Author: wellsmarsha

Today is a move day to a RV Park closer to Bonavista and Elliston so we enjoy breakfast, hook up the trailer and head out. It’s another beautiful sunny day with temperatures into the seventies. After setting up camp where we will be for the next three nights we head to the Skerwink Trail a coastal hike with cliffs plunging into the ocean below. This is the same hike we completed two years ago with our friends Jeanie and Dave Eastman. That time Wells was not fully recovered from his ruptured achilles tendon. The ups and downs were difficult and it was a hard hike. This time the hike is considerably easier. The cliff views are breathtaking. Not to worry photographs will be posted once we hit decent wifi. At the end we are tired but feeling good. It’s a hike we high recommend and considered by some as one of the top rated hikes in the world.

Afterwards we head to The Two Whales Café for a late lunch. It’s the same place we stopped at two years ago after we hiked the trail then. It is anything but authentic Newfoundland Fare serving delights more likely found in The Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY. As we enjoy our lunch the weather takes a turn from sunny and mid seventies to thunderstorms. Soon it’s raining and the temperature heads downward.

We are now on the prowl for glue for gasket repair on the truck bed cover. The gasket keeping dust and rain out of the pickup bed is unglued. The actual repair needs to wait until things are dry and a bit warmer as temperatures are now in the fifties.

Today we are leaving Fogo Island with plans to catch the 10 am ferry. It’s another warm sunny day in Newfoundland. This stretch of sunny warm weather is unusual for here. Some locals are saying it’s uncomfortably warm once it hits the mid-seventies. After leaving here we are heading into the village of Fogo to the dump station. The dump station is in use so we decide to push on to the ferry. This time of year the ferry can fill up early and the next ferry is in four hours. We get to the end of a long line and we are thinking it will be several hours before we get onto the next ferry because this one will fill up. Long story short is we are the second to last that make it onto this ferry. We wander south along the coast not looking to do many miles today. We find a community campground near Greenspond Island.  Our big accomplishment for today is we get laundry done!

Today we are leaving Fogo Island with plans to catch the 10 am ferry. It’s another warm sunny day in Newfoundland. This stretch of sunny warm weather is unusual for here. Some locals are saying it’s uncomfortably warm once it hits the mid-seventies. After leaving here we are heading into the village of Fogo to the dump station. The dump station is in use so we decide to push on to the ferry. This time of year the ferry can fill up early and the next ferry is in four hours. We get to the end of a long line and we are thinking it will be several hours before we get onto the next ferry because this one will fill up. Long story short is we are the second to last that make it onto this ferry. We wander south along the coast not looking to do many miles today. We find a community campground near Greenspond Island.  Our big accomplishment for today is we get laundry done!

This is our last full day on the Island so we decide on a longer hike from Fogo to Deep Harbour. A beautifulul walk with views over the water and of Change Islands. We see fewer people hiking on this trail. A new experience sweeps over us. It will be tough to understand for many readers but we are feeling hot. When the heat wave in the eastern US broiled so many of you we experienced temperatures in the high forties to the mid sixties. We found it cool and comfortable. Once onto the island of Newfoundland temperatures varied from 60 to 70. Again warmer, but still comfortable. Now the temperature climbs to the high 70s and may even hit 80. Hard to believe but we are hot!

After the hike we take in another small Fogo Island museum then back to the campground for showers. Some cards and relaxing finish off the afternoon. A motorcyclist pulls in and sets up his tent nearby us. Wells offers help to move a picnic table closer to his site. Conversation starts with, “so where in New York State is home for you?” Telling him we are about an hour south of Utica he says that he and his partner travel to Utica frequently to see her son, a photographer. Of course Wells knows the photographer. Again and again we find it a small world. Supper consists of cooked snow crab claws now cooled as the appetizer with scallops as the main course. Delicious Newfoundland seafood.

We wake to a beautiful sunny day with plans to hike out to Joe Batts Point outside of Joe Batts Arm. Yes, the name of the town is Joe Batts Arm. Just outside of the village is the Fogo Island Inn. We are hiking on the trail that goes to the point on the other side of the harbor from the Inn. It is an easy hike of 3 or four miles over open exposed rocks and bog. There are some ups and downs but it’s an easy hike. Along the eastern side of the bay the trails follows the coast in and out. Up ahead is a huge blank thing that more or less looks like a billboard only much larger. There’s nothing written on It so we are at a loss figuring out what it is. We come around to the other side and there are floor to ceiling windows overlooking the bay. This is one of the four artist in residence buildings created by Zeta Cobb. Artists from around the world come and stay at one of these unique buildings designed to fit into the surroundings in a natural yet unworldly way. We meet a group from the Fogo Island Inn on a geologist led hike for Inn guests. The leader filled us in about the Artist in Residence structures.

