THUNDERSTORMS.
TRAVEL DAY
From: Frenchman’s Cove Provincial Park, Frenchman’s Cove, NL.
To: Notre Dame Provincial Park, Lewisporte, NL.
Day 101 – It was partly cloudy at 7 a.m. this morning and 62 degrees; lots of mosquitoes out. We had a longer drive today than we like (we didn’t tell the girls this; no need to upset them before they would get upset anyway). We rushed around, no checking e-mails and reading the NY Times on the computer!
We departed Frenchman’s Cove at 9:30 a.m., after dumping tanks. It was 66 degrees with increasing clouds. Our destination will be our third visit to Notre Dame Provincial Park. This Park is well-situated for quicker stays between two longer campground visits. It is off the Trans Canada Highway, is a large campground with plenty of sites, and there are cities nearby if we need gas, propane, or groceries. We were last there June 8 thru 10 this year. At that time (about 7 weeks ago), it was 57 degrees when we arrived. When we arrived this afternoon, it was 81 degrees and thunderstorms were expected. The bushes and trees that were beginning to show new spring growth and so pretty with the bright green color, were now looking like they were maturely into summer, with the leaves a darker green and not contrasting so much with the evergreens. Those who live where there are four separate seasons will know what I mean.
We stopped once for lunch at a pull-off. As soon as we were away from the ocean, the temperatures were rising. We were a little sad to leave the beauty of the Burin Peninsula, but we have plenty of stops ahead that will knock our socks off. The Gros Morne National Park comes immediately to mind! The drive was uneventful, which is good, and the girls (and us) welcomed our lunch break.
We arrived at Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. Check in was quick, as was the unpacking and settling in – this is the same campsite (#67) that we stayed in when we were here last time. It was all very familiar with basically the only differences being the weather and it was more crowded, but still not too bad considering it was a Saturday in late July, a peak vacation time.
The skies darkened and the thunderstorms started around 4:15 p.m. Lasting a couple of hours, the winds were strong and the rain poured down. A couple of the scare-dey cats disappeared under the chairs. When the storm was over it was much cooler. They came out for dinner. Who wouldn’t?