Travel Newfoundland and Labrador by Motorcycle

From Signal Hill to Johanna's Ride the Boot

2015-06-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

The morning dawned with beautiful sunshine and I got busy packing up the bike because a couple of the guys were coming to take me up to Signal Hill, then we’d make a quick pit stop at Mile One Harley to get my hubby a shot glass of his collection.

From there we would be heading to Goobies and then I would travel on my own to Marystown and the Johanna’s Ride the Boot Memorial.

It was going to be a busy day.

The guys came and grabbed me around 11am and off to Signal Hill we went.

Signal Hill is the home of the very first wireless transatlantic communication.

On December 1, 1901, Gugielmo Marconi received that first transmission from the abandoned Diptheria and Fever hospital, one of three hospitals that had operated on the Hill over the years.

Before the advent of wireless communications, flags were waved by signalmen from signalling masts that were built on the top of Cabot Tower, and conveyed information about what the ship was carrying so that merchants could get ready to receive their cargo.

It is also one of the most natural defense positions to protect and defend St. John’s Harbour. The last battle in the Seven Year’s War was fought right here in 1762.

The French had captured St. John’s in June of 1762. They had hoped it would strengthened their bargaining position with the British, since they had lost Louisbourg and Quebec City.

In September, of the same year, Lieutenant-Colonel William Amherst took St. John’s from Torbay.

Standing on the ridge I swear you can hear the crack of muskets firing and the boom of canons. The place exudes the history it has experienced.

We had to head out so that I could get to Goobies on time to meet with the Lys Unit of CAV and I still needed to stop at the Harley shop to get that shot glass for hubby, so off we went. As it turned out we were about a half hour or so late getting to the meet up, but everyone had waited for us!

The weather was starting to turn overcast and cool and the wind was picking up, so after a cheque presentation to the Conga, some photos and a ton of hugs, I was off on my own to go experience the Johanna’s Ride the Boot Memorial.

The time I spent with my brothers and sisters of the Newfoundland riding community so far had been top drawer. I enjoyed and will cherish every minute.
They shared so much of their history, culture and the communities they live in, with me that I was already missing people, feeling melancholy and a wee bit blue. Yes, these people had gotten under

my skin and invaded my soul.

But, I had one or two more adventures yet to experience before my time here on the Rock was to be over and so with a honk of the horn I was off to Marystown.

I rode off with such mixed feelings, the wind was blowing pretty good and it attempted to rain, but it never amounted to much.

I thought about how it came to pass that I was
going to be attending one of Newfoundland’s
largest events, and how a man named Tom Hollett had found out that I was coming to Newfoundland and contacted tourism to ask if I could change my travel plans.

I was supposed to spend four days in St John’s and take the ferry from there on the Saturday. Instead, because I had agreed to attend the event, passage out of Port aux Basques on Monday morning was arranged as was a room and a truck that would haul me and the bike back the 900 KM’s to Port aux Basque.

Travelling on a bike at night is not recommended on the west side of the island.

I pulled into Marystown and headed to the Marystown Hotel & Conference Centre. I knew I was at the right place because the parking lot already had about 75 bikes in it. This in spite of the weather warnings.

Reuben Noseworthy met me at the front desk and ensured I was settled in and had the help I needed.

Reuben’s son Michael helped me to unpack the bike get my gear dropped off in the room. The wing of the hotel that I was in was under renovations, but for the rally all the work had stopped so as not to interfere with the gathering.
The room was huge with full kitchen and I knew I was going to enjoy whatever time I got in it.

We headed downstairs to the rally registration.

What a well run meet ‘n’ greet and silent auction they had going on. After you registered, you were told about the meet ‘n greet just across the way, and filled in on the details of the next two days. Every rider got a really great shoulder pack filled with map, itinerary, a patch, some candy and water.

Then you were invited to stop at the various tables to purchase raffle tickets for the bike, buy your tee shirt and bid on the silent auction items.

I got to meet Barbara Noseworthy, what a wonderfully warm woman. Although she tended to tear up a bit at her daughter’s name being spoken, you could see the determination in her eyes that this year’s memorial ride for her daughter was going to be special.

After spending some time chatting and snapping photos, I headed to go and find something to eat.

I stopped into my room first and dropped off the shoulder bag. Next thing I knew a bunch from the CAV had invited me out to the back stairwell for a beverage and a gab.
It was 11 pm before I finally hit the hay!

I woke up and grabbed my cameras and the gear I’d need for the day and headed out to the bike to start getting it ready. It had rained over night and it was trying really hard to be nice, but just not quite getting there.

I fuelled up, mounted cameras and then made my way in for the 8 am biker’s breakfast in the pub. By this time there were over a 100 bikes in the parking lot and the steady drone of bikes rolling in could be heard.

The meal was enormous and the coffee was hot and strong!

As we waited for people to arrive, I walked around and got bikers to pet or hug Rita my Beaver, it made for great laughs and a wonderful way to start the day off.

At 11 AM, Reuben came on the bull horn and explained to everyone what was happening for the day. Then a padre gave benediction to the ride and pretty soon we were off, some 280 bikes heading for Smugglers Cove.

At noon we were off.

I was assigned an outrider named Sean who ensured that while I was filming all of the riders would stay safe.

He and I worked out hand signals and we were able to roll in and out of the bikes easily.
He also knew all of the places where I could park to get some great riding shots of the parade as it wended it’s way through the Burin Peninsula.

We stopped at a variety of places, the most memorable being the stop in Grand Bank. We were treated to coffee and squares and all sorts of delights. We were right on the wharf too and it was an impressive sight with all those bikes and the lighthouse.

Lots of little celebrations were going on, celebrations inside the greater one of the ride, like
one guy proposing to his lady and she accepted. Another gal was celebrating a birthday.

Even though we had intermittent clouds and sun, the day stayed reasonably warm and the threat of rain never materialized. We arrived at Smugglers Cove, about 3pm. There were burgers on and it was like a stampeded! You’d have sworn all those bikers were not the same ones who devoured totes full of cookies and squares and sandwiches.

Smugglers Cove itself is a unique gather spot being built by Tom Hollett. Tom is one of the biggest champions of tourism in the Burin Peninsula.

He hopes to have the facility ready for the public in another year or so, but in the meantime, the crew of riders that show up for Johanna’s Ride the Boot get to be the guinea pigs for how the changes and improvements are working!

Tom donates the use of the facility to the ride.

The supper that was served that evening was ribs, salads, dinner bun and coffee, tea or you could purchase an alternate.

The music had been playing all afternoon with a solo artist kicking it off and man could that guy sing.

All throughout the evening there were presentations, even I was given the opportunity to speak to the audience about my Conga and the mission I was on to educate civilians about veterans causes.

After finally getting to meet Tom Hollett, I decided it was time to avail myself of the shuttle service and head back to the hotel.

I fell asleep on the bus and had to be woken up! A sweet couple offered to take me out to the breakfast the next morning and I was ready and waiting when they arrived. For the life of me, as I write this I cannot remember their names.

I am sure that when I no longer urgently need to remember their names, they will come to me. A sign of growing old I guess. In the meantime, one thing I could never forget was their kindness and hospitality.

We were served up the most satisfying pancake breakfast and took advantage of the brilliant blue sky by eating outside on the deck.

Reuben and his gang took the stage, there were numerous speeches and presentations and then the moment so many were waiting for the bike draw. A guy from Calgary won it.
I went and said my goodbyes to the Noseworthy’s and a few others that had been extraordinarily kind to me and pretty soon Black Betty and I were in a truck with none other than Tom Hollett himself.

In spite of not riding and seeing Black Betty in the back of a truck, I passed a most pleasurable afternoon and evening with Tom. He is quite the man and I deeply appreciate the time he spent with me and doing what he did in rearranging my travel plans. Because of him and his love for the Burn Peninsula, I got to take part in an event that filled my heart with so much gratitude and love.

Watch the video - it’s 4 minutes long and does far more justice to the event than my words can:

We unloaded my bike at about 1 am.

Cathy Lomond of the Port aux Basques Hotel had reserved me a jacuzzi suite. OH my word did I need that after all that travelling in a pick up.

I had to be at the ferry for 4 am, I finally laid my head down at just after two.
I packed up the bike and headed for the ferry in the dark. It was a strange send off to the island.

After feeling like part of a family, being alone in the line up was truly strange. After tying down the bike I went to the check in desk only to discover there had been a
problem with the cancelling of the ferry out of Argentia and re booking on this one and I now had no room.

I was tired. Really tired and I was now very grumpy and I am afraid I wasn’t terribly polite to the man behind the counter. He did not seem to understand that I was supposed to be filming the room and doing a piece on the boat.

Foiled from doing my job,I went and found a chair to curl up in and spent a few rough hours of cat napping.

I had a hard days riding ahead of me... In Cape Breton...and I knew I was going to have to stay very cognizant of my sleep deprived state.

Saint John's - what a place!

2014-02-14T14:09:00.004-08:00

My morning started out with glorious sunshine and nice warm temperatures. I sat outside having my morning coffee and relaxing. For once I wasn't in a real hurry.

My plan for the morning was to do some laundry and get some writing done.

I was totally blown away to have the maintenance guy come to talk to me about my door lock at 8 am sharp. He checked it out and sure enough the mechanism had failed. He left for a few minutes and came back to tell me they did not have a spare unit and he had no way to repair this one, so he had already checked out another room for me with the front desk and offered to help move my gear to the new room.

The customer service absolutely truly, blew me away.

Once all my gear was safely stashed in my new room, I went down and threw some laundry in and then headed to the pub for breakfast. The place reminded me of Coronation Street.

Rich wood, tons of photos and artifacts and more friendly staff.

