Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

We spent a couple of days exploring the area around St. John’s, known as the Avalon Peninsula, before it was time to move on. The Avalon Peninsula occupies the southeastern corner of Newfoundland and is where most visitors begin their travels around the province. It's a place of rugged coastlines, tiny fishing villages, dramatic cliffs, historic lighthouses, and enough ocean views to keep you reaching for your camera all day long. One of the drives we enjoyed most was the Irish Loop. The Irish Loop is a scenic route that circles the southern portion of the Avalon Peninsula, winding through small coastal communities that were settled primarily by Irish immigrants centuries ago. The road hugs the coastline for much of the journey, and we found ourselves pulling over frequently just to admire the scenery. Ferryland Lighthouse The community of Ferryland is one of the oldest European settlements in North America, dating back to the early 1600s. In fact, long before St. John's bec...

Our first full day in Newfoundland was spent exploring some of the iconic sights around St. John's. As the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's is one of the oldest cities in North America. Colourful row houses, a busy harbour, dramatic coastal scenery, and a rich maritime history give the city a character all its own. It's often the first stop for visitors arriving in Newfoundland, and it didn't take us long to see why. With historic sites, rugged coastlines, and endless ocean views, it seemed like the perfect place to begin our adventure  The weather couldn't have been better. Sunshine, blue skies, and temperatures warm enough that jackets were optional. .  Signal Hill Photo by Erik McLean Unsplash Signal Hill is a National Historic Site that rises 167 metres above St. John's Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. It offers some pretty spectacular views, but first you have to get to them. We decided to tackle the trail down to the rocks below. And whe...

After months of planning and looking forward to it, our Newfoundland adventure finally began. We flew into St. John's on an early morning flight, picked up our rental car, and headed to our Airbnb in Bay Bulls, which was about thirty minutes south of the city. W e were tired but excited to finally be there. Bay Bulls is a small fishing community on Newfoundland's northeast coast, about thirty minutes south of St. John's. Settled in the early 1600s, it has a long history tied to the sea. Fishing has been the lifeblood of the community for centuries, and although the industry has changed over the years, the harbour is still an active working one. Today, Bay Bulls is best known as the gateway to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to North America's largest Atlantic puffin colony. It's also one of the best places in Newfoundland to take a boat tour in search of puffins, whales, and sea caves. For us, it turned out to be the perfect place to stay. It was close en...