GOOD-BYE GROS MORNE.
TRAVEL DAY
From: Gros Morne/Norris Point KOA, Norris Point, NL.
To: Kinsmen Prince Edward RV Park & Campground, Corner Brook, NL.
Day 151 – The hurricane/tropical storm was not a big deal here, not like what was predicted. This seems to happen often, but it’s okay; we’re glad it wasn’t worse here. Other places were hit hard. Hope everyone is okay!
It was 66 degrees, cloudy and windy at 7 a.m. this morning. We didn’t rush to leave Gros Morne since we didn’t need to leave at any particular time to beat the storm. We departed after dumping tanks at 11 a.m., heading south on Route 430. It was not raining and the clouds were impressive over the mountains. Gros Morne is a beautiful place. We’ll miss it there.
The wind gusts were a little worrisome at times, but not nearly as strong as originally predicted. Now and then during the day, there were some rain sprinkles. Route 430 ended and we got on the Trans Canada Highway south until we got off on Route 440 west. Soon thereafter, we arrived at our campground. We were at the northern outskirts of the city of Corner Brook, the second largest city in Newfoundland. There wasn’t much traffic and the journey was trouble-free.
The Corner Brook Kinsmen Prince Edward RV Park & Campground isn’t very far from the junction of the 440 and the TCH. We can hear some traffic noise at the campground but it’s not too bad. The Park is large and parts of it are heavily wooded. It borders the Bay of Islands which is fed by the Humber River. It’s a scenic area with mountains all around. It is close to Marble Mountain, a popular winter sport destination. We had never been to this campground before.
We arrived at 12:25 p.m. It was 70 degrees and windy with a few sprinkles of rain. We had reservations for 5 nights. There was no one at the check-in kiosk when we got there, and after calling the phone number posted, it took a little while for a staff member to arrive. The campsite they had chosen for us was too small, so he let us drive through the campground and pick an available site. We chose Site #69 in the no-hook-up section. There were less occupied campsites in this section and we found a private site that was surrounded by trees and plenty large. This is where solar panels come in handy. If it turns out to be too shady for adequate power from the panels, generators are allowed here. By the time we picked a site and got checked in, filled the tank with drinking water (a VERY slow, low-pressure process), and leveled the RV at the campsite, an hour and a half had gone by. We hadn’t had lunch yet and the girls were quite ready to take their lunch break, too.
After lunch, we unpacked and settled in. Except for a barking dog in the distance, it appears to be fairly quiet here. We’ll see how it goes. You never know how it will be if you haven’t scoped out a campground in advance. The girls are currently napping in various places in the RV. The wind is supposed to pick up a little this evening, but we lucked out with this storm. The high temperature today was 71 degrees around the time we left Gros Morne.
