We were already checked out at the RV Park, so we were up early, drove up the hill to the office, hooked up “Moonshadow” and said a final goodbye to the park staff.  In a sense we had been there for 7 months, so we were kinda’ like family!  But we were ready to start our trip to Idaho, a long way off! 

It was a Sunday morning, so we were hoping for a light traffic drive down the eastern coast of Newfoundland. The route is called the Irish Loop based on the Irish settlers from the 1700’s.  The reason for the influx of settlers was the cod fishing grounds.  And we were told that over the years many countries sent fishing fleets to the Newfoundland waters, including the French, the Spanish, and the Irish.  It was the Irish that stayed and made the area a more permanent home toward the 1820’s. 

The drive to the tip of the Avalon Peninsula was only about 80 miles and we had one major stop planned.  The lighthouse in Ferryland was high on the must-see list.  It was about halfway to our final destination and recommended as a picnic lunch locale.

The old Colony of Avalon (where the lighthouse is located) is one of the oldest settlements in North America and was founded in 1621 by Lord Baltimore, whose family later founded the colony of Maryland.  There are still archaeological sites around the area as well.

And Ferryland probably derived its name as it was called “Farilham” by Portuguese fishermen and “Forillon” by French fishermen. Some believe “Forillon” is an old French word for a rock or island separated from the mainland by a narrow channel.  And that feature shows clearly on the map.

We pulled off the highway into the parking lot and all the little shops were closed!  We were too early in the season.  And there were no other cars.  We decided not to try to drive the RV up to the lighthouse so we unhooked the Jeep in the lot and headed up the road to see what we would find.  Very quickly we realized that leaving the RV was the right decision.  The Jeep was not absolutely necessary but a good vehicle to have! 

There was another small parking lot nearer the lighthouse with two other cars but still no sight of the lighthouse.  So, we locked up and headed out on foot.  It was a pleasant walk up the hill across the narrow channel (as in the name) and the lighthouse soon came into view.   There were other hiking trails all around the lighthouse with interesting rock formations.  We spent about an hour walking the trails and enjoying the view over the ocean.  But no whales yet.

Back to the RV and on to the tip of the peninsula to Portugal Cove South and the Edge of Avalon Visitor Center where we planned to spend the night.  We checked in to see about our tour/hike the next day and to see where to park.  They suggested the center parking lot but it was not level enough for the RV so we went across the street to their little parking lot and park and backed up to the water’s edge.   Very quiet and a nice view.

The Center coordinates the tour to the UNESCO Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve to see the oldest known fossils in the world.  It is a closed area, and you can only go in with the tour.  We had that planned for the next day so we settled in for the night.  The parking lot had no services, so we did our first “boondocking”.  It was forecast to be about 32 deg so we turned on the propane furnace heater and hoped for the best. 

The next day was forecast for the 40’s and a light drizzle until the afternoon when it was supposed to start raining.  Our tour started at 10:30 by gathering at the center.  There were 5 other guests and 2 young ladies as our tour guides.  Each group drove in their own car to the Ranger station, and we headed out.  The breeze was at our back and the drizzle was light but became more apparent.  The hike is about 2 miles along a narrow truck path and then, after crossing a small river, you were on a walking trail.  Not bad but up and down a few hills until we reached the site. 

This is where it got interesting.  We had been told to bring extra socks since we could not walk on the fossils with our shoes.  And it had been raining, and it was cold.  So off with the shoes and onto the large flat rock outcropping to see the fossils.  Yes, they are small and difficult to see.   I could try to explain more but just to say they have been dated to 565 million years old!  They are like you would imagine soft corals that you might see snorkeling a reef.  And have been smashed flat!  They were preserved due to the layer of volcanic ash.  And soon our feet were freezing! 

So, it was decided as a group that was enough.  One couple had already headed back!  We took off the wet socks and, using our spare ones (although they were not “dry” since our backpacks were wet), got our shoes back on and started on the trail.  By now the drizzle had picked up and we were walking into the breeze, so it was much more uncomfortable.  We passed the next tour group heading to the site and wished them well as the drizzle had turned to a steady rain.  Needless to say, we were pretty soaked when we found the cars!  All in all, it was very interesting, educational, and a nice personal challenge.

But we were not done yet.  We dried off as much as possible and headed further out on the gravel road to the Cape Race lighthouse.  Before the lighthouse was built, Mistaken Point was named because many ships captains had “mistaken” that outcropping for Cape Race and a safe point to turn north.  Oops!  The lighthouse is also famous as a Marconi site and one that received the distress call from the Titanic.  We drove out but didn’t get out of the car.  The visibility was poor, and the foghorn was actually operating.  We had our snack that we had taken for the hike and headed back to the RV. 

For the night, we move from Portugal Cove South 7 miles to the town of Trepassey and the Edge of the Avalon Inn.  We got a spot in the parking lot and again settled in for a boondocking.  But we had use of the inn’s  clothes dryer and went to their restaurant for a nice pea soup and cod au gratin dinner!  A nice finish to a busy two-day adventure. 

Now on to the next one!