While the west coast of the US and Canada seem to be the goal of kayakers, we decided it was less miles to Canada's Maritimes and cheaper. We weren't disappointed.
Sunday was day 1 – We left Pennsylvania with two sea kayaks, $1600 in cash, and our clothes. It took over ten hours to drive the 600 miles to Bar Harbor in Maine. We stayed at the biker's favorite hotel in Bar Harbor, the Days Inn motel. What it misses in ambience, it makes up for by being right across the road from the CAT ferry to Yarmouth Nova Scotia. Dinner was lobster rolls for two, about $30.
Monday started by driving across the street to the ferry. The CAT was re-designed because everyone used to get sick on the crossing. Now that it is a smoother ride, they serve breakfast for the same reasonable prices you might find at an airport. The food is fast food quality, but it is palatable. Yarmouth was packed wth traffc when the ferry pulled in, but we managed to use a local street map to cut it off. It took 7 ˝ hours to zoom through Nova Scotia (we had been told to expect 9) While we missed every tourist site we were not strangers to our favorite province. We trekked onto Oak Island several times to see the treasure hunt dig. We kayaked in Cape Breton, and we drove the coastal harbor roads long before. Today the business at hand was quickly getting to North Sydney. In North Sydney, we were told there was only one expensive room left. We had little choice so we took the Honeymoon Suite at Best Western North Star for $175 CDN. It was actually a nice suite complete with a large conference table and a kitchen. We had over 900 land miles on the car not to mention the sea miles. A bit tired we had dinner at the hotel restaurant. The Islander was two pieces of fish with scallops and lobster. The lobster roll wasn't bad either.
Tuesday - Day 3 – Had to start the day by killing time. We walked along the docks and drove through the town. We videotaped ourselves making remarks about the cosmopolitan nature of North Sydney and then ate lunch at a Subway. Next was an extra long hour waiting for the ferry. The company which regularly suffers mishaps that include drifting ships apparently is always late. To make up for it there was live, but poor, entertainment. In the parking lot we met a couple of kayakers that also had the same first names as us. They were headed in the same direction but then would take the road to a town called Burgeo and kayak with a large group there. The rode's one distiction was that it had no gas station for 90kms. The ferry ride was great fun as we met some bikers and hung outside on deck comparing our respective country's politicians. While ordinarily discussing politics in other countries is ill advised, we hquickly found we shared a great deal of cynicism and a depth for seeing the humor in the jerks that manage both countries. The bikers and us watched a great sunset from the ferry. We arrived at 9:30 went to Hotel Port aux Basques and got a suite. While we didn’t want to pay extra it was the only room with an air conditioner. Spent the night in the bar with Wally, Ken and Bob three old bikers who were doing the trip. Wally and Ken had a very funny political outlook and it was interesting that they believed their country was being flooded with Asian doctors like the US. Also met **** who was drinking rum before his shift on the ferry. The ferry workers work 6 hours on 6 off for two weeks, then have 2 weeks vacation. We will not mention ****'s real name since we don't want to get him in trouble. He did somehow manage to spend his six hours off drinking black rum. We drank to 11:30 (which was 10pm at home since they have an unusual 1/2 hour time zone)
Wednesday – Day 4 started with breakfast at Tim Hortons. This is Canada's answer to Dunkin Donuts. Got directions from the Information center about boat ramps. Found one and very friendly people who didn’t mind us being there. Kayaked in the harbor for a while, and although it was tame, was very interesting. Small waterfalls, an abandoned tug or fishing boat, and gigantic facilities for the terminal. Then we headed out into the sea which is the Cabot Strait, past the town’s lighthouse. Here it was very scenic. We were near dehydration by the time the kayaking became great but it was still neat. Lunch was PB and J. Drove along the coast past the coolest scenery. They could use a few kayak access points here as there was little stopping allowed. Went to Isles aux Mortes named for the shipwrecks that left many dead bodies on the shore and Diamond Cove. Best was Rose Blanche and a great lighthouse at Rose Blanche. Hiked along a hilly trail for some of the best lighthouse views. Every plaque seemed to remind people of still another shipwreck. Cold water and pounding waves make even a near shore sinking a disaster. In one case a man and his daughter along with their dog, a Newfoundland rescued sixty people. Heading back we stopped at a trail that warned it was closed and dangerous. We had to see what was around the next corner and finally reached a waterfall. Unfortunately the ground is soft, marshy and buggy so it would be difficult to cross the last fifty yards to the fall. Dinner at the hotel was a deep fried tasteless waste of money. Could have tried caribou or moose but instead got a platter of Long John Silver.
