quite a few Acadians.  We then drove to Lourdes on the north-west side of the Peninsula then back home for dinner.  It was unfortunate that it rained most of our drive but we did see some fantastic scenery all the same and took lots of pictures.  By the way, this is a very nice Park and very much family oriented.

N  48* 33.368

W 058* 39.821
Alt: 164’
We travelled 91 miles (148 Km) in one hour and 50 minutes at an average 48MPH.  We fuelled in Stephenville at $1.35/litre

 

AUG  21, Tuesday; to Rocky Harbour, Gros Morne National Park, NFLD
I was up early, it is very humid inside and it makes it uncomfortable, I turned the heather on to bring down the level of humidity from 90 to 70%.  The sky is clearing; we can actually see blue sky!
We left at 9:10 am under sunny sky and took Hwy 460 (rough) out which saved us 30 Km back to TCH 1 north.  The drive was hilly and the scenery was mainly forestry and mountainous.  We stopped at Tim Horton just north of Corner Brook and at Deer Lake, we turned North on Hwy 430.  The road was quite rough and riddled with washboard in the asphalt.  There were also a few construction projects in progress.  We arrived in Rocky Harbour and stopped at the Parks Gate to buy tickets for our visits then onward to our campsite, Gros Morne RV Campground (not to be confused with Gros Morne RV Park which is part of the National Park.  We had booked three nights so paid our dues, $90/night minus 10% discount (Good Sam) and 13% tax which almost negated each other.
While I set up, Val took the laundry over and did a couple loads (I was running out of underwears).  We went for a drive into town and booked reservation for the boat ride tomorrow at 1 pm; we also had a drink at the pub and decided to have a bite to eat which spoiled our dinner; oh well!  We also bought tickets and made reservation for for tomorrow for the 1 PM boat tour to the Fjord “Western Brook Pond”.  We took a drive to Lobster Point and visited the lighthouse then came home for HH.  There is one motorhome from BC here and we met bikers also from BC.  After much consideration, we decided to stay home tonight and relax. 

N  49* 34.899

W 057* 54.751
Alt: 159’
We drove 129 miles (209 Km) in 2.5 hrs at an average 48Mph.  We were stopped for 30 minutes.

 

AUG  22, Wednesday, Western Brook Pond
9 am:  It poured overnight again but when I got up the sun was shining; unfortunately, it didn’t last long as black clouds from the North West (residue from Labrador heavy storm yesterday?) came in and we had more rain.  The sun DID come out and we did our trip to West Brook Pond.  What a awesome scenic tour that was!  We drove to the Trail Head after paying for the tour and walked in 3km on a very nice trail which meandered through low forest and swamp/bog.  We arrived at the dock and within 20 minutes we were on our way up the Pond.  It was much better than I ever imagined.  Almost comparable to the Cdn Rockies!  The tour operators were very informative about the region and how it came about which is basically from the Ice Age when the ice melted and this lake, pond as they call it locally, was land locked by upheaval in the earth crust.  There are few fishes living in there and it is protected by UNESCO as a unique ecological area and I can understand why.  The tour lasted two hours then we came back and walked back to the truck.  We drove to Cow Head and looked around and had a beer at the local pub before driving back to Rocky Harbour.  Cow Head is known for its live theatre.  We fuelled at $1.37 then came home where we found three more rigs parked here.  I downloaded the pictures of our day and uploaded them to our web Picasa site.  I phoned St-Anthony and made reservations for Friday and Saturday.

August 17 & 18, 2012; Crossing to NFLD and Drama on the High Seas

AUG  17 & 18, Friday & Saturday; Ferry crossing to Newfoundland & HIGH SEA DRAMA

It is 6:00 am and we are up and getting ready.  It POURED overnight and the wind was howling at times; I hope it is NOT an insight of what the crossing will be!!?

Should have known; it was much worst!  We were at the Terminal at 9 am, paid an extra $123/return as our rig was actually 53’ long so had to pay 10 feet more because of the increment system.  We finally loaded at 11:15 (NFLD Time Zone) and were on our way.  The sky was overcast and the Bay fairly calm but that didn’t last as we hit the Straight, it became Gale force wind and waves around 8-9 feet high.  It was a rocky crossing.  We had complimentary free dinner so we ate lunch for free.  The crossing took a total of 7 hours and when we arrived at Port aux Basques, we found out there was another ferry holding off the coast waiting for the wind to die down so they could go in the Terminal so we both held a holding pattern of back and forth.  Eventually, around 9 pm, the other ferry was given the OK to dock so that left us out there.  We couldn’t go in as it was still too windy and not safe (the harbour is tiny and restricted in space). 

