07 August: Some Random Island, dihydrogen oxide on the trail, and no Herbs here.

After a lazy conversational morning, we set out. By we I mean my wife and I so we could give K&A a little break. We went to a particular island because it was recommended and random.

    Random Island (FB page here) was first settled by the Beothuk First Nations and then  Europeans in the 1800’s. The fishing, mining, and logging industries began to collapse in the early 1900’s and many moved to nearby Clarenville. A causeway was built and the population grew to stabilize at ~1200 people, in 11 communities, on an island 32km long.

    After taking the causeway we had to wait…then we were moving but soon had to wait…then we moved again and yet again we waited. Road construction was the cause. Large diggers were doing their thing to remove the brush and weeds from each side of the road so large metal tubes could be buried. This is likely for water, power, and/or sewage. The diggers were depositing their loads into large idling dump trucks which would deposit the dirt and detritus on empty land. As a person who likes to plan things out, I saw the logic and approved of having three crews work in tandem. However, I also felt a little righteous indignation from this delay in our travel plans. I don’t know what to call this combination of feelings so I’ll invent the word Apprignation.

    Anyhoo, it was close to lunch and we chose “Open On A Nice Day” cafe as a place to eat in Hickman’s Harbour. My wife had a cheese and broccoli soup, which she said was a little salty, and I consumed the chicken panini with house made chips and potato salad. Big portions!

    Above the town was our first recommended hike to Burgoyves Cove. There was a sign about it, across the road from the cafe, and I web-checked at K&A’s place to scout the entrance. Both things combined and led us to the tiny parking lot. We began our hike.

    Until we reached a higher elevation, the views were that of the lush forest hugging the trail and the varied geology beneath our feet.

    At the top we could see much further and passed a mirror finish lake which contained a handful of tied up boats at different locations.

    Descending, we walked by large rocky hillsides and at the bottom we first heard a small waterfall and got closer to examine it before the bug squadrons became too much.

    Unfortunately, after the half-hour hike we could go no further. The rains of the previous night had filled the path some distance on either side and the waterfall runoff added to the water's depth.

    Next we went to Lower Lance Cove to find another trail, mentioned on the Random Island website. Here, like other places, displayed no signage and cell service was less than spotty. Instead we walked along the Federal wharf and looked into the bay and ocean beyond. A huge school of small fish were slowly swimming in circles among the jellyfish. It was very zen when combined with waves lapping against the sides of the boats tied up.

    Getting in the car we drove through Britannia, Petly, Aspen, Robinson Blight, Lady Cove, Weybridge, Elliot’s Cove, and Random Heights. All were small villages or a smattering of houses along the road. Of them all, only Hickman’s Harbour and Britannia seemed to have vibrancy and activity. The causeway seemed to have turned this island into a bedroom suburb of Clarenville or for summer cottages.

    For supper we ate at The Boat Vietnamese Restaurant and each ordered the vegetable fried rice (with salad and fried tofu on top) and shrimp rolls. I wasn’t surprised when it arrived and the vegetables were the frozen kind, but they did utilize some special method to make them taste good.

    We mentioned this to K&A when we got home and were reminded that vegetables are shipped into St. John’s then loaded into other trucks to go to the hub cities which were then delivered from there. Herbs are rare because of their fragility after being transported from the mainland or St.John's. 4km hiked.

06 Aug: A total wreck, the search for beans, and a time machine village

With a breakfast of egg scramble, refried potatoes, and leftover steak from last night it was time to head back to K&A’s house.

    On the way, we tried to find a little roadside stand that K&A had stumbled upon in years past. After realizing we had passed it, a turnaround led us to a side road that went to Gander Bay. The stand was guarded by a duck dressed to party. Within the shelter were refrigerated chicken and Duck eggs, knitted and sewn items, ceramics, homemade jewellery, and other miscellaneous goods. It was a clever booth that drew you in to see what it contained.

    Next, near Muskgrave Harbour in Banting Memorial Municipal Park, we went to see the wreckage of a plane at Banting Memorial Interpretation Centre. The one that crashed nearby which carried Doctor Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin. K&A told us there are many trails that purposefully pass by or go to airplane wrecks. In the interpretation centre, there were many articles posted about his career, discovery, WW2 service, and controversial death. Dun Dun Duuuuuuuunnnn. Many theories were written of who may have killed him and why, but it was likely just a mechanical malfunction of the two engines on the airplane.

