Matthias from the wonderful staff at Gros Morne National Park was a wealth of information and steered me away from making the long drive to St. Anthony’s and back (11 hours). He suggested that I head to Blow Me Down Provincial Park near Corner Brook. He said there are plenty of trails to be found. I asked him if there was anything to see in central Newfoundland.
“There’s a café in Grand Falls called the Third Place……”
It’s becoming famous very quickly. It would have to wait for another day.
Blow me Down was my next destination and I plotted a course and booked a campsite. Corner Brook is a busy city with all the big box stores and franchises you’d find in any Canadian city. This trip was all about exploring nature so I was glad to get in and out quickly. I noticed a sign for the provincial park just as my cell signal died so no more GPS. Tentatively following the road, I became too concerned and stopped to ask a lady for directions. She was more than delighted to help as all Newfoundlanders are, it’s they’re life’s mission.
After arriving at the park, I asked the warden where to go to see the sunset. He suggested Bottle Cove. It was easy to find and I was among a number of tourists and locals who were there for the same reason as me. The sunset was long, gorgeous and worth the drive.
Around 2 am I awoke to the “blow” part of Blow Me Down. The wind was pushing the sides of my tent in towards me and I was running out of room. I eventually got to sleep again although it sounded like a gale outside.
Cedar Cove Trail would be my first stop that morning where there was a forest of scrubby little wind whipped trees and an easy to follow trail. I came out of the forest and into the wind. It was something fierce. The trail markers were bits of rope, marker buoys and boat parts that had washed up on the beach. I had to learn forward in order to walk. Someone had actually built a house on the other side of the cove for unimaginable reasons.
The next trail from Bottle Cove took me up to Sunset Rocks and the Captain Cook Monument. The captain had surveyed the area (while complaining about the fierce winds) in the 1760’s with great accuracy and a monument was placed there in his honour. His charts likely saved the lives of many a mariner.
Only a few minutes away is Copper Mine Falls. A 500 metre hike from the parking lot brings you into a serene place of meditation where a bench is perfectly placed for you to view the falls. With only the gentle sound of water tumbling gracefully over the rocks, the place felt warm and gentle. The surrounding forest of maple, cherry and birch trees was a stark contrast to the trails on the rugged coast with its unrelenting wind. I had the whole place to myself and it was a pleasant departure from the rough weather on the ocean.
Hiking is pretty much the only activity to do in the area and that’s what I was there for. Near my campsite was the staircase to the Governor’s Walk, a trail that runs along the top of a peninsula overlooking Lark Harbour. It was such a pleasure to meet a number of locals who also enjoyed the beauty of their own back yard.
All along my journey, people kept asking, well more like commanding, “you’re going to Twillingate?” Considering there may be some penalty for not going, planning a route was to Twillingate made sense. The next morning I was on the Trans Canada Highway once again, making my way east. At this point another stop at the Third Place Café almost seemed mandatory and their eggs benedict with salmon was pretty spectacular.
Along the Trans Canada vehicles were parked along the roadside with white buckets on their hoods. I finally had to stop and quench my curiosity. They were selling blueberries in old buckets from salt beef. It was blueberry season after all. $25 was a reasonable price but a bucket full was a big snack for the road.
At Notre Dame Junction I left the Trans Canada and island hopped my way up to my next campground at……… Dildo Run Provincial Park. I wasn’t sure what to make of the name, it sounded like some sort of weird relay race. My beautiful campsite overlooked the “run” which is a small saltwater bay. I got set up and then made my way to Twillingate.
The route to Twillingate reminded me of the Muskoka Lakes region north of Toronto. Lots of bays, rocks and trees. Twillingate is a charming village with lots of touristy things to do, cafés and restaurants. I wandered up to the light house, toured around town and made my way to Sansome’s for one of their spectacular seafood dinners. The food and service was fantastic and happy to have had some cash as cards were not accepted.
A stop into the Split Rock Brewery seemed the right thing to do on a hot summer day. I was able to sit at the bar and enjoy one of their fine beverages while catching up on all of Angela’s wedding plans from the ladies working behind the bar. You see, Angela was “adapted” and her biological parents would be at the wedding and this was cause for much excitement.
The Crow’s Nest Café offered a lovely view from their patio, great coffee and Ted, a transplanted Ontarian with a wealth of local information. Ted directed me to Isles Wooden Boat Museum, French Beach and a few other points of interest. After several cups of the bottomless coffee, I made way for the boat museum.
At the museum, Calvin was busy building a Rodney, a traditional fishing boat using age old methods and local materials. He explained that the boat took five months to build and was a prize for a fund raising raffle at the museum.
Calvin’s parents showed up and his mother turned out to be one of the most fascinating people I’ve met. She had been a nurse on a hospital ship that sailed the coast of Newfoundland serving the remote communities that had no road access. She also explained that the museum was housed in what once was St. Peter’s Anglican Church. She had attended one of the three schools in in town. Twillingate had a Catholic, Anglican as well as a Salvation Army school. Calvin gave me directions to a place called Prime Barf and I was on my way.
Arriving at the Prime Berth Museum, I realised Calvin had a very strong accent. The museum was just closing for lunch but the kind owner said she would close up the gift shop, leaving the museum open for me to explore as long as I promised to close the gate when leaving. The museum comprises of several stages (fishing sheds) overlooking the water. They’re filled with fascinating artifacts of maritime living, fishing and whaling. This award winning museum is well worth a visit.
As the afternoon heat was getting to me, I decided to check out French Beach. A rugged trail from the parking area leads you up and over coastal cliffs then you arrive at a Shangri La of a beach. There was a local family (and Uncle Bob who was visiting “from away”) there but they soon packed up and this piece of heaven was all my own. The ocean water was a perfect temperature. The rocky beach was steep and made for interesting navigation in and out of the water but this was another stop I was glad to make.
Nanny’s Hole is a trail north of the town that begins at Sea Breeze Park. The park offers rugged campsites free of charge with an ocean view and a fantastic sunset. A Swiss couple I met there were completely overwhelmed. They couldn’t believe that such a place existed and there was no charge to stay. Nanny’s Hole Trail follows the craggy shoreline where a goat (Nanny) was once lost in hole between the sharp cliffs. The rustic scenery left untouched by man was something to behold along with the mesmerizing sound of waves crashing into the rocks far below. Well, it was far below and OMG the cliff edge was close! Ask Nanny.
That night I found the Captain’s Pub where Jordan Harnum was performing a mix of traditional Newfoundland songs and more modern folk songs. He also “Screeched In” a couple visitors from Norway as part of the show. Screeching in makes you an honourary Newfoundlander which involves wearing a Sou‘wester rain hat, kissing a cod and having a shot of “Screech” a type of rum particular to Newfoundland. At the bar American tourist who had seen the magic Puffin showed me the route to Spillars Cove, Bonavista where he had encountered the elusive sea bird. I went to bed that night satisfied that the Puffin mystery had been cracked.
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Updated January 20, 2024
All three of these stories were informative and extremely entertaining. The pictures added a lot. I’ve never been to Newfoundland but these stories gave me a real feel for the Island.