Day 34 August 26, 2026 Port Hope Simpson Labrador to St Barbe Newfoundland 252.8 miles
The hotel didn’t have any hot water so showers were quite short. So short that the towels did not get wet.
Today is mostly cloudy. As we have learned the weather can change very quickly. Very windy today which really affects the mileage and the driving. The car swerves a lot.
As Rob was loading the car he saw two young weasels playing in the parking lot. They eventually hurried off under a nearby building. They are very quick on their feet.
Someone asked Rob if this was the car from the radio this morning.
Oh my we can finally see some ocean. The mountains here are somewhat steep and the trees are definitely shorter and fewer. The wind off the ocean really affects them.
We are headed for the ferry to Newfoundland. It leaves from Blanc-Sablon which is located just across the border in Quebec. The drive is longer than we expected. We were told there are three departure times. The first two are at eight am and one pm. We knew we could not make either of those. They appear to be full anyway. We are reasonably sure we can make the six pm ferry.
When we stopped for gas Rob asked if somewhere in the area they served chowder. The answer was at the Cafe and Bakery just a little further down the road. We stopped there for lunch which was seafood chowder and a roll. Then we had pastries for dessert. While sitting there we noticed that the trailer tongue appears to be bent. That makes it dangerously low to the ground. That could be a real problem getting on and off the ferry.
We arrived at the ferry terminal shortly after the one pm ferry departed. One of the staff who was just headed for home said the six pm ferry had a light load and we should not have trouble getting on. He told us where to park.
Rob determined that he could change the trailer hitch and that would raise the tongue. He would just need a big wrench. Well the biggest wrench he had wasn’t big enough. Thankfully another guy was there who had a wrench that worked. The angle looks much better now. Rob is going to add a bigger wrench to the packing list.
As we waited for the ferry another furry critter ran across the parking lot. Rob thinks it was a gopher. We didn’t get a very good look at it. Dark brown with a rounded tail. It was not a beaver.
The lady from the ticket office came out to look at the car. Rob went in to purchase tickets. She said we were definitely are getting on and just go get in line. So we did.
Rob spent the waiting time talking to numerous people that came up to take photos. He spent more time with a motorcyclist who had quite the story to tell. He had been a drug addict and then an alcoholic. Now he has Parkinson’s and shakes quite badly. He was riding a big road bike. Something about the vibration of the bike keeps his hands from shaking. He said the motel just off the dock was full so he had booked a motel 10-15 miles down the road.
The crossing was uneventful. The ferry didn’t even rock too badly. We stopped at the motel by the dock and they were full. While Rob was checking on that the motorcyclist (Doug) gave me the name of the place he was staying. Connie brought it up on her phone just in case. When Rob came out he said everything but the RV parking lot across the street was full. Connie looked up directions to the other motel and determined that it was in Labrador near the ferry terminal not in Newfoundland. We never learned what Doug did.
Before we got to the RV parking lot across from the motel clerk came out and said the BnB called back and they had one room remaining. We got directions and headed off. The house is right on the water. We got a room with a queen bed and private bath. Breakfast would be served down the hall starting at 8 am. In the process of learning about breakfast the other guests came in looking for one thing or another. One of the guests was originally from Newfoundland and started telling stories and teaching us some unique words to the area. For instance a tickle is a small stream. A pond is a small lake. Screech is rum that has been extracted from the shipping barrels. He also said that Newfoundland was the first British Colony. Then Newfoundland acquired a territory called Labrador and finally they acquired a third colony called Canada.
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