Oct 47 min read

Day 8 - Hidden Falls, Fishing Shacks, and a Cup of Baileys

Waking Up at the Inn at the Cape

First thing in the morning, at breakfast, I bumped into Donna and Bill. They've been traveling here for about three weeks and still haven't seen everything! So, I guess that means I’m not going to see that much in just eight days. I planned to talk with them after breakfast about places to visit.

I ended up joining Donna and Bill at their table. Bill has been retired for 25 years but used to work in the railroad industry as an engineer. He’s traveled all over Newfoundland and Canada many times.

What’s truly impressive is that Bill and Donna are off-grid—no internet, no GPS. Kudos to them for being able to navigate Newfoundland without having a voice tell you, "Turn right in 200 feet." Meanwhile, I need GPS just to get to the grocery store.

Bill and Donna were heading out this morning to the same area where I entered Newfoundland, near the sea port. They visited the lighthouse and some of the same places I had been to.

Great people—sociable, engaging, and just a pleasure to meet.

Before they left, Bill and Donna gave me four original Canadian silver dollar coins and three pins—one for the city of Amherst, one for Nova Scotia, and another for their county, Cumberland. I’ll post pictures of these awesome gifts later.

SUNRISE from balcony

Bill andDonna

Saying Goodbye

I packed up all my stuff, prepared my sandwiches, grabbed two iced coffees (no milk this time), and said goodbye to Peter and Jan, my wonderful hosts at the Inn at the Cape. Also said bye to one of their couragous cats. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I highly recommend staying there. That place has so much character.

Hidden Falls

My first stop of the day was Hidden Falls. Initially, I thought I’d found it right by where I parked my car because I heard running water. Turns out, it was just a stream. So, I wandered along the rocks, thinking the falls might be around the bend.

The rocks are like a plateau, stretching on for what feels like miles. You can walk right on the edge of the water, but be careful—it’s slippery when wet! Luckily, I had my new sneakers, courtesy of my daughter Hila, which have great traction. Thanks, Hila!

I made fun of what I thought was a "waterfall" (spoiler alert: it wasn’t), but soon enough, I found a hiking trail with a sign that read, "To the Waterfalls." Now we’re talking!

The trail led to a cliff about 50 to 75 feet high, where I imagine a gushing waterfall would be if it were the right season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, so it was just the cliff. But I could picture what it would look like when it’s in full flow. I took tons of photos because the whole cove is just stunning. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks was incredibly soothing.

Watch till the END of this video

Then the Beginning of this one hahaha

I am going to climb to THERE

I am THERE

Where I thought the falls was

The SIGN of god - HERE IT IS - At last

Fishing Shack

Next stop: the "Fishing Shack" area. As I guessed, this is where the fishermen come to do their thing. What caught my eye were the wooden ramps leading into the water—they looked straight out of a Viking documentary. No cement ramps here, just wierd contraption made of simple wood. I’m not exactly sure how they work, meaning how they get the boat into the water. I also saw tons of boxes—metal, plastic, and wood—stacked everywhere. I assume these are used to catch lobster, crab, or whatever they fish for here.

This whole cove was a great place to relax. Instead of sand, the beach is filled with rocks of all shapes and sizes. And not just any rocks—these are expensive landscaping rocks! I remember paying a fortune for these types of rocks at the IN-COM office landscaping era. This beach could be worth millions in rocks alone!

I took a picture of the vast piles of fishing gear before I left. I did a quick estimate, and there are easily 2,000 to 3,000 boxes here. Wow!

HOW ARE THESE RAMPS USED?

Walter Pik Hunt

Next, I headed to a Walmart in a town called Stephenville because my trusty Waterpik had burnt out. I wasn’t sure if Newfoundland’s Walmart would have what I needed, but fingers crossed!

Success! I found a Waterpik. Not exactly like the one I have back home in Dallas, but it’ll do for now.

Marble Wood Resort

I parked at the Marble Wood Resort, where the ski lifts weren’t running, and the building was deserted, except for a group setting up for a wedding. Of course, I wandered around taking pictures of the massive, empty space.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked one of the wedding decorators about hiking up the mountain. She told me to download an app called "AllTrails," which I did. I thought about doing the 4-hour hike up the mountain, but then I thought, "Nah, I’ll leave that to the young folks." I was not ready for an 8 hours adventure today. I opted for the Marble Stream hike instead—just one mile, one hour there, and one hour back. Should be easy, right?

