Our guidebook describes the Labrador Straits as cold, wet, and windy. Even so, we could not drive this far north in Newfoundland without seeing it.After a turbulent ferry ride, thanks to remnants of hurricane Harvey, we can’t wait to drive off the boat. Bring on the wind and rain.We quickly abandon plans to camp, and wild ideas about driving the 775 miles on the mostly gravel road to Labrador City.Instead, we find a cottage with a sea view. There must be a sea out there somewhere beyond the rain and fog.Fortunately, the beauty of this pristine, rugged land reveals itself to us the following morning when the skies clear for several hours.Let’s drive north as far as the paved road permits, which isn’t very far.Artifacts from Basque whalers at the Red Bay National Historic Site describe how this area was the largest whaling port in the world during the 16th-century.Hard to imagine how fishermen braved the wind in these icy waters. Many shipwrecks lie under this ocean. Shoot, even the mud puddles have wind-blown whitecaps!Few restaurants in these parts, so we cook comfort food in our cottage. Fresh cod tongues sauté with scallops in the kitchen tonight. Melt in your mouth.Labrador’s population is under 27,000 people. We think half of them attended the wedding held in our hotel. As the party spills into the parking area we receive numerous invites to join the celebration. Time to catch the ferry this final morning. A clear, sunny day allows us to see what we missed when we first drove in from the dock.

We have only scratched the surface of this cold, wet, and windy land and its hearty people. So grateful to have seen it.