I have to learn a new language!

Wednesday, August 15th, 2007
Doyles to Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland

206.3 miles
Heavy overcast and rainy

Nasty day for a drive, but even so, this is one beautiful countryside! Miles and miles of hills and mountains, way more mountainous than the other Maritime Provinces, heavily forested, with lots of fast moving creeks and rivers.

I had to laugh – 50 years behind the times? The few homes I was seeing all had at least one satellite dish!

The roads are in good repair for the most part, a treat, and they have well labeled ‘bump’ signs, as opposed to those in Nova Scotia which are right at the bump, offering no warning!

And my Sirius radio is still working, which is a pleasant surprise!

I found myself thinking the trees were considerably smaller than on the other islands, then I began to see more and more areas that had been clear-cut. So apparently what I’ve been seeing is new growth. Interesting though, because there was a great mix of trees, so it doesn’t appear to have been re-planted by the lumber companies. Plus, they seem to cut the trees at a younger age, because the trucks were hauling small diameter logs.

This may seem like more information than you would expect to see from me – for the first hundred miles or so, that’s pretty much there was to see. Most of it comes from the fact that my cousin Norm, on Vancouver Island, was a forester, so I learned a lot of the business from him.

It seems the intent of the road builders is to keep traffic away from any towns, so the drive was peaceful and green, and up on a large plateau followed the course of a river, hence was simply gorgeous! But with only trees to look at, I decided to take a little side trip to see the town some of the small billboards had been advertising – Stephenville.

Clever signage – probably inexpensive for the town as each sign saying Stephenville was, say 28 km away, the bottom of each sign advertised a business, from restaurants to car repairs to beauty shops.

There is obviously a major wind tunnel thru here – the trees are all bent, and none of the homes near the water have windows on the ocean side! Makes me wonder why they even build there!!

The town took me very much by surprise. There is a large, very modern hospital on the outskirts of town, with a very attractive retirement home across the street. So much for everything being 50 years behind times! There is a good sized airport there, with the landing pattern bringing you in over the ocean, with the planes touching down right past the roadway! And then there’s a large shopping center with all the big names – Wal-Mart, Staples, all the fast food, etc.

Passed by Marble Mountain, a big ski resort with all the associated businesses, for all seasons. Looks like a very prosperous area. And certainly more current than I had been led to expect!

The Deer Lake area is stunningly beautiful. Lots of sporting activities. The first farming I have seen, with roadside stands offering fresh produce and raspberries! And the area is wild with wild flowers, so I has happy!!

The road off the main highway leading to my destination for the next couple days was up and down and curvy and spectacular. Oh, how I wish the sun had been shining – that’s the only thing that could have made that drive any better. What a gorgeous place!!

NewfundLAND has many claims to fame to its credit – they were the first to respond to the Titanic’s distress signal, the first to vaccinate for smallpox, the first to host a transatlantic flight, the first to have wireless communication in the world, the first place to discover proof of the theory of continental drift!

They have the oldest street in North America, the oldest city it North America, the oldest rock in the world (huh?) (actually other Canadians call NewfundLAND ‘the Rock’), the oldest continuous sporting event in Regatta Day, the largest university in the North Atlantic, the most pubs per square foot in Canada on George Street in Saint John’s, the longest running radio program in North America, and some poor soul caught the largest invertebrate in the world – a giant squid!

They also claim to be the funniest people in Canada (ask anybody), the sexiest people in Canada according to Macleans magazine, the only province that has four identifiable flags, the only province able to land the space shuttle (in Stepenville – no wonder I was so impressed with the airport!), the most giving people in Canada according to government statistics, and the most sexually active people in all of Canada (as they say, what else are they gonna do?)!

A Newfie built the world’s first artificial ice arena, invented the gas mask, was a governor or Norther Rhodesia, and was with Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg!

Gros Morne RV / Campground & Restaurant
Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland  A0K 4N0
709-458-3133
www.grosmornervcampground.com