(2022 Newfoundland Ep 9)

After two weeks exploring western NF and Labrador, we decided it was time to head to the east side of the island. 

We drove the Trans Canada Highway (TCH), the main road that zig zags across NF toward St Johns.  No guesswork on the route to take – the TCH is the only highway that crosses the island.

Atlantic Salmon at Grand Falls

The mountains of western NF gave way to rocky hills and freshwater lakes of central NF.  We camped several nights along the Exploits River in Grand Falls-Windsor and visited the Salmonid Interpretation Center, where we learned about (almost) all things Atlantic salmon.

Leon, a guide at the center, provided lots of interesting details.

Unlike their Pacific brethren, Atlantic salmon do not die after spawning.  After the salmon fry swim to the ocean to mature, they return to the section of river where they were born several times to spawn.  The fish have a salt-filled gland that makes it like they never left the ocean.

In 1984, someone had the idea to turn the Exploits River, NF’s longest, into a world class salmon river.  The salmon could not reach the river above the falls so fish ladders were built to help them swim up and downstream. 

The center monitors the fish as they come and go from the upper river in an underground viewing room. The salmon population is thriving.

Leon also explained that all Atlantic salmon ordered in restaurants or purchased in grocery stores are farmed – Atlantic salmon are not ‘wild’ like those caught in the Pacific.

Hiking at Terra Nova National Park

Leaving fish trivia behind, we continued eastward to Terra Nova National Park.  Over the next few days, we hiked a number of trails typical to the area.  The trails often start by skirting freshwater lakes or streams, continue through dense fir and spruce forests, then up steep hills (often with many stairs) to views of the rugged coast or freshwater lakes. 

We crossed a boggy area on one trail with plentiful blueberry bushes and stopped for a few minutes to pick ripe berries. For the next couple days, we enjoyed them in pancakes and with yogurt.  We were blessed by the find, as most of the blueberry bushes in the area had already passed their prime.

Bonavista Lighthouse

From Terra Nova we drove to a remote lighthouse on the Bonavista Peninsula, another one of the must-see destinations in NF. 

In 1997, we visited the Bonavista Lighthouse with our children, Liz and Phil, and while climbing the lighthouse, we saw whales breaching in the waters nearby. This time we were not so fortunate to see whales, but we did see multitudes of cute puffins, nesting in and flying around rugged rock cliffs near the lighthouse. We also saw two moose along the road a few miles before we reached the lighthouse. 

We also visited a provincial park a short distance away to see the Dungeon, a collapsed rock formation with two wave-carved sea caves that resemble the eye sockets of a skull.  It was an unexpected and interesting sight!

Fish and Chips

Before leaving to complete our eastward trek to St Johns, we enjoyed fish and chips at Chucky’s, a restaurant that overlooks a picturesque, secluded harbor.  Since coming to Canada, we have tried fish and chips several times and Chucky’s was by far the best.  The chips were prepared ‘Newfoundland’ style – with dressing (dry breadcrumbs) and gravy.  The restaurant was a bit hard to find (even with Google Maps) in a town aptly named “Happy Adventure!”

Two moose (a momma and her baby)
Hundreds of cute puffins
Atlantic salmon
A few squirrels

Next week:  Jellybeans, a cliff trail and a first sunrise in North America as we visit St. Johns

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 8)

After learning about Vikings exploring L’Anse aux Meadows, we decided to do some exploring of our own (kind of). 

We left Oscar in NF and took a two hour ferry voyage across the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador.

Part of the Canadian province of NF and Labrador, Labrador extends almost to the North Pole and is nearly three times the size of NF.  It is sparsely populated with 26,500 persons compared to more than 500,000 in NF.

Florida is a little more than half the size of Labrador with more than 21 million residents!

Our ferry arrived in the small town of Blanc Sablon, in a remote corner of Quebec.  All of the signs were French-English.  After a short drive, we crossed into Labrador and the signs were English-French!

We drove along the coast to Red Bay, site of a long-abandoned settlement where, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, whale oil was produced and shipped to fill the lamps of Europe.  Over time, the whale population declined and production ended.

We hiked a short loop trail on Saddle Island to see the faded relics of the oil production.  There were mounds where stoves rendered the oil and where barrels to hold the oil were assembled.

Portions of the trail were littered with what appeared to be egg shells.  Closer examination revealed they were actually dried sea urchin shells.  Nearby, seagulls were dropping live urchins on the rocks, eating the contents and leaving the shells to dry in the sun.

