On our way to St. John’s, we took a couple of secondary highways to the Trans Canada, that passed through some cute harbour towns. TC1 the rest of the way was a good drive.
Found a self serve car wash on the way into the city, as the wet gravel road into the last park left the Passport and the trailer covered in a layer of dirt. Washed the grime off both and we were on our way.
Pippy Park is a multi use park just on the edge of downtown. There is a park, a golf course, and the campground. Lots of nicely treed sites, and the campground has all the usual amenities. We have full hookups, so I took advantage of that and gave all the tanks a good rinse as prep for the trip back home.
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| never seen on of these...Travel Queen |
The next morning we drove to Bay Bulls for our puffin/whale watching boat tour. This tour was a Christmas gift from Stephen & Rachel. Gatherall’s is a family operation and they have a large custom built catamaran that can hold I would guess around 100 people. The tour heads out to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. This area is a wildlife sanctuary, and a favourite spot for Atlantic puffins, kittiwakes, murres and petrels. Throw in a bunch of seagulls and there is quite the population.
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| sang us traditional songs...nice voice |
Although we saw puffins on land at Elliston, seeing them from the water gives a better view of the hundreds of burrows that they have dug into the earth on the island. Each one generally had a sole puffin outside, guarding the single egg they lay. The guides were quite informative and knew all about the birds we were seeing. The seas were a bit rough, but the boat handled them well. Overall a very enjoyable morning.
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| hundreds of puffin burrows |
On the way back we took a detour into Petty Harbour. A classic fishing village, literally hanging on the edges of the shoreline. The streets were incredibly narrow, with barely any room between them and the road. The continual hills and slanted house lined roads made for a rather slow careful passage. Stopped at Keith’s Diner, one of a handful of must go fish and chips spots. The fish was very good, crispy batter, flaky flavourful cod, and great house cut fries.
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| always a good sign that the fries will be awesome |
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| very tasty |
The next morning was a bit foggy, so we headed downtown to do some walking exploration. First stop was The Rooms. A large cultural space, and home to extensive collections of artifacts and art from throughout Newfoundland. Architecturally thoughtful, it features three large interconnected buildings, each of which is designed based on the tradition harbour fish shed. Bright red roofs are also drawn from those same sheds. Perched on the highest part of St.John’s, it offers an amazing view of the harbour and right down the narrows. This is of course, if the fog has not rolled in, which it had. Our view consisted of just fog. The downtown and harbour only existed in our imagination.
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| the harbour was there...somewhere |
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| great architecture, great layout |
This is a wonderful modern facility, and certainly is a must visit. The installations are well thought out and put together. There are museum areas for the artifacts, and a gallery for the art. There are great views from all sides, fog dependent of course.
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| cod is so very much Newfoundland |
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| always love the see a Christopher Pratt |
Wandered along George St. downtown, then Water St. and finally Duckworth. Apparently the St. John’s downtown area has the highest concentration of bars and pubs in the world. From what we saw, no reason at all to dispute this little tidbit. We walked to Jellybean Row, which is really more of an area than a row. Lots of colourful houses...lots of them. It really brings a vibrancy to the neighbourhood, and so fun to look at.
Walked back down Duckworth St., on a mission to check out the Duke of Duckworth Pub. Highly rated for their authentic pub atmosphere and fabulous fish and chips. Even at mid afternoon, the place was packed, but the lineup moved surprisingly quick and we soon had a table. Quidi Vidi beer was ordered, along with, of course, fish & chips. What a great vibe this place has going, everyone just having a good time.
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| might well be the best in all of Newfoundland! |
Our food soon arrived, and my fish dinner came with sides of dressing and gravy. This is the best way to serve it, as I am the one to control how much gravy gets poured on. The dressing was fluffy and chock full of savoury. Story has it that the vast majority, and most flavourful savoury, is grown in Mt. Scio, just outside of St. John’s. Well, it sure was tasty. The batter on the fish was light and crispy, fries perfectly cooked, and once the dressing and gravy was added to the fries, the whole plate went to a new level of yummyness! Would have to say, this is the best plate of fish & chips so far on the trip. The reputation is solid.
Woke up to a sunny morning, which after a number of cool foggy days, the sun gets a huge welcome. Headed for Cape Spear, as one needs to take full advantage of the nice weather. Quite the drive there, up and down over pretty high hills and unusually narrow roads. Heard a funny saying while here...in the U.K. they drive on the left of the road, in Newfoundland, we drive on what’s left of the road.
During the WWII, it was Fort Cape Spear, a coastal defense battery, home to a garrison of men that commanded the big 10” guns. A series of tunnels connected each gun, along with magazine rooms for the shells and powder. The men were housed in barracks, now the site of the Park’s Info Centre.
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| some amazing ocean views |
Walking around the gun emplacements and through the tunnels, with the constant wind that is present, it is hard to imagine a soldiers life while posted here, providing vital defense against roving U-boats and invaders from the sea. In 2018, the site underwent a large scale stabilization to ensure this unique piece of history was safe for future generations to explore and learn.
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| excellent walking paths around the site |
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| the original lighthouse |
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| easternmost coffee in Canada |
Signal Hill was the next days adventure. Once we got downtown, our first stop was Battery Hill. This area overlooks the harbour, and the end of Battery Street is the start of the Signal Hill trail. This trail follows the rocky edge of the harbour, and slowly makes its way around and up to the top of Signal Hill. The street and its houses are literally clinging to the edge of the hill above the water. And the street, well that is a bit of a stretch calling it a street. Really just a small paved road between the houses on each side. Unless you live there, park the car and walk...which we did.
Odd assortment of houses, and a few are making their way down the rocky slope into the harbour waters. The trailhead is accessed by walking across the front deck of the very last house, through a little gate, then off you go. Apparently the trail is a wonderful walk, however the mere mention that a section of the trail requires the use chain railings to help keep one from plunging into the sea, was enough to put me off. Hard core hikers we are not.
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| a word to the wise...heed this sign |
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| heading into the sea...eventually |
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| They put The Rooms in the perfect spot |
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| houses, rock, a bit of pavement |
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| they love colour |
Drove up to Signal Hill, and the views are tremendous. One can look out over the harbour and city, or watched the big ships work their way out to sea. This is the location, and the Cabot Tower that sits at the top, is a National Historic Site. Its strategic placement at the narrows into the harbour, the fortifications here date back to the mid 17th century. Its other claim to fame, the first wireless transatlantic transmission was received here by Guglielmo Marconi. This however, is not why it is called Signal Hill. Another form of communication took place here hundreds of years earlier, and that is the land to sea flag signal communication from the top of the masthead. Definitely one of those must see locations when visiting St. John’s.
Quidi Vidi is a small neighbourhood in St. John’s. A former fishing village, its harbour is known as “The Gut”, named for the narrow curved opening to the sea, and the small gut like harbour. A few small fishing boats are still around, but it has gone a little trendy, with new condos squeezed in around the harbour.
It is also known for the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company. Its signature beer, Iceberg, is made with water from pieces of ice harvested off the coast. I’ve sampled a decent selection of their craft beer on this little tour and can attest to their fine drinkability.
St. John’s is a great place to visit, with plenty of must see spots to fill the days. Plus, lots of excellent places to have some good food and a cold beer.
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