Gros Morne National Park

Day twelve. James found our bed at some point in the night...I thought we confused him well enough before he went to bed by telling him our bed was really Kevin and Barb’s...smart kid; I think he can sense Heather’s aura or something.
Coffee on the porch: Holy shit what a place for coffee on the porch. I could walk out that back door with coffee every morning for next 60 years and it would never get old or boring. So we did the breakfast thing and the indecisive thing and the debating thing until someone..... until someone came up with the plan to go hike on the Tablelands. Sounds pretty cool I thought, hiking on the tablelands sorta implies dramatic vistas with high altitude and condors soaring around your head. Well I had a different country in mind apparently because this hike was full of migrating tourists that came by the bus load; all equipped with huge backpacks and the ever important trekking poles! So they don’t suddenly tip over I guess. James was being his toddler self and refusing to go an inch unless he was carried by Heather. She was developing some impressive arms I’ve noticed. The trail was ehhh... and the destination was umm.... but the overall setting was cool and different. The looming mountains were borrowed from Mars and we all learned we were looking at an exposed portion of the Earth’s mantle. So that was neat. Heather threw in the towel after about an hour of James’s dead weight and went back to the car with Barb. Addie stayed behind and learned about the Pitcher plant; a carnivorous plant that kills it’s prey by digesting them in acid that is kept in their pitcher like leaves... nasty. I followed the trail to it’s end and sat on the bench that was my reward for doing so.
Back at the cars we drove to the little bay of Trout River to dine at a very good, we were told, seafood restaurant. We were told correctly as it turned out, I had Newfoundland cakes; a crab cake like dish with cod instead of crab. They REALLY like Cod here, it being in their diet since...well since forever. But it was delicious and it came with a bowl of pea soup...yummy!!
From here we split up the group with Barb coming with us. James needed a nap and nothing makes him nap better then a curvy bouncy road, so we decided we would drive over to Norris Point, about an hour away and see what it had to offer.
Not much... but we did get gas and Heather and the kids DID tour a small aquarium actually; the kids liked it. I stayed out of the aquarium and walked along the rocky shores being artsy and creative with my camera.
At the last minute Heather and Barb took the kids back to Woody point via a water taxi. The hour long drive it took to get here, took them 10 minuets by boat to get back to Woody point. I drove the car home alone, stopping when I wanted to to take pictures. The quite car was weird and unsettling for a few seconds...then it was marvelous.
Home for the night now, more view soaking up, more whiskey soaking up, bath time for kids, and nightie night we go.Read more