Day 61 - June 24, 2022

After several long days I decided to take it a little easier today. Yah. Right. About that. Up at 4:00 am to try to get sunrise Cape Spear. Over 13 kms, 19,000 steps of very hilly walking.

We went to Vancouver Island for sunset shots over the Pacific and now we wanted sunrise shots of the earliest light in North America, at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America. Mission accomplished. It was in doubt as it was cloudy and foggy but there were just enough breaks that we were able to get a few.

Next, I just walked around downtown St. Johns. I am sure there is more to see here than downtown, but it is so pretty, and our time is limited, so just downtown with all the “Jelly Bean” row houses and the harbour. Then one from our hotel room window.

Lastly, we waited for dusk and went back to the statue of Terry Fox.

Chemotherapy was first developed in the 1940’s. 40 years later Terry Fox dipped his leg into the Atlantic at this spot. and the Marathon of Hope began 40 Years after that, 80 years after it was first developed, we are still using the barbaric chemotherapy to “treat” cancer. Enough. It’s time for that to change. It’s time to end the suffering. “It’s Time”.

Day 62 - June 25, 2022

I decided to try out a local boat tour in search of whales and more shore birds at the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Success on both counts. First a few shots on the way, St. John’s from above, and a few along the way.

The weather had turned windy, foggy, and partly cloudy so Bud E. decided to stay in the car as Joy would have done. But we got lucky. The early morning cruise did not see whales but our 10:30 sailing saw several. However, it is hard to get good photos when you are having trouble standing on the moving deck. So, I just have some tail sequences from a couple whales.

Next on to Gull Island where there are an estimated 1,000,000 plus pairs of nesting birds. I won’t list all the varieties here but the sky almost turns dark and the shoreline is covered in birds and bird stuff. I have never seen so many birds. This is the second largest colony of Atlantic Puffins in the world (Iceland). That means I have a few more of Puffins and a few of other birds. Then a few more on the way home showing the shoreline fog.

Day 63 - June 26, 2022

Today would have been Joy’s 75th birthday. When I planned this journey across the country, I worked it backwards. Joy was not aware of it but, I decided we should have dinner at The Keg in St. John’s tonight to celebrate. So, I planned the trip moving backward and forward from here. Unfortunately, I am missing the birthday girl. Usually, I post the photos in the order they were taken but, the first picture here is the last one taken today. Dinner at The Keg with Bud E. Bear.

NOTE: Dinner was a bust. We always had prime rib. Tonight, I ordered, they brought the bread, the soup, then 10 minutes later they told us they were out of prime rib. I told them I was leaving and that is what we did. A year of planning wasted.

I may have overdone it with Bud E. photos today. Joy would never have allowed this many photos, but Bud E. can’t say no.

The day started out a little cloudy and cool but ended up being spectacular! Clear and warm (26 C) with a very slight breeze. We started the day by taking a ferry to Bell Island and a tour of Mine #2 which is an old iron ore mine that closed in the 1960’s. The mine goes 1,800 feet underground and 2 mile in, but the tour only goes 200 feet under and 650 feet from the entrance.

After that we went to the Bell Island lighthouse and a few other stops on the island before heading back to the ferry. On the way Bud E. went down a mine, played in the flowers overlooking the ocean, sat on the fender of a 1929 Ford Model “A”, had two ferry rides, posed on the bumper of a fire truck, and various other places. Look closely, sometimes he is pretty small. Not a bad day for a bear!

Day 64 - June 27, 2022

A long, 7-hour drive today from St. John’s to Steady Brook (just outside of Corner Brook). I only stopped once to get a couple shots from the Joey Smallwood (long time Newfoundland Premier) outlook. I thought it would be an early night. But when I arrived at Steady Brook, I took a few shots of the room which is quite nice. Then I learned there was a trail up to a waterfall so off we went.

I expected a small waterfall. Nope. This is a good-sized waterfall. And along with the sun, it put on a show with an extremely vibrant rainbow created by the spray. Then I looked up and realized there were zipliners going by. So now there are some actual, interesting photos to edit.

Then I went to Corner Brook for a bite to eat and got a few shots of Corner Brook from an overlook there.

Day 65 - June 28, 2022

Spoiler Alert! Bud E. continues to do some pretty cool stuff. Today is our last day in Newfoundland and it was foggy and rainy (appropriate, I think). We only had a short drive from Steady Brook to Port aux Basques to catch the ferry to North Sydney Nova Scotia tomorrow, so we took a wee detour to Lark’s Harbour.

A few shots along the way, some of a pair of lobster fishermen, the fog and the beautiful shoreline and fishing villages. In Lark’s Harbour we found a cabin (the red one) built in 1890 that is now for rent. What was cool was the lobster traps across the street and the Lupines growing on the hillside behind.

Then the fun starts. Bud E decides he would like to join the Coast Guard, so we stopped and asked. He was disappointed when they told him he was too short but they did let him aboard for a couple shots. I think they might have stretched the rules to do that as I had to stay behind a fence to take the shots.

Next, he is given a Newfoundland rain hat by the owner of a store we went into. After that he makes a new friend, Maggie the Labrador Retriever. And finally, he get’s “Screeched In” which is a Newfoundland tradition where you swear an oath, drink some screech and kiss a cod. In Bud E.’s case, he’s not old enough to drink and the cod is some dried cod but close enough! 

Day 66 - June 29, 2022

We said goodbye to Newfoundland today. Bud E. and I have now traveled from Alberta to the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of Vancouver Island, through all ten provinces to the Atlantic Ocean and are now slowly heading back. Not many photos today. A few this morning showing how the fog rolls in and out and back again in mere minutes. You can shoot a photo in brilliant sunshine, turn around and shoot fog, turn around again a all there is, is fog. A minute later the fog is gone. Then back.

The ferries are quite plush, and the ride was smooth sailing. We did see a couple whales off in the distance but too far away to get any shots. North Sydney, Nova Scotia tonight then off to Moncton New Brunswick tomorrow.

Day 67 - June 30, 2022

Sydney Nova Scotia to Moncton New Brunswick today. As per usual I tried to stay on the smaller roads and hug the coast, so I went through some of the smaller places.

First stop Baddeck. We have been here a couple times before, but it is such a pretty little place I just had to come back one more time. Next up, Tatamagouche. Very quaint town where we watched some kids jumping into the river from the old train bridge. Then we drove through Wallace and Pugwash. Pugwash is where my paternal Grandfather was from. Another pretty little town.

Tomorrow we are going to walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks.