Taking the Ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland

After leaving St. Andrews, NS we traveled on north along the seacoast for 260 miles to Glenholme for two nights. We were supposed to see a Tidal Bore where the river changes direction, but due to heavy rain, most of us skipped that adventure. Then it was on to North Sydney with a stop in Beddeck at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Bell used to spend his summers in his fashionable home in the area. While known as the inventor of the telephone, he conceived many other things to include a hydrofoil boat that is highlighted in the museum. With the help of another scientist, he invented it while in Beddeck. In the end, there was no market for the famous, high-speed boat, and its hull lay for years on the beach. Fortunately, it eventually found a permanent home in the museum. That evening at our campsite we enjoyed a welcome pizza and salad dinner provided by one of our caravan work crews.

The next day we had to drive only seven miles to the ferry that would take us from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. There were hundreds of cars, trucks, and RVs boarding, but our leaders, Al and Gracie, had done a good job with the reservations. All 31 of our rigs rolled on the huge ferry with no dings to our rigs and no major frustrations. Once we left our vehicles on the lower level, we were told that we could not go back down to get anything. The Ferry, Highlanders, is huge and gorgeous and modern in every respect. There are big screen TVs in the lounge area, a full-service restaurant, snack bar, and internet area. There is also an upper lounge. One can walk the outer decks at will. After shooting some photos on a cloudy day and enjoying our comfortable lounge chairs, we spent a few hours playing three joker games with old Virginia friends, Lloyd and Elaine. The entire trip from Nova Scotia took about six hours, and the water was smooth all the way.

After debarking at Channel-Port Aux Batxques with our rigs in tow, it was a short trip to the J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park in Port Aux Basques. The park was indeed provincial but adequate. The next day, as a part of our caravan, we took a bus ride along the coast to a wonderful historic stone lighthouse. It was cloudy and rainy, but the Rose Blanche Lighthouse was delightful. It is now a national landmark, having ceased operation in the 1960s. The most entertaining thing that occurred in Port Aux Basques was an evening event held in conjunction with a dinner at the fire house. We were all “Screeched In” as Honorary Newfoundlanders--something the locals take great pride in doing. Screech is a form of cheap, high alcohol content Newfoundland rum. In addition to taking a belt of that (ours was Pepsi) each of us had to kiss a cod. That ritual was performed with great reluctance on the part of us Airstreamers, and after being tapped on the shoulders by an oar, we were awarded our Newfie confirmation certificates. The wild and crazy guy presiding over the ceremony was dressed like a northern fisherman and spoke in a native dialect that almost no one understood. But we mumbled along repeating the Newfie pledge as we understood it. Then we all had to dance a Scottish jig. Most of us looked like cows with crutches. Oh well—just another fun night on the island! During our stay at J.T. Cheeseman, we also enjoyed an evening stroll along a rather desolate but scenic beach with Lloyd and Elaine. Gloria picked up some unique rocks from the sand.