Newfoundland: St John's and the Avalon Peninsula

 

A sheltered harbor surrounded by towering cliffs,

colorful Jellybean Row houses,

and an initiation ceremony that involves kissing a frozen cod.

(no real photo here 'cause we haven't been persuaded to do it ... yet!)

We had entered a new part of the island for us ... the colorful town of St John's on the Avalon Peninsula. Located on the eastern edge of Newfoundland, it is the most populated city of Newfoundland and Labrador.  During our visit to this island two years ago, we didn't have enough time to explore this lively area. With a few more weeks planned on the island with this visit, we had plenty of time to see what makes St John's and the Avalon Peninsula one of the most popular tourist destinations on the ''Rock''.

Our route around the Avalon Peninsula

History on Signal Hill in St John's

St John's, the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador and its largest city, has a history as colorful as the homes that line its waterfront.

Blessed with a well-protected natural harbor, St  John's has played an important role in the maritime, military, and communication history of the province.

It was high on Signal Hill in the 18th century that many battles were fought between the French and the English in the attempt to gain control of the rich fishing waters just off the coast. Soaring above the city, the Cabot Tower was the location where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless communication in 1901. During WWII, Signal Hill became an important strategic location for the protection of North America against the Axis powers. 

Stunning sea views from the top of the rocky cliffs that surround the city make this a hiker's paradise also. It was from these high cliffs that we were able to see our first whales on the island! While it's almost impossible to capture in photos, it's pretty amazing to watch their water spouts and tail dives through our binoculars.

Happy Canada Day!

Like Independence Day in the US, Canada Day (July 1) gives everyone a reason to don their red and white maple leaves and gather outdoors to (finally) celebrate the arrival of summer. Picnics, music, and fireworks filled the day. 

We got in on the birthday celebration with free cupcakes and a Newfoundland language lesson at the Signal Hill Visitor Center coffee shop. Yes, we're ''havin' a time''! 

From our boondocking spot near Signal Hill, we ended our day with ''some shockin' good'' views of the fireworks that evening.

Some other highlights during our stay in St John's included:

... learning about rocks while on the ''Rock'' when we visited the Johnson Geo Center,

... adding another ''Capital'' to my list when we stopped by the Provincial Building of Newfoundland and Labrador.

... and searching for the best fish & chips. Ches's Famous Fish & Chips may be St John's oldest deep-fried seafood hangout, but it didn't end up high on our list. Our quest continues.

And while an evening out included a trip to the popular Quidi Vidi Brewery, we were't quite convinced that we wanted to be fully ''screeched in'' as a ''Newfie'' if it involved a shot of rum and kissing a frozen cod. We'll stick to the beer that may or may not have recently been a part of a melting iceberg. 

After a few days in this colorful city,

... we were ready to enjoy the tranquility of the lesser populated parts of the Avalon Peninsula.

The road around the southern portion of the peninsula is named the ''Irish Loop'' because of historical ties that this area has with Ireland. Here we would find beautiful lighthouses, scenic coastal hikes, and frolicking whales enjoying a capelin feast.

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historical Site

The Cape Spear Lighthouse is probably one of the most famous lighthouses in Newfoundland, possibly because it is the first location in North America to see the sunrise.

Because they allow boondocking in the Visitor Center parking area, there could have been a slight chance that I would be one of the first to see the sunrise at 5 am ... but it didn't happen.

The surrounding trails provided amazing lighthouse scenes as well as spectacular ocean views.

Pick a Section ... Any Section of the East Coast Trail!

Newfoundland's hiking trails are amazing, and it has become our goal to enjoy at least one or two of these trails each day. We used Google Maps and All Trails to find a few of the spectacular hiking trails that hug the coast of the Avalon Peninsula as a part of the 336 kilometer (210 mile) East Coast Trail system.

The trailheads are usually easy to get to and have abundant parking. The trails are of moderate difficulty requiring a bit of climbing and occasional scrambling over rocks and tree roots, but for the most part, we have found them to be well marked and well maintained. It always amazes us to think about the effort that goes into building and maintaining the stairs and platforms that safely get you to your next fantastic vista. And while fog sometimes obstructed our views, we still believe that it only adds to the beauty.