I ordered a tradition Newfoundlander's breakfast of fried bologna, eggs and hash browns and a side of Toutons.

I had so many people tell me about Toutons and that I had to try them so, I did and my lord did I like them! Toutons are bread dough that has been pan fried in a skillet and they are served with butter and your choice of maple syrup or molasses. My one great weakness when it comes to food (besides the fact that I just love really good food) is breads. I love good bread and Toutons are really good bread!

After I was done this enormous breakfast, I snooped around the pub and took some photos, then I headed off to go and put my laundry in the drier. Back in the room I put on another cup of coffee and settled in to tagging photos and writing.

Debby swung by and picked me up at about 12:30pm. There was a funeral in town for a very young local rider that Debby and I were going to attend, but when we got there, there was no where to park for literally miles and a huge crowd was gathered in the parking lot as the church was full.

With plans to attend the funeral foiled, we headed out to the Newfoundland Bronze Foundry early.

Frank Gogos met us there. Frank works with Morgan MacDonald, the owner of the foundry who is a brilliant sculptor. Frank himself is a historian among other things.

I was invited to view some of the impressive sculptures and watch their first pouring of a bronze plaque in their brand new facility.

Frank expressed that it would be the most challenging pour as it would be their first with brand new equipment and processes.

While Frank and Morgan worked on getting the pour ready, one of Morgan's employees took Debby and I around to look at some of the previous work they had done and some of the sculptures that were in various stages of completion.

Morgan is so incredibly talented and the Newfoundland Bronze Foundry has done some impressive jobs both in concept and design and restorations.

Besides the pour that I was there to witness, the guys were proud to show me one of the largest restoration projects that they were going to begin working on, you see the Caribou monument that had been damaged had just arrived for refurbishing from
Bowring Park.

The guys got geared up in special heat resistant suits and began the process of removing the molten bronze from the foundry and transferring it to the cast mould.

Here is the process in pictures:

It was an impressive thing to watch but it was also very hot and smelly, and while the pour didn't go exactly the way they had hoped, they now knew exactly what they would have to do when they re-poured the next day.

The parts the turned out well let them know that their mould was perfect and that the words and images were crystal clear and for this first attempt with new equipment that news made them very happy.

I thanked Frank and Morgan for the chance to see the foundry in action and all of the pre-pour work that goes into creating or refurbishing a monument.
I was totally in awe of the whole process.

Debby and I left the foundry to go back to the Guv'nor Inn so I could get ready for the evening ahead and then we stopped in to her place for the same reason.

Tonight was a big night for me. I was finally going to get a Jiggs dinner and get Screeched in.

Frank and Perry met Debby and I at the Big R Restaurant on Blackmarsh Road. I had no challenges deciding what I wanted to eat!

When the meal arrived I dug in with some gusto and was rewarded with the rich flavours that are what make a Jigs dinner a staple in Newfoundland.

Salt beef, carrots, turnips, cabbage that have been all boiled together served with peas pudding, turkey with stuffing and gravy.

By the time I got done eating all I wanted to do was go to sleep but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Frank and Perry rode their bikes over to Frank's place and everyone piled into Debby's truck.

We headed downtown to George Street. We strolled down the street and Frank pointed out a monument that the foundry had made for the city. The craftsmanship and the beauty of the finished product in the setting it was built for was breathtaking.

George Street is one crazy place! Pubs all competing for the visitors business, music blaring, the sound of laughter everywhere and it was early yet! I was told that by the time 11pm rolled around the street would be elbow to elbow!

We went to Trapper John's for my Screech In, and by the time the big event rolled around I had run into a guy from Cold Lake that I had missed when I was there for my Conga and a bunch of the gang including Tom Skelding and his wife Gaye had come down to witness my becoming an honorary Newfoundlander.

I was gifted with a CAV sweatshirt all because I commented that I would like know where could I get one...these CAV people are some generous and they were that way right across Canada.

All of us who had signed up to be Screeched In were called up to the bar and we were given this very firm and stern talk about the importance of being a

Newfoundlander and that we had to represent the province well.

We had to keep our hands off the bar and behave...it was tough let me tell you!

Soon the moment came when we were taught the official Creed just before downing the Demerara rum known as Screech:
"From the waters of the Avalon, to the shores of Labrador,
We've always stuck together, with a Rant and with a Roar.
To those who've never been, soon they'll understand,
From coast to coast, we raise a toast, We love thee Newfoundland!"
And it ends with:
"Deed I is me old cock, and long may your big jib draw!"
And you had to say it the way he said it...then we had to kiss the cod!

What a hoot! A little different from kissing the Sour Toe up in Dawson City YT earlier in the summer but not that much!

Before too long it was time to head back to the hotel and say some of my good byes because in the early afternoon I was being escorted to Goobies to meet with the Lys

Greenspond Courthouse to St.John's for a ride and a wedding!

2013-09-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

As usual I was up early and set about getting myself ready for the day ahead.

I had found out that there was a special wedding taking place in St. John's on this fine Wednesday!
I packed my gear and took it down to the bike.
I headed back in to the house and the smell of fresh coffee and breakfast.

At 8:30 am sharp, the gentleman from the fishery stopped by with a jug of gas that I gratefully paid him for.

At just before 9 am, I headed over to the courthouse to meet the gentleman with the key.
Like all of the people I had met in Newfoundland so far, he was polite and engaging and very apologetic that the courthouse had not been open until 6 like the web site said it would be.
He explained that cut backs have made it so that staffing issues become a real challenge here, so when someone is not feeling well, like had happened the day before, there is no one to fall back on to keep it open.

I assured him it was no challenge and thanked him for opening it up early for me to visit.

Having been settled in the 1690's, Greenspond is one of the oldest continuously inhabited outports in Newfoundland, and became known as the "Capital of the North" because of it's position on the main sea lanes. The Greenspond Courthouse Museum contains a wide variety of artifacts that help to tell the tale of Greenspond.

This courthouse, which was built in 1900-01and embodies the Second Empire building style, has over the years served as a courthouse, a jail, jailers quarters and as a temporary morgue during shipping disasters. Today it is a museum that harbours precious relics and memories of a time gone by. William Henry Churchill, the man who designed this building, was the Superintendent of Public Buildings at the turn of the century when this courthouse was built and he was well known for using the Second Empire style as the foundation for many of his designs. This building is a designated heritage site.

The Court Room

The courtroom

A few scale models of Greenspond buildings

The Jailer's/Judge's quarters

The Greenspond Courthouse museum offers us many samples of the tools of the time, covering everything from shoe making to fishing.

An old drinking fountain

Examples of period specific baby furniture

Examples of area and period specific artifacts:

There are many pieces of art including one from Louise Maude Saunders who was Newfoundland's first lady lawyer.

The view of Greenspond from the dormer windows in the tower of the courthouse - stunning is a word that comes to mind!

The Jail cells are still operable

Like every community in Newfoundland, there is a strong tie to the sea and the the military here and they are proud to display their heritage!

Greenspond today, has a population of about 300, but in it's Hey Day, it boasted a population of close to 2,000.

I took the opportunity to go to the top of one of the walking trails to take some photos of this ruggedly handsome community and region.

Pretty is not a word to describe it, beautiful and stunning don't do it justice.

This region simply takes your breath away.

I will let the photos show you the rugged beauty I find it hard to truly describe.

This place is hauntingly, ruggedly gorgeous. I would love to have spent more than a half of a day here.

I was treated with kindness, I was given help without a second thought.

The fact that I was on a motorcycle made me a rarity, but the fact is, these small places are seeing more and more riders venture off the beaten path.

I have heard a lot of the locals complain that you have to go up and back down the same road to visit a place. But as a tourist, both directions of your trip up and down the same road can be anything you want them to be. There are attractions, restaurants and interesting little towns all along the routes to the more remote locations and in some cases the larger tourist attraction regions like Twillingate.

You can stop at a few places on the way up and a few more on the way down and really, truly get to know Newfoundland. So while the locals may tire of the same old roads, they are the very roads you and I as a tourist want to explore.

I wished that there were more hours in a day and more of me left at the end of each day so that I could have explored even more. This trip here has caused in me, a desire to come back and at this point in my trip, it was far from over. But like many a rider, I was already mulling over what a return trip would look like and the places I would have loved to have explored this time will become what I explore next time.

My next stop after Greenspond was St. John's. I was being met by Frank Gogos of the Beaumont - Hamel 2nd CAV and he was going to escort me into my fellow CAV member G Dawg's wedding.

Frank "Taz" Gogos

It caught me completely off guard when I found out the wedding was on a Wednesday and that I could actually be there. Frank and I pulled into the church parking lot where Frank handed me off to Debby Lake also of Beaumont-Hamel 2nd CAV. Frank had to get back to the foundry he works at.

I got to spend a few moments with G Dawg before his wedding, gave Tony from Moncton a great big hug and then it was time for the wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was so glad to be there and film it for him! After the wedding I had about 10 minutes to give my best to the bride and groom before Debby whisked me off.

Michelle and G Dawg exchanging vows

She escorted me over the the NTV Studios where I was interviewed for the 6pm NTV newscast, to promote the ride we were hosting there.

After we got done at the studios we were off to get me checked into the Guv'nor Inn.

This is the kind of place a good number of riders will choose to stay in for the bulk of their vacation.

They are affordable, clean, have drive/ride up parking. They offer laundry facilities, have a pub on site for breakfast and supper and have some of the friendliest staff around.

We got me checked in and unloaded some of my un-needed gear like my clothes and then we headed over to Frank Gogo's house to wash my bike.

We shared a few laughs and a few giggles and then it was time to head to the Legion.

Peter Dawe of the Relic Riders

Peter Dawe of the Relic Riders was there with his Hummer that we used to sell patches from and a place to keep Rita out of trouble when I was busy with other things.

