GASPE/ATLANTIC PROVINCES 2013: Day 43 - travel day to St. Anthony, Newfoundland

Day 43 Travel Day to St. Anthony, NL

We were last man out for our 211 mile driving day to St. Anthony, what else is new. The drive was beautiful along the curving coastlines.

Some people stopped at Port aux Choix Historic Site, and at Port Ritchie.

Port au Choix

Attracted by the fish and seals, as well as the land resources, people have been coming to Port au Choix for more than 4,500 years, making it one of the earliest and longest inhabited places on the Island of Newfoundland. In 1967 a contractor in Port au Choix found human bones, tools, and weapons when excavating for a new building. The discovery led archeologists to discover an ancient burial ground dating from 2200BC to 1200BC and believed to be the largest hunter-gatherer burial grounds in North America.

Point Riche

A Visitor Center is located about 4KM from Port au Choix. It has a film about the ancient inhabitants of this area and artifacts found by anthropologists who have been working this area for over 40 years. Point Riche Lighthouse is located 2KM beyond the Visitor Center on a dirt road with world class potholes to make the short ride challenging. Here also is where the remains of at least 18 houses over 1500 years old.

Arriving at the Triple Falls R.V. Park it was a challenge for Barry to get everyone parked and a challenge for everyone to get level.

Everyone did a great job like usual.

Then off to the Viking dinner. After dinner there was a reenactment of the Viking trials. Coaxed by our Wagonmaster, Barry, Jim Wilson accused “Thumper” (Spence) of waking everyone up too early by thumping their tires on travel days. Spence had to get up to defend himself against these accusations. He had a witness, Jan, who came to his aid and he was acquitted, and Jim was found guilty of bringing false charges.

Then, Jan went on to accuse Judy Douglass of whining about not seeing moose. Jan pointed out that if Judy ever got up early enough, she would have seen them. Everyone else had seen them except her. Her defense was that the other people had seen them at 4 in the afternoon, and that rising early did not matter. Judy said she came from California and could not get used to the Newfie time zone. As it turned out, Judy begged for mercy and she was acquitted by the jury. Once again, the accuser was found guilty and punished.