by Keith and Heather Nicol
 |
| The Salmonid Interpretation Centre has a scenic setting |
The Salmonid Interpretation Centre is located just outside Grand Fall-Windsor on
the Exploits River. The Exploits River is 246 km long making it the longest
river on the island and it has a large salmon run. There is a fish ladder at the Salmonid
Interpretation Centre which was built to help salmon bypass the falls on the
Exploits River. Here they have an interpretation centre which features underwater
viewing windows so that you can see the salmon swim past. Outside of the centre
you can walk over grates that cover the fish ladder and you can watch salmon
leap up over various barriers in the fish ladder. When we were there in late July, 2012 there
were many salmon moving through and it was fascinating watching the salmon leap
from pool to pool. One interpreter told us that the salmon run was down a bit
this year (compared to last year) which may have been due to the warmer, drier
summer that we have been enjoying. The Salmonid Interpretation Centre has a
gift shop, restaurant and short walking trails and is a great way to spend a
summer afternoon. For more information on the centre see: http://www.exploitsriver.ca/index.php.
 |
| Salmon from the underwater viewing windows |
That evening we
headed toward Gander and overnighted at the Blue Water Lodge and Retreat. The
lodge is located 2 kilometers from the Trans Canada Highway near Notre Dame
Junction and will suit those people that like to get off the beaten track like
we do. The log lodge is striking as you approach it and you get good views of
island studded Indian Arm Pond from the back deck. When we arrived we met 2
couples one from Greece and one from Turkey! It is not that common for us to
meet people traveling in Newfoundland from these locations and owner Gary Sargent
told us that they get quite a few European guests. They also serve dinner and
we joined them for a nicely prepared feast of
“Mediterranean-style” cod with a
tasty salad made in large part from their own garden. Breakfast was equally
good featuring homemade scones, homemade strawberry jam and scrambled eggs.
See: www.relax-at-bluewater.ca for more information.
 |
| The Blue Water Lodge and Retreat caters to those who like to be surrounded by wilderness |
No comments:
Post a Comment