Somewhere around 15 - 18 bikes were in the parking lot. I chatted with each of them as I got their photos with Rita. We had a quick safety and ride meeting and pretty soon kickstands up was called.

Sadly three of the riders couldn't come with us, but we none the less had a great time. The road up to Cape Spear where we would be heading was twisty and winding, went through old sections of town out to much newer ones, and then we started to climb and the next thing I know Cape Spear and about 30 other bikes were there to greet us. What a glorious sight!

I was even more bowled over when I found out they were waiting here for us to arrive!

After pictures, registrations and a whole lot of hugs and photos it was time for me to share my plea about making the needs of our veterans an election issue and why.

Here is the link to an article that was written about my talk at the event:

Ride Newfoundland - An evening with Belt Drive Betty

After the talk we shared more hugs, more photo ops and pretty soon it was getting dark.

We all departed for various places, our little group stopped for gas and coffee and it was decided that we would go and crash G Dawg and Michelle's reception.

Myself, G Dawg and his bride Michelle

Perry caught the garter!

We had a blast.
We weren't there for very long as I needed to get to the tasks of charging cameras and clearing chips.

Debby "Dynamo" Lake - a top volunteer for Beaumont-Hamel of 2 CAV

A few of the riders rode me over to the motel and we chatted outside for a bit, Debby stuck with me until I got to my room only, I couldn't get into my room. Neither key worked.

So, off to the front desk I went, got two more keys and was right back at the front desk. The bewildered gal at the front desk met me back at my room, where we discovered housekeeping had not closed my bedroom window which turned out to be a good thing as that's how I had to enter my room.

I felt a bit creeped out at first but it appeared that the entire door lock assembly had failed.

After making sure nothing was missing and that I had everything I needed the gal from the front desk left the room. Debby and I chatted about the plans for the next day as I unpacked cameras and began the process of getting them ready for the next day.

The next day was to be more of an afternoon and evening for me. I was going to take in the Newfoundland Foundry and get Screeched in on George Street but not before I got my Jiggs dinner!

Until next time, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

motorcycle newfoundland | canadian riders | rider friendly | motorcycle tourism

Notre-Dame Junction to Newtown & The Barbour Heritage Village

2013-09-23T12:27:00.002-07:00

Once I got back on the highway I headed towards Twillingate. I figured if I was this close to the place, I had to see it. Video camera on, I headed out on Route 340 and found myself passing through tiny communities with the most spectacular of scenery.

The road was rough and I found myself riding the centre line pretty tight as traffic would allow.

The morning started off very cold and overcast but the farther north I went the more the sun began to appear.

I rode alongside the Dildo Run Provincial Park and giggled, like everyone else does, at the name.

In researching the history of the name, I found out, through Wikipedia, that the name dates back to 1711 as the first known use. The name used to be spelled "Dildoe". It is thought that Captain James Cook and his assistant Michael Lane may have given the region it's name. Apparently they had a notoriously wicked sense of humour about naming the communities and regions they mapped.

Although the road is rough, that actually provides an opportunity, when traffic allows, to take it nice and slow and really take in all of this rugged, wild beauty. Just by looking at the terrain, you know that you have to be made of tough stuff to thrive here.

I slowed and took my time riding into the town of Twillingate attempting to capture a little of the beauty on film. This place is home to many icebergs and iceberg tours, so many in fact that it is called the Iceberg Capital of Canada. There were no icebergs for me to see, however a member of our staff, Stephanie, is from Newfoundland and was at home visiting earlier in the year and was able to provide me with more than a few great photos to compliment our video with!

Twillingate is located in the Twillingate Islands and is joined to mainland Newfoundland by the New World Island Causeway. It's history is a rich one and a number of famous people have come from this small community of approximately 2,500.

One of them, Georgina Sterling was a prima donna soprano opera singer who went by the stage name of Marie Toulinquet and later became known as the Nightengale of the North.

After fuelling up I headed back down the 340 Route, I wanted to stop in Boyd's Cove and see the Beothuk Interpretation Centre.

The Twillingate Islands region, has a history of bloodshed and fighting that can not be ignored or forgotten.

The Beothuk people who inhabited this region can be traced back to the 1,500's and are thought to have originated as a branch of the Algonquin nation and are have thought to have migrated here from Labrador.

During spring, the Beothuk used red ochre to paint their bodies, houses, canoes, weapons, household appliances and musical instruments with. This Europeans, because of this tradition, referred to them as "Red Indians". For the Beothuk, the use of red ochre as paint designated tribal identity; decorating newborn children was the way they were welcomed into the tribe. Forbidding a person to wear the red ochre was a form of punishment.

Due to the arrival of the Europeans, the settling of the Mi'kmaq and Inuits, the Beothuk peoples found it hard to thrive. They began a campaign of violence in retaliation and that factored into their demise as a nation. Along with Tuberculosis and other infectious disease brought to the new world by the Europeans and the loss of so much of the land they had used to survive on, the Beothuk peoples became listed as officially extinct in 1829.

On of the most famous of all the Beothuk people is a woman named Mary March. The provincial museum is named for her. She was captured during a raid in March of 1819 at the approximate age of 23, when John Peyton Jr. and his men went to retrieve a fishing boat that had been stolen by the Beothuk. She had been nursing a baby boy who died a few days after the raid, her husband was killed in the raid. Her Beothuk name was Demasduit, but a Church of England priest, the Reverend John Leigh renamed her to Mary, after the Virgin Mary and March for the month in which she was captured/kidnapped from her people.

It was hoped that Mary March, who had taught members of the St John's community, where she had been taken after a brief time in Twillingate, to speak about 200 words of the Beothuk language would one day be the person to build a bridge between the Europens and the Beothuk but she died of tuberculosis in January of 1820. At the time of her death there were thought to be only 31 Beothuk left.

Shanawdithit - the last of the Boethuk

Her niece, Shanawdithit died in 1829 and as she was the last of the Beothuk, her nation died with her.

As much as I have travelled this country, everytime I travel Canada, I learn more about our history, heritages and cultures.

It was time to get back on the bike and head to Newtown.

As I got closer to Newtown, the wind picked up. It was a cold wind too, but at least the sun was still out!

To find out more about the Beothuk Interpretation Centre visit:

http://www.seethesites.ca/the-sites/beothuk-interpretation-centre.aspx

I went into the visitor information centre and was directed to have some lunch (a late one) and that when I was done, Cheryl would be my guide.

Barbour Living Heritage Village

Olde Shoppe Restaurant

So, I happily went into the Olde Shoppe Restaurant.

The place is filled with antiques and wonderful aromas and I was some hungry!

Since I had determined I liked Cod Tongues, that's what I ordered.
With a full belly and a mind that could now concentrate again, I headed back to the visitor information centre/gift shop and found Cheryl.

Cheryl taking me to the Bejamin Barbour House to begin our tour

She and I began a tour that would take some 2 hours to conclude. Every minute of it was fascinating.

Captain Benjamin Barbour and his family of nine sons and two daughters called this house, home. Benjamin had moved to Newtown from Cobbler's Island in 1873. Up until moving into the new home in 1875, the family lived in a log house not far away. He passed away in 1891.

Five of his sons, Joseph, William, Thomas, George and James became sealers, George became the best known of them, partially because he had been so successful, but also because of the tragedy that took place in 1898 on the ship "Greeland". During one of the worst sealing disasters on the seas around Newfoundland, 48 men froze to death, only 25 bodies were recovered. There was much controversy over the Greenland disaster as many blamed Capt. George Barbour for not responding to the impending storm fast enough or for using the proper distress signals to get other ships to rescue his crew. He was absolved of guilt but the history books also express that the government of the day was loathe to invoke legislation that would alter the sealing industry as it was the back bone of so much of the regions industy.

Two of Benjamin's sons, Edward and Samuel started E & S Barbour. Edward's son Lester who had being groomed to take his father's place in the business died during the first world war in as a member of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment. He had left Newtown for Europe in May of 1917. He died 10 months later, at the age of 23, during the German counter-offensive at Paschendale Ridge, Belgium on March 10th, 1918. He was buried at the Oxford Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium.

The Benjamin Barbour House is an unusual home no matter how normal it looks from the outside.

You see there are 32 rooms inside, including 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 12 bedrooms, 2 staircases and two front doors. The house had been constructed in this manner to become the home to two of the brothers, and everything could have been closed up into what we call today a duplex, had the families not gotten along.

The main kitchen with two beds for the men to take afternoon naps in!

The sewing room

Dining Area

Stuffs On table

Cheryl took me upstairs via on of the two staircases, it wouldn't have mattered which one we took as there is no wall between the two upstairs!

Two staircases were built to two seperate appartments in the Barbour Home,
this way a wall could be built if the two families could not get along together.

A few of the many bedrooms

Another Parlor

My Bedroom

Running water in the back entry of the house

Cheryl proved to be a wealth of knowledge and shared numerous stories of the Benjamin Barbour family, she told me of Job Barbour a sealing captain who wrote a book called "Fourty-Eight Days a Drift" and of the family members who still visit Newtown and the Barbour Village.

She told the stories in such a way that you felt you could hear the laughter of children as they ran through the house and that you could feel the pain of the women who lived here as their loved ones died at sea or in war.

The E & S Barbour & Sons "Store" - the Waterfront Premises & Neptune II Theatre- is an auditorium where there are plays held during the summer depicting life of the region. It has also seen community meetings and weddings be held here.

Weddings and other meetings are held here

Amazing art and historical photos grace the walls

Arts on walls

Cheryl took me to the Alphaeus Barbour home next, WHAT A PLACE!

Captain Alphaeus Barbour was one of Benjamin Barbour's grandsons and this house was built for him. He later sold it to Samuel Barbour (1925) and in 1933, the Cape Freels Heritage Trust bought it.