A bit further, we met Jennifer, a Labrador native, who showed us her half-full bucket of yellow-orange bakeapple berries.  Getting enough berries to make jam is a lot of work considering each bakeapple plant produces only one raspberry-sized berry.

In case you are wondering, bakeapple jam is very tart!

Later that afternoon we climbed 132 steps to the top of the Point Amour Lighthouse.  At 33 meters, the lighthouse is the second tallest in Canada.  It is historically significant to the south Labrador seacoast as one of four lighthouses that guided mid-1800s ships sailing through the ice flows and strong currents of the Strait of Belle Isle.

Unlike many lighthouses we have climbed, we were able to enter the very top of the lighthouse, where the light and lens are located. The view below was amazing!

The coastal route we followed eventually connects with the 750-mile Trans Labrador Highway that continues west across Labrador to Quebec.  Because the highway is very remote, you are provided a satellite phone in case of problems.  We considered driving the highway, but with up to 300 miles between gas stations (our range is 225-250 miles towing Oscar) and uncertain road conditions, we decided on an overnight visit to Labrador instead.

We spent the night at Grenfell Bed and Breakfast in Forteau.  The B&B was originally a nursing hospital built in 1946 by the International Grenfell Association.  The association was founded by Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary who devoted his life to improving the health of residents of coastal communities in Labrador and NF.

After a restful night, our host, Peggy, offered a spread of breads and pastries, homemade jellies and jams, and other items for breakfast.  (BTW, if you are interested in operating a B&B, Peggy says the B&B is for sale!)

We ferried back to St Barbe later that day, where we were reunited with Oscar.  That night we boondocked in a pulloff next to the ocean near Gros Morne NP. We continued south the next morning on the Northern Peninsula and then east toward central NF.

Two whales
Several small squirrels
Ravens and seagulls

Next week: something’s fishy in central NF!

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 7)

From Gros Morne, we traveled on a very rainy day toward the L’anse aux Meadows (LAM) National Historic Site.  LAM is one of those ‘you have to visit’ places in NF.   We took numerous potholed sections of the highway a little more slowly than normal and arrived at Viking Campground near LAM late in the afternoon. 

It was raining the next morning, so we drove a few miles into St Anthony, the largest town on the north tip of the peninsula.  Although we decided not to hike several of the interesting looking trails in the area (guess we are fair weather hikers), we did avail ourselves of several civilized amenities such as a grocery store and gas station!  We were intrigued by a restored plane in a small city park.  The plane, a water bomber, is a memorial to two local pilots who lost their lives several years ago in a similar plane while dropping water on a forest fire out west. This was touching and unexpected RabbiTRAIL.

By evening, the rain stopped, and we contemplated our visit to LAM.

At the visitor center we learned LAM is the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America, dating to about 1000 years ago.  The turf structures excavated at the site resemble those in Norse Greenland and Iceland of that timeframe.  There is evidence of woodworking and iron production, likely for ship repair.  LAM represents the connection of eastward migrating peoples across North America with those from Europe.

The visitor center overlooks the site, where there are several mounds and depressions of where the settlement was located.  One is currently being excavated.  The site is a short distance from the Strait of Belle Isle shoreline.  Across the strait is Labrador, and during the spring and early summer, icebergs are often seen.   We visited in mid-August and the ‘bergs were gone by then.

A Viking longhouse, recreated based on findings from the nearby mounds, can be toured at the site.  The longhouse is a bit reminiscent of the Hobbit houses in Lord of the Rings. 

We hiked a two-mile trail around the site, enjoying views of the shoreline and berry-filled meadows.  The trail ended atop a small hill where a steel sculpture of Vikings overlooks the site.

Later that afternoon, we visited several small towns along the seashore.  There were fishing boats, lobster traps and such, a reminder of daily life in the area.  At Emily’s Crafts and Jams, within eyesight of LAM, we bought crowberry jelly and learned that while all of the owner’s children live and work in the area, her grandchildren have moved away to work in larger towns and cities.  Other Newfoundlanders share similar stories – a harbinger that NF’s small towns will get ever smaller due to our changing way of life.

We stopped at Dark Tickle Company in Saint Lunaire-Griquet. where they produce jams, sauces, chocolates and more from wild berries of NL and Labrador.  ‘Dark Tickle’ refers to a nearby narrow channel (tickle) surrounded by high hills.  We sampled scoops of berry-flavored ice cream – blueberry, partridgeberry and bakeapple.  Each has a distinctive color and taste.