Thursday was Day 5 – Left at 9AM for Gros Morne. We stopped to get gas at mile 1129 (on our trip odometer)This is more miles than ging to Florida for us and we still had a long drive ahead. The scenery was very much like NW Scotland. Not much to do away from the water. Paid $15 for park pass and $92 cdn for a four room Cabin in Trout River. We might have been the only one staying there. The owner/builder was a 40-ish contractor type who sped through the “grounds” every so often, a hazard for dogs, children and anyone not quick enough to get out of his way. The owner went far out of their way to make sure no one brought pets or smoked. The result was a very clean and comfortable cabin in a parking lot setting. Kayaked Trout River Pond which might have been 8 miles long. This was suggested by the guide book we brought as possibly the single best place to kayak in all of North America. Not exactly! The first half was flat and had little in terms of scenery. By the time it did start to get scenic we were exhausted and it was hard to appreciate the view. The winds were kicking up against us as they swoop down into these small “ponds” and then picked up speed. Since another kayak guide warned against places where we could get “pinned” we stayed only for a short time in the most attractive section. It was better than Somes Sound in Maine, but if I did it again I’d start at 9AM to view the whole place in flat water. We were totaled after just a few hours. Great dinner at the Seaside for $54. The fresh scallops were supposedly harvested that day at 10 AM. The vegetables were better than vegetables ever tasted. The place was written up in the New York Times and elsewhere.
Friday was Day 6 – Took route 430, the Viking Trail north. The rest of the park was more scenic than the first part. It was great that we only needed to drive about 210 miles because there was no need to hurry. The one place that would have been neat was Western Brook Pond, but it required a forty-minute walk each way, a reservation, and the chance that strong winds would cancel the trip. We did get to view the Arches, a handful of rocks hollowed out by the sea. Met a guy we nicknamed "Jersey Fred" who drove all 49 states and every driveable Province. Saw the ruins of a sunken freighter, the S.S. Ethie, again where many were killed so close to shore. Did see a moose (finally!) along the way. St. Anthony was a dreary town although progress was on the way. They had a traffic light, just to have one as traffic was light. They were even getting a Tim Horton’s which apparently was an important step. We made it to the Vinland Motel, aptly named for the place where the Vikings landed. We asked for the best room and got a suite and a half of floor for under $100. Searching for a boat ramp we came upon the Northland Discovery and at 4:10 asked them to hold the 4pm ride so we could put on warmer clothes. Since the only other people were a family of five, they waited. With Great Big Sea on the sound system, we sailed out to an iceberg and heard the guide talking about how they harvest ice for vodka etc. We caught a small piece in a net, my most successful effort at “fishing”. We could not help laughing out loud as the other passengers didn’t know what to think. Great fun. We didn’t see whales but did make it to a neat sea cave. Heard a story of a man trapped for seven days in the cave surviving on caplin and condensation. Dinner was at a place called the Lightkeepers. It might have been the best dinner we ate anywhere in Newfoundland.
Saturday was Day 7 – We lost our suite as someone else had reserved it, but got a lower class “executive-suite”. Went to L’Anse aux Meadows saw original Viking farmstead. This place in modern times is one of those places that seems like the end of the world. It is hard to imagine that one thousand years before Viking families in open boats, with their cows, survived the frigid seas only to arrive at this place. The guess is that it took them a summer to build their homestead. There was one restaurant for us to have lunch. (The Vikings of course had none). We asked that they prepare a takeout lunch which we ate in the car across the way to save time and money. Saved neither. Then to Norstad, a re-creation of a permanent farm settlement. The waters in this area had some serious winds so we found a place called Gull Pond. Not much bigger than a small lake but it was nice to get on water where there was little threat of big winds and a possibility to see Moose. It didn’t happen, but was still a mellow paddle. Went to Lightkeepers again for dinner. They too played Great Big Sea. Our waitress, Michelle, told us we should have planned to join the Viking feast. I had seen something about it but expected a Disney-like affair with a multitude of poorly behaved kids screaming. The feast had a great selection of foods and a “Screeching-in” ceremony, possibly meaning a Viking initiation. (And I wanted to be a Viking!) Next time we’re up here I won’t miss it.