The trail ends at a artist created statue of and Auk. A large flightless birds that was hunted to extinction in the mid nineteenth century. This statue was created by an artist staying at the artist in residence sites back down the trail. Across the bay one can see the Fogo Island Inn.

After talking with several of the locals the vast majority of them are thrilled with the Fogo Island Inn and how a woman’s vision has helped the livelihood of the entire island. There are jobs and a solid economic foundation that was missing with the loss of the cod industry. People that grew up here left for jobs elsewhere in Canada are now returning and finding work here. They want to raise their families here.

One of the 4 Artist in Residence places on Fogo Island

A closer look at the Artist in Residence place in Joe Batts Arm. The only way here is a trail walk of 15 minutes.

Labrador Iceberg

Labrador Coastal Hike

Humpback Whale along the Labrador Coast

One of the two bears seen in Labrador. Other than that there was a squirrel!

Taken 5 feet from our camper in a provincial park near the Trans Canada Highway in Newfoundland

Near the French Ovens

Out of order, but hiking along the Labrador Coast

Hiking Battle Harbour near an old plane crash site. On the Labrador Coast.

Across the Harbor is the Fogo Island Inn

 

We’re up and are on the road after breakfast with the same destination as planned yesterday, Fogo Island. Fogo Island is worth looking up if you have never heard of it. It supported around a half dozen fishing villages that thrived. For many years the cod were so thick that one could lower a basket into the water and pull up fish. Over time the cod depleted. In the 1992 Canada closed cod fishing which decimated fishing villages all over Newfoundland.

Zita Cobb, one of Canada’s richest woman, grew up on Fogo Island and wanted to give something back to help the communities survive and thrive. She built in 2013 the Fogo Island Inn a luxury hotel designed by a world famous architect. It quickly has become an “in place” to go. There are 29 suites with huge windows and spectacular views all yours for over $1,000 a night with a three night minimum. She started the Fogo Islands Arts, an arts program including studio space for artists from around the world and an artist in residence program. Both efforts are highly successful. Continuing on about Fogo Island is the Flat Earth Society declared Fogo Island as one of the four corners of the world.

We travel slowly on the bumpy roads heading towards the Fogo Island Ferry. We could damage our Airstream if we buzzed along. About an hour before we reach the ferry site we stop for groceries. We hop out of the truck and we are greeted with a friendly hi by a locale, Sue. She and her husband have a travel trailer about the same size as ours. She tells us a bit about the local area and gives a few suggestions. She also invites us to her home for coffee which we will pass on our way to the ferry. This time we decide to pass on her offer but we do have her contact information. A delightful encounter.

As we get close to the ferry dock and check the schedule. We are about 15 minutes late for the ferry. The next ferry runs in about three hours. C’est la vie. There are two ferries here. One runs directly to Fogo Island while the other first goes to Change Islands then on to Fogo Island. Change Islands is smaller and few services. Only a bit more that 100 people live year round on the island. It’s name comes from the people lived on the north end of the island in the warmer months then moved to the south end of the island for the wintertime, thus “Change” Island. As we approach the ferry area we see there is a ferry still loading. We can make it and not wait three hours for the next ferry! We pull into the line area where one purchases tickets. There’s a red light with a sign stating remain there until the light changes green. The light remains red as we see the last of the cars and trucks loaded so we’ve missed the boat. As the last truck is loaded the person in the ticket booth jumps out and waves us forward. He was there all along and had not noticed us. We pay and proceed forward. At first the loading crew looks at us then at the space remaining, then at us again. Is there room? The decision is made and they squeeze us on. This ferry stops at Change Islands first then on to Fogo Island. Most of the ferry unloads at Change with a truck, three cars and us continue onto Fogo. We unload then head to the visitor center. There is an RV park at Brimstone Head near the village of Fogo. We set up and decide to explore the possibilities on the island. First stop is for a late lunch in the village. Wells loves it from the get go since all the menu islands are based on puns while Marsha is thrilled with the cloth napkins. Our lunch is great! Next it’s time to drive across the island to get the lay of the land. In the village of Joe Batts Arm we spot the Fogo Island Inn on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Next we see Growlers Ice Cream shop and we stop. It’s filled with tourists enjoying this specialty ice cream.  It’s off the beaten trail yet busy. This island, unlike where we traveled the past few days, has tourism as a major income source. The island appears thriving. We continue east to the eastern most village, Tilting. The town is neat and appears to be doing well economically. Zita Cobb’s island investment in the economic livelihood appears to be flourishing. We have yet to see any Flat Earth kooks but we will continue to look.

