We settled on an itinerary and by the time we left for Halifax, there were five of us willing to travel many miles by airplane, marine ferry, and a minivan. Our itinerary expanded to include the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
One of our first stops in Nova Scotia (after a quick trip to the sporting goods store) was Peggy's Cove, which was not originally on our itinerary, but was added thanks to my dad's friendliness toward the young woman sitting next to him on the plane. She recommended this quaint little town, and it was worth our time.
Another stop in Nova Scotia was the 300-year-old French Fort Louisbourg. One of the most expensive European fortifications in North America, it defended a fishing village and commercial port that supported more than 4,000 French colonists. The British wrested control of this site from the French by the late 18th century.
Our next province was Newfoundland (pronounced like "understand"). We took a ferry to the Rock, and I got to see several seabirds for the first time, including Northern fulmar, Wilson's storm-petrel, and Northern gannet. It was a rough crossing, and several in our group got seasick. Our first destination in Newfoundland was Gros Morne National Park.
We spent several nights surrounded by mountians in Woody Point at "Aunt Dorothy's Place." This was my mom's favorite place to stay, complete with front and back porches, including a view of scenic Bonne Bay. One afternoon my dad spotted a school of porpoises.
It was the perfect location for numerous hikes in Gros Morne National Park. An eerie fog occasionally settled in. We were prepared and unstoppable hikers, however.
One of the geological features of Gros Morne is the Tablelands region, made of peridotite from the Earth's mantle. The poor calcium and rich magnesium of the Tablelands make it more difficult for much to grow.
But we did see orchids! Yellow lady's slippers.
Another highlight from Gros Morne was our boat tour of the Western Brook Pond, a freshwater fjord, cutoff from the ocean by a bog. There was a 2-mile hike from the parking lot to the boat dock. Mom and Dad get high marks for hoofing it to this remote location. Again, the view was unforgettable.
As we planned our itinerary, mainly by reading through various travel guides, we were delighted to learn that icebergs and vikings could be part of our trip. We booked an iceberg tour in St. Anthony and viewed a massive iceberg at close range. This iceberg travelled 1-2 years from Greenland before reaching nothern Newfoundland.
We also visited a reconstruction of the first European settlement in North America. L'anse Aux Meadows is the location of a Norse settlement established 1,000 years ago. It was discovered in 1960 and designated as a World Heritage Site in 1978.
To prepare for the expereince in Newfoundland, I listened to The Shipping News on audiobook. As it turns out, we stayed in the house where Annie Proux wrote the book, now appropriately named after the main character: Quolye's House.
I will confess to being responsible for adding Newfoundland to our itinerary. I was inspired by Scott Widensaal's book Return to Wild America, which includes a chapter on a major seabird colony in Newfoundland. Cape St. Mary's is home to some 70,000 nesting seabirds, mainly Northern gannets, Common murres, Thick-billed murres, and Black-legged kittiwakes (I took the picture of the Atlantic Puffins in another location - the Bonavista peninsula in Elliston).
Bird Rock is a blustery 1-kilometer hike from the visitor center along a very steep cliff. The ranger was emphatic: "Don't get off the trail." Again, Mom and Dad get kudos for making the effort!
Upon returning to Nova Scotia (this time the crossing was much calmer), we drove along the scenic Cape Breton Highlands. One night Mom and Jill and I enjoyed some fresh lobster and snow crab while being entertained with a live performance of traditional Acadian music on fiddle and guitar.
A tour of the Glenora Distillery was a planned stop from the beginning. It is the only single malt distillery in North America. Not only is the adult beverage delicious, but the lunch was tasty too.
Finally, we made our way to Prince Edward Island to see a rendering of the house that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery when writing Anne of Green Gables. But there were other activities including a tour of the Cows Ice Cream factory, an exquisite lunch at the historic Dalvray-by-the-Sea resort (I had the lobster roll), a bike ride along the north coast, and stops at the Cheese Lady shop specializing in Gouda cheese.
Ironically, Bill did not go on his fishing trip, but Jill got her trip anyway. Here's a slideshow of our grand voyage.
