The drive home began in earnest....so of course after all that rain and fog, it was sunny, dry and 26 C as we drove towards the ferry! We set ourselves up for another long day behind the wheel, with about a nine-hour run from Port Union to Port-aux-Basques. We ate leftovers, listened to the audiobook, and checked the oil a few times during fuel stops.
As usual, we were very early for the night crossing, so we added yet more driving to tour the scenic Route 470 along the south coast to Isle-aux-Morts and Rose Blanche, one of our favourites. We had planned to stop for dinner in Isle-aux-Morts, but nothing was open - we ended up back in Port-aux-Basques for a great takeout meal (and conversation with the owner) at Rosie's Burger Barn.
We checked into the ferry, this time an 11:45pm crossing on the MV Highlanders. Before long, we were boarding....and even though there was no specific "small car" lane for this boat, we still ended up down in the bowels on Deck 1. At least the ramp was a little wider and bigger cars and trucks were sent down there too. Alas though, any plans for a quick disembarkation in the morning went out the window.
Our cabin was great again, and we watched an interesting show on exploring wrecks on Lake Superior. After a good night's sleep, we docked in North Sydney in the morning, and after a quick coffee stop headed west. An even longer day was in store, not helped by roadwork in Cape Breton, but we did about a thirteen hour run to get from the ferry to the lovely Motel Blanchet in Drummondville, Quebec.
By then we were silly tired, even after gaining an hour and a half in time zones - it doesn't mean you drove any less! After checking in, we grabbed dinner to go from the on-site restaurant and ate in the room. We also woke up early enough to have a nice sit-down breakfast in the morning, before heading out for the relatively short five-hour leg to visit family in eastern Ontario.
After a nice two day visit, we headed home early on Sunday morning for the six-hour run through the GTA. We were on the next audiobook by now, "The Chrysalids", ironically set in a futuristic Labrador and island of "Newf". We opted for the scenic route along Lake Erie for the last half-hour, mainly to add a stop at Pardo's for fresh strawberries. Arriving by early afternoon, we released the happy/angry cats, cracked a few windows, surveyed the tall weeds, and unpacked.
In the end, we drove 8,404 km and saw 85 icebergs, along with moose, deer, foxes, puffins and a whale. It had been far too long since we had been to The Rock, and we vowed to not let a whole decade go by again before going back!
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