Should We Stay or Should We Go - Our Travel Journal

  One of the things that makes Newfoundland such a special place to visit is its wildlife. Along with puffins, moose, and icebergs, whales are one of the biggest reasons people travel to the province every summer. This time around, we didn't have much luck. Other than spotting a couple of minke whales off in the distance the whales just weren't cooperating while we were there. That's wildlife for you - you can plan your trip around it, but Mother Nature always has the final say. That said, I certainly can't complain because we've been lucky enough to see some incredible whale activity on previous trips to Newfoundland. One of my favourite memories is from Twillingate. We would drive up to Long Point Lighthouse, find a spot overlooking the ocean, and simply sit and watch. Below us, humpback whales were feeding in the water. Every few minutes another one would surface, its enormous back breaking through the water before disappearing beneath the waves again. There...

When we were planning our time in Twillingate, we knew there was one thing we had to do—go on an iceberg boat tour. We had booked it for the only full day we were going to be there, and it was something we were all looking forward to. While we were sitting having a late lunch in Gander, my phone rang. It was Iceberg Quest. The woman on the other end explained that, because of the forecasted high winds, they were cancelling all of the tours for the following day, including ours. The rain didn't really concern us, but the winds were expected to be quite strong. Then she said they were adding an evening tour that same day if we were interested and could make it to Twillingate in time. Knowing this would be our only chance, we jumped on it. We quickly paid our bill, got back in the car, and headed for Twillingate. We made it with a little time to spare. After checking into our Airbnb, we grabbed our rain gear and a few warm layers and made our way to the dock. It was cold and raining, ...

After leaving St. John's, with a quick stop in Gander along the way, we made our way to Twillingate. This was the place I had been looking forward to most. Even though it was my fourth visit, I couldn't wait to get back. There's just something about Twillingate . Spread across a series of islands connected by bridges and causeways, this historic fishing community sits along Iceberg Alley on Newfoundland's northeast coast. Every spring, massive icebergs break away from glaciers in Greenland and begin an incredible journey south. Carried by ocean currents, they drift for an average of two to three years before finally reaching the waters off Newfoundland, earning Twillingate the nickname The Iceberg Capital of the World . But the icebergs are only part of what makes this place so special.  Fishing stages still line the shore. Colourful houses dot the hillsides overlooking the harbour. Boats come and go throughout the day, and despite the number of visitors each year, Twil...

I've realized over the years that I'm not someone who enjoys travelling with every minute planned. I know some people love having a detailed itinerary. Every attraction is booked, every restaurant is chosen ahead of time, and every day has a schedule. There's nothing wrong with that.  For me, however, it just isn't how I like to travel. Our recent trip to Newfoundland reminded me why. Before we left home, we knew where we'd be staying each night, and we had a list of places we wanted to see. But beyond that, we kept our plans pretty flexible. Each morning we'd look at the weather, decide what we felt like doing, and head out. Sometimes we'd stick to the plan. Other times we'd change our minds completely. If we saw a scenic lookout, we'd pull over and enjoy the view a while. If a little museum looked interesting, we'd go in. If a small shop caught our eye, we'd wander through it. Those little stops often became some of the best parts of the da...