We made it! We arrived in Newfoundland, out tenth province on this epic cross Canada road trip with three people, all in a ’94 VW Westfalia camper van. And we’ve been roadschooling 9 year old Ethan along the way. It feels rewarding to get here, even though this is only half the trip because we have to go home, too!
Video to come!
Morning
The overnight ferry was tiring for all of us, but especially Dong Eun and Ethan. Ethan fell asleep relatively quickly, but Dong Eun had a hard time getting comfortable. I was pretty ok, as I can usually sleep anywhere, but it still wasn’t a restful night’s sleep. We all agreed that on the way back, we’ll take the daytime ferry.
After getting off the ferry, we still needed to drive. St. John’s was still over 800km away, which would be a two day drive for us. So we had to first get to Grand Falls-Windsor and on the way, stop to have some breakfast. But first, some sights and heart shaped bread.
It was incredibly windy this morning and Juju Jr. was being constantly tossed around by the wind. And after a not so smooth ferry ride, this didn’t help Ethan and Dong Eun feel any better. But Ethan is usually in good spirits, in spite of the circumstances.
We eventually stopped at a gas station with a large parking lot to have some breakfast.
Ethan then did one of his chores, which is sweeping the floor and cleaning the mat.
Ethan also wanted to wrap up his Grade 4 assessment, as he only had the review section to complete. It was more writing, but he has a different perspective on writing after our little breakthrough the other day.
It was time to get moving and do our best to reach Grand Falls-Windsor.
Along the way, we made another pit stop to use the wifi from a local library so I could complete some work. It also gave Ethan time to work on his latest video. He is having a great time teaching French with his animated videos.
Ethan had some leftover apple pie we picked up in North Sydney, so that was a small reward for having completed his assessment.
Afternoon
We got back on the road and stopped occasionally for a break. At most of these pit stops, Dong Eun will prepare something to eat, while Ethan and I get something done. Ethan will do his workbooks and I’ll catch up on this blog or other work.
We’ve been learning to make better use of our time to be productive, since we’re on the go most of the time. It’s a habit that Ethan and I both needed to get better at, so the road trip has been a good learning experience in that way, too.
With a long drive ahead, we decided it would be a good idea to make sure we had enough gas. Most gas stations on this portion of the highway only have 87 octane, while Juju Jr. prefers 91. The stations that had 91 were also quite pricey, so I’m thinking of only using 87 while we’re here. Juju Jr. is ok with 87, as long as we don’t go too fast up hills (which never happens, anyway!).
And gas stations are always a great time for Ethan to help with washing the windows, which he really enjoys.
Dong Eun and Ethan are very good about enjoying the moment and took some time out at the gas station to enjoy the beautiful fall colours. Ethan found a nice looking leaf and put it in Dong Eun’s hair.
A few more stops along the way of what turned out to be a nice, scenic drive. The landscape changed so much along this stretch of the Trans Canada, from windy and barren, to mountainous lush and green, and everything in between. Driving across Canada has been an amazing way to enjoy our beautiful country and connect with each other.
Evening
We finally arrived in Grand Falls-Windsor where we did some grocery shopping and set up for the night. However, we were running low on water so needed to figure out how to refill the fresh water tank. But first, some more work and by Ethan’s request, hot dogs for dinner!
But the water… We heard from Loretta and Dan that they got fresh water from Canadian Tire stores, so we called the one down the street but they said their hoses and taps were shut off now. There was also a Canadian Tire gas station across the street, and as luck would have it, they said it would be ok for us to use their outdoor tap.
It was the owner of the station I talked to and he and his wife turned out to be super nice people. They were quite interested in the van and our trip, and the wife talked about how much she loved visiting BC. We also got some tips about places to eat at in St. John’s, which is always handy. Big thanks to these kind people for helping us out.
Back at the Walmart, Ethan saw that they sold flash cards and wanted to buy some. But instead, we suggested that he could make his own and so, that’s what he did. The store bought cards were nice, but they weren’t as nice as custom ones Ethan could make for what he wanted to practise.
We’ve been quite frugal during the trip, and we were also that way at home, too, but we’re trying to show Ethan that it’s not always necessary to buy something, unless it’s essential.
So that was our first full day in Newfoundland. Tomorrow, we’ll try to get an early start to get to St. John’s.
If you’re just reading this blog for the first time, we are a family of three traveling across Canada (and likely beyond) in a 1994 VW Westfalia camper van called Juju Jr. Our son Ethan, age 9, is unschooling and so we want him to learn from being on the road and traveling. So he’s also now a roadschooler and we are documenting the trip and his learning on this blog.
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