Route 430 in Newfoundland is designated as the "Viking Trail" since it is the main auto route to L'Anse aux Meadows, the only proven Viking era settlement in North America. We all learned in school that Christopher Columbus discovered America around 1500, but the truth is the Vikings led by Leif Ericson reached L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland around 1000, 500 years earlier than Christopher Columbus.
1. The Viking Trail.
2. Arches Provincial Park along the Viking Trail.
An interesting stop along the Viking Trail is Flower's Cove, a small town famous for thrombolites or living rocks.
3. Walking to see the thrombolites at Flower's Cove.
4. So what is thrombolites?
5. Thrombolites.
6. Thrombolites.
7. Remembered I said earlier we saw some huge wood piles along the Viking Trail?
8. Wood piles along the Viking Trail. Newfoundland residents can cut a certain amount of wood from public land a year (need to apply a permit first of course). They normally leave the wood where they are cut to dry (up to a year) before hauling them home for heating.
9. Wood piles along the Viking Trail.
10. Somewhere near L'Anse aux Meadows.
11. Somewhere near L'Anse aux Meadows.
12. Somewhere near L'Anse aux Meadows.
13. L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.
14. L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.
15. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
16. Inside the main sod house.
17. Inside the main sod house.
18. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
19. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
20. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
21. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
22. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
23. Reconstructed sod house at L'Anse aux Meadows.
(To be continued)