“No Stress!” in Leading Tickles and the Oceanview Trail

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The rain and fog continued all night. We both slept in. By mid-morning the rain stopped and it looked like it might be dry for a while so we put on our hiking boots and walked up the road from the campground to the Oceanview Trail. We literally climbed up the side of the wooded trail with the help of a metal cable and began the seven km total trail. The path traveled along the peninsula on the back side of town, and then we walked back through Leading Tickles to get back to the park.



The trail was beautiful, but rugged. Many places we climbed up or down steep slopes with roots, rocks and wet moss and earth. From time to time we were rewarded with majestic views of bays, coves and islands and one whale. Blueberries, raspberries, and other berries that we couldn't identify were forming and preparing to ripen. We walked through boggy areas, rocky cliffs, and mossy, spruce forested hillsides. We got drenched, not by rain, but by the wet bushes and boughs on the sides of the trail. Near the end we found an observation platform and spent time looking for more whales and icebergs. We could see in the distance that fog, or rain was coming over the hills, so we finished the trail and wound up coming out in the backyard of someone's house in town. Maybe we took a wrong turn? We were glad there was no dog on the end of the chain we saw!

Fireweed

Reindeer Moss in bloom, Fruiting bodies?

Quartz vugs in Ordovician sandstone

Cranberries

Blueberries

Lookoff platform

Old Cemetery along the trail

Back in Leading Tickles

Walking back through Leading Tickles, we stopped at the post office, checked out the town hall, primary school and then walked down the hill to the fishing wharf and the Heritage Center, an old general store. On the first floor we looked through the gift shop, and on the second floor we looked at an exhibit in several rooms that represented life in Leading Tickles in the “Olden Days”. Everything had been donated by the locals, including several antique wedding dresses donated by local women, as the labels proudly described. We spent some time talking with the 30 or 40 something woman tending the store.

Looking out Leading Tickles Harbor

Primary School

The biggest wharf of many in Leading Tickles

She told us that last summer they had lots of icebergs and whales, but this year very few. Apparently the icebergs come right into the cove we are camped on, and have been known to come all the way around the corner and into Leading Tickles harbor. She also commented that they are getting very little snow anymore. Last winter they only had six weeks of snow and it didn't come until late January. They couldn't use their snowmachines very long. The conversation continued into living in someplace as beautiful as Leading Tickles and how easy it is to be so used to the scenic beauty. But, she commented the best part of living here is, “that we have no stress!” I guess that no stress is the reason I couldn't make out her age!



When we commented that we were camping at the town park, she said there was a wedding reception there this afternoon and that there would be a lot of coming and going. I said that there seemed to be a lot of coming and going past our camper all day anyway, and we wondered how there could be that many people driving around in this small town. She said that a season pass is only $10, so when someone wants to see how the fishing is going to be and decide whether to take their boat out, they come here. From each side of the park you can view a different cove that you can't see from the secluded town harbor. She said for their $10 they can drive through 25 times a day if they like! She also said that it's a small town with not much to do, so people drive through the park to see who's there and what's going on.



On the walk back we passed the Anglican Church with balloons tied out front, so we thought that was probably where the wedding would be held. We got back for a late lunch and borrowed the key for the showers. The park locks them during the day to keep the day users out of them. As soon as we finished with it, the woman running the front office came to clean it. When we checked in she said they clean it after every use, and sure enough, there she was with her mop. It had started raining again, so we stayed in the camper the rest of the afternoon. Just before dinner there was a lull in the rain and we heard a lot of honking. Driving past us was a convertible Volkswagen Beetle, with the bride and groom in the back, he in his tux, and she in her strapless wedding gown and a tiara, with the horn blasting!



Shortly after that we glanced out the front window to see the islands disappearing. A squall was coming directly towards us down the tickle. I went outside to photograph it and lasted long enough to take a few quick photos. We could see it racing towards us, and the cold wind getting stronger. It hit just after I got inside. It rained sideways for a few minutes and then was gone. The islands were back in view.

Fisherman on our beach cleaning cod in the rain

The rain has continued through the late afternoon and evening. We've also had lots of cars driving past us, some with balloons tied to them. If it hadn't been raining we would have wandered past the reception, but with heavy rain and 56 degrees, we are content to stay inside.



Tomorrow we'll continue our journey west to the coast, and north to the very northwesterly tip of Newfoundland, where the Vikings landed. It will take a couple days. We are hoping to get out of the rainy weather!

The Great Auk Winery and Leading Tickles

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Rain started overnight and because we knew it would be rainy, we planned a slower day. We drove back to Twillingate in the rain and parked in front of the library and used the wifi. By this time the rain had mostly stopped and we walked across the street to J&J Fish Market and had lunch. Greg decided to skip the fish and chips (scandalous!) and passed on the cod tongues and cheeks, (they are real! Check the photo) and had a lobster burger instead. The waitress had an interesting brogue and called us “Ma' Darlin's” and “Sweetie”. When we finished she told us to go to the “cash” and we could pay there. We had a discussion with her about soft crabs being a delicacy in Maryland, and did they ever harvest the lobsters in their soft stage to serve them. I don't think she quite got the concept, so I think the answer was no.

