Along the LONG ROAD

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 18)

Over the course of 90 days and nearly 10,000 miles, one is bound to see some interesting sights.  Our trip to NF didn’t disappoint!

LONG EXTENSION CORD: Between NF towns there are few houses, fewer gas stations and scant cell service. 

After leaving the remote Codroy Valley, we stopped for a break at a small parking area ‘in the middle of nowhere.’ We couldn’t buy gas or use our cell phones. But we could have charged our Tesla (if we had one)! 

PRONOUNCE THIS:  The route to a campground in Nova Scotia included a short distance on the road below.  We thought there might be a science research center or hazardous waste site nearby.  There wasn’t.

Biorachan is associated with a traditional Scottish Gaelic children’s story and is pronounced “bear-i-can.’

RED CHAIRS:  We enjoyed sitting in red Adirondack chairs throughout NF. They can be found at scenic locations at many of Canada’s National Parks.

OUR NEXT RV?  We saw a variety of camping rigs on our trip.  A large family was travelling in this interesting “schoolie” parked in a Walmart parking lot. 

ALIEN SPACE POD:  This interesting ‘cabin’ at Terra Nova NP is called an Oasis.   Each Oasis pod has a convertible table/bed on the main level, a hammock suspended above and a windowed top to watch for the mother ship.

BROWN GRAVY: A fellow camper and I were discussing the blessings of long marriage – he had been married for more than 50 years.  He told me about a traditional NF wedding greeting:  may your marriage last longer than this bottle of gravy browning. 

Only a few drops are needed to brown gravy – a small bottle is said to last a lifetime!

WHERE ARE THEY HIDING?  Canada has lots of road signs that warn drivers about moose and caribou.  We saw no (live) caribou, four moose and two moose burgers.

COLD WINTER:  Pictured below is a mounted fur bearing (beaver) trout caught during the winter of 1927-28 at a lake in Vermont.  The rare fish and photo of the lucky fisherman can be seen at the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, VT.

COMMUNITY MAPS:  Many small towns in western NF have kiosks with useful maps that show local points of interest. 

ONE MAN’s TRASH… In western NF each house has a treasure box at the end of the driveway.  The boxes are used to store garbage before weekly pickup.    

HONEST PEOPLE:  There are massive piles of firewood, tall stacks of drying lobster traps and small garden plots along the roads in western NF.  There is a code of honor in the small communities where everyone knows everyone and property is respected.

NEXT WEEK: fall colors in Vermont and New York.