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Old Posted Jul 26, 2020, 2:31 PM
SignalHillHiker's Avatar
SignalHillHiker SignalHillHiker is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Sin Jaaawnz, Newf'nland
Posts: 34,658
Staycation 2020 - Beaches, Fjords, Vikings, and Hideous Towns

It's still almost impossible to visit or leave Newfoundland and Labrador, so the government has declared Stay Home Year 2020, encouraging all of us to vacation at home.

We took up the call last week. Had a grand time.

This is generally where we are...



And this is specifically where we went...



Come along.

Video Link


We left the capital, St. John's, on Friday, July 17. It was after a chilly week with a couple of sunny breaks...





Of course, it was raining when we left - until about an hour outside the city, when it suddenly became beautiful (as usual).

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Our first stop was the town of Eastport, just outside Terra Nova National Park. It, along with much of the northeast coast, has beautiful sandy beaches with painfully cold water.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

When we arrived at our rental, it was maggoty with youngsters - I didn't want to get out of the car lol

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

One of our fellow travelers was a vegetarian and Eastport was our first glimpse of how difficult that was going to be in rural Newfoundland. Poor guy would’ve starved to death if not for poutine. One place couldn’t even give him a drop of gravy because it already had ground beef in it lol

And one waitress seemed absolutely confused by his not wanting meat in a breakfast sandwich.

“So you want ham and egg with no bacon?”
“No ham either. No meat.”
“So a ham and egg sandwich with no bacon and no ham?”
“...Sure.”

And there wasn't much in the way of fresh groceries to cook at our unit.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

But Jackie don't play.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

But the beaches though...

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Near to Eastport is Salvage, pronounced in the most pretentious way (Salve-Age). It's one of the still-functioning fishing villages on the island.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

From there we drove west to Grand Falls-Windsor, a cute little company town in the middle of nowhere (even moreso than the rest of us lol). Most towns of 20,000 or fewer residents here tend to be a single coastal road with 1980s bungalows on either side and a corner store somewhere in between. If they're a regional service centre, then the highway around it also has a big box store area. It's hideous. The only exceptions seem to be exceptionally old towns, towns along the coast instead of the interior highway across the island, and company towns like Grand Falls-Windsor. There's lots hideous about it, but it has an exceptionally good core by Newfoundland standards.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

We went to a salmon interpretation centre. The Exploits River is one of the main ones in Central Newfoundland and falls near its mouth used to prevent salmon from fully penetrating the system. The government built salmon ladders and the like to open up the entire watershed to salmon and their number so far has increased from about 1,700 in the 90s to 40,000+ today.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

We ate at the sketchiest cafe ever.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Next step was Gros Morne National Park, one of our five UNESCO sites. This one was selected because of the Tablelands, exposed mantle rock that is among the oldest rock on the surface of the planet. It played a key role in formalizing the theory of plate tectonics. It's also an exceptionally beautiful region of the island.

The hills here (Long Range Mountains) are part of the same chain that is now the Appalachians in America, Little Atlas in Morocco, and the Scottish Highlands.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

The view from our rental. Best part was no kids lol

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

We stayed in the town of Rocky Harbour, which was unfortunately a foreshadowing of the quility of the built form from Gros Morne north to the tip of the Greatern Northern Peninsula. Missing siding, ruined cars on back lawns, gravel driveways, cheap commercial architecture, on and on. And comically rude servers, which is odd as this region is supposed to be one of our tourist hotspots. My buddies are millenial tippers - 20%, no questions asked - but even they didn't tip at all a couple of times they were so surprised by how disinterested and short-tempered the waitresses were lol

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

We hiked in the rain to a waterfall.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Poor kids did a 5K hike in flip flops and swimclothes lol

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

We hiked to the top of the Tablelands.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

When we got up early to drive up the desolate Great Northern Peninsula to L'anse aux Meadows, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's the only authenticated Norse (Viking) settlement in North America (excluding Greenland, of course) - and marks the point at which human beings "completed the circle" or settling the world, where Indigenous North Americans and Europeans first met each other 500 years before Columbus.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

The site has reconstructions of the Norse sod buildings that were discovered.

