This Is US
LOAFin Around & KANOE Tripping
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We also publish a blog, on our personal website. It covers the same travel period, but with a different audience in mind; you'll require an interest in how and where we travel, much more of your time and a favourite beverage.
This BLOG
Is presented as a journal and documents 46 days of slow, road-tripping.
It contains daily entries and personal observations, a large number of photographs, links to other information websites and includes our custom glossary (see end) ... in short, it's very long.
If you prefer a speedier experience ... skip all the text, click on any photo and scroll through the photo gallery miniatures that will appear on the bottom of the page ... or, go directly to our final photo gallery; here's a link.
All text and photography is by us, unless credited. We use the tag 'Stock Photo' and the 'Courier' font for other writer sources.
This Is LOAF
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Together We're ... LOAFin Around
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ONTARIO
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DEPARTURE
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DAY1: BASECAMP 🏠> Lunch in Rockport > Site 221, Farran Park CG ON
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The Drive
Lunch w. Kathy & Jack at Cornwalls Pub in Rockport, overcast/humid, a Domaine Darius Pinot Noir 2023 from our cellar, to celebrate our first night out ... it's a tradition.
Site 221 is a favourite of LOAF's - 2 nights here. This is a large dry (unserviced) campsite. There are 5 nearby sites, but all are also large and quite a distance from the congested part of the campground. We usually prefer to stop on our first night or two on our way east; this allows us time to check that all camper systems are working properly and if necessary, arrange for any nearby service that may be required.
DAY2: We both slept past 5 am and enjoyed our regular breakfast (excluding that wine bottle ya'all noticed on the counter 😁). We took a long walk, relaxed some, completed some camper tweaking, one of us napped, the same one that napped found driftwood.
QUEBEC
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A VINEYARD
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DAY3: Farran Park CG ON > TEREGO/🍇🍷Vignoble Le Fief de la Rivière QC
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The Drive
An 'easy' 300 + km drive today. LOAF scored a campsite 'Amongst the Vines'. I believe this would almost qualify as a 'boondock' site.
This is a small batch Quebec vineyard established in 2008, Guatemalans work the fields. Their wines are quite good and prices are reasonable - the Chardonnay and Marquette were stand-outs for us; brought a case home - for the cellar!
Some photo images: robins will build anywhere, find LOAF's boondock spot (hint: see pics with pond)
CANADA's OLDEST HIGHWAY
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DAY4: TEREGO/🍇🍷Vignoble Le Fief de la Rivière QC > Lunch in La Malbaie > TEREGO🥣 Les Belles Récoltes De Charlevoix QC
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The Drive
Chemin du Roy (The Kings Highway), is considered 'Canada's Oldest Highway'.
Make time to do this route; you won't be disappointed ... it follows near the St. Lawrence River at times ... through small villages, past large farms and well-landscaped properties. Numerous walkers/hikers/bikers use the roadway shoulder, spyders/motorcycles/convertables and small sports cars cruise and share the road with giant, portal-axled farm machines that cover the width of this (at times) narrow highway.
Mid-afternoon lunch at, L'Île Mystérieuse; a unique resto-lounge and bar in La Malbaie. Inspired by the Jules Verne universe, it features a private collection of artifacts, themed cocktails, tapas, and afternoon tea. The last 2 photos in this grouping are taken inside the co-ed washroom.
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Helen (r): Octopus and shrimp with homemade herb pesto | stuffed olives | cherry tomatoes | roasted red pepper emulsion ... & a Chardonnay Dann (l): Fresh and smoked salmon tartare (3oz) | green apples | citrus sauce | croutons | greens ... & a Blood Brothers Zero IPA |
Les Belles Récoltes De Charlevoix is a family-owned organic grain farm and processing workshop in La Malbaie, Quebec. They grow their own organic cereals, grains, and pseudo-cereals, and prepare them on-site into various consumable products. We had hoped to purchase some of their breakfast cereals, but the retail shop stayed closed during our stay.
