Escaping The Turkey Farm

We asked a local colleague how to kill the two hours before our flight home. "Well", he said, "you can check out the Avro Arrow crash memorial (depressing), the Gander Aviation Museum (borrrrring), or there's always the "turkey farm" - a military communications research facility" (translation: listening post... for spying on the Russians). "Yeah", he continues, "they used to be really anal about security, but now you can drive right up to it. Just look for the big cage - looks like a turkey farm". Sounds good.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the turkey farm, which is practically advertised on the Gander town website as a tourist attraction I should note, we were dismayed to find "restricted access" and "authorized vehicles only" signs everywhere. This didn't jive with the advice we were given by the locals, so we ignored them and continued on. On the way we passed a female military type walking two large dogs. We soldiered on in our conspicuous rental car, right up to and around the giant caged building - through the spiderweb of metal wires and hoops and posts - still ignoring the warning signs. After stopping to take a few pictures (!!!), the military lady had caught up to us. Showing indignant disbelief, she asked who we were, what were we doing here, were we military, etc. etc. Then, after we had provided unsatisfactory answers, she told us we weren't supposed to be there. No kidding.

Fortunately, our escape from Gander and potential military imprisonment followed shortly thereafter. Now I'm home, and sick. But better home sick then at work and healthy. Or in Gander in February.

EDIT: photo removed for matters of national security.