Blogs

Remember those long, very long dirt roads? Yup—lots more on the way to Churchill Falls. At some point we passed Ranger Lake where we saw a camp and an RV. It was such a startling change from miles and miles of black spruce and sky, Barrie piped up “Jeez—it’s built up around here.” (I’ve heard it said that you know you’re a Labradorian when your idea of a traffic jam is two cars waiting to pass a moose. Although we didn’t see a moose on our way to Churchill Falls, seeing a camp and RV on that long and lonely stretch struck my funny bone.)  

The Huxter clan tests their skills at a Newfoundland tradition: catchin' capelin.

When the Trans Labrador Highway opened up—making it possible to drive 1126km from Labrador City all the way across the province to L’Anse-au-Clair, Sandra Phinney and her husband Barrie MacGregor decided to make the loop from their home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Four provinces and 5673 kilometers later, they are still talking to each other and still talking about their trip. Sandra’s posted some blogs about this journey.

The Huxter's cool off at Splash N' Putt, Newfoundland and Labrador's version of Disney World.

Cross country skiing is a great way to get out and enjoy winter in Newfoundland. Cross country skiing is good exercise since both legs and arms get a workout and like its name suggests, you can cross country ski just about anywhere there is snow. But a popular option for many people is to visit a cross country ski facility. Many communities in the province have ski clubs where there are trails groomed specifically for cross country skiing.

 An integral part of the whole Mummering tradition is the making and wearing of a hobby horse. The hobby horse is an odd creation, with a horse-like head, beady eyes, crooked hobnail teeth and a giant hunch back. It has a reputation for being menacing and terrifying— often clearing a room of small children upon entry. 

She stands majestically overlooking the harbour, sharing the dominance of our iconic skyline with the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Built on the same strategic location of Fort Townsend, an 18th century military fort that protected our city, The Rooms houses and protects all that is dear to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador: our history, our stories, our art and culture.

Nestled at the top of the Bonavista Peninsula is the tiny community of Elliston – the root cellar capital of the world. People flock here from all over the world for its many tourist attractions, such as the breathtaking coastline – complete with roaring shoreline and fascinating rock formations.  

Fall hiking in the Humber Valley of Western Newfoundland has numerous options but a favourite with many people is the short trek to Barry’s Lookout. We did this trail on Sunday, October 14 and the autumn leaves were splendid. The trail was abit muddy due to the recent wet weather so waterproof hiking boots are recommended. What makes this trip such a standout is that it is short-just 1. 8 km (1 way) yet it gives outstanding views of Humber Valley.

t. John’s is full of colourful characters; People who always have a story to tell. Laura Higenell, is one of those characters. I met with Laura when I first visited the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation. Her artistic, spirited personality exudes a passion for art and Newfoundland. I was surprised to discover that someone who was so passionate for this place wasn’t actually from here.

The St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival is celebrating its 23-year anniversary by focusing on long-form feature length films.

Corner Brook is the envy of many places in Newfoundland due to its impressive outdoor setting which really comes into its own in October when the trees change colour. As we write this on October 9, 2012 the colours are nearing their peak and the view of the city from the quarry overlook is one place to get great images of the whole area.

"Hmm, this is really going to be something", I thought as I sat in the car on the way to the Quidi Vidi Village Plantation. My co-worker had just filled me in on what to expect and I couldn't wait to hop out of the car the second we pulled into the parking lot. 

I woke up early, determined to get a fresh start on the day and take in as much of the beautiful coastline as possible. It was a gorgeous morning, and I was quite content to sit on a cozy rock and watch the sun scatter its rays across the water. And that’s just what I did – until it was time for the main event: the food hike; the reason people flock from all over the world to the Roots, Rants and Roars festival.

Over the past few years, a culinary revolution has swept over Newfoundland and Labrador and The Roots, Rants and Roars festival in Elliston is a perfect example. It’s a regional celebration of the natural gifts of the province: food, culture, land and sea. The Friday night event, “King of Cod”, kicked off the weekend of culinary delights, featuring cod as the hero, or as Todd Perrin – one of the chief organizers of the event – would say, Newfoundland’s “national dish”.

Fall in the Humber Valley means brilliant autumn colours and where better to enjoy these than on Newfoundland’s top rated golf course. The golf course at Humber Valley Resort is ranked as the second best course in Atlantic Canada and one of Canada’s top 20 courses according to manager Gary Oke. We recently got a chance to play the course and it was in very good shape, despite from recent heavy rains. This course will test all of your golfing skills from tee to green.

As I sit here sipping my tea, staring out the window at the first dreary day in weeks, I'm wishing I were back in Ferryland, sitting on the cliffs, enjoying a Lighthouse Picnic.

We recently had a chance to check out some of the fine hiking trails in the King’s Point area of Central Newfoundland. King’s Point is located on highway 391 (take the Springdale turnoff from the Trans Canada Highway). These trails have a lot of variety and an interested hiker could easily spend a couple of days walking the 4 trails that we explored. Let’s start with the longest trail-the Alexander Murray Trail which is located virtually in King’s Point. This trail is 8 km long and climbs to a summit of about 1000 feet. Overall there are 2200 stairs so you will get a good workout!

On our most recent trip to this part of Central Newfoundland we stayed at the luxurious Riverwood Inn (http://www.riverwoodinn.ca/) which received the “Accommodator of the Year” award for 2011 from Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. It has a spectacular setting overlooking the Indian River and has walking trails that start right from its front door. When we asked Tracey Penney, the Inn’s manager about what to see in the local area she recommended checking out “glassy beach”, the local Springdale hiking trails and King’s Point pottery in King’s Point. 

A few weeks ago we had an opportunity to try out 2 golf courses in Central Newfoundland and we recently had a chance to check out 2 others in Western Newfoundland. On Wednesday, August 22 we played  at the Blomidon Golf Club in Corner Brook. Although a few showers passed overhead in the morning by the time we hit the first tee at 12:40 pm the sun was out and fluffy white clouds drifted across the sky. The Blomidon Golf Course was the host of the 2012 Provincial Golf Championships and is a very scenic course, especially in the fall as the trees change colour.