Category: Newfoundland and Labrador

I was up bright and early, packing up my tent and writing my blog entry from the previous day. Winnie was feeling playful so I spent some time playing catch with her before getting in my car and heading north. A short drive and I’d left Quebec, entering Labrador.

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I arrived in Labrador City where I stopped at a visitor center, picking up some materials and information on some of the sights worth seeing. They had free wifi so I spent a couple hours there working on my blog. With the change in time I’d lost an hour as I realized the day was passing quickly. Being pretty hungry I decided to grab a bite to eat before heading out of town, this led me to a local restaurant called Baba Q’s. A bit on the pricey side I wasn’t sure what to expect but the burger and fries that arrived were unbelievably delicious. I would have payed well for them to toss me in a wheelbarrow and take me to my car after I was done chowing down. I made sure to grab a coffee before hitting the road to help counter the food coma and just like that I was off, heading east to Churchill Falls.

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A covering of clouds and a mix of rain accompanied me on my journey. Fires had ravaged many of the trees some time ago, their leafless branches still scared from the ravenous flames. New growth now flourished on the forest floor as a thick layer of green life carpeted the land, in time becoming a thick forest once more.

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Across bridges and past countless lakes I drove, it was truly a land of abundant water. I pressed on despite the night fast approaching and arrived at my destination at dusk. With no actual campgrounds around, I found a field off the main highway where I pitched my tent in the rain. Upon crawling inside, the water that had annoyed me while I’d built my tent changed to gentle sounds as the droplets lightly pelted my shelter. The calming sound of nature bidding me goodnight I soon dozed off.

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It poured heavily throughout the night. When I awoke there were massive puddles everywhere, luckily the water pooled a few feet from my tent and not under it. As I packed my things up I spent a little time playing catch with Winnie and then it was off to the long stretch of highway that lay before me.

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I made a quick detour at Churchill Falls where I caught a glimpse of the famous water tumbling over a rocky cliff. Satisfied with the incredible sight and eager to cover as much ground as possible I hopped back in my vehicle, returning to the road.

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The land was full of beauty, with rivers and lakes finding themselves in abundance among the countless trees and plants. It rained on and off throughout the day, due to this I found myself stopping less which allowed me to cover more ground.

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The last light of day was quickly disappearing over the treeline. I didn’t feel like stopping so I drove several hours into the night. The roads were terrible, the worst I’d encountered thus far. With potholes appearing everywhere, I found myself weaving back and forth trying my best to avoid disaster, remaining aggressively focused on the dirt and gravel highway. Well into the night I found a turn off and decided I’d finally rest up, opting to just sleep in my car and return to the treacherous route in the morning.

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Despite sleeping in my car the night before, I managed to catch enough rest to make it through the day. The morning introduced me to thick clouds and scattered rainfall that followed me as I began my drive. I soon realized I’d tackled the worst part of the highway the night before, as dirt and gravel returned to a freshly paved road, a welcomed change.

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Getting closer to the coastline, I noticed a couple of cars parked on the side of the road as people walked through the adjacent fields picking something from the ground. Curious to see what it might be, I parked and walked out to meet them. It turns out they were picking a berry called a bake apple, or as the locals knew them by, cloud berries. Loaded with vitamin C, early settlers would collect them and store them for the winter months to stave off scurvy. Not the most attractive looking berry they did have a rather unique taste, a sweet, tart like flavor. I decided to stock up and spent an hour picking the odd looking delicacies before returning to my vehicle.

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At last I saw what I’d been waiting to see, the Atlantic Ocean. The shoreline was an incredible sight with its mixture of rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. With so much rain in this part of the country, green plants and trees flourished everywhere I looked. I would have got out to explore a bit more but the mini black flies in the area were a swarm I was growing tired of. The buggers were similar to the ones I’d seen in the Northwest Territories but far more annoying, their bites would leave an itchy bump that was worse than a mosquitoes.

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In time the roads took me to the ferry where I’d arrived with an hour and a half to spare before the next boat left the port. I relaxed for a little bit, waiting for the boats arrival. Upon its appearance I hopped back in my car and proceeded to board. No dogs were allowed on the deck, it was my car or a kennel for Winnie so I left her in the car. With overcast skies at least I didn’t have to worry about it being to hot for her.

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I walked up to the top of the deck as the ferry took to the sea. Feeling the cold air pushing against me on the open waters I couldn’t help but smile. Here I was, off on the opposite side of the country, taking a ferry to explore a land I’d talked about seeing for years. I felt proud of myself for taking the journey, for diving into the unknown and embracing the adventure of a lifetime.

