RVentures with Doug and Chris: The Western Newfoundland: Forests, Fjords, and Fish & Chips

OK ... time to 'fess up. I really did not know much about Newfoundland when Doug proposed that we go there while traveling in Eastern Canada. Sure, I had heard the name before, but I didn't know how to correctly pronounce it ... and I certainly had no idea what kind of amazing experience lie ahead for us!

And for those like me, who don't know much about this gem, come along as we explore this beautiful Canadian province where cod is king, and the larger-than-life puffins are really only about ten inches tall. And while we're at it, we might as well learn how to correctly pronounce this new-to-us province of Newfoundland ... it's ''newf'in-LAND.''

We booked the ferry ride (because, as I also quickly learned, you can't drive there) and took a six hour cruise across the Gulf of St Lawrence to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador (which I learned is the official name of this province, but for brevity's sake, I will just refer to it as Newfoundland). Western Newfoundland is where we spent our first week of exploring this beautiful land of forests, fjords, and fish & chips.

As is our usual traveling mode of operation, we arrived in Newfoundland with no camping reservations and no solid plans of where we were going or what we wanted to see. One thing that we quickly found out is that there are amazing boondocking spots all around the island. Almost every night we were able to find a serene parking spot overlooking the water.

Our first night was spent in a city park near the ferry dock since we arrived just about sunset. The next morning, colorful Adirondack chairs invited us to enjoy our breakfast along with an ocean view. A walk along the park's hiking trail that gave us a preview of some of the spectacular scenery that we were going to enjoy over the next few weeks.

After our hike, Doug studied up and announced that he had found us a lunch spot near to our next hiking trail. Great, I thought ... my first opportunity to try out the fish that this island is famous for. We both had to chuckle when Doug pulled into a big empty parking area with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. True, he had found us a lunch spot ... I just needed to provide the lunch!

Fueled up with my standard ''go-to'' lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, we found the trailhead for the Starlite Trail.

This three mile hike would lead us up through thick forests

... until we got up above the tree line

... and into the clouds at the top of the mountain

... where we were rewarded with an amazing view of the lake and waterfall below us.

The island of Newfoundland has one ''main'' highway, the Trans-Canada Highway, that connects the western side of the island with the eastern side. While it provides for relatively quick travel from one end of the island to the other, there isn't much scenery other than possibly an occasional stray moose, and you don't want to run into that kind of scenery when you are cruising down the highway.

We decided to make Gros Morne National Park our first main destination, so we veered off the ''main drag'' and headed to Cape Saint George. There we found another boondocking spot that taught us that it is sometimes not a good idea to park close to the coast when the rain is fallin' and the winds are a-howlin'.

The winds were still quite brisk the next morning, but the rain had subsided, so we decided to try out the scenic and tasty Bread Crumb Trail. This would have been a fairly easy hike had it not been for the strong gusts of wind that still tried to blow us off course. But our efforts led us to amazing views of the cliffs high above the coast.

Our pictures may look serene, but it was very obvious to us how the strong winds and pounding waves have carved away at the coastline over the years.

We found out that this trail is called the Bread Crumb Trail because every day during the summer months, local citizens bake bread in the wood-fire oven at the park entrance. I did say that this hike was tasty because ... as we finished our hike, this cheerful teen was handing out the warm, fresh-from-the-oven rolls. She isn't sure how the tradition started, but she has been enjoying the bread here for as long as she could remember, and she was happy to improve her bread-making skills as well as spread the joy through this unique summer job.

Gros Morne National Park

There are certain places that one needs to visit while in Newfoundland, and Gros Morne National Park usually tops the list. The meaning of its name ... large mountain standing alone ... became obvious as we drove into the park. This mountain towers over the forests and fjords that make this area famous.

We stayed in three of the national park's campgrounds during our visit in Gros Morne National Park. Unlike US national park campgrounds which you have to book far in advance, it was possible to drive right in and get a cozy spot for the night. Their sites were spacious, and they had nice laundry and shower facilities. Staying in the national park campgrounds also gave us easy access to some of the park's most popular hiking trails and allowed us to experience many of the sights that make this part of Newfoundland so unique.

The first evening we hiked the trail that led us along the coast for a perfect western island sunset and made plans for the next few days of our visit in the national park.

Western Brook Pond

Gros Morne National Park is famous for its varied and unique landscapes including Western Brook Pond ... the glacier-carved, land-locked, fresh-water fjord. This ten mile long pond is best explored by booking a boat cruise which we did.

A two mile hike from the parking area brought us out to the boat dock. For the next two hours we were gifted with spectacular views of waterfalls,

... artistic rock formations,

... and views that are forever etched in our memories.

Moose Tracks

Interestingly, moose are not native to Newfoundland. Four moose were ''imported'' to the island in 1904 as a source of food, and now over 100 years later, more than 120,000 moose roam the island and nibble away at their favorite trees and bushes. Their great numbers have made them both a blessing and a curse. They are hunted and used for meat on the island, and it was common to see ''moose burgers'' on restaurant menus. But also, because of their great size and the fact that they tend to roam from dusk until dawn, they can be a huge road hazard. Thus we were told by many locals to not drive after sunset.

During one hike in the national park, we came upon an interesting visualization of how the moose have impacted the forests of the island. This fenced area is a ''moose exclosure''. It was put up over ten years ago to keep the moose out in order to study the effects of their eating habits on the forest vegetation in the national park. Inside the fence where no moose has been for over ten years, the area was thickening up with new growths of trees, bushes, and flowers. As we walked outside the fence, we noticed how the forest thinned out dramatically, and it became quite clear which vegetation is the moose's favorite ''munchie''.

The Pitcher Plant

While walking through the marshy area around the park, we noticed Newfoundland's official flower, the pitcher plant, growing in abundance.

This carnivorous plant thrives in the nutrient-poor bogs by attracting, trapping, and digesting insects caught in their pitcher-shaped leaves.

A few less flies and mosquitoes?? We're ok with that ... besides, their flower heads are quite pretty!

Gros Morne National Park Hiking Trails

Gros Morne has numerous hiking trails that showcase the unique beauty of this national park. Some though, were a little more challenging than others. We had almost made it the three miles to Bakers Brook Falls when the trail turned to mud.

It was a little messy at times, but that is what hiking boots are for. And the view of the waterfall at the end was definitely worth it!

Lookout Trail had a lot of uphill climbs, but portions of boardwalk made it easier to navigate through the bogs filled with pitcher plants and led us high up ...

... to where colorful Adirondack chairs once again invited us to relax and enjoy the view.

Don't mind if I do!

The 360 degree panoramic view at the top was a great reward for the effort.

The Tablelands

Gros Morne National Park has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its many natural wonders. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in case you, like me, were wondering. One of the park's most unique treasures is called the Tablelands. In this section of the park, geologists have determined that the rocks were formed deep in the middle layer (or mantle) of the earth.

Through the years, scientists have studied this barren rock field in order to prove the theory of plate tectonics. In layman's terms ... this unique orange landscape was found to be exposed mantle from the center of the earth that was thrown up millions of years ago by collisions of tectonic plates.

Even though streams run through this rocky area, no plants can grow in this area because of the high concentrations of toxic metals such as iron and magnesium.

But, despite the lack of vegetation, the interesting features of the rocks that made their way from the middle of the earth continued to remind us of what an amazing part of the world we are just starting to explore.