There is a lot of interesting history in this area of the peninsula. The US started the construction of a Naval base here in 1941 in preperation for the war, it was shut down in 1995. It has one of the largest airfields in NL but is no longer used. We camped in a RV park in the old Navy base, the base is also the ferry terminal between Argentia and Nova Scotia. We arrived Monday in the rv park for the ferry scheduled to depart at 8pm the next day. They generously let us stay till ferry time. Next door to Agentia is Placentia. The lucrative fishing in the area in the 1600's attracted Basque, French and British. Before cod was preserved by salting the Basque dried the cod on the large round stones on the beaches. The French established the town of Plaisance, when the British took it away they named it Placentia. Actually Placentia was the British capital for awhile after the French took over St John's. We visited an old fort on Castle Hill and watched some archaeologists uncover the a site on Placentia harbor where they are finding items from the Basque, French and British.
Before the ferry departed we took a drive up to Ship Harbor, it is just a site, no town or people around. This is a place were Roosevelt and Churchill met in secret on a ship to confer on the war. Some of the pictures give the details.The drive to Ship Harbor was a little scary in the motor home as it was a long single lane gravel road with many steep hills and few options to turn around, but we made it. The beach there consisted of large colorful round stone and the water is crystal clear. We pick up some sea urchin shells that will make nice Xmas ornaments.
Pics, Placentia, archaeologists, gravel road to Ship Harbor, Ship Harbor commemorative site, site explanation's, rocky beach and sea urchin shells, and an anchor that held one end of a submarine net to keep out German uboats.
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