At one point, the ferry on its turn around, was hit by a rogue wave (it was dark by this time) and everything went flying.  A couple beside us lost their meal on the floor and she went flying on her back, chair and all.  A call was made for a nurse and/or a doctor so Val attended.  A total of 9 people were slightly injured in that little fiasco.  Needless to say, the Captain was very apologetic and warned us from here on in whenever we made a turn.  There was quite a fracas from the kitchen too, what with the dishes flying and pots and pans. A while later we were told that we would not dock until 2-3 am as the other ferry had to leave first. 
Aug 18, 3 AM, we finally docked, drove off and parked at the Info Centre outside of town for the balance of the night.  4 other rigs joined us.  We went to bed and woke up around 8:30 am. 
We went to Tim Horton down the road and after a good coffee and breakfast; we drove to our campground, LITTLE PARADISE RV PARK.  We paid $44 cash for two nights.  They only take cash.
We had a shower and relaxed.  I texted my daughter and son to let them know we were here safe.  We are 4.5 hours ahead of BC.  We took a drive back into Port-aux-Basques and stopped at the info centre for pamphlet and books.  The lady was very helpful and gave us lots of information on places to see and do.  We took a drive along the coast on Hwy 470 and visited some little villages such as Isle au Mort which is famous for its shipwrecks and a local hero who saved over 200 lives on two different shipwrecks back in the late 1800’s.  We drove to another small village call Rose Blanche.  The rock here was all white and granite like.  A few cut blocks were scattered along a trail we took to see and old light house.  This was the end of the road so we drove back into Port aux Basques and went to the bank and looked around.  We stopped to pick up some groceries then came home and had dinner.  I was in bed very early as I was tired.

August 12 to 16, 2012: Bear repaired and leave for Newfoundland

AUG  12, Sunday, Drummond’Ville
Cloudy in the morning with sunny periods in the afternoon!  Gaetan and Josette came over for a visit and spent the afternoon with us.  Afterwards, Val and I walked down the street and had a visit with Gilles and Lise.  For dinner, Val cooked a Pork Roast in the slow cooker and we had a marvellous English style dinner.  We watched the Olympics closing ceremony then it was bed time.  Quite warm overnight.

AUG  13, Monday, dentist visit
Almost the same for the weather, except a bit cooler and not so humid!  Val and I went to LUPIEN to pick up a couple items from the rig and they had just about finish doing the fender and had repaired and reinforced the wheel-well.  We went to the post office to mail a parcel for grand-daughter Jenaya then to the dentist for some minor adjustments.  We came home and assumed the position for a while (relax!) and worked in the garden.  For dinner, we had French Cdn meat pie that Peter’s friend, Lise, had brought; fresh corn on the cob and a salad.  After dinner we stayed out until 9 pm then came in and were in bed by 10 pm.

AUG  14, Tuesday, St-Hubert
We were greeted by cooler temperature but a beautiful sunshine this morning.  We were all up early, showered and on left for St-Hubert around 10:30 am.  We first stopped for gas for the van then went to St-Hubert where we stopped at Costco where we bought more than intended as usual.  We then went on to Therese and Michel and had the grand tour of their new trailer (See pictures on Picasa link).  They are both proud and happy of their new toy.  They already made a reservation for a Provincial Park at OKA.  Andre came over and we had a great visit.  Therese made spaghetti for dinner and fed all eight of us.  After dinner, while sitting outside, we had a dessert made by Michel: Ice cream, strawberries and Crème de menthe..Yum! Yum! 
We got home around 11 pm after Peter dropped off Lise at her place in Longueil.  A great day again.

AUG  15, Wednesday, Pick up BEAR and leave for Newfoundland!
We were up at 6:30 am with rain greeting us but it did clear up long enough to do what we had to do.  After breakfast, we said goodbye to Peter and Tucker which was kind of weird and drove to LUPIEN where we paid for my repairs and put some stuff back in the rig before leaving.  We were on the Trans-Canada Highway 20(TCH) by 8:45 am.  Our drive was uneventful except for the odd heavy downpour along the way.  We could observe the St-Lawrence and the valley below at times which was very picturesque.  At Riviere-du-Loup, we turned south east on TCH 85/185.  Here, the river becomes quite wide and we can barely see the Appalachian Mountians across the way.  We stopped for fuelled at $1.36 and again in New Brunswick at $1.34.  In New-Brunswick, TCH became Hwy 2.  Once again we had some heavy downpour but they didn’t last long.  The scenery was absolutely breathtaking whenever we could see.  It is mountainous along this stretch so a bit slow, there was also a lot of construction and repairs going on.  We arrived at WOODSTOCK, NB around 5:30 pm local time (we change time once we crossed into NB and lost another hour).  We are now on Atlantic Time!  We are camped at COSY CABIN AND RV, a Passport America member but could not use it in July and August. (Of course).  We are all set up, had dinner and are now relaxing.  We have WIFI here!

