The trip by numbers:
- -2000 kilometers driven
- -60 kilometers hiked (with baby on board!)
Here’s the rough route (in case you really like maps).
What surprised us the most:
- -How friendly the people were. Many people walked right up to Autumn and reached out to grab her little hand and say hello. Thankfully we’re not overly protective. Autumn liked having all sorts of people to look at and interact with. Everyone commented on “those eyes!” We even heard a new phrase coined “blueberry eyes” – we like it!
- -How cloudy and gloomy it could look in the morning and by afternoon it could be all cleared up.
- -Food prices. I guess we forgot the Newfoundland is an island – nearly everything has to be imported! $1.29/lb for bananas! (It’s $0.39/lb back in NC).
- -How few Americans were visiting. It was us and a whole bunch of Canadians (mostly from Ontario and Montreal).
- -We drove a new Ford Escape. New cars have lots of fancy features and buttons. Lane assist is crazy!
Most Bizarre Encounter:
Francis, the Trouting Newfoundlander. See Day 4: Bonavista. We were literally hijacked by an accordion-wielding Newfoundlander. It was charming and bizarre and memorable for sure!
Highlights of the trip:
- -Gros Morne NP
- -Watching the whales play in Bonavista Bay (and Witless Bay)
- -Getting to hike in 70F temperatures every day! Autumn loved hanging out in the hiking backpack. We really need to hike more often. It makes our souls so content.
Best Hike:
Skerwink Trail – hands down, the best hike we’ve ever done. The beauty was unreal.
Best Stay:
- -Bread and Cheese Inn (for the views!!!)
- -Island View Hospitality Home (Pat is the sweetest lady around!) It was like staying with your grandmother!
Best food:
- -Anything cod (and we’re not big fish eaters) and bakeapple jam!
- -Tim Horton’s!
If we could do it all over again:
We would have skipped Twillingate – maybe it was just the weather when we were there, but we thought it was overrated and it didn’t have quite the cohesive feel to it that I would have expected for such a tourist town. The drive up there was pretty however. I think instead we maybe would have driven up to the Viking village and in L’Anse aux Meadows instead (and possibly seen some more whales and icebergs).
Lessons learned for traveling with baby:
- -Milk – have lots of it on hand! Milk quells nearly any outburst of discontent. She managed to sleep through most of the flights which was a plus.
- -Preboarding – I’m surprised I had to specifically request it (I’m looking at you, American airlines), as to me, it’s obvious that I’m going to need more time boarding a plane with a small child in a hiking backpack.
- -Dinner – after dragging Autumn all over creation during the day, we didn’t want to push our luck at dinner time. Takeout and grocery stores were key for everyone’s survival at dinner time.
- -We felt like the secret service “sweeping” the B&B room before entering to make it as child friendly as possible.
- -Walking! Autumn’s walking progressed from 4-5 steps to being able to cross an entire room and change direction in the matter of the 12 days. She didn’t want to sit still and just wanted to practice her new skill. We tried to let her tire her legs out whenever the opportunity permitted (while back in hotel in evening, at visitor centers, between flights, etc.)
Trip Reflection:
Overall, Newfoundland was truly a special place. The weather can be really hit or miss, and I would say with 80% of the days being sunny and fair (or eventually becoming fair), we definitely lucked out. None of our plans were totally ruined by weather, so that’s definitely a plus. The people are so friendly (especially to babies) and we were routinely asked “why’d you decide to come to Newfoundland?” Folks were genuinely happy to have us visiting. The landscape on the east vs. west cost was totally different and we’re glad to we got to see both sides of the island. We felt like we got to experience a hidden gem and it was a great first international trip for our little family. We enjoyed the cool temps, fresh air, and laid back pace of life on “the Rock”. Thanks for a great time and lifetime of memories, Newfoundland!