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It took close to two hours for the ferry to make it to Newfoundland but in time I arrived. I noticed there were hardly any of the annoying black flies upon my arrival, a true relief. With it already being fairly close to sundown I figured I’d find a place to camp for the night and do my exploring in the morning. An hour and a half drive took me north where I set up camp in Pistolet Bay Provincial Park. I met a friendly park ranger named Jim as I drove up and we found ourselves in a great conversation as we shared stories with one another. Ready for bed, I made it out to my camping spot where I set up my tent, a long but pretty great day coming to its close.

It rained steady most of the night. I awoke to a chilly morning, the coldest I’ve experienced on my journey thus far. Beads of water rolled down the side of my tent as a light rainfall fell from the cloudy skies.

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I set off towards to coast, admiring the incredible landscape as I went. Being hungry I decided to grab a bite to eat, stopping at a restaurant called The Dark Tickle. An odd and humorous name for such a place I was eager to see what they had to offer. I found a nice little spot by the window where I grabbed a tasty bowl of butter chicken with a scrumptious salad and a coffee. A small but cosy place, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at the unique decorations spread about.

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Having spent a good bit of time at the restaurant it was time to head to the ocean and I eagerly set off to the tip of Newfoundland. The skies remained cloudy but oh, what a view! There’s something special about the ocean, wild and untamed with it’s roaring waves that come in with the chilling sea breeze. It was cold enough for me to throw on my winter coat as I took to the shore.

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Winnie loved it, with what seemed like endless energy she ran back and forth on the black sand, full of playful happiness. Seeing her joy made me happy, the wandering woodle was become quite the little explorer. I played with her for quite some time as I gazed out upon the vast sea.

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Being in the general area I decided I’d check out L’Anse aux Meadows, a national historic site. A short drive and I was at the entrance, walking through the doors into the exhibit. Despite there being an entry fee I figured it was worth the venture and soon found myself on a wooden path towards an old viking settlement.

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What a fascinating place! Replica buildings in great detail stood out from the landscape beside the old ruins of the originals. Peat moss lined the insides for insulation as wooden beams supported the structure. With guides that would share all sorts of lore about the vikings of old and their settlements I found myself fascinated. The old norse men certainly had a craving for adventure, something I can fully relate to. Maybe I have some viking blood in me, who knows?!

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Having stayed until they closed I returned to the road where I made a stop in the town of Saint Anthony. I grabbed a bite to eat and took advantage of the free wifi they had at the local library. After spenting a good few hours there it was time to get some rest and return to camp. Having seen two moose in the middle of the road the night before, I stayed heavily focused as I drove along. I was glad I did so as I came across yet another moose! I made it camp safely, where I crawled into my tent and called it a day. A coastal drive south awaits me tomorrow, a venture I’m eager to embrace!

It was one of those mornings where it was difficult to crawl out of bed. A cover a clouds and patches of rainfall greeted me as I packed up my tent. I began to drive down the path that exited the campground where I decided I’d make a quick stop at the office to say a farewell to park ranger Jim. I was glad I did so, his cheerful face and friendly personality brought light to a cloudy morning. As I was leaving he gave me an old park ranger badge as a souvenir, a kind gesture I appreciated.

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Before heading south along the coast I stopped in the town of Saint Austin to grab some food and supplies. Having restocked on the goods, with a full belly and a hot coffee in my hand, I set off on the roads before me heading south towards Gros Morne National Park.

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Cloudy skies accompanied me the entire day, the rain briefly stopping only to return again once more. Being that the roads took me along much of the coast, I made plenty of stops for a jaunt along the rocky shores.

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For some reason I found myself feeling lonely, perhaps it was the weather affecting my mood or I’d been missing friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I stopped quite a bit to just sit there in my car listening to the rain falling down upon it.

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The drive was hazardous at times. A beaten up road with potholes full of water made it difficult to navigate through the potential car damaging dips. With rainfall and thick fog getting worse, the roads were becoming increasingly dangerous. Dusk had arrived and I knew the moose would soon be out, an added obstacle to an already treacherous route. Due to this I decided to call it for the evening, continuing my drive south in the morning. I stopped at a campsite I’d seen along the way where I got myself settled in. With the trees swaying back and forth in the wind around me I brought out a book and managed to get some decent reading in before passing out.

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Calling it an early evening and stopping in the River of Ponds campground the previous night was the right choice. I packed my things up in the morning and stopped by the camp office to grab a coffee and work on the blog for a bit. The owner, a lady named Daisy, greeted me as we began a wonderful conversation sharing stories with one another. She asked if I’d had breakfast and when I told her I hadn’t she proceeded to make me a sandwich free of charge! It was delicious and I appreciated the kindness. Being in quite the cheerful mood I said my goodbyes and took to the roads.

