Spoffords Travel

Day 38 August 30, 2026 North Sydney Nova Scotia to Margaree Nova Scotia 147 miles

We made it through the night on the ferry. Not great sleep but some. All of the cabins were pre-booked. It was much like cheap airplane seats and a high noise level. Sure glad we brought the blanket and jackets. We were one of the last vehicles off the ferry. Only semi trailers left to go. Sure would be interesting to watch them load those trailers. They are so close together and they would need to back them in place.

Not far off the boat is a gas station with a Robin’s. We filled with gas and then got some breakfast at Robin’s. They are a fast food chain all over the country. They also have pastry items. Their cranberry oat bars are especially good.

The weather is mostly sunny so we parked and ate breakfast in the car. Robin’s doesn’t have any seating. Their drive thru is quite busy. About when we were going to leave a lady came up to talk about the car. She was waiting for someone so she just kept talking. She and her husband have a small dairy farm.

A guy also stopped to talk. He said to be sure to go clockwise around the Cabot Trail. You must cross with a small ferry but it is free. He should have said counter clockwise as that is the only way you can go after crossing with the ferry. He also said to be sure to check the brakes before going too far.

Neither of us could remember if we drove this trail four years ago when we went through Canada. We both did remember the Quilt Shop that advertised Celtic quilts but didn’t have any nor did they have pattern. So we actually passed a quilt shop without stopping.

The first big turn out we came to we stopped so Rob could adjust the brakes. They really needed it. Good thing we did because the down hill stretches were very steep.

Sure enough we came to a sharp turn followed by a steep incline. The car simply would not get to the top. We had to stop about half way up. Two vehicles stopped to help. Both of those were cars without enough horsepower to pull us up. One of the drivers flagged down a 3/4 ton pickup. That driver had never pulled anyone but he was willing to try. He actually did quite well. We did somehow manage to make it up the rest of the hills. Rob was able to get running starts at those.

Much of the trail is in one of the national parks. The entry fee was free through Sept 7. The attendant suggested filling with gas just at the end of the town since there is no gas for quite some distance. When we got to the gas station the attendant there asked if we preferred premium gas. If so go a little further because the next station has premium gas. We though that was most considerate of him. Glad we got the premium for the 1-2 extra horsepower it gives.

Definitely more areas of road construction than we expected. That meant stopping for pilot cars and lots of gravel. The gravel roads were quite smooth and in most cases better than the asphalt patches roadway.

The east side of the trail has two large mountains to go over and one just slightly smaller. The landscape on that side is mostly forest. You rarely see the ocean. Then there is the west side. Most of it is along the ocean with amazing cliffs and numerous smaller hills with long inclines and declines. View points are scattered along the way but we didn’t stop in case we couldn’t get up the hill from there. The brakes definitely got hot a few times.

By now some dark clouds had rolled in and threatened rain. The town at the end of the trail was a welcome site. We tried for one motel but it was call a number and that person never called back. We continued on. No more lodging for a long ways.

We finally saw a place across the river and up the hill. We did that and got the last room. That was because someone had reserved two nights and didn’t show up for the first night so we got the second night. The bad thing is no where to turn around for the car with the trailer attached. We will deal with this issue in the morning.

The rain started just as we unloaded. There was thunder and lightning with lots of rain.

Day 37 August 29, 2026 Rocky Harbor Newfoundland to North Sydney Nova Scotia 320.4 miles

The weather is very cloudy this morning. In fact it rained really hard several different times. Not good site seeing weather.

We decided to try to book a ferry since everyone has said how full the ferries are. This week in particular because it is the end of the tourist season and the beginning of a new school year. Lots of college students going back to school. We must have spent at least an hour filling out the information online. We found one opening on the 5th of September. When we put the credit card information in the message came back unable to process. We must have entered something wrong. Unfortunately you could not just go back and try the payment again you had to fill out the entire thing. We did this three times and then decided to call the credit card company in case our card was blocked for some reason. That didn’t seem to be the case either so we called the ferry company. The payment error is really because the ferry didn’t have enough space for our vehicle. It only had space for a motorcycle. They have turned in the problem. The earliest reservation she could give us was on the 12th of September. We booked that. You can try waiting at the ferry but you may or may not get on.

Well we best find something else to do. We went to the tour boat company to talk about their tours. They have two that run multiple times a day based on demand and weather. Well while we were there the rain came down hard and fast. The tour this afternoon doesn’t look too promising and the ones for tomorrow morning are sold out. That is the best possibility based on the weather. Well that all means staying here for a couple of days which doesn’t sound appealing. In the end we decided to head for the ferry and take our chances.

We stopped at the gas station for a fill up. We were suddenly the center of attention. A couple had seen us somewhere on the road. Phones were out all over taking pictures. One gentleman told us we would most likely get on if we just showed up at the ferry. It might take a few sailings but it would be earlier than the reservation. That was at least some encouragement.