A Hollow-Point Gravity Dam ... one of the WORLD's Largest
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DAY5: 🥣TEREGO: Les Belles Récoltes De Charlevoix QC > FERRY: to Tadoussac > Site 54, Camping Manic 2, Baie-Comeau QC
A slow, foggy drive much of the day, not many photos, a roller-coaster roadway with grades to 15%, on-board the Jos Deschenes II ferry to Tadoussac, fog cleared somewhat by days end and we're at a lovely waterfront dry campsite for tonight, 10C at 5:20 pm.
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The Drive
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Jos Deschenes II |
The Jean-Lesage generating station (historically and commonly known as Manic-2) is a massive hydroelectric facility located on the Manicouagan River, just 22 km north of Baie-Comeau, Quebec. It features one of the largest hollow-joint gravity dams in the world and is a major cornerstone of Quebec’s energy grid.
START ... of the TRANS QUEBEC-LABRADOR Highway
LARGEST... MULTI-ARCH BUTRESS Dam ... in the WORLD
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DAY6: Camping Manic 2, Baie-Comeau QC > Relais-Gabriel QC
We're dry camped in the rear lot of the Relais-Gabriel restaurant.
Also available here ... 'lodging - truck stop - fuel bar - diesel card lock station - highway maintenance staging yard and an RV campground'. We overlook a small lake and have a weak wifi connection.
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The Drive
Baie-Comeau marks the start of the Trans Quebec-Labrador Highway.
The Trans-Quebec/Labrador Highway (also known as the Trans-Labrador Highway and recently rebranded as Expedition 51) is a spectacular 1,1700-kilometer wilderness route spanning from Baie-Comeau, QC to the Labrador coast and finally, Blanc-Sablon QC. It traverses dense boreal forests, massive hydro dams, and remote coastal towns, culminating at a ferry connecting to Newfoundland. (Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism)
It rained throughout the night and remained quite cool. Didn't fire up the furnace ... weenie that I am ... wore full-length fleece underwear with heavy, fluffy socks and a down vest; removed the vest during the night ... shoulda wore a toque, maybe fleece gloves 🥶 ! Helen slept in her usual overnight clothes 👀.
Propane Ignition: Our HW system is having difficulty igniting - may need cleaning ... boiled a pot of water on the stove for the dishes. Note: Cooler temperatures make propane harder to ignite because cold weather lowers the vapor pressure inside the tank.
Fuel Economy: LOAF enjoyed a full maintenance & service prior to this trip and all systems were good. We're currently travelling, the Trans Quebec/Labrador Highway; mostly good to fair (poor at times) conditions. Pavement turned to a gravel/dirt mix at the Manic 5 damsite (km216) and continued until km304. A 'rolling, twisty, turny, wash-boardy road' throughout todays drive ... suspension took a beating. LOAF weighs in at around 6.2 tons wet (fully loaded) and today was a thirsty one; he drank an average of 1 litre of fuel every 2.4 kms, under those conditions. We travelled 293 kms. Fuel costs today ranged from 2.299/l @ Manic 5 to 2.499/l @ Relais Gabriel, our highest; so far. You do the math!
The Manic 5 (formally, the Daniel Johnson dam) is 214 m high, 1,314 m long and contains 2,200,000 m3 of concrete, making it the Largest multi-arch butress dam in the WORLD.
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Into the BIG LAND
A RUGGED ROAD!
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DAY7: Relais-Gabriel QC > Site#3, Gateway Labrador RV, Labrador City NL
This is our 'first' serviced campsite this trip; we're at Lab City's tourist information kiosk; they have 5 sites in total.
We've filled LOAF's fresh water tank with 33 gallons of potable water, plugged him into a 30A electrical service (we'll enjoy HW sponge baths tonight and tomorrow morning😮... plus, for our old bones and joints; an infra-red heating pad tonight 😁). We've dry-docked to the on-site black/grey water sewer and rinsed the worst of the mud and road grime from LOAF.