The three storey Queen Anne style home had many amenities that others of the day did not!

This house had running water, hot and cold running water, it also boasted stain glass windows, dormers and an opulence normally reserved for the bigger centers like St. John's.

An ornate pump organ

Cheryl explains that the dining room could be made private with the sliding doors

A very well appointed kitchen

The pantry

One of the first oil stoves

Dining Area

A magnificent stairway leads you upstairs. The workmanship is stunning.

The view from the master bedroom

The nursery

One of the very few homes to have hot and cold running water, the Barbour home also boasted a beautiful claw-foot tub.

The stairs to the servants quarters

As work maintaining the property is ongoing, I was not permitted upstairs.

The next and possibly most fascinating part of this tour involved the Sealers Interpretation Centre.

Now my visit here came at a bad time as all of the students who act out the roles of the various people who lived here were already gone. The funding for these types of jobs had been cut, shortening the length of time which the theatrical encounters can take place.

Again, Cheryl did an amazing job of explaining the history of sealing and answering my questions about the various artifacts and displays.

As you go to the Interpretive Centre, one of the first things you see as you pass by is this monument to Gary Brazil.

Inside the Sealer's Interpretive Centre:

One of many scale models of ships from days gone by.

A replica ship, built indoors, everything is 1/4 scale or so and there are two floors! The deck and the quarters.

Inside the belly of the ship

The galley

The captains quarters

Back inside the main body of the centre, there are numerous glassed displays with models and other artifacts depicting the history of the sealers.

Sealing has a deep entrenchment in the history of Newfoundlanders as Cheryl explained to me.

During the 1,500’s migratory fisherman began hunting the harp seal and the indigenous peoples have hunted the harp seal as back as 4000 years ago.

Seals provided the early settlers with much needed meat during a time of year when they would be surviving off of their stored foods.

The fishermen of Europe were the first to hunt seals for economic gain. The oil and the pelts were highly prized in Europe. The oil was used for lanterns, as cooking oil and in the production of soap as well as in the preparation of leather for the creation of leather goods.

Despite the modern day controversy over sealing, Newfoundlanders acknowledge and embrace their history and heritage and celebrate it in an almost deprecating way.

Sealing brought food and in some cases wealth to Newfoundlanders but it also brought much heartache as well. The ice that can pack up on the ocean in the winter trapped many sealing ships and many a sailor lost his life in the quest of food, wealth or both.

This centre brings the history of the sealer to life. It documents the tragedy and the triumph of the Newfoundlander and their spirit.

The history of sealing and the evolution of it, is woven deeply into the fabric of Newfoundland's rich and storied history. The Sealer's Interpretive Centre is an amazingly frank look at the industry, its history and its role in shaping the people of Newfoundland.

The Methodist Schoolhouse was the last building we would visit on this tour. Filled with artifacts from the region, this schoolhouse is very much like the one room schoolhouses that were all over rural Canada in the day.

Cheryl's great grandfather, a master carpenter, had made the glass curio cabinet that looks like a bible.

You see, it truly takes a local to do a credible job of telling the stories and history of a region and Cheryl, born and raised here, was able to share so many wonderful little tid bits and information and I thank her deeply for sharing the stories and history of the region with me. The tour will cost you $10 for adults and $20 for a family. It will be some of the best money on a tour you will ever spend.

The Barbour Heritage Village in Newtown is a MUST DO when you find yourself in the Adventure Heart of Newfoundland. For more on Central Newfoundland visit: www.centralnewfoundland.com

For more information on the Barbour Living Heritage Village in Newton NL visit:

http://barbour-site.com/index.htm

To book a tour call: (709) 536-3220 or Fax (709) 536-3150.

The day was getting away from me, I headed towards Norton Cove Studio in Brookefield and Greenspond and the Harding House B & B where I would be staying for the night.

I had wanted to stop into the studio, but by the time I got there it was too late in the day for me.

It was cold and bitterly windy, and the Courthouse in Greenspond was not supposed to be closing until 6pm.

I would not be able to do justice to the art of Janice Davis at Norton's Cove Studios if I could only spend a 1/2 hour.

So I kept on towards Greenspond as I was a good 40 - 45 minutes away and it was now 4:30 pm.

As fate would have it, I got to Greenspond only to find the Courthouse Museum closed early and I was out of fuel - and Greenspond does not have a gas station! I got lucky though. I talked to a lady at the fishery and her husband had some gas that he'd deliver to me at 8:30 in the morning!

It's amazing how unpanicked I felt about the gas. I was more upset that I had not taken the time to visit the art studio. With nothing else to do, I went and got checked in at the Harding House B & B.

This beautiful old home has been transformed into a very modern B & B without loosing any of its charm. The current owner, Abigail Crocker is a wonderful hostess.

I got to the back door of the B & B and there she was, waiting on the back porch to greet me.

I felt like I was visiting the house of a long lost friend.

This very engaging woman has done a lot of work to this historical home, updated electrical, bathrooms, plaster board - the entire thing is up to code and yet, you still feel like you are in a turn of the century home.

After I got my gear settled in my room, I went to the kitchen to join Gail.

I insisted that I would feel more comfortable in her kitchen than anywhere else in the house.

She made some coffee and explained the history of the Harding House to me.

Harding House was built for Edward Harding in the 1890’s.

Edward had one daughter, who married a man named James Dominy who tragically drowned shortly after their marriage.

His widow moved to St. John's and the house was rented for several years to the Newfoundland government for use as a dwelling for the local magistrate.

Early in the 20th century, Thomas Harding bought the house and raised his family there.

Thomas’s wife’s name had incidentally been Abigail!

Built of wood timber construction and featuring a steep gable roof with double bay windows, this home retains its original wood shingles on the peaks above the bay windows as well as some of the decorative bracket work on the front facade and the windows are also original to the home. It is a wonderful representation of the homes in the region at the turn of the century.

Tom Harding's three grandsons, Harry, Fraser and Rick, sold the house in 2002 to Gail Crocker.

On September 7th of 2002 the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador designated Harding House as a Registered Heritage Structure.

Gail is very proud of the work she has done to keep the Harding House feeling like a home and so she should be.

Abigail's Tea Room

The Living room

One of the 4 rooms in this house

2 rooms have private baths and two rooms share a bath, this bath is for the room in the above photo.

My room had a private bath and a beautiful dormer window to look out over the bay!

The bath in my room

Abigail busy in her spotless kitchen

Gail is also a very talented cook with a gift for gauging her guests and their needs well.

She can be as open and warm or as "distant" as the guest would like her to be.

After an amazingly delicious dinner of cod, fresh vegetables, potatoes and a bun, I was served one of Gail's famous scones. In fact, she shares her recipe on her web site so whenever I want to, I can make some, have a coffee and daydream about my time in Greenspond and getting to know Abigail, I so identified with her spirit of determination.

Gail called the gentleman who is the town administrator and got me an appointment to see the Greenspond Courthouse for 9 am. It normally doesn't open until 10am.

I was tickled at the opportunity to see this very historic courthouse!

After a bed time cup of tea and another scone, it was time to get some sleep.

I slept peacefully in the beautiful room with the amazing view, a smile dancing on my face I am sure.
It had been a fabulous day and I truly felt like I was beginning to know Newfoundland and it's people.

To find out more about the Harding House Bed & Breakfast visit:
www.thehardinghouse.com

Until next time...

Ride safe!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Nippers Harbour to Notre-Dame Junction

2013-09-20T04:01:00.002-07:00

I left Mom's Place B & B in La Scie and headed for the turn off to Nipper's Harbour.

Blanche had gone ahead in her car. I parked my bike on the side of the road in a pull out, and climbed in with Blanche. She's from Nipper's Harbour and needed to check her mail, and she kindly agreed to show me around.

Nipper's Harbour is a very small community these days. At one time, back at the turn of the century, it had about 250 people living there and was one of the only communities in the region that could boast of having a hotel. Cod was salted here and shipped around the world and the community became known as the Capital of Green Bay as it became the economic hub for the region.

Originally settled in 1804, this community was noted for it's fishing; salmon, cod and turbot.

In the early 1,900's a mine shaft was drilled into the ground to see if this land could produce the mineral wealth that others in the Baie Verte Peninsula had. None was found.

In 1950, the government built a bait tank which held frozen squid, caplin and herring. Personal refrigeration was scarce and many of the locals used the bait tank to store personal meats.

In 1960, a road was finally pushed through into the town, until then the most common ways of getting there were coastal steamers in summertime and snowshoes or dogsleds in wintertime.

Nipper's Harbour had a thriving inshore fishery until it was closed in 1990.
It then suffered the fate of many Newfoundland fishing towns. Today the population is about 99.

The road to get to Nippers Harbour is gravel for about 12 KM's and switches to pavement about 5 KM's out. The region is so rugged and rocky.

The road into Nippers Harbour hardly prepares you for the view as you enter it.

One of the must views in Nippers Harbour is St. Marks Anglican church. It is well over 100 years ago and its use was abandoned 20 years ago. It is surprisingly in very good shape and was, according to Blanche, sold to developers who have done nothing with it.

It looks like mass was held here just last week not 20 years ago!

What a gorgeous old church St. Mark's is!

One of the other of three churches in Nippers Harbour

I walked up the one hiking trail to check out the scenery and I was captivated.

The Nippers Islands were very visible, and the view got better as I went up.

The "Lion" is a weather shaped rock that resembles those of the Chinese style lion guardian statues you see in many pictures from China.

The view of Nippers Harbour from the walking trail

Heading down to the harbour area...

I headed up the trail to see where the water fall began. The board walk is in very good shape and can take you much higher than I got to, but I was running out of time.

