Newfoundland

Newfoundland is a vast island off the coast off Canada and is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This time last year, I got a random text from a friend about a once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity. She was house-sitting in Newfoundland and asked if another friend and I wanted to join her in early November. Within 24 hours, we’d put together a plan to explore some of the vast island of Newfoundland – and one that accommodated the needs of an extremely anxious Newfoundland-Mastiff mix named Bruce.

I would love to go back to Newfoundland in summer but as a truly Great Place, it is stunning in winter, too. See below for some general tips and the places I managed to get to in my weeklong stay!

General travel tips for Newfoundland in winter

• Layers, layers, layers, layers. Bring thermals, windbreakers, and prepare to wear multiple layers of everything – including socks. The wind is vicious, can rock a car, and is freezing. If you’re not a winter person, be extra prepared. I’d recommend a thermal for your face, a full calf-length down-lined coat, gloves that are windproof, a thick scarf, and flannel lined jeans. You will also want a wool hat and a full head covering with your coat. Lined boots are wise, too. Lands End has very good coats and thermal jeans, but I’d check outfitters like L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Fjallraven, and any other company that manufactures gear for cold weather.

• Puffins and whales are unlikely as they along with icebergs are typically seen in summer. However, odds are high you could see a moose. Moose are massive, move quickly, and tend to jump out on highways to cross the road. Nights in Newfoundland are very dark so you will want to keep an eye out. Getting into an accident may hurt a moose but it’s far more dangerous for people. We jokingly termed our daily watch as MOOSEWATCH as a way to make it entertaining while also maintaining vigilance.

• Speaking of which, drive with an experienced Canadian driver. My friend is Quebecois so she knew what car we needed (for instance, one with snow tires), how to navigate black ice, and how and when to keep an eye out for moose.

• The only major airport hub is St. John’s, Newfoundland. Rental cars are available at the airport and the car rental staff are quite knowledgeable and friendly so make use.

• Newfoundland is food insecure and supermarkets are few and far between outside of St. John’s, so if you see an opportunity to buy food do it. Powell’s was the chain we’d go to where possible.

Avalon Peninsula

Using the western part of the Avalon peninsula as a base, we drove around the peninsula using the Irish Loop. Our first stop was at St. Vincent’s Beach, which serves as an amazing viewpoint for humpback whales in the summer. We then drove down the southern coast of the peninsula on the Loop to get to the Cape Race Lighthouse. In the summers, Cape Race is a great place to view puffins, with several rookeries visible from the shoreline. However, Cape Race is also home to a somewhat famous resident – lighthouse keeper Clifford Doran who once inspired a children’s book! Cliff found us on the cliffs (not a joke) in foggy but delightful weather, and invited us back to the keeper’s watch for some cake, some tea, and an opportunity to view all the animals he’d seen during his time there – including a sperm whale breaching off the coast that morning and a moose in the backyard the other day.

Heading north

On our travels we went up towards Bonavista and the peninsula there. Our first stop was Brigus on Conception Bay (the bottom right picture). Brigus is a sweet little town, with a well-known tunnel which provides a great photographic opportunity over the Bay. From Brigus we went to the Newfoundland Distillery Company, in Clarke’s Beach which is about twenty minutes north of Brigus. If you’re looking for locally brewed spirits in a variety of flavors or a unique gift from Newfoundland, it’s a good place to go (note that you can also buy products at duty free at the airport in St. John’s).

From Brigus and Clarke’s Beach, it was time for lunch. The best fast food you can get in Newfoundland is Mary Brown’s Chicken. Newfoundland’s chickens are grass fed and really are organic. In other words, the fried chicken is fresh and nicely battered, making any option here delicious. It was so good we actively considered going again. After a brief stop at Mary Brown’s we headed north to Clarenville. Clarenville is where we stopped for some coffee, tea, etc. and a quick sandwich, at the aptly named Bare Mountain Coffee House.

The Bonavista Peninsula

We spent a night at a farm in Lethbridge we headed over to Trinity. I don’t know how else to describe Trinity except "charming". You get stunning views of the Atlantic, fresh Juniper growing on the ground (which is how Newfoundlanders are able to make gin), and delightful colorful houses in a shipping town with strong Anglican roots. Of course, the town is quite small, so your best bet for breakfast is outside Trinity. We had tried to go to Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton. We were too late so if you make it please let me know how it is!

Our last trip on the Bonavista peninsula was Bonavista itself. The local tea and sandwich shop provides delicious sandwiches and snacks at low cost if you’re looking for lunch. Bonavista is also home to Newfoundland Salt Company which has some of the best fresh salt I’ve ever had in a variety of delicious flavors. If you’re interested in local shops there are several tucked into the roads of Bonavista. It’s a great place to get reasonably priced but beautiful handmade jewelry, for instance. The road on the way to the Lighthouse at Cape Bonavista is beautiful (the Discovery Trail). The Dungeon Provincial Park is fascinating and gives you a great view of the Atlantic, before you stop at the Lighthouse.

St. John's

Before we flew home we spent a night in St. John’s. We stayed in the Marriott which overlooks St. John’s Harbour. It’s a great view, reasonably priced, and very central to downtown. Places to go and things to eat include:

• Cape Spear – the easternmost point in North America

• Plenty of farmers markets with fresh fish and plenty of local crafts that are stunning

• The well-known jellybean colored houses (seen below).

• Newfoundland Chocolate Company for homemade chocolate with a delicious sugarfree option if needed.

• Mallard Cottage – lives up to the hype and is in the village of Quidi Vidi, a small, quaint fishing harbor in St. John’s.

• Bannerman Brewing Co. – great place to get coffee or a pint, and if you’re hungry, the in house restaurant Namjim has a few delicious Thai bites on the menu

• Portage – went for dinner. Great cocktails, dinner, and dessert. Wish I could’ve had everything on the menu. I highly recommend making a reservation as it’s a popular place.