This is the last full day of the tour, June 9th. The day begins with a boat tour to the Witless Bay Bird Sanctuary. Look Paul! I am using all the equipment you sent me with.
Me at Bay Bulls, NL
There are thousands of Atlantic Puffins, Common Murres and Black-legged Kittiwakes.
Witless Bay Bird Sanctuary
Witless Bay Bird Sanctuary
Finally, Cape Spear National Historic Site; North America’s most easterly point. What a great tour!
Cape Spear National Historic Site
On June 8th, we head to St. John’s stopping at the small fishing community of Brigus located on Conception Bay. We visit Hawthorne Cottage and learn about Captain Bob Bartlett.
Brigus, NL on Conception Bay
St. John’s harbour from Signal Hill
Quidi Vidi Brewing Co.
On June 7th, we leave Gander. We stop at Terra Nova National Park and visit the interpretive centre. Some found the touch pool quite interesting. Me, not so much!
Mom at the touch pool at the Interpretive Centre at Terra Nova National Park
Our next stop is the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site. It was a great glimpse at the life of the lighthouse keeper and his family.
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse
I also got this great shot of an iceberg! We finished the day with a visit to the town of Trinity. Many of the historic buildings in Trinity are part of their museum. The town was a wonderful place to explore but the weather was crumby and I didn’t take a single picture!
Iceberg sighting as Cape Bonavista Provincial Historic Site
On June 6th, we take a scenic route along the coast of Notre Dame Bay. We visit the Prime Berth Fishing Museum.
Whale Skeleton at the Prime Berth Fishing Museum
At this museum we not only learn about fishing but NL culture including, music, mummers and ugly sticks.
Mom with an Ugly Stick
We then headed to Twillingate. I love this picture as it reminds me of the Deanne Fitzpatrick rug that I hooked.
Colourful Twillingate
Where Poppies Grew and Winds Blew
We finish the day with a visit to the Gander Airport and North Atlantic Aviation Museum. I was awed from learning how the people of Gander and the surrounding area were able to house and feed the passengers of the 38 airliners that were forced to land during the 911 crisis.
Me at the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander
On June 5th, we make one last stop in Gros Morne National Park and visit the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse. We have a bit of fun learning about the life of a lighthouse keeper by recreating an old photograph. I cannot help but notice how throughout the tour, we not only learn but are entertained with humour, song and dance.
Recreation of a photo of the lighthouse keeper and his family.
We spend June 4th in Gros Morne National Park. The sunrise view from my window at the Shallow Bay Motel was so beautiful that I got out of bed at 5:15am to take some pictures. I loved the colours and felt inspiration for a hooked mat.
Sunrise on Shallow Bay
Our first activity for the day was participating in a boat tour of Bonne Bay. We saw Minke whales and learned of the incredible geology of the Tablelands.
Later we dance a jig, kiss a cod and get screeched in!
How to Dance a Jig
Kiss a Cod
Get Screeched In
We finish the day at the Broom Point Fishing Exhibit and learn how cod is preserved in salt.
Broom Point Fishing Exhibit
On June 3rd, we are in St. Anthony. I took an early morning walk before the day of touring began.
St. Anthony, NL
We are on a Whale Watching Tour. It is much colder than most of us are used to. I found my wool vest under my wool poncho really kept me warm.
Whale Watching from St. Anthony, NL
We saw no whales, but many icebergs! After the tour, we headed to the Grenfell Museum. I learned that Dr. Grenfell’s legacy is much larger than the rug hooking cooperative that I associated with his name.
Iceberg in Iceberg Alley
On Tuesday, June 2nd we visit L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. We see the site where the Vikings settled over 1,000 years ago and learn of their ways via the site reconstruction.
L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
Viking ornamentation.
On Monday, June 1st we take a short ferry ride over to Labrador.
Mom on the ferry to Labrador.
We visit the Red Bay National Historic Site and learn about the whaling techniques used in the 1500’s by Basque whalers. What a tough way to make a living!
Red Bay
The Labrador landscape is rugged and beautiful. After the long winter, there is still lots of snow in the hills.
Stark Labrador landscape.
Day 2 – Sunday May 31st actually began overnight on the ferry headed to Port-aux-Basque.
Our bunk on the Marine Atlantic ferry.
The beach at Port au Choix is cold and windy. We are happy the water was not like this for the ferry crossing the night before!
The beach at Port au Choix.
