Enjoying Newfoundland

[land’SCAPE]

Just left Twillingate after three nights. We were very fortunate with sunny, warm weather and tons of icebergs. Did some terrific hikes with amazing vistas. We saw a couple of other Escapes there as well. Had a wonderful evening Tuesday night at the Twillingate Dinner Theatre. Great fun where the folks who prepare & serve your dinner, also perform the music and skits. Great fun and a terrific deal too; $58.00 for the evening’s entertainment plus a Lobster dinner including aI’ve ever had, (hugh 2lb’er with the largest claws I’ve ever seen, ‘er, eaten). And, the best tasting. My wife had the pan fried Cod and she loved it. Others choices were reported to be terrific as well. Recommended! We’ve loved Newfoundland thus far & Twillingate has been the highlight. We’ll be in St. Anthony by tonight. We have 3 weeks total here and I already regret not booking more. This is an amazing place, no wonder so many people say they’re on the 2nd or 3rd trip over. Plan as much time here as you can spare. The island is much bigger than you imagine. Saw another moose today on the way to Deer Lake. 12,000kms and counting from Victoria.
Bob, where did you get your Patridge Berry pie?
ps. while there are certainly some good bumps at times, the roads have been a nice surprise; much better than I expected.

[Lanark Camper]

LandScape, the pie was picked up in a gas station near Deer Lake. Very tasty if you like tart berries. We also purchased home made partridge berry jam to bring home as presents.

If your in Rocky Harbour try to see a performance of Anchors Aweigh great evening, very entertaining, https://theoceanview.ca/anchors-aweigh/

Also take the Bonne Bay boat tour, https://www.bontours.ca/tour-item/bonne-bay/ lots of local history, humour, birds…

Bob

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

LandScape, the pie was picked up in a gas station near Deer Lake. Very tasty if you like tart berries. We also purchased home made partridge berry jam to bring home as presents.

If your in Rocky Harbour try to see a performance of Anchors Aweigh great evening, very entertaining, https://theoceanview.ca/anchors-aweigh/

Also take the Bonne Bay boat tour, https://www.bontours.ca/tour-item/bonne-bay/ lots of local history, humour, birds…

Bob

Hi: Lanark Camper... Here's my favorite Iceberg pic. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Lanark Camper]

What about this iceberg !

[Ellen]

I just finished my favorite morning read, the updates on this thread. Now I have a question: I’d long been thinking of this trip to be primarily to Nova Scotia, but don’t really see that area mentioned here and I’m thinking now that NL is the focus. In the opinion of those that have traveled the area, is it worth taking time away from Newfoundland to see Nova Scotia? Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Ellen

I just finished my favorite morning read, the updates on this thread. Now I have a question: I’d long been thinking of this trip to be primarily to Nova Scotia, but don’t really see that area mentioned here and I’m thinking now that NL is the focus. In the opinion of those that have traveled the area, is it worth taking time away from Newfoundland to see Nova Scotia? Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Hi: Ellen... Every bit of Canada's right coast is worth taking the time to see. We're spending 3 weeks in the Maritime Provinces this Aug. and all I know is it won't be enough!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Lanark Camper]

There is much to see and experience in the Maritimes.

Here are a few links,

https://www.cbisland.com/

https://www.novascotia.com/trip-idea...ence-bay-fundy

https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/grahambell

Bob

[MyronL]

Off the Blue Nose at Port O Basque, July 1974 and welcome to Newfoundland....what a great trip it was.

[Ellen]

Hi everybody with NS & NL experience! I heard that black flies can be a real issue. Would any of you please weigh in on this topic. Friends we’ll be traveling with want to avoid “Black Fly Season” but I haven't’ heard anyone remark about that. Do any of you have experience with dreaded Black Flies? I want to pull the plug and buy ferry tickets, but want to choose the right months for our time in NS & NL. Thanks for any help.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Hi everybody with NS & NL experience! I heard that black flies can be a real issue. Would any of you please weigh in on this topic. Friends we’ll be traveling with want to avoid “Black Fly Season” but I haven't’ heard anyone remark about that. Do any of you have experience with dreaded Black Flies? I want to pull the plug and buy ferry tickets, but want to choose the right months for our time in NS & NL. Thanks for any help.

I can categorically say that black flies weren't a problem in NL. At least I didn't notice them because I was too busy swatting mosquitoes.

And then there was the spider that must have taken up residence under my kayak seat. But that's another story.

There aren't any guarantees about anything. Take a mesh hat and enjoy your travels.

Ron

[Lanark Camper]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Hi everybody with NS & NL experience! I heard that black flies can be a real issue. Would any of you please weigh in on this topic. Friends we’ll be traveling with want to avoid “Black Fly Season” but I haven't’ heard anyone remark about that. Do any of you have experience with dreaded Black Flies? I want to pull the plug and buy ferry tickets, but want to choose the right months for our time in NS & NL. Thanks for any help.

We had very few black flies or mosquitoes in June/July this year. We camped in National and Provincial parks mostly. So lots of trees between sites, still very few. We were on the coast so that almost guarantees a good breeze.

We were in NL a year ago in August . It was quite warm and no bugs at all.

BUT as Ron says no guarantees !

It’s worth the trouble to go !

“ Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Bob

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Ellen

Hi everybody with NS & NL experience! I heard that black flies can be a real issue. Would any of you please weigh in on this topic. Friends we’ll be traveling with want to avoid “Black Fly Season” but I haven't’ heard anyone remark about that. Do any of you have experience with dreaded Black Flies? I want to pull the plug and buy ferry tickets, but want to choose the right months for our time in NS & NL. Thanks for any help.

