Wedding photos

 Sadly, we had to leave Gros Morne this morning to begin our travels to the south of the great Western Peninsula and the ferry back to the mainland on Wednesday. There were still many, many places, hikes and programs we would have liked to visit, take and enjoy. I guess the way to look at it is that we will do more the next time we visit Newfoundland. What a great place!

Having expressed how we felt about leaving Gros Morne should take nothing away from the remaining parts of Newfoundland that we have yet to see.  This afternoon we arrived at our new campground, the Zenzville Campground in Kippens. After unhitching, we found a nice hike that was only about four miles away in Port au Port. This part of Newfoundland is the hub of French Newfoundland culture. Newfoundland only gained full control over the west coast in 1904. Four centuries before that, it was known locally as the French Shore because France had exclusive fishing rights there.

The hike we took was called the Gravels Walking Trail, a 3.5 km seaside hike along scenic Port au Port Bay. Gravels used to be a major center in the area and several merchant premises were established along the Bay. An earthquake in 1927 destroyed a number of the premises and in 1951 a flood eliminated the rest and severed the peninsula from the rest of Newfoundland. Nearby, in 1941, the U.S. Air Force Base in Stephenville had a profound effect on the population until the base closed in 1966.

Over the years, erosion has carved spectacular hoodoo shapes in the limestone cliffs.

Sea cave.

There was a refreshing breeze and thunder sounding far away.

We came upon this happy couple having their wedding photos taken by the Bay.

Newfoundland dandelions.

One artsy picture for the day.