The Best of Spectacular Newfoundland Coast to Coast
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At a Glance
What You'll Learn
- See the world’s largest concentration of humpback whales and North America's largest colony of Atlantic Puffins.
- Meet a local expert at L'Anse-aux-Meadows National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to learn about the only authenticated Viking Settlement in North America.
- Cross the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador and explore the home of the first large-scale whale oil production in the world at Red Bay National Historic Site.
General Notes
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars or settle in for the night. You may also wish to explore what the city has to offer. The hotel is near St. John’s harbor, surrounded by shopping, restaurants, and rainbow houses.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles, approximately 4 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 35 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will start our day in St. John's with a visit to Signal Hill National Historic Site and Cabot Tower. Signal Hill was the site of St. John's harbour defenses from the 17th century to the Second World War, and where Guglielmo Marconi received the world's first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. Next, we'll have a presentation on Newfoundland geology with a local expert.
Lunch: En route, we’ll enjoy boxed lunches.
Afternoon: This afternoon, we will embark on an expert-led motorcoach exploration of St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. This colorful city, born of its sheltered harbor, was a busy port 40 years before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth. Although it is a small city, St. John's has a warm, vibrant spirit. Water Street is one of the oldest streets in North America. Explore Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site, the most easterly point of land in North America. We’ll then transfer to “The Rooms” for an introduction to the people of Newfoundland. A unique blend of art gallery, archives, and museum, its controversial design mirrors the colorful “fishing rooms” where families came together to process their catch. This is a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to local culture and craft as well as traditional and modern looks at life in Newfoundland and Labrador as it houses the largest collection of artifacts and specimens from the First Nations, Vikings, French, and English.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: The puffin and whale watching is aboard Gatherall’s Catamaran, a designed and built passenger vessel. It is more stable than conventional vessels; which means less seasickness and a more pleasant ride. Space for all passengers both outside and inside. Two washrooms and an on-board bar/canteen service. Boating about 20 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking about 0.5 miles, approximately 1 hour. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 200 miles, approximately 4 hours riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: At the hotel, our local expert will discuss seabirds and the marine ecology of Newfoundland and Labrador. Learn about the diversity of North Atlantic seabirds and the Low Arctic ocean conditions along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador that provide their habitat. Newfoundland is the southern limit for icebergs and many Arctic seabirds. We will also explore the interrelationships between seabirds and their ocean environment and assess the current information about the North Atlantic, the fishes in it and climate change from the point of view of the spectacular seabirds of Newfoundland and Labrador. Then, we’ll travel to Witless Bay where we’ll board a boat for the opportunity to spot puffins and whales (weather and season permitting). The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is where over 1,000,000 pairs of seabirds gather to breed during the summer months. The onboard interpretive program will describe the natural and cultural heritage of Newfoundland.
Lunch: We'll enjoy a boxed lunch from a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We continue to travel to Port Union with a stop in Trinity to explore the town’s historic sites and landmarks. The preservation of Trinity’s cultural and built heritage has made it perhaps the most notable “heritage community” in the province.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: After arrival and check-in at the hotel in Port Union, the remainder of the evening will be at leisure.
Activity note: Walking 2 miles, approximately 4 hours, some uneven terrain, stops for interpretation but no seating. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 60 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: A local historian will deliver a presentation on Port Union and its history. Learn how Sir William Coaker formed a union of fishermen in the early 1900s to fight against the merchant trade of St. John's. His goal was to revolutionize the fishery, placing control of the fish trade in the hands of fishermen. Sir William is noted as an activist, labor leader, visionary, businessman, publisher and politician. Next, on an expert-led visit of historic Port Union, see the buildings of the town, including the factory and the Coaker Bungalow. Many are being restored to their original state. Local experts talk about each site and the part it played in the life and times of Port Union.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: At Ryan Premises National Historic Site, we will learn the intriguing story of the East Coast fishery. Parks Canada staff will describe the compelling story of the fishing industry in Newfoundland in the unique setting of these restored merchant’s premises. The first thing we notice is the smell of salt cod. More than a century after employees of James Ryan Ltd. began salting and storing the cod brought in by local fishermen, the tangy aroma of their work remains as strong as if the enterprise had just closed yesterday. We will also visit the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site, located at the headland of Cape Bonavista. As trained locals interpret this site, we will learn how important this lighthouse was in guiding mariners and shipping traffic bound for Labrador. Discover the vital role played by lighthouses, and the extraordinary breed of men and women who operated them, in safeguarding the lives of the mariners who executed their trade off Newfoundland's rugged coast. The lighthouse is now a Provincial Historic Site, restored to the 1870s. Bonavista is one of the oldest settlements on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. A quaint fishing community of 4,600 people, it is the largest community in the province to rely solely on the inshore fishing industry. Its name is presumed to have come from Italian explorer John Cabot's exclamation “O Buena Vista,” meaning “O Happy Sight,” when he first sighted land off Cape Bonavista in 1497.
