To Rocky Harbor, NLAug 16, 2006
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Our Front Window View overnight at Botwood
Botwood to Rocky Harbour, NL - 182 miles - August 16, 2006
Our schedule today included more miles than normal, we had an optional stop at a "bug" museum, and a 4:45 pm orientation at the Gros Morne National Park. We were dry camped and toads had not been unhooked, so all that was required to leave was to pull slides and jacks and roll. Even that proved too much for Bob & Mary who created lots of excitement when they started to move without retracting the jacks. Got that corrected and then created LOTS of attention as everyone tried to stop them from ruining the tires on the toad. It was still in park. It only got dragged about 50 feet before they stopped to correct that.
Should have earned them the Dufus award hands down. But, they were saved when Jim started out. About half way up the hill the CB crackled "This isn't Church Street. Don, can I back up?" This false start was compounded when they got to the other exit from the Seaplane base and decided it wasn't Church Street either. The CB traffic then became a circus as Margaret asked "Larry, how do we get out of here?" "The same way you came in." "Which way was that?" They were right the first time and continued on only to miss a turn 1/2 mile later and get to make a "U" turn somewhere in downtown Botwood. They won the first vote in a "Floridia hanging chad" type count, but then got a more than unanimous vote on the recount with nearly twice the number of hands as those present.
We departed the Seaplane base into another of those "12 drops to kill a dog" rains. It was over after about 20 minutes and we had a good day for traveling, if a bit windy. A bit windy: a standard state in Newfoundland. We had planned to visit the "Insectarium" which includes a butterfly garden and the absolutely obligatory "Gift Shop". Several of our group resisted the insects, but couldn't pass up the gift shop! I chased a large blue butterfly for a half hour trying for a photo. For some reason the others chased it and it rarely landed - and then immediately folded it's wings and became a brown butterfly. I did get an inflight photo, but it doesn't do justice to the color.
Craig's truck decided to imitate a "Found On Road Dead" and quit on the first of several really steep, but short, hills we had today. Fortunately Bruce has the same 5th wheel and was able to come back and recover Craig's trailer while he sought repairs for the truck. He had just paid several hundred dollars for a fix back in St. Johns a week ago. The transmission just locks into 2nd gear. Probably a "not-so-smart" smart black box sensor has taken control of an otherwise perfectly good transmission.
Everyone else arrived ok but there was enough uncertainty to delay our Gros Morne Park orientation until 6 pm. Could have easily passed that one up. Just a couple of movies that at first refused to run - happens frequently when you use computers with Microsquish operating systems We did get to see the "Killer Rabbit" in the lawn behind the Visitors Center.
We had a late, overpriced, medocre supper downtown afterward. I did get a fair sunset photo op while Sally visited yet another Gift Store.