Most of the trip was in the rain. A couple of those showers put down lots of water. Guess that explains why everything is so green. A semi truck and trailer were going in the opposite direction. The truck hit a big puddle. Water sprayed up over us like a car wash. Sure glad the side curtains were closed.

We arrived at the ferry terminal shortly after one of the ferries left. They will have one more sailing for the day. We are welcome to wait in the wait line. We can even spend the night in the parking lot if we don’t get on. The number of trucks is the biggest factor in whether or not we get on. There are about 10 vehicles ahead of us that are also waiting. It seems like lots of semis too. Rob put the time to good use and applied new chalking around the leak in the tear drop.

They put ten or more semi trailers onboard well before general boarding. They loaded all the vehicles along with some of the semi’s. Then they loaded the remaining semi’s. Now some of the waiting vehicles were loaded. That is good maybe we will be the front of the line in the morning. Some of the cars behind us were brought forward. Possibly room for them but we are longer. Then they told us to go. We got just outside the ferry opening and we were told to go back we could not fit. Just as we arrived at the front of the wait line we were told they changed their mind and we should go back. They put us on behind a semi and about a foot from the end. Boy that is close but we are on.

The ferry ride was about six hours long. We took warmer jackets and a blanket to the passenger deck. Very glad we had both. The seating area was cold. The seasoned riders came with pillows, air mattresses and blankets. They made beds on the floor. Sure glad we brought the warmer stuff. Pretty much like airplane seats but more leg room and they reclined more. We would have probably gotten more sleep in the trailer.

Day 36 August 28, 2026 Pistolet Provincial Park Newfoundland to Rocky Harbor Newfoundland 224.2 miles

The park has laundry facilities at a very reasonable price so we decided to wash a load with a few extra items included. The price was about half what it has been elsewhere. The clothes even got dry.

While we were waiting for the clothes one of the men who had stopped by last night came there as well. He was headed to Norstead but told us we should definitely go to Gros Morne. No trip to Newfoundland is complete without it. You also need to take the boat tour up the fjord. So we went to the picnic area where the WI-FI is located and tried to get a camping spot there. The park has about six large campgrounds and there is only one spot vacant. We tried to reserve it but by the time we filled out all the information the spot was gone. We tried to call the park to say we thought it was our reservation but they wouldn’t tell us.

We figured if the campgrounds were all full the hotels would be as well. So we saw a KOA nearby. Rob did all the work on that while Connie got the clothes out of the dryer and put away. Then we were finally ready to leave. It’s a full day drive to Rocky Harbor.

Oh my gosh we ran out of gas. The stations are further apart than we expected. We had gone 213 miles so we were getting good mileage. Rob did not have the pedal to the metal.

Some of the drive is a repeat of the day before but it’s still beautiful. The weather is cloudy with rain at times. Sometimes the mountain tops are in the clouds. We also noticed that some of the trees are much smaller and bent from the wind. The wind is blowing today as well. The wind really affects the woodie. Maybe because the body is made of wood?

The closer we get to the park the more traffic we encounter. We have learned this is the end of the camping season for most and it is a weekend. Lots of RVs on the road. They come in all sizes and shapes. Not surprising the park spots were full.

Well we got to the KOA and learned that our reservation had not gone through for some reason and they were full. They did call another campground that did have a spot still open. Luckily it was only a few miles away. When we tried to leave the KOA the car would not start. About six men came over to push and Rob popped the clutch. That is called a six body start.

The other campground was about 5 miles away. When we got there they also had a vacant room which looked better than the campsites. The business had just sold so both the old and new owners were there. The car would not start again so it got to stay where it was.

After we ate Rob went back out to resolve the no start problem. Turned out to be the starter switch. That was a much easier solution. We had packed a spare starter switch. Yea!

Day 35 August 27, 2026 St Barbe Newfoundland to Pistolet Bay Provincial Park Newfoundland 113 miles

Today was a warm day by Newfoundland standards. Quite a wind is blowing so we thought things were rather nice. No rain all day.

We had a wonderful home cooked breakfast with the father and son who were also staying at the BnB. They continued to tell us stories about Newfoundland and some of their expressions. Breakfast included homemade bread and three kinds of jam. Jams were made of bakeapple, pumpkin marmalade and another berry. Quite interesting.

We are all off to Norstead which is an historic site at the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland.

On the way we noticed a most unusual sign that appeared several times in a 30-40 mile stretch. The sign was in bright yellow with red letters and read “Caution Potholes Ahead”. No mind you potholes exist everywhere we have been. We never figured out why these were so special. In fact worse ones exist elsewhere.

Along most of the route were long rows of neatly stacked wood. The pieces were small in diameter and all the same length. Obviously people burn a lot of wood in the winter. Sometimes a sled with something similar to a fence around it is nearby. They must fill the sled with wood and then pull it home with their snow machine.

One of the trails and the mascot for the local school is thrombolites. Well that is a new word. They are special rocks made by organisms thousands of years ago and then fossilized. We didn’t go down the trail to see them. Google had a very nice picture of some.