Dinner: Local residents will join us in Port Union for dinner and share their stories about life in rural Newfoundland. Dinner will feature a variety of traditional Newfoundland dishes.
Evening: Following dinner, there will be traditional music and dancing, and you may want to try your hand at playing the "ugly sticks" and spoons; and become an honorary Newfoundlander at a screech-in. An evening of fun and laughter. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking 1.5 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 220 miles, approximately 4.5 hours total riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll set off by motorcoach for Twillingate with stops en route. At Terra Nova National Park, learn about the geology and geography of the park, the marine life along its coastline and the issues affecting its ecological integrity. Discover why the park's theme is “where long fingers of the North Atlantic Ocean touch our boreal landscape.” After watching a short introductory movie, we will go on an expert-led visit of the marine exhibits and touch tank, then up to the top of Blue Hill. The natural habitat of this 400-square-kilometer park includes spruce and fir forest, rolling hills, sheltered inlets, rugged coastline, bogs, ponds, streams and glacial features. From whales roaming the rich feeding grounds of the Sounds to the orchids of the boreal habitat, this area has supported an impressive array of marine and terrestrial life for thousands of years. Salmon, moose, bear, lynx and bald eagles are just some of the wildlife we may see at Terra Nova.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: At the Beothuk Interpretation Centre Provincial Historic Site in Boyd's Cove, learn the haunting story of the extinct Beothuk people. Discover how these people lived in the 17th century - who they traded with and what sort of religion they practiced. Explore the physical world in which the Beothuk lived by following a traditional path through the forest used by early European settlers and possibly also by the Beothuk. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a group of house pits occupied between 1650 and 1720 AD, at a time when the now-extinct Beothuk people had had some interaction with Europeans and were making use of metal scavenged from European sites. The Beothuk people became extinct with the death of Shanawdithit, a Beothuk woman, in St. John's in 1829. The Boyd's Cove site and Notre Dame Bay area provide important information about the life and culture of this unique people.
Dinner: At the hotel in Twillingate.
Evening: At leisure to explore local sites and discover Twillingate on your own or relax at the hotel. This town of 5,000 people is located in beautiful Notre Dame Bay. The town probably dates from the 15th century, when it was a fishing port. It flourished in the 18th century, becoming known as the “Capital of the North”. Since the downturn in the fishery, many businesspeople and residents have turned to tourism to turn the town's fortunes around.
Activity note: Walking 2 miles over 4.5 hours. Driving 25 miles over 1 hour.
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: We will start the day with a trip to the Isles Wooden Boat Builder’s Museum and Workshop. Twillingate is one of the province’s oldest ports and a perfect place to learn about the Newfoundland tradition of wooden boat building. We’ll meet with a boat builder to learn about this ancient art and the part it has played in the lives of the people of the island and get an up close look at a boat being built. Next, we visit the Twillingate Museum, where we’ll glimpse into the lives of the people of Twillingate in the early 1900s. Housed in the former Anglican rectory, the museum recreates a typical household of the time, complete with a parlour for entertaining guest to a cozy kitchen with its Waterloo Stove and flowering geraniums. A museum guide will escort us to the very interesting cemetery located behind the museum, with rocky outcroppings and the ocean as a backdrop. This is the resting place of a woman who once was Newfoundland’s most famous export, the prima donna soprano Georgina Stirling, who performed under the name Marie Toulinquet.
Lunch: We’ll enjoy lunch and an exploration at the Auk Island Winery.
