We left Gros Morne National Park and headed north to St Anthony at the northern most tip of Newfoundland. Although we were told the road “was fine” it was VERY bumpy and Rose was really bouncing up and down a lot – and so were the rest of us – including Scooter in the garage! We were questioning our sanity for deciding to go north to such an undeveloped area but after all, it was supposed to be an adventure - and it was!!! It is truly a wilderness frontier and was an incredible experience for all of us !
On the Viking Trail at the very northern tip of Newfoundland
We spent four nights in St Anthony and gave big ole Rose a well deserved rest after the long, bumpy drive up the coast - she did great! The side roads were even worse and Scooter quickly turned into an SUV whether she wanted to or not - just to survive the potholes and gravel roads. We guess it was part of the “frontier experience”. The coastal drive to St Anthony was absolutely breathtaking and the little fishing villages were so picturesque - it was well worth the
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Highlights of the Viking trail:
* L’anse aux Meadows – the only Viking settlement in North America from 1,000 years ago
* Seeing icebergs floating close to shore and watching an iceberg crack up and turn upside down 
* Seeing humpback, fin and minke whales
* Lots of moose
* Beautiful coastal scenery
* Learning about the contribution Wilfred Grenfell made to Newfoundland and Labrador by introducing medical care for the very first time in the 1800s. It was a great example of how one person can make such a profound difference in so many lives. A great quote from him “When two courses are open, take the most venturesome”.
The Labrador coast
Our trip to Labrador started with yet another ferry ride across the Strait of Belle Isle. It turned out to be an old ferry and an even tighter squeeze for Rose than the last ferry to Newfoundland– so tight that Rose’s mirror rubbed against the side of the ferry on the way out. No harm done to Rose thank goodness. But Rose and I have decided to do some deep breathing exercises before the next ferry ride to calm our nerves! Gary on the other hand takes it all in stride – it’s a whole lot easier than landing on aircraft carriers! This is actually Gary's second trip to Labrador. The last time he was in Labrador he landed the F4 fighter at Goose Bay after intercepting a Russian bomber. Quite a different experience than taking a ferry in big 'ole Rose to get there!
Labrador is even more remote than northern Newfoundland –you don’t have to drive very far from the ferry port to feel like you are leaving civilization behind and going back in time at least 50 years! It is very pristine – miles and miles of wilderness – untouched by development – hard to find that anywhere else unless it’s in a national park! The major highway in Labrador is still a gravel road. Fishing and trapping are still very important industries. The “major” towns along the coast have populations of 150-250 people. They have a VERY large population of black flies. There must be trillions of them. We were well prepared ( we thought) with insect repellent BUT it was 3 years old and we found out real quickly that it had lost it’s effectiveness. There was one positive outcome for not having good bug repellent - we discovered that when they bite you on the face it works like botox – your face swells up and the wrinkles go away!.
Highlights of Labrador:
* The experience of seeing such a pristine arctic environment
* Red Bay – a 500 year old Basque whaling settlement that was abandoned in the 1600s
* Seeing icebergs and whales
* Seeing 500 year old whale bones on the beach
Next we’re traveling to the eastern portion of “the rock” – we’re hoping to see puffins, more whales and explore the east coast of Newfoundland!
