When planning, it occurred to me that at this juncture, we have been living in luxury on this trip. The majority of our campgrounds have had electricity and showers. It’s time to get off the beaten path. I noticed that the National Parks takes up this entire area except the very tip of the island on top. What’s at the tip?

The only way to camp up there is at a first come first serve area. I sprinkle these in because it reminds me of the time pre covid where we would just wing it every night super cheap with little plans. We don’t want to leave the hostel early but we have no idea if we will miss out on a spot, so we turn off the main road and take a dirt road up along the Highlands coast. The road is steep in sections and goes right to the cliffs edge in others. The giant pot holes are evidence of the harsh winters this far north. The trip was unexpectedly awesome with views of the oceans for most of it.  In the end we arrived at the most beautiful campsite the bus has ever spent the night. The Canadians went and took this beautiful piece of land and named it, Meat Cove. I always wanted to stay right on a cliff like this but now that I’m here, with kids or without, the spots all seem pretty close to the edge. About half the spots are taken but we made it. 

A few days ago Amy was thumbing through the giant geology textbook she hauled to the beach and she turned to me, “Seth, are we going here?” She was pointing to a map of the island we would soon be at and her finger was directly on Meat Cove. In the map the rest of the country was one color but this tiny tip was colored differently. Amy explained that the rocks up here are very different than all the other rocks we’ve seen on the trip so far, these rocks are far older and were formed during an entirely different event. I always get really excited when she gets excited over something I planned for her. She has been looking forward to these cliffs and I’m looking forward to seeing her face light up.

But first let’s see her face while I’m parallel parking a bus along a cliff. We are the largest vehicle who made it this far north and this is the best spot to accommodate us, and like every spot, it’s right along a cliff. Man is it beautiful, but man do we need to watch the kids constantly and set some serious rules. 

While setting up we see several giant sea lions playing in the cove below us. The water was so clear you could see their entire spotted bodies. The giant heads would pop up frequently during our stay and never got old. We kept binoculars close by at all times. It was a bit windy during the day and some gusts made you feel the bus was going to tip over with nowhere to land. We had to spend time laying out every backpack, tent, and sleeping bag to dry them out after fishing cove, the intense sun and wind made quick work of the task and our chores were done shortly. The spot may have been dangerous but it made for some substantial entertainment and sweet views for morning yoga. 

The beach below the cliffs was covered in so many unique crazy types of rocks that every parent sat rifleing through the stone while their kids played in the waves. Those without kids were free to walk up and down the coastline , frequently bending over to uncover a hidden gem. Up in the cliffs, the wind kept up all night but we made a fire and sat close for warmth. When the kids would start to wrestle we’d remind them about the several hundred foot drop right next to them, these reminders would last between 2-10 minutes. 

This three day run has just been a perfect example of what I picture when trying to design the perfect trip. So much unexpected fun and beauty, great people, unique spots, and happy family. 

At night I’m startled awake by Amy grabbing me. “I hear something.” A mouse she explains after I’m done jumping up ready to go. Shhhh… listen. I sit quiet long enough to hear a tiny little nibble coming from our excess food storage. Amy stands up on the car seats as if a mouse can’t get up there. Better not be chewing on my wires, I do not want to be stuck here. With the spotlight out, I light up the bus like the surface of the sun and I spot the little guy. He runs off but I have fancy plans. We set some traps and lay back down staring up like some evil villain awaiting for his plan to materialize. After about ten minutes, SNAP! A small evil grin before turning on my side and falling asleep. The following day we been driving for hours before Everest said “hey did you ever catch that mouse?” I looked down at my feet and there he was, going on a little trip with us. The following day Amy went digging for something and screamed ouch when she found the other mouse trap we forgot about. Good times.