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The Rock!
  • Tiffany Stones
  • Tiffany Stones

The Rock!

Linda from Ottawa, Amy from Vancouver and Tiffany from Calgary. We meet and do stuff. Past trips -
kananskis, Vancouver, Wesr Coast Trail, Sweden (Tiff couldn’t go that far) and now Newfoundland! Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 18, 2025
    Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    1
    122

    My first red eye- YYC to YYT

    May 19, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Arriving in the city at 6:30 AM has its advantages. It’s 1pm, and I’m sitting down to a massive bowl of seafood chowder after logging over 16,000 steps already! When I got into St. John’s at 7 AM it was surprisingly mild and sunny. I decided to walk from my hotel to Signal Hill National Park because who knows what tomorrow may bring. It may be foggy and no
    visibility. I’ve been Merlin IDing birds, I filmed a huge oil tanker coming into the narrows, had a contemplative moment at the Terry Fox memorial l, heard the firing of the cannons and taken so many photos of colourful houses! After chowder, I’m headed back to the airport to pick up my two university roomies.    Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    221

    YYT to Bonavista, via the coast

    May 20, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Goodness, if yesterday was a day of walking today was a day of driving! We had great sleeps at the Leaside Manor, including a breakfast of western omelets and toast. At 10am then we hit the road and headed east and north along the coast. We had a stop in Burgis , which is a historic port Where we had delicious coffee at the convent, dating from 1851. And then we checked out the church and cemetery and the tunnel and looked at some cormorants and marvelled at the peacefulness of what was once the busiest port in Newfoundland. The plaque described it as laden with so many schooners that You could literally schooner hop from one side of the cove to the other.
    Lunch was fish cakes in the famous town of Dildo at the Dildo brew pub. Interesting hairstyles were spied, and the menu was unfortunately full of mostly deep-fried food.
    At this point, it was 2 PM and we mapped the route to our destination of Bonavista which was 3 1/2 hours drive from St. John’s. We still had three hours to go!
    Bonavista is a busy town but man is it cold out!! 3 degrees and windy and wet. Today I wore three jackets and it was just enough. Brrrr
    Dinner at the Quintal Cafe and my second bowl of chowder. Maybe my last?!    Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    4

    A day and an iceberg in Bonavista

    May 21, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 3 °C

    Our AirBNB was supercute and right by the ocean. And I popped out in the morning to look around and AN ICEBERG!! I confess I was so excited I ran back into the house yelling ICEBERG ICEBERG 🤪. Linda ran out in her shirt sleeves with one contact in to look!
    Other things we saw: Cape Bonavista lighthouse (no photos), John Cabot’s statue, a cross fox, and cool geosites - the dungeons and the chimney. And sadly, no puffins. Interesting food we tried: fisherman’s brewis, toutons and local baked beans.    Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler

    Puffins but no photos

    May 22, 2025 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 2 °C

    Yesterday am after check-out I suggested we try an earlier morning puffin spotting jaunt- back to the puffin colony closest to us. And success! They were flying around the big rock and we even spied two sitting on the top. But too far away for photos 🤷‍♀️Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    Toutons as slider bunsRando broski spotting!

    Randomly ran into my brother…

    May 23, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    A trip to Cape Spear, the most easterly part of Canada, then down the south shore - lunch at Arbour and a surprise visit by my brother and Margaret (!), then onto La Manche, and a bit of the East Coast Trail which is A LOT like the west coast trail. There was a suspension bridge and lots of stairs. And we saw WHALES. At Cape Spear. (Around 1:10) Check!Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler

    The busiest Saturday

    May 24, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Up early to drive my girlfriends to the airport, I was back in St. John’s and had the day ahead of me. I last-minute booked an ocean boat tour to see icebergs and whales, of which I think I might be one of two people on the boat to see a fin pop out just as we are leaving the narrows! It was pretty bumpy, and some good swells, the motion of the ocean left an entire Malaysian family Huddled in a corner with white garbage bags. Probably not their best spend of $115 per person! There was a really nice view of the battery from the boat as we were leaving the port. I quickly zipped up to the Rooms and had a delicious bowl of lentil soup at the café. Honestly, that was my tastiest and healthiest meals since I landed on the rock. And then joined my brother and Margaret at the Newfoundland Embassy for some Irish traditional music, beer and pizza. Everything here is baked not fried as they don’t have a deep fryer. Then we putzed around George Street and ended up at Christian’s pub for our screeching in. This is where Anthony Bourdain was also screeched in, just prior to his death (not from the screeching in). It was very, very entertaining and I highly recommend doing this here if you’re in Newfoundland for the first time. The kissing of the cod was less than desirable, but when in Rome. Richard arrived late and the next day is a drive to Fortune and then a ferry ride over to France!Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler