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The Drive
Todays drive was through Boreal (aka. Taiga) forest. We navigated a combination of asphalt from Relais-Gabriel that changed to a gravel/dirt mix from Fire Lake to the town of Fermont QC, then asphalt (once again), to Labrador City.
The pavement was in mostly good to fair condition, with some frost heaved sections. The section from Fire Lake to Fermont was in better condition than our 2015 trip on the Trans Quebec-Labrador Highway, but still poor to bad in some sections. (Note: We're travelling in a truck camper with a HD suspension package ... your vehicle may qualify you to have a different opinion regarding road conditions😁 .)
Photos along the road ...
LABRADOR
"LABRADOR was part of New France until the Seven Years' War. By the Treaty of Paris (1763), which ended the war, New France (including Labrador, though excluding the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon southwest of Newfoundland) was transferred to the British, who administered the northern portion of it as the Province of Quebec until splitting it in two in 1791, with Labrador located in Lower Canada. However, in 1809, the British Imperial government detached Labrador from Lower Canada for transfer to the separate, self-governing Newfoundland Colony.
As part of Newfoundland since 1809, Labrador was still being disputed by Quebec until the British Privy Council resolved their border in 1927. In 1949, Newfoundland entered into confederation, becoming part of Canada." (Source: Wikipedia)
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DAY8: Gateway Labrador RV, Labrador City NL > Central Labrador YMCA, Happy Valley - Goose Bay NL
We're camped at the Central Labrador YMCA on the Happy Valley side of Happy Valley - Goose Bay ... we have a 30A electrical hookup, courtesy of the municipality and at no charge 😁 for the camp site. There are a few other RV's here now; couple of travel vans from QC and a TT from IN USA. By 7:00 pm, all sites were occupied.
It's been ... overcast, foggy, cool and rainy throughout the day; some pockets of snow remain on hill slopes. LOAF drove about 530 kms; longest drive to date. The road was paved all the way today, mostly in good > very good condition; however 👀watch for those 'bump' signs or shoulder cones ... when they say there will be a bump; believe them! ... but, not all are marked😮 ! Very little traffic. The initial 420 kms (or so) featured primarily a black spruce/tamarack forest, small lakes and wetlands, creeks and rivers cross the highway. Around the Churchill Falls area we encountered some erratics, larger rock formations and a more rugged terrain. About 110 kms outside HV-GB, the hills grew into small mountains and the forest was now mixed, with aspens/poplars/birches dominating.
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The Drive
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DAY9: Central Labrador YMCA, Happy Valley - Goose Bay NL > Town Hall Parking Lot, St. Mary's Harbour NL
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The Drive
LOAF travelled 400 km of black spruce and tamarack taiga (boreal) forest today, before stopping at Port Hope Simpson to refuel; very little traffic, in either direction. This highway is in EXCELLENT condition - the best road surface, we've encountered, since leaving Baie Comeau ... unfortunately, LOAF's handler became complacent and LOAF got nailed by 'the only' frost heave on the whole drive 😮. Note to self: inspect and service hubs and wheel bearings; once back at BASECAMP.
At one point, during his drive; LOAF showed interest in a large, well-built, sloped gravel berm recently constructed during highway improvements ... he began to slow down and I realized he was looking at a beautifully shaped monolith rock at the top-center of the berm. Obviously, a skillful heavy equipment operator had lifted and creatively, positioned this beautiful rock in the best possible position for the viewing pleasure of travelling passers-by. I slowed down and moved to the road shoulder, I reached for my camera ... and then I saw it! ... some asshole (there's always one), had vandalized the stone's roadside faceing surface with graffiti. Hopefully, a pleasant sleep tonight and tomorrow, I will endeavor once again, to have faith in humanity. Needless to say, I did not take a photo.
We're dry camped in the dirt parking lot, behind St. Mary's town hall; a nice 'foggy' view of the harbour over nearby house roofs ... wood smoke puffs out of a few chimneys and fish smoke huts, chilly here ... it was 6C at 2:00 pm, we're running LOAF's propane furnace in intervals. Old sleds scattered around ...
