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Eastern Canada
  • Nathaniel Stott
  • Anne Archambault
  • Nathaniel Stott
  • Anne Archambault

Eastern Canada

A cross-country van odyssey to the Easternmost point on the continent Read more
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  • Eastern Canada

    Lobster Cove Lighthouse

    August 26, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    The Lobster Cove Lighthouse is now a small museum describing life as a light keeper and family. It's still an active lighthouse along the Saint Laurence.

    The signal flags in the photo signals "Last Jam," meaning the last musical jam session and jam tasting of the season.Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Green Point

    August 26, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Green Point is an important geologic site that defines the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician periods and makes Green Point a world geological benchmark.

    Earth's strata are clearly on display here, reading like a geologic book from older layers on the right to younger layers on the left. It's honestly a little mind bending to look closely at all these layers and think about the timescales they represent and what history must have unfolded on this piece of land through all those eons.Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Baker's Brook Falls

    August 27, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    A morning hike to Baker's Brook Falls. This trail left from the entrance to the campground, which was perfect to get a morning hike fine in time to catch it boat to tour the West Brook Pond and fjords.

    Highlights of the hike were the pitcher plants and the Ruffed Grouse that sat patiently on the trail for a photo shoot.

    The falls were pretty awesome too, much larger than expected    Read more

  • Eastern Canada
    Moose!

    Western Brook Pond

    August 27, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    The Western Brook Pond is a grand fjord in Gros Morne National Park. The highlight here is the boat tour that takes you the length of the lake and under the towing cliffs of this glacially carved valley.

    Carved during successive ice ages between 25,000 and 10,000 years ago, this valley was once connected to the ocean. But the retreat of the glaciers allowed the earth to rebound and that rise cut the fjord off from the ocean permanently.

    Now this is one of the most pristine fresh water lakes in the world. The water here is so pure, in fact, that a water pump installed at the visitors center here wouldn't work properly because it could not even detect there was water in it.

    It's an amazing fjord and you could easily imagine yourself in Norway.

    Another bonus, we saw a moose at the head of the lake!    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Terra Nova National Park

    August 29, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We took one day to explore Terra Nova National Park. Camping send to bed the highlight here. The two campgrounds are large and have playgrounds for kids. This park is really about the water/land interface. It has hiking trails along the inlet and kayak rentals to explore the water.

    We hiked the coastal trail and then drive to two highpoints to look across the park. Ochre Peak was the more interesting of the two. Ochre Peak is named for the reddish conglomerate that was exposed here by the glaciers. It also has a fire lookout with outstanding views of the countryside and water.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Ryan Premises National Historic Site

    August 30, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    The weather today is bad. It's raining heavily and is very windy. If you told me I was in a hurricane, is believe you. So we did indoor things today.

    The Ryan Premises is preserved merchant facility that was started by James Ryan. Facilities like this were an integral part of the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. This site contains buildings from the 1900's from the proprietor's home as well as several other buildings dedicated to the business.

    The site is pretty complete, and had interesting displays about life in the industry, lots of information about cod, and historical memorabilia.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Bonavista Camping

    August 31, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    An incredible camp site on the ocean. It was windy and very wet when we went to bed but we woke up to glorious blue skies!!!

  • Eastern Canada

    Puffins and Root Cellars

    August 31, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Elliston is just south of Bonavista and it's THE spot to see puffins. Sadly, they were just a little too far for great photos, but so incredibly interesting.

    Elliston is also known for its root cellars. There are a bunch in town and around and you're free to go into any that are unlocked and open.Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Spillars Cove

    August 31, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    A hike around Spillars Cove. The notable sight here is the sea spire, an old volcanic intrusion that's harder than the surrounding rock and so withstood the erosion that weathered away the surrounding rock.

    But the hike was along beautiful and rugged cost that was nonstop beautiful.

