Monthly Archives: August 2012

Cache of the Month: August

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For this month’s “Geocache of the Month” we’ve decided to do something a little different, to bend the rules if you will.  It’s our blog… we’ll do as we please! Instead of selecting just one geocache for the month of August, we’ve decided to highlight a whole series of geocaches.  The series that got us all excited this month are those hidden along the “Baccalieu Trail”.

The provincial tourism department has divided many of the scenic driving routes into day length portions and named them based on the history/geography of the location.  This particular route meanders along the northern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, traveling some 230km along the scenic coastline.  The name is derived from Baccalieu Island, an ecological reserve and the largest seabird island in Newfoundland and supports the greatest diversity of breeding seabirds in Eastern North America.

All in all there are 24 geocaches in this series, with each hidden in a different community.  They’re good quality containers, have descriptive and helpful hints, and provide you with a self guided, off the beaten path tour of the area.

Some of the highlights for us included:

Heart’s Content Cable Station! Check out our blog post about this site by clicking here.

Northern Bay Sands! Another great caching/swimming location!

What was your favorite cache that you found this month? Why not share it with us in the comments section below!

Heart’s Content: Connecting with the Past

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Heart’s Content is a small picturesque sea-side town in Trinity Bay.  It is located along the Baccalieu Trail, approximately 124 km from St. John’s.  Incorporated in 1967, the community has a population of roughly 425 people.

We visited this community back in early August on one of our geocaching excursions around the bay.  While in the town, we found Baccalieu Trail: Hearts Content (GC2TQp4) located near the local bank.  After finding the geocache we decided to head back the road and visit one of the Heart’s Content Cable Station, a Provincial Historic Site.  Neither one of us had been there before so we headed inside to check it out…

In 1866, Heart’s Content was the landing site for the first trans-atlantic communications cable.  Stretching 2300 nautical miles from Valentia, Ireland to Heart’s Content, Newfoundland the cable provided the first communications link between North America and Europe. This historic event put Heart’s Content on the map!

Over the next 30 years several other transatlantic cables were laid, making Heart’s Content one of the most important communications hubs anywhere in the world.  This continued to be the case up until the 1960′s when modern technologies, such as trans-ocean telephone and satellite communications, made the transatlantic communications link redundant and obsolete.

The remaining building and equipment were purchased by the provincial government in the early 1970′s.  Visiting the site today will allow you to explore the office building, built in 1875, and an extension to original structure built in 1918.  You’ll learn all about the construction of the cable, how it was laid, telegraph communication, and the pivotal role that the Heart’s Content Cable Station played in the industry.

Staff members are also available to answer any questions you may have, and we were really impressed with their friendliness. We also made an obligatory stop in the gift shop where they have a fine selection of knitted goods and other touristy knick knacks. I of course picked up a lapel pin to add to the collection.

Below are some photos from our visit:

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If you happen to be in the area, the hours of operation and admission information is listed below.

Season
Open May 19 until October 5, 2012

Hours
 10:00 am – 5:30 pm, everyday including weekends and holidays.

Admission

Single Entry
(Adults and Children 12 & up)		 $3.00
Children under 12 FREE!
Family pass
(1 site entry for 2 adults & 3 children aged 17 & under)		 $7.00
Season Pass
(Single entry to all Provincial Historic Sites for one season)		 $10.00
Group rate
(Single entry rate for groups of 10 or more people, booked in advance)		 $2.40
Every Sunday

FREE!

This Little Light of Mine

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The first lighthouse built in Newfoundland and Labrador was located at Fort Amherst, near the entry way to St. John’s Harbour, also known as the Narrows and was constructed in 1813.  With our rugged coastline that stretches out over thousands of kilometers, coupled with our oft times less than ideal weather, and the reliance of our people on the fishery and other marine-based activities, lighthouses were an absolute necessity in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Prior to modern technologies like global position systems and telecommunications, sailors and fishermen often relied on the light from these structures to guide them home and keep them clear of dangerous rocks and cliffs.

With the advent of modern technology many lighthouses are now automated, no longer requiring a lighthouse keeper.  As a result, many lighthouses across the province/country have gone without maintenance for some time.   Recognizing the increased cost in upkeep, the federal government over the past number of years has launched a lighthouse divestiture program along with a heritage designation program.  Through these programs, the federal government has been trying to encourage provinces, municipalities, local community groups, and regular citizens to take ownerships of these structure, finding creative and unique to make them sustainable and profitable. Newfoundland and Labrador has several excellent examples of lighthouses that have been converted into museums/interpretive sites (e.g. Cape Race), bed and breakfasts (e.g Quirpon), restaurants/picnic sites (e/g/ Ferryland Head), craft shops (e.g. Crow Head) all doing wonders to promote and attract tourism activity in their respective areas.

We’ve often mentioned lighthouses before on the blog, and we strongly feel that they’re an interesting historic feature for many coastal communities and thus make great locations for geocaches (at least in our minds).  Below we’ve provided a list of some of the more significant lighthouses within the province and of course we’ve indicated the closest geocache for your searching convenience.

