A VERY ROUGH & HILLY ROAD.
TRAVEL DAY
From: Bird Island Resort, St. Bride’s, NL.
To: Jack’s Pond Park, Arnold’s Cove, NL.
Day 94 – It was 68 degrees and partly cloudy with some sun at 7:15 a.m. this morning. There are two ways we could travel to our next destination – one up the western side of the peninsula to the TCH-1, the shorter but rougher road; or the other choice was to back track up the eastern side of the peninsula to the TCH-1, going back past the previous place we stayed to get to he TCH-1. Both roads badly need work in places, and in addition to the very bad road conditions on the western side, there are several really big hills to climb and descend.
Newfoundlanders in general are very friendly and extremely talkative. If someone starts a conversation with you, it can take an hour or two for that conversation to end, and in order for that to happen, it ends only because someone else has arrived and they begin talking to the new person. NOT kidding! It’s nice because you find out everything you might have been wondering about but were afraid to ask. But when you are trying to leave a campground, someone invariably comes over for a chat. That happened this morning, making us leave later than we would have liked.
First Rob had to ask Felix where to dump tanks. About an hour later, he came back to the RV with the life history of almost everyone in the village (including the fact that lots of people are dying young from cancer or getting dementia at a young age, and that he’d had the stomach flu yesterday), plus the information that Felix couldn’t answer that question – ask one of the sons or the daughter-in-law. We decided to wait until we were ready to leave and all packed up, then when we went to pay at the convenience store/office, Rob would ask there. We were almost ready to depart when Andrew, the owner’s son, knocked on the RV door. One hour (or more) later, we knew where to dump AND the problems of running a motel/convenience store/and other businesses the family was involved with, the future plans for the motel, the possibility of opening an RV park on the property, the fact that the ocean waves are causing the cliff side to collapse and they have to keep moving the fence back, the problems getting good help, and that he had moved back home from living in Alberta, Canada, and didn’t know how long he would stay because he and his dad fought a lot. Phew.
So due to the time spent yakking, our decision was made to drive the shorter distance to our destination, by going up the rougher, very hilly road on the western side of the peninsula. We departed the Resort at 11:40 a.m. It was 75 degrees with fog in some places and sunlight in other places more inland. We drove north on Route 100 out of St. Bride’s.
Taking that route was a mistake, and we doubt if we will go that way again no matter how long it takes to go the other way. The girls hated it, we hated it, and both vehicles hated it, but all did a great job! We stopped after Placentia for a lunch break. This helped with the grouchiness immensely. Back on the 100, we turned north on Route 101, then northeast on Route 202 before reaching the Trans Canada Highway 1. On the TCH, the road was quicker and better maintained. We drove northwest until reaching our campground, Jack’s Pond Park, just off the highway. We’d never been here before, and had made our reservations sight unseen. It was just for one night, so no need to worry.
We arrived at Jack’s Pond at 2:15 p.m. It was hot & humid and extremely crowded. About an hour later we finally got to our campsite and began unpacking. This was our first time camping at a “family campground specializing in children”. The campground was full. There was a beach and it was packed with people. We swerved around ATV’s, bicycles, walkers, tricycles, and everything from motorcycles to large RV’s, just trying to get to the camp store to check in. We parked and Rob went inside the store/office, which turned out to be a gift shop, a counter for soft-serve ice cream, a place to get food, a store, and where you wait in line to check in. Only 2 people were visibly working; we assume someone was behind the counter cooking also. I sat in the RV watching the steady stream of children running to and from the beach and veering in between the vehicles of all kinds, parked or driving, trying to get through the throngs of people. It was mayhem. On top of that, the campground was overtly decorated for celebrating “Halloween in July”. Oh goody, we said. The girls were not overjoyed either. Finally leaving the madhouse, Rob returned to the RV, shaking his head. I said, “Never have I ever….” And he agreed. The man in front of Rob in line had gone through this check-in process and driven to his previously-reserved campsite, only to find someone was already occupying it. The family had to return and wait in line again. Rob forgave him for cutting in line. A person can only take so much!
We slowly made our way to our assigned campsite trying to avoid hitting someone on the road. There was no one in it, but the camper next to us kindly removed his vehicle from our site so we could pull in. We were facing the lake, the beach in the distance, and behind us the campground road was busy with vehicles driving through. It was hot and sticky, 79 degrees, but the sun was out. We turned on the air conditioner, pulled the shades on the windows to keep the heat out, and still it was quite noisy with barking dogs and children running around. There was a steady stream of traffic, the ATV’s being the loudest, and it appeared everyone was having a great summer day. We unpacked and escaped into our little cocoon, happy it was just for one night and grateful that we had a place to stay. The trick-or-treating began before dark, many kids without costume, but we enjoyed seeing some really good costumes, too. They only stopped at the campsites where it was obvious the occupants were celebrating, also. They’d decorated their campsites for the occasion.
The high today was 82 degrees. Tomorrow we will drive down the Burin Peninsula for 6 nights at Frenchman’s Cove Provincial Park. We are looking forward to it. It was one of favorite places in 2019.
For more detailed information about Jack’s Pond Park, Arnold’s Cove, NL, click here.