    And as a bonus, more puffins!    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Dungeon Provincial Park

    August 31, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    A small provincial park highlighting the geology of stacks and caves. This particular feature was a large cave that collapsed and formed a hole. Over time the wave action removed the debris leaving a deep recessed cove.Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Cape Bonavista Lighthouse

    August 31, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Perched on the cliffs of Newfoundland’s eastern coast, the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is one of the province’s most iconic and enduring landmarks. Built between 1841 and 1843, it was established to guide mariners navigating the treacherous waters between Bonavista and Trinity Bays.

    The lighthouse’s original light apparatus was a marvel of its time. It featured Argand oil lamps and polished silver parabolic reflectors, imported from the famed Bell Rock Lighthouse in Scotland. Later, a catoptric system from the Isle of May was installed by Robert Oke, Newfoundland’s first Chief Inspector of Lighthouses.

    For over a century, the lighthouse stood as a guardian of the sea, operated by generations of keepers including Jeremiah White and his sons, who maintained the light from 1842 to 1895. In 1962, the original lighthouse was decommissioned and replaced by an electric light on a nearby steel tower.

    Today, the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is a provincial historic site, restored to reflect its 1870s appearance. Visitors can climb the stone tower, explore exhibits on lighthouse technology and local industry, and even view the original light mechanism—a rare glimpse into the ingenuity of early maritime navigation.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Trinity

    September 1, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Nestled on the rugged shores of Trinity Bay, the town of Trinity is a living postcard of Atlantic heritage.

    The origins of Trinity’s name are steeped in maritime lore. In 1501, Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real is believed to have sailed into the harbour on Trinity Sunday, christening the area in honor of the Christian feast day. Another theory credits Englishman Sir Richard Whitbourne, who in 1580 described the harbour’s three arms, each long and deep enough to shelter hundreds of ships, as the inspiration for the name. Either way, the name “Trinity” has echoed through centuries of seafaring history.

    Trinity’s architectural charm is undeniable. The town is celebrated for its beautifully preserved heritage buildings, many of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. These include classic saltbox homes, mercantile buildings, and churches that reflect the craftsmanship of early settlers from Poole, England. Thanks to the efforts of the Trinity Historical Society and local artisans, traditional carpentry techniques—like handcrafted windows and woodwork—have been revived, ensuring the town retains its timeless character.

    At the tip of the peninsula guarding Trinity’s harbour stands Fort Point Lighthouse. Originally fortified in 1746 with batteries and barracks, the site became a lighthouse station in 1871, guiding mariners safely into the harbour. The first light was exhibited in 1874 from a white wooden tower, visible for up to eleven miles in clear weather.

    Over the years, the lighthouse evolved—its wooden structure replaced by a circular iron tower in 1921. The Rowe family, beginning with William Rowe, served as lighthouse keepers for generations, maintaining the light through storms and solitude. Today, the site is home to the Fort Point Lighthouse Interpretation Centre, where visitors can explore restored cannons, walk scenic trails, and learn about the fort’s military and maritime legacy.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Dildo, Willie's Trail, and Stella

    September 2, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We didn't intend to go to Dildo, a location that seems famous for the name. Instead, we'd heard about Stella, a Steller's Sea Eagle that flew from the Kamchatka Peninsula, across the Alutian islands, and ultimately across the United States by way of Texas. Stella is now hanging out around Greens Harbor so we wanted to try and catch a glimpse of this bird that's so incredibly rare in the Americas.

    Unfortunately, Stella was a no show. So we found Willie's Walking Trail and took a hike or to the Crows Nest. Willie's Trail wasn't epic, the trail was a little rooted and had some good views of the water mixed with coastal forest. But it was an exceptionally playful trail with lots of signs and scenes to take your mind off the hike.

    We ended in Dildo at Dildo Brewery because why not? And they had great beers, sours, shandy's, and fish and chips. So let's talk about Dildo, because the name sparks attention. I wanted to understand how a town like Dildo got it's name, especially given the association of the name with sex toys. It turns out that historically, "dildo" referred to any cylindrical object, including the pivot points for oars in rowing boats. There's also a small island called Dildo island just offshore. Together, you could make out how it might look like an oar and an oar lock.

