Day 12 July 18th
No real plans today except Visit Cape Spear and make my way to the ferry in Argentia for tomorrow.
First things first, I needed to take care of my feet getting wet. I took out two small garbage bags and wrapped my feet in them. Tada. Waterproof boots.
I stopped in at a Tims on my way to Cape Spear and had a coffee. Many people always ask about the bike, where I'm from, etc. Fact of having an out of province bike that looks like mine.One guy suggested i stay at the very same motel i was at due to it being safer. Says downtown St John's is rough. I can believe that.
Another suggested I go to cape spear and then go down to a diner in Gould for some good food and then take the Irish Loop. we'll see about that.
This pic i posted yesterday is Cape Spear. Seems like it's always shrouded in fog.
Saint Simeon didn't like it
Got to Cape Spear and parked next to three riders from Toronto. Their were thick, so i'm not sure where they are from originally. None of the three are good dirt riders and were going up the trans-Lab highway. I shared what information I had about the road, where to camp and that they should adjust their tire pressures down (they were running 38 rear and 32 front!) insane pressure. I suggested a more moderate 20 front and 24 rear. They had a week to get back to Toronto. They'll be blazing trails for sure at that pace.
I wished them well and onward I went to Visit the most Easternly piece of North America.
They have some WWII gun emplacements here as part of the battery.
now for some Cape Spear porn
If you look hard enough, you can see the whale that was spouting off.
For a brief moment in time, I was the most easternly person is all of North America. Me and no one else. I rule.
The new lighthouse.
The fog warning house. It's a big fog horn.
I snapped some pics of the Historic site (entry fee is less than $4 and worth it). The fog was thick when I arrived and lifted almost to have been so that I could take pictures. Once I was prepared to leave, the fog rolled back in.
I left Cape Spear and turned down a secondary highway to get to Gould. i wasn't sure which restaurant the guy said to go to, so I went to the first diner I saw. Keith's Diner.
Since it was my last day in Newfoundland, I went all out and ordered the Fisherman's platter. I wanted breakfast but as it was already 12:30, no breakfast to be had.
The food was really good, and the Cod well done. If fish was like this all the time I would eat it more often. Seems i can't get fish like this in Ottawa.
The diner has been around for a while and should be there for time to come. The place was always packed.
They made their first dollar in 1989. How do I know?
I went down the Irish loop and enjoyed the majority of it. Very twisty (although riddled with potholes) and nice scenery.
The southern side was like riding through the Arctic tunda, baren of trees and devoid of life. Actually I saw Caribou in the Arctic tundra. One buck even ran with the bike(s). Neato. Nothing to be had here though.
The clouds hung low (or I was high) and the weather seemed to turn foul. It was just like riding through fog, the air humid and thick. The worst part of not having trees was the wind. The wind wanted to kill me.
I stopped in St Vincents area and went down to the beach. Gotta stand in the Ocean with my boots!
So the boots have been in the Atlantic (NFLD/ Florida) and pacific (San Diego/Alaska).
The boots need to retire after this trip.
guess what i'm about to do?
I'm standing in the Ocean doing Jazz Hands!
The sky threatened to rain, which it did briefly, but it just sat smug looking down menacingly.
Along the way I found an old bridge. Oddly, it was in a village called "New Bridge".
this way...
Further...
I now began looking for a spot to sleep for the night. I wanted to get a camp spot and have a little fire, the last that I would have in Newfoundland. I stopped in a place called the Irish Loop campground and they had tent spots. Bonus! I asked about any fires and none of their spots have them. Seems the only place that does allow it are provincial campgrounds, and those are hard to find.
I opted for other arrangments and got on the Trans Canada Highway westbound. I kept my eyes peeled for a campground but I couldn't find anything. The GPS said there' a motel not far, so I went to check it out.
A traveller's motel. I went in and they had two rooms left. I took one and just as I did the light rains started. Score for me. Still raining (misting) hours later.
$75/night for this room. It's a bed and it's relatively close to the ferry. Good enough.
Instead of wasting time looking for a place to eat as i'm in the middle of the TCH with nothing much nearby, I just ate at the Mary Brown's chicken which is attached to the motel. Fitting, as my First meal in Labrador and my Last Meal in Newfoundland would be almost the same. I had a three piece with taters this time. Here's a useless fact. Mary Brown's first restaurant in Canada was in St John's NF. No wonder there are so many around here.
I went back into the motel/store/whatnot and got two scoops of icecream. I've been a good boy and I deserve it!
Cotton Candy and Maple Walnut. Not a bad combination.
Wifi doesn't work in the room (weak signal) so here I sit getting a fine mist over me and mine, blogging on the side of the Trans Canada Highway, awaiting (almost dreading) the ferry crossing ordeal.
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