We finally got to Norstead. It is a UNESCO site due to the significance of the Viking presence here. We watched the video and looks around the displays. Connie got a new shirt. We waited for the free tour. The actual site is about a 1 km walk from the Visitor’s Center. The tour guide was very good. She knew the facts, answered all the questions, and set a pace that was very doable. We were very glad we went on the tour. Neither of us would have known what the dents in the ground were. When the guide pointed them out we could understand but otherwise you would not know. No signs at the significant locations. They have evidence of at least two long houses and a blacksmith work area. They made iron nails to be used for boat repair. They also harvested trees for the same purpose. The walls would have been triple thickness to keep out the cold of winter. They left sagas of their journey to get here and life as it existed. They didn’t leave any evidence of why they left. When they did leave everything was destroyed. They have constructed a long house based on the evidence here and what they know from other Viking sites. We also learned that Viking refers to the warring factions. Norse refers to the same people when they are going about their daily lives. If you ever get to Newfoundland the place is worth a visit. Just be sure you take the tour.

By the time we finished and returned to the car it was late afternoon. We ate at a pub recommended by one of the people from the parking lot. He said to have the moose burger. Unfortunately by the time we got there they were sold out. We had Hot Moose instead. That is a slice of bread with slices of moose roast covered in gravy. The meat is dark in color and a little tough. We probably won’t order that again. Been there, done that.

We decided to try the nearby provincial park. We are in luck since we only want the one night. The camping spots are booked full for tomorrow night. As usual we cause quite a stir. Several people stopped to talk and take pictures.

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.

Day 33 August 25, 2026 Goose Bay Labrador to Port Hope Simpson Labrador 253 miles

Today is very cloudy and did rain lightly for short periods of time. The wind was a gentle breeze. The radiator bug count was low.

The road today is called the Coastal Highway. We drove on it for nearly 8 hours and never saw the ocean. Still lots of dense forest. Less rivers and lakes however.

The road is some of the best we have been on. Very few pot holes. Not as many what I call road pimples. These are domed rises in the asphalt. They are often difficult to see but they really cause the car and trailer to bounce.

We crossed three metal mesh bottom bridges. They really make the car wobble. We were glad there was no oncoming traffic. In fact traffic today has been even less than prior days.

There are no gas stations between Goose Bay and Port Hope Simpson. Since the woodie’s gas tank is only 10 gallons we weren’t able to get there without adding at least two of the jerrycans. Rob was driving slower also to try to get as many miles per gallon as possible. He did well because we got just over 20 mpg. That is amazing. Of course that meant it took us longer. We were on the road about 8 hours. We will have an extra imported jerrycan for sale when we get home.

The road actually had a few rest stops. Keep in mind that a rest stop here is a trash can on a wide spot on the road. There are no toilets. It was nice to have our upgraded portapotty along.

The gas station in town had a statue built out of rock standing next to a huge red chair. Don’t know the story behind these.

The town of Port Hope Simpson is small. Only gravel roads in town. Not really sure where the town is. About all we saw were houses, the medical clinic and the hotel. Most if not all buildings have vinyl siding.

Day 32 August 24, 226 Churchill Falls Labrador to Goose Bay Labrador 180.3 miles

Today is very cloudy. In fact it rained lightly most of the day. That means the windshield where Connie takes most of the photos is covered with rain drops. Well the scenery is very much the same anyway. Still lots of boreal forest, lakes and rivers or streams.

The hydro electric plant located in Churchill Falls is the largest in the world. It’s all underground. They do offer tours but that is done above ground and shows pictures and tells the story. Timing wasn’t good for us to go. We will safe the tour for the next time we drive through this neck of the woods. The company is in the early planning stages to build a dam larger than Hoover Dam. Not sure where that is going but most likely no one will be displaced from their home.

The bugs up here are a real bother. Most are small flies and small mosquitoes. They both can sneak up on you and bite before you realize. We both feel like everything itches after being outside.

The locals here are running around in shorts and t-shirts while we have on jeans and a sweatshirt. They turn on the air conditioning and we turn on the heat.

We had to make two stops on the drive today. One was to add air to one of the tires and the other was to add one of the jerrycans to get us into town. Makes for a real concern tomorrow as the distance there is much further. We have about 6.5 extra gallons. Rob does know where the tow strap is located in the car.

We were the hit of the gas station when we arrived. Everyone was stopping to take pictures. After that we went to the A & W for lunch and everyone there was so excited. A reporter from CBC Radio Canada came across the street to interview us. She was so excited. It must have been a slow news day.

We are in a motel for the night. Sadly the restaurant next door that serves cod tongues is closed for the next two days. That means we will miss out on this delicacy. Well maybe next time.

The tire that we added air to on the road has been replaced with one of our spares. Rob checked the tires before the trip and thought that they would be fine. Well sometimes he does a good job of guessing but not this time. We are going to order some tires and have them shipped to someplace of the east coast. Hopefully we can make it to the pickup point.