gros morne to deer lake

Happy Canada Day!

This morning it was only misting, so after partridgeberry pancakes in Woody Point, we went to The Tablelands for a guided walk.

This is one area where you really want to have some interpretation, or else it's just a lot of rocks. Two young Parks Canada guides really brought it to life, using props and analogies to explain basic geological concepts and introduce us to the strange fauna.

We learned about how so much of the earth's mantle got exposed here, and why people like to study it. We saw plants that normally grow in the arctic, a few carnivorous plants, and some stunted junipers, which are more than 100 years old but only a few inches tall. It was pretty interesting, although I find it difficult to really conceive of things that happened 650 million years ago.

We went to the Discovery Centre, which is the visitors centre on the south side of the Park, and much more of an educational centre than the centre at Rocky Harbour. One great exhibit had photographs and descriptions of all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada. I'd love to see them all. I mean that completely literally. There's not one on the list I'd pass up, given the chance.

We poked around Woody Point a bit more, tried to find another artist's studio, but couldn't. The fog was clearing and the views of Bonne Bay were stunning. This is a place of exceptional peace and beauty. I was reluctant to leave.

Deer Lake is about an hour away, but it's another world, full of fast-food signs and truck stops. We were booked at the Deer Lake Motel, but there was no internet (although a huge sign outside says "free wireless internet" and I checked when I made the reservation), so we left there and went to a B&B. It's in a huge McMansion in a residential neighbourhood, which is half old, beat-up bungalow-style homes and part huge, ugly new monstrosities. It's a beautiful room, and very comfortable, and a nice way to spend our final night of vacation.

We miss our girls so much! I'm always a bit sad when a trip ends, but I'm also very glad to feel good about coming home. Wmtc resumes its regular broadcasting tomorrow. Thanks for reading. It will be a while before I can get our photos posted, but I hope it was interesting anyway.