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The skies above were cloudy but dim patches of blue began appearing, giving me hope for a day of sunshine and no rain. The further I drove south the clearer the skies became, the landscape becoming increasingly vibrant as the suns beams shone down upon it.

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What an incredible drive south it turned out to be! Much of the road hugged the coast giving me a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean. I found myself stopping constantly to get a closer peek at something or to simply just stand there and take in the scenery.

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At last I saw the sign of the place I’d been aiming for, Gros Morne National Park. Now one of the nice things about this park is while you can’t fly a drone in a national park, you can fly a drone beside one, and Gros Morne had patchy spots along the highway where towns weren’t part of the park. Because of this I was able to take to the skies and get some pictures of the jaw dropping views without actually flying my drone into the park where it isn’t allowed. I took full advantage and had some fun seeing things from a higher perspective.

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I did my first hike in the park shortly after arriving. Taking to the trail felt good as I was continually amazed at the vast beauty of the land around me. Winnie had a blast, bouncing about and trying to greet everyone and everything she came across. The walk took me to a river at the end with a narrow fjord in the distance. I took a little time admiring the stunning view then set about retracing my steps as I ventured back to the car.

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Continuing to drive deeper into the park I found I was growing increasingly hungry. A local had hyped up a restaurant called Parsons and I took them up on their suggestion. Oh, what meal they had in store! Upon walking through the door and finding a seat I was soon greeted by a friendly waiter who handed me a menu. Being in Newfoundland I felt some kind of fish was the right choice and grabbed the Halibut. With a tasty soup to warm me up, the main entree soon arrived and I proceeded to chow down. They finished off by serving me a partridge berry pudding with a rum sauce for desert. It was all so delicious. There is a certain feeling you get once you’ve had a good meal, it’s like a high, elevating your mood to a cheerful place and that’s how I returned to my car, happy and fulfilled.

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With the last light of the day disappearing over the watery horizon I found a campsite and called it a day.

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I woke up knowing I wanted to go for a solid hike but I couldn’t figure out which one to do. While I figured it out I made a stop in a nearby town to grab a bite to eat and stock up on a few souvenirs.
Out of all the hikes I could do in the park, Gros Morne Mountain was the toughest, but also offered the best scenic views as the highest mountain in the national park. It was the clear winner and I set off towards it.

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By the time I had all my gear packed for the lengthy 16 km trek and made it to the trail it was 2 pm, a late start but I was prepared to hike in the dark if needed. The beginning was fairly easy with a light gravel path leading into a forested region. Quite soon that easy path turned to mud and rocks as the incline began up the famous mountain. I wasn’t deterred, climbing over the various obstacles in my path as I dodged the muddy puddles by balancing on rocks and fallen branches.

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Eventually I arrived at the first clearing where I could see the daunting mountain growing closer, the landscape revealing itself in new ways with the increasing elevation of the climb. Having had the late start and being mindful of the time I kept a good pace, I’d only just put a light dent in the hike at this point.

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The second viewpoint revealed itself 4 km in, this was the place you either turned back or took on the challenging rock face to the peak. It was here I met a fellow adventurer named Dan who’d also arrived late on the trail. We hit it off, bonding through mutual excitement of the hike ahead and our love for adventure.

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Having another person to chat with was nice and we began the toughest part of the hike together as we climbed the tall rock face before us. Admittedly it was tough, but I wasn’t gonna quit and neither was he. As we climbed higher and higher the view became increasingly sublime, a motivational push to press on to greater heights.

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At last we reached the peak! We were greeted by a strong chilly wind and a canadian flag waving violently among the mighty gusts. A stunningly beautiful view was our bountiful reward for the tough endeavor we’d conquered.

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As we walked along the peak we couldn’t help but be amazed at the incredibly majestic land. Deep fjords, steep cliffs and pools of water scattered among the tops of other mountains found their home in the prodigious land.

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Having taken in the splendid views at the peak it was time to head back down to the bottom. We began our descent, returning to the blend of mud and rocks. We were making surprisingly good time as the sun raced us to the bottom and arrived at the entrance in perfect time, having just the right amount of light for us to appreciate and safely navigate the trail. We said our goodbyes to one another, both going our separate ways as we continued our own unique adventures.

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Upon returning to the car I was famished and drove into a nearby town to grab some much needed food. The sun had just gone down over the water as I arrived, leaving the sky a blend of vibrant colors that reflected off the salty sea. I found a restaurant and walked on in. They didn’t have a spot but a lady was sitting by herself at a two person table who happily invited me over as the waitress was talking to me. A kind soul named Marta, we immediately began chatting about our days. It turns out she had taken the ferry through the fjords I’d thought about doing and I’d hiked the mountain she’d thought about doing. We shared our pictures with one another, showing off the attractions we’d both longed to see.

