a week in St John's, NL
 

hi everyone, i was just awarded a scholarship to a research conference in st john's nl , 30 april- 8th of may. i won't bother you w/ weather questions, che sara , sara.

i have never been to NL and have booked 3.5 days after the conference. i will be staying at the local version of the delta hotels chain where the conference will be held 1-4 may.

can residents/visitors give me an idea of places to see and activities of interest? i am comfortable w/ indoor and outdoor options and will bring some gear depending on the season. i often access bixi bike programs when i am on the road. a good walk and/or hike/ a museum visit etc

always interested in local culture , food and music. any sites i can do out of town on a day trip?

thanks
AndrewDavid

Bull's Bay for whale watching, if it's the season.

In town, The Rooms gallery for a cultural fix. There are amazing walking trails throughout the city itself and you can get a copy of the East Coast Trails association guidebook for a intro to those outside city limits. Walk the trails around the Battery only if the weather is good and you have a head for heights and a sure foot. Bay Bulls for whales? Probably too early, but you may see icebergs off Cape Spear. For the friendliest and most delicious "fast food " anywhere, check out Manna Bakery. You won't run out if things to do!!!

LJs ideas are all good, and she's right that it's almost certainly too early for whale watching, although if you have access to a vehicle, a drive down the "Southern Shore" towards Bay Bulls and Ferryland would give you a chance to see a bit of the rural scenery, and outport life.
Depending on your interests, as well as the Rooms, you could try the Fluvarium, the Geocentre (Titanic exhibits as well as earth sciene) and the Basilica.
Go to Cape Spear even if icebergs aren't in--a WWII battery and the most easterly point on the continent.
Old St. John's is practically vertical, so not really bicycle heaven, but you certainly get exercise from walking!
Eat at Bacalao or Yellowbelly--I hear Raymond's is good if you have the $$. The Ship Tavern still has local music, and Fred's on Duckworth St (just walk east from your hotel) has an excellent selection of local CDs.

We really enjoyed Ferryland. It is a small historical site, so not too demanding in terms of time. No doubt you will be too early in the season for the picnic lunch at the lighthouse nearby but the view from there is spectacular so worth the short walk up from the paring lot.

thank you all for your suggestions of local sights, food and music. my plane ticket has been purchased and i'll be there in a month!

this is a great chance to see the far east coast, something many westerners do not have the opportunity to experience

cheers
AndrewDavid

Be prepared to stay up late; St. John's has the reputation of being one of the great party cities in the dominion.

Yes: very good point! In all the rush to equip you with historically and culturally rich NL experiences, we forgot to send you to George Street or bar alley. St. John's has one of the best pub scenes in North America. And very welcoming, too!

funny bar alley was mentioned here in victoria when the council decided to allow an upstairs bar to re locate to the street level in nthe same hotel. this is the lower end of the dt section of government st. there are already a few pubs, food purveyors, shops and cafes.

the city government has never had the guts to close the street even partially to automobiles. the merchants claim w/o 24/ access they couldn't survive ; deliveries, people who might be driving by and need to quickly stop to shop etc. those merchants need to get out more. how many cities in the worlld have successfully established pedestrian precincts in their downtowns.

i even remember years ago being in istamboul, turkey where there was a great bar alley!

again thanks for your suggestions and keep those ideas coming

we have many opportunities to see whales on the west coast. seeing an iceberg would be truly awesome ( a superlative i try not to overuse lol)

cheers

AndrewDavid

Hey, AndrewDavid. Congrats on the scholarship to a research conference. Hope you have a wonderful time exploring a new area of Canada. If you have time when you get back, please post a report (says she who still hasn't written a report on our not-enough-time trip to Vancouver and Victoria!) Newfoundland is a place that is on my bucket list. BTW, we loved our floatplane flight from Victoria to Vancouver. Thank you for suggesting it.
Dot