Lobster Burger

We came out again to a light rain, so we drove to the other side of Twillingate to the Auk Island Winery. The Great Auk (looks a bit like a penguin) was hunted to extinction in the 1800's, but the winery is keeping its memory alive, in a manner of speaking. We had already sampled three of their wines from the provincial liquor stores and liked them. They specialize in local berry wines. We took a tour of the winery that is housed in an old school building. The actual fermenting and bottling room is in the school gym. Grapes don't grow on Newfoundland, so most of the wines are berry based. They ship up grape juice to use in blended and grape wines. Our tour guide had an interesting accent and added an “h” before words with vowels. She told us that they got “hice” from “hicebergs” from a fisherman in Port Union, who actually goes out and harvests it. They use it in their dessert wines. As we went back upstairs to the tasting room, she asked everyone where they were from. Two couples were from Alberta, and another family said they were from “ in town.” We found out that meant they were from St. John's, not Twillingate, even though we were about 280 miles from St. John's!

Great Auk Winery

We spent the next half hour at the tasting bar. They have a large line of products and we especially enjoying trying the berry wines which are less sweet and drier than we find in the States. We bought Funky Puffin, Rhubarb White and Crowberry.

Tasting room

We wanted to get a case, but that means paying duty at the border when we go back into the States, because we are limited to how much we can bring back in. So, like seasonal food, we'll enjoy it while we are here. Great Auk isn't marketed yet outside of Newfoundland, so we'll have to get some for the road! I also bought a Funky Puffin tee shirt to wear hiking in the Southwest next winter!



The rain had mostly cleared out so we drove along the coastline back to Dildo Run Provincial Park, and saw more “outport” fishing villages. Back at camp we were able to sit outside without getting bit (?) and enjoyed a quiet evening in the spruce forest.

Small port towns along Herring Run

Campsite

The rain started again overnight, but by the time we left, the sun broke through the clouds. We left Dildo Run Provincial Park and headed back to Gander. We needed to visit the tire shop again so they could re-check the torque on the wheel lugs from the previous work. Gander was literally under a dark cloud. We could see white clouds and blue skies along the horizon on all sides. The wheels were fine, we found a place to fill up with diesel and petroleum, and ate lunch in the visitor center parking lot. Finally, we were ready to continue our journey west. We followed the Trans-Canada for a ways and then drove north an hour out a small peninsula. We wanted to luck into a campsite on a scenic waterfront, so we could just take a few days and relax a bit. Since we've gotten to Newfoundland we've been running from place to place and we wanted to just soak up a spot for a few days.

Clearing or Teasing?

We took a chance on Leading Tickles. A tickle is a narrow opening between islands. There are several other Tickles in Newfoundland. The drive up wasn't particularly scenic as Newfoundland goes. No breathtaking harbors or cliffs, mostly interior scenes. We stopped in Glover's Harbor to see the Giant Squid Interpretive Center. A huge squid was hooked back in 1878 near here, and in recent history some students and their professor recreated it with wire and plaster. See the photos of Greg and I posing. You'll get an idea of the actual size. We drove further to Leading Tickles and found Oceanview Park run by the town. It was almost full. She found us a site with only water and no electric, but it turned out to be just on the edge of the beach. We also have another boil water order, but we filled up at the tire dealer in Gander. So, now we need to decide if we are going to use Clorox or boil, or what!?

Cuddly!

We enjoyed our evening looking out over the beach from the gazebo next to our campsite. When we saw the view we have, we hastily signed up for three nights. We finally found a place to just sit for a few days. We look out over a secluded cove, with a beach at our feet. The cliffs rise up to each side, and looking down the strait we see numerous tall, rounded granite islands. The town of Leading Tickle is around the corner out of sight,. We spotted a minke whale out in the cove and the seabirds are very active diving for fish. Last weekend there was a run of capelin on this beach, with the whales close by. The run is over, but, there is still food here.

Uptown

Downtown

View out the windshield at our camp site

Gazebo next to campsite

Our beach, complete with rocks and wildlife

The rain started again during the night. This morning during a lull in the rain, Greg walked into town. He came back to report that there were no eateries, just a convenience store that carries everything that will fit into one small room. But, he did have a long conversation with the woman, Chris, running the entrance booth and wound up buying homemade date bars. After our date bar snack and tea, we hiked up to the view over Bear Cove. After a steep climb on worn snowmobile tread covered steep boardwalk, we reached the platform at the top of the headland. What a 360 degree view! Out to the Atlantic, up and down the coast with all the coves and islands, and the Baie Verte Peninsula in the distance. It was a bit hazy on the horizon, and we couldn't see any icebergs, but we saw several minke and humpback whales. Oh, glorious!!! The rain started again, so we hiked back down, and have spent the afternoon in the RV watching the cove, the rain, the seabirds, listening to CBC 2 on the radio (the only station we can get, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, a weird mix of obscure Canadian rock, opera, and a show like “A Prairie Home Companion”), and sea chantys on the CD player.

Old snow machine treads reused on steep ramp

Lookoff - Minke and Humpback whales to right (invisible)

Looking back at the campground

Thistle

Local resident - squirrel

What to do on a rainy afternoon?