Highway 430 is the Viking Trail Highway and skirts the coastline all the way from Gros Morne to the northern tip.  The area is called the Great Northern Peninsula, and it is about 225 miles from Rocky Harbor to the town of L’Anse aux Meadows at the very end.  The Viking part really begins near that area and many events, businesses, and visitor points focus on the Vikings.  But that’s later.

First, we decided to break the trip up into two legs with a stop in Port au Choix (pronounced Port o Schwa) about halfway.  I didn’t really have any other reason to stop there except for the location. 

On the way, we stopped at the Arches Provencial Park to see the natural arches carved into the rocks by the sea waves over centuries!  Very interesting and photographic!

The RV park in Port Au Choix was a Lions Club sponsored park right on the beach.  All the RV’s backed up in one row facing the ocean.  The view for everyone was unobstructed.  Very nice. 

We had some friends from the KOA in Gros Morne there as well as a new Florida friend in a very similar RV to ours parked next door.  Small world.  And there was a Colemans grocery store just across the highway! 

We got there early enough to catch the afternoon exhibit at the Bread Oven where they show how, in the early 1700’s, the French fishermen had set up small kitchens on the beach because, by treaty, they could not establish permanent settlements.  They demonstrate the baking and then you get 2 nice buns and a sampling of 4 jellies.  Plus, great hot chocolate! 

The host for the demo was an old Quebec fisherman named Davey Jones who gave a bit of history, his personal saga, and then played the accordion for us.  Quite an old salt.  I asked about his last name not sounding very French and he replied that his family was originally from Delaware! 

Next, we took time to go visit the Point Riche lighthouse, and on the way back to the RV we stopped at the Visitor Center since the tour buses had left.  We were asked if we had seen the caribou at the lighthouse and said no.  They reassured us that 4 were seen in the area and that is why the buses had departed!  So, we hurried back as well and saw 4 together grazing a short distance away.  We got close enough for some telephoto shots then decided to continue walking along the shore and rock cliffs.

When we returned to see the caribou again, they were gone but we found that they had moved up near the parking lot.  We got some much better shots from closer up.

The next morning, we planned to head out early but decided to go to do a quick walk at the Philip’s Garden Trail.  As we pulled into the parking lot, we both said “Look! A statue of a bull Caribou up on the walkway”.  Until it moved!  We got a couple of good shots as he turned to “pose” before heading into the woods. 

Back at the RV, we packed up and headed up the other half of the road.  We decided to take a longer loop east which turned out to be nice, but the road was really bad in places!  We pulled into the Viking RV Park in Quirpon.  We had a boat tour planned for the next afternoon, so we went to check in at the office.  All was good and we were confirmed.

Next, we drove out to the L’Anse aux Meadows Park Visitor Center just to get some info before closing and decided to catch the 10 am guided tour the next day.  This area is the location that was excavated to find evidence that the Norsemen landed on North American lands according to saga tales.  The tour described the basis of the exploratation, the process and the timing. 

It is based on a tale called the Vinland Saga that was passed down verbally for about 200-300 years until authors wrote it for the first time.  The accuracy has been challenged but the geographic descriptions and landmarks could not be questioned.  So, in the 1960’s, a group began excavating a beach area on the very tip of Newfoundland and did find evidence of non-indigenous artifacts and dwellings that dated back to about the year 1000. 

It is roughly the story we know about Eric the Red, his son, Leif, and his other siblings and their travels although Eric the Red did not actually make these trips.  The evidence showed that they set up permanent camps in the bay and stayed for maybe 20 years and then abandoned the camps with no real understanding why.  It was interesting enough that I bought a copy of the sagas and hope to understand the history more. 

Finally, we hurried back to the RV and put on our extra warm clothes and headed out for another boat ride to look for icebergs and whales.  The weather was foggy and cold, but the winds were very light.  The boat was similar to the one back in Trinity but without the saddle seats.  Gail and I got to sit behind the helm, so we were a little out of the wind. 

And we found some great icebergs.  Not as big as the one in Trinity but more colorful and closer up!  Captain Molly, our guide, did a great job of highlighting the features and the travels of the bergs.  But again, no whales!

She did get us a chunk of ice from a small berg called a “growler” which we brought back to the RV and used for ice in our cocktails!  Cheers!

As a treat and to celebrate the end of our stay in Newfoundland we decided to go out for a nice dinner at The Norseman Restaurant (the northern most restaurant in Newfoundland).  It is at the end of the street, at the tip of the peninsula, and across the street from the statue of Leif Eriksson.

Our last morning, we took advantage of the Iceberg Festival special breakfast at the RV park and enjoyed talking to new friends from Ottawa.  Then we packed up and headed back down Hwy 430 to prepare for the ferry to Labrador.  Even with the light rain and some more fog, we made good time.  The park is just across from the ferry terminal and next to a gas station. We got fueled up and are ready to go.

As we said in the Screech ceremony toast:

From coast to coast, we raise a toast.  We love thee, Newfoundland!