Afternoon: We’re in for a treat as meet with a local expert on traditional foods for a multi-sensory learning experience. After gathering on the shore at her family’s fishing stage — a special wooden building where cod fishing equipment was kept and cod were cleaned and sometimes processed — we’ll learn about the importance of cod in the lives of one family and the devasting effect that the moratorium has had. We’ll also learn about efforts to preserve and promote traditional Newfoundland food sources and traditions. After this inspiring talk, we will walk on a spit of land to nearby Beatrix Island for a “mug up.” We’ll enjoy nature-inspired cool or warm drinks over the fire and a sampling of traditional foods which may include cod tongue, capelin, smoked fish, fish and brewis, or salt cod. Our menu will vary and depend on what we locally source each day. Road Scholars can beachcomb, sit by the fire and watch the culinary creations by our expert, or just relax by the sea.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking 0.5 miles, approximately 2 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 250 miles, approximately 8 hours total riding time with rest stops.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board the motorcoach and head across the island to explore the West Coast and Great Northern Peninsula. We will make a few stops along the way in Grand Falls-Windsor, King's Point, and Deer Lake before reaching our destination in Cow Head.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in King’s Point.
Afternoon: We will visit the King's Point Whale Pavilion, where the main attraction is a 50-foot whale skeleton. The humpback whale skeleton was extracted from a carcass that washed up in northeastern Newfoundland several years ago. We’ll then continue on to Cow Head. This small fishing village is situated on the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Gros Morne National Park. It represents a large sample of Newfoundland's western highlands and coastal lowlands – a landscape of mountains, fjords, deep glacial lakes, and wave-carved cliffs. Upon arrival, we’ll check in at the hotel.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking roughly 2 miles, approximately 3 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 60 miles over 1.5 hours total riding time. Getting on/off a water taxi.
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
Morning: This morning we set off to explore Gros Morne National Park by coach, water taxi and on foot. At the Gros Morne National Park, park staff will give insight into the forces which shaped the landscape of this UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Discovery Centre. Gros Morne is characterized by a diverse landscape which includes barren cliffs, fjords, bogs, beaches, mountains, and forests.
Lunch: We’ll enjoy a boxed lunch from a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will explore the Tablelands with a Parks expert. While walking Earth’s mantle, our expert will explain the plate tectonics and glacial formations which shaped the Tablelands as well as introduce us to the unique plants and vegetation in the region.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles each way, approximately 1.5-2 hours total; boardwalk and gravel with some slight grades. No transportation available on the trail. Located at dockside are a sheltered waiting area, indoor washrooms, canteen, gift shop, picnic area. Two Coast Guard approved vessels have a combined capacity of 165 people. Live interpretation of some of the geological and historical features. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 60 miles, approximately 1 hour total riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will walk the Western Brook Pond Trail after transferring by motorcoach. Bask in the view of the land-locked fjord, waterfalls, and billion-year-old cliffs while wandering the recently revitalized trail. Once we arrive at the end of the trail, we will explore the Western Brook Pond by boat (weather permitting). A local resource person will provide onboard commentary. The “pond” is one of numerous glacially carved fjords in the Long Range Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Appalachian Mountains. Waterfalls cascade from a height of 2,000 feet, and we may even spot some of the local wildlife. The lake is home to Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and Arctic char, as well as an unusual colony of cliff-nesting gulls.
Lunch: We will enjoy box lunches dockside at Western Brook Pond. There is a sheltered waiting area, indoor washroom facilities, canteen services and a gift shop as well as several beautiful picnic areas.
Afternoon: We’ll depart by coach to explore other areas in the Park. Curving around a long and sweeping bay with the mountains in the background, we will see Rocky Harbour and stop at the Lobster Cove Lighthouse.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: Enjoy a performance at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival by a theatre troupe featuring Newfoundland stories, song and music, celebrating the Island's heritage and most importantly her people.
