Fording the Cabot Strait - Car Camping in Newfoundland

[scarysharkface]

If'n the moon had trees, it might look like this..

Again, beautiful water everywhere you turn..

We stop for a bit of personal maintenance, which gives Colin a chance to eat some of his beef jerky. It has a strong odor that is just a bit disagreeable to some of us, so he is forbidden to eat it in the Jeep..

The drive South from Placentia is quite scenic in ways that aren't altogether expected..

We stop for lunch (where did the morning go?) at a nice little restaurant not too far from Cape St. Mary's..

Then head back out into the fog..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Eventually we reach the end of the road South to Cape St. Mary's and it feels like it's 7 pm.

I think they're probably actually pretty serious about this..

Tracy and Colin go ahead, while Sarah and I linger a bit and enjoy the ambiance..

Glad the trail is somewhat obvious..

Even if it's kind of not much of a trail in some places..

Shortly we reach the overlook (or overhear, in this case) for Bird Rock..

These guys swoop up and just hover in the wind over the rock until the next one comes up and moves them out of the way. Cool to watch..

John

 

[Root Moose]

So home sick...

 

[mosupernak]

Wow impressive photos! Looks like some good fishing in the "Just outside of Colinet" pic too. I'd love to make it up there sometime.

 

[scarysharkface]

Thanks for the nice remarks.

We head back North a slight bit away from the edge (never did even see the lighthouse, but we certainly heard it) and the weather changes abruptly..

The landscape is very different from what we were in this morning as well..

Branch..

I know that in many ways a harbor is just a harbor, but for us they all have their unique beauty. The big fishing boats are pretty cool..

And we move on.

There are small lakes and ponds everywhere, with large sharp-sided boulders strewn about. It all seems so recent..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

With so much water, there is plenty of hydro-electric power generation..

If memory serves, we are by now at Petty Harbor..

Two cameras and two sets of eyes, for two perspectives..

The shadows are getting long..

John

 

[adventureduo]

John, you have made my day. Thanks for sharing and i like the way you narrate your photos!

 

[scarysharkface]

John, you have made my day. Thanks for sharing and i like the way you narrate your photos!

Thanks!

 

[scarysharkface]

One thing we tried to remember to do was to take at least a few iconic photographs of our family adventure. Cape Spear, the Eastern-most point in North America, is well-suited for that sort of thing..

We saw a whale, but none of us were quick enough to catch it on camera..

I am not entirely unconvinced that in the distance is an iceberg...

Looking back toward St. John's..

John

 

[abeaudin1971]

excellent thread! great pics!

I used to live in Trepassey for a bit when I was a kid - so I recognized Bird Rock and Cape Spear - makes me think that a trip from Ottawa out the Trans-Labrador and ferry to nfld would be a good way to close out the summer.

 

[Maddmatt]

Always enjoy your narrative and photos - thanks for sharing!

 

[scarysharkface]

Cape Spear is riddled somewhat with tunnels from fortifications dating back almost a century..

Again the sun fades and hunger grows, so we beat feet back to PI for more wonderful food. Again Colin and I had the calzone, while Tracy and Sarah split another veggie pie..

Mike was on hold all day for weather, it turns out, and was still in town after all. He and Doug stopped by PI and we essentially closed the place down over a Quidi Vidi, then Doug showed us around Signal Hill near midnight for some pics and night views..

Cape Spear..

St. John's at night..

Signal Hill..

Exhausted and full of fine food, Doug led us back to Pippy Park and our camp. As easy as St. John's is to navigate around, it's not on a grid and it would have taken me an hour or more to travel the <10 minutes from Signal Hill to our campsite..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

The prize must surely be the weather this morning..

Today downtown was our destination..

Bright colors and winding streets..

Looking down the infamous George Street. Not much to look at during the day..

Busking on Water Street..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

We head back up to Signal Hill to catch the views during the daytime and maybe look for whales..

Rehearsals for Canada Day celebrations are ongoing..

Cape Spear..

Fort Amherst, guarding St. John's harbor..

This fellow has three Newfoundland hounds which he uses as therapy dogs in the local community..

Wonderful, gentle, BIG animals..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Everytime you turn around, the sky is a little bit different, the water is a changed shade of grey or green or blue and another detail grabs your eye and won't let go.

I wish I'd thought to bring food for a picnic..

We did actually manage to see a couple of minke whales today..

Try as I might, I am incapable of getting a level shot of this..

I think that's about it for Signal Hill for us.. Now to find Quidi Vidi..

John