    The super creepy part of the place is behind the building where the wreck and mockup of the airplane Bunting went down on is, and it wasn’t the wreck. It was the plywood frame they have standing up with a cartoony painting of the plane and pilot. A hole is cut out so someone can stick their head through where the pilot’s head would be. So let's set the scene. Plane wreckage, check. Four people died from the plane crashing, check. Mockup, check. Plywood image of plane where your child can pretend they are a pilot on the plane that crashed, super creepy check. Unsettling for me.

    While going to the washroom in the park, we found the facilities and beach very pleasant. Although the weather was a little tumultuous, we would camp here. The washrooms also had a differently dressed duck as guardian.

    As it was getting close to lunch, a poster taped to the side of the washrooms indicated the chilli cookoff would be happening today between Kaitlyn and the Firettes (Woman’s Volunteer Firefighting Association). We all decided to go to the Fire Hall, where it was taking place. Everyone was interested in the unmentioned story behind this contest. Did Kaitlyn once belong to the Firettes? Did an unspeakable divide occur regarding a certain ingredient? Has she won too many times and was kicked out? The stories are endless. But first we had to find it.

    Soon we had located the brand spanking new firehall. Doors were closed and locked. The lights were off. Empty of people. Could we have missed a deadly chilli themed hand-to-hand combat sequence between Kaitlyn & the Firettes…and missed it? Someone suggested that since the fire hall was so new that the cookoff was happening at an older firehall, so we continued our search. And searched. And searched. Ange saw a resident, an older man leaving his home to get into his car. Stopping, we asked where the chilli cookoff was and he said he’d take us there. We followed and in no time at all he pulled over near a community hall with a basement door open and people going in and out. He verified our guess that this was the place and we thanked him. Now to determine the destiny of Kaitlyn.

    After paying our money at the door, we were guided to the bar. Four trays of ten clear plastic cups, with chilli inside each and numbered, were brought to us with a spoon and napkin. Looking at the generous portions, and voting cards with space available for “The Best” and “Most Interesting”. The taste test began.

    All were different. Some were average, yet none were sub par. Some had spice or sweet or a little of both. One used East Indian spices (my choice for most interesting). The one I marked down as best had a little bit of heat with a tinge of molasses and lots of deep flavour. Tummies full, we entered the car with the potential of an afternoon with a little extra gas.

    Second to last stop was the Barbour Living Heritage Village. It is a series of egg yolk yellow buildings that provide a history lesson of this “Venice of Newfoundland”.

    While waiting for our time slot, K and I noted this odd AI/photoshopped poster of Putin, Zelensky, Carney, and Trump. They were side by side with arms over each other's shoulder looking approvingly at some bearded man in the middle. The poster exclaimed an “End to Shirtlessness”. An underslogan said, “One Shirt, One Connection, One World.” Not something you see every day so I checked it out on the interwebs and it wasn’t as odd as I thought, but it is adjacent to the Kingdom of odd. The guy in the middle is selling t-shirts, with the “end to shirtlessness” slogan, to end men’s tendencies to remove their shirts at sporting events. Normally after drinking alcohol. He doesn’t like it and says it denigrates the sport they attend. That’s it. An odd goal to get behind, but I do find the choice of people in the AI image kingdom of odd level. Why not famous sports players?

    The walking tour took us to the barn-sized fishing stage, quirky Benjamin Barbour home (1873), fancy dan Alphaeus Barbour house (1907) that bankrupted its builder, Sealing Interpretation Centre, and old Methodist schoolhouse (1880). In the sealing centre we heard a story of a ship in trouble. The captain had the idea of taking a greasy ham hock, setting it on fire, and raising it up the mast for its crew to be saved by another ship. In fact all the guides, one or more per building, delivered good knowledge and stories about the history of the structures and the people who lived there. It was a very pleasant hour and a half tour, except…for the other four people on the tour.

