2019 SUMMER TRIP: FINAL SUMMARY

We are home in Sopchoppy. We were gone exactly 90 days, traveled 9,062 miles in the camper (not counting side trips in the Jeep) and stayed in 42 different campgrounds plus some boondocking and one night on the ferry. Every time we return from a trip we say it was the best but this one was the VERY BEST. I stopped blogging when we left Newfoundland on August 10 because Internet access was difficult and my computer started acting up. I found that it was infected with a ransom-ware scam and stopped using it. For those who are interested the following is a summary of the last weeks of the trip.

Off the ferry and back in Nova Scotia we decided to continue on the Trans Canada Hwy (TCH) across the Atlantic Provinces and into Quebec and Ontario. We would be revisiting some areas but hoped to see new territory as well. Our ultimate destination was Eminence MO near the Ozarks National Scenic Waterway where we were meeting friends on Sept. 8th for a week of paddling on the Current River. On our way south we wanted to complete the Canadian side of the Lake Superior Loop and to to visit  Lake Itasca State Park in Minnesota where the Mississippi River begins. If we had time, we thought it would be fun to follow the Mississippi to St Louis MO.  To achieve this, traveling west through Canada was more direct and the cost of diesel was offset by the favorable exchange rate.

Crossing Atlantic Canada (the Maritime Provinces) was a series of "one night stands" in terms of campgrounds. To paraphrase that great sage, James Buffet, "some of them magic, some of them tragic". We were rewarded by a constant change of scenery during the day. (An interesting aside, our last night in NFL we camped near a First Nation family from Vancouver BC. The two young children liked to pet Bonnie. We camped right beside them two nights later in Nova Scotia. Four nights later, in New Brunswick, I saw the children in the playground and went to find their mother. We laughed and hugged like old friends.)

Traveling west from Fredricksburg  the TCH is 4-laned almost all the way with Maine on one side, with the St. John's River on the other, and the Appalachian Range running south to north. We stayed in the municipal CG at Riviere du Loup where we had camped five years ago. Having reached the St. Lawrence Seaway, we followed it south to Quebec City. Camping near the City is limited and we chose the KOA where Jane Storm and I stayed in 1983 and Butch and I camped with our children in 1986. What a difference 30+ years makes! It is now huge with lots of different loop and sections, and costs $71.00 (C). ! Since we arrived at noon, we set up camp and immediately left to catch the passenger ferry to the City. We spent a wonderful afternoon and evening wandering around being tourists in the Old City. Quebec City is the closest place to Europe you can go without a transatlantic flight.

We continued south for several days through Montreal (horrendous traffic)  Ottawa, and Sudbury, winding up at Sault Ste Marie Ontario. It was a lovely drive through rolling hills that became small mountains, lots of rives and streams, lakes and ponds, and finally Lake Huron and Lake Superior. We spent nearly a week at Sault Ste Marie Michigan a few years ago. Our CG was right beside the locks  and we had a great time watching the great lakes freighters coming and going. We continued that trip by doing the US side of the Lake Superior Loop. This time we stayed in Canada and drove the loop from the "Soo" to Thunder Bay and St. Francis.

I cannot recommend this trip highly enough. It is like driving through a huge national park. On our first day we drove from the Soo to Wawa on TCH 17. We stopped at one attraction after another. We had lunch at  Pancake Bay Provincial Park, walked on the beach at Old Woman Bay, visited High Falls and Silver Falls on the Magpie River and had gorgeous views of Lake Superior. The next day we continued to Nipigon visiting spectacular Aquaslbon Falls and Gorge among other beautiful places. On our third day we made a long stop at Quimet Canyon PP and continued into "Amethyst Country". The low hills here are full of gem mines and folks have blocks of amethyst used as parking stops. We had an off-road adventure finding the Blue Willow Mine and enjoyed seeing the amethyst "in situ" and in such abundance.

Thunder Bay has dramatically since I was there over 40 years ago. It is now a booming community that has developed its waterfront in an amazing way. We were there for Community Night and enjoyed a great meal at a waterfront restaurant, a concert in the amphitheater, vendors along the walking trail, and lots of friendly people out enjoying the lovely weather.

Our last day in Canada was a good one. We left Thunder Bay and continued west towards our border crossing at St. Francis/International Falls. It was another national park day. We stopped at     Falls for lunch and drove through miles of beautiful but remote country. This part of Ontario is mostly First Nation or Crown land and borders a series of Provincial  Reserves and Parks that have limited or no road access.

We arrived in St. Francis to find a festival in progress and had to make a detour. We had planned to stay in Canada that night and make our border crossing the next day. First, there were no vacancies in either of the CG's, and secondly, we got in the wrong lane and had to cross the border! It was a hoot. I had planned to clean out the fridge but didn't have a chance. Our border agent was very helpful and in no hurry. He couldn't find an agricultural inspector so he and another agent took the fruit and veggies, letting us  stay in the camper. By now it was late in the day and we had no plans. Fortunately a nice lady at a gas station directed us to a super little municipal campground in Little Fork Minnesota. It was near Voyagers National Park so we stayed for a few days and checked out the attractions of the Park and surrounding area.

