Blogs from Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, North America - page 11

Quick breakfast in our room, pack and on our way. On the way out of Holyrood, we stop at the harbour to take a final look. A pleasant, friendly little town. Today is gorgeous. As if to make up for yesterday, there literally is not a cloud in the sky. Forecast high is 20°C. We take the Trans-Canada (TCH) heading west. It's a well maintained limited-access highway and we make good time. Soon we are no longer in the Avalon Peninsula but in what you might call east-central Newfoundland. The highway maintains a relatively high elevation, providing occasional glimpses of the sea on one side or the other in the distance. The forest is almost exclusively coniferous with only an occasional flash of colour that betrays a deciduous tree, usually a birch or more rarely a ... read more

Another beautiful day here in Trinity. A brilliant blue sky, though slightly cooler than yesterday. We enjoy a complimentary "continental" breakfast at the hotel, which has a lot of lovely choices. We fall into a conversation with a couple from Calgary, who have been here for a few days and are willing to share their experiences. We try to get on a whale-watching tour but it's all booked up. Apparently, orcas are in the vicinity. We put ourselves on the waiting list for tomorrow. That means we can devote the day to circumnavigating the Bonavista Pennisula and return back to the Artisan Inn in Trinity for another night. Our destination, Bonavista, lies at the very top of the pennisula. Heading north, we opt for the long, scenic route along the east shore. We pass through many ... read more

Payback for two beautiful days. It's absolutely pouring rain this morning. I'm talking sheets here. Cats and dogs. When it rains in Newfoundland, it rains! You get the picture. We have breakfast at the hotel restaurant, then pack, check out, and head south from St. John's down highway 10. Our goal is the southeastern hump of the Avalon Pennisula, the so-called Irish Loop. We drive through Bay Bulls and stop at a diner in Witless Bay for a pit stop. There is an ecological reserve here consisting of five offshore islands that has one of the largest concentrations of sea birds in the world, including puffins. The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is accessible only through boat tours. We're not sure if a tour is worth attempting today, given the weather (did I mention that it's raining?), ... read more

We blissfully sleep in this morning. What a great way to start our vacation! We have a satisfying breakfast at the hotel and then head by car for Signal Hill, arguably the city's #1 tourist attraction. After a little bit of trouble in the rabbit warren of streets around the base of the hill, we find the correct road and start climbing. Signal Hill rises on the north side of the Narrows, the entrance from the ocean to the spacious St. John's harbour beyond. For centuries, it has been of immense strategic importance for guarding the harbour, and has seen numerous battles. Its rich history has left behind many ruins and artifacts. Our first stop along the way is Deadman's Pond, encircled by an easy trail. Towering above it is an outcropping called Gibbet's Hill, where ... read more

Today, on our way out of Woody Point, we made a quick stop in Trout River, a small rural fishing village sitting in a pretty bay. A lighthouse blinked on a high rocky outcrop in the distance. The village looked economically depressed. A gaggle of children played in the dusty street and the now closed coffee shop looked sad and forlorn. Chickens scratched in their small pen and cheerful hand knit socks hung on a line with a "for sale" sign next to them. I imagine this is the plight of many fishing villages in Newfoundland. In the tidal river, fishing boats sat, waiting to go out to sea, and lobster traps were piled in huge stacks. We walked along the boardwalk that runs the length of the beach and it was so quiet. It wasn't ... read more