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Newfoundland

September 2019
A 15-day adventure by Leah Read more
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  • TravelerNewfoundland

    Heave Away!

    September 5, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Newfoundland is the only province I had not been to so it seemed a great idea to make it our first trip since our return to Canada in January 2019. Plans began over a year ago with Heather and Alan from St. John’s graciously offering to be hosts for this adventure. Diane and Gary also joined us from Calgary. We celebrated our decision with a gin toast at Diane and Gary’s place when we last met…or maybe we were toasting for another reason! The 6 of us can usually find a reason to make a toast! Our monthly HDL calls (Heather/Diane/Leah) now needed to include travel as part of our discussions! Sometimes it was hard to get it all in but we managed!

    When you tell folks you are going to Newfoundland, you get one of two responses. “Oh, I have been there and you are going to LOVE it!” or “Oh, you are so lucky! It is on my list of places to visit!”

    We flew across the country to Halifax where we met Diane and Gary to catch a flight to Deer Lake. Packing presented a bit of a challenge as the 6 of us are travelling in a van with limited space and we also need to pack wine, food, and some supplies. Kern and I made clothing piles where we added, took away and added again…you get the picture!

    Heather and Alan have put together a fabulous itinerary for us! No detail too small and everyone’s needs and interests considered. Our travels will include Gros Morne, Twillingate, Fogo Island, Trinity, Bonavista, St. John’s, Bay Roberts, Cape Spear, Admirals Cove…I hope by now you are reminded of the tune “I’se the B’y”….

    And as Aaron often says...”adventure is out there” and we intend to find it!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland

    Saltwater Joys

    September 6, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The title of this blog is taken from a beautiful song by Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers...check it out!)

    There is no time to waste in a place like Newfoundland with so much to see! Today’s itinerary included a Western Brook Pond Boat Tour where we saw the landlocked fjord of Western Brook Pond in Gros More National Park. Western Brook Pond is the park’s largest lake (16km with a depth of 165 metres) and it is spectacular to see! An easy hike of 3 km brought us to the dock. After a picnic lunch which included gravol for me on advice of the captain who cautioned us about the choppy waters (hints of Dorian’s pending arrival). The boat ride was so much fun. The crew entertained us with facts, music and Kern and I even got to play the spoons on the upper deck!

    Next stop was Lobster Head Cove Lighthouse. Anything to do with lobster, I am game! Aside from the lighthouse, there were several trails right along the coast and a tuckamore forest (think of those scraggy, bent spruce trees clinging to the cliffs in the wind) . Even more exciting was sitting in the Parks Canada “Red Chairs” overlooking the ocean towards Rocky Harbour where Stan Collins lives. We’ve been following his twitter feed since planning this trip. If you are not following him, you might want to consider it! His photos are great as are his tweets! And, back to the red chairs, the Parks Canada “Red Chairs” program began in Gros Morne! Does anyone know how many “red chairs” there are in the Parks Canada program? 102 in all and they can be found in select national parks and historic sites across Canada.

    Then it was time to wet our whistles at the Cat Stop Pub and Grub in Norris Point and be entertained by local talent before we had dinner at Neddie’s Harbour Inn. Halibut, mussels, lobster fettuccine with squid ink…oh la la! Here we were served by none other than Daphne who was waitress extraordinaire!

    All the while keeping an eye on Hurricane Dorian news as we hear it will be joining us soon!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland

    A Visit to Tablelands and Trout River

    September 7, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We woke up to another beautiful sunny day with no signs of Hurricane Dorian yet! After breakfast and packing lunches, we headed to the Tablelands where we were able to see the Earth’s mantle. There are only 4 other places in the world besides Gros Morne where you can see this in case you want to add this to your bucket list- Barbeton, South Africa; Disko Island, Greenland; Inyo County, California and Macquarie Island, Tasmania. It was a gentle hike of 4 km round trip in and out. While on this hike, we saw a beautiful halo around the sun that lasted for the entire hike. It was incredibly distinct and clear to the naked eye. Although this is common occurrence, we thought perhaps it was a "sign" since we were in such a special place and so Heather, Diane and I tried touching the rocks to see if we could do some time travel. What can I say- we are Outlander fans! Needless to say it did not work but the laughs we had while posing for the photos were well worth it! The landscape on the hike reminded me so much of Namibia especially Damaraland which made this place even more special.