Activity note: Walking 1.5 miles over 3 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 225 miles, approximately 5.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll depart by motorcoach for St. Anthony. The town had its beginnings as a seasonal fishing station for French and Biscayan (Basque) fishermen in the early 1500s. This is how Jacques Cartier came upon it in 1534, when he named the protected harbor St. Anthony Haven. A permanent coastal settlement did not begin until after the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815. During the latter decades of the 19th century, the town was a service point for Newfoundland schooners sailing between the Labrador coast and ports in Bonavista. As the largest town at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula, it was a base camp for early European settlers.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll learn how the Vikings would have lived 1,000 years ago at the Norstead Viking Village, a recreation. Costumed interpreters will carry out authentic demonstrations. At the boatshed, we will marvel at a full-scale replica of a Viking ship. At the place of worship, we’ll explore the transition from paganism to Christianity. We’ll visit the chieftain's hall, blacksmith shop, tents and fire pit. Next, we’ll explore L'Anse-aux-Meadows National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the highlights of this program. At L'Anse aux Meadows, we will learn about this famous ancient Viking settlement, the first European encampment in the New World and site of Leif Erickson's Vinland. Discover the westward migration of the Vikings and understand how they lived so long ago. Stand on the same grassy plain facing the sea where the Vikings stood 1,000 years ago, then stoop to enter the reconstructed sod house that once protected them from the chill, wind and snow. We’ll experience firsthand the warm, smoky atmosphere of these efficient buildings, while costumed interpreters depict Viking life. Eight Norse sod-house foundations were unearthed by explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad, in the 1960s.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: We’ll arrive and check in at the hotel in St. Anthony. The remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking about 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 88 miles, approximately about 1.5 hours riding time. Getting on/off a 12-passenger rigid hull inflatable zodiac boat; whale watching for 1 hour. Every participant must wear one-piece cold-weather suit. Activity is weather dependent.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel and drive a short distance on the motorcoach to visit the Grenfell Historic Properties complex in St. Anthony. We will learn about the life of medical missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell from a local historian at the Grenfell House Museum and Interpretive Centre. Get crafty at the Grenfell Handicrafts located at the Interpretive Centre. Next we'll embark on a whale watching expedition off the coast of St. Lunaire-Griquet (weather permitting) and explore the coastal waters of Iceberg alley. Divided into smaller groups, we’ll take turns dressing in cold weather suits and climbing aboard a 28-foot offshore rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) with our captain and marine ecologist to learn about the sea life off the tip of Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula and the cultural heritage of the area. The others will visit the Dark Tickle Company, champions of the wild berry industry, where we’ll immerse ourselves in the view of bakeapple berry, partridge berry, crowberry, and squash berry in their natural environment.
Lunch: At a nearby restaurant.
Afternoon: We will depart for Plum Point by motorcoach, stopping at Flower’s Cove, where we learn about thrombolites, formed by a photosynthetic process from the calcium carbonate found in the limestone rocks which is thought to have been the first creatures on the planet to release free oxygen. This is one of two locations on the planet where thrombolites are known to exist.
Dinner: At the hotel in Plum Point.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Walking 1 mile, approximately 1.5 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 130 miles throughout the day, approximately 3.5 hours total riding time. Ferry crossing is about 25 miles, approximately 2 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After traveling to St. Barbe by motorcoach, we’ll board the ferry for Labrador; keep watch for whales or icebergs which can sometimes be seen during the ferry crossing. We’ll visit Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a presentation given by a Parks historian highlighting the Basque whaling industry dating back to the 1500s and the role that it played in the history of Canada. Then, at the on-site museum with a local historian, we will explore artifacts and exhibits that tell the intriguing story of 16th-century Basque whalers who built the first industrial complex of the New World here. We’ll also see how the thriving industry of whale oil production lit the lamps of Europe in the late Middle Ages. Red Bay is the most complete and best-preserved example of these ports.
Lunch: At a nearby restaurant in Red Bay.
Afternoon: We’ll travel by motorcoach along the Labrador Coastal Drive to the Point Amour Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site. Explore the Point Amour Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site with a local expert, the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada. Lighthouses play an integral part in the history and culture of Newfoundland as we will discover through a presentation at the historic site featuring a local storyteller and a morning social featuring Labrador tea and wildberry tarts. Afterwards, we’ll complete our transfer to L’Anse Au Clair and check in to the hotel.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and ferrying in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach to the ferry. Ferry crossing is about 25 miles; approximately 2 hours. Walking 1 mile, approximately 2.5 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 170 miles, approximately 3.5 hours riding time.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Travel back to the island by ferry and continue along the Viking Trail by motorcoach to the town of Port au Choix, known as the fishing capital of Western Newfoundland. On a field trip to the Port au Choix National Historic Site, we will learn how the rich waters off this coast have supported many different groups of people. The remains of four ancient cultures have been found at Port au Choix to date: Maritime Archaic Indian, Dorset and Groswater Paleoeskimo, and Recent Indians. Archaeologists searched many years for a site such as this one, which sheds new light on our understanding of native peoples in this part of the world.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll visit the lighthouse at Port Riche and have an opportunity to hunt for fossils. Depart by coach for Deer Lake, arriving approximately 6:00 p.m
Dinner: At the hotel in Deer Lake. Enjoy classical Newfoundland music performed by a local musician. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning: Participants travelling on early morning flights will need to take a taxi to the Deer Lake Airport. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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