In the past four days we covered a lot of distance (@1600 km), enjoyed some beautiful scenery, and crossed through two time zones.
We began on the Labrador coast, which is beautiful, but, unfortunately, best appreciated from behind car windows, as the bugs are brutal. Every time we stepped outside, swarms of biting black flies would descend, leaving us with big itchy, bloody welts. And every time we opened the RV door, dozens would sneak inside.
We spent just one day along the coast, where we got to see one more iceberg ….
and picked up our free satellite phone. The Province provides the phones to travelers since the TransLabrador Highway goes thru pretty remote parts, with no services and no cell reception.
Our first driving day was a long one … we drove for nearly thirteen hours, with ten of those on unpaved roads. It was, as we used to say in Alaska, miles and miles of miles and miles.
The kids did an amazing job keeping themselves happy, while buckled up in the back of the RV and Andy and I took turns driving (and driving and driving ….). At nightfall we parked in a roadside pullout and settled in for the night.
Day two began with a paved road and a blissfully uneventful drive to Labrador City, where we returned the unused satellite phone. Shortly after leaving Lab City, and the end of the TransLabrador Highway …
we said “Bonjour” to Quebec and Route 389 … and “Au Revoir” to pavement. We slogged along a gravel, washboard road with an average speed of less than 20 mph.
We then found a nice roadside pullout and called it a day.
Our third day of driving started well. There were long sections which were paved and the gravel parts were not too bad.
All was going well …but then, fifty kilometers before reaching the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the terminus of Route 389 ……