Travel day to Port au Choix

 August 9, 2023

Oceanside RV CG site 11

Port au Choix, NL

Travel day today...but just a two hour jaunt north on hwy 430...also known at the Viking Trail...a very scenic drive.  The views changed from the mountains of Gros Morne

 

to a flatter land.  Then the landscape changed once again to less trees as we followed the coastline.

We even passed a golf course and a dairy farm on our travels.

There were still reminders that this island is known as The Rock

as the poles were still supported by crates of rocks.

When we left hwy 430 to make our way to our destination of Port au Choix

the road changed in condition....typical of the secondary roads in Newfoundland

At times, the edge of the road was so broken away that it was almost like driving on a one lane highway.

Our campground's name fits the location, as we are right on the water.

Our sites are 30amp with water and a dump station.  That will suit us just fine as we will only be here 3 nights.  And the BIG plus as far as Momma was concerned...whether it was the breeze or just the location that contributed to fact.......there are NO LITTLE BLACK NIPPER BUGS. Yep, Momma was doing the happy dance for sure.  She still has older bites that are still itchy, but there won't be any new ones to add to her collection.

This campground is owned by the Lions Club.  The man who checked us in was generous with information about the area.  It was just like being at a Welcome Center!  

We decided to take his advice and go to the French Bakery for the 2pm demonstration of making bread in a wood oven

Two and a half hours ago, the oven was loaded with wood to get it hot.  Just before baking, the wood coals were removed to make way for the pan of rolls.

The oven was somewhere between 375 and 450 so it only took about 10 minutes for the rolls to bake.

The rolls were served with jams, butter and molasses along with your choice of drink, hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water or lemonade.

For jelly choices: Partridgeberry, Squashberry, Blueberry or Rubarb.

All the rolls and jellies are made right here in the kitchen.  Momma had a conversation with Karen who went to the freezer and pulled out a bag of Squashberries so she could see what they looked like.  Momma said they reminded her of red currants in appearance.  Karen said there is another berry that looks similar but when you look inside, it is white ....and that berry is posionous.  

After being fortified with fresh baked bread with jams, the gang decided to explore the other side of the cove. 

Momma hasn't decided if all the benches that have been strategically placed are for the tourists or the locals as I'm sure even the locals never tire of the views.  

Someone with artistic talent created this colorful display.  From a distance it reminds you of the jelly bean houses found in St. Johns.

Tradition was broken tonight in lew of another activity.  No nightly card game.  Instead, once again, on the recommendation of Todd, the campground check-in guide, the gang went off on another adventure.... a moose hunt.  They were  unsure if they would have success, as twice while attending a function the audience had been asked if anyone had seen a moose and there was no positive response.  But Todd had shared pictures he had taken on his phone.

The best place to see caribou and moose is by the lighthouse.

And the best time is as the sun is setting, Todd told them.  

So at 8pm, they loaded in the jeep and drove out to the lighthouse to search for wild life.  Shortly before 9pm, off on the horizon, they spotted two caribou grazing at the top of the rise.

Uncle Steve's longer lens on his camera did a better job than Momma's phone camera.

All of a sudden, everyone was taken by surprise as two caribou came running right by the jeep at a high speed as they raced close by us on their way to the beach area and over the bank.  Everyone was so in awe that they failed to snap a picture of nature so close to us.  Awesome sighting!!

Just as it was getting too dark to make out much of anything and the gang had decided to call it a night they saw

Let me see if I can brighten up the picture a bit.

And zoom in

This fellow and his friend were oblivious to our camera shots.

It only took us two weeks in Newfoundland to finally see a couple of moose and caribou. 

It was a successful hunt and a grand finale to another beautiful day on our Newfoundland adventure. 

 

I wonder if the gang will be reliving their animal encounter in their dreams tonight. After all, the experience was a dream come true.

I'm Chloe