Travels of Geo Nova: Voyage to the Rock

Voyage to the Rock

Our last day in Nova Scotia was started with the trip down from Cape Breton Park to the Ferry Terminal in North Sydney. The road down was narrow and very steep with many hairpin turns. Somewhat intimidating when you have 10,000 pounds attached to the back of your vehicle but with the help of modern technology, tow haul mode on the truck it went well. On the way, sort of, we wanted to stop at a local microbrew. After turning down the narrow country road to the brewery I quickly realized this was not the best place to be hauling a 30-foot trailer but with perseverance we got the rig turned around and stopped on the edge of the road to access the brewery. While Diana “manned the rig” to watch for passing traffic I was able to obtain a growler of the most excellent IPA. Shortly after this we joined up with our friends the Gunthers who had arrived with their trailer from Georgia the night before.

Once we got to the ferry terminal we Q ed up for the long wait to board at 9:45 PM. The ferry had 3 decks dedicated to vehicles ranging from individual cars to 18-wheeler tractor-trailer trucks. This is where we meet up with the Glantzbergs, Nancy’s parents. After a great meal at a local Bistro we finally boarded and went directly to our cabin for some sleep. We arrived at Port Aux Basque Newfoundland in thick fog at about 7AM local time (one half hour before Atlantic time). This is where our long trek to St. Johns started. Before too long we took a detour off the Trans Canada Highway, for the most part a two-lane road, with a generous number of passing lanes on the numerous hills. We took this opportunity look for some birds and stretch our legs as well. We saw our first Kittiwake a gull like bird.

The first day of travel culminated in Bishop Falls a little more than halfway to St Johns. The campground was a work in progress but offered us an opportunity for a solid nights rest. The best part of the visit was the time spent with Phil the owner and creator of the campground. As it turned out he had been to Florida the previous winter and stayed with friends at The Great Outdoors in Titusville. What a small world! Phil was a real down to earth person. We talked for quite a while and he showed us his beautiful Percheron Horses. We formed a friendship immediately and look forward to meeting up with him in Florida next winter.

After another long day of travel we parked our trailer at Pippy Park in St Johns. From here we visited the local attractions- parks for hiking, a brewery that makes beer from icebergs along with visiting different parts of the city and surrounding area. Nancy flew in from Atlanta and joined Skip and Andrew to fill out our roster.

This morning we awoke at 4AM so we could go to Cape Spear Lighthouse, the most eastern point of North America, to watch the sun rise at 5:09 We were treated to an iceberg floating offshore. Our first and hopefully not the last one we will see in Newfoundland and Labrador. We also went up to Signal Hill, a high point over looking St Johns. The hill is notable for many things including the place where Marconi sent the first transatlantic telegraphic message.

This afternoon we took a boat tour of Whittles Bay Wildlife preserve, the home of the largest colony of Atlantic Puffins, over 200,000. The sight, symphony of sounds and olfactory sensory input was nothing less than phenomenal. I can’t describe what it is like to have the privilege of witnessing such a remarkable wonder of nature. We will end this temperature roller coaster of a day with an early dinner and bedtime. This morning is was 30 degrees and now is 65 degrees.