    So there you go, a day in and around Dildo.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve

    September 3, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    During peak breeding season, Cape St. Mary’s hosts over 100,000 seabirds, including:

    • 30,000 Northern Gannets
    • 20,000 Black-legged Kittiwakes
    • 20,000 Common Murres
    • 2,000 Thick-billed Murres
    • Plus smaller colonies of Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Cormorants, and Northern Fulmars

    Bird Rock is a towering sea stack just meters from the cliffside viewing area and is a living canvas of feathers and flight. The walk out to the viewing area is about a mile over a relatively good, but at times rocky, trail. When we visited, only the gannets remain who are still raising their young.

    Approaching Bird Rock is an assault on the senses. There is a cacaphony of sound from the birds. You can also smell the strong acrid scent off the colony. And when you arrive to the viewing area the scene is alive with birds flying everywhere. It's amazing.

    Northern Gannets are among the most captivating seabirds in the world. With their golden crowns, piercing blue eyes, and six-foot wingspans, they cut a striking figure against the cliffs.

    Here are a few fun facts about gannets:

    • They mate for life. Gannet pairs reunite each season with elaborate bill-fencing rituals and mutual preening.
    • They lay only one egg per year, investing deeply in parental care.
    • Only 1/3 of newborn gannets will survive the first year.
    • They dive from heights of up to 30 meters, hitting the water at speeds over 100 km/h to catch fish.
    • Gannets can live up to 35 years, returning to the same nesting site annually.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada
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    St. John's

    September 5, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    St. John’s, Newfoundland, is Newfoundland's largest city and is perched right at the easternmost edge of North America. In fact, St. John's is widely acknowledged as being the easternmost city on the continent.

    We spent a couple days here taking it all in and enjoying the spectacular maritime scenery, quaint coffee shops, and breweries.

    The strategic harbor of St John's was once guarded by a network of coastal gun batteries, including Queen’s Battery atop Signal Hill and Fort Waldegrave. These fortifications played vital roles from the 18th century and through both World Wars. We took advantage of incredible weather to walk up Signal Hill to see Queens Battery, Cabot Tower, and walk the trail asking the harbor.

    Along the way we stopped in the "Twine Store." A small fishing cabin owned by a couple brothers who have covered all the walls with memorabilia and who talked to us about the history of the place and anything else we wanted to know about Newfoundland. It was an awesome 40 minutes showcasing just how friendly and welcoming the people of Newfoundland are.

    The downtown core of St John's hosts the iconic Jellybean Row house. These homes are vibrant, candy-colored row houses scattered across steep hillsides. Legend has it that the bright colors helped fog-weary sailors spot their homes from the sea.

    As the easternmost town in Canada, this is also where Terry Fox started his Marathon of Hope, a run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. There's a memorial park by the water marking the site where he dipped his prosthetic leg in the Atlantic before starting.

    It's a great town and had a fun energy. Some of that is probably because we visited during ideal weather. But there's a rugged beauty wrapping this small town that has a certain magnetism.

    It also marks the official turning point for our trip. From this point on we're heading back west!    Read more

  • Eastern Canada
    4

    The Colonial Building

    September 7, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The Colonial Building is a neoclassical landmark that served as the seat of Newfoundland’s government from 1850 to 1959. Its origins trace back to 1832, when Newfoundland gained representative government and needed a permanent home for its legislature. After a few chaotic years of meeting in taverns and temporary quarters (including one episode where an unpaid landlady seized government property!), construction began in 1847.

    Designed by Irish architect James Purcell and built with white limestone imported from Cork, Ireland, the building features six imposing Ionic columns and a pediment carved with the Royal Coat of Arms. Inside, its grand chambers and intricate plasterwork reflect the ambitions of a young colony asserting its place in the British Empire.

