When I tell people I am going to Labrador, I am usually asked one or two questions: Where's Larbrador? and Why Labrador? The answer to the first question in that Labrador, located in the extreme northeast corner of our continent, is the mainland half of Newfoundland and Labrador province. As for the second question, if I had to venture a guess, there would be three reasons: First, the wilds. The place truly is mostly wild and pristine (and, unfortunately, black flies). The second reason is the lure of the road, 797 miles of dirt and gravel roads. In 2002 I traveled 363 of them, and 434 more have been built since, and that's why I want to go back, to experience those roads. (The 1500-mile Alaskan-Canadian Highway or AlCan, which I drove already four times, is pure luxury compared to the Trans-Labrador Highway.) The third reason is the solitude. On the road, after 4:00 p.m., you encounter no one until mid-morning. During the day, between the several cities, you might encounter a vehicle every couple of hours.
Anyone interested in learning more about those roads might want to look at the following websites. There are two interesting videos on the second one.
Site 1
Site 2
Site 4
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