As I was following your route, I realized that QC-389 goes right by one of the larger impact craters on Earth, Manicouagan,
Yep, as you get close to Mt Wright, if you look west you will see some kind of red rock formations in the horizon which is probably part of that crater. Sorry for the bad quality of that picture, I took that photo with a disposable camera in 2003, I couldn't photograph it on my last trip in June since it was dark when we got in that area. At some point on highway 389 you also follow closely the Manicouagan Reservoir originally formed by the crater which is very impressive.

Le Mur makes so much sense but actually isn't that far removed from some of the solutions that our neolithic forebears came up with at places like Skara Brae in Scotland's Orkney Islands.
The two architects who designed "Le Mur" were inspired by some of Ralf Erskine's constructions in northern Sweden like Svappavaara for instance. Now, take a look at this picture. Looks familar?:-)

How early in the spring/summer do they start up and how late into the fall/winter does the service operate?
We actually had to postpone our trip a little because of the ferry's schedule. We planned on leaving on June 2nd and had to wait because the ferry started to operate only on June 9th. I believe their operation season ends around mid October or early November but if you want to know for sure here are the websites for the 3 ferries we took on our journey : M/V Sir Robert Bond (Goose Bay, Lab to Cartwright, Lab), M/V Apollo (Blanc-Sablon, Qc to St. Barbe, NF) and finally the M/V Caribou (Port-aux-Basques, NF to North Sydney, NS). There is also a ferry that goes from Blanc-Sablon, Qc to Natashquan, Qc where the road (highway 138) starts again but it is not Government owned and its primary use is cargo and as a result is very expensive.

I must say, that I can barely find Battle Harbor on Streets & Trips and can't find St. Lewis or the road down from Cartwright at all. How do you know about these towns
Well, it is quite simple, you just ask around -- well, as soon as you get a chance to, because you don't get to meet lots of folks in these parts! You can also do research on the net (here's some basic info on St. Lewis and a mile-by-mile type of guide to the TransLab Highway) and most importantly you order the New Foundland-and-Labrador Free Travel Guide and browse their maps. You can also ask Gen to send you her "homemade guide" and other tips because some informations might be hard to get (i.e. lodging).

and how did you talk your mother into going to such out-of-the-way places?
She just happens to trust me I guess...Maybe she shouldn't though:o)lol Well, she enjoys nature --as long as she doesn't have to put too much physical effort:-)-- she's curious and she doesn't mind long car rides. We both love discovering new remote areas around or within Quebec. Do you travel with your kids or grand kids a lot?

Gen