Trip planning to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, NB

[SilverEagle6]

Time to get ready. We leave on our trip three weeks from tomorrow. We finally received some very good travel guides with maps for NB, Lab, NS, and NL. Never did receive anything for PEI. Most of our route planning is finished and we have selected our plan A and plan B campgrounds and we will make ferry reservations for NL once we get close to our desired crossing time.

Thanks to all who have suggested places to go and things to do. Since we are not making any reservations, we are still open to any additional suggestions.

We plan on crossing over to St Leonard on June 7 and will head up to Gaspe. After that we we have a general route and general timeline. Looking forward to a great trip.

[SilverEagle6]

We've been trying to decide if we want to take the ferry from NL over to Labrador when I can across the "Trans-Labrador Highway" website where this was posted:

ANNOUNCEMENT: The last section of the Trans-Labrador Highway, from Goose Bay to Cartwright, is now OPEN!
According to a short article in the April 2010 issue of Canadian Geographic magazine, this highway is now OPEN. This completes the entire Trans-Labrador Highway from Labrador City all the way to Blanc Sablon (technically in Quebec).
Therefore you can now do a circle tour from Baie Comeau (Quebec), north to Labrador City, east across to Goose Bay, down to Blanc Sablon via Cartwright, take the ferry across the Strait of Belle Isle to Newfoundland, drive south down the west coast of Newfoundland to Port aux Basques, from where you can take the ferry across to Nova Scotia.

Some of you guys have posted that you took a short trip over to Labrador and the two negatives were the insects and the roads. Would like to here more about taking a short trip over with your trailer.....we really would like to go for maybe a two night stay. Thoughts?

[weirdstuff]

If you take the ferry over, and just drive as far east as Red Bay, the roads are perfectly paved. But after Red Bay, it's all gravel. We just went to Red Bay. Well worth the trip.

The "RV Park" is actually just 3 or 4 hook ups literally on the side of the gas station there. There's another one too, in a park before you get to Red Bay. But we thought that since it's more "in nature" we'd probably get more bugs/flies. Plus, when we came down from Tracey Hill, it was sundown and we just wanted the closest place to park for the night.

Hike up Tracey Hill....spectacular!! Go to the whaling museum. But just know that, at sundown, the nastiest biting black flies will come after you, so, you might spend all evening locked up in your trailer. But, all day long, we never noticed the flies at all.

With that said...we were really glad we took that little detour!! Two nights would be perfect. We bailed after one night due to the biting flies.

The ferry ride was cheap ($35 each way, if I remember correctly) for our 27' total length. And it's only a little over an hour, so an easy trip.

My thought = you can't go that far away, and get so close to taking a look at Labrador, and then not go there! It was a no-brainer for us. We had to go. And then, you kind of get bragging rights, 'cause you'll probably never meet anyone else in your lifetime, that's been there!

[HowieE]

Yes I did comment on the insects but I did not know about the mosquito hoods that you can buy in Newfoundland's Wal Marts before I went to Labrador. Buy them and go.

Our trip up to Battle Harbor was one of our most memorable. I do have to say that a couple that had come to Battle Harbor, via the then unfinished Tran Labrador Highway, in a new Bambi Airstream had all of the cabinets on the floor when the got to BH. Google BH and you will have a reason to go. You can stay on BH over night in a B&B and there are no bugs out there just ice bergs.

The road from the ferry to BH, 80 or so miles, is gravel but quite well maintained with road equipment stationed every 10 miles or so.

The Provincial Parks that I so were not set up for 34 ft. trailer. Most site were bulldozed out of the scrub brush and small. But who needs then you can camp anywhere.

[SilverEagle6]

Ok, ferry from NL to Blanc Sablon with trailer then drive 54 miles to Red Bay and we'll plan two nights.

After all our journeys on gravel roads on our trip to Alaska last summer, not sure I want to take on gravel roads anymore. An option is to drop the trailer at Red Bay, drive our truck to Mary's Harbor, catch the 11 AM ferry to Battle Harbor, spend the night at a BB and back on the 9AM ferry the following day. If we can take our dog, that may work....if not, maybe just a day trip to Mary's Harbor.

HowieE -- did you take your trailer to Mary's harbor and on to BH?

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by SilverEagle6

HowieE -- did you take your trailer to Mary's harbor and on to BH?

No we were parked south of there and did a day trip.

Don't prejudge gravel roads in Labrador with those in Alaska. The rock is completely different and does not pulverize to dust like that in Alaska.

The damage I mentioned on the trailer that came up through Quebec was a result of the road in Quebec.

[HowieE]

Just to wet your whistle. Leaving Battle Harbor



The monument at L'Anse aux Meadows


The Table Lands in Gros Morne NP


One of the only places you can stand on the mantle of the earth. It has been bare for over 500,000 years and will remain that way

The model of the light house of Rose Blanche. The real one is in the background a few miles away just to the right.