Whale Watching at St Vincent Beach

On the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula near the town of St Vincent lies a beach area that is close to some favorite feeding grounds for hundreds of whales. While we had to endure a few rough roads, some stiff ocean breezes, and a bit of fog,

... it was worth it to hear, ''ther' she blows''!

Frolicking humpback whales were more than happy to allow us to watch their acrobatics as they filled their bellies with the 3000 pounds or more of fish that they eat each day!

By now we hope that we have convinced you ... whether hanging out in St John's, driving along the Irish Loop, or conquering another section of the East Coast Trail system, Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula turns the rugged drama of its rocky coast into regal beauty with each new vista!

It's a joy to ''take a spell'' and enjoy the view!

Newfoundland: We're Ba-a-a-ck!

The ''Rock'' has lured us ba-a-a-ck!

Two years ago we enjoyed our first visit to Newfoundland, nicknamed the ''Rock'' because of its massively impressive rocky cliffs that dip down into the North Atlantic Ocean. The scenery, hiking, culture, and seafood that we experienced then made it one of our most memorable travel destinations.

Unfortunately, our trip that year was cut short because of hurricane warnings. So this year when we found ourselves on the East Coast, we decided to head back to Newfoundland in search of the puffins, icebergs, whales, and other treasures that we missed out on the first time around. While there is so much to see, it's possible to get a ''taste'' of the island in just a week or two. Of course, this ''bite'' will just make you want to come back for more ... which is why we plan to spend five weeks on the ''Rock'' this time around!

 

Here is the map of our first week's travels. Since we spent more time on the western side of the Rock last time around, we moved more quickly towards St. John's on the eastern side. But that still took us a week as we were drawn back to revisit some of our favorite towns, trails, and fish & chip joints during our first week back in Newfoundland.

Day 1 ... The night ferry from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland and short drive on the Trans Canada Highway to Corner Brook

An eight hour ferry ride takes passengers from Sydney, Nova Scotia to the western Newfoundland town of Port aux Basque. The round trip fare for us and our 20 foot van ran $335 (usd), but once there, we had all the comforts of ''home'' with us. It is also possible to take a ferry from Sydney to Argentia, Newfoundland which is on the eastern side of the island about an hour from St John's, but that is a sixteen hour journey ... a little too much time on a boat for my liking. While we would have preferred the daytime crossing, our last minute planning meant that our choices were a little limited. Thus we got ready for a ''slumber party'' as we prepared for the night crossing over to the Rock.

If you want to sleep in a real bed during the voyage, there are a few cabins available for an extra cost. Of course, those sell out early, but we were able to reserve a reclining sleeper chair for $12 each. Ear plugs and/or having white noise playing on your phone is also helpful for drowning out the noise of an occasional snoring neighbor. We arrived at the ferry and were checked in and had our place in line at 5:30 pm. They started loading at 10 pm, so we had plenty of time to walk around town and enjoy a delicious fish dinner at Black Spoon Bistro.

The first of many delicious cod fish dinners in our future ...

The loading was a slow process, but we were settled in and ready for the waves to lull us to sleep when the ferry left at 11:15 pm. We arrived in Port aux Basque at 7 am, and I was pleasantly surprised that I slept so well.

Since Doug was a few hours short of his mandatory nine hours of sleep, we decided that our first stop would be Tim Horton's for caffeine and sugar. Next we stopped at the nearby Visitor's Center and found a few helpful guide books ... let the planning begin! We know that we have a few favorite places, hikes, restaurants, and experiences that we wouldn't mind repeating, but there are many new areas to explore also.

We're hoping some puffins welcome us back!

Doug felt surprisingly good after his donut and caramel iced latte ''fix'', so we decided to drive two hours up the road to our first overnight location. The town of Corner Brook is just off the Trans Canadian Highway (TCH) and is a place that we didn't visit last time around. We like to pick our overnight locations based on hiking opportunities and the availability of showers, sewer dump and water fills. Unique boondocking choices and having a craft brewery to try out usually seals the deal. Corner Brook met all our requirements.

Our hike on the Bear Head Trail was

... 2.2 miles of natural beauty with 500+ feet in elevation gain. 