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

And then we spent two days crawling back to St. John's, which despite having nice weather the entire time we were gone, was back to its typical shit

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Staycation 2020 by R C, on Flickr

Luckily, we only had to wait until last night for some nice weather... (these three by jeddy1989):

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Last edited by SignalHillHiker; Jul 26, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
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  #2  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 2:13 AM
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xzmattzx xzmattzx is offline
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Nice pictures! It's too bad you're stuck on the island. I think I would go stircrazy from it. I am already desperate to do something close to my normal summer routine, which is going to the Niagara Region of Ontario. The border is closed until August 21 and probably won't open until 2021. This may be the first summer that I don't go to our family cottage, ever. I can't even stay on the American side, technically; Delaware is on a quarantine list in New York because we have more than 10 cases per 100,000 people (we have actually been jumping off and on the 14-day quarantine list). Hopefully you were able to do things that you truly wanted to do, and also do things that are pretty routine for you.

I don't think L'Aanse aux Meadows is the only Norse settlement in North America now. Point Rosee was confirmed as a site, if I am remembering my news releases correctly.

Some questions of mine, based on little things I saw in your pictures:

~ What is the green-white-pink flag for again? I think I have asked this a few times.
~ I like your license plate for its simplicity (most Canadian plates are simple and classic), but something has to go up near the top, even if it's small. It looks a little incomplete.
~ It seems like there's a lot of gay pride flags and stuff in these rural towns. Is this stuff up all the time, or do you happen to include it in pictures? Gay pride flags are not common around here, except in some areas, so I couldn't include flags and crosswalks and things like that in my pictures even if I tried. There's more in June, of course, but it seems like they are up for a longer period of time up there (assuming you vacationed in July).
~ How cold is the water at that beach? Do people go in at all, even just to cool off for a minute after baking in the sun?
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  #3  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 2:17 AM
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Nicely done and what a wonderful time to explore 'closer' to home.

Cheers
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  #4  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 9:48 AM
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SignalHillHiker SignalHillHiker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xzmattzx View Post
~ What is the green-white-pink flag for again? I think I have asked this a few times.
We have three primary flags.

The first is the official flag of Newfoundland and Labrador, which replaced (in the 1980s) and is heavily based on the Union flag. It represents the entire province.



Then we have the Newfoundland Tricolour, sometimes called the Republic or Liberation flag. It's somewhat associated with independence, or at least a distaste for having joined Canada in 1949, but it's more than that as well (for example, completely normal to see it flown with the Canadian flag outside homes). It's the oldest of our flags and represents only the island of Newfoundland. Although never an official flag (our official one at that time was always a generic colonial-style one), it was used for many official things (for example, the program from the first performance of our former national anthem featured it). And it is the official flag of some entities (for example, the city's fire department).

In reality, it's likely just based on a Catholic fraternal organization's flag but the agreed symbolism today is "The pink, the rose of England shows; the green, St. Patrick's emblem bright; while, in between, the spotless sheen of Andrew's Cross displays the white."

A lot of family connections between the people behind our flag and Ireland's flag.



And finally, the flag of Labrador. I'm not sure if I can call this one official as there is no Labrador-only political body that could declare it such, but it's official. Flown at every government building up there, every town hall, half the houses... they even erect it themselves at border crossings if the provincial government in St. John's has them pulled down.

Each branch on the twig represents an Indigenous/settler group (white, Metis, Innu, Inuit, etc.).



You'll see all these in varying combinations everywhere.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xzmattzx View Post
~ I like your license plate for its simplicity (most Canadian plates are simple and classic), but something has to go up near the top, even if it's small. It looks a little incomplete.
Yeah, it definitely has an empty look.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xzmattzx View Post
~ It seems like there's a lot of gay pride flags and stuff in these rural towns. Is this stuff up all the time, or do you happen to include it in pictures? Gay pride flags are not common around here, except in some areas, so I couldn't include flags and crosswalks and things like that in my pictures even if I tried. There's more in June, of course, but it seems like they are up for a longer period of time up there (assuming you vacationed in July).
Most in St. John's are only up for the summer. Things like those Volcano Bakery steps, though, are usually permanent.

In smaller cities, I'm not sure when/if they come down, but they've always been there when I've visited in spring/summer. Even little towns of a few hundred sometimes have a mini-Pride thing for their one gay resident

We also have a Bible belt, though, especially around Eastport where those beaches are. Lots of Christian fish symbols on cars and buildings, churches with really aggressive bulletin boards, etc.