Every little harbour town in Newfoundland has its charm, but Nippers Harbour is a serenely special place and I for one would love to see tourism flourish here. It's simply gorgeous, but there are no real meaningful amenities like B & B's or other types of accommodations, nor is gas available here. There is a convenience store to grab microwave sandwiches and cold beverages from, however.

I want to thank Blanche Perry from Mom's House B & B in La Scie (who happens to live in Nipper's Harbour), for taking me on a tour of her gorgeous community.

It's the kind of place that inspires songs, poetry and paintings.
I hope it's around for a long time for visitors to enjoy.

Blanche and I said our goodbyes and I headed off towards Grand Falls - Windsor.

I was hoping to take in one or two of the museums there before I headed to the BlueWater Lodge and Retreat at Notre-Dame Junction.

I got rained on hard which slowed me down immeasurably and by the time I hit Grand Falls Windsor, the museums I had wanted to visit were closed.

The Mary March Provincial Museum is reported to have a wonderful collection of rare coins the exemplify some of Canada's first money. They also have exhibits on Relics of Disaster - all about sunken ships and another on the 1914 Sealing Tragedy when 79 sealers from the SS Newfoundland perished after two nights on the ice fields.

I would have to wait to learn more about the Sealing Disaster until I arrived at the Barbour Heritage Village at Newtown

Mary March Provincial Museum http://www.therooms.ca/mmpm/
24 St. Catherine Street
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
(709) 292-4522

The Loggers Life Museum was another museum I was interested in seeing and it had JUST closed when I got there.

Reportedly here you can visit a recreation of a 1920's loggers camp and try your hand at some of the skills needed to be a logger.

To find out about the Loggers Life Museum
http://www.therooms.ca/llpm/
Exit 17 off Trans Canada Highway, Grand Falls-Windsor

Foiled from visiting the museums, I headed to my accommodations for the evening, the BlueWater Lodge and Retreat at Notre Dame Junction.

My first impression of this place was the road going in and it was not a favorable one, the gravel road was actually rocks, large rocks, the kind that can cut tires not a pit run type of gravel that is smooth and packs easily. It was rough as all get out.

I was not feeling very confident going in here and so I stopped about half way up the almost 2 kilometer driveway and called the Lodge. I expressed to the owner who I was and that I was on a street bike and having a bit of a challenge getting in there.

The comment that came back to me over the phone is, well there are two other street bikes here.
I said awesome, I am a handicapped, female rider on a bike that is top heavy and I am fatigued and would appreciate having some back up just in case. "No problem" came the reply!

A few minutes later, the owner and one of the riders came up the road to meet me.

They followed me into the Lodge, I rode it all the way in, but was grateful for the back up just in case.

The gent who had driven up with the owner expressed that he and his buddy had ridden in here and that even though they both ride Dual Sports, they found this road challenging on their street bikes too.

Sometimes riding on different terrains can cause us anxiety, especially on street bikes, it was a much needed confidence booster to hear a fellow rider accustomed to riding on rough terrain had found it challenging as well.

The ride into here might have been challenging but it was more than worth it as I would soon find out!

As I unpacked my bike I drank in the surroundings. The beautiful gardens, the beautiful trees and flowers, the magnificent log building. I walked around taking photos and then the rain caught up to me again.

Inside the lodge, Gary Sargent, the co-owner, greeted me and gave me the information on my room.
He had already had my bags in my room for me!

I had asked about Internet as I had planned on doing some uploading to the Eastlink server, but dial up connected to their own computer was the only thing available and so, I chose to do some writing later that night. At first I was anxious at the lack of connectivity, but I soon felt that anxiousness melt away.

As I looked around the lodge I took in the fact that they display a lot of local artists work.

My room was comfortable with a reasonable amount of space and an amazing view from the window.

The private bathroom had a shower with wonderful water pressure and lots of hot water.

Every room in the place has a different theme, mine was the Balsam Sunset I believe.
Very peaceful and tranquil. I needed that. No TV, no radio, no Internet to work by!

My room

The private bath is reasonable in size and the shower had ample hot water and pressure.

A double room

The theme of each room is described on handpainted panels

I headed out to the dinning room to eat and the 4 riders that were there invited me to join them.
They were at a large table for six and I was at a table for one.
There was one other gentleman staying here and he had his own table for dinner.

The choices for dinner were salmon glazed with maple or chicken breast in a cream sauce.

Both came with a garden fresh salad and dinner buns.

For dessert we were offered a rich chocolate cake served with whipped cream.

We were served our dinners by Gary who was very formal and polite.

His wife, Winifred is the cook.
And can this lady cook.

The salad was refreshing and light, the buns were crispy on the outside, light and chewy on the inside.

The chicken I ordered was tender, juicy and had this flavor I couldn't identify fully. I could taste the whiskey in the sauce, but what was the breast stuffed with? None of the other riders could identify the taste either. It was so subtle, but definitely there.

Brie and apples...and with the whiskey cream sauce shot through with peppercorns, the chicken was positively delightful.

The vegetables came from their garden and were steamed to perfection.

And the dessert was melt in your mouth delicious. The chocolate was rich without being over sweet and the whipped cream was the perfect accompaniment as was the rich cup of coffee served afterwards.

After some lively discussion with the other riders, I headed off to my room and they to theirs.

The bed was comfortable and the room peaceful.

My cell phone worked in a sporadic kind of way and since I was pretty much off the grid, I set about tagging photos, clearing camera chips and writing.

At about 10 pm, I shut the lights off and drifted off into a peaceful sleep and woke up feeling refreshed.

The view from my room gave me pause for thought. It's so beautiful, even on an overcast morning.

I repacked my bags and bike and headed off to the dining room for breakfast.

I again joined the two couples of riders for a meal. We were not offered a choice for breakfast other than the type of toast we wanted. We were served bacon covered with poached eggs and covered in cheese that had been baked. The jams on the table came from the table grapes and other berries grown on the property. I chose the white grape jelly and it literally popped with that refreshing taste that only white grapes offer. I was fueled up and ready to ride.

I was a wee bit concerned with the skies that were still pretty overcast and the wind not to mention the 2 KM's of very course gravel I had to traverse to get back to the highway, but I also knew I had done it once and could do it again. Slow and steady, I headed out.

Pretty soon I found myself heading towards Twillingate, Newton and Greenspond....

To find out more about the BlueWater Lodge and Retreat visit:

http://www.relax-at-bluewater.ca/index.htm

BlueWater Lodge and Retreat

Winifred & Gary Sargent

P.O. Box 1449, Lewisporte, Newfoundland,

Canada, A0G 3A0

Telephone 709-535-3003

Email: bluewater@nf.sympatico.ca

motorcycle newfoundland | canadian riders | rider friendly | rider friendly business assoc | motorcycle tourism canada

La Scie

2013-09-18T12:42:00.002-07:00

The next stop on my Newfoundland adventure was La Scie - a French name for "The Saw" as the mountains around La Scie resemble a saw's teeth.

Used by the Basque fisherman, La Scie was founded in about 1504 as part of the French Shore and approximately 1,200 people call this lovely harbour town home. in 1904 the French quit fishing here and the English settled the region.

I stopped in at the Outport Museum & Tea Room.

One of the first things about this home museum and catches your heart and imagination is the 16th century Basque fishing boat - Chaloupe / Hendaia that rests out front.

It's workmanship is amazing and makes you eager to go inside and see what else is on hand.

I walked up the driveway and stepped into the early 1,900's.

Larry is in the black shirt facing the camera..

Inside I was greeted by owner Larry Whalen.
This charming man took me through his family home that is crammed full of regional memoriabilia.

He spoke with great pride of the building of the replica Basque fishing boat and the pride he felt sailing her.

He told me the tale of the Irishman named Daniel Duggan who took care of the French fishers gear in the winter time.

He explained that the French would head back to France to see their loved ones and get prepared for the next fishing season and the British would take advantage of their absence and so Mr. Duggan was hired! Larry urged me to go to the cemetery, which I would do later.

An old cchordian

A lounger with a gorgeous old violin and
other family heirlooms

A spinning wheel

A harpsicord

Miners Memorabilia

Mining Company Money

Cannon Balls that had be retrieved from the bay

An old pot bellied stove

Some of the rocks that are mined from the LaScie area

An Old RCA Battery operated Radio - see info card below

Yes, this place is filled with the rich history of La Scie and it is so worth your time and a few dollars to tour the museum.

After the tour, I sat down in the wonderful little bistro that is in the front of the museum. Complete with a gorgeous outdoor eating area, this small bistro offers up some wonderful traditional fare and is run by Larry's wife. If I recall correctly her name is Valerie. (I seemed to have misplaced my notes!)

Anyway, this lovely woman served me a delicious meal that was comprised of a few veggies, a fish cake and a shell filled with Crab Au Gratin, along with a dinner bun.

It was far more filling than what it appeared to be!

After the meal, I was served up some pie which is made from a local berry - Partridge Berry!
Her crust was light and the berries were not too sweet, it was a delightful way to end a meal!

From the period costumes worn by the staff in the tea room to the magnificent view off of the deck, you will be absolutely thrilled with the history, culture, food and views.

For more information on the Outport Museum & Tea Room visit: http://outportmuseum.homestead.com/history.html

Water Street
La Scie, NL A0K 3M0
Phone: (709) 675-2720

After my wonderful supper, I took Larry's advice and rode to the Duggan Family Cemetery.

Petit Nord

Historical information on the Duggan family
and their role in law & order in LaScie

The regionl Map

Some of the headstones are so old and weathered you can barely read them, but the insight into this family is immense.

While at the Duggan Cemetery, I decided to go investigate what was happening in the harbour.
A salt ship from Quebec was in delivering the winter's salt supplies to the Department of Transportation and I spent some time watching the trucks enter the ship, be filled and leave.

