Ride on, Highway Cat !!: ST. JOHN'S NEWFOUNDLAND !!!!!!!!!

Day 62, Clarenville-Pippy Park Campground St. John's NL.
UNOFFICIAL FINISH, (Mile Zero will be my true end)
Dist 193 km, 19.1 km/hr, Saddle Time 10:05 hrs, Odometer, 8052 km
Mon July 18 2011

I wasn't sure what today had in store for me, but I knew that it might be an EPIC ride. As I rode inland, the clouds got darker and the hills got longer. Hills arn't enough on this barren, rocky, netherworld wasteland, You have to add WIND AND FOG. As I continued, all of the above got progressively more enjoyable. You know when you were little and your mom told you to go outside and ride your bike ?... Well, this isn't what she meant. The only good thing about the day was that, except for the fog and it's moisture content, it stayed rain free. It sucked to have no view (due to fog) except for the pavement and my rearview mirror. What I could see, however, was a very strange world of sparse vegetation and tiny trees. Not much in the way of human contact for hours it seemed. For the most part, the pavement was great, but from time to time the "Rumble Strip" was an issue. (A drunken Newfy must've bin driv'in the rumble strip 2000)
It was tough to get up to 16 km/hr !  Some swearing took place. No, not me, Highwaycat. Of coarse, it could always be worse. I could have a FLAT TIRE or my chain could BREAK, or my bike shoes COULD BE SNATCHED BY THE FOG PEOPLE.
It seemed like an eternity of thankless climbing. I was getting depressed and pissed off.
Eventually my uphill became a downhill and it wasn't too long before the fog cleared and my horizon line reappeared. See, swearing works ! My plan was to hit "Butter Pot Prov. Park" at around 150 km. Butter Pot
As the weather improved and my speed increased, I began to experience a "second wind" of sorts. I felt energized as the St. John's distance signs came and went in succession. My speed increased as the tailwind intensified...
"St John's 161km", "St John's 88km", St John's 52km", "St John's 43km", and so on...
My excitement grew each time I passed a distance marker. I hadn't planned on hitting St. John's today, but I think she was calling me. Sirens.
The turn off to Butter Pot Park was approaching. I was having a battle in my head weather to turn off the hwy. or to continue on to St. John's.
The turn off came quick. I could see it approaching and was debating furiously in my head right down to the wire... "Butter Pot or St.Johns?"...
Next stop St John's !!!
As I zoomed towards my final destination, I was receiving many honks of praise. This fuelled my mental engine. The song "Ride'n with the Driver" was instrumental in keeping the pistons hammering. Ride'n with the driver  Thanks Motorhead !!
My destination was "Pippy Park" Campground. Pippy Park  How cool is that to have a campground overlooking the city ?!
Pippy Park is well marked and is a great place to camp or just get away from the city.
Feeling on top of the world, Shirley, Highwaycat and I rolled into the camp smiling ear to ear. Well, I was anyway.
Although I have arrived in St. John's NFLD which could be the end of my Coast to coast trip, I will not acknowledge this as my "Finish Line "
My official end will come tomorrow when I find the "Mile 0" marker. We are all looking forward to that milestone !!