We are sharing the parking lot here, with an overland rig; a Swiss couple in this self-built IVECO expedition truck started their journey in Canada earlier this year and plan on travelling all provinces and territories. If you're interested, you can follow their journey on Instagram by clicking the QR code in the last photo for today.
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BEST Fish 'n Chips in the W O R L D !
A National Historic Site / UNESCO World Heritage Site
3C
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DAY10: Town Hall Parking Lot, St. Mary's Harbour NL > Site 16, Pinware PP NL
A short, easy drive today; early through Lodge Bay. The landscape as we approached the coast is mostly devoid of trees, rocky and barren; any trees that do survive their early growth period, are stunted. And ... it's darned cold again today. It's 6C now (3C overnight) and darned chilly and there's a bunch of darned snow still hanging around; at least there isn't a darned wind too! Update 5:00 pm - a darned wind at camp and darned big waves too ... sigh, oh well!
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The Drive
We're meeting friends in Red Bay for lunch at Whalers Restaurant, and a 'catch-up' ... and, for the BEST Fish & Chips in the WORLD! What makes it The BEST?, you ask ... well, they don't coat the fresh cod in 1/2" of thick, soggy, tastless, beige, beer batter and then deep fry it for up to 8 minutes ... here, it's very, very lightly battered, some sweetness (maple syrup?) is added and it's deep fried for less than 2 minutes. We've stopped here for lunch, each time we've come through and the food quality is consistently GOOD!
"Whalers Restaurant in Red Bay, Labrador, boasts a 4.2-star rating with over 130 reviews on TripAdvisor, ranking as the #1 restaurant in the area. It is highly praised for its genuine local hospitality, fresh seafood, and unique waterfront location near the Red Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site.' (Trip Advisor)
We visited the Parks Canada UNESCO/National Historic Site and enjoyed an extensive history lesson from staff members on the origins and impacts of the basque whaling period in this region of Labrador.
We're camped almost at waters edge. LOAF didn't want to pose for this photo ... too darned cold! And a short while later it got darned windy and the waves got a lot, darned bigger.
QUEBEC
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DAYs 11 - 12: Pinware PP NL > Parc Goodchild, Blanc Sablon QC
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11: It's approximately 50km to the ferry terminal at Blanc Sablon QC. We arrived with plenty of time to spare; however, our crossing of the Strait of Belle Isle, has been cancelled due to poor weather and it appears will not resume until Monday; we've now re-scheduled for then ... apparently, this happens regularly.
Overlooking Blanc Sablon QC from Labrador
We'll spend a couple of nights at Parc Goodchild in town; unserviced but free.
" The site is located on the former rue Goodchild, an area deeply significant to the local community. In 1995, the street was struck by a devastating avalanche that claimed the lives of several residents. Years later, Renita Lavallée and her family decided to heal the site and honor their lost loved ones by developing a commemorative space. What began as a grassroots effort featuring just three parking spots has expanded into a fully equipped, well-maintained campground that welcomes both locals and tourists. " (Source: Parc Goodchild)
"Navigation in the Strait of Belle Isle can be extremely hazardous with strong tidal currents interacting with the Labrador Current, depths reaching several hundred metres in places, sea ice for 8 to 10 months of the year, and variable weather conditions including gales and fog. While sea ice prevents year-round shipping, the Canadian Coast Guard maintains a vessel traffic service (VTS) to ensure collisions do not occur. The VTS is voluntary currently." (Source: Canadian Coast Guard)
Saw our first iceberg floating near Blanc Sablon and preparing to enter the strait; just a young'un though ... no photo; didn't want to frighten the wee thing. 😁
It rained all night and throughout the day, today; and it's still darned cold. We spent most of it cleaning the inside of the camper, taking stock for our next supply run, catching up on our photography editing & journal writings and planning the route for the next few days ... good 5G internet connection here.