The Moose and Python Conundrum

What do moose and pythons have in common?  They are invasive species!

As pythons are to Florida, Moose are to NF.  The antlered mammals, largest member of the deer family, are not native to the island – they were introduced in 1878 and 1904.  Since then, like Burmese pythons in south Florida, moose have multiplied rapidly.  Today NF has an estimated moose population of 120,000.

NF has native caribou, but no deer like the ones throughout the US.   We wondered why, then, there is a sizeable town near Gros Morne named Deer Lake.  I asked several Newfoundlanders about this and got different answers from each person.  One thought the name was related to deerflies that proliferate in the area, another thought it had to do with the indigenous people and their name for caribou, and a third (and apparently correct) was caribou are similar to the reindeer in Europe.  Thus, it was decided to name the town Deer Lake, not Caribou Lake.  There are likely other name theories.      

We (actually Pat) saw our first NF moose, a momma and her baby, while on the Western Brook Boat Tour at Gros Morne.  Going forward, we will include a moose and other critter count in RabbiTRAILS.

Two moose
Lots of seagulls, a few ravens and other birds

Next Week:  we decide to leave NF

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 6)

We arrived on Newfoundland (NF) early on August 6 after a redeye ferry ride from Nova Scotia.  At a gravel parking lot a few miles from the ferry landing, we cooked breakfast and viewed the Long Range Mountains to the east.  The range is an outlying extension of the Appalachian Mountains – western NF is surprisingly mountainous.

We continued to our campsite overlooking the Codroy Valley.  After resting for most of the day, we completed the August 7 RabbiTRAILS blog post.

The next morning we drove around the sparsely populated area and visited the Cape Anguille Lightstation on the westernmost point of NF.  We ate lunch and enjoyed the solitude of the windswept place.  Later, we visited a nearby town and walked around a church that dramatically sits on cliffs overlooking the ocean.

The next day our travel plans almost changed.  We were driving towards Trout River Pond in Gros Morne National Park.  As we neared Corner Brook, the largest town in western NF, our tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) alerted that the right rear tire on Oscar had dropped 20 percent.  We exited the Trans Canada Highway to air up the tire and to go grocery shopping.  As I was getting the inflator ready, the TPMS again alerted the tire pressure had dropped another 5 percent.  Action was needed!

Pat went shopping while I removed the tire.  I rolled the tire over to a Canadian Tire store just across the street. (Thank you, Lord!)   They were busy and couldn’t look at the tire for several hours.  Finally, they called and said they found a fishhook in the tire!  Although a careful check revealed the hook didn’t penetrate the inside of the tire, they redid the tire bead and put in a new valve stem. We’ve had no further problems with the tire. 

I guess Oscar was a big one that got away.

Our trip resumed.  We arrived at the VERY small fishing community of Trout River after 6 pm and followed signs to the nearby national park campground.  We crossed three narrow wooden plank bridges to a gravel road with lots of potholes.  The campground was nowhere in sight. 

We considered turning back to find somewhere else but decided to go a little further.  Shortly we arrived at a very nice campground, home for the next three nights.

Trout River’s ‘15 minutes of fame’ occurred in April 2014, when a blue whale carcass drifted to shore coming to rest on an icy beach near town.  By May, the ice drifted off leaving the grounded whale carcass.  After remaining on the beach for several weeks, the massive mammal was towed to another location for ‘dismantling.’   Today, the whale skeleton is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

The next day was a three hike day: from Trout River, we hiked to a small lighthouse and then to a remote ocean lookout.  Later, we hiked the Tablelands Trail several miles away.  The mostly barren Tablelands consist of a geological feature found in few places in the world – a mountain pushed up from the earth’s mantle.  Aside from a few areas with small plants and grass, the terrain is barren and is said to resemble the surface of the moon and mars.

Our travels continued north to a national park campground near Cow Head.  The town got its name for a rock along the coast that an early explorer thought resembled a cow’s head.  We biked to town and then across a small spit of land to an island, where the inspirational rock is said to viewable from the Point of the Head trail.  We looked and looked and couldn’t find any formations that resembled a bovine skull.  The hike was beautiful anyway.

While at Cow Head, we enjoyed one of ‘top 10’ things to do while on NF – the Western Brook Boat Tour.  After a 1.8 mile hike from the parking lot, our morning boat ride started on the mirror smooth pond just west of the Long Range Mountains.  The trip took us nearly ten miles into a narrow freshwater fjord with two thousand foot cliffs on either side.  We learned the pond has a maximum depth of 541 ft and is ultraoligotrophic, low in nutrients so it supports a few slow growing plants and animals. 

