RVing to Newfoundland Ep 13 - Stunning Rose Blanche, Deer Lake, Port au Port & the Final Ferry Home.

On this episode, we visit Deer Lake, where our dinner is interrupted by a very concerning sound. We head to Port-au-Port and explore Newfoundland's largest wooden structure, camp at the nicest private park we found in Newfoundland, fall in love with an incredibly picturesque lighthouse in town, and discover that our ferry plans to get home have hit a bit of a snag. We are Terry and Cindy O'Keefe. We've been camping together for more than 40 years, and we invite you to join us on a 14-episode adventure as we explore Newfoundland and Labrador. It was the start of our seventh week in Newfoundland as we departed the relatively flat terrain around Gander and continued traveling west. It wasn't long before the long-range mountains came into view. Ranger's like, did somebody say beach? Hopefully there's a dog beach. Maybe. What do you think of that, Ranger? Deer Lake RV Park. You guys have not left room for people coming in very well. Looks like there's a mix of seasonals and transients. They said Ranger can go in the water. This is great. Oh, this is perfect. Yeah, I'm just gonna pull ahead about two feet, because the level mate says it's almost level there. Yes. All right, a quarter of an inch. I can live with a quarter of an inch off. Take that any day. We had planned two days at the Deer Lake just for some R&R after 52 days on the road. That relaxation got tested as we started dinner that afternoon. We could see a large hydroelectric station across the lake and wondered if something was wrong, but no one else in the park was the slightest bit concerned or even interested in the noise. So the next morning I headed into town to see what I could learn. Discovered something interesting happens here in Deer Lake every day, except Sundays, for about the last 100 years. At 7, at 8 a.m., at noon at 1, and then again at 5 and 6. At the dam, or the hydroelectric generating station, an air warning siren goes off. Obviously, the locals were very accustomed to it. And just a couple of notes on the campground. It has a very nice beach, a unique playground for the kids, and a very good canteen that makes great burgers and awesome lobster rolls. So after a couple of days of relaxing, we were back on the road, now started south towards Portobasque and the ferry terminal. Clouds in the trees here, and sunny spots up ahead. Wow, there's a lot of ski runs there, right? Right here? All's over there. It was a picturesque drive, but we had planned a few stops along the way. South of Cornerbrook, we detoured toward the tiny town of Port-au-Port, headed to Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church. The church stands at 115 feet tall and is the largest wooden structure in the province. So why did such a small community build such a huge church? In 1910, a limestone quarry opened nearby with the promise of significant development for the area, and by 1914, more than 500 families had moved here. Over the next 11 years, the church was built by fishermen, farmers, and miners of the parish, who each donated at least one week of work per year to the build. The church opened in 1925. I've never seen a church like this before. Absolutely beautiful. I mean, look at the ceilings. The local craftsmen built the ceiling of the church in the same way they would have built the hull of a schooner. In essence, the ceiling is an upside-down boat. The 14 stations of the cross were hand-carved of Carrara marble in Italy, and most of the statues and stained glass windows were donated by parishioners. Our Lady of Mercy is now deconsecrated and is a registered heritage structure run by a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving this unique Newfoundland history. And there was one other important stop in this tiny town. So we are in Port-au-Port, Newfoundland, and we made a stop at the secret co-brewing company. I always like to support local craft companies, and these are the gold and silver winning beers from 2023. So there's a James Blonde and a Red Vinyl, and this came in Canadian gold and silver, so I'm hoping it's going to be really good. That's right, Blonde. James Blonde. I love the 00709, the play on that number, 709 being Newfoundland's area code. Cindy makes fun of me a lot for being a wine drinker, but this really was one of the best beers we had on the trip. We headed back towards the Trans-Canada Highway, passing through Stephenville that is also home to some unique history. Oh, this is the old U.S. Air Force base. The Ernest Harmon Air Force Base was built in 1941 to protect North America from Nazi invasion. Can you imagine in World War II, this like a huge Air Force base where they were ferrying fighters and bombers over to England? The base continued to operate after the war until 1966. It was a unique experience to drive across the one-time taxiway and imagine how different it would have been here during World War II. Seen many sand dunes on this trip. Back on the Trans-Canada, our drive south continued. Eventually we reach Grand Cawdroy RV Camping Park. Located about a 40-minute drive from Portabasque, this 10-acre campground is very popular with RVs just arriving off the ferry or those heading home and awaiting the ferry. Beautiful campground. This is the first campground we've been in here that looked manicured in six weeks. Well, that doesn't happen very often. Pull in. It's completely level, side to side, and the tongue is a quarter of an inch high. Okay. It's unbelievable. Bugs get you? Yeah, just a little. Okay, let's get unhooked. The park has huge beautiful full-service sites, a laundry, good wi-fi at the office, and a craft store with some