Filled with fuel (efficiency = 503 km @ 24.3l/100 kms) and propane (usage = 25 lbs in 11 days)
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Leaving the BIG LAND
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DAY13: Parc Goodchild, Blanc Sablon QC > FERRY: Blanc Sablon QC to Pigeon Cove - St Barbe NL > Plum Point Motel & Restaurant NL
8:00 am, 18C, weather clearing, clouds are scattering, no wind, blue skies opening; a good day for a sailing on the MV Qajaq W.
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The Drive
We warmed up with a couple of nice bowls of chowder at the Plum Point Restaurant. Weather looks good for tomorrow, we're hearing reports of numerous iceberg sightings along the route we'll be travelling then.
NEWFOUNDLAND
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CAPTAIN COOK ... Slept Here
I C E B E R G S
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DAYs 14 - 15: Plum Point Motel & Restaurant NL > Site 14, Triple Falls RV Park, Saint Anthony NL
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14: 8:00 am, 18C, breakfast - before leaving for our next camp, we did a short walk to Plum Point; Captain Cook moored his ship the Grenville at the anchorage here, for several days in 1754.
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The Drive
It's only about a 120 km drive to St Anthony. We stopped at Fishing Point (for lunch) and then St Anthony Bight to hunt icebergs ... these 'stops' fulfill a couple of blog labels for us ... 'End of the Road' and 'Bucket List'.
After a successful 'hunt', we backtracked (somewhat) to our campsite for the next 2 nights. The locals harvest firewood, build garden plots and locate 'shared' wood yards along the roadways. We also visited a memorial for firefighters who had lost their lives fighting fires in Newfoundland and Labrador.
VIKINGS
A National Historic Site / UNESCO World Heritage Site
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15: Breakfast, laundry (uses quarters only) in St. Anthony, a visit to L'Anse aux Meadows NHS (3rd time). The historic buildings here, are a recreation, some new boardwalk and sculpture.
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The Drive
The following photo shows a mounded area at the site where archeological evidence was initially discovered; there has been additional excavation since, but most other mounded locations have not been disturbed. The 'link' above provides more detail and additional information.
It's 5C at 12:00 noon🥶 ... we're on our way to lunch at The Norseman Restaurant at Harbour Front. We each had the 'cod taco meal' ... (shredded slaw, creamy lime cilantro and crema, pico de gallo) with a nice side salad (spinach, quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, feta, red onions, cucumber).
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EXTREME POINT Newfoundland North
Another... National Historic Site
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DAYs 16 - 17: Triple Falls RV Park, Saint Anthony NL > Oceanside RV Park, Port au Choix NL
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The Drive
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E X T R E M E LY Rare Clouds
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The Drive
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BEES
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DAY 18: : Oceanside RV Park, Port au Choix NL > TEREGO: Cormack Bee Company, Cormack NL
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The Drive
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LAYOVER
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DAYs 19-20: TEREGO Cormack Bee Company, Cormack NL > Site #1, Lomond Campground, Gros Morne National Park NL
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The Drive
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Leaving NEWFOUNDLAND for NOVA SCOTIA
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DAYs 21 - 23: Lomond Campground, Gros Morne National Park > Days Inn, Stephenville > JT Cheeseman PP, Cape Ray NL > FERRY: Blue Puttees > Site #12, Arm of Gold Campground, North Sydney Nova Scotia
Still raining STILL! ... following our dry-camp layover the previous 2 days in Gros Morne, we've booked another hotel stay (Days Inn this time); our second in 3 weeks ... baths AND showers, washed hair twice, full facial AND neck shave. Then, next day, a drive to another provincial park (actually, a wet) dry-camp at Cape Ray; this will locate us a short drive to the ferry for NS early tomorrow morning ... LOAF was the first vehicle in line; for an expected 158 that are reserved, for this sailing.