There are a lot of different fishing vessels here, they fish for crab, lobster and cod in these waters.

LaScie is a very picturesque community

After visiting that side of the community, it was time to head to Mom's Place B & B and check into my room.

I was greeted by Blanche Perry who runs the place for her daughter, Tina.

The place is WONDERFUL.

With private baths and TV's in every room and a common area that is warm and inviting, I knew I would feel right at home here.

Covered parking for your bike

Sitting Area

Blanche Perry

The view from the back deck

One of the double rooms

Every room has a private bath

Nice sized cabintes to stash coats and clothes

A Newfoundland Wreath

A big open kitchen, perfect for visiting and sharing great meals

Tina - the owner

Tina is a passionate owner, she wants people to truly enjoy their stay.

She grilled me for a good hour on the things she could do with her B & B to make it more rider friendly. Tina purchased the B & B 2 years ago and has been upgrading and working on improving everything from the bedding to the feel. She has done a fantastic job.

A hearty breakfast - there was ample bacon and fruit to go with the eggs and toast,
and the homemade preserves were delicious!

Blanche is a character. She LOVES to help people and is probably one of the best suited people for running a B & B like this that I have ever met. (She's a good cook on top of it all!)

After I had checked in and gotten the grand tour, I took off on the bike up to the lookout which is lovingly refered to by the locals as Liars Lookout.

There are walking trails all over the place and the views are magnificent.

I watched the Quebec ship being unloaded of all it's salt from the Liars Lookout for a while.

The next morning I went exploring some more and took a different set of trails.
I have not walked this much in a long time! The place screams at you to be explored!
It was an overcast morning, but the temperature was perfect for walking.

The view of an intriguing house on the other side of the bay.

Magnificent craggy shore lines abound

Beautiful beaches are to be found along the shore often hidden and fairly secluded, but accessible if you are willing to walk.

There are waterfalls all over the region

All of the trails have information podiums.

I wonder what's in that cave over there.

Between Blanche's hospitality and good food and the beauty of this place, I really did not want to leave, but I was being offered the opportunity to see Nippers Harbour in a very personal way - with Blanche agreeing to be my tour guide and I couldn't wait!

To find out more about Mom's Place Bed & Breakfast:

Phone: (709) 532-7096
PO Box 483, 9 Rogers' Lane
La Scie, Newfoundland A0K 3M0

Rooms are: $70.00 single, $80.00 double, $90.00 Queen $15.00 each additional person.

motorcycle newfoundland | canadian riders | rider friendly | rider friendly business assoc | rider friendly business association

Lobster Cove Head, the Western Brook Fjord Boat Tour and Cow Head

2013-09-05T07:48:00.001-07:00

I woke up to a gorgeous morning in Rocky Harbour and after a very satisfying breakfast, I jumped on the bike and headed to Lobster Head Cove, which is just outside of Rocky Harbour. The lighthouse can be seen from pretty much every vantage point in Rocky Harbour.

The Lighthouse is an interpretive centre that offers the visitor much information on the region, the fishing; the way of life...it was built in 1897 and remained as a working lighthouse until 1960 when it became automated.

The view of Rocky Harbour from the lighthouse

The lighthouse is located on the northern side of Boone Bay

Incredible wood carvings can be seen throughout the lighthouse

The light keepers quarters are filled with
period specific antiques

The artwork on display is magnificent

The locked door to the actual light tower

Documents from the lighthouse date back to the beginning in the late 1890's

There are many impressive displays filled with regional information and I encourage you to take it in if you should ever find yourself in Rocky Harbour.

My next destination was the Western Brook Fjord Boat Tour by Bon Tours

I rode towards Western Brook feeling a little anxious, how would I manage the 3 km walk to the boat?

I got to the parking area and saw a fellow Albertan's bike in the parking lot. I parked beside the bike and flipped the skid lid that was hanging off the handle bars over so that it would not get filled with water from the impending rain storm. About 1 Km in on the walk to the tour, I ran across the rider who was heading back to his bike, he was walking out after taking the tour, and told him what I had done - I didn't want him thinking someone had tampered with his bike, by this time it was raining gently.

That would soon change to monsoon like rain.

I walked along the path and marveled at the mud bog that seemed to stretch on forever.
In spite of the rain, I stopped to read many of the interpretive displays along the way.

The path offers benches in many places and I availed myself of them once or twice, my crippled up feet are not used to that much walking and in motorcycle boots it was even less pleasant!

As I would soon find out, the walk was MORE than worth it!

The tour headquarters

The boat that took everyone out to view the land locked ford

After all passengers were loaded we were off!

The man in red on the left was our tour guide and he did a fabulous job of telling us all about this amazing little piece of heaven here on earth.

The stunning landscapes in the Western Brook Pond as it is known, is surrounded by steep rock walls 600 m (2,000 ft) high that were carved by melting glaciers.

After the glaciers melted, the land rebounded and the fjord was cut off from the sea.

The salt water was eventually flushed from the fjord and it is now fresh water. The catchment area is composed of igneous rock with relatively thin soil, so the waters feeding Western Brook Pond are very low in nutrients and the lake is classified as ultra-oligotrophic which means that it has such low nutrient that very little algae grows in the water making the water very clear and because of its high oxygen content it is classed a drinking water!

The Western Brook Pond is fed by Stag Brook at the extreme eastern end of the lake and by numerous waterfalls cascading from the plateau above.

One of these, Pissing Mare Falls at 350 m (1,150 ft), is one of the highest in eastern North America.

One of the most destructive landslides in the Fjord...

Another "face" carved in the stone

One of the many stunning water falls in the
Fjord that feeds the pond


Mountain View

The scenery here in western side of Newfoundland is
absolutely awe inspiring

The tin man rock face...

The tour came to an end and we all disembarked - based on the chatter I heard, I think we all felt we has seen a bit of heaven here on earth! The rain had stopped and the bugs were out in full force. I was grateful I had thought to take my personal "Off" dispenser (a small clip on device with a fan and an "Off" disc in it) with me. After the 3 KM hike back to the bike, it was time to head to Cow Head.

The wind was gusting at about 50KM per hour, but at least there was no rain!

My next stop was to be the Shallow Bay Motel in Cow Head. The front desk staff here were more than polite and efficient, check in was a breeze and I was offered help to my room if I needed it.
I was planning on taking in the dinner theatre that night but I made the mistake of taking a nap...big mistake, I never woke up until the show was half over. My loss as I heard from those who did attend that it was a blast.

Out Side View

View From My Room

My Hotel Room

I had a wonderful supper of fish and chips which rivaled the ones that I had had with Renee Samms of the Wreck Riders only a few days before and then I headed out to the hot tub and sauna but not before asking how Cow Head got its name. Apparently one of the rock formations in the harbour looks like a cow's head from out on the ocean!
After a relaxing soak I headed to bed where I slept really hard.

In the morning I woke to clearing skies, and packed up the bike.

This full service motel offers ocean view rooms as well as drive up rooms for motorcycles and I chatted with a number of riders who were also staying here. They were from St John's and out for a tour of their gorgeous province.

After getting the bike loaded up, I headed in for a late breakfast.

The staff in this motel are super friendly and the waitresses were all so sweet with their "yes me darlin'"...responses to everything you asked for.

As I would later learn, Newfinese is a true language of its own and each region and a lot of the smaller communities have their own dialect!
My next destination was the small community of La Scie and I couldn't wait to experience it!

For more information on the Western Brook Fjiord Tour visit:
http://www.bontours.ca/tour/western-brook-pond-boat-tour/

For more information on the Shallow Bay Motel:
http://www.shallowbaymotel.com

Until next time...
Ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you!

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The Tableland Mountains and Rocky Harbour - a visual treat.

2013-08-29T04:28:00.003-07:00

After a delicious meal of Cod Tongues at the Seaside Restaurant in Trout River, I headed back through the Tableland Mountains. The scenery is so stunning. On one side of the road is this lush vegetation and on the other, these odd colored mountains.

Newfoundland is noted for it's heavily forested areas and the stark contrast in the Tableland Mountains is caused by the ultramafic rock - peridotite - which makes up the Tablelands.

Thought to originate in the earth's mantle and forced up from the depths during a plate collision several hundred million years ago, the peridotite lacks the nutrients required to sustain most plant life, hence its barren appearance. The rock is very low in calcium and very high in magnesium, it also has a toxic amount of heavy metals. Peridotite is high in iron, which accounts for its brownish colour.

Waterfalls coming down the mountain, an odd visual considering the starkness of the Tablelands

After marveling at the stark and haunting beauty of the Tablelands, it was time for the scenic ride to Rocky Harbour...

I stopped in Woody Point for fuel and the gentleman who runs the station came out to make sure that I knew he only had regular gas to offer. I thanked him and expressed that I carry Amsoil Octane Boost with me and that regular gas was just fine. I thought his consideration of a rider's needs to be absolutely wonderful.

I headed towards Rocky Harbour marvelling at the varied beauty of the landscape. The wonderful rolling hills and sweeping curves accompanied the lush scenery and the glimpses of water.

As I entered Rocky Harbour, there was no question in my mind how this community got it's name.

Rocky Harbour is the largest community in Gros Morne National Park and is filled with opportunities to explore Newfoundland's culture and heritage.

I was to stay at the Ocean View Hotel and take in the Anchors Aweigh show.

I got settled into my room and went downstairs to get my ticket. I was in for a treat and a half!

The Anchors Aweigh band is comprised of highly talented musicians who will keep your toes tapping and have you laughing so hard that tears are rolling and your belly hurts! They are a traditional Newfoundland band that gives you a true taste of the humour and culture that Newfoundland has to offer.

