Diary Entry A001 -
Latitude 53.86111°N, Longitude -56.97111°W
Turk's Gut, Marysvale, Newfoundland-Labrador
W ith my family and work in tow one luminous day in July, we pressed onward to the Conception Bay North area for coffee. We were making our way through Marysvale, when I commented, "I wonder what is down that road?" With that my husband averted our destination and ventured back. I was astonished. After only a few minutes of driving we stumbled onto a breathtaking view of a place none of us had been before.
It wasn't long until we discovered "Turks Gut Heritage House", a stunning house and cafe. The curiosity bug had bitten; I was on a quest to investigate our new destination. After some fun we concluded our search and made our way home. Once home trip #2 was already being planned. In my Internet search I came across a blog piece by Dale Gilbert Jarvis called "Ghostly Drummer of Turk's Gut"¹. A new idea had been inspired .Our next find was a video "All Around The Table with Bride Power and Turk's Gut Heritage House"². The idea wheels starting turning in anticipation of a return visit as I read into the wee hours of the night.
In the 1800's a man was found in Turk's Gut, wet and unaware of who he was. The mystery man did however possess drumming skills and was given the nickname "The Drummer". The man lived his life out in the area until his death, at which point he was buried not far from the historic house. A long flat stone marks his grave. It was said that the night he was buried the sounds of drumming filled the nights air. It is also said that, to this day, if you here the ghostly sounds of drumming in Turk's Gut, you or someone you know will soon pass.
For our second endeavor I was on a mission. While out taking video of the view and tossing rocks with Kyle, a woman from the Heritage House came out greeting us with big smiles. Offering us cupcakes that were left over from a luncheon she had just hosted. Kyle was so happy to oblige. With treats in hand we ended our search for the grave and retreated over the bridge to the picnic table. We enjoyed our treats, water and playing with the pets. As we were leaving we discovered the trail leading to the waterfalls. An adventure for another day.
When leaving St. Johns on our trip to "The Falls" the skies where looking grim and it wasn't long before they opened up and sheets of rain fell. We carried on trying to have faith that the weather in Turk's Gut was going to be different. We arrived and the weather was perfect. So onward we went, taking in all the colors of nature and enjoying the scent of wild roses that filled the air. A little way in and behold - the falls. A wonderful spot that also has a swimming hole with blueberries not far. A definite return spot for our family.
On our last and final trip for our project, we went to eat at Turk's Gut Heritage House but unfortunately we didn't check the times and when we arrived it was closed for the day. So the hunt for the grave of the drummer was on. We didn't find the long flat stone that marks his grave, but we did find wild strawberries, blueberries, an adventure and fun times with the family to cherish. Turk's Gut - just a piece of why we love Newfoundland and a spot we will definitely be returning to in the future to enjoy the meal we missed out on before.
¹ http://dalejarvis.blogspot.ca/2013/04/ghostly-drummer-of-turks-gut.html
² http://rootcellarsrock.ca/2013/05/all-around-the-table-with-bride-power-and-turks-gut-heritage-house/
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