We flew into St. Johns around 10pm and were still on NYC time, so we were all still wide awake and ready to go. My Mom took us out to Signal Hill for some night shots. Signal Hill is the tallest point around and offers great views over the city.
St. Johns at Night
The next day we headed down to Quidi Vidi (Kitty Viddy) and took some pictures. It's a nice little stop and home to Quidi Vidi Brewing Company, they make a great Honey Brown dark ale.
The Narrows at Quidi Vidi
Quidi Vidi and the Brewery
Celtic Cross in Quidi Vidi
After Quidi Vidi we made our way back to St Johns and Signal Hill so we could get some better views of the city, during the day time.
Cabot Tower on Signal Hill
St. Johns atop Signal Hill
Fort Amherst
The Battery at Signal Hill
St. Johns atop Signal Hill Part 2
And then, we headed down to historic Water Street for lunch and some shopping.
Water Street, St. Johns
Lunch was over and we headed out to Cape Spear, located in the easternmost point in North America. Cape Spear has so much natural beauty. It really is an amazing stop - a definite must see.
The Lighthouse at Cape Spear
On our last day in St John's we headed into the city to take pictures of all the colorful buildings. My cousin Heather said they call it 'Jell Bean Row'. Here are some examples.
I also went down across the harbor and took a few shots of the city and the narrows.
St Johns from Across the Narrows
The Narrows
We took the scenic route out of St. Johns, north up around the coast then over to Conception Bay. Our end goal was Gander where Uncle Tom and Aunt Marge were waiting for us. The drive out was incredible and those scenes are now etched into my mind.
Pouch Cove, Newfoundland
Topsail Beach, Newfoundland
Lobster Cove Lighthouse
After an amazing home cooked meal by Aunt Marge and a good night's sleep, we all woke up early and headed out to Gros Morne Park on the west coast of the island. Gros Morne is a UNESCO site and it's beauty and magnitude leaves me at a loss for words. We got to Gros Morne and went to a section of the park where we hiked for about 45 minutes to reach a boat dock. The boats takes you up an old fjord which is home to Western Brook Pond. That boat ride was awesome. It would be really hard to actually take a bad picture on Western Brook Pond, you be the judge.
We took a drive up the coast and checked out more of the park and some of the local fishing communities. It's really a photographers dream, just tons of amazing sites everywhere.
Outhouse in Broom Point
House in Broom Point
Fishing House in Broom Point
Sally's Cove, Newfoundland
Gros Morne
My Uncle Tom says when a Newfoundlander sees a moose and a baby moose together they say...."AWWW LAAAA"
Mama and Baby Moose
Also, in the park you can check out the remains of the SS Ethie which ship wreaked back in 1919.
The Remains of SS Ethie
The second day at Gros Morne we took a 3 miles hike up and down The Lookout Point trail. It was pretty tough going up, but the views were completely worth it.
The View at Lookout Point
Our next stop was back to Gander. I spent another two days there visiting with family and doing tons of fun things (flying in a seaplane, four wheeling, and eating a lobster dinner on a fishing boat) In the process I shot off a few cool pictures of the surrounding areas including Gander, Twillingate and Exploits Bay.
Lighthouse Near Cottlesville
Gander, Newfoundland
The Cliffs in Twillingate
Sunset in Gander
Sunset in Gander Part 2
Exploits Islands
After our time in Gander we drove down to Grand Bank, Aunt Marge's sister Betty and her husband Charles live there and he operates the ferry (Arethusa) out to St. Pierre & Miquelon. Charles was a great pre-guide to St. Pierre and filled us in on what to see and do there. The following day we headed out. The boat ride was pretty tame on the way over (definitely not on the way back) and we got to see Puffins and Seals in the waters. St. Pierre is a part of France and considered a french colony, they are even on the euro. It was very cool and like a little slice of France in the middle of the North Atlantic.
Arethusa
Green Island
The Quiet Side of St. Pierre
St. Pierre Part 1
St. Pierre Part 2
The Streets of St. Pierre
Horse in St. Pierre
Boat Houses in St. Pierre
After St. Pierre we headed back to Grand Bank for a our last day. We had a great meal surrounded by family and friends. It was a wonderful experience. Later that night I took a hike by myself at sunset and snapped off a nice shot over the bay in Grand Bank. A nice ending to a great trip.
Sunset in Grand Bank