Sunday – Day 7 – Past the halfway point. We came as far north as we wanted and saw what we wanted to see. We put 1700 miles on the car, plus possibly 200 more at sea. It is like driving to Florida and then going for another day south. Only it’s north towards even more remote areas. We planned for a longer trip back to Port au Basques but the weather was bad so we just kept driving. The one stop we did make was an out of the way museum that was closed. Only other stop was for a flat. We were lucky to notice just before a gas station. The flat was fixed for next to nothing without removing the tire. The culprit, an arrowhead shaped stone. The price, $5 Cdn, quite a bargain. Short stop in Rocky Harbor for food and souvenirs. Then back on the road. Made it to Port au Basques. Our previous hotel was completely booked so we stayed at the only other choice, the St. Christopher hotel. It was much bigger, 83 rooms. Just in case we missed the food from the other hotel, this place too had terrible fatty fried food. I had the steak, the thinnest veiny steak I had in years. Better luck at the bar where the bartender was part of the Petites clan. They were bought out by the government and abandoned their homes. She gave us paddling directions out to see the village.
Monday – Day 10 – Got out early but it was a holiday so could get nothing done like post office and bank. Whoever heard of celebrating Astrolab Day, but here it seems like the Fourth of July. Kayaked Harbor le Cou in an attempt to reach the fishing village of Les Petites. Didn’t make it but it was the single best scenery we saw while paddling. Took our time heading back, as well as a lot of pictures. Then we headed down the steep hill from our motel to celebrate Astrolab Day. The entertainment was better than in the ferry parking lot, but not by much. The food kiosks were set up by the same hotels that could not boil water without grease. We smartly passed those up for an even worse restaurant where poor slow service, cold soup and the ever-present grease was their trademark. If I wrote a guidebook for Port au Basques it would warn to bring your own food.
Tuesday – Day 11 – Our journey at this time was 2227 miles with six hours at sea and 20 hours on the road to go. Took an early ferry. Woke at 3AM, got to ferry by 4 AM, a half-hour early, only to find it was delayed. Numerous stories of ferry problems all told completely different tales. I had heard one ferry broke down and drifted at sea for five hours. This and other horror stories had made me want to get away faster. The Marine-Atlantic company said it was just two hours late. Met our new friend **** again who said it was because someone was ill that one ferry turned around. The truth may have been a more mundane tale by a man we met in the parking lot. He said they were predictably late making it a horror for planning a trip. After the two-hour late start did arrive safe and sound at 1 PM Drove nearly ten hours only stopping for food and the border crossing. After that we had a very slow but frightening passage over a very rainy and foggy route 9 through Maine. Did 464 miles on land and whatever at sea.
Wednesday – Day 12 - Drove home from Bangor. Arrived 6:10 after 9 hours on the road. The journey of 3326 miles over. Somehow we still have $1050 left in cash meaning we only spent $550 in cash(?)
If a journey is not looking at new things but looking at things in a new way…what did I see? The friendship of fellow travelers as well as friendliness of unpretentious Newfoundlanders. Both treat everyone as equals and believe all are truly equal. Life is not what you do or have. It is not your occupation. In this way many travelers and Newfoundlanders are the same. Bars, parking lots and aboard the ferry it seems all are equal. Americans believe life is a bowl of cherries and are sad when they find out its not. They make up for the disappointment by acquiring things. Newfies believe life is hard and that a hearty greeting and a knowing nod make it better. For a backward people they have a greater wisdom. For me, I can’t be a Newfie, but I can take a lesson from the road. The lesson: Travel, through the miles and the years, is better with a traveler's attitude. A friendly hello, a shared laugh, and a good attitude is a currency that you can spend over and over and still keep.
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