Off the beaten path...

...and we mean really off!  We went in search of the resettled town of Big Brook way up on the coast of the Northern Peninsula in the Highlands.  We first had to find the gravel road to get there which we accomplished by asking directions in Cook's Harbour. We were told that it was 16 km in on an unmaintained road and to take our time.  Good advice!  The potholes were big and plentiful!!

The whole trip was very cool.  We passed through huge limestone barrens in which it appears that nothing grows in the rocky soil, but in fact the barrens host rare species of plants.  However stopping here was not our mission despite this unique draw. Looking around, we saw nothing but the barrens and the scrubby vegetation.  I'm not sure any of us have ever been in such a remote locale and while thrilling, it was also a bit disconcerting.

After driving through the barrens we found ourselves along a wild, wind-swept coastline. The driftwood was flung up along this desolate, rocky coast. It was just beautiful!  We spied the remains of the cargo ship, Empire Energy, which was wrecked by German U-boats in 1942.  We tried to walk closer to the beach along a narrow moose path (want to take a guess how we knew it was that??), but found ourselves cut off by a pond next to the beach. It sparked our imaginations though and we took plenty of photos.

Soon after this, we came on Big Brook located at Unfortunate Cove. It was very saddening to see.  It really was an abandoned little town. Imagine seeing a wooden swing set with the swings blowing in the wind or the jetty which hosts no ships. As we entered, we stopped to read the official sign which informed us that this community had been evacuated and to enter at our own risk. We went on a bit to take photos and view it closer up but it felt like an invasion of privacy so we didn't go far.  A few of the houses still seemed in good condition and we wondered if they were being used as summer homes like we had read in some of the guide books. There wasn't a soul around though.  Imagine summering in your old town and watching your neighbor's houses breaking down a bit more each season.

We headed back soon after.  This really was a highlight of the trip--getting away from what the average tourist may see and discovering a true piece of Newfoundland history.