After leaving Little Fork we only drove a few hours to Bemidja MN, near Istaca State Park. We visited the Park the following day and did the "wade across the Mississippi River" thing.

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We researched the Great River Road route through Minnesota and found it  involved a lot of secondary roads and even some gravel. We decided to skip this part of the tour and follow the St. Croix River instead, down to the confluence with the Mississippi. So we drove down to Taylor Falls MN and stayed at Interstate State Park on the St. Croix. What a good choice! We took a river boat ride and did one of the most beautiful hikes of our trip, the Glacial Pot Hole Trail. 

The St. Croix is a National Wild and Scenic River and the NPS has a splendid Visitor's Center in St,.Croix WI. We got lots of very useful information that helped us to plan our trip south to St. Louis.We went down to Stillwater MN and took the trolley tour to see the magnificent homes of the LumberBarons, now owned by the rich (and sometimes, famous). They were built in a wide variety of architectural  styles, sort of the Palm Beach of the North Woods.

As we were approaching the Labor Day Weekend we felt called upon to make reservations to hunker down somewhere. Since I hate reservations Butch took it on and found us a place at Sleepy Hollow CG near Fountain City Wisconsin.  We crossed the St.Croix into WI and followed Hwy 35 (the WI Great River Route) to its confluence at Prescott. We passed through a series of charming river towns. beautiful farm land with rolling hills, high bluffs and miles of corn fields. Our CG outside Fountain City was in the middle of a corn field but it was a true "hollow", surrounded by small mountains and was quiet and lovely. While there, I attended the Annual Farm Festival, and had a ball.

On Labor Day, we crossed back into MN and followed the Mississippi to Davenport Iowa. I had heard of the Mississippi Bluffs and thought it was a small area somewhere on the upper part of the river Not So! It is hundreds of miles of stunning bluffs backed by some of the most beautiful farmland I have ever seen. There are few levees on the Big Muddy up here, and it is so different from the southern part of the river. We crossed it again and again on bridges that spanned small islands and even on causeways.

Butch wanted to be in a reasonable sized town for my birthday so we settled on Rock Island Illinois. He made reservations for dinner at a nice restaurant in Moline. We had a super day and a lovely meal. I was concerned about turning 80 far away from family and friends but I got lots of wonderful calls and messages and felt very cherished.

Leaving Rock Island we crossed the Big River again and continued south to Camden Missouri where we camped right beside it at Lock and Dam #20. It was so much fun watching the barges lining up to go through the locks. We were in a little COE/Municipal CG and everyone was super friendly. We even had a day-long visit from a riverboat that had to moor and wait for the river to be dredged.

 We went on to Hannibal and then to Eminence where we met up with our gang to paddle for the week. I had a surprise birthday party with cake and everything!

 We returned via our house in North Carolina (one day-two nights), arriving in Sopchoppy late on the evening of September 17th.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

No. We almost never make reservations until a few hours before we need to find a spot to camp.
No. We rarely have a set itinerary, just an idea of where we want to go and what we want to see and do.
Yes. We are always open to opportunities for new experiences.
Yes. We seek out local input about almost everything; where to eat, what to see, where to stay, who to talk to.
No. We are almost never disappointed.
Yes. Almost all of the time we happen upon something wonderful.

Welsh Springs and the old sanitarium on the Current River in MO

Ending Phase III: Trout River to Channel Port aux Baxque

8/11/19

It has been nine days since my last Blog. Poor internet and fatigue have contributed to my dereliction and certainly not lack of interesting scenery and events.

We left Trout River in pouring rain but it had cleared and was lovely when we arrived at Zensville Campground at Kippens. This means that we left the Gros Morne area and traveled south toward Port aux Basque (the Ferry port). Kippens is near Stephensville which hosted a large USAF Base until the 1960’s. It is the start of the Port au Port Bay loop which we wanted to drive.  Our campground was very pleasant with grass and mature trees. A path across the road led to a beautiful beach where Bonnie could run off-leash. We also re-met a couple here that we met in Alaska in 2016. The world of retired RV travelers is a small one!

Late afternoon walk on the beach.

After nearly a month of staggering beauty we felt sort of jaded and embarked on the Port au Port Bay trip with diminished enthusiasm. Oh My Goodness! More and very different amazement was in store for us. Wonderful rock walls and gorgeous high cliffs overlooking the sea which was every shade of turquoise and blue imaginable. We walked to a charming waterfall that spread out onto a flat rock ledge before pouring into the sea. We stopped at the Park at Cape St. John   and ate fresh bread cooked on a open oven by the teenagers there who are on government grants to preserve the culture.  Another peak day.

The breadmakers

The bread oven

We moved on from Zensville traveling to Great Codroy CG in the Codroy valley. It was only two hours so we arrived by lunch time. This park used to be a provincial park but is now owned and operated by the same family that originally donated the land to the Canadian government. They are totally dedicated to hospitality and the reviews call this the best campground in NFL. They may be right. We stayed three nights and it was such a pleasure.