N  46* 07.816

W 067* 34.666
Alt: 172 ft

We travelled 633Km (389 miles) in 7 hours @ 55 MPH average and were stopped for a total of an hour and half

AUG  16, Thursday, To North Sydney, Nova Scotia
We were up by 6:30 am and on the road by 8:30!  It rained overnight but right now, it’s warm and cloudy; it reached a high of 77*F today at some places.  We stopped at Tim Horton for coffee and a breakfast muffin then on our way on TCHwy 2, a four lane highway all the way to Cape Breton almost.  The scenery was rolling hills with climbs from easy to steep; we stayed within 300 feet in altitude up and down.  We followed the St-John River all the way to Fredericton and as we approached, the scene changed from heavy forest to scattered fields and neat farm.  We stopped in Moncton for fuel @ $1.29.  When we entered Nova Scotia, the Hwy became 104; why the Gov’t doesn’t name the Trans-Canada one number, I will never understand!?  Anyway, we stopped for lunch and a visit through the visitor centre and finally came to Canso Causeway which separates Nova Scotia mainland and Cape Breton.  We had to stop for a tug boat and its barge which was crossing the lock and the bridge was open to let it through.  We waited about 15 minutes then were on our way.  We finally arrived at Bras D’Or near North Sydney and the ferry and fuelled up @ $1.29.  As we were driving up to Bras D’Or, we got a call from the Ferry Corporation stating that our departure was delayed to 10 am.  We decided to go to the terminal and double check and sure enough, we are leaving until 10 am tomorrow.  We drove back to Arm of Gold RV Park which is 5 km back and paid for the night: $33.90.  No wonder it is call Arm of Gold!  Tomorrow, we crossed to NEWFOUNDLAND!

N  46* 14.963

W 060* 17.415
Alt: 74 Ft
 
We drove 468 miles (759 Km) in 8 hrs and 25 minutes at an average 56 MPH.  We were stopped for a total of 2 hrs.

August 6 to 11, 2012; Bear to shop for repair

AUG  6, Monday
Cool, cloudy and windy was our day!  We kept basically close to home and didn’t do much except changing a light bulb and a fluorescent light and oil the bathroom door which was starting to squeak.  I also fixed my chair permanently (I hope) so it won’t wobble sideways.  We did spent some time in the garden cleaning and cutting down the cedar bushes.  We BBQ’ed Pork Chops for dinner then a quiet evening and home to bed

AUG  7, Tuesday, Dog hair day and an unexpected incident!
We took Tucker and Peanut (Peter’s dog) to the groomer for a cut then went to do some shopping for Peter and a drive out of town for a tire shopping spree but no success (still looking to replace the spare tire that blew).  We even got a call from Audrey from Alberta asking about our trip to NFLD, she thought we were actually sailing there rather than the ferryJ.  We went back to town and shopped for groceries then it was a time to pick up the dogs but first we had a drink at a local pub.

Last night, I had a dream where I was fighting this guy and I woke up suddenly when I hit the wall by the bed with my fist...talk about reality show!!!  Anyway, when I woke up again this morning, I found my denture broken in two places.  I guess when in the process of hitting the wall, I inadvertently smashed my denture which was laying beside the bed on the nightstand.  Talk about dumb luck!!!  I was lucky enough to get a denture specialist to look at it and fix it but had to spend the day without it.  All is back to normal now.
We bought a BBQ chicken for dinner then had a quiet evening at home.

AUG  8, Wednesday, Wash day
The day began overcast but the sun soon came out.  I noticed fog on the lake this morning which means the air is cooling off the lake...autumn is approaching!?  Val did laundry and I washed the truck and the rig which were both overdue.  Peter went to town to visit friends and came home with a girl friend whom stayed for dinner and the night.  We had a fire in the evening but I went to bed early as I was bushed!  I heard from the insurance who said that the cost for repairs on BEAR will be $1737.  I am sure glad the insurance is paying!

