NEWFOUNDLAND – HUNKERED DOWN AGAIN.
Day 141 – It was REALLY windy last night. The RV was rocking a bit. There were no trees around us to offer us any protection. This morning the waves were breaking roughly, and out to sea, there were white-caps as far as we could see in the distance. It was 46 degrees when we got up, cloudy & very windy. The wind increased during the morning, and we brought in two of the slides where the wind was whipping the awning over the slides back & forth – very noisy & scaring the cats. The girls were fine when we made the noise go away, grin. We were their heroes.
There was no way we were going to leave today in the RV to go somewhere else – dangerous driving conditions in a high-profile vehicle. We decided to take advantage of the down time & go for a drive, doing some exploring in the car. We drove north, then south on Route 430, taking several roads off the main road to check out the small towns and the roaring Ocean. The sun peeked out at times; it remained very windy, the high today was 57 degrees.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
According to the weather forecast, the wind will gradually decrease tonight back into the teens & it will start raining early in the morning. Tomorrow we’ll probably head south, weather permitting. We had an early dinner and sat in the RV, scrunched up tightly with the cats because the wind was too strong to bring the slides back out.
Flower’s Cove Parking Lot: This isn’t a place advertised anywhere as a campground. It is a gravel area at the end of a gravel road where an old fishing dock & building are located. It is surrounded on three sides by water on the Strait of Belle Isle. The views are dramatic with rocky shoals, crashing waves, and the province of Labrador across the Strait. There is a sign that says “RV Parking” on Route 430 soon after you enter the town Flower’s Cove, heading north. When you turn on the gravel road & travel a short distance, you come to a small parking lot for a walking trail & the Thrombolites, a tourist draw in Flower’s Cove. Keep going on the gravel road to the end. A sign tells you that RV’s can park there overnight, that it is FREE, and you can make a donation if you like at the town building. We stayed two nights. Both nights a few others camped there, too. There are no hook-ups & no dump station – it’s dry camping, boondocking, whatever you want to call it. The views of the water, the town, the lighthouse, all were outstanding. Our problem was the weather and the high winds. You are completely out in the open with no protection from trees or buildings. Otherwise, we would definitely stay there again. They are only located about 15 minutes north of the ferry terminal in St. Barbe, very convenient.