Cape Spear Lighthouse...Goodbye Newfoundland July 12, 2019

Today we had to pack up our belongings as we must turn our motor-home in.

One of the guys in our crew found someone at the campground to give all our unused food and campfire wood to. She was camping with her grandchildren and was waiting for her husband to return from the mainland, as he was working over there. She was very appreciative all of the supplies and goodies we left with her. If we hadn't come upon her, we would have had to throw away a lot of good food that we purchased and never got around to using, as we ate out a few more nights than we planned.

Before we pulled out of Pippy's Campground, we left some Kindness Rocks around for the next people who would pull into our spots. 

We pulled out of Pippy's around 9:30 with Karen and Terri-Lee in our trailer and headed off to Cape Spear to see the Cape Spear Lighthouse. The remainder of our group was heading to the hotel.  

Cape Spear is the eastern most point of land on North America. The original Cape Spear Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador. It started working in 1836.

(click on a photo to be taken to a larger view)

When we arrived in the parking lot and looked up, we saw the traditional lighthouse you see on the center left. I didn't realize that wasn't the lighthouse I was really here to see, all I knew was that that lighthouse was REALLY far away and it was going to take a lot of climbing of a lot of stairs to get me up there. I had some serious doubts. 

This place is also where you will find Fort Cape Spear, a coastal defense battery used during the second World War. You can still find remnants of a cannon and some informative displays at this site. 

It was quite cold at Cape Spear when we arrived, we all put on our winter woollies, gloves, ear muffs, and whatever we had to keep warm. The breeze along the coast was unrelenting, and there was no sun to be found. We started our adventure by walking down towards the water, hoping to spot a whale, the only thing on my bucket list that I hadn't covered. 

If you stand here, your back to the sea, the entire population of North America stretches out in front of you. And there’s nothing behind you until Ireland. 

 They are doing some construction at the lighthouse. It is quite a walk from the parking lot up to see current lighthouse and an even longer walk to the original lighthouse. Now sure how I did it, but I am so proud that I did make it up to both of them.

In 1955, this lighthouse was built to "replace" the original lighthouse, but to keep up with tradition, they used the original light from the old lighthouse.  This lighthouse is still being used today. 

 The walk continues onward and upward to the original Cape Spear Lighthouse. 

 Looking back downward towards the parking lot. You can see it is a long way down. 

 They have restored the old lighthouse so when you take a tour of the interior, you can see how it would have looked back in the 1800's. The lighthouse was built in 1836. 

Here's today's history lesson from Wikipedia: "In 1835, a dense fog enveloped an approaching warship carrying a VIP visitor to St. John's. The Governor sent out several pilot boats, and a young harbor pilot names James Cantwell succeeded in locating the ship and guiding it safely into harbor. Asked what reward he would like, he requested the job of keeper at the Cape Spear lighthouse, then under construction. It had been promised to another man, Emmanuel Warre, but when Warre died ten years later, Cantwell became the second keeper. He served for 35 years; his son Dennis, who had been his assistant, later took over and, with two intermissions, the Cantwell family kept the Cape Spear light for over 150 years."  

Fun Fact: Through Facebook, I know member of this famous Cantwell family, we are both avid Headstones fans. 

From the lighthouse, you can look across the bay and see the top of Signal Hill in St. John's. Here is where the lighthouse keeper would signal across to Signal Hill to relay messages to St. John's about incoming ships.

Let me tell you this, going down all those stairs was just as hard on your knees as going up. 

We got all the trailers back to the hotel by 1 pm, and met with the RV man to the him all the things that needed to be fixed on each rig before it should be put on the road again. We mentioned my camera again, but they felt no responsibility for it, but expressed their sorrow. Our rooms weren't ready until after 3. After we got our rooms, we repacked our bags and headed to meet most of the crew in Karen and Lionel 's room. We stayed there chatting and reminiscing about the best parts of the trip. We met up with the rest of the crew in the hotel restaurant for our final dinner. We went around to each room to say our goodbyes as their flight was earlier than ours, and back to our room for some quiet time before our final sleep in Newfoundland. My how this part of the trip has flown by.