Newfoundland - Bread & Cheese Inn or other lodging on Avalon Penninsula
 

Hi,

We are planning a 10-11 day trip to Newfoundland in August. We have most of our itinerary mapped out (it basically follows the following path: fly to St. John's ---- Trinity ---- Gros Morne -- fly out of Deer Lake). We'll be in the St. John's area for 4 nights (the first night we get in at 11 p.m. so doesn't really count) before driving up to Trinity, and are trying to decide whether to stay in St. John's for the 4 nights and do day trips down to Avalon, or to stay in St. John's for 2 nights and then stay on the Avalon penninsula for the next 2 nights. The hikes on the East Coast trail look beautiful and we wonder if it would be nice to be closer to them rather than having to drive down from St. John's each day. We would not be doing strenuous hikes as we are not in shape for them, but would be doing easy/moderate hikes. We are considering staying at the Bread & Cheese Inn in the Witless Bay/Bay Bulls area. It looks lovely on the website but is not listed in any guidebook and we cannot find any reviews of it anywhere, good or bad, which makes me nervous! Appreciate any thoughts/suggestions on this place to stay or others in the area (Bear Cove Inn? others?) and any other suggestions.

Thanks.

I have not been to the Bread and Cheese Inn, but do know the owner and can assure you she is a savvy entrepreneur who ensures her guests are well taken care of. If you are on facebook, join their fan page - lots of comments and pics on it.

Stayed here for 3 nights in July 2010

Pros:
* stunning location -- when the weather is clear you can see whales spouting from your bedroom
* grounds are beautiful -- you must be careful with small children -- the grounds go right to the edge of tall cliffs
* close to East Coast trail -- one of the trailheads is about a 5 minute walk
* about 30 minute drive from downtown St. Johns
* breakfast was good (they serve dinner but we ate elsewhere every night)

Cons:
* trouble with the reservation -- we booked months in advance -- spoke to Rita the owner. She said she does not provide confirmation numbers or receipts. We called a week before arrival and spoke with Rita again. This time she had no record of our reservation -- in fact she had booked the entire place for a wedding. She helped us get a one night reservation at the nearby Bears Cove Inn. The other 3 nights she was able to honor our original reservation.
* the wedding involved a huge tent that obscured the view from the dining room. The tent did not get taken away till 3 days after the wedding -- thus our breakfast view was the tent.

St. John's is a fascinating city with much to offer.

We lived in downtown St. John's and went out of town to hike the East Coast Trails on many a weekend without stress.

I know nothing about the Bread and Cheese Inn, but can assure you that there is very little on the Avalon Peninsula that you could not fully enjoy via day trips.

Then head back to the big city lights to enjoy the great night life and restaurants that St. John's has in abundance. I am a townie, born and bred, so do consider my remarks as being biased but I think you 'takes yer chances' on both food and lodging when you get outside the urban areas.

All B&Bs in Newfoundland are not created equal. Compare the Bread and Cheese Inn (Bull’s Bay) to The Edge (Poole’s Island). Service at the Bread was cold and sullen, at The Edge we were treated like royalty. Outside seating at the Bread was covered in bird crap, the Edge stores their cushions indoors awaiting use. Interior trim work at the Bread displays a dreadful lack of carpentry ability – one can place a quarter in the miter of the #3 pine joints.
Dining at The Edge was epicurean. The “fresh fruit” at Bread’s breakfast was mushy and foul tasting – probably thawed and stored for long time in the fridge. Our room at the Bread was in the middle of the house. There was a room to our left, right and at least one directly above us. During the night we were surrounded by a chorus of snoring from the other rooms, echoing through the paper-thin walls. This cacophony was broken when the fellow above us clomped his way to the bathroom, the ensuing flush running through our wall and reminiscent of what it must have sounded like during the final minutes of the Titanic. In The Edge we had silence.
The Edge – satellite TV with recorder. Bread – basic cable. While checking out of the Bread & Cheese we were asked if we wanted to leave a tip. Exiting The Edge, Hugh and Joanne Wiley were standing in the driveway, waving good-by.
And The Edge is cheaper.