The truck is an issue. What to do? We decide to wait until after 8 am to head the 8 miles to town and look for an auto shop. After stalling 8 times we make it to town. Second building into town there is an auto shop, JR Auto Repair. Next door is an auto parts store to boot. We go in and explain our problem and the owner reads the diagnostics on his computer and says we need a new throttle controller. He said it would take a few days for him to get one in but the Ford dealer in Grand Falls – Windsor just over two hours away would be a better place to take it. They probably have the part. He does not accept a payment for his time. We thank him and we are on the way.  He gives us directions and the phone number. We give a call to the dealer and they have an opening on Friday. We explain what is happening and they suggest we bring it in today. They will do diagnostics and take it for a test drive that way they can have the parts for our Friday appointment. They asked if we can make it there by four. We say sure (with our fingers crossed that our truck will cooperate).

The hundred miles to the Ford dealer is difficult with it stalling out and we needing to stop then start the truck again maybe 50 times. Sometimes it was in a quarter mile and other times maybe 4 miles. It was a long drive but we made it. We arrive at 1:30 and they can check it out now. We unhitch the trailer and are offered a ride to a place to eat. By the time we finish eating they give us a call. It needs a new throttle control, spark plugs and something else. It can be done this afternoon!!!

By 4 we are on the road again and the truck performs as a champ. Thank you so very much Kelly Ford of Grand Falls-Windsor! We travel another hour and are camped at a Provincial Park. Tomorrow we head to Fogo Island.

 

Here we are for another day planning on traveling to Fogo Island tomorrow. As so often does we are heading to Tilt Cove and Round Harbour 45 miles eastward when a tantalizing sign diverts us to Fleur de Lisle and where an ancient people mined soap stone to create cooking pots. This was 40 miles to the north.  As we are heading to the soap stone quarry our eyes catch a sign talking about the French Oven in Couchmans Cove. Yet another diversion. We are in the mood for French bread. It’s more or less in the same direction. The road twists down to a harbor with a few dozen homes. We follow the signs through the village to the French Oven. There it is, an outdoor domed oven where many years ago French people baked bread. No French bread for us today. The views are amazing and Wells pulls out his camera. After a bit we are on to Fleur de Lisle. It to is a small fishing village but it’s larger than where the French Oven resides.

We check out the soap stone history museum and learn about how it was discovered and the archeological research being done there. From the museum there’s a hiking trail to Spotted Point that is about 2 hours in length out and back. It traverses the hills near the town passing through bogs and windswept stunted growth. Eventually it ends at an overlook point a few hundred feet above the ocean. Whales are usually spotted here but for us it was not to be. Where is that 9 year-old girl from yesterday’s ferry?

We make it back to the village midafternoon and look for a place to eat. There are two places to eat in town. One is closed and the other, Sam’s Place, opened for business just last week. It’s named for an eleven year old girl, Sam, that tragically died 12 years ago. Her mom designed this place in her daughter’s memory. It is a place where you can talk about losses and we felt comfort there. It’s a beautiful building over the water in the harbor. We enjoy a nice lunch.

After our late lunch it is finally time to drive to places we had originally planned to visit. It’s late enough that we are not sure if we can see much but we start the trek south then east. The eastward road is one we are happy the trailer is not with us since it is full of potholes and bumps. We make it to La Scie, a larger fishing village. After exploring here a bit we now head out to Round Harbour. It’s an abandon town built along a cliff with no streets just walkways to get around. It takes a bit to find the right road and it is extremely rough with sharp rocks. The truck starts acting up where it runs fine then it mis-fires and starts idling very roughly. The only way to drive again is to turn off the engine then start it again. It runs fine for a short while then repeats the same action. We decide to turn around before we reach Round Harbour. As we head back to camp the issue continues, sometimes after a mile or two and sometimes after 5 miles. We limp back to camp wondering what the best course of action is for tomorrow.