|
|
Routing considerations :
- Riding distance to L'Anse Amour is about 22 miles.
- Take the first ferry over and the last ferry back. This would only work on
Fridays
- Take the last ferry over and get the first ferry back the next morning.
This would work best on Sun/Mon, Tues/Wed, Thurs/Fri. This would save most
of one full day.
|
|
- Rider Magazine June 1999
- Average July/August temperature 50 degree F.; often below freezing at
night
- Reservations at Northern Light Inn is a must - only motel
- Labrador Coastal
Drive
- Labrador Straits
Travel Information
- Labrador Travel
- Labrador
Accommodations
- Labrador
links
- A little
geological background: Although Basque whalers spent summer
seasons on this coast in the 16th century, permanent fishing communities
were not established until the early 1700s. These are in sheltered bays
where freshwater streams flow into the sea. The coastal highway, constructed
in the mid-1980s, crosses the headlands high above sea level and cuts down
through the bedrock in long slopes to reach the communities. This allows
excellent viewing of local geology. Warning! The
shoulders of the road are narrow on most slopes. Do not block traffic.
From Blanc Sablon to Capstan Island, the sea cliffs and flat- topped hills
consist of Cambrian conglomerate, sandstone, shale, and limestone that lie
unconformably on Middle Proterozoic gneissic granite of the Grenville
Province. The sedimentary rocks were deposited in riverbeds and in a shallow
sea at the northwest margin of the Iapetus Ocean (see Plate Tectonics
panel). The thick lower sections in the long sloping roadcuts are mainly
sandstone. Thinner beds of shale and limestone overlie the sandstone, and
can be seen near the L'Anse-Amour lighthouse and in quarries at higher
levels
|
|
|
L'Anse au Clair
- Its name means "Clear Water Cove" and you will find lots of
fresh, clear, cold waterways along the way. While you are in this small out
port, you can check out the local craft store
- Northern Light Inn,
1-800-563-3188 from the Atlantic Provinces, or 709-931-2332, 50 rooms, laundry
room, five suites, five housekeeping cottages, restaurant, $65 - 120. (
This is where we stayed in 2004 - a first rate motel.)
- Beachside Hospitality Home, (may be out of business)
L'Anse au Clair. Proprietor: Mrs. Gloria Letto, tel. (709) 931-2662,
$38-45
|
|
|
Forteau
- During the month of August, Forteau is the home of the annual southern
Labrador "Bakeapple Festival." The event is named after the golden
coloured berries, also known as cloudberries, that grow in abundance in this
region.
- The distinctive crafts range from caribou skin mittens and rug work
to tapestries, carvings and colourful embroidered clothing
- Seaview Motel & Restaurant, (709) 931-2840, 8 rooms, the usual
amenities, $70
- Grenfell
Louie A. Hall Bed & Breakfast, Forteau. Proprietors: Peggy
& Dwight Hancock, tel. (709) 931-2916; 5 rooms; $40-55, 20 minutes
from ferry
|
|
|
L'Anse Amour (Pop 26)
- a site of national Historic Significance, archaeologists have uncovered an
unusual maritime Archaic Indian burial site 7,500 years old. It is the
oldest known aboriginal burial mound in North America.
- Lighthouse Cove Bed & Breakfast, $35-40; 3 rooms;
Proprietor: Mrs. Rita Davis, tel. (709) 927-5690.
- Just outside L'Anse Amour you will find the Point Amour lighthouse
- Wreck of British Battleship HMS Raleigh still evident within a few hundred
yards of the lighthouse; watch for unexploded shells.
"Just three years after her launching, this British light cruiser went
ashore near Point Amour on August 8, 1922. The Raleigh was en route to Forteau
Bay, where the officers were planning to go salmon fishing. The ship lay upright
near shore for four years, after which time the British Admiralty ordered an
explosives team to demolish her. A marked hiking trail at Point Amour will lead
you to scattered rusting fragments that still litter the beach. - Labrador Coastal Drive HMS Raleigh"
|
|
|
L'Anse
au Loup (Pop 600)
- Photo
link
- L'Anse-au Loup, Capstan Island and West St. Modeste are outports whose
ancestors first came here as "livyers" (I live here) from the
island of Newfoundland to permanently settle in what were first only
temporary summer fishing stations along the coast.
- Barney's Hospitality Home, $35, 3 rooms, shared bathroom,
proprietor: Mrs. Mary Barney, tel. (709) 927-5634.
- Lucky Strike Lodge, $225 !!!
|
|
|
West St. Modeste
Yes, that is snow on the hills behind the town. And yes, this is July.
|
|
Red
Bay (Pop 300)
- National
Historic Site, Interpretation facilities at Red Bay provide an
excellent means of discovering Labrador's unique 16th-century history. Scale
models of work buildings, reproductions, photographs and a feature film help
you understand the activities that occurred in 16th-century Red Bay;
self-guided tour of nearby Saddle
Island., (looks quite interesting)
- Red Bay is one of the oldest occupied ports along the Labrador Straits
- Red Bay visitors centre ...The Red Bay Visitor Centre commemorates
the whaling period. Visitors may take a boat ride to Saddle Island to see
the remains of 16th century structures and the whalers' cemetery. A one-hour
feature video presentation describes the archaeological excavations. A gift
shop in the visitor centre offers an excellent selection of Labrador and
other crafts. In 1977 archaeologists began excavations that were to reveal
what was Canada's first industrial complex and to help write a new chapter
in the early European history of North America.
- Basinview Bed & Breakfast, Red Bay. Proprietors:
Blanche & Wade Earle, tel. (709) 920-2002.
- Whaling Station Cabins / restaurant, (1.5 stars), 4 Housekeeping
Units, 61 East Hr. Drive, Red Bay, Tel (709)920-2156/2060, Fax:
(709)920-2156, Restaurant, Cable TV, Visa, $65
|
|