    Drive drive drive, ferry, closed resto

    May 25, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    After breakfast with Dom and Margaret, we hit the road and drove four hours to Fortune NL on the Burin Peninsula. On the driveway we saw a fox and that’s it. Lots of opportunity for moose, but just the fox. Boarding the ferry to Saint Pierre, we realized a couple of things. One, it’s France so we should’ve packed our travel power adapter. Two, Saint Pierre is half an hour later than Newfoundland even though it’s geographically closer to Canada than parts of Newfoundland. This makes no sense. But whatever. And our reservation at 7 at a restaurant up the street turned out to be a myth. They are no longer open on Sundays, along with much of the island. Which meant we were lucky to be eating pizza in our room and watching the Oilers win 🤷‍♀️Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    One of many Phares on SPM
    St Pierre from the top of the hill I climbedTwo trees in oneDucks in a rowHappy with an old fashioned2Pretty champagneThe scallops YUMPoires Belles Helenes - not as good as my dad'sIles Au Marins from St PierreThe Phare

    SPM - First Day

    May 26, 2025 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Sunday and Monday are not great days to come here - about 90% of businesses are closed on these days 😐 but! We persevered and thankfully our hotel (Nuits St Pierre) has a kitchen and breakfast so we were able to cobble some food together. We did go for a walk up a hill, and had some nice views.
    And some late afternoon Sequence and wine was a time passer. Because we had a reservation for dinner at 6 and it was confirmed!! Richard was most happy to be able to eat somewhere! Yummy scallops were the only local seafood on the menu but man were they good!! Finally happily fed! I will say that the wifi is freely available and speedy fast!    Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    32

    SPM - Day 2

    May 27, 2025 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Boats, bikes and feet. Another breakfast at the hotel, with good strong coffee and 🥐. Then a short boat ride to the Ghost Island of Iles au Marins and a private walking tour with Elea. What we learned was the inhabitants were those that wanted to do traditional cod fishing versus working for a large company. And they brought orphans and unwanted boys from France to work the ‘Graves’ where the cod fish was salted and dried on rocks. We had glorious sun and +8 but quite rare weather. It’s barren, no trees and exposed to the elements of sea life. I’m happy I did not have to live here 150 years ago.
    After lunch we rented bikes and headed out to the most westerly point of the island, saw some horses, and a beach. We might have biked about 15 kms and only one chain tombe. Thankfully some friendly helpful strapping French military boys stopped and fixed it for us.
    There is a military training boat moored down the way and today was a day pass for the 600 some young soldiers. There was a street party and boy oh boy, that’s a party!. And tomorrow there is a cruise ship of 2000 docking. Time to go!    Read more

  • Tiffany StonesThe Rock!Traveler
    The converted cop car from Saint Pierre
    Maybe the police station from Saint PierreMichel our hotel guy says this is the actual fake police stationFerry ride back to NLSharon's Nook in Grand Bank - I found the sign amusing1bologna sandwich with mayo on white 🤢Fish cakes, piping hot pea soup - $8.49Frenchman's cove PPCaribooooo!This moose turned its back and pooped for us to experience

    Last day - lots of spotting!

    May 28, 2025 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Time to hit the ferry - our proprietere Michel insisted on taking us on a mini Saint Pierre tv show tour (they are starting to film season 2 here) so we saw the police car as well as the building that was turned into the police station. Or one of them. We aren’t entirely sure. The ferry was fast and we visited with new friends Cheryl and Brian from Orangeville. Then the drive. But first lunch, and another great soup - homemade pea soup and finally some delicious fish cakes with local made pickle. Richard braved the bologna sandwich. Somewhere between Arnold Cove and the Trans Canada, and in a span of 10 minutes, we spied a pooping moose, a woodland caribou and a bald eagle. Check, check and check ! Now we can go home.Read more

    Trip end
    May 29, 2025
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