    Yep. Two married folks our age and the wife’s aged father with his much younger new wife (MYNW). The MYNW had a fancy sun dress on and as soon as we entered the fishing stage complained to her much older husband that it was too cold…so they left the tour. Anyone with a weather app on their phone would have dressed appropriately for the day. The woman our age left, after we were shown the boathouse, to “check up on her dad” and we never saw her again. This left us the man our age or as I like to call him the “I wanna say things to interrupt the guide and show them up with useless facts or questions to feel superior to everyone” person. Let’s just shorten that to “The Useless Idiot”. He left after the first house, but came back partway into the second house. He tried his nonsense again and we ignored him, so he left never to return. Turns out the adult toddler needs attention to survive. Anyways, as one of A’s coffee mugs with a sparkly unicorn says, “I told the bitches whatever and the bitches whatevered”.

    Our last stop, North of Clarenville, was a twofer: a cidery and a pizza place. The Newfoundland Cider Company tasting room had some nice ciders so Natalie and I each had a flight. We both preferred the British classic of “Scrumpy” made with wild and orchard grown apples. We picked up a four-pack.

    At Cabin Six Pizza, a stone's throw away from the cidery, we had our supper. The inside decor was rough lumberjack cool with retro items for warm nostalgic feelings. The pizzas provided wood fired delicious delights. The blue fizzy Pop Shop drink brought up old memories.

    Getting back, at 830pm, led to a little chit chat before going to bed. 2.2km walked.

05 Aug: Failed trails, peanut butter brownie in a cottage, and a local celebrity

9am we left our accommodations to go a little bit North to Sea Breeze park. We tried to tackle the small South trail, but flying neener bugs and trail stair reconstruction prevented it.

    Heading North we hiked the North Longpoint trail and admired the high cliff views. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the side trail to the lighthouse.

    Needing some calories, we drove to Crow’s Head and stopped at the Crow’s Nest Cafe. It was started by a fellow who converted his parent cottage into this popular spot with caffeinated and mouth watering delights. My moka was fantastic and the peanut butter brownie brought back memories.

    Driving to the lighthouse, we first went to the observation platform to see the landscape. While leaving the platform to proceed to the lighthouse, Angie pointed to an old guy in a car chatting with someone and exclaimed she “knew” the guy. That guy she knew was Lloyd Colbourne and she got to chat with him for a bit.

    Famous within Newfoundland, from 1975 to 1995, Lloyd shared local nature, culture, and the heritage of communities and regions all over the province during his half hour segments. He used a handheld film camera and it was broadcast on CBC. It was done on the cheap with rough edit cuts. However, after watching part of an episode while writing this, his clear dulcet tones and narrative commentary was excellent. His “travel by map using a pencil to point out the trip” made me laugh and acknowledge respect for using maps everyone used for conveying information to his audience. Link to Youtube for a double episode of “Newfoundland Outdoors” from 1979 is here: Newfoundland Outdoors.

    Walking around the lighthouse, it was time to tackle hiking trail #8; Lighthouse/Cuckhold’s Point Trail. It's maintained by Rockcut Twillingate Hiking Trails. At 6km and marked as medium we descended and ascended repeatedly while turning this way and that along its route. Terrain and coastline was as varied as the route. We each felt we got a tough workout while enjoying the wonderful scenery on this 2.5 hour hike. At the time I would have hated to do one of their hard routes.

    It turned out, while I was writing this and researching details, on the Rockcut website the name of the trail had changed from the signage. It’s now called Horney Head Cove Trail, it is a HARD trail, and we missed a hidden cave along the trail. Alas.

    The trail ended near the Crow’s Nest Cafe so we took washroom breaks. I noticed two posters, for “The Amazing Root Cellar Race” and another for bands playing at a local venue, that captured local events. Rarely do they create webpages or broadcast it out by any electronic method. 

    Leaving the ladies at the cafe, Kirk and I walked to the lighthouse to get the truck. On the way we discussed ideas for his D&D one-shots he was planning on running that would be subtly interconnected.

    Returning to our hostel, we relaxed and had an early supper to regain the calories spent. While we were preparing the meal, we chatted with some of the guests and about music. That led to choosing different songs to play on one fellow’s cell phone and bluetooth speaker. In particular they liked an Acadian band I really like from PEI called Vishten. Check them out here. On the menu was BBQ’d steaks with Montreal steakspice, cut potatoes that had been microwaved then finished in aluminum foil on the BBQ, fried mushrooms, and mixed salad with a nice red wine. Yum!

    After the meal, boardgames and a dice game were played until the sandman came calling. We walked/hiked 10.7km and climbed the equivalent of 92 flights of stairs.