As we returned to the tour starting point, patches of sun broke through the clouds.  As the ride ended, we were entertained with an impromptu performance of NF folk tunes by the boat’s talented crew.

Next week:  learn what moose and pythons have in common, the significance of a Viking settlement at the northern tip of NF, and why we decide to leave the island.    

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 5)

After two and a half weeks and 2425 miles, we arrived in Canada, crossing the border between Calais, Maine and Saint Stephen, New Brunswick.  The crossing was uneventful.  We used ArriveCAN, a database and phone app, where we uploaded our passport and Covid immunization information. Should you have plans to visit our neighbor to the north, we suggest completing the ArriveCAN information to avoid delays or other issues.

Our first night in Canada was near Saint Stephen and the next day we continued to Fundy National Park. 

Fundy NP is situated on the Bay of Fundy, between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia provinces, and is home of the highest tides in the world. 

From a grassy bluff above Herring Cove Beach, we descended more than 150 stairs and found ourselves alone on a quiet and serene beach.  It was low tide and the edge of the water was more than 200 yards away.  Above the beach were the natural rock walls of the bluff and we could see where the tide would rise on the rocks over 50 foot above! 

The tide started to come in. Rocks and mucky areas visible just a few minutes earlier were soon under water.

Twice each day an estimated 100 billion tons of water flow in and out of the bay – more than twice the combined total flow of the world’s rivers over the same period.  The tides rise and fall an astounding 52 feet!

Leaving the beach, we climbed the stairs to hike the Matthew’s Head Trail.  The trail follows the bluff above the bay for more than a mile.  We enjoyed our lunch and a beautiful view.  Not wanting to repeat an unfortunate hiking experience at Grand Teton a couple of years ago when I tripped and dislocated a finger, we had to proceed slowly and carefully due to many exposed tree roots and rocks on the trail.  We are thankful we completed the trail with no mishaps!

After our hike we drove to Alma, a small town just outside the park, to look around.  We noticed several colorful fishing boats propped up above the water far below. 

We returned to the beach at high tide and stood at the high tide line again. It was amazing how different the beach looked.  Back in Alma, the once propped boats where now floating on a wide tidal creek. 

The next day we visited unusual rock formations at the nearby Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park.  The rocks were formed by the rising and falling tides, and reminded us of Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks. There were tall ‘hoodoos’ nearly a 100 feet high. 

We were surprised to see dozens of people lined up to buy tickets to see the rocks – the park is very popular.

We camped the next two nights at the Earltown, Nova Scotia farm residence of Andrew and Patty Morrow.  They invited us for an amazing breakfast, and we later walked their property and then a short distance into town.  We couldn’t resist purchasing a loaf of fresh cranberry-blueberry-raisin bread at the Earltown General Store. 

Andrew, a native Newfoundlander, shared Newfoundland travel suggestions and coached us on the correct pronunciation of his home province – he said Newfoundland rhymes with understand!. 

We continued north to North Sydney, Nova Scotia and prepared to board a Marine Atlantic ferry for a seven hour ‘cruise’ to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland.   We had a few hours to spare before our 11:45 pm ‘red eye’ ferry departure, so we took time to do what all travelers must do from time to time – laundry!

Next week – we arrive on Newfoundland and spend a couple of nights at a campsite overlooking the Codroy Valley.  We continue on to Gros Morne National Park where bad roads threaten to change our plans!

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 3)

Prov 27:17 gives a perspective on the value of a friend.  “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”  Indeed, caring friends are blessing and a treasure for life.   

As we continued northward to Newfoundland, Pat and I caught up with an iron-sharpening friend like this.   We visited Norm Maclean, a long-time friend who moved from Jacksonville to New Hampshire (via Massachusetts) more than 25 years ago. 

Norm and I started working Prudential Financial around the same time in 1978 and became lunch buddies.  During after-lunch walks Norm shared his faith in Jesus Christ with me.  I was what today would be best described as a ‘seeker,’ one who has questions about the Christian faith.  Norm patiently answered my faith questions day after day, and after Pat and I were married in 1980, I trusted Christ and became a Christian on December 21, 1980.

Our friendship continued with weekly racquetball games until Norm married and moved to Massachusetts in the mid-90s.   

We’ve kept in touch via phone calls, emails and a few short visits over the years.  This time we had more than two days to reconnect.

