For anyone who has not yet had the good fortune to visit this beautiful province affectionately called “The Rock”, you must add this destination to your bucket list. We were awed by the landscapes, wowed by the weather, and inspired by the hospitality. We spent 8 nights in 4 different places and loved every spot.
There are two ferry crossing options for those needing a land-based option. One route goes from North Syndey, NS and arrives in Argentia, NL roughly 14 hours later. This is typically an over-night crossing and was our preferred option for arriving in NL. We boarded the ferry in an extremely organized and efficient manner. Once parked, we entered a mini-version of a cruise ship with restaurants, shops, reclining seats, and bunked cabins. We had also planned our crossing to coincide with family friends so the kids had a blast hanging out with other kids and exploring this awesome boat. And although there was initial concern about seasickness, not a single person struggled the whole trip.
“My favourite part of Newfoundland was riding the ferries. Both times were lots of fun and it was great to play with our friends.”
It was impressive to see the load masters at work - a smooth operation!
After a yummy breakfast, we watched the ferry manoeuvre into its docking location and eagerly awaited the announcement to go to our vehicle. The weather was foggy and the ferry had to blow a horn frequently throughout the final hours of sailing. Our camping destination was Pippy Park in St. John’s. It was so conveniently located: we were central to all of our planned activities including close to groceries, trailer-friendly gas stations, and the fun and colourful city’s centre. We made the most of our 3-night stay with whale / puffin watching tour, a visit to Cape Spear, Signal Hill, the Geo Centre, downtown frolics, and awesome fish and chips by the sea.
Cape Spear - Eastern-most point of Canada.
Although we had good fortune on the ferry crossing, we were not as lucky during the whale watching trip: 2 of us had some queasiness from the motion of the boat. It was still a worthwhile adventure as we saw thousands of birds, including the famous puffins, and learned some very interesting facts about the various species. In the moment, it was hard to appreciate the ride for those of us feeling rotten, but a few minutes on solid ground refreshed our spirits. We took advantage of the clear and sunny day to visit Cape Spear, the Eastern-most part of the country. We Facetimed with some friends over picnic lunch and explored the old fortress.
Signal Hill is another great spot to visit. We had another gorgeous day and used it to the fullest including touring the Hill and its many hiking/walking paths. The Geo Centre at the base of Signal Hill is definitely worth a visit! We had the place nearly to ourselves (probably owing to the beautiful sunny day) and were able to take guided tours through a number of the exhibits. The kids did some hands-on science experiments and tried their skills at panning for gold. We learned how unique and diverse the province’s geological history is and how it has been a central location for many geo discoveries. It was time well spent and we’d definitely visit it again.
We left St.John’s and headed to Gander on a romantically eery, misty day. It’s hard to describe the landscape other than to say it was exactly where I would picture moose living: woodland spotted with bogs and marshes. At every bend in the road of after every tree line we passed, I searched for the inevitable moose having a drink. Turns out moose are elusive.
Peaceful morning sunrise.
We spent only a single night near Gander on a swimmable lake. The peace was glorious and the view was wonderful. It also happened to be the one night when we didn’t have potable water, we lost power, and it poured rain - but the morning was spectacular!
When planning our trip, nearly everyone we asked insisted that we visit Gros Morne National Park - a UNESCO Heritage site. We immediately understood why this was a highly recommended destination. The park is a natural landscape wonder of the world with fjords, mountains, beaches, cliffs, bogs, forests, and the highest density of moose in the world. It was formed by colliding continents and glaciers and has something for everyone to marvel.
With only 3 nights to spend in the park, we had to be strategic about our intended activities. The park is full of options that are kid-friendly and we had trouble narrowing down the options to a reasonable number. We toured a bog and found a beaver damn, walked a coastal path and found unique rocks and shells, took a guided tour of the Tablelands (so awesome!), spent time at a discovery centre, and completed enough activities to earn our “park explorer prize” from the park staff. One morning Erik went for an early jog up to the top of Gros Morne Mountain and I took a solo jog to the base of a fjord. We also walked through Lobster Cove at low tide and found many crabs and barnacles in the tide pools.
Our stay in the park was also very educational. The tour booklets created for the kids were engaging and created excitement and anticipation for what we were about to view. We learned about the Earth’s mantel and how it’s black until it becomes oxidized and turns the orange colour of the Tablelands. We learned about the pitcher plant and how it works (you really need to look this up if you don’t already know). We learned about the sea creatures, tides, and weather patterns. Our three days were sunny and warm - it was paradise.
The final stretch of the NL trip was to make our way from Gros Morne to Port aux Basques in prep for our shorter ferry trip back to Sydney NS. We stayed the night on the outskirts of the town and had a beach nearly all to ourselves. What a great way to finish a wonderful trip to Newfoundland. Next time, we’ll be sure to put Labrador on our list of places to visit.
Check out our trip video on our YouTube channel!