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The Drive
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Cape Breton Island NOVA S COTIA
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Four Nights In & Around CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS National Park
DAYs 24 - 27: Arm of Gold Campground, North Sydney NS > Site 31, Ingonish Beach CG & Sites 74, 6, 15 @ Broad Cove CG Cape Breton Highlands National Park NS
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The Drive
Lakie's Head
We camped at Meat Cove in August of 2019; (here's a link to that trip). The 2nd photo (showing Helen's easterly view) is that same headland, as seen from Meat Cove.
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ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ... was much more than a phone guy!
APACHE TEARS
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DAY 28: Broad Cove CG, Cape Breton Highlands National Park NS > Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site > TEREGO: Designs in Stone, Monastery NS
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The Drive
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NOVA SCOTIA
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DAYs 29 - 30: TEREGO: Designs in Stone, Monastery NS > Site 44, Smiley's PP, Newport NS
We passed a PLACE on todays' drive ... but, most of our day was spent navigating and dealing with agressive drivers on the Trans-Canada (higher speeds, no worthwhile photo opportunities) or major highway construction zones. Once at camp; we de-stressed.
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The Drive
PLACE: Stewiake - 1/2 way between the equator and the North Pole.
The town is noted as being located halfway between the North Pole and the Equator (which is actually in Alton, Nova Scotia). Controversy in the past over that claim stems from the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere and so the halfway mark lies approximately 16 km north of the 45th parallel.
Re-organized the gear closet, steaks (beef & tuna) on the butane stove, salad of micro-greens and fresh tomatoe, couple of wine splashes💦 Sites here are huge ... more of a park-like setting than campground, we're almost alone, very little traffic, quiet and a dark night sky ... I heard a 'distant' cow mooooing this morning; at least, I think it was a cow?
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Peggy's Cove
A UNESCO World Heritage Town
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DAY 31: Smiley's PP, Newport > Lunenberg RV Park & Campground NS
It's gonna rain. Lotsa road construction ... lots more road construction needed. Highway today was narrow, high-centered, potholes across, edges crumbling; not the best place for a top-heavy, 6 ton vehicle that doesn't manoeuver quickly; but, we made it to camp.
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The Drive
Today's plan was to head to historic Lunenburg and spend the day exploring the area. Hit the road and the rain started, so decided we might as well take a scenic drive. Looked at the map and said let's detour to Peggy's Cove. Last time we were here was September 2015 and wow things are much busier in July. The area has really developed, accessible decks built so crazy tourists don't venture out on the rocks and get swept away. We were fortunate to arrive during the Artists Festival, artists set up everywhere with their easels. The sun actually came out while we spent time exploring the village. We understand why people flock here, every scene is a photo op and an artists paradise. Then we drove to Mahone Bay (in the rain again), wonderful lunch at Rebecca's (with the sun back out). Set up for the evening in Lunenburg, will explore either later this evening or tomorrow morning.
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, also known as Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, is one of Nova Scotia’s most well-known lighthouses and may is considered to be the most photographed lighthouse in Canada. Located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915. (Nova Scotia Tourism)
Walkabout ...
Recognized as one of Canada’s top ten most beautiful towns
We've been to Lunenberg before; it's a beautiful community and the area is rich in Canadian history.
In 1995, UNESCO designated LUNENBERG a World Heritage Site. UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, as it retains its original layout and appearance of the 1800s, including local wooden vernacular architecture. UNESCO considers the town in need of protection because the future of its traditional economic underpinnings, the Atlantic fishery, is now very uncertain. (Source: Wikipedia)
Walkabout ... luv the interesting architectural detailing on many of the historic buildings here.
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EXTREME POINT Nova Scotia South
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DAY 32: Site 26, Lunenberg RV Park & Campground NS > TEREGO: Dennis Point Cafe & Restaurant, West Pubnico NS
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The Drive
The town claims the title of "Lobster Capital of Canada" because its surrounding waters are among the richest lobster grounds in the world. The region lands massive catches, accounting for up to roughly 40% of all lobster caught in Canada and features the largest concentration of lobster fishers in the country. (Source: Tourism Nova Scotia)
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DAYs 33 - 34: Dennis Point Cafe & Restaurant, West Pubnico > Ellenwood Lake PP, Yarmouth > South West Mermaid Inn, Yarmouth NS
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LOAF Has A Bath
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DAY 35: South West Mermaid Inn, Yarmouth > TEREGO: La Cuisine Robicheau, Saulnierville NS
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The Drive
I did a thing ... or ... "GAWD ... I'm an IDJUT"
Driving through Meteghan River, we noticed a 'tall' vehicle wash bay; first one we've seen since leaving home 5 weeks ago; LOAF needed a bath.