Our only saving grace is that we all (even right-wingers) seem to have agreed certain things aren't meant to be legislated or dealt with politically. So even though we have lots of people who are, for example, anti-abortion, we have only a handful who would ever push for that politically.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xzmattzx View Post
~ How cold is the water at that beach? Do people go in at all, even just to cool off for a minute after baking in the sun?
Excruciatingly cold. I lasted a few seconds and the pain kept increasing for at least 10 more after I got out. A few people seemed to have no problem, though. Swimming here is best along the south coast (Sandbanks Provincial Park in Burgeo, for example) or in lakes/rivers, which can get quite comfortably warm. Many of the lakes and rivers are very near the ocean so it has a similar feeling as a pool at an oceanside resort. That's as good as it gets here. Definitely not a place to go ocean swimming.
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  #5  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 3:47 PM
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Beautiful photos!

I really love road trips, thanks for posting these!
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  #6  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 4:39 PM
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I've been enjoying living this vicariously through your posts in the weather thread, so nice to see them all in one place. I want to do this road trip too!
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  #7  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 6:30 PM
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I've drive that road. I was waiting for the salmon.
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Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 7:59 PM
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xzmattzx xzmattzx is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker View Post
We have three primary flags.

The first is the official flag of Newfoundland and Labrador, which replaced (in the 1980s) and is heavily based on the Union flag. It represents the entire province.



Then we have the Newfoundland Tricolour, sometimes called the Republic or Liberation flag. It's somewhat associated with independence, or at least a distaste for having joined Canada in 1949, but it's more than that as well (for example, completely normal to see it flown with the Canadian flag outside homes). It's the oldest of our flags and represents only the island of Newfoundland. Although never an official flag (our official one at that time was always a generic colonial-style one), it was used for many official things (for example, the program from the first performance of our former national anthem featured it). And it is the official flag of some entities (for example, the city's fire department).

In reality, it's likely just based on a Catholic fraternal organization's flag but the agreed symbolism today is "The pink, the rose of England shows; the green, St. Patrick's emblem bright; while, in between, the spotless sheen of Andrew's Cross displays the white."

A lot of family connections between the people behind our flag and Ireland's flag.



And finally, the flag of Labrador. I'm not sure if I can call this one official as there is no Labrador-only political body that could declare it such, but it's official. Flown at every government building up there, every town hall, half the houses... they even erect it themselves at border crossings if the provincial government in St. John's has them pulled down.

Each branch on the twig represents an Indigenous/settler group (white, Metis, Innu, Inuit, etc.).



You'll see all these in varying combinations everywhere.



Yeah, it definitely has an empty look.



Most in St. John's are only up for the summer. Things like those Volcano Bakery steps, though, are usually permanent.

In smaller cities, I'm not sure when/if they come down, but they've always been there when I've visited in spring/summer. Even little towns of a few hundred sometimes have a mini-Pride thing for their one gay resident

We also have a Bible belt, though, especially around Eastport where those beaches are. Lots of Christian fish symbols on cars and buildings, churches with really aggressive bulletin boards, etc.

Our only saving grace is that we all (even right-wingers) seem to have agreed certain things aren't meant to be legislated or dealt with politically. So even though we have lots of people who are, for example, anti-abortion, we have only a handful who would ever push for that politically.



Excruciatingly cold. I lasted a few seconds and the pain kept increasing for at least 10 more after I got out. A few people seemed to have no problem, though. Swimming here is best along the south coast (Sandbanks Provincial Park in Burgeo, for example) or in lakes/rivers, which can get quite comfortably warm. Many of the lakes and rivers are very near the ocean so it has a similar feeling as a pool at an oceanside resort. That's as good as it gets here. Definitely not a place to go ocean swimming.
Thanks! Some year I want to visit Newfoundland. St. John's always looks like a cool town, based on your pictures, and it is actually on some people's radars down here this far south in the US as a worldly destination.
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  #9  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2020, 8:34 PM
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Doady Doady is offline
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When I saw bike icon on the map, I thought maybe you would bike. I am disappointed.

I must say, looking at this pictures, I wouldn't mind spending a summer in Newfoundland either.

That rock bridge or table or something with the ocean water underneath is just beautiful. It is incredible, I've never anything like that before.
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  #10  
Old Posted Sep 7, 2020, 9:14 PM
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Thanks for the tour. Beautiful scenery!
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  #11  
Old Posted Sep 28, 2020, 10:00 AM
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Oh FFS. Godammit, God DAMN IT.

Now I have to go. Hope you're happy!
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  #12  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2020, 10:03 PM
janeandr janeandr is offline
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man is so beautiful out there and I see you had one hell of the trip
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