    The Colonial Building witnessed pivotal moments in Newfoundland’s history, including the 1932 riot during the Great Depression and the debates leading up to Confederation with Canada. After the legislature moved out in 1959, the building fell into underuse until a major restoration project revived its original splendor in the 2020s.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    The Crow's Nest Officers Club

    September 7, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Tucked above Water Street in the heart of St. John’s, the Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club is one of the city’s most storied, and secretive, landmarks.

    Opened on January 27, 1942 during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic, this fourth-floor retreat became a sanctuary for Allied naval and merchant officers stationed in the North Atlantic. With 59 famously steep steps leading up to its door, the Crow’s Nest offered weary seafarers a place to unwind, swap stories, and leave their mark.

    Officers were given four square feet of wall space to decorate with ship crests, messages, and mementos, many of which remain today as poignant tributes to those who never returned from sea.

    Today, the Crow’s Nest is a living museum and private club, preserving hundreds of wartime artifacts including a U-boat periscope that pierces the ceiling and a collection of naval memorabilia that spans decades. This place is more than just a bar, it’s a time capsule of the struggle for the Battle off the Atlantic.

    We were lucky to get to see the Crow's Nest during the "Doors Open" day and see such a breast piece of history.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Petty Harbor

    September 8, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We wanted to get out of the "big city" and return to oceanfront camping, so we headed just 10km south from St John's to the picturesque Petty Harbor.

    Petty Harbor has a narrow inlet leading to a protective harbor and has roots dating back to at least 1598. It's one of the oldest European settlements in Newfoundland, originally named Petit Havre by French colonists.

    The small town features an aquarium, a zipline tour, and whale watching. But the highlight fort is was the working harbor with fishing shacks and boats docked along piers lining the port.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    The Newfoundland Distillery Company

    September 8, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We had a little time to kill before making the trip to St. Pierre so we took a detour to the Newfoundland Distillery Company for a tasting. We'd been seeing their gin, rum, vodka, and aquavit in the liquor stores and wanted to sample some of the cloudberry gin they're famous for.Read more

  • Eastern Canada
    3

    Green Point Light House

    September 8, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Camp for the night. It's a little stupid how easy it is to camp in beautiful places in Newfoundland. And how difficult it's going to be coming back to the real world after this is over.

    Also notable, the Green Point Lighthouse has drums installed so you can just jam away and lose yourself in the grandeur of the place. As they say "Go ahead. Make some noise. Out here, there won't be any re-percussions. Baa-dum-ties"Read more

  • Eastern Canada
    A very retro style Citroën vanCrossing the border between Canada and France? What?

    The French Territory of St. Pierre

    September 10, 2025 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Tucked just off the coast of Newfoundland, the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon offer a fun excursion into a French territorial collectivity nestled in North America.

    French settlers first arrived in the late 1600s, and by 1670, permanent communities had taken root. Over the next century, the islands changed hands multiple times between France and Britain, with the Treaty of Paris in 1763 restoring French control. After further British occupations and evacuations, the French finally resettled the islands in 1816. Today, St. Pierre and Miquelon remain France’s last foothold in North America.

    One of the most evocative sites in Saint-Pierre is the Pointe aux Canons Battery. Originally built in the late 1600s and later modernized during the Crimean War, this coastal defense installation once protected the harbor from British raids. Though the original fortifications are gone, several iron cannons still stand watch near the lighthouse.

    The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Saint-Pierre is a spiritual and architectural anchor for the town. The original church, built in 1690, was tragically lost in the Great Fire of 1902. It was rebuilt by 1907 in a Basque-inspired style and even has some stained glass windows that were donated by Charles de Gaulle.

    We only had a short time on the island so we didn’t visit the Île aux Marins just across the harbor. This island is a living museum much like Battle Harbor. It hosts charming looking houses as well as a large church.

    Another notable mention is the ferry ride. It takes about 1.5 hours for the crossing and there’s a +30 minute time difference between Newfound and St. Pierre. We had glorious weather with calm seas that slowed us to see a lot of minke whales, one humpback, and a pod of dolphins.

