July 2025 Canlife Correspondence: Coddiwomple, Canada Travel, Campfire Safety, & Come Home

Coddiwomple: (KOD-ee-wom-puhl) - to travel purposefully toward an as-yet-unknown destination (modern slang).

The rain fell sideways in sheets and the waves pounded the coastal shore, as we turned down the road to the Point Amour Lighthouse. "At least we can get a photo," we thought. As lovers of old things, we cannot ignore the call of the foghorn. Turns out, the museum and tower were open. "Let's just go see what the entrance fee might be," I say. Turns out, it was a Sunday and admission is free!

Turns out, they let you climb the 137 stairs and ladders to the top of this 38 meter (109 feet) tower along the Labrador Straits -- the tallest building in Labrador!  Without any supervision at all (extremely rare these days), you can walk around the 8 foot tall, 2nd order Fresnel lens, and get lost in your own imaginings about what it would be like to be out on that water, with all its fury, its 7 knot tidal current, and erratic icebergs on a day like this over 150 years ago.

Three hours after wandering in for a "quick look," we remained wrapped in conversation with Alfred, one of the lighthouse docents and Straits' native son.  Not only did he bring the 168 year old structure to life, he regaled us with stories of his humble but happy childhood on this rugged coast, growing up with 11 other siblings in a 4 bedroom house with no indoor plumbing – years before the cod fishery collapse.  And if you want a truly good read for the rest of your summer reading list, check out Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky. 

Turns out, that even after exploring so many lighthouses, we can still be blown away and learn new insights into North America's nautical past. Similarly, our wanderings along our last unvisited Canadian province fail to resemble anything we've seen or done before.

Last month, we boarded the overnight ferry from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland.  It was only 30 days ago, just 4 weeks, and yet we feel as if we’ve spent months here since driving Hamlet off the ship.  While the Newfoundland time zone is an odd 30 minutes ahead of its closest neighbor Atlantic time, which is itself one hour ahead of the East Coast, I can assure you it does not create some sort of cosmic anomaly where the clock runs slower.  Once I manually adjusted the dorky digital watch on my wrist, it advanced in the regular way – yet our perception of this time is vastly exaggerated, stretched, and unbound.  Yes, we’ve done a lot, yes, we’ve covered some ground – but most visitors to this island and its provincial partner to the northwest (Labrador) take in this whole region in less than 2-3 weeks. They go further, faster, take in more stops, consume more restaurant meals, buy more stuff, check off more boxes and perhaps see, feel, and experience less.  The pressure of the pre-arranged itinerary, the reservations, the commitments while traveling and those awaiting “back home” all seem to make travel fit into a box.  It’s all we have time for, right? If we’re lucky.  And, indeed...we are privileged to be able to travel this way!

We say that we travel reservation-less, and while this is mostly true, we do occasionally make them.  Important ferry transportation, work-related airline tickets, and the odd campsite in more popular national park campgrounds during the high season.  And while we sometimes find them necessary, we also find them limiting.  We would rather just stay in conversation with Alfred, or hike a different trail to a distant headland, or paddle into some unknown cove; but, instead we have to get on with it and reach our next reserved destination. 
By the same token, traveling without intention can seem driftless – indecision derived from overwhelming options -- until it's just easier to just stay in bed and binge Ted Lasso episodes, "Am I right?" I'll admit that sometimes, I can fall into this funk, but then something like our lighthouse day comes along and it reignites my fire for this lifestyle, for a good coddiwomple. Give it a try...

Tips for Planning Your Newfoundland & Labrador RV Adventure!

After spending a full month traveling around and off-grid camping in this stunning province, we've learned a few things to share with those of you who are planning a future road trip to this special place in northeastern Canada.  We've got a good list going so far, and we'll keep adding to it as we continue to travel in Newfoundland over the next month.  Still lots more to see and do along the way!

App of the Month: My Aurora Forecast & Alerts

Nearly every RVer who heads to northern latitudes hopes for at least a few clear, dark nights along with a strong aurora forecast.  We will never ever forget the surprise northern lights show that we got in Haines Junction, Yukon in October 2022!  While much of a good aurora sighting relies simply on luck, the My Aurora Forecast & Alerts app may help you plan to be in the right place at the right time.