great locally made and well-priced items. In fact, that's where we bought our locally made Dory. Now, we had given ourselves a couple of days to explore the area before catching our ferry, and we set out the next morning to explore the Rose Blanche Lighthouse. The day started out sunny and warm, but then the fog started rolling over the mountains like a scene out of a movie. Mountains and fog on that side and beautiful ocean on that side. Rose Blanche is about a 30-minute drive east of Portobasque, and as we were to discover, even with the fog, it was so worth the drive. So, a very charming lady inside that we got our tickets from to see the lighthouse says that there's a really cute fishing village right through there. We'll have to take her word for it. In our imaginations, we can imagine it. The lighthouse was built between 1871 and 73 with stone from a nearby granite quarry. After it was decommissioned in the 1940s, the lighthouse fell into complete disrepair, but a community effort was launched to restore the remarkable lighthouse, and it was completed in 1999. The Rose Blanche Lighthouse, with its furnished light keepers, living quarters, attracts thousands of visitors annually. That's too bad. Oh, I would come back here to see this on a clear day because I'm sure it's absolutely beautiful, but of all the lighthouses we've visited on this trip, I thought that was one of the nicest. Absolutely. Inside, it's very cozy, and what a view. And what'd you say about the trail? I mean, it's a maintained trail, easy to follow. Ranger loved it, so it's all good. You can bring your dog. Well, if Ranger loved it, then it's two paws up. Hey, did you love it? Okay, let's go. We had a quick lunch at the lighthouse's canteen before heading for nearby Rose Blanche Harbour. Despite significant damage inflicted by Hurricane Fiona in 2022, this tiny outport is a photographer's dream. The next day, our last full day in Newfoundland, saw us heading to Fox Marguerite for lunch. It says, come on in, we're open. Turned out the restaurant was not open yet, but it was still a picturesque drive. So instead, we headed into Port Au Basque for lunch, and that's where we got a phone call from Marine Atlantic. They told us that our sailing the next day had changed. Instead of sailing at 11 a.m. with a check-in at nine, two hours early, we were sailing at 7 a.m. with a three-hour check-in, which meant we had to arrive by 4 a.m. Now, when you are in Newfoundland, you will see all over the province, don't drive at night because of the moose. So, due to this, and there was some inclement weather moving in, we thought we really didn't want to drive in the dark. So, we changed our plans to be somewhere closer to Port Au Basque. So, we headed down the road to Wreck House. It was the exact same boondocking location we had used on our first night in Newfoundland when we got off the ferry. You want me to get out the gas fireplace? You got a ball? Can I have that ball? Can I have that ball? You just asked if you look like a movie star to me. Of course you do. I love you. I love you too. Well, it is 3 a.m. It is very dark out, and the rain has just started. Had to take Ranger to do his duty, and it's time to get on the road to go get our ferry. Nova Scotia Ferry, thank you for visiting our province. As we mentioned in episode two on your return ferry trip from Newfoundland, there is one extra step before boarding. A quick agricultural inspection. You can't take soil or root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or turnips that you acquired in Newfoundland back to the mainland. Ranger is very confused. After a night of listening to trucks go by, he doesn't know what's going on. What are we doing for time? 0-3-27. What's the O stand for? Oh my god, it's early. Yeah. Hi there. Do you have a reservation? We do. That's right. A couple of RVs here before us. I don't think they're in their trailer. Are you going to be able to get in? Yeah, I think so. Oh, what do you think? Oh, kind of wonderful. Really great trip. We came back out here to look at Newfoundland. It is very warm here. Certainly warmer than we've washed in a lot of the seas here a lot. And Ranger discovered on this crossing that Marine Atlantic had left a little gift in his pet-friendly cabin. Is that a doggy bag or something? I don't know. Is it for you? It says, sit, stay, sail. I think it's for you. Let's see. What a nice little dish. And two milk bones. We're in Nova Scotia, Ranger. Thank you. Thank you. Now, just before we wrap up this episode, we also thought we'd share some quick info about another campground. The Arm of Gold campground in North Sydney. This is the closest campground to the Nova Scotia Ferry Terminal and one many Newfoundland travelers will use. It was a very well-run campground with full hookups located just six minutes from the docks. It even had a food truck on site. All right, what's Cindy got, Ranger? Yeah, does that smell good? Oh, he thinks it smells really interesting. You're going to share your fish with him? Maybe. So, just some final thoughts. Rose Blosh Lighthouse and the town or the outport of Rose Blosh were beautiful and we were really glad we took the time to visit there. Our Lady of Mercy Church in Port-au-Port, definitely worth visiting. And both the Grand Cod Roy campground and the Arm of Gold campground were really well-run, well-maintained, and we'd recommend staying at either. If you found this information useful, please hit those like and subscribe buttons. So you'll know when future episodes are released, including our next one, our review of our Newfoundland Odyssey, highlighting our favorite tours, destinations, campgrounds, boondocking spots, and more. See you then!