Fort Amherst

As noted above, this is the location of the first lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador which helped guide ships around the treacherous rocks outside of St. John’s Harbour.

Closest Geocache: The Fort Amherst Cache (GCZ7BX)

Cape Race

Location of the first wireless communication station in Newfoundland and Labrador, also known for receiving the Titanic’s distress signal in 1912. The lighthouse is located in Cape Race, on the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula.

Closest Geocache: Cape Race Cache (GCXAKV)

Quirpon

This lighthouse has been converted into a Bed & Breakfast, offering a unique accommodations and spectacular ocean views. It’s located on the Northern Peninsula, near Lanse Aux Meadows.

Closest Geocache: Quirpon Lighthouse Inn (GC1F75M)

Cape Spear

The most easterly point in North America and about a 15 minute drive from St. John’s! Also the site of the oldest original lighthouse structure in the province. We’ve mentioned this area before, check out our blog post all about Cape Spear!

Closest Geocache: Cape Spear Light (GCEE24)

Related Blog Post: Cape Spear Caching

Ferryland

This lighthouse is located approximately 40 minutes south of St. John’s.  Be sure to check out the lighthouse picnic if you visit!  In relation to the point above about lighthouse divestiture, the Town of Ferryland took possession of their lighthouse just yesterday (August 23, 2012)!  What a sense of pride for that community!

Closest Geocache: Ferryland Head (GCG4H2)

Related Blog Post: Ferryland

Bonavista

This is where John Cabot made landfall when he discovered Newfoundland way back in 1497, needless to say there’s a lot of history here!

Closest Geocache: Bonavista Light (GCGBBJ)

Twilingate/Crow Head

Perhaps your best bet for icebergs and whale watching (in season)! There are many fantastic trails to explore in the area, however be mindful of the cliffs.

Closest Geocache: Sailors Be Warned (GCA4F2)

Lobster Cove

Located near Rocky Harbour in Gros Morne National Park.

Closest Geocache: Lobster Cove Head (GCGGEE)

Point Amour

Site of the second tallest lighthouse in Canada!  To access this one, you will need to find your way to the South Coast of Labrador.

Closest Geocache: Point Amour Lighthouse #2 (GC1FMM7)

Rose Blanche

Located along the South Coast of Newfoundland.

Closest Geocache: Rose Blache Light House (GCJEYE)

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We figured we should include a montage of the lighthouses we have found over the past number of years.  Enjoy!

How many of these lighthouses have you visited? Have you found any of the caches listed above? Why not share your favorite lighthouse moments below!

International Geocaching Day

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It’s International Geocaching Day! To celebrate we hosted an event here in St. John’s called An Event With a Theme Song #4 (GC3RR58).

The event was of the meet and eat variety, and it was our fourth time hosting. There were 25 to 30  geocachers who gathered at Don Cherry’s for brunch to celebrate this day and the wonderful past time that is geocaching! We all shared stories about geocaching, passed around some trackables, and provided each other with some insider information on those difficult to find caches!

First to find honours went to TarTar2, along with a history lesson on why a little old  can of beans has such significant meaning within the geocaching community.

Shortly after lunch we all split up for sites unknown, be it more geocaching, back to work or a trip out around the bay to celebrate a relatives birthday.

We hope you all had fun and enjoyed the rest of your day!

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An Engagement Story

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Two years ago on September 3rd, 2009, Allan and I headed to the incredibly scenic Burin Peninsula for a weekend full of Geocaching. We rented a cabin at the Grand Fairways Resort in Frenchmen’s Cove, wrote down a long list of geocaches and headed out. As you all know, the greatest thing about Geocaching is not only discovering a new place, but also getting to see it through the eyes of a local. You get the inside scoop on the great swimming holes, berry picking grounds, and vistas!

In preparation for our long weekend vacation, Allan had gotten in touch with two sets of Geocachers from the Burin Peninsula, Shermandkim, and Shantrent. He had asked for locations that would be of note, important things to do, just so we didn’t miss anything special. Allan was silly, he had already created the most special geocache container!

On our list was a geocache called Waterfalls In The Road (GC1H5K2).

Waterfalls on the Road

When we pulled over to the location to find the cache, Allan took his time getting out of the car, and getting his hiking boots, backpack, and whatever he needed. He missed this in the sky overhead..

X marks the spot!

As I make my way to Ground Zero, Allan comes running up behind me, digging through his backpack, heads into the woods and throws a second container at the base of a tree near the cache. I believe I said something like, “What are you doing? Why are you doing that? Why are there two containers?!”  I think we all know what was about to happen!

I opened up that second cache container to find the best swag a geocacher could ask for – an engagement ring!

Engaged!

Happiness! We spent the rest of the weekend incredibly excited, and largely without cell service. Do you know what the worst thing about being engaged is? Not being to tell anyone! We finally managed to get in touch with our parents that Sunday! Two days later! All in all, a fantastic weekend! One that we will definitely remember for a long, long time.

Two happy geocachers!

Do you have a Geocaching engagement story to share? We would love to hear it!