A variety of wildflowers lined the trail,

... interesting rock ''art'' could be seen in the distance,

(Can you pick out the Man in the Mountain?)

... and the summit rewarded us with amazing views of the river valley below.

After finding free hot shower facilities at a local campground (oh, the simple pleasures of life!), we headed to Boomstick Brewing for our first of many fish & chips feasts. Afterwards, we drove up to Captain Cook Historical Site Lookout for view of sunset over the water. Captain Cook explored and mapped the coast of Newfoundland from 1763-67 before becoming more well known for his South Pacific expeditions. As we do more hiking along the jagged Newfoundland coastline, I appreciate his intricate mapping skills even more!

Day 2 ... Continuing up the TCH in search of icebergs and whales

We learn to take advantage of free dumps and water fills when we can find them, so after taking care of that ''business'',  we enjoyed a four mile hike on the Corner Brook Gorge Trail. The trail started at the Margaret Bowater City Park and took us on a steady uphill climb. At the top we enjoyed views of the river gorge, waterfalls, and the city below. It amazes me that so many cities in Newfoundland have put a lot of effort into developing and maintaining beautiful natural trail systems within their city limits for all to enjoy.

The two and a half hour hike built up our appetites, and we were glad that we weren't far from one of the best fish & chips food trucks that we found during our last visit ... ''Off The Hook''' in Deerlake. It was just as good as we remember!

We decided to come Newfoundland earlier in the season this time in order to possibly get a glimpse of some of the icebergs that originate from the glaciers of western Greenland. Doug had been following the sightings on an iceberg tracker app, and today's suggestions led us to Pilley's Island, which also just happens to have a craft brewery ... are you beginning to figure out how he plans our routes?? As we pulled in, one of the locals gave us more hints on where to best see the icebergs as he had seen few while out on his Harley earlier in the day.

We saw that there was a Sperm Whale Interpretive Center just up the road in the small town of Triton, so we decided to check it out. After an hour and a half tour/visit/class/conversation with our knowledgeable guide, Terry, we almost became sperm whale experts ... I just wish that I could remember all the facts that he threw at us. The center looks out on a bay where Terry had spotted a few whales earlier. No such luck for us.

But we did take our motorcycle buddy's advice and drove a short distance up the road to Freddy's Lookout, where our first iceberg greeted us.

Terry invited us to boondock in the Whale Center parking lot that night, so we could have a front row seat if any whales decide to come in to bid us good night or greet us in the morning.

Day 3 ... Rainy days are made for comfort food

In Newfoundland, fog, drizzle and cool is often the norm, so we used this day to drive towards our future travel destination of St John's. We stopped for lunch at ''Rosie's Restaurant and Bakery'' in Gander for some comfort food ... Newfoundland style. Doug ordered his usual fish & chips, but I was intrigued by the ''Sunday Dinner'' special called a ''Jiggs dinner''. To my surprise, this traditional Newfoundland boiled dinner came with three kinds of beef (roast beef, corned beef and salted beef riblets) along with cabbage, dressing, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and lots of gravy. Needless to say, I was enjoying the leftovers for a few days. Of course, you can't leave Rosie's without passing though their amazing bakery area, so some scrumptious homemade chocolate covered peanut butter cookies followed us back to the van.  

I forgot about taking a photo, so I grabbed this one

off their website ... Mine was drowning in gravy also!

Because it was still drizzly, cool, and damp, we decided to get a site at one of the campgrounds in Terra Nova National Park which is just off the TCH. For $25 Canadian ($19 US) we got a site overlooking the water with nice hot showers and electricity so we can run our electric heat tonight. On our walk this evening, we saw this fellow just hanging out in a tree near us. Clicked a photo just before he left to find his own ''comfort food''.

Day 4: The Golden Rule for RVing in Newfoundland: Hike and Look for Puffins While the Sun Shines

The rain yesterday seemed to clear the smokey haze (from the Quebec wildfires) that has been obstructing our views since we arrived on the ''Rock'', and we woke up to brilliant sunshine. And that means ... a perfect day for hiking and puffin watching! On our way out of Terra Nova National Park, we hiked the Ochre Hill Trail (3 miles total) which took us around some ponds, through a boggy marsh area, and about 1,000 feet up to a spectacular vista.

