GETTING CLOSER TO ST. JOHN’S.
TRAVEL DAY
From: Grate’s Cove Free RV Parking, Grate’s Cove, NL.
To: Butter Pot Provincial Park, near Holyrood, NL.
Day 77 – It rained so hard last night that it was almost scary. We were both awakened by the roar of the rain hitting the roof of the RV, and we wondered if that was wind, and if so, we were in trouble. Then, just as quickly it stopped. Weird. This morning it was 60 degrees and foggy. We very leisurely got ready to leave since our new destination is only a couple of hours away, and check-in time is not until 3 p.m. Getting there too early pushes the rules a bit; if someone is using the campsite, they aren’t required to exit until 2 p.m.
We departed wonderful Grate’s Cove (sadly) at 11:25 a.m. It was 63 degrees with hazy sunlight. Banks of fog rolled in and out along the coast as we drove south on Route 70, then Route 75, before reaching the TCH-1 and heading east towards St. John’s. We stopped in Carbonear at about the halfway point of the trip. We found a place to pull over in a shopping center and let the girls out. We all had lunch and took a break. There was a Pet Valu Store (Canada’s version of PetSmart) nearby, so we were able to find the kitty litter that certain cats prefer.
We arrived at our destination at 2:20 p.m. It was 68, cloudy & breezy. Our campground for the next 6 nights will be Butter Pot Provincial Park, near the town of Holyrood, and about 40 minutes from St. John’s. “St. John’s, a city on Newfoundland’s Atlantic coast, is the capital of the Newfoundland & Labrador province. Its harbour was settled by the British in the 1600s. Newfoundland’s largest and most populated city, the population in St. John’s in 2017 totaled 113,948 people. Downtown is known for its colourful row houses. Above the city is Signal Hill with many walking trails and the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication, Cabot Tower, which commemorates John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland on June 24, 1497 (not as an established settlement, but as fishing grounds).” quote from Google. When we were here in 2019, we only spent one day in St. John’s, so even though we did a guided tour, there’s plenty we haven’t seen.
Since there was no dump station at Grate’s Cove, the first thing we did upon arrival was visit the Park’s dump station to empty tanks. Then after checking in, we stopped at the Comfort Station to fill up with drinking water (which needs to be boiled before drinking). Finally, we drove to our campsite, located in the final loop of this very large campground. Site #155 was the campsite we had in 2019, and we were very glad that it was available when we made reservations. This is by far the quietest loop in the campground, being at the very end of the campground road. This loop has no playgrounds and no lake view or access. There is so much less traffic driving through on the way to or from a campsite. None of the campsites have any hook-ups. There is a dump station and water is available at the campground. Our site is large and surrounded by trees and bushes. It’s private and we can head-in, rather than being required to back in. The girls are happy. We are happy.