Video of the Month:  48V-105Ah LiFePO4 Golf Cart Battery Swap

Serendipitously, the same week Renogy came out with their new, lightweight 48V battery kit specifically designed for golf carts, Hutch's brother Bob mentioned that his old, very heavy 4 x 12V lead acid batteries in his golf cart had finally gone kaput.  Since we were in Canada and Bob is in suburban DC, he ordered the kit and took at stab at filming the installation process.  A few edits later and we share with you...Bob's YouTube "Freedom in a Can" channel take over!  Well done, Bob.  We hope you enjoy zipping around the links with your new Lithium blah, blah, blah Renogy battery...  Seriously, though.  This installation couldn't be simpler, and will lighten the load of your golf cart by nearly 215 pounds!  As always, be sure to use our CANLIFE promo code to save a bundle on Renogy components.

Campfire Safety: A Little Refresher for RVers

Building a campfire is one of the reasons to go camping – whether it's for a some evening entertainment, making dinner or dessert, a little extra warmth...or to satisfy your 10-year old during a much-needed, zero-screen time weekend in the woods. Our desire for fire lies deep within the human race. It’s primal, it’s fun, and – you guessed it – it also carries a huge responsibility along with it!  Make sure you know the basics before you start building one.

3 Farmer’s Market Recipes That Are Made for the Road

Miss farm fresh veggies while you are on a road trip?  Tip!  While traveling, search “farmers market near me” or “farm stand near me” on your mapping app – or stay at a farm-based Harvest Hosts site and stock up!  Check out our recent blog for a few of our favorite "fresh from the farmer's market" recipes.

In Front of the Mic:  America's Largest RV Show, September 10-14!

Thanks for reaching out and asking, y'all!  YES...we are excited to be returning to Hershey, PA for our 5th year!  We'll be presenting 2 different seminars each day during the 5-day show in the Champions Club Room on the main level of the Giant Center. Get your tickets here for this awesome show – hope to see you there!    

Our 2025 Seminars:

• Working & Volunteering from the Road – Whether you are looking for full-time work, seasonal work in beautiful places, want to start your own business, and/or want to give back while traveling, we have tips galore for finding it!

• RV Solar 101:  How to Size & Design a System for Your Rig – We've been teaching this seminar at RV shows all over the country for 5 years now.  Come learn how to size a system that meets your energy needs, the type of equipment you need to build out a system, and a whole lotta resources for making all of that happen.  

"Come Home" – More Than Just a License Plate Motto for Newfoundland & Labrador!

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Pinware River Provincial Park, along the Labrador Straits.  The sun warmed the sand to just the right temperature where you might even consider hopping in for a swim, despite the frigid water.  One family strolled along the beach, one overly-excited dog ran feral chasing the children, and we thought, "Where is everyone?"  We struck up a conversation with one of the ladies and turned the question to her.  

"When I was young, there'd be 150 people here on a day like this. There's hardly anyone left on the coast anymore, most of us are over 50, anyways.  I was one of 10 kids and I'm the only one left of my family.  Most moved away for work, got married, and settled there.  And with my folks passed on, there's no reason to come back now.  And what families are here are only having 1 or 2 kids, anyways."  

In the early 1990's, several of the fisheries, most notably cod and salmon, were closed because of overfishing, and the better part of a generation left the province for other work and educational opportunities elsewhere across Canada and the commonwealth. For Newfoundland and Labrador, "Come Home" is one of a handful of license plate mottos and a campaign by the tourism board in 2022 to encourage the folks who left to return and reconnect with their roots. While the campaign was a success, change is slow to this part of the world.  

The cod fish seem to finally be rebounding, so perhaps too the opportunity to start something new in the province will draw more people back to consider a life on this beautiful, rugged coast.  We certainly have a suggestion or two... 

Parting Shot:  Sunset & Moonrise over Trout River Pond in Gros Morne National Park

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