Visiting Newfoundland
 

Is Newfoundland worth the time and expense to visit in Sept.? We would use our own vehicle. Also, what about Labrador?

I have never been to Newfoundland, so I cannot help you directly.

I am guessing that September would be a good time to visit the area. I used the Weather Underground website's Trip Planning feature for St. John's, Newfoundland, and found out the following temperature statistics:

September 1st - 15th:

Average daily high : 64 deg F
Highest high : 84 deg F
Average night time low : 49 deg F
Lowest low : 37 deg F

September 16th - 31st:

Av hi : 60 deg F
Hi hi : 82 deg F
Av lo : 47 deg F
Lo lo : 37 deg F

A spot I would love to visit is L'Anse Aux Meadow National Historic Site, the Norse settlement that dates back 1,000 years.

I've also heard that Gros Morne National Park is really beautiful.

Newfoundland's people are reputed to be very friendly. Certainly that is true of the Newfoundlanders whom I've met out here in Alberta.

I've heard from other people that Newfoundland is surprisingly big, and that the island on its own can take up a whole vacation.

Hope that helps.

I don't know about Labrador but Newfoundland is worth the time and expense anytime in my opinion. A beautiful island with beautiful people. I cannot wait to return. September should be a nice month for weather as well.

Ditto everything Judy and jannie said. The island is large; allow yourself enough time to enjoy it.

I know I should respond when I have more then a second to write, however, I could not resist -- tomandjan5, I do not know where you are traveling from, however, my husband and I visited for a few years ago in January, we began in a lovely hotel, moved on and rented a house, traveled the following week to a bed and breafkast and then back to our Fairmont Hotel. This was the result of having read the book, "The Day the World Came to Gander" -- I can not begin to tell you of a place more beautiful, with people as beautiful, as warm, as giving -- if there is such a thing as peace on earth, I suspect it is Newfoundland! I posted our trip on this site, you may want to read more -- go go go, take photos, keep a journal - enjoy this magnificant place!
Jan

September is good for the scenery, great people etc but I suggest going earlier in the year - July to mid-August.

At that time you get the hospitality and scenery as well as spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities and many local festivals that usually combine music with local foods, crafts etc.

This is 'high season' and sdvance reservations are required for lodging etc but Newfoundland is never by any means 'crowded'.

cheers

Jerry

Thanks for the input. We are getting together Friday to decide if we have the time and the willingness to go to Newfoundland(the boat regardless of how big it is, is still a problem). Any added thoughts regarding reasons why our wives should want to go will be appreciated.

september is still beautiful in september. we don't start losing leaves from the trees until around november. check website for a great vacation home. www.trinitybightvacations.com

You should visit because, as their advertising says, it's about as far from Disneyland as you can get. The natural beauty is breath taking and the people are some of the most welcoming and hospitable people I have ever met anywhere in the world.

As far as timing, I would suggest early September, or better yet, July and August. The weather can begin to change quite suddenly.

For the wives, here's a great spa http://www.monastery-spa.com/ in St. John's.

And, you know that you can fly into Newfoundland and then rent a car once you get there. You don't have to take the ferry.

I second the "def go" - as others have said it's a fabulous vast land with friendly folk.

Try for July to Aug if you can swing it. A lot more of the tourism services are open. We went a couple of years ago and the difference was apparent even btwn the last wk of June and the first wk of July.

Enjoy-la!

The truly great thing about NL is how much variety there is. September is THE perfect month with golden days and clear, clear nights and still warm enough for summer duds. You can pick blueberries right on Signal Hill in St. John's as well as in the fields outside any small town. There will be moose to see and many birds and then there is whale-watching and sea-kayaking and...

But the interesting thing is that along with all that natural beatuty is an growing urban life. St. John's, always historically quaint and fascinating, is increasingly a sophisticated cosmopolitan city, with wonderful restaurants, boutiques and a terrific architectural heritage...and then there is Corner brook, Stawberry Hill, Twillingate, and Cape Spear and Marble Mountain and lets not forget about Gros Morne and L'Anse aux Meadows.

So can you tell I am a fan of my home province?

BTW, I am a good sailor with a good stomach having endured the rigours of fishing boats as a kid, but my DH is a mainlander and does not have a good stomach. He finds the NL ferries, both the Port aux Basques one and the Argentia one, quite bearable. He doesn't do Gravol (dramamine), but we always get a cabin and he sleeps. You can and should do this!

when I started planning my trip to Newfoundland two years ago, I started reading about Gros Morne National Park, with people describing its beauty with words normally used for places like Yosemite. I was EXTREMELY skeptical -- and even MORE wrong. This place is like Yosemite and Big Sur combined. As I said to my wife, this place has a lot of "OMG!" moments.

Also, if you have ANY interest in Viking visits to North America (something that's fascinated me for decades), then l'Anse aux Meadows is an absolute must see. It's the only place in America with any credible evidence of a pre-1492 European visit, and the evidence is incontrovertible. The combination of museum, restored sites, and living history made this worth the day of traveling on less than ideal roads.

About Labrador... an awful lot of trouble, a very long way away from amywhere.

Since Newfoundland itself is huge, you could spend all your time there on the island.

There is very, very little tourism in Labrador, and most of that is hunting and fishing.

BAK

any lines on good restaurants that you can take a large group to, reasonable prices.