    There is also a Discovery Centre in this area which we visited. The staff were so friendly and passionate about their work and the displays were amazing. It was here I learned that moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1904 and guess what...they came from New Brunswick! Yay NB! Four moose were brought over to start the population and be a food source for folks here on the Rock. Who knew!

    Our next stop was the beautiful little town of Trout River snuggled in a sheltered cove on the west coast of Newfoundland. Here we climbed a LONG set of stairs which took us to the top of a hill overlooking the town and the ocean. Beautiful vistas to enjoy with our picnic!

    All in all a really good day!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 1

    Hurricane Dorian Joins Us

    September 8, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Well, as predicted, Hurricane Dorian landed last night just as we were heading to bed. Our little home away from home, Monty’s Shorescape, shook and rattled but fortunately did not roll otherwise we would have ended up in the water!

    This made for a lazy day and a chance to do laundry, catch up on reading and just relax in front of the fireplace. Kern, Heather, Alan and Gary ventured out for a bit to check on the area and see what damage, if any, Hurricane Dorian has done. Diane and I stayed warm and cozy at home with Diane offering a tutorial on this program Find Penguins thus the start of this travel blog. Thanks Diane!

    We did lose power for a few hours but nothing more serious than that. We ended our day with a great meal at Chanterelles Restaurant in the Sugar Hill Inn. Maple glazed salmon! Yum! Yum!

    Tomorrow is a travel day as we head to Twillingate!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 2

    Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour...

    September 9, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    You know that tune, right? Well, we did not get to Moreton’s Harbour but it wasn’t for lack of effort!

    Today was mostly a travel day and we arrived in Twillingate late afternoon. A quick check in to our lovely accommodation at Applewood B&B and we were off to visit the Long Point Lighthouse where we saw spectacular vistas. And to make it even better, we also visited the Lightkeeper’s Fudgery and Gift Shop where we sampled and bought fudge! So yummy!

    A man offered to take a photo of Diane and I. And, we got to chatting ( as one does!). Turns out he had just been to Yellowknife in July and was heading beck on Thursday. His son is RCMP there! Needless to say we chatted about YK! Small world!

    Dinner at Annie’s Restaurant where I had great fish cakes and then to bed for an early rise for our trip to Fogo!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 3

    A Day on Fogo Island- Part 1

    September 10, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    The early bird gets the worm and the ferry! We had an especially early rise in order to catch the ferry to Fogo Island. Any trace of Hurricane Dorian was long gone as skies were blue and we enjoyed a wonderfully warm and sunny day! We decided to be “walk ons” for the ferry rather than take our vehicle! Excellent advice from our hosts, Heather and Alan! We were met by Lettie from Fogo Island Bus Tours and our day went from great to fantastic. Lettie, in true Newfoundland style, took us under her care and showed us almost every nook and cranny of the beautiful Fogo Island. She shared stories, insights, jokes and tips!

    The ferry landed in Stag Harbour and we then made our way to Seldom. First stop- FU Trading Company. I know what some of you are thinking! FU stands for Fisherman’s Union not anything else! Here we learned about the fishing cooperatives and how crucial they were for saving the livelihoods and home of the local population.

    Who has heard of the Flat Earth Society? Well, we had and since one of our group read about it having an office in Shoal Point,we were off in search of that! Sadly, we found the building but no sign (literally) of anything so we knew it was time to move on to the next stop!

