DAY 32 Port Aux Chois to Quirpon

Englee

June 20, 2013  Travels in our motorhome in Newfoundland Canada


Awoke to a glorious sunny day…let’s see how long that lasts.  Almost immediately, I went for a walk on the beach in Port Aux Chois while David relaxed. Within two hours, the fog had rolled in and we were able to watch it…a pretty amazing sight!

 

View of Englee from Barr'd Trail

Our drive today took us to Quirpon in the far north of Newfoundland (on the northern peninsula on west side).



walking on Barr'd Trail

After leaving Port Aux Chois, we stopped in squid cove to watch some lobster boats and see the amazing shoreline on this fine sunny day.  Another rig pulled in and we snapped a photo because it was a pretty neat rig…fulltimers for seven years…see photo.

 



Unusual Sailing vessel in Englee

Off we headed towards Roddickton on a fabulous lonely road (okay, it was a bit pot holed but not too bad).  We saw roadside gardens (where people do some small veggie gardens out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes many miles to a town).

 



One of many roadside gardens on northern peninsula

The moose spotter neglected her job again (they are never where you expect them to be like up ahead on the side of the road).  It was David who spotted the moose on my right side just about next to me when we slowed down. He was about to cross the road and he was a large one.  I got a good look at him this time.  We didn’t get a picture although David practically ran out of the motorhome to try and get one. Moose run fast.  A moose’s vision is not so good but his smell and ears are…so when they hear you they start moving…hopefully it isn’t in your direction but away.

 



A siting

We spent an hour or two in Englee walking around town.  When we saw two women out talking, we asked them about the trails up on the hill.  Good thing we asked.  They said not to go up there and walk this time of year.  The bears are newly out of hibernation and are hungry.  The town has set traps for them (don’t know what kind of traps…live or what?)  They are so hungy they will even go after moose.  I would be a mere snack!  So they told us about another trail in town.  The Barr’d Trail was short but nice scenery and a swing that we both could sit in about halfway around with views of a bergy bit and the ocean.  We looked for whales but didn’t see any.

 

We continued on towards St. Anthony not really knowing where we were going to end up (I love doing that…the uncertainty and seeing where life will take you).  This stretch of the “highway” had very little in the way of overnight spots and just as few places to pull off the road (remember Newfoundland highways are built HIGH above the surrounding ground with no guardrails to speak of).  We then decided that what the heck we were going to use our Passport America card (lifetime member…woohoo) to buy into a campground for two nights.  A phone call on our Canadian cell phone (we actually had cell service this time and we are pretty much out in the middle of nowhere) confirmed that all 10 spots were not taken in this campground and that we could have a spot for two nights ($25 for two nights…1/2 price and with electric and water…got to boil it though…always!)  There are about five spots left now!  This is far up north…about the furthest you can go.



Berg near St. Lunaire

Somewhere in our drive David spotted another moose…uh, aren’t you supposed to be driving?  This one we actually got photos of and it wasn’t moose bum.  It would have been a closer shot but the car (rare seeing cars) coming the other way spooked it.  David was happy to have another moose photo!

 

Along the way we HAD to stop when I spotted a HUGE iceberg…so quick detour to take pictures of it.  Then we spotted another one as we were driving to our campground.  David was very happy…he particularly loves icebergs. 

We are residing in the Viking Rv Park in Quirpon as we speak.  It is very close to L’anse Aux Meadows historical site (think Vikings).  Relaxing for two nights will be nice.