I know my rig! and I know when LOAF will fit! Anyhoo, I approached (without apprehension), entered slowly, the front axle dropped 'ever-so-slightly' .... then, bumped up and over an 'ever-so-slight-1" rise into the wash bay ... hmmm? Moving forward slowly (and hesitant now), a barely noticeable scraping sound, windows opened - no sound, stop, get out. Check for cause of sound and notice the 'swing bar' that holds the 'sprayer arm' has knocked up against the canoe bar on the roof ... aha!, that must have been the scrapeing sound.
Washed LOAF.
Backing out slowly, no (expected) drop in the rear axle this time ... hmmm again? and then a 'crunching' (not 'scrapeing) sound ... ah poop💩 !, STOP. Get out, climb ladder ... corner of the a/c cover hit the wash bay roof.
It appears that, when entering, the front tires dropped just enough to allow the a/c to 'barely' clear and due to the campers roof profile, slowly lowering as I drove forward, was I able to enter. However when backing out, the camper roof profile did not change and remained consistently flat. Once the rear axle reached the door exit the tires were still on pavement and did not drop down an inch or so, as they had on entry.
And, that was all it took ... 1" of height difference between entering and exiting and all because there was a minor 1" tire depression in the dirt 'before' entering that wasn't available when exiting.
Lunch ...
Camp ...
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DAYs 36-37: TEREGO: La Cuisine Robicheau, Saulnierville > Whale of a Time Camping, Freeport NS > FERRY: Tiverton, Brier Island > Freeport NS
From our campsite, we can see the Grande Passage Lighthouse. It's the extreme west compass point (which is also at an, End of Road), that can be driven to on Nova Scotia ... and we can watch the whale tour boats as they search for whales.
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The Drive
There are two levels in this campground. We camped in the upper level on site 9 with Paula & Jerry our first night then we moved down to the lower level on site 6 for our second night.
Westport, Brier Island ...
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THREE National Historic Sites
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DAY 38: Whale of a Time Camping, Freeport > Klahanie Kamping Ltd., Aylesford NS
Clear, sunny, windy and cool. Stopped at three National Historic Site's; Port Royal in particular, might well be, the nicest NHS we've visited (and we've seen quite a few). The very picturesue Annapolis Valley deserves more of a stay than we have time for; we'll return. Camp in Aylesford and a visit with Lisa & John.
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The Drive
" Fort Anne is a historic fort protecting the harbour of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. It was built by Scottish settlers in August 1629 as Charles Fort. For the first 120 years of the fort's service period, the settlement of Port Royal, later Annapolis Royal, was the capital of the New France colony of Acadia and British North America colony of Nova Scotia. In 1917, Fort Anne became the first National Historic Site of Canada. Although no longer in active service, it is the oldest extant fort in Canada. Fort Anne has provided more defensive service than any other fort in North America, having been attacked and blockaded at least 19 times over a service period of 225 years, from the Acadian Civil War through to the American Revolutionary War. The fort also contains the oldest military building in Canada and the oldest building administered by Parks Canada, the 1708 powder magazine. " (Parks Canada/Wikipedia)
" Melanson Settlement National Historic Site (originally settled 1605–1755) is a National Historic Site located on the north bank of the Annapolis Basin. This open archeological site with walking paths is the location of a former Acadian settlement prior to deportation. Because the settlement lay on the approach to the British fort at Port Royal, it was documented extensively on 18th-century maps. Today, the site contains untouched in-situ archaeological resources rather than reconstructed buildings. " (Parks Canada/Wikipedia)
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"The Canadian government agreed to have the replica built on the original site. Construction took place from 1939 to 1941 and was based on a duplicate set of plans for the original Habitation that had been recently discovered in France. This was the first National Historic Site to have a replica structure built.