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With a good meal in me and the exhaustion of the day setting in I found a campground where I pitched my tent and called it a day, what an adventure it had been!

As the morning sun cooked me out of my tent bright and early, I was pleasantly surprised to notice my legs weren’t as sore as I thought they’d be from yesterdays hike. I took advantage of the campground amenities and showered up before heading into town to grab some breakfast.

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With a good meal in me I took to the roads, the sun shining brightly among blue skies. I made sure to stop at the various view points on my way out of the national park, a display of magnificent nature I’ll never forget.

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I finally exited the park and made my way to Deer Lake where an old friend I grew up with back in Brantford was staying. As I pulled up to the property a smiling face poked itself out of a nearby door, sure enough it was Danni. She invited me in and we began a conversation that lasted for hours. It was awesome catching up! Being quite the adventurer herself, she had plenty of fascinating tales of her journeys that I enjoyed hearing about. Time had flown by and it came time for us to part ways, we said our goodbyes to one another and went our separate directions.

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I took to the roads again rather late, driving onward as the sun set and the stars took center stage. I was mindful of any moose, knowing there was an abundance of them in the area. Luckily I didn’t see any of the sizable animals wandering the dark roads and made it to a campground where I set up my tent around midnight. With a nice shaded area surrounding my tent it was nice knowing I won’t wake up to a sauna in the morning!

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It was a bit of a catching up kinda day. Having finally crawled out of bed I packed my things and set off towards the camp office where I had access to wifi. With a few days worth of blogs to edit and upload on top of a ferry to book, I could see time passing by quickly. When I finally got on the road it was late in the afternoon.
Around an hour into the drive I decided to make a stop in the town of Gander where I grabbed a coffee and a bite to eat. When I get back from this trip I’m gonna need to do a cleanse or something of sorts as fast food meals are out of hand, at least my taste buds are happy! Having got a meal in me I returned to the highway once more.

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The sky maintained its cover of clouds the entire day, a light rainfall coming and going at random. The wet roads took me onward to my destination and eventually I arrived at Terra Nova National Park.

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Despite the dreary weather I drove to a viewpoint nearby. Upon arriving I exited my vehicle and took a short walk to the lookout. Thick fog had completely blocked out the best of the view but there was still something captivating about the location. I stood there staring off into the distance, unceasingly lost in my thoughts as waves of mist crept through the evergreens around me. The thick hazy fog around me began to change into a deep blue as dusk had snuck up on me with the passing time.

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It was time to find a place to camp and I set about finding a campsite nearby where I pitched my tent and called it a day.

I managed to get a good nights sleep and woke up refreshed and ready for an adventure. Having got some food and coffee in me I took to the roads, eager to see what Terra Nova National Park had to offer.
My first stop was beside one of the lakes where I took Winnie for a drink. There was a trail nearby where I took a short little jaunt to a waterfall that was but a trickle in its current state. A thick and vibrantly green moss covered the fallen timber as it blanketed everything that had fell to the forest floor. With an abundance of trails awaiting me it came time to return to my car.

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I soon arrived at the trail I’d picked out. With my hiking boots laced up tight and a full bottle of water I took to the gravel path before me. The trail weaved itself through a thick forested region, working its way through swamps and rocky terrain. Wild blueberries grew in abundance along the pathway, a tasty and continuous treat for me as I worked my way to the lookout.

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In time I arrived at the viewpoint, a worthwhile endeavor. Despite overcast skies the landscape was a marvel to behold and I stood there for a while taking it all in. Eventually it came time to retrace my footsteps and return to the trail, with a smile I said a goodbye to the wonderful sight and returned to the dirt path. As I walked along I noticed Winnie was being quite the expert at finding all the burs, like a little magnet her snout always seemed to find a patch of the tiny things as they stuck to her hair in increasing number. I knew I’d have to pick them out later but what can I say, a dog’s gonna be a dog.

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Having made it back to my vehicle and returned to road I soon arrived at another hiking trail. I was debating if I should do it or grab a bite to eat instead. After some time thinking it over, I decided to take to the trail and grab a bite to eat afterwards. I was glad I did so as an abundant supply of tasty blueberries were waiting for me. Among the tiny little delicacies was an outstanding view of rocky terrain and mountains in the distance. I took my time eating my way to the top of the lookout where an incredible view awaited me. A worthwhile hike indeed.

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Before grabbing dinner I decided I’d drive to one more viewpoint where a tall tower awaited my arrival. I climbed it as high as I could go, getting a birds eye view of the incredible land all around me.

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The hunger was getting fierce so I finally made it to a restaurant close by where I proceeded to stuff my face until I could hardly walk. Night had arrived and it was time to return to the campground from the previous night and rest up.