June 18 -20, 2010; 3800 km, not including the ferry between Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.
We stayed the night just outside of Truro, Nova Scotia and woke up to see this guy outside our hotel.
We didn’t realize it last night, but we stopped in the Millbrook First Nations Community. There’s a Mi’kmaq museum next door to the hotel, and a very chatty Mohawk woman from Brantford greeted us. She took our money and told us everything about her life.
The museum itself was also interesting.
Next stop was at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, a national Historic Site in Baddeck, Cape Breton. Very interesting and inspiring museum that is dedicated to Bell’s genius, experimentations, and inventions.
The building and the display are very cool, but we chose to show you a photograph of objects that we take for granted today.
The glass on the windows is etched with Bell’s drawings. Him and his wife were incredibly interesting people and we benefit from their genius every day now.
More lupines. The last ones in nova Scotia. Surely, there will be many more in Newfoundland.
Finally, the ferry!
This time we were able to get on it.
One guy apparently didn’t make it on the ferry. It’s hard to see in the picture below, but roughly in the centre of the photo, there is a lone, white pickup truck. This pickup truck (and the guy) were first in line, but when it was time to board, the driver was a no-show. After waiting and paging the owner, traffic was diverted around the truck. He probably woke up somewhere else after a hard night of drinking real confused about what happened to him.
Below is our little deluxe cabin. It was a good idea to get the cabin, since this was a night crossing and we planned to drive most of the next day. Like all best laid plans though, I couldn’t fall asleep at all. Oh well, we had to get up at 4am anyway.
Getting ready to leave the ferry. The motorcycles untied (they had to be tied up with special straps for the crossing)
The ramp is down.
…and we’re off.
The sun is rising. Stopped for a Tim’s and we are now ready to explore Newfoundland!
We are in Newfoundland…a truck full of lobster traps got off the ferry with us and is chugging along making its way north west.
First signs of wildlife.
The scenery is changing constantly. Mountains, fishing coves, sun, rain.
Long way to go still. Next stops: Port Aux Chois and L’Anse Aux Meadows! Only 700 km more to go!
On our trip to the Rock, we flew. The ferry crossing looks interesting, but, I like you do not sleep well on boats. Looks like a great adventure. Allan
Good idea to fly there, especially if time is of an issue.
Look like an interesting trip. I have not been on a ferry for a very long time. Sorry you had a sleepless night. Love your photos. There were blasts from the past in this post.
Thank you! Definitely blasts from the past. It brought it back to life for us as well!
Newfoundland sounds like a beautiful place. I’m looking forward to your next post. I wonder if that poor driver was able to find his truck!????
It really is beautiful! Well, the truck was right where he left it…
But where did he leave himself? ????
Hasha, that is a very good question, and one that will most likely never find the answer to. Unless, someone who reads this blog may know someone that missed the ferry because they went drinking and passed out somewhere lol.
Seems like you never had a dull moment there!
Yup. It was a trip full of action!
Sounds a fun trip. I had no idea Newfoundland was that big – you don’t get many clues to that from watching Republic Of Doyle!
Haha, I loved that show! And yes, it’s huge. We were only able to travel along one coast and barely scratched the surface.
sounds like quite an adventure. and what a couple of interesting museums you had a chance to visit…
It was, and they were! The Bell one was especially interesting!
Oh we didn’t get a cabin, they look more spacious than I thought.
It was a very comfortable cabin and Tony slept very well!
I’d like to see those drawings by Bell. I just read that Bell’s wife, Mabel, became deaf at age 5. There’s an interesting story about her (his fiance at the time) secretly buying him a train ticket and taking him to the station so that he could display his work. He started to argue and she turned away, literally deaf to his protests.
The display about his work with the deaf was very inspirational! I haven’t heard that story 🙂
That guy you woke up to is Glooscap he is the key figure in the Mi’kmaq creation stories. My grade four teacher used to read Glooscap stories to us. They were wonderful. He was said to be great in both size and power.
Thank you! It looks like they were a bit ahead of the curve in the maritimes when it comes to teaching kids about First Nation cultures in Canada!
I think it was only my grade four teacher who was ahead of the curve on that. But she also slammed and broke so many yardsticks that you were terrified to open your mouth. She was actually the only teacher I had who read to her students.
Safe travels! Looks like you are having a fun adventure
Thanks you! It was a lot of fun!
I really enjoyed this summary and blast from the past! Newfoundland is the only province in the East Coast we have yet to visit and it looks so wonderful.
The ferry trip sounds awesome – didn’t realize it was an overnight trip. That long of a ride, eh?! And the Alexander Graham Bell museum also sounds very cool. I almost forget what using a phone booth and book are like. The things we take for granted indeed!
Thank you! I think they still do the morning and evening crossing. If you take the day one, you really don’t need a cabin for the seven or eight hours of crossing, but at night it feels a lot longer 🙂
Wow, 7-8 hours! I’ll remember that for when we go. The appealing thing about the night one is you save travel time by sleeping. Hope to go one day! ????
What a great experience. So interesting about the glass etchings. And of course the ferry ride, great to experience out east. I really NEED to go. ????
i feel like NEED to again 🙂 Such an amazing place!
Thanks for taking us on your adventure with you!
Thanks for coming along! Something weird happened with your site. I think WordPress made me unfollow you, but all is well now. Actually, I may be following you twice now 🙂
The ferry trip is very similar to the trip from Melbourne to Tasmania. Depending on the weather it’s about 9hr 30 min to 10 hours. But the same with cabins and tied down motor bikes.
I love those big ferries, but I would love even more to go to Tasmania!
I’ll show you a bit next time I go.
I’ve only heard of Newfoundland, and its unique place in the vastness of Canada. I’d love to check it out someday (and to make sure not to miss the ferry, as that poor guy did)!
You will love it!
I didn’t realize you could book a cabin on the ferry journey from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland. Even though you didn’t get much sleep, at least you had a place to yourselves. That sucks for the owner of the white pickup truck. He goes through all that effort to be first in line and for nothing. Sucks for him.
Yes, it made the crossing and the long drive afterwards a lot easier!
Now I’m really jealous. Have never been to Newfoundland and wish I had. All the best, Muriel
Well, all you need to do now is sit back and enjoy it though our eyes. Much cheaper 🙂