    Joe Batt’s Arm, nestled in the north of Fogo Island, is home to the Fogo Island Inn. Legend has it that the town is named after a European settler possibly a deserter from Captain James Cook in the early 1750s.

    Built and opened in 2013 by The Shorefast Foundation and at a whopping $2000/ night with a minimum 3 night stay, it sits on an outcrop of rocks against the Atlantic Ocean. We were “allowed” to walk to the building after parking close to the road but there are times, according to Lettie, that the property is off limits. We were also allowed to go to the art gallery inside the main entrance but everything else was off limits. The building is supposed to blend in to the landscape but our group consensus was that it did not. It really stands out- you couldn’t miss it!

    The Fogo Island Inn furnishings are all locally and beautifully made. Furniture, rugs, quilts, artwork and so on! Because of this, a spin-off business has developed which sells these goods all over the world! It’s pricey but very beautiful.

    In addition to building the Inn, the Shorefast Foundation also built 4 small but architecturally unique studios which are available for artists to live in as part of their residency. They typically host 15 residencies a year!

    I really didn’t know much about the Shorefast Foundation and it’s CEO, Zita Cobb. I’m definitely going to add them to my twitter feed!

    Our next visit was to the lovely town of Tilting which is primarily an Irish settlement. Lots of evidence to support this with shamrocks and Irish flags on display.

    This post to be continued....    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 3

    A Day on Fogo Island- Part 2

    September 10, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Now for the rest of our day and onto our final stop, Fogo, on the northwest side of the island. More seafood for lunch with a yummy serving of pan fried cod! So good! A hike up to Brimstone Head (one of the 4 corners of the Flat Earth) with stunning scenery as a reward for making it to the top (not to mention burning off a few calories). We also visited a “ fishing stage” which is a little wooden building that sits partly on a wooden frame and partly on land. When the cod come in, they are received in the front of the stage, processed and then moved to the back of the stage. And last but not least a quick visit to the Marconi museum which also have us a stunning viewpoint over Fogo.

    Then it was a race to the ferry and we made it just as the last vehicle drove on. Whew!

    Cannot sign off before I tell you about dinner at Sansome’s! Once again, great food! Crab spring rolls, mussels, lobster Kaiser, seafood fettuccine, cod, seafood chowder and then desserts of partridge berry cake, rhubarb cake with vanilla sauce, chocolate pistachio cake and ....

    The experience was topped off by a beautiful sunset waiting for us when we left the restaurant. Life is good. Seeing new places and eating great food with good wonderful friends. We are blessed.    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 4

    Wheels up: Bonavista Peninsula

    September 11, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Well, it was really “wheels rolling” as we loaded the car after a scrumptious breakfast served to us by Audra at Applewood B&B. Ham and egg cups, fresh fruit and 5 kinds of homemade jam- bakeapple, partridge berry, blueberry, beet jelly, rhubarb jam and good old peanut butter! I tried 4 out of 5 jams but only because I ran out of toast and couldn’t eat anymore!

    Just an hour out of Twillingate, we stopped at the Beothuk Interpretive Centre. Here we learned about the indigenous group, the Beothuk, who lived in the area from 1650 to 1720. The Centre has a beautiful Spirit Garden where you can make an ornament of sorts from seashells, feathers, bark, etc and attach your name or someone else’s to it. You then hang it on one of the trees. It was such a special little sacred space in among the birch trees- made more poignant given today is the anniversary of 9/11.

    We arrived at our destination late afternoon- hungry and thirsty! We stopped at the Port Rexton Brewing Company for a flight of beer and lunch at Oh My Cheeses where there were lots of choices for variations on a grilled cheese sandwich! Yum! Yum!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 5

    The Bonavista Peninsula

    September 12, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    “From Bonavista to Vancouver Island
    This land was made for you and me...”

    Despite the weather being much cooler, rainy and windy, we did not let it daunt our spirits and set out for a full day of adventure. Our first stop was Port Union which is known for forming the 1st Fishermen’s Protective Union (FPU) and the start of the labour movement in Canada. It prides itself as an example of a town intentionally built by a labour organization. The man who led this movement, Sir William Coaker, organized his first strike at the age of 13!