I have never enjoyed a show so much. I encourage you to take this show in.

You can find out more about how to get tickets for the show by visiting: http://www.bontours.ca/anchors-aweigh/

In the morning I had breakfast and then took in the Lighthouse tour at Lobster Cove just a few minutes outside of Rocky Harbour and I will share that experience with you next time...

Ocean View Hotel

Toll Free: 1 (800) 563 9887
Phone: (709) 458 2730/2967
Email: todd@theoceanview.ca
Website: www.theoceanview.ca

Lark Harbour to Trout River - the Gros Morne Adventure Begins

2013-08-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

After George, Dave and I parted company I headed out on my own to Gros Morne National Park to start exploring more of this magnificent province.

As I headed toward the Viking Trail, I noticed the subtle changes in the landscape.
I was amazed at the diversity in such a short period of time.

The scenery became hilly and filled with gentle sweepers and magnificent views.

Gros Morne National Park of Canada was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and it is stunningly beautiful - stark and imposing and yet...

I spent some time at the Discovery Centre on the edge of Woody Point. I wanted to get a Viking Trail Pass so that I could take in an abundance of attractions that are covered by the pass and I had been told this was the best place to get it.

The Discovery Centre is also where you can obtain units that allow you to find out more about what you are looking at, at the various stops along the way. They take your driver's license info and allow you to take the units and drop them off in a drop box when you are done. If you don't drop it off, they have your info so they can reach you and remind you to send it back.

In the centre itself, there are many displays and many of them are interactive and describe the region, the history, the geology, the creatures and the flora and fauna.

On top of the amazing displays that explain the region, there is an abundance of stunning artwork to view and the staff are so helpful and knowledgeable about the park.

Armed with a park pass, I headed off to do filming and photography and learn about this hauntingly beautiful place.

I rode to Trout River to have my supper as was recommended to me by Dave and George.

Along the way I filmed some of the most amazing scenery and look forward to sharing that with you through our TV show on Eastlink - Ride Like a Local. The Newfoundland episode should air sometime in December - I will also have some footage on Youtube later in December.

Riding through this gorgeous seaside village, I came across the Jacob A. Crocker Heritage House and decided to take a tour before I stopped for supper. The young lady giving the tour explained that Jacob A Crocker Sr. who came from Dorsetshire, England, one of the original settlers of the region, built this Biscuit Box house, also known as a Salt Box house. The home was built in 1898 and is
indicative of the traditional fisherman's home.

After the tour of the Crocker home, I went to the Seaside Restaurant and got my first taste of cod tongues and I want to thank Dave for having recommended I try them because I have a new favorite appetizer/meal.

Light, crispy and absolutely delicious are cod tongues!

The restaurant is another tourism must do spot. Award winning, with magnificent views of the ocean, the staff is friendly and attentive and the prices were affordable - the meal was plentiful! There is tons of history here too!

My meal of Cod Tongues

The view from the restaurant

After my wonderful meal I headed off towards the Tablelands Mountains and into Rocky Harbour...

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Lark Harbour, captivating, quaint, folksy...lovely

2013-08-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

(L) Rita the general manager and her assistant manager, Enid

The Comfort Inn in Corner Brook is no different than any other Comfort Inn; it is motorcycle friendly, filled with incredible employees and wonderful people in management.

Rita, the general manager and Enid, the assistant manager were both in when I arrived. After introductions and hugs I was checked in and meandered to my room. I opened the patio door, then went and rode my bike to the stall in front of the room where I unpacked my bike.

After I got my cameras and cell phone charged I chose to eat at the restaurant attached to the hotel. Jungle Jim's is a chain you can find all over Newfoundland.

The food and service were more than decent and the place was full to the rafters. I sat at the bar to eat after giving up my table to a couple. The bartender was quite the gal. She expressed that she was moving to St. John's to go finish her education - she is going to be a physical education teacher when she is done university and intends to continue working for Jungle Jim's because she loves the work and the tips.

I went to my room, tagged photos and answered emails and returned phone calls and then fell into an exhausted sleep.

When I got up at 4:30 in the morning it was to dreary skies that were still drizzling and wet pavement. Ugh...

I sure didn't want my first time in Newfoundland to be all rain.

I sat down to write and deal with the photos and video of the day before, and before I knew it, the sun began to shine. I was a much happier gal as I headed for breakfast.

The Lobby - all of the Comfort Inn's are being renovated
across the country, this one is scheduled for early 2014

The view of Corner Brook from the front of the hotel

Dave and George, my escorts for the morning were to arrive at around 9:30 am. George showed up first, riding a white 2013 Ultra. A short time later Dave showed up on his Yamaha. I was in the process of packing the bike up and importing video from my external hard drive to IMovie to do rough editing. The process took longer than I had anticipated and it was 10:30 before we were actually on our way.

Today's morning destination - Lark Harbour!

The ride to Lark Harbour was utterly lovely. The roads were good, the company was excellent and Mother Nature smiled down on us with a great big golden grin...we were on the Captain James Cook Trail filled with lovely curves and spectacular seascapes.

George in front of the restaurant

The village of Lark Harbour is a post card, picture perfect fishing village.
The colors and characters make you smile!

We stopped at at place called Marlaine's Tide Watcher's Cafe.

Lovely quilts and artwork grace this tiny restaurant

A board of knots

A wonderful bit of art on the side of the restaurant
where the whale watching deck is

One of the most spectacular things about this
place is the view

Across the harbour is the search and rescue

Fisherman's Brewis - cod and hard tack with pork
scrunchions and bread with molasses

Amazing scenery all around you makes Lark Harbour a gorgeous place for a meal

I ordered a coffee and Fisherman's Brewis which is a traditional dish of cod and hard tack bread served with pork scrunchions, bread and molasses.

I figured if I am going to be here in Newfoundland, I want to experience the local foods and traditions.

Now according to Dave, Fisherman's Brewis came to be because of fisherman who were out in their dories who got creative. Instead of just having the cod and hard tack bread to eat, they would take their Southwesters and fill them up with salt water, soak the cod and chunks of the hard tack in the water over night and then cook it up on their little stoves just to give them a different taste. If they had molasses with them, sometimes they would pour molasses in with the brew. If they had pork scrunchions with them, they would pour that in too.

Pork scrunchions are made from pork rind and fat - the rind is scored into little cubes and then cut off the fat, fried until the fat is rendered out of the cubes and the cubes are crunchy.

Now one wouldn't think that sounds all that appetizing, but I am up for trying almost anything and I was delighted by the meal. It was yummy! I had to laugh at the lady who served us - when she saw me putting butter on my bread she expressed that there was no way a Newfoundlander would put butter on their bread if they were planning on eating it with molasses as I had expressed that I would be. I showed her my dad's trick - put butter on one side, flip the bread over and pour molasses on it - it gives the molasses a wonderful flavour - she laughed and said my Dad must have been a Newf in another life. I teased right back and said he must have been as he taught us kids to love fried bologna!

The guys of course, being locals had burgers!

As we shared our meal and looked out over this lovely, lovely bay, the guys told me about the whales that come into this harbour. They told me a little about this town of 500 and its offerings; like hiking trails and a good sized provincial park called Blow Me Down Provincial Park with close to 30 campsites. They and their ladies often come here on Sundays from Corner Brook for a day ride.
I can see why - it is positively gorgeous.

After coffee and dessert we headed back to the bikes and were off towards Corner Brook again.

I find it interesting that even though you have to go over the same road you came in on, the views are so different in the opposite direction.

I supposed if you lived here it might get boring, but I sure was not!

Just outside of Corner Brook, the guys and I parted company but not before I got an interview for our TV Show, Ride Like a Local, about our ride from George.
I want to thank George and Dave for sharing the highway with me for a while - I truly enjoyed my time with these two guys!

I continued on my journey to Gros Morne National Park...alone, and I had no idea what a treat I was going to be in for....

To find out more about:
Comfort Inn Corner Brook
41 Maple Valley Rd,
Corner Brook, NL A2H 6T2
Phone:(709) 639-1980

Marlaine's Tide Watcher's Café
Lark Harbour, NL
May-September Open Daily until 5 p.m.
(709) 681-2140

motorcycle canada | travel canada by motorcycle | canada biker

My first taste of Newfoundland

2013-08-17T06:14:00.002-07:00

My first experience with riding in Newfoundland has begun and I couldn't be more excited.

Working with Newfoundland Tourism, my 11 days on the Rock are to be action packed.

Jason O'Rourke from the CAV and some of the gals from the Cape Breton Saddlebags rode me to the ferry from just outside of North Sydney. We said our goodbyes after a few hugs and lots of photos.

My tickets were given to me at the terminal entrance and I was directed to ride to in front of the blue line! As I rode to the front, I saw that there would be at least a dozen bikes on this ship with me.

After chatting with some of the other riders, we were directed to head to the ship.

I was as excited as a little kid. I would finally be taking Newfoundland off of my bucket list.

After tying down my bike, I went towards the elevator to go and find my cabin.

From the deck of the ferry at 9:30 pm

The Shower

The staff of Marine Atlantic were awesome. The gal manning the elevator asked which cabin I had, and she directed me as to how to find it. I was pleasantly surprised when I found it. The room had a small desk, power outlets, 2 single beds, a TV, and a shower in the bathroom.

The single beds

A nice desk - lots of power outlets

There is a TV with lots of channels

The customer service area

All kinds of places to sit

The kids zone

kids zone

The Lounge

The canteen

I unpacked my gear and got my cameras and cell phone charging up and headed downstairs to the lounge/restaurant deck. We smokers are allowed to smoke outside on this deck. I chatted with a few other riders and then went and grabbed a beverage. At 11 pm I headed off to bed. I was beat, but set my alarm for 4:30 am so that I could get some writing done.