It depends on where you decide to camp. We stayed in touch with some of our Canadian friends by text who were also roaming around NL -- camping like us. They got slammed by black gnats and mosquitos when they camped inland. We stuck to the coast mainly because that was the plan in the beginning (thanks to John Kliewer's guidance).

Bonus points to a perpetual breeze off the ocean. Saint John's is the 5th windiest city in the world according to the experts whose specialty is wind.

Early on in the trip we did get assaulted by some unknown and unseen species of stinging insects. Mostly on the top of our hands. Weird! The itching was tormenting. Whatever bit us raised red welts. The camp host at Crescent Lake RV Park (located in Robert's Arm) looked at the bites. But she could decide what got us. It took about 10 days for the welts and itching to subside. We bought an over the counter Hydrocortisone cream recommended by people who live there. That and rubbing alcohol provided relief from the itching. Drinking alcohol for consumption also helped. We never saw mosquito swarms or ever had to dash for cover. That said people who live in the vicinity of the Cape Saint Mary's Ecological Reserve declared that this was the worse year for mosquitos in a long time. That their kids had to stay indoors.

This is a big island. The weather is diverse and so are the creatures which inhabit it. While we were having a conversation about mosquitos and whale sightings (in shirt sleeves) with people on the Avalon Peninsula , 658 miles north in St. Anthony it was sleeting.

Attached: Saint Anthony on the clearest day we were there, June 10th. Temperature dropped down into the 20s F at night (@-4 C). Cape Spear on June 25 -- t-shirt weather.

[Lanark Camper]

Good advice to favour campsites near the ocean if there is a bug issue.
We found “After Bite” works well for most insect bites. Available everywhere.
Started using that when sailing the Florida Keys.

Home - After Bite® - Tender Corporation

Bob

[Ellen]

Big thank you’s to all of you who keep replying to my questions, you’re wonderfully helpful!! I’ve already created a user account with Maritime Atlantic, the ferry company, and will likely book that today/tomorrow. I’ll be very early, but helps me to define our trip calendar. Due to your suggestions we plan to spend 3 weeks in NL after 2 weeks in NS and PEI.

We’ll arrive in NL about the 3rd week in July and be prepared for any possible bugs and weather. The campground situation is what has me stumped. Private campgrounds are easy to book but it’s the Provincial and National Parks that seem so complicated! Is it feasible to stay at private campgrounds all around NL? I will be booking sites that have been mentioned on this thread (the ones near the ferry’s, in La Scie, and I think there’s another mentioned), but as we travel around the island are there many private campgrounds to be had or am I making the Canada Parks reservation system more difficult than it actually is?

So much planning! But I do love it!

[Lanark Camper]

It sounds like you have a good plan.

The provincial parks and national parks only open for reservations in the spring for the following summer. That makes planning more challenging, but if you create an account and login soon after they open you can make your reservations then.

We looked at a few private campgrounds around Rocky Harbour. They were basically a flat gravel parking lot with RV’s parked side by side.

The private campground we stayed near the ferry, https://www.grandcodroy.com/ was not like that at all. I think you could make a reservation there now for next summer.

Of course we enjoyed the campground at LaScie , run by the village.

Are you planning to see, L’Anse aux Meadows ?
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows

There are private campgrounds up there that looked ok. If you do get up that way I highly recommend the Norsemen Restaurant ! The best meal we had in NL ! And we had many great meals there, none disappointed.

https://valhalla-lodge.com/restaurant/

Bob

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

Are you planning to see, L’Anse aux Meadows ?
https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows

I hope they are, nothing says trip to Newfoundland like L'Anse aux Meadows. Especially on a cold rainy grey day when you go inside the dwellings. Pretty authentic except that the fire pit runs on gas. Who's going to quibble on a cold wet day.

Ron

[Lanark Camper]

Definitely worth the time if you are interested in history…..

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

It sounds like you have a good plan.

The provincial parks and national parks only open for reservations in the spring for the following summer. That makes planning more challenging, but if you create an account and login soon after they open you can make your reservations then.
Bob

I disagree. For example Pistolet Bay Provincial Park has many spots available in the 'short', 'partial', and 'extended' stay categories up into September. I could make a reservation tomorrow if I wanted to. It may be slim pickings at one of the most sought after campgrounds, Berry Hill in Gros Morne National Park. But there are still spaces available all the way into September. We also found that the National and Provincial Park hosts would bend over backwards to find you another location in the campground if we wanted to stay longer.

[Jim Bennett]

We are on our 21st day in Newfoundland with just two more nights. We stayed exclusively in Provincial and National Park Campgrounds with the exception of a private one for our last stay in Corner Brook. We did the booking ahead right when they opened up, got great sites and great service. We had friends decide to join us and for the most part they did get sites in all the same campgrounds booking later, I believe May, and a couple were tough. Some campgrounds had openings during the week though but few on weekends.

We, 6 of us in 3 trailers, have enjoyed our time here very, very much. Our biggest regret is that double the time would be better, but we are gone for 3 months as it is. Already missing family, especially the grandkids.

On to Cape Breton and Nova Scotia in three days for a good three weeks of fun there, then on to NB and down to a wedding in Cape Cod late September, then slowly making our way back to Calgary.

[Lanark Camper]

Jim, sounds like a wonderful trip. Maybe a return to NL is in the future. We met travellers there that have been coming back each summer for 6 yrs !

There are lots of places to stay and it would be easy to go without any reservations if you’re flexible. We ran into many boondockers there.

Safe travels, Bob