After setting up, we took Bonnie and started looking for a beach. We made another loop drive this one around the Codroy Valley and out to Cape Anquille. The campground host had told us about the wide sandy beaches at Searston and Bonnie loved them. The campground host built a nice campfire every night and it was fun to stop in and get to meet other folks who were coming and going to/from NFL.

Lighthouse at Cape Anquille

The "Inspiration Trail"

Channel Port aux Basque is the ferry port and we had whipped in and out of it previously. We wanted to go back and explore the Southwest Coast before we left.  After buying a few groceries we took Rt 407 along the coast to Rose Blanche where the road ends. There is a passenger ferry there that serves the communities along the coast but are no roads in this area. Again we were astonished by the difference in the terrain. Now we were in granite mountains with almost grotesque knobs, promontories, and formations with patches of bright green tundra and thousands of ponds and waterways.  What looks like grass is actually a kind of lichen growing on a thin peat bog and it is full of tiny orchids and pitcher plants.

Pond and Bog on top of a mountain

Another mountain top pond

We followed an almost mile long boardwalk to a waterfall. The waterfall was nice, but the walk across the bogs was amazing.  I got so excited seeing a bog orchid that I stepped off the path and got my foot wet. Within five more steps, the orchids were everywhere! For our last day in NFL this was an astonishing experience. The wonderment and awe just kept on happening.

This boardwalk is almost a mile long.

Bog Orchid

Exactly like our Deer Moss...but much smaller.

Another type of orchid

Looked like our yellow fringed orchid but not sure.

Tiny, whispy yellow flowersl Very delicate

A milkweed? Don't know, but it is lovely.

On Friday, we boarded the ferry to North Sydney.

AWE (wonder, amazement, astonishment) STRUCK (smacked, socked, walloped, clobbered) at GROS MORNE

August 5, 2019:

 Gros Morne means “Great Somber” and is named for the big mountain standing alone in the midst of all this grandeur. There is literally no other place like it in the world. Because of its unique status it is not only a Canadian National Park but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the place where ancient continents  collided and left evidence to prove the theory of plate tectonics and the geological differences in the various “arms”, fjords, seashores, terrain, and mountains is astounding.

Heading west from Grand Falls-Windsor we started with a beautiful cloudless sky but the closer we got to the Western Shore, the darker it got. By the time we turned north at Deer Lake it had become cold and drizzly with high winds. I had not made reservations thinking in some vague way that we would stay in Shoal Brook as we did in 2008.

Water’s Edge, in Shoal Brook, did have a vacancy but things had gone downhill there in 11 years.  They could only offer 15amp electric and non-potable water. We pushed on and found ourselves crossing the Tablelands region of Gros Morne in a high wind. What a relief when we reached Elephant Head Campground in Trout River. They had plenty of spaces, a nearly new park, and 3-way hookups. We stayed there a week!

Trout River is a lively little municipality surrounded by Gros Morne National Park. There is a lovely NP campground there also but it is deeply wooded and has no facilities.  We strongly suspected that the bugs would be bad and later met some campers who confirmed our fears. In NFL it is always best to camp out in the bald open spaces no matter how attractive those shady spots look.

Next day we were off to the Discovery Center for the Tablelands at Gros Morne. This is the best national park interpretive center ever, in either the US or Canada. In 2008 we spent hours here and did so again this time. I bought a new book, Rocks Adrift: the Geology of Gros Morne National Park, to add to our collection and we set out to look at rocks.  We began by exploring the area around Trout River, Woody Point, and the Tablelands by jeep and with short walks.  I walked the Serpentine Trail and saw tons of serpentine (duh), as well as fields of flowers including pitcher plants, bog orchids and oodles of others that I did not recognize. This is always the case in NFL, the quantity and variety of wild flowers is staggering.

Other sites on our list were Lobster Cove Head, Green Point, Green Gardens, and Trout River/Pond. Over the next few days we were able to spend lots of quality time at each of them and saw marvelous things! In every case the wildflowers vied for attention with the geological formations.

Lobster Cove: Where the "impossible" combinations of rocks and fossils confirmed plate techtonics 

The meadow about Green Point.

Green Point where you can "read" the history of the earth over millions of years

Turn these vertical cliffs on their side and the layers tell a story. Just like tree rings.

These cliffs were flat plates of sea bed.

Since we are limited in the distance we can hike, we were so fortunate to find two local fishermen who were willing to take us out in their boats. We went all the way to the end of Trout River/Pond with George and his neighbor, Alan, in George’s Bayliner. Then, Alan took us out on the ocean in his fishing boat to see Green Gardens and the cliffs and caves along the coast. They were both very knowledgeable and made the trips up close and personal. Alan also gave us a mess of fresh cod fillets that were out of this world.

Trout River/Pond is actually a fjord

The backside of the Tablelands from Trout River/Pond

Green Gardens from the Atlantic side

Our last day in Trout River we attended the Bang Belly Pudding Festival. BBP is a kind of bread pudding made from an assortment of ingredients. After the official “judging”, we sampled the entries. It was actually pretty good! We loved the music and the opportunity to visit with local folks.

We left Trout River yesterday morning in pouring rain and high wind but the weather improved considerably when we reached Kippens. We were even able to let Bonnie run on the beach last night.