Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 09:03:12 -0400
Reply-To: Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@HEWITT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@HEWITT.COM>
Subject: Re: Maritime Provinces Trip
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>My girlfriend and I will be driving from Toronto to Nova
>Scotia and then taking a ferry to Newfoundland the last two
>weeks of July. We will be passing through Quebec and New
>Brunswick (and possibly New York, Vermont and Maine on the
>way back). Any listees on our way? Any words of wisdom?
>
>Thanks,
>Chris
Hi Chris,
It's a great trip --- we did it in 3 weeks a couple of summers ago
and loved it. A few suggestions---- book the ferries in advance----
particularly if you want to take the Argentia one. We took the Port aux
Basques ferry to the Rock and the Argentia one leaving ---- it saves you
driving across the province again just to get the ferry. We only got on
the Argentia one because of a cancellation --- otherwise we would have had
to drive 10 hours back across to Port aux Basques. Newfoundland is (and
this sounds weird I admit) a lot bigger than it seems to look on the map.
You'll be spending lots of time driving --- and if there's more than 30
feet of straight, level road in the province, I never saw it. All curves
and hills. We did Gros Morne Park, the Viking site in L'anse aux Meadows
and then down to the St. Johns area. L'Anse aux Meadows is also prime
iceberg viewing area --- we saw lots of them and it was one of the
highlights of the trip. We actually were able to pull iceberg chunks out
of the water ---- so my wife and I had a Scotch on iceberg 'rocks' even
though it was 10 am --- I figured I wasn't going to get the chance again
for a long time :-) Also recommend doing a puffin viewing boat tour ---
and the Westernbrook Pond boat tour in Gros Morne is also excellent. If
you're interested in the local music, try and hit one of the many small
music festivals --- we went to the Southern Shore Shamrock Festival in
Ferryland and had a great time. I mention it specifically because it fits
in with your dates --- it's July 26/27 this year. Lastly, it's worthwhile
IMHO to take the Maine/Vermont/New York on the way --- it's beautiful
country. We've been to Vermont 3 times now and love it.
We're heading to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a week about the
same time you're heading East --- have a great trip.
Cheers,
Doug
| 
