Category: Blanc-Sablon

South Shore Drive

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Sunrise in Blanc-SablonAfter last evening’s rain we awoke to a bright, sunny morning with the thermometer registering 9 ℃ (48 ℉), the coolest day so far.
The high for the day was eventually 14 ℃ (57 ℉) but the wind was cool often up to 30 kph (20 mph) with stronger gusts and never really let up.

We drove the southern shore of Labrador out to Red Bay and it is uniquely beautiful and remarkably barren. At Red Bay we reached 51.7 degrees north latitude. Trees never reach any significant height and the land often looks very tundra-like. Red Bay National Historic SiteAt Red Bay we explored the Basque Whaling museum and talked with the Parks Canada staff. The site will close for the season in about two days, the more distant Battle Harbour site had closed already.

By the time we had finished at the Red Bay National Historic Site it was lunch time and the Whaler’s Restaurant was conveniently adjacent to the museum. Once again I was able to enjoy east coast fish, cod this time and it was another enjoyable meal.

From there we retraced our path back to Blanc-Salon then beyond along the Quebec side of the north coast of The Strait of Belle Isle until we found rain then reversed our path back to Blanc Sablon. Next we stopped at a grocery store for croissants, cheese, grapes and wine. Dinner! Tomorrow we return to the Newfoundland mainland and St Anthony. After that we begin our return home.

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0202.

Typical Highway view

Labrador Straits War Memorial

Labrador Straits War Memorial

L'Anse Au Clair

L’Anse Au Clair

Brador Falls

Brador Falls

Blanc-Sablon, Quebec

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It is now Sunday afternoon on September 20 and we are in Blanc-Salon, QC, but I am uncertain of the time. Apparently, Blanc-Sablon is on Eastern time, perhaps not even Eastern Daylight time. My GPS Switched to Atlantic time as soon as we disembarked the ferry. Our cell phones are on Newfoundland time which is probably a good thing since the ferry operates on Newfoundland time. Regardless of the time, we have respectable internet service so let me rewind to Corner Brook and yesterday morning.

We did not have a long trip from Corner Brook to St Barbe so, after stopping for coffee at the last Timmy’s until St Anthony, we diverted from Highway 430 toward the coast in Gros Morne Park and the area known as Woody Point. From there we drove through the “table lands” to the community of Trout River. DCIM100GOPROGOPR0171.The scenery in Gros Morne is quite spectacular. We enjoy the drive anGros Morned found a place to have lunch. The remainder of the drive was uneventful but the day became more and more overcast as we neared our destination.

The Dockside Inn was only a few hundred metres from the ferry terminal and part of it also served as the ferry ticket office, how convenient for the morning. There was rain during the evening but we had nowhere to go and the hotel had both a restaurant and a bar. Gail had her choice of wine, white or white. She chose white. The food was acceptable and they served locally caught seafood, yummy  scallops.

While we were in the bar some of the locals mentioned that the weather was becoming very windy and the trip across the Strait of Belle Isle might be cancelled as apparently has been in the past. We awoke Sunday morning to mostly sunny skies but it certainly was windy. By the time we finished breakfast the weather was sunny and warm so we walked around the area along a trail through the woods to the ferry terminal and back to the motel.St Barbe trail Soon after 11 AM I was able to convert our reservations into a ferry boarding pass so we finished packing up the car, checked out and took our place in line at the terminal. We still had time to walk back to the restaurant for a takeout coffee and return to greet the incoming ferry.MV Apollo

The trip across the Strait of Belle Isle was, as expected, quite rough, and after a calm start the ferry rocked and rolled for about 45 minutes and then suddenly, we were there. After about 20 minutes while they prepared for disembarkation we drove out of the ferry for the 5 minute drive to our accommodation for the next couple of days.

Surf at Blanc-SablonWe took a short drive along the Quebec shoreline to the west but the heavy rain and mist was too much for any sightseeing. So back to the room and then a visit to the local hamburger emporium for a quick dinner.