AUG  9, Thursday
Cloudy all day and rain in the evening!  I took Val to a hairdresser for a cut then we went to a tire shop and bought a TOYO tire for BEAR’s spare at a tune of $265 including mounting and balancing.  Very expensive but couldn’t wait until we get to the States to buy one because of our trip to Newfoundland.  We stopped for lunch then stopped at Lupien to check about the repairs and to confirm I could bring the Unit in on Saturday.  We came home to find Peter fully involved in cleaning the inside of his van.  For dinner, we had left over stroganoff, a short evening under the palapa with the sound of rain then home to bed.  It is still very warm and pleasant in the evening even with the rain.

AUG  10, Friday
Today was a rainy day, most of the day.  It did clear up long enough for me to help Gilles levelling part of his backyard but we were stopped by rain which continued into the evening.  I also was able to install a new light under the counter for Val which made her very happy.  Peter washed the inside of his van and Val did some Tai-Chi and work in the garden.  Peter had a friend arrived for the week-end (Lise, yes another one!)  We had dinner inside the house and Val made her famous meatballs and gravy served with vegetables and mashed potatoes.  Gilles and wife Lise came over after dinner and we had a very nice evening.

AUG  11, Saturday, Packing day
Cloud and really humid!  We packed everything and loaded what we are taking with us.  The kayaks, golf clubs and bikes are staying behind.  I hooked up the truck and took the rig out of the yard.  Peter came with me and we took BEAR to LUPIEN RV and dropped it off in their yard.  We picked a couple items at the grocery store and came back home.  We are now staying in Peter’s house until Tuesday or Wednesday.  Gaetan came over for a short visit then it was dinner time.  Gilles and Lise came over in the evening and we proceeded to drink too much as usual but we had fun!  We had a downpour that lasted a good hour and I mean a heavy one at that.  In bed by midnight.

August 1 to 5, 2012; Drummond'Ville & Montreal

AUG  1, 2012, Wednesday; Drummond’Ville

Cloudy, very warm and humid!  Gilles is home so no more baby-sitting.   Another uneventful day; reading, swimming and just trying to keep cool.  I heard from Lupien RV who has received the parts for the rig and I made an appointment for Monday the 13^th to have the rig go in for repair.  Sure looking forward to that as we are still thinking of going to NFLD.
We had left over lasagna and noodles for dinner and since Gilles and Lise were here for HH, we invited them to join us.  We sat around the table outside in the evening and proceeded to drink too much and got into a “heated discussion” on Quebec politics.  They are passionate about their politics but I held my grounds!!!  To bed around 11 pm and still friends

AUG  2, Thursday
Hot and humid!  We went to town for a while but otherwise, this was another relaxing day with not much to report

AUG  3, Friday
Hot and humid again!  This morning, I made reservations for the ferry to Newfoundland ($735 return) for the 17^th of this month.  We will be going over for 3 weeks, returning the 10^th of September.  I hope the weather cooperates.  After dinner, we were sitting at the table outside and Gilles and Lise came over for coffee.  A while later, we had a surprise visit from Gaetan and Josette and her brother Alain and his wife whose name escapes me right now.  It was a pleasant evening.

AUG  4, Saturday, Party at Andre’s house
We were up early and packed to stay overnight, just in case!  I went over to Gilles and hooked up his utility trailer and came home, picked up Val and we were on the road by 11:15 am.  I stopped at a Tim Horton for breakfast and fuelled up @ $1.30.  We went on to my sister’s place in St-Hubert where we met Gilles and picked up a winter garage which Michel doesn’t need any more.  From here, we all went to Andre in St-Basil near Beloeil on the west shore of the Richelieu River.  Gaetan and Christiane were already there and Josette and Susan showed up around 4 pm as they worked today.  The first order of the day was a dip in the pool as it was extremely hot and humid.  We spent more time in the pool then out.  Andre gave us a tour of his house and all the work he had done inside; absolutely gorgeous!  We had a very nice BBQ (we all brought our own meat) and chocolate cake for dessert.  After clearing the table, the party began.  Gaetan had a set of music on his laptop with outside speaker so the sound was great.  We had lot of fun and laughter.  A great time was had by all!  As all good things, we had to end it and everyone left around midnight and drove back to their respective home.  We were invited by Michel and Therese to spend the night at their place but Val wanted her own bed so we came home.  It got quite windy as we drove on Hwy 20 back to Drummond’Ville.

AUG  5, Sunday, Drummond'Ville
Hot, Humid and very windy; It is 27*C at 9 am.  It was cloudy and windy most of the day and around 4 pm we had a thunder storm and rain come through the area.  It poured and poured for about an hour with the rain almost horizontal with the force of the wind.  Needless to say, we had dinner inside for the first time in over a month.  We watched the tube for a while then it was bedtime.