Norm now lives in Exeter, NH, a few miles west of Portsmouth.  Exeter’s claim-to-fame is a story of a UFO abduction that allegedly took place in the ‘60s.  They even have a UFO festival in early September that Norms says is a sight to behold.  We’re sorry we’ll miss it!

We arrived on a very hot Sunday afternoon and after setting up at our campsite, we joined Norm for ice cream and conversation on the Exeter waterfront.  We learned about the church he attends and updated Norm on what was happening at our church, Christian Family Chapel.  Ice cream finished, we took an after dark walk around Phillips Exeter Academy and several other downtown buildings.

The next morning it was drizzling lightly and much cooler.  After touring Exeter a bit more, we drove a short ways to Portsmouth.  Norm showed us some of his favorite places and we had lunch at Geno’s Chowder and Sandwich Shop on the waterfront.  Because Geno’s lobster rolls were rather pricey, we opted for chowder.  Our wait person brought samples of lobster, fish and clam chowder (all were great), and we decided on clam.

After lunch we walked to the nearby Trial Gardens, flower gardens on the Portsmouth waterfront that have a beautiful assortment of flowers and ornamental plants.  Pat really liked that! 

We finished the day with a stop at Jenness State Beach, where Norm likes to surf.  The waves were small and the boards were long, but they really do surf in New Hampshire!

The next morning we returned to Portsmouth to visit a number of interesting fortifications that overlook the mouth of the Piscataqua River. around the port.  Portsmouth has long been deemed to have strategic value and the fortifications were built to protect the port from invasion from Britain (revolutionary and 1812 wars) and Germany (WWI and WWII).  We had a picnic lunch at Fort McClary State Historic Site in Maine on the north side of the river and learned that location has been repurposed for each of the wars above. 

Fortifications on both sides of the river ranged from a large wooden tower with narrow slots for cannons and muskets to large concrete bunkers that contained large 20-in guns, like those found on battleships.   At Odiorne State Park in New Hampshire we hiked to several large concrete structures that once housed large guns and are now covered with graffiti.  The massive bunkers reminded Pat and me of the Dharma Initiative on the TV series Lost.

Later, we rode our bicycles around Portsmouth to see a number of old homes and a few cemeteries, and enjoyed pizza in the basement of Portsmouth Gas Light Co. in the bustling and beautifully-restored Portsmouth downtown area.  What history were in those walls.

After our two day visit, we said farewell to Norm.  Our trip resumed north the next morning to Acadia National Park up the Maine Coast.

In closing, take the long road to visit friends and family as you travel.  You’ll never regret taking time to reconnect and never know what Rabbitrails you’ll experience in the process. 

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 2)

From our Long Island campsite, we decided to travel into New York City to visit the ‘new’ World Trade Center (WTC) and 9-11 Memorial.  After a short drive to nearby Port Jefferson, we left Max and took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station in NYC.  The ride was on a double decker rail car and we zoomed the suburbs and city.  After an hour, we went underground to the bowels of Penn Station, where subways, commuter trains to Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut, and Amtrak all connect to get people from just about any point A to any point B.

We went up stairs, along large crowded passageways and then down stairs to find the ‘E’ subway to the WTC.  Once there, we exited the subway, rode a long escalator, and found ourselves at street level.  We had our first glimpse of the 1776-foot World Trade Center and stretched our necks to see the top!

After a short walk, we purchased tickets to the WTC observation deck and because there was no wait, decided to take the elevator right away.  The elevator took us up 1250 feet to the 102^nd floor in 47 seconds.  We rode an escalator to the 100^th floor where there was a phenomenal 360 degree view of the city, New Jersey, Statue of Liberty and much more.  One could easily spend an hour or more circling the entire floor to enjoy the sights. 

The return trip to the ground was interesting.  The elevator was lined with video screens and we soared like Superman in and around the buildings before ‘landing’ safely.

Returning outside, we walked to the 9-11 Memorial located in a large tree shaded plaza adjacent to the WTC.  The memorial is two large squares with water that continually falls to a base.  The water in the base flows to and disappears into a smaller square base.  The squares correspond to the original twin WTC towers.

The names of the 2983 persons who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 NYC terrorist attacks are inscribed in bronze along the edge of the memorial squares.  The mood of those visiting the memorial was respectful and solemn.