    Some final thoughts… The ferry ride alone made the day worthwhile, it was like we took a whale watching tour to another country. But while many say that St. Pierre is very charming I thought that is was just ok and missed even the quaint jellybean row feel of St. John’s. However, Île aux Marins might have been a big miss. Net, having done it we don’t feel a strong need to return and certainly felt like a day trip was enough.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Ferry to Fogo Island

    September 12, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    For about $28 we got a round trip ferry to visit Fogo Island. The ferry ride was about 45 minutes long in windy and foggy conditions.

    And a first for me, making lattes in the van on a ferry.

  • Eastern Canada

    Fogo Island Inn

    September 12, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Perched on the rocky shores of Joe Batt’s Arm, the Fogo Island Inn is a luxury statement piece.

    Opened in 2013, the Inn was the brainchild of Zita Cobb, a native of Fogo Island who returned after a successful tech career to revitalize her home. Through the Shorefast Foundation, she envisioned a place that would celebrate local heritage while creating sustainable economic opportunities. The Inn was designed by Newfoundland-born architect Todd Saunders, whose striking modernist style pays homage to traditional outport buildings—think saltbox houses and fishing stages—while embracing the raw drama of the North Atlantic.

    The Inn’s design is a study in contrasts: sleek yet rugged, minimalist yet deeply rooted in place. Its stilts echo the wooden “shores” used in cod drying, while its cantilevered structure juts boldly over the rocks, offering uninterrupted views of the sea. Inside, every detail from the locally crafted quilts and furniture to the wood-fired sauna reflects Fogo’s artisanal spirit. Even the wallpaper in the rooms and stairwell is custom made to reinforce the connection to the island.

    Each of its 29 rooms (listing for over $3k per night!) faces the ocean, inviting guests to witness the wilds of the ocean. The inn also has a world class restaurant, theater, spa, library and various reading spaces, and activities scheduled through the day to keep guests entertained.

    But be sure to bring your boots because the road to the inn isn’t paved and is very muddy!    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Hiking around Fogo

    September 13, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    As has often been the case, bad weather leads to good and this morning we woke to blue skies and calm winds.

    We stopped for fresh apple cinnamon scones at Punch Buggy Pizza & Coffee and then headed on to our several objectives. First up, a short hike up Brimstone head with views top the west of Change Island.

    Next up, Fogo Head. This was a longer loop trail with great 360 degree views back to Brimstone Head, out to the outlying barrier islands, and the town of Fogo. The guide for this hike suggested a clockwise route to avoid climbing the steep stairs.

    We ended our hiking day with the Lion’s Den trail. This loop trail contours a small section of the north shore of the island, with several short detours to observation points over Eastern and Shore Tickle (a tickle is the name for a narrow strait). The trail looped back at Lion’s Den, going through rich bunches of ripe blueberries before climbing up to Lucy’s lookout and then returning to the van.

    Having learned from other hikes, we planned ahead and brought a Tupperware container so we could load up on berries, which didn’t take long to fill with beautiful, ripe, delicious blueberries.    Read more

  • Eastern Canada

    Joe Batt’s Arm

    September 13, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Joe Batt’s Arm is a small town on the northern end of Fogo Island. It’s a charming place with lots of fishing huts perched on the water. The area was settled as early as 1712, though it didn’t acquire its current name until decades later. Historically, the community thrived on family-run fishing stages. Today, the fishery remains central, with a local fish plant processing crab, squid, cod, shrimp, and turbot—providing employment and exporting seafood globally. Joe Batt’s Arm is the largest of the eleven communities on Fogo Island, with a population of over 1,000 people.

    Around Joe Batt’s Arm there are also four artists studios associated with the Fogo Inn. Artists who qualify can get a stipend and the use of the studio to advance their art. Each studio is solar-powered, equipped with compost toilets and wood-burning stoves, and built using local materials to minimize environmental impact.    Read more