Today, this replica serves as the cornerstone of Port-Royal National Historic Site, and, coupled with nearby Fort Anne National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal, continues to commemorate this important historic region for visitors. Today, the replica of the Habitation is considered a milestone in the national heritage movement." (Parks Canada/Wikipedia)
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HIGHEST Tides in the WORLD
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DAY 39: Klahanie Kamping Ltd., Aylesford > Earltown Edge, Earltown NS
Clear, sunny ... and much warmer.
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The Drive
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HEADING HOME
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DAYs 40 - 46: Earltown Edge, Earltown NS > Days Inn, Oromocto NB > Parc Provincial de la Republique, Saint Jaques NB > Best Western Hotel, Drummondville QC > Farran Park Campground, Ingelside ON > BASECAMP 🏠
It's time for us, to begin heading home. It's getting quite busy along our route and we've visited all our planned stops. I'll address any service and maintenance items that are due now; both on the Ford and the Northern Lite. Once those are dealt with, I plan on tackling a couple of upgrades and rig modifications I've been thinking about. We're planning a Fall excursion, probably Ontario; might visit some ghost towns ... 👻
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The Drive
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40: Heavy overnight rain, foggy, overcast, very gusty head-wind most of the first day; fuel economy suffered. Quite a bit of construction throughout the day, but primarily on the Trans-Canada. Final TEREGO site, Earltown NS tonight.
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41: A warmer day, mid 20's C, still dealing with strong winds and dropping fuel economy. It seemed like most of the highways we travelled today were under construction. We have electrical tonight; couldn't get an unserviced site that suited us.
Tracked down the hw tank fault ... eco switch wiring singed. I suspect fierce winds in NL caused the switch to constantly try and ignite to the point where the temperature control failed. Interesting that this component also affects the tanks ability to heat up with electrical also. Oromocto NB tonight.
WARNING: " It is not recommended to attempt to ignite or relight your gas hot water tank during high winds. Strong gusts can blow down the venting system and repeatedly extinguish the pilot light, or even cause the main burner flame to blow backward. This creates an immediate risk of incomplete combustion and hazardous gas buildup. " (Source: Dometic)
NEW BRUNSWICK
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42: Good day to drive, left before 8:00 am, we lose an hour today and switch from AST to EST, a little over 430 kms, not much highway construction (not compared to NS! ... wuh!!), wind only became 'strong & gusty' near days end (certainly not, compared to NL! ... wuh!!), thankfully only a few 'fools' out there; we stopped around 3:00 pm. Saint Jaques NB tonight.
QUEBEC
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43: It's always good to get around Montreal; we were successful once again today. If I have a comment about our weather on this trip, I would have to say ... I don't recall a road trip when I was so cold for so long in the months of June and July. The wind and cooler temperatures have been with us for weeks. Drummondville QC tonight.
ONTARIO
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44 - 45: We're at #221 in Farran CG in Ingelside; this is a favourite dry camping site of ours. I'm sitting in our camper, it's 7:00 pm ... sky is overcast, there's a cold wind blowing in from the St.Lawrence River, I'm wearing thick fleece pants, thick socks, a t-shirt and a denim overshirt!
Our second day here and last of this trip ... minor interior rig clean-up, we discussed required service and new upfitting to pursue, sat around a campfire and burned a bunch of 'crap' wood, Chris visited for a few hours late afternoon; always a treat to spend time together.
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46: A push for home.
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LOAF
"Driven spiritedly and Parked in good condition."
Lifetime: 188052.8 kms = 23.8 litres / 100 kms
This Trip: 7676.4 kms = 24.5 litres / 100 kms
Difference: +0.7 litres / 100 kms
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