Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

July 11, 2017  Tuesday

Woke up this morning and went to find the Visitor’s Center which is right up the road from the campground.  We needed to use the wifi and hope our wifi calling would work.  The center actually has phones I could use to make local calls so I reserved us seats on the Western Brook Pond tour tomorrow at 3 pm.  While sitting at the desk the lady next to me asked where I was from.  We started talking and we had a great chat.  Her name is Ginny.  She and her husband Steven are camping in Gros Morne National Park in a tent.  They have been traveling across Canada.  They are from a tiny island between Vancouver and Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  They sold their house and all their stuff and are full timing.  She said they would soon purchase a trailer.  Tent camping is proving a real challenge especially with the weather we’ve had in Newfoundland.  She was very nice and gave me some advice about what to do for the boat tour.  They will also be leaving Gros Morne and heading to St. Anthony’s.  So maybe we’ll see them there. 

Next, we went to see the Lobster Cove Head lighthouse which watches over the cove at Rocky Harbour and also Bonnie Bay.  Gorgeous views into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  We met a park guide in the lighthouse who spent lots of time talking about the history and current events of the area and how Newfoundland changed hands many times and how it is now part of Canada.  Her family is from the area so she shared lots of personal stories.  She made a couple of recommendations to see.  When we left we headed for one of those recommended places…Broom Point.  It is fishing exhibit with the cabin and workshop belonging to the brothers.  Every season they would bring their families by boat up the coast to this point and live and fish here for several months.  The three brothers, their wives and four children all lived in a small cabin with a main room with stove for heat and three tiny bedrooms.  The bedrooms were just big enough for a double bed.  They hung smaller beds (bunks) on the wall above for the younger children and the two older children slept on one bed in the main room.  No running water, no bathroom, NO WAY!!

The guide their gave a very interesting explanation on their daily life and how they went about fishing and salting cod fish, trapping lobsters and fishing and canning salmon.  Everyone worked..the men brought home and cleaned the fish and the women and children salted the cod and canned the salmon.

After leaving there we took a ride a little farther up the road to check on something for our friend Reta.  When she and Ed were in Newfoundland they stayed at a hotel in St. Paul’s where the owner said they were planning to build an 18 hole championship golf course.  In Reta’s diary she wondered how that project faired.  We thought we would try and find out.  Actually we were driving through St.Paul’s and there on the side of the road was a sign saying "Golf Course Open".  We turned in and checked it out.  Took some photos to show Reta when we return home.  Also, there is a gas station there and they will let us park there overnight.  We will do that tomorrow before the boat tour.

We drove back into Rocky Harbour and decided to drive to Norris Point.  Another small fishing village.  We drove to the harbor and had lunch at a little shop next to the boat tours.  It had a beautiful view and we could watch people in kayaks paddling through the Bonnie Bay.