Newfoundland itinerary help
Feb 1st, 2016, 10:22 AM
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Newfoundland itinerary help
I am part way through planning activities and booking accommodations for a 16 day Newfoundland trip.
Arrive St John's airport June 15, leave July 2 5pm Deer Lake, car is booked:
-booked 2 nights June 15, June 16 St John's,
-booked 2 nights June 17, June 18 Conception Harbour,
-booked 3 nights June 19, 20, 21 Bonavista
-then probably 1 night close to Terra Nova NP
Remaining time 9 days June 23-July 2
2-3 days Travel to St Anthony, visit L'Anse aux Meadows, Norstead Viking Village, Discover Northland boat tour, various hiking trails and other historical locations
2-3 days Return south to Gros Morne, hiking, Western Brook Pond boat tour
My original plan was to visit the Twillingate area after TNNP, before heading to the west coast.
I'm now thinking that we will have seen a lot of the eastern area and that if we drove directly to St Anthony after Terra Nova we have 2 more days to use on the west coast -yes we will need to stay somewhere overnight on route- -we could then visit Corner Brook and vicinity after Gros Morne.
Some opinions are that Twillingate is overrated and others that it is a must see.
Any comments?
Monica
Arrive St John's airport June 15, leave July 2 5pm Deer Lake, car is booked:
-booked 2 nights June 15, June 16 St John's,
-booked 2 nights June 17, June 18 Conception Harbour,
-booked 3 nights June 19, 20, 21 Bonavista
-then probably 1 night close to Terra Nova NP
Remaining time 9 days June 23-July 2
2-3 days Travel to St Anthony, visit L'Anse aux Meadows, Norstead Viking Village, Discover Northland boat tour, various hiking trails and other historical locations
2-3 days Return south to Gros Morne, hiking, Western Brook Pond boat tour
My original plan was to visit the Twillingate area after TNNP, before heading to the west coast.
I'm now thinking that we will have seen a lot of the eastern area and that if we drove directly to St Anthony after Terra Nova we have 2 more days to use on the west coast -yes we will need to stay somewhere overnight on route- -we could then visit Corner Brook and vicinity after Gros Morne.
Some opinions are that Twillingate is overrated and others that it is a must see.
Any comments?
Monica
Feb 1st, 2016, 06:14 PM
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Monica, I can't help you on Twillingate; for all the time I've spent in Newfoundland, I have never set foot there.
But I did want to mention a couple of things up around Bonavista, which we particularly enjoyed:
- The Sealers Interpretation Centre in Elliston provides an excellent history of the seal harvest off Newfoundland, including a sobering account of the 19194 sealing disaster.
- The Skerwink Trail in Port Rexton is an easy hike with spectacular views. This was a highlight of our few days in the area: http://www.theskerwinktrail.com/about/index.html
Gros Morne, and in particular the Western Brook excursion, is a gem. Just in case you haven't stumbled upon it, I did write up a little trip report a few years ago: http://www.fodors.com/community/cana...ional-park.cfm
There might be something in there to help you.
But I did want to mention a couple of things up around Bonavista, which we particularly enjoyed:
- The Sealers Interpretation Centre in Elliston provides an excellent history of the seal harvest off Newfoundland, including a sobering account of the 19194 sealing disaster.
- The Skerwink Trail in Port Rexton is an easy hike with spectacular views. This was a highlight of our few days in the area: http://www.theskerwinktrail.com/about/index.html
Gros Morne, and in particular the Western Brook excursion, is a gem. Just in case you haven't stumbled upon it, I did write up a little trip report a few years ago: http://www.fodors.com/community/cana...ional-park.cfm
There might be something in there to help you.
Feb 2nd, 2016, 04:57 AM
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I booked 3 nights in Bonavista because there is so much to do and see there. We hike, we are unabashed tree huggers, we enjoy history, wildlife, fabulous scenery, photography and the unusual. GMNP is a must see and do.
This trip will be the only trip we take to Newfoundland- we have a very long travel bucket list-it seems to me that more time on the west coast provides more opportunity to see things that are more diverse.
The main attractions that Twillingate seems to be popular for is sunsets, whales and icebergs, all things that we can see other places, I looked at Twillingate on street view and it seems in some ways very similar to other areas we will be visiting during the first week. If we were not going to the west coast perhaps.
Thanks thinking this through while replying has helped make the decision.
I will look at your trip report.
Monica
This trip will be the only trip we take to Newfoundland- we have a very long travel bucket list-it seems to me that more time on the west coast provides more opportunity to see things that are more diverse.
The main attractions that Twillingate seems to be popular for is sunsets, whales and icebergs, all things that we can see other places, I looked at Twillingate on street view and it seems in some ways very similar to other areas we will be visiting during the first week. If we were not going to the west coast perhaps.
Thanks thinking this through while replying has helped make the decision.
I will look at your trip report.
