Deer Lake, Newfoundland Thursday, Jul 3 2008
Northeastern Road Trip 7:23 pm

DEER LAKE, N.L. – “Where is this place, exactly?” inquires a Newfoundland and Labrador tourism sign aboard the ferry from Nova Scotia, before rhetorically answering, “It’s about as far away from Disneyland as you can possibly get.”
Traveling on the Trans-Canadian Highway out of Port aux Basques, the fourth exit coincides with an off-ramp for the town of Corner Brook – it comes over 130 miles into the journey. Sure, there are intersections and gravel roads leading on and off the “highway” (and that is a term being bandied about rather loosely here), but the notion that the fourth genuine exit comes over two hours into the trip is, in and of itself, an apt commentary on the tremendously rural nature of Newfoundland. It is, however, a gorgeous trip, marked by a beautiful contrast of mountains (pictured above) and streams, offering three-dimensional scenery I didn’t encounter in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick.
For what it is worth, AT&T wireless does not get reception up here – not even roaming. For the first time since high school, I found myself clasping a gas station payphone. And as for the Internet, my hotel does promote its free Wi-Fi, but the signal is weak and connection slow. Trying to upload photos has taken a decent chunk of time; merely checking my e-mail has all the awkward elements of a flashback to the dial-up modem era.
Interestingly, however, such Wi-Fi advertisements are remarkably en vogue throughout the island – nearly every hotel billboard boasts of one such claim, as do the roadside flyers for numerous campgrounds. And while I will not be pitching a tent tonight, I must admit that the underlying concept of a cyber-rich campground is altogether fascinating – perhaps no better means of harboring the finest attributes of the 19th century and the 21st century whilst leaving the intervening 100 years out of the equation.
Signs of the 20th century are not far off, however. The Deer Lake Power Plant, constructed in the 1920s, led to the creation of this small town. And while it may have been a gorgeous marvel in the roaring days, it today more closely resembles a creaky cinematic horror set. The plant (pictured below) is in need of a generous helping of cosmetic work, far more than a mere paint job might accomplish. Still, it makes for a fascinating site – in a community dominated by natural scenery and a touch of quaint architectural charm, the aging plant on the lake makes for an interesting point of contrast.
Next stop: TBD.