We were supposed to be disembarking around 7 am.

I slept like a rock and was shocked to wake up to an announcement that we were in Port Aux Basques.

It was only 4 am!

I packed up my bags, did a double take of the room and headed down to the 7the deck.
I was greeted by what felt like pandemonium - all kinds of people waiting to go down to their vehicles!

The gal running the elevator was in full charge though, asking each newcomer which deck their vehicle was on and making sure everyone knew the process for disembarking.

As I was on a motorcycle, I was among the first to go down to the 3rd deck.

After leaving the ship, I headed to the Tim Horton's on the Trans Canada Highway. I was not riding here in the dark. This land is FILLED with moose and these are totally unfamiliar roads - in the dark, this is not something I was prepared to tackle. I ordered a large black coffee and sat outside with Rita, my Beaver mascot and took photos of her with other riders who had the same thoughts as I did, and yet more who were coming in to grab a coffee before heading to the ferry.

At about 6:30 am the sun broke and I headed out on the bike to ride around a little and get the lay of the land so to speak. I had an appointment with Cathy of the Port Aux Basques Hotel at 8 am.

After a wee ride up to the tourism information centre, which was not yet open, I landed back over at the hotel and walked over to the memorial monument and then over to the train museum.

At 7:30 am I made my way to the hotel restaurant and ordered some breakfast...cod fishcakes and eggs.
I had never eaten cod fishcakes before, they were salty and yet not, light but substantial and I quite liked them.

At about 8:10 am Cathy came in to the restaurant and she and I had a great discussion about hunting, wild game, the hotel industry in Newfoundland and many other topics.

She is a lively and engaging person who is so enthusiastic about her community and province.

Hotel Port aux Basques is located at:

2 Grand Bay Rd, Port aux Basques
Phone: 1.709.695.2171
Toll Free: 1-877-695-2171
Web: www.hotelpab.com

The hotel restaurant

Cathy with Rita

Rita rides the Moose!

The Moose

It began to rain, hard and the wind was incredibly high, gusting at 70-80 kph. Cathy insisted I take her SUV up to Rose Blanche where I was to have a guided tour of the old lighthouse.

I was grateful to accept the offer and armed with a map, off I went to explore the region.

I drove through Port Aux Basques and eventually made my way out to the Trans Canada to find route 470.

I passed through the communities of Isle Aux Mortes and Burnt Islands. I took the time to drive into these communities and grab some shots - in spite of the less than perfect weather, the communities are captivating - the fog, the boats, the colorful homes and the amazing rocks not to mention the water.

After getting a pin at the Burnt Islands town office, I continued on the way to Rose Blanche.

Even in the rain, this is a lovely place and I found myself thinking that this is what Scotland must be like or maybe Ireland.

I was truly grateful for the use of the SUV as the secondary roads here are not in the best of shape.
The Trans Canada is wonderful, but the secondary road was not. Big pot holes and lots of places where the pavement is eroded away on the sides along with frost heaves made the road a challenge in a vehicle, on a motorcycle, in the rain I'd have been crawling along!

As I got to the the gates for the lighthouse, my gratitude went up 100 fold - the road into the lighthouse is gravel and it was muddy and soupy.

I got out of the truck and headed to the museum office. The gals there called my tour guide, Madonna Lawrence and I spent a few minutes admiring the local art and and books.

I was directed to go the the fisherman's house museum while Madonna took care of a few things and that she'd be down to take me through the lighthouse.

The museum was filled with all kinds of artifacts and art.
The most captivating being the scaled models of various ships.

When I had toured the small museum, I went back to the gift shop where Madonna was waiting for me.

Madonna is an engaging human being with an absolute passion for her community and this amazing lighthouse.

The gift shop

Inside the museum

As Madonna and I walked and chatted she expressed that the lighthouse must be cursed as every time a journalist comes to do photography, it pours buckets and the wind howls. Apparently, the week before, Discovery Channel had been there and they experienced the same driving winds and rain that I had.

Madonna spun the tale of the harbour and it's history and explained how the lighthouse had been built from granite in the harbour quarry in 1871. The lighthouse opened for work in 1873.

Oake and J.T. Neville along with D & T Stevenson, lighthouse engineers from Edinburgh, Scotland, advised and designed the lighthouse and supplied the original lighting apparatus. The company, named after the father and uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, designed a number of lighthouses in the UK and Newfoundland, including the one at Ferryland.

Over 70 years there were 6 light keepers, John A. Roberts, John Cook, Bruce Cook, Philip Hatcher, James Skinner and again Philip Hatcher. Hatcher was the last keeper to serve at the lighthouse!

Walking path and view on the way to the lighthouse

The refurbished Rose Blanche Lighthouse

The views from the Lighthouse

Madonna Lawrence

The ladder into the light tower

Amazing period specific artifacts fill the lighthouse

Woolen underwear

A class 6 light used for illuminating some
lighthouse towers

Weddings and engagements have been held here

A ladies cosmetics case with the Queen's likeness embossed on it

The view from the lookout

The lighthouse was abandoned and fell into disrepair. in 1988 the long process to see the lighthouse be reconstructed and restored to it's former glory began.

During the reclamation process, they were able to find over 90% of the original stones and 70% of them were reused. The steps up to the actual light dome actually kept the entire tower of the lighthouse from crumbling, because they were used as the corner stones of the building as well as steps.

The masons who rebuilt the lighthouse, actually cut new stones from the same quarry that the original ones were cut and the old stones were painstakingly washed and cleaned to be relaid.

The artifacts inside the lighthouse that stands on this magnificent bluff are provided by the locals, many being donated and others on loan. All are period specific.

The place is amazing and Madonna, with her gift for story telling made me feel like I knew the light-keepers and as I looked out through the windows of the lighthouse to the cove below I wondered at the hearty souls who called this place home all that time ago and today.

The wind was driving the rain hard as she and I left the lighthouse to continue on the walking path to the next look out. You can see Diamond Cove from here and Madonna expressed that it was called Diamond Cove because of the way the white granite shines in the sunlight.

Roche Blanche - which means White Rocks in French - (Named by the French, who were the first European settlers here), became Rose Blanche because the English had a hard time saying it's original name!

For more information on the Lighthouse at Rose Blanche visit: www.roseblanchelighthouse.ca

After spending an entrancing 2 hours with Madonna it was time to head back to Port Aux Basques to return the SUV and head out on the bike to Cape Anguille.

When I got to the hotel, after refilling the SUV, Cathy and I shared a late lunch of seafood chowder and a moose meat burger. The food was magnificent, flavourful and absolutely filling.

I said my goodbyes with a promise to stop back in if the ferry I am scheduled to leave on out of Argentia ends up being cancelled and I have to sail out of Port Aux Basques. (One ferry had recently run aground and two others were down, one with electrical issues and the other with mechanical issues)

With the help of the directions I had from Newfoundland Tourism I found my way out to Cape Anguille.

The Lighthouse Inn is a quaint place with a stunningly stark landscape.
There is no Internet, no TV, no cell service.
The rooms have fans but no air conditioning - and there is no radio, no coffee maker either.

It is an ideal place to completely disconnect and take in the magnificent sunset, the wonderful wild orchids and the water fowl that flies here. Make sure however that you bring bug spray. The black flies, gnats, no seeums and horseflies will devour your hide if you don't! I used the Botanical Bug Guard from MAX Skin Therapy - it worked wonderfully and it's all organic and even smells good!!!!

For more information on the Lighthouse Inn B & B at Cape Anguille visit www.linkumtours.com

The dining area in the main house

The common area where you can listen to the managers radio,
read books or just visit with other guests.

The lighthouse is manned during the day but not
at night

The house closest in the picture was where my
room was, the farther building is the main house

The Cape Anguille Lighthouse

A field of thistles and other weeds and wild
flowers including wild orchids

On the far right you can see the fog horn

The beacon shines brightly at night

Renee Samms from the Wreck Riders came and picked me up and we went to a wonderful restaurant called the Silver Sands where I had the BEST fish and chips I have had since being in the Maritimes.

The scenery on the way to the restaurant

The scenery along the way to the
restaurant with Renee Samms

After a great chat about local riding and the region, Renee dropped me back off at the B & B.
I climbed into bed and drifted off fast. In the morning I wandered to the main house for breakfast and was treated to French Toast piled high with bananas and peaches and real maple syrup.

I had to be in Stephenville for 10:30am to meet with Laura Walbourne of Western Newfoundland Tourism so I left the B & B at 8 am. The road in was rather treacherous as it had been washed out from heavy rain a while ago so I like the trip in, I picked my way through the wash outs and pot holes carefully. The winds were harsh and it began to rain as I hit the secondary highway.

I rode towards the exit to Stephenville and crossed the causeway - OH MY - I have never been so scared - the winds were blowing so hard that even though I was leaning hard, I was being forced over from the center line to the shoulder. I was about 2 inches from being knocked off the highway! I got to our meeting point at the Days Inn and we had lunch. It was decided that since the winds were so dangerously high, that I would not ride around Port aux Port but instead was taken for a trip through the region by car.

Once we were finished our time together, I rode from Stephenville on a different road than the one with the causeway. It was more protected and although still windy it wasn't nearly so dangerous as riding along the coast.

I arrived into the Comfort Inn in Corner Brook around supper time and was greeted by Rita and her staff who were only too happy to have their photos taken with Road Trip Rita.

After a hearty seafood supper at Jungle Jim's right in the hotel, I set about editing and tagging photos, answering emails and phone calls and uploading more video to my computer be processed.

I turned in around 10:30 pm hoping and praying that the rain and wind of the day would decide to leave....

motorcycle canada | travel canada by motorcycle | motorcycle newfoundland | rider friendly