Monica
Feb 2nd, 2016, 12:29 PM
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I think you'll be very happy with your choice. We made a second trip to Gros Morne since I wrote that trip report and saw plenty of wildlife: several moose (including a very close encounter with one on a trail), a black bear, and on the mountain itself, an arctic hare and a ptarmigan. The latter two were superbly camouflaged and only gave themselves away by sudden movement.
Two suggestions for St John's: we enjoyed a morning at the Rooms; striking architecture, stunning views, and great exhibits. We stayed for lunch in the restaurant. We also hiked up Signal Hill from Battery Road and then back down Signal Hill Road. If you want a slightly easier walk, you can do it the other way round.
Do take warm layers and wet weather gear. It's Newfoundland.
Two suggestions for St John's: we enjoyed a morning at the Rooms; striking architecture, stunning views, and great exhibits. We stayed for lunch in the restaurant. We also hiked up Signal Hill from Battery Road and then back down Signal Hill Road. If you want a slightly easier walk, you can do it the other way round.
Do take warm layers and wet weather gear. It's Newfoundland.
Feb 6th, 2016, 07:16 AM
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It's all booked now!
-2 nights St John's,
-2 nights Conception Harbour,
-3 nights Bonavista
-1 night Sandringham just north of TNNP
-1 night in Rocky Harbour
-3 nights St Anthony
-2 nights at the Entente Cordiale Inn Portland Creek 25km north of GMNP http://www.ententecordiale.com/
-3 nights Rocky Harbour
After seeing the website for the Entente Cordiale Inn, with a charming building, sheep in the meadow and beach, I had to book it.
-2 nights St John's,
-2 nights Conception Harbour,
-3 nights Bonavista
-1 night Sandringham just north of TNNP
-1 night in Rocky Harbour
-3 nights St Anthony
-2 nights at the Entente Cordiale Inn Portland Creek 25km north of GMNP http://www.ententecordiale.com/
-3 nights Rocky Harbour
After seeing the website for the Entente Cordiale Inn, with a charming building, sheep in the meadow and beach, I had to book it.
Feb 10th, 2016, 05:10 PM
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Looks good, but my only concern would be that you are spending four nights in Rocky Harbor, and I found that to be the least interesting place that we stayed. It's touristy, and there are just so many little authentic fishing villages that I'd recommend looking around a little more. (But is that cool inn there? Sounds fun!) We did a fairly similar route, but didn't make it to St. Anthony. You'll love Bonavista--we stayed in Elliston, and saw whales galore there and at the Bonavista lighthouse. So awesome! One more thought--there's a LOT to do around St. Johns. But I guess that Conception Harbor can be counted in to that? Have fun!
Feb 20th, 2016, 08:50 PM
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Don't forget to pick up the National Geographic Travel Map of Newfoundland... a great help when designing itineraries --> http://tinyurl.com/nltourism
Mar 19th, 2016, 02:09 PM
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The first night in Rocky Harbour is just an overnight on the way north, we don't intend to spend much time actually in Rocky Harbour when we stay there for the 3 nights, it is a base for exploring GMNP.
That map looks great, and I especially like the walking tour map as well, I have not been able to find anything like it. I have asked on other forums for suggested walking routes in St John's and got nothing useful, just suggestions for shopping and eating tours.
We arrive at noon, we are staying right on Gower Street and planned to walk for most of the rest of the day ending up somewhere close to water for dinner.
Are those maps only available on line?
That map looks great, and I especially like the walking tour map as well, I have not been able to find anything like it. I have asked on other forums for suggested walking routes in St John's and got nothing useful, just suggestions for shopping and eating tours.
We arrive at noon, we are staying right on Gower Street and planned to walk for most of the rest of the day ending up somewhere close to water for dinner.
Are those maps only available on line?
Nov 7th, 2016, 10:33 AM
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It all went well, the weather at the beginning and end was not the best, St John's was cold and damp, our last 2 days at Rocky Harbour were torrential rain. Thankfully we had booked a house keeping cottage and could go out for short breaks when the rain stopped. In between weather was marvelous, we looked at icebergs while wearing shorts in Bonavista and St Anthony.Saw a humpback on a whale watching tour in St Anthony.
I looked for lupins everywhere, it was too soon for them to be in bloom, on the way to Deer Lake airport we got lost while looking for a gas station and found an abandoned industrial site covered in blooming lupins. I won a photo contest with one of the lupin pictures I took!
Gros Morne was great, even though we had a lot of rain. The western Brook Pond boat tour was stunning.
I looked for lupins everywhere, it was too soon for them to be in bloom, on the way to Deer Lake airport we got lost while looking for a gas station and found an abandoned industrial site covered in blooming lupins. I won a photo contest with one of the lupin pictures I took!
Gros Morne was great, even though we had a lot of rain. The western Brook Pond boat tour was stunning.
