Started out in the morning for Gander, and in typical St. John’s fashion, the fog was as thick as pea soup. I’m not a fan of driving in fog, but once we got on the highway the visibility was not really too bad.
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| Again...can't beat a water view |
Still, when the taillights ahead disappear, it is a tad unnerving. Then there are the clowns that are ignorantly obtuse to the fact that there is fog, and one should adjust to compensate...but no, they just go screaming by. And don’t even mention the potential for moose.
Only in Gander for two nights, one of which will be taking in the play Come From Away. To see it actually in Gander, where many international flights landed that terrible day, is pretty special. Many said that it is the best place to see the play, as it is the most authentic.
We are staying at the Country Inn RV, which at best could be described as a very tired, worn out campground...all mops and brooms, as they say. We got backed in to our assigned site, got the Alto mostly squared away, then plugged in and discovered the electrical outlet had an open ground. Our EMS box did its job and did not allow power to the trailer. Moved to another site, and all was fine...at least with the electrical.
A visit to the International Lounge in the Gander Airport is a must do for fans of mid century modern design. Opened in the late 50’s, at the time, the Gander Airport was one of the largest in the world. It was designed to be a leader in customer service and care. This was the philosophy of every aspect of the airport...even the ground crew servicing the planes had the best in class tools and knowledge to do the job.
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| Amazing design elements |
The lounge remains fully operation today, and historical preservation was key, even while still serving arriving and departing guests. It is like stepping back in time. The furniture is top quality, from designers like Nienkamper, and Eames. Leading edge design. Even the design of the terrazzo floors is stunning. Upstairs, a small museum showed the history of the airport, and the events of 911. Gander is one of the few places outside of the U.S.A. that has received pieces of the twin towers debris...recognition for the huge efforts the town put forth to take care of over 7000 stranded passengers when all the planes were taken out of the skies that day.
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| classic high end furniture designers |
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| a piece of the Twin Towers |
The play that evening was excellent. We had previously seen and enjoyed it in Ottawa, but this production was different. It was real, authentic, heartfelt, and just seemed to transcend the written play itself. Local actors were part of the cast, and we left the play realizing that it was very possible that people we were interacting with in Gander now, were the same ones helping out over those five days.
The North Atlantic Aviation Museum was our next stop. In addition to the planes parked outside, a small, but well curated collection highlighted a historical aviation journey, focussed mostly on Gander related interactions. Of course, the 911 events had an informative and thought provoking installation.
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| Voodoo |
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| a very tired Catalina |
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| Aviation Museum humour |
After Gander we had a one night stop at Goodyear’s Cove, a private campground right on the edge of the water. Very similar in feel to Brimstone Head, it is at the very end of a very deep cove and arm, leading to the North Atlantic. A basic campground, probably best suited as a travel day stopover, but being right on the water makes it a great stop.
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| watched the clouds and rain roll in |
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| Barley...such a chill guy |
Back to Corner Brook, our last location before catching the ferry. Once again at the Kinsmen Campground, a great spot. This campground is very well run...perhaps a good combination of old school work effort being demonstrated by the old guys, and then eagerly picked up by an energetic and eager group of teen workers.
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| back to our first Newfoundland restaurant |
The ferry at Port Aux Basques loaded up around 8:00 pm, for the 9:30 sailing. Once again we shared a berth with Barley, and it is the best way to use the ferry. Sure, it costs more, but it is damn comfortable having your own little space, especially if you want to grab some sleep. An uneventful crossing, the weather was very friendly, and soonish we were back in Nova Scotia.
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| much bigger than it looks here |
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| Coast of North Sydney N.S. |
So the NFLD portion of our trip now over, and we made our way to the Halifax area for some visiting with Dale's many relatives that live there.
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