From the WTC and memorial area, we walked a few city blocks in search of lunch.  We settled on a hole-in-the-wall place for slices of New York style cheese pizza and soft drinks.  We ate outside and watched the city pass by.  It began to lightly rain and we yearned to get back to our quiet and still campsite.  We hurried to catch the subway back to Penn Station and train back to Port Jefferson.

The next day we again traversed NYC as we drove toward Connecticut.  Traffic on I-95 was stop and go, and it took all day to go 160 miles.  Adding to the fun was a GPS mishap directing us northeast to Hartford, when we intended to go east of New Haven on the coast.

During our stay in Connecticut, we hoped to visit with my cousins whom I had not seen for more than 25 years.  Unfortunately, one cousin was recovering from Covid and the other was out of town.  We decided to tour the area a bit, and after enjoying donuts in Clinton, CT, we visited the nearby Gillette Castle.

We thought the castle namesake was of Gillette razor fame.  But we learned Gillette Castle was a residence built by William Gillette, an American actor who is most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on stage.  Several elements associated with Sherlock Holmes, including his pipe, cap, cloak and expression “elementary, my dear Watson,” can be attributed to Gillette.

The 14,000 square foot castle sits on a cliff high above the Connecticut River and is covered with Connecticut fieldstone.  From the castle we could see small motorboats and jet skis, large tour boats and an auto ferry on the river below.

We left and followed signs to the ferry landing.  To our surprise, the ferry was boarding its last crossing of the day and a Max-sized spot was available.   The 10-minute trip across the river was fun and gave us a great view of the castle.  The ferry, known as the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, has provided public transportation across the Connecticut River for more than 250 years!

Next week:  we visit a long time friend in New Hampshire and enjoy a tour of Portsmouth and nearby areas.

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 1)

When we decided to travel north to cooler temps and magnificent vistas in the Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland, we knew getting there would pose some driving challenges. 

Ed had white knuckles as we drove from Virginia to the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel.  The four lane (two each direction) bridge portions of the 17.6 mile crossing weren’t bad, but the two one-mile-long tunnels (with one lane each way) were stressful.  What if Oscar hit the side, what if we had a flat tire, what if Max had engine problems, what if…    

But we made it!

As we approached one of the tunnels we saw a Navy Destroyer on one side and a large tanker on the other, both at eye level.

Proceeding northward on the Delmarva peninsula, we camped a couple nights at Maryland’s Pocomoke River State Park.  We visited nearby Assateague Island National Seashore, where we rode our bicycles across a bridge to the barrier island and then several miles south passing nearly full parking lots and crowded beaches. 

The highlight of the ride was seeing the wild horses that roam Assateague – you see their ‘evidence’ everywhere.  When we stopped to watch and take photos of a group of nearby horses, the horses turned toward us and passed within 10 feet of Ed!

The next day was our second while knuckle experience as we traveled on the New Jersey Turnpike and crossed the George Washington Bridge to skirt New York City.  Traffic was heavy and it began to rain. 

But we made it!

We continued toward our Long Island campground for a four night stay and learned something critical.  Our GPS routed us via the Cross Island Parkway.  As we neared the parkway entrance, we saw signs indicating ‘car traffic only, bridge clearance 7 ft 11 in.’  We quickly rerouted to I-295.  Had we continued on the parkway it would have been disastrous – Oscar is 11 ft 6 in tall!

It turns out all parkways in the area have low bridges and accommodate cars only.

We drove to the northeastern end (called the North Fork) of Long Island one day, past numerous farms and vineyards.  Among them was Lavender By the Bay, with acres and acres of purple-flowered sweet smelling lavender.

The next day we went to the end of the South Fork to the Montauk Point Lighthouse.  The lighthouse is the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the United States, authorized by George Washington in 1792 and completed four years later.  We climbed 137 steps to enjoy the view from the top of the 110 ft lighthouse.

Next week:

We journey to NYC to see the World Trade Center and 9-11 Memorial, experience a double rabbittrail on the Connecticut River, and more. 

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 0)

Bright and early Friday (July 15) we launch our trip north to Newfoundland. We’re anticipating cooler temps and lots of new rabbitrails.

Preview of the First Week

• We’ll head up I-95 and spend our first night at Jones Lake State Park, near Fayetteville, NC.
• We’ll hang a right (east) in southern Virginia toward Norfolk and cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. Nights two and three will be at Pocomoke River State Park on Maryland’s eastern shore.
• The next four nights will be at Wildwood State Park on Long Island. We’re praying for safe passage with Max (our truck) and Oscar (our travel trailer) as we drive through New York City!