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 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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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