[DMT]

I drove round trip to Cartwright for some salmon fishing last June. There were a few brave souls towing and an odd Moho encountered. All the trailers had bubble wrap or some other protective applied to the front windows to avoid breakage due to flying stones. I had four flats in my trip, as they had just graded several sections and turned up the loose (and sharp) rocks. If it was my choice I would not think of exposing my airstream to that gravel road.

All good suggestions from the other posters. My two cents are to take in the Point Amoir lighthouse at L'Anse Amoir. Mind boggling how this was built in such a remote area so long ago. Interesting museum there as well. If you stay in Gros Morne on the way up or down try the campsite at Lomond. It is a drop in (no reservations) but you should have no difficulty getting a spot. The view out over Bonne Bay is wonderful.

Good luck on your travels. Here is a picture of the first iceberg on the east past for 2015.



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[SilverEagle6]

HowieE and DMT, thanks for the pics and comments. We'll add a couple days to our Labrador leg and leave the trailer in Red Bay and drive up to Mary's Harbor. If they let us take our dog on the ferry to BH, we'll go over for the night. Your photos and comments really make this a must stop for us. Great to be retired...eh?

[SilverEagle6]

We left NC yesterday afternoon to start our journey northward to Gaspe. Thanks again for all the suggestions

[gomotomoto]

Post up your itinerary along with campgrounds you stayed in when your done! Taking the same trip this fall.

[SilverEagle6]

Just completed the Gaspe leg of our trip. Diesel is about $4 US per gallon and prices were consistent regardless where we went. We drove the entire coast from Metane QC to Campellton NB.
Route 132 around Gaspe is far worse than I expected. There were many 15% grades and at least one 17% grade???no issue with our Ford Supre Duty.
Plenty of campgrounds to choose from, we stayed at Forillon NP. Must admit that the directions to get there left a lot to be desired, but once there it was fantastic. We had electric only site for CA $28 and based on Cyclist advice we bought the family pass to the Canadian Parks for CA $137. NOTE: all dollars from now on will now be in CA not US....math is not my thing. My only regret is that we did not spend more time in Perce, a neat village with a great rock! We are currently parked at nice family owned campground in Shippagan NB where we will visit Miscou Island and do some kayaking.

I have been trying to post some pictures and have followed instructions from post on the forums, but am failing...will continue to try.

Forgot to mention the wildlife at Forillon. We saw 5 or 6 Moose and at least 4 bears. While on one hike we can across a female black bear about 30 feet away. We stopped, she "humphreffed" ( a sound not a word! ) several times. She stood up next to a tree and then we saw her cubs. About three minutes of good excitement.

Now, if we ever meet at a rally, I will tell the story of how my golden retriever, Jake, saved our lives....the more bourbon, the better the story will get!

More later....

[SilverEagle6]

Some pics from Forillon.

[SilverEagle6]

Thought I could do more than one at a time....another one

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by SilverEagle6

Now, if we ever meet at a rally, I will tell the story of how my golden retriever, Jake, saved our lives....the more bourbon, the better the story will get!

More later....

The more bourbon...the better EVERY story gets!! haha!!

Sounds like your trip is off to a great start. Will look for more posts with more pics.

[SilverEagle6]

Hiking along the coast at Forillon NP

[SilverEagle6]

We made it to NS, first stop Advocate Harbour, stayed at, the ADDA campground for $35. Nice and clean, friendly host. We later discovered the Old Shipyard Campground at Spencer's Island just down the road, right on the beach and will be here for a few days. We hiked around Chignecto Park which has two loops around 3.5 miles. Great views of Three Sisters and the coastline. We drove up to Cape D'Or to the lighthouse and hiked those paths. One in particular goes over to the beach. We saw several seals(?)....they were huge, at least their heads were. We were far enough away the pics just show a dot. Diesel is about $3.77 US per gallon and surprising to us it is cheaper than gas.

Note to all who will be making this journey. When we used our credit card last year in Yukon, BC, and Alberta, we paid a significant surcharge due to the exchange rate. This year, at least so far, we are benefiting when we use our credit card due to the favorable exchange rate.

More to follow and will post some pics of this leg.

[Gilmurr]

If you make it to Kejimkujik National Park we are here for the next two weeks! Great spot to hike, canoe, kayak, and swim. We are doing our volunteer work protecting endangered Blandings turtle nests in the evenings. Makes for a fun eco-tourism event. Have fun in our part of the world!


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[SilverEagle6]

Gilmurr, our very loose itinerary has us getting there around June 25. We are spending about ten days on the Digby Neck, mostly in Digby and Whale Cove, then on to Kejimkujik for three or four days.

[Gilmurr]

We will be here until June 28th as campground hosts. Have you made reservations for Keji...we can recommend sites if not depending on your desires for sites.


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