Day one in Newfoundland

 July 26, 2023

Grand Codroy RV-tent Camping site 2

Codroy, Newfoundland Labrador

Momma announced that she is really beginning to see a pattern.  She received some nasty, long lasting as in 3-4 days of welts, bug bites as a greeting in Maine.  She swelled up from bites that lasted days as a greeting in Nova Scotia.  Well, Newfoundland seems to have extended the same greeting.  This is the month for little black flies that Newfies call flies or nippers.  They have been having a wet month which has really encouraged the fly/nipper population.  They come out to feast on your blood as the sun sets and are active until the sun has risen in the morning.  At least that is what we have noticed.  Dad kept telling Momma they were just gnats our first morning in Newfoundland.  Momma kept telling him, well something is sure biting me.  The locals have clarified that Dad's gnats are really hungry, blood-sucking flies.    And these bites have swollen up and still itch well into the second day.  What a greeting!!

Thankfully, Newfoundland is so impressive that it helps take some of the sting away. 

We set up on our sites early Wednesday morning,

before the campground office was even open....while swatting the little black flies.

 But by the time the two-legged departed to go exploring, the flies had disappeared.

The scenery is just awesome everywhere you look.

The first stop of the day was at Gillis General Store.   This family owned business has been in operation since the 1950's.  

It is indeed a General Store stocked with a bit of everything from groceries to movies to hardware to clothing to gifts to......

With so much of the land here being rocky, we have noticed that they use a different method to secure some of the poles.  I guess you could call it a box of rocks.

Another lighthouse was located.  This lighthouse is still in use so no one is allowed too close.  The two buildings nearby have been turned into lodging

The cod processing plant is down by the harbour.

Crossing the bridge, a sandy beach was located and of course Searston Beach, where the Codroy River meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence, had to be checked out.  

I'm talking stick your foot in the water checked out.  Go Auntie Carol......feet in the Gulf of St. Lawrence cooooold water.

and there's Uncle Steve ready to capture that moment for posterity.

This bridge design is relatively new.  There are only 5 in North America and they are all in Atlantic Canada.

It weighs over 350 tons, has over 12,000 bolts, and the steel cost approximately $1,700,000 when built in 2012....and it is one lane only.

Our campground is well maintained 

The office is the building in the center and the red building to the right is the Craft Store loaded with handmade item.  Momma and Dad tried a couple of jams.  They liked the Black Currant and Partridgebery (with apple and rubarb) flavors, so they decided to get more for the road,  Momma read the ingredients and the berries are the first ingredient listed and sugar is the last which means loaded with berries and a small amount of sugar.   

A camper from Maine was also shopping.  She was purchasing some of the knitted hats and mittens for the Maine winter weather.

Check out the colorful laundry building

Now if they just offered 50amp hook-ups....but that will be a rarity here in Newfoundland.  

Time to enjoy that wide open grassy space with some ball time.....

I'm Chloe