In the afternoon we decided to take a detour off the TCH and head to the Bonavista Peninsula.  On the way there, the co-pilot noticed an interesting trail that received rave reviews on Google maps, so we stopped at King's Cove and hiked to the lighthouse.

We were also excited to see another iceberg just across the water ... a very successful stop!

At the end of the peninsula lies the Elliston Puffin Viewing Site. Every summer thousands of puffins are attracted to the rock formations where they lay and hatch their eggs. Unfortunately, fog and cold moved in over the water as we reached the Puffin Viewing Area, but a few of the silly looking, orange-beaked birds did greet us.

The city allows overnight parking in their visitor's parking lot, so we stayed here for the night. Fingers were crossed for clearer puffin-viewing skies in the morning. 

Day 5: A Hiker's Paradise

We took advantage of another day of sun and cooler temps to hike and enjoy the scenery on the Bonavista Peninsula. Hundreds of puffins greeted us in the morning and a few even got together for a group shot.

Afterwards we repeated two of our favorite hikes from when we visited this area two years ago.

Spillars Cove gifted us with three miles of breath-taking rocky cliff views and an iceberg or two,

... and Skerwink Trail gave us four miles of panoramic ocean views.

We boondocked in the cute fishing village of Trinity. A number of the buildings in town are recognized for their historical value making this a popular tourist hangout and a colorful place to take a sunset walk.

Day 6: A Little Fog is Not Going to Ruin Our Hike

After a night of rain, we woke up to another sunny day. It's supposed to warm up which is good because we've had to run the heat during the last three nights. But the predicted highs of  30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) has the local meteorologists issuing excessive heat warnings. As a shopkeeper explained to me this morning ... most Newfies really don't like the heat of summer. 

And we're not fans of the cold,

so I'm sure glad that we kept our winter coats!

We continue to make our way to St Johns. Since it was such a clear day, we decided to stop along the way to do the Chance Cove Coastal Hiking Trail as it promised beautiful views from the high cliffs of the rocks, ocean, and possibly whale or two. Unfortunately, fog moved in when we arrived, but that only added to the magic of the hike.

I was happy to see that they had recently built a set of stairs that led us down to a secluded beach area. According to the reviews of this hike, previous hikers had to get down using a rope.

Afterwards we had a delicious fish & chips dinner and craft brew at Dildo Brewing in Dildo, Newfoundland ... yes, that's the real name of this town, and yes, this is our sixth straight day of having fish & chips.

Doug dodged a few potholes on a narrow gravel road that led us to another sweet boondocking spot on the water's edge just outside of town. He's getting a lot of practice being a ''pothole-dodger' since Newfoundland's secondary roads are all pretty rough ... but they always seem to lead us to beautiful locations.

Day 7: Local Hiking Gems and On to St Johns

Doug uses both Google Maps and All Trails to find some hiking ''hidden gems'', and today he found one that was near a small village along our route. The Burnt Head Trail started out just outside of the town of Cupids and was a 2.2 mile hike that led us past a small waterfall and to some amazing sea cliff views. At the beginning of the hike we talked with a couple that lives in the town, and they told us how this trail was planned, developed, and maintained by interested citizens of the community. As you can see by the pictures, they are doing a great job of showcasing the natural beauty of their area for all to enjoy.

After finding a free dump and water fill in a neighboring small town, another local let us in on his town's special claim to fame ... a tunnel blasted through the rock. Early settlers constructed this passage through the huge boulders that blocked the harbor from the town making it easier for the ship's goods to be transferred from the boats into the town. 

We made it to Newfoundland's largest city and provincial capital of St John's in the afternoon. An evening hike up the rocky trail near the Quidi Vidi Brewery gave us some amazing views of the rocky cliffs and the open sea below but no whale sightings ... yet.

We're looking forward to exploring the colorful and historical seaside town of St John's and other hidden gems in Newfoundland over the next four weeks.

With each fishing village or ocean view, we're reminded how good it is to be ba-a-a-ck enjoying the beauty of this North Atlantic island!