Day 13 (Aug. 14) - Green Point, Cow Head, and Anchors Aweigh

Our theme today was rock formations, a lighthouse and music. We had another great breakfast this morning joined by a few other people staying at our inn. Our plan for the day was to visit several scenic locations close by that our hosts suggested. The first was a 90-minute guided walk to Green Point, a significant geological site in Gros Morne national park. Apparently the word got out because about 30 people joined us at the parking area near the cliff edge. Our guide, Chloe, comes over from Quebec during the summer to lead the groups. She said she wasn't a geologist, but we discovered she was very knowledgeable. 

We walked down the path a short way to the water's edge and from there could see the layers of different rocks. Because of how the crust in this area was bent by plate tectonics, the layers that were originally developed horizontally are now oriented in stunning vertical layers. Chloe told us that every three feet we step over the slate layers we are moving 60,000 years! We saw gneiss, granite and a lot of shale. It was due to this site that the current theory of plate tectonics took shape back in the 1960s.

Near the end of our tour, we noticed a bald eagle searching for a meal. It was so majestic! We saw it take off and land a few times. Rob caught these amazing shots with the big lens.

It was about 12:15pm and the skies were clouding up, so we drove 20 miles north on Highway 430 to visit Arches Provincial Park before the rain came in. Glacial events and sea water erosion created caves and ultimately natural arches in the limestone rock. This beach area was made up of softball sized igneous rocks worn smooth from erosion. The stones (many pink and black speckled granite) were very pretty but difficult to walk on. 

About 10 minutes south, we drove to the Cow Head Lighthouse trail before the rain started. Cow Head is the name of the town. We didn't miss the rain, but our inn hosts said we could still hike it in the rain since it was mostly tree covered. With our rain jackets on, we stayed mostly dry. 

It was a 2-mile loop hike and had nice overlook of the water, but the overlooks were obscured by the rain and fog. The 18-foot tall lighthouse was built in 1908 and discontinued in 1988. It is made out of cast iron and the smallest lighthouse we've ever visited. There were no trees around it when in use back in the day. 

The rain picked up so we picked up our pace as well, finishing the loop back to our car. Michele saw that the only wool shop in the area was open until 6pm so we stopped for a visit. She met the owner and fiber dyer, and bought some of her hand dyed merino. Her main business is the tourist season from June to September, then she stays open during winter a day or two each week, saying, "Everyone needs a bit of wool." Since we skipped lunch to make the sights before the rain, we drove back to Rocky Harbour to our now favorite cafe and picked up soup to tide us over until dinner. 

We had tickets tonight for Anchors Aweigh, a famous locally-based musical comedy concert, and wanted to make a table reservation for dinner. The venue is the pub of the Oceanside Hotel just down the street and holds about 150 people. We got a 6pm reservation at a great table near the front, which was lucky since the place is likely sold out each night. All of the tables are four person tables so we'd get to sit with new folks. We arrived a bit early to make sure we could get our dinner order in ahead of the big tour groups arriving. The band started arriving around 7pm and slowly warming up backstage. At about 7:30pm our table mates arrived. They were an older couple that live in Ontario, but are from Newfoundland originally, and visit southern Texas and Florida for the winters. They come back to Newfoundland to visit friends and family. He left Newfoundland in the late 1960s to work in the nickel mines as his career for 30 years. They offered us tips on what to see when we go to Twillingate later this week.

At 8pm the band came on stage. It is a group of five men: (from left to right) a bass guitarist, an electric guitarist and mandolin player, a drummer, and (the two founding members) the lead singer with an acoustic guitar, and a gentleman who plays the accordion and harmonica. Their show shares traditional and new Newfoundland music, culture and history, with comedy sprinkled in. The main two members have been playing there three days a week for 26 summers. 

After the first set they introduced themselves and several have awards and musical accolades to their name in Canada. There was a fun song where they taught us a line and asked us to sing along with them. The other lyrics were easy enough so we sang those also. It was a fun way to engage the audience and get a good vibe going in the room. Halfway through they said they never used to take a break/intermission because people would leave. They told us a story about an older lady at one of their shows who stood up right in front of everyone in a booming voice and said, "When are you fellers going to take a break? My arse is dunched." All the Newfoundlanders in the room burst out laughing. For the other 80% of us, they explained that it meant her butt was numb from sitting. So, because of her, they considered offering buttock massages to the audience. We knew this was a joke, but the bit was hilarious. 

The lead singer narrated and sang with the others the entire time. There were solos, ballads, interpretations of other songs, a mix of music from Ireland and other cultures, and jokes. Even the late Queen Elizabeth II made an appearance as she did back in the early 90's when the Canadian government placed a moratorium on fishing Atlantic Cod. The species was fished to critically dangerous levels and after 30 years has not recovered. The Queen came to Newfoundland to make a speech in an effort to show support to the people of Newfoundland as the moratorium put just about everyone on the island out of work. So this was the band's little tribute to that event.

Rob counted at least four accordions - one was a new Roland synthesizer that the musician played as he walked through the audience for one song. The waitresses asked us to stand and clap as he walked around.  The musicians played with amazing energy and talent from 8-10:30pm. At the very end, they asked the audience who was from each province in Canada, then played a song specific to that province. There were some Aussies in the back so they played AC/DC's Highway To Hell for them (AC/DC is a rock band from Australia). There were also a few other Americans ("friends from south of the border") in the audience so they played, "This Land is Your Land" for us.

What a fun night!