The pre-dawn morning greeted me with loud, heavy rainfall and more sleep wasn’t going to happen. It was time to pack up and hit the road. The sky was dark and heavy, with endless rain falling. Somewhere near Gander fatigue got the best of me and I found a large clearing next to the road and stopped for a nap. Waking up to friendly face looking my way was quite a surprise. A gentleman stopped to see if I was okay. His truck was from the City of Gander and this caring soul was just demonstrating why Gander has such a kindhearted reputation. Here was my own my “Come From Away” moment in Gander and it was pretty special.
The promise of seeing Puffins called and it was time to go. The black-grey clouds were lifting and there was hope for a nicer day. The GPS lead me to a road near the town of Bonavista. This road became a laneway ending at a large puddle in front of a house.
The Spillars Cove trail was cut into rugged windswept landscape. I made my way towards the ocean and found the most remarkable site. It was the rock spires at Cable John Cove. The scenery was both breathtaking in beauty and with its sharp drop to the sea. Staying well back of the cliff edge and walking with great trepidation was the order of the day.
I scanned the rock faces for Puffins. There were seabirds going about their business but no signs of Puffins. There were plenty of signs of bird activity with nests on the cliffs and lots of “whitewash” painting the grey stone. I kept hiking while staying wary of all the sudden drop offs and crevices that appeared out of nowhere. After a thorough scan of the area, I headed back without seeing the elusive seabird.
Later research revealed that Puffins are out to sea fishing during the day and come back on shore in the evening staying until morning. Being there at noon was less than ideal.
In Clarenville I stopped to get a beverage, but not just any beverage, Newfoundland’s own soda pop, Pineapple Crush. Knowing that pineapple was tart as well as sweet, I had certain expectations. The sweet part was right but it was too sweet for me.
With that cultural encounter out of the way, it was time to follow the rainbows to St. John’s and visit my next campground, the happiest sounding place on earth, Pippy Park.
Next time, St. John’s
Updated Feb. 26, 2024
More great pictures and James making Newfoundland sound like a great place to visit. I heard a rumour that James has sold the movie rights for a million dollars.