20020608

June 8, 2002

Day 30

Start: Gros Morne RV Park, Rocky Harbour, NF
End: Country Inn Motel & Trailer Park, Gander, NF
Miles: 253

The high today was 70f and the low was 36f last night or early this morning. The wind was calm all day. We felt our first touch of little flies, but no biting ones yet.

We started out after breakfast, finally leaving the western shore and northern peninsula of Newfoundland. Our target was to stop at Grand Falls/Windsor for the afternoon and night. We thought that we could get in some shopping and church in a larger city. Unfortunately, the larger RV park hasn’t yet opened for this season. The smaller one had only non-serviced sites left.

We called ahead to a place in Gander, some 60 miles farther, and drove there. We saw a couple of moose. Other than that, the scenery was either bog, ponds (lakes), or hills (quite a few, but not very high). 

We pulled into the campground after passing the entrance the first time. There was construction across the street and I missed it. The campground is on the edge of town on a two land road with narrow shoulders. We had to go about six miles before we could turn around to come back to the campground. As a matter of fact, we used the entrance to another campground to turn around to get back to ours. Felt silly.

After setting up the trailer, we went to the local visitor’s center. They gave us some literature and a city map. Right down the Trans-Canada Highway was the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. Since Susan works at such a place, we went to look. It was closed due to the late hour.

The NAAM’s building is small, but unique. There is the tail of a transport aircraft sticking out the front end of the building above the entrance. We couldn’t see inside, of course, but we walked the grounds. On display outside are a CF-101 VooDoo fighter, a Beech 18S transport, a WWII Hudson bomber (said to be the best in existence), and a PBY-5A rigged as a forest service water bomber to fight forest fires. It’s an interesting display. Maybe we can stop on the way back.

Then we went shopping. I’d worn out a pair of jeans, so I bough two new pair at the local Wal-Mart (yup, they’re here, too). Then we got the groceries and returned to put them away before the ice cream melted. I went back out to get cash and wine.

We went out to church, at which there was no one younger than twelve, and returned. We did hamburgers in the little house for dinner. Now, we’re doing the computer and planning the next few days. There’s no sense hanging around Gander. The people are nice, but it’s another large town (pop 10,000) without much beauty. It’s a service city for the towns around it. 

We’ll go to Eastport tomorrow.