SUPER STEEP HIKE

Update: I AM Out of breath! This "easy" hike is anything but. It’s steep! There are black bears around, so you have to be careful, but I’m determined to make it as far as I can.

Another Update: I finally made it to the top! My knees are aching, my muscles are sore, and it was way more difficult than I expected. But the view was worth it.

At the top, started hearing some voices - and I met Alec from Newfoundland and Jordan from Yellowknife. I told Jordan that one of my previous trips took me thru YellowKnife, the time I was driving in the thick smoke due to forest fires. We all three sat right on top of the waterfall for a while, chatting. Alec informed me about how Cape Spear is the northeasternmost point in North America. Alec also told me about Signal Hill, where the first transatlantic telegraph was sent. Looks like I have more places to add to my list!

Alec also pointed to a ledge above the waterfall that they used to jump from right into the bottom of the waterfall....That took guts! There is a short video showing that place.

Getting down was much easier. I followed Alec and Jordan. Alex was hopping down as fast as a mountain goat - wearing CROCS only. DANG!! I was wearing sneakers that I tightened the laces for support and here is Alec zooming down on crocs. We parted ways towards the bottom as I chose the Ski resort road trail that led to my car. MISTAKE! This path was sooo steep. I had to walk it zig zaggin down. Then as we got closer to the resort, the weeds and grass were thick and very high. I was worried about CHIGGERS and what if there is a small ravine with water that I cannot see? But I just went down full speed ahead and made it to my Steele.

At the car, I took off my sweat wet shirt ( this was a killer hike) and dried myself before changing shirts. My knees and legs were shaking. I rested for 10 minutes in the car and took off to see some BUGS.

Alec and Jordan

The Mountain Goat ;)

Coming down thru the Thicket

The "EASY" not path

Newfoundland Insectarium

After the hike, I visited the Newfoundland Insectarium, which houses a collection of butterflies, insects, and even tarantulas. The owner explained that the road I was on is called the "Viking Trail" because it leads to the spot where the Vikings discovered Newfoundland 1,000 years ago. So, technically, North America was discovered by the Vikings, not Columbus. Who knew?

The butterflies and moths were massive! I got a video of one using its little tube to sip nectar from a flower—perfect for Robin, our science teacher friend.

Also got to "hold and pet" a SPINY STICK insect. This critter has horns and thorns all over his body. He was walking form my hand onto the arm and then just looked at my - right at me. yes - I have the pictures!!

THIS ONE - Could not hang - so Weston was holding it for a few hours - till wings dried

FEEDING BUTTERFLY - ZOOM CLOSE UP - spectacular

INSECTS OF ISRAEL

SPINY STICK insect - waslking on my hand and arm

LOOKING RIGHT AT ME!!

We Could not spot the QUEEN

NICE ARCHITECTURE

River Sea Resort

Finally, I arrived at River Sea Resort, where Rob greeted me and showed me to my room. Just as I settled in, a guest I didn’t know came out and asked Rob for coffee filters. Naturally, I offered to make her a cup of Nespresso instead. She was thrilled! We made a deal—I’d make the coffee, and she’d give me some Baileys to mix in. Win-win!

Rob also joined in, and we sat down with our coffees, talking about my plans for driving through Labrador. He gave me some invaluable advice—where to fuel up, where to stop, and how to avoid getting stranded on long stretches of road. Sounds like an adventure waiting to happen!

Turns out, the guest’s name that asked for coffee filters is Yvonne, and she’s traveling with another person Rob, but not her husband whose name is ALSO rob. (there are a lot of Robs today). Yvonne mentioned that she found this place through an HGTV episode, which I didn’t even know about. Small world! So this place is famous!

Yvonne and Rob (the guest, not the Husband) have been enjoying some red wine from Magnetic Mountain Winery, and I think tomorrow I’ll make them another round of coffee—this time, maybe a different flavor from my stash. Yvonne even recommended a few more places for me to visit, like Shallow Beach and Rocky Harbour. I’ll be sure to check those out!

Now, I’m settling into my room.

Rob (the owner) stopped by to turn on the heater—it’s chilly tonight. I finished the last of my sandwiches from earlier today and took a quick trip to the local supermarket down the road for fresh bread, milk, tomatoes, avocados, and yellow cheese. Tomorrow’s sandwiches are going to be top-notch!

This RIVER SEA Lodging location is best in class. The rooms are cozy and fully loaded with everything one would need. Full kitchen and beds are very comfy. Another 5 star location for all you travellers to make a note of - when you get to beautiful Newfoundland.

Gotta stay fueled, right?

View from my room