Elizabeth_S

I booked flights to Newfoundland for mid June - this is my rough working itinerary - would appreciate any thoughts.

1 night arrive st john's late/pick up car/overnight airport hotel
3 nights - gros morne - cow head
2 nights - near l'anse aux meadows
1 night - Deer Lake area
2 nights - twillingate area
1 night - fogo
3 nights - trinity area
4 nights - st. john's and area (day trips to witless bay/etc)

Thanks!

katrinasl

Hi Elizabeth - overall I think it looks pretty good; I suggest you do some tweaking with the Gros Morne part. Three nights in Cowhead is a lot. I suggest you cut that down to two nights and then on the drive down from L'Anse aux meadows you spend two nights in either Norris Point or Rocky Harbour and skip Deer Lake. One night in Fogo will barely give you a taste especially if you have a long wait at the ferry. I would either increase that to two nights or skip it. If you skip it I would add a night in the Avalon - maybe go out to Cape St. Marys.

Elizabeth_S

Thx! Right now Deer Lake is just a placeholder for a night to break up the drive -- but your idea is very interesting. Since I posted this I increased Fogo to two although accommodation is tight so it might be moot.

nfldbeothuk

I agree that you don't want to spend all your time at Gros Morne in Cow Head. Norris Point/Rocky Harbour are a quick drive from Cow Head, but IMO you really should see the south side (Woody POint) which is about a 40 km drive from Cow Head. And Deer Lake isn't really high on attractions, so I'd consider moving the Deer Lake night to Woody Point. The TAblelands trail is really unique, and an easy hike.
I might take a night from Twillingate and add to Fogo, although if there are icebergs in June this year, 2 nights in Twillingate would be nice. Unfortunately, no one knows if there'll be icebergs at all this year, let alone predicting when they'll pass by.

Elizabeth_S

I had planned to do Tablelands from Cow Point - typically we prefer to stay in one place and drive up to 90 minutes one way versus changing hotels..Does that change your opinion?

I think it's two nights or not at all for Fogo - but rooms are tough to come by.

Is there something in particular about this year (the insane winter?) and the icebergs or is it normal not to know?

Thanks!

nfldbeothuk

If you like a lot of driving, and promise not to drive at night (Gros Morne is prime territory for moose and caribou, very dangerous to encounter on the highway after dark), I guess staying in Cow Head wouldn't be a problem.

And icebergs are more like the northern lights than the swallows returning to Capistrano. Some years there may be hundreds, lasting until midsummer (like a few years ago when a giant ice island "calved" off the Petermann glacier in Greenland), then the next year there may be almost none.

Elizabeth_S

Second version of the itinerary

4 nights st john's and area - staying in Witless Bay
3 nights - Gros Morne - Rocky Harbour (western pond boat trip, Tablelands trail, general touring)
2 nights - near l'anse aux meadows
1 night - Deer Lake area - Marble Mountain has been suggested
3 nights Fogo - found a lovely cottage in Joe Batts Arm
1 night - Twillingate area (or maybe add this night to Trinity)
2 nights Trinity area - Skerwink hike, Pageant, boat tour
1 night - st. john's - in town