Newfoundland1

Our reservation for the ferry to Newfoundland was set for June 1. We arrived in North Sydney, port of call, the evening before.  It was an opportune time to do laundry.  North Sydney is certainly a working-class community, owing to nearby mining and a good-sized port.

After doing our laundry, we headed back out of town toward the campground to have lunch at Lick-A-Chick.  I kid you not.  We had to try this local hang-out; burger and fries seemed safe enough.

We then drove to the parking lot to wait our turn to load.  We had a few hours to wait, so we strolled over to the terminal.  There we met an engaging Newfoundlander whose grandfather had been one of these ferry boat captains who used to sail the straits between Newfoundland and Labrador, often being paid in moose meat or fish from the villagers scraping a living out of the rock and sea, nothing going to waste.  She told us the story of her grandmother who kept saving the wrapper from the store where she had purchased meat and then reused it, hiding the fact that she was feeding her granddaughter moose meat instead of the hamburger listed on the label.

After arriving in Port Aux Basque eight hours later, we headed east to Rose Blanche Lighthouse.  Once in sad repair, locals banded together and have given it a facelift, making it open to the public.  The gravel lane to the lighthouse was closed by an iron gate and chained.  We crawled over it anyway; it was 8:30 in the morning on a Sunday after all. 

Walking down the lane toward the lighthouse several small buildings were shut up, but it looked like a couple of souvenir shops and a "take-away".  Rose Blanche Lighthouse is unique because it was made from granite which sure seems to be in abundance on this island.

My first Newfie geocache find!

Under restoration



Nova Scotia and Bay of Fundy

Did you know Anne Murray was from Nova Scotia? A small town called Springhill.

We had been to Nova Scotia briefly 20+ years ago and so decided that we could be selective about when and where to stop.  I read about a beach along the Bay of Fundy where one can search for agates and other gems, and then there was mention of Digby scallops, so off to the Glooscap Trail we headed.

Glooscap is the name of a mythical Mi'kmaq character of enornous size and ability. His name appears quite frequently in reference to the many geological phenomena occurring in this area. At Springhill, we cut across country to Parrsboro and then on to Five Islands. Here we located the Ocean Resort RV Park overlooking the five islands that dot Minas Basin.  Nothing like box seats for one of the world's most awesome shows: the ebb and flow of a Bay of Fundy tide cycle moving 1 billion tons of water every 12.5 hours. According to legend, these five islands were formed when Glooscap flung a handful of mud into Minas Basin.

Along the Glooscap Trail, the effect of this tidal system can best be seen at low tide.  Standing on a cantilevered platform over a river, the former bridge supports are revealed, showing just how those supports were constructed. Boats sitting  in the mud need only wait for the tide to bring in enough water to lift the boats clear of the bottom.

We got lost three times before we finally located Scott's Bay where I just knew I would find precious gems.  Our GPS could not figure out the intersecting country roads, but all was not a waste of time.  We found the charming village of Canning.  Lunch at the Fireside Cafe - homemade sausage and butternut soup - was outstanding.  Our Roadtrek was a little obvious among the many farm trucks parked along the one main street through town.  Just out of town we were treated to this view of the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia's Breadbasket.

Searching a beach for agates, it is helpful to know what you are looking for; I had help.  A couple of other beachcombers pointed out what I was looking for and gave me a tiny piece of amethyst fresh from the water's edge.  If I had enough room in the Roadtrek, I would have filled it with rocks from this beach.  Granite and slate striped with quartz, rolled smooth by the constant flow of water. Did you know there is slate that is red?  More about that later.

Digby is definitely a fisherman's village.  With a robust fishing fleet and one of the few recreational harbors we have seen on this trip, Digby lures its tourists with an amble number of seafood restaurants.  Mike had halibut and I sampled the scallops.

Mike checked the odometer and at this point we had gone 3191.7 miles!  Goodness, we weren't even to Newfoundland yet, but we had been discovering the Maritimes at our own pace and interest.

To be continued...