To say I left Fogo Island reluctantly is a gross understatement. It’s one of those places where I know I am going to look back and say “Why didn’t I spend more time there?” But I’ve made a commitment back in Maine at the end of August, so I must keep moving.
I want to stop at the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander as I head east around the island of Newfoundland. Often referred to as “the lifeboat of the North Atlantic,” Continue reading
Fogo Island has another side….an intentionally contrasting side. One of art and architecture, where life is lived in the contridiction. And I hate to say it, but also what appears at first glance to be obscene opulence. But I was quick to judge it seems, as it bears further examination.
Mention “Fogo Island,” and those who are familiar will chuckle and ask tongue and cheek, “So did you stay at the Inn?” Fogo Island Inn, built in 2013, a 29 room luxury hotel, is getting a crazy amount of press these days. In fact, just this past month, Continue reading
The tourist influx is in full swing in Twillingate, with people racing from cove to cove asking “Have you seen any icebergs?” like it was a game of real life pokemon. It’s an energy that’s hard to describe, but I haven’t felt it since leaving the crowded Bay of Fundy. I’ve come to thrive on the solitude I’ve experienced since being in Newfoundland, and as my friend Ed recently said, “I miss the empty.” Continue reading
I’ve been eager to get on to Twillingate, southern end of “Iceberg Alley” for some time now, as reports on the Newfoundland Iceberg Facebook group show giant skyscrapers of ice floating just offshore. If Saint Anthony’s holds the lock on iceberg viewing at the northern end of Iceberg Alley, Twillingate reigns as the place to be at the southern end. I’ve been patiently anticipating my arrival in Twillingate, not wanting to rush through my planned stops in between, but eager to finally arrive. Continue reading
A couple of friends and followers asked if I was going to explore further in Labrador…either further north up the gravel road toward Cartwright, or back down to the southern shores of Quebec. It’s so tempting! Both seem like such beautiful places with so much to see! I would love to go further in either direction. But I haven’t even scratched the surface of Newfoundland yet, and still need to leave time to explore more of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, since I blew through on my way north.
Wise were the travelers who came to the maritimes earlier in the year, as one could certainly spend months up here without running out of places to explore. Already, I am trying to figure out how I will fit it all in. Continue reading
My northernmost point on the island of Newfoundland is L’Anse aux Meadows, UNESCO World Heritage site at the end of The Viking Trail.
If one is to write an honest blog, it sometimes means confessing to one’s ignorance. Prior to my visit to L’Anse aux Meadows, my knowledge of Leif Erikson was relegated to high school history class when Leif was used as an example of a “patronym,” the naming convention of a person’s surname being based on the given name of one’s father. Leif Erikson was “Erik’s son,” son of “Eric the Red,” who was credited with discovering Greenland. Continue reading
It’s 220 miles from Gros Morne to the end of the Northern Peninsula. That’s a typical driving day for me. I try not to go much more than 200 miles in stretch, but since I’m not towing, that should be a breeze. Except for the breeze. I don’t account for the strong, gusting crosswinds that blow in from the ocean at gale force, nor do I account for the road surface that looks like swiss cheese. By the time I reach St. Anthony, the northernmost town on the peninsula, I feel like I have wrestled an angry elephant. Continue reading
Continuing with my loose strategy to get north as quickly as possible before the icebergs melt, I am headed straight up the Northern Peninsula with as few stops as possible…with one exception. The Trans-Canada Highway passes right through the heart of Gros Morne National Park. The most notable highlight of this national park is the Western Pond Brook Tour. This two-hour boat ride across a glacially carved, fresh water lake can only be reached by a “two-ish” mile hike to the boat dock at the edge of the pond. Continue reading
There’s really nothing that thrills me more than exploring “new found land.” I got that wanderlust gene from my Mom and especially my (late) Dad, both who enjoyed exploratory travel as much as I do. We were never “sit and stay” vacationers, but rather constantly on the move, always eager to explore new territory. So to have a ferry crossing to an island of 42,000 square miles to explore is a thrill beyond compare. Continue reading