    Next stop was Elliston which included:
    —Puffins: home to the Atlantic Puffin, the official bird of Newfoundland, Elliston has one of the closest land views of puffins in North America; sadly, I didn’t really see any as most had already left the area.
    —Root Cellars: this initially put Elliston on the map and Elliston declared itself the Root Cellar Capital of the World in July 2000. There are approximately 133 documented root cellars, some of which have survived nearly 2 centuries.
    —John Crosbie Sealers Interpretation Centre which focuses on the story of sealing and the life of sealers. Although dangerous and challenging, sealing was a way of life for many in Newfoundland. This centre also highlights the 1914 sealing disaster where, in one terrible storm, 254 sealers lost their lives. This place was very thought provoking.

    Onto Bonavista where it was time for hot tea and soup at Mufflin’s Tea Room. Delightful! Then a stop at John Cabot’s statue which marks his discovery of the New World. It was so cold and windy at the top that it was only a quick stop for a Kodak moment and then onto Dungeon Provincial Park which is a large hole in the ground with 2 adjacent caves leading to the sea. The “Dungeon” formed when the waves began carving 2 caves into the rock on the ocean floor. As the cave got deeper they eventually carved out an area that could no longer support the overhead rock. As a result, the roof collapsed forming the large sinkhole structure and 2 caves leading to the ocean. It was pretty intense to look over the cliff into the Dungeon below! Not for the faint of heart!

    We ended the day with a fabulous 4 course meal at Fishers’ Loft. It was a great way to end the day. Great food with great friends!    Read more

  • TravelerNewfoundland
    Day 6

    Shine on, Shine on Harvest Moon...

    September 13, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Friday the 13th dawned with the most amazing sunrise made even better with an early catch up call with Aaron (but very late night for him as he just got off work)! Any signs of the wind, rain and cooler temps from yesterday were chased away as the sun rose over the lighthouse across the bay and warmed everything up!

    Today's highlight was hiking the Skerwink Trail, a moderate to difficult 5.3 km loop along the coast where you see amazing scenery. This trail is internationally ranked among the top 35 trails in North America and Europe and it is one of Canada's top 10! Easy to see why as the views are stunningly beautiful- grey beaches down below, rugged cliffs and stove pipe rock structures jutting out of the ocean. The health app on my iPhone recorded an equivalent 34 flights of stairs and I believe it! We later met a local woman who said she runs the trail regularly and does it in 38 minutes!

    All that hiking worked up an appetite so we headed to Two Whales for lunch and some really good lattes. We have not had many lattes on this trip so far and so it was a treat to have one!

    It's was our last day in Trinity area so we went to the waterfront area to check out the little shops. Mirabella's is a place you should check out if you are in the area and also Aunt Sarah’s Chocolates. Lots of yummy choices and you even get to sample! The sales lady (who said she isn't Sarah) told us about 2 tourists from New York State who saw the musical Come From Away and were so touched that they wanted to visit Newfoundland. As well as visiting, they also wanted to show gratitude to any Newfoundlanders they met, so they brought boxes of Hershey chocolate bars in custom wrappers with messages of thanks for the generous spirit shown during 9/11. It was very touching to hear the sales lady (who says she isn't Sarah) tell the story and what a great story! Acts of kindness...doing what you can, when you can, where you can!

    The day continued to get better and better as we had dinner at the Twine Loft before we headed back to Two Whales but for a concert this time! Crooked Stovepipe is a St. John's based band and the oldest bluegrass band in Canada! Amazing talent and the place was packed...literally!

    Another day done and dusted but we laughed together about "packing it all in!" Our day started with a beautiful sunrise and ended with a harvest moon! Grateful for another fantastic day...and we do it all again tomorrow!    Read more

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