NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/travel/16885

Text File | 1992-12-22 | 20.4 KB | 382 lines

Newsgroups: rec.travel
Path: sparky!uunet!newsflash.concordia.ca!nstn.ns.ca!news.ucs.mun.ca!kean.ucs.mun.ca!olaf
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Nfld; Magdalen iSLANDS
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Lines: 371
Sender: [e-mail] (NNTP server account)
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 15:49:06 GMT

Allen Clark invited suggestions and advice for travel to
Newfoundland and the Magdalen Islands. Allen, I hope this will be
of some help, but bear in mind that, without more specific
information about your particular interests (sight-seeing by car?
biking? hiking? camping?), it is a bit difficult to give you the
precise sort of advice you may wish. What follows is therefore a
general commentary based on my own, admittedly limited,
experiences. Perhaps it would help to know that I am middle-aged,
and prefer to travel with my wife and two kids (now age ten and
thirteen). We travel by car, we prefer motels or bed-and-
breakfasts, we don't camp or do a lot of "outdoorsy" stuff.
However, given the natural beauties of Newfoundland, Labrador,
and the Iles-de-la-Madeleine (as they prefer to be known), I've
included where possible information related to such activities.

ST. JOHN'S AND ENVIRONS.

First, some general advice. The Newfoundland provincial
government is generous with information; call them at (800)
563-6353. What to beware of in Newfoundland: overpriced motels
(they appear desperate to make 12 months worth of income out of
four months of tourist season), deep-fried foods (if you have
cholesterol problems, you'll go home in a casket: that's the
warning of Patrick O'Flaherty who has just written a caustic but
fun book on Newfoundland called "Come Near at Your Peril"), and
reconstituted milk (tinned milk is still a favourite here).
Compensating for the motels is a growing bed-and-breakfast
industry; some are quite good. In St. John's, I recommend the
Prescott Inn Hotel, a B&B at 17-19 Military Road across from St.
Thomas Church (the old garrison church). It's reasonable for St.
John's ($45 single, $55 double when last I stayed there) and
clean, and the people are nice. The furnishings are antique but
comfortable. Call [phone]. The Fort William can also be
recommended (similar prices and decor; call 726-3161 or fax 726-
4525). There are others, but these are the only ones with which I
have any experience. They're quite close to the Newfoundland
Hotel. Most of the restaurants and pubs are either on Duckworth
Street or Water Street (pubs and restaurants are especially thick
around George Street which empties into Water Street).

If you have or rent a car, then some of the nearby outports
(Petty Harbour, Bay Bulls, Ferryland to the south, Quiddy Viddy,
Torbay, Pouch Cove -- pronounced "Pooch" Cove -- to the north are
worth a visit; look for Marine Drive to the north of St. John's,
especially Red Cliff Road for a spectacular view of Logy Bay,
though be warned that the 2-3 km road can be quite rough in
places. But the view is worth it. The Flake House Restaurant in
Quiddy Viddy is excellent, though pricey, and reservations are
recommended. Cape Spear is also nearby by car (about 15 km); it
is the easternmost point of land in what is technically North
America. Closer to St. John's, and walkable if you are in shape
(since it's an uphill climb) is Signal Hill, with a Visitor
Centre halfway up, and a great view of St. John's at the top,
complete with interpretive displays and museum exhibits.

If you are on foot, you are pretty well limited to St. John's. As
I said before, there are some nice pubs (I like the Ship Inn on
Solomon's Lane, an alleyway between Duckworth and Water Street
for the traditional atmosphere; Bridgett's is a bit farther, but
a great place for live -- and lively -- entertainment). There are
several restaurants; I like the Blue Door, which is unpretentious
and has an interesting menu (continental with an Atlantic
flavour); the Cellar is pricey but the food is good. The Stone
House is pricey, but usually excellent. Zapata's and Casa Grande
offer Mexican. All are within walking distance of the B&Bs I
mentioned earlier. The Murray Premises near the harbour and the
Radisson Hotel were once a mercantile complex which have been
renovated into shops, restaurants, and a very nice museum
facility (don't miss the upper floor exhibits on Newfoundland's
maritime past, including a section on the Basque whaling site in
Labrador).

If you're in the area before the end of July, try a whale-
watching tour out of Bay Bulls. Bird Island Charters in St.
John's is one of the best; I believe they have a mini-bus and
pick clients up in town, but we always drove down to Bay Bulls
(about half an hour's drive south, on the Southern Shore
highway). The boat tour takes you past the bird sanctuary in
Witless Bay (puffins, kittywakes, murres, and others) and whales
are usually spotted every day as they come inshore to feed on
capelin and other fish. Once the capelin move off, the whales
disappear; that's in early August, so you're almost certainly out
of luck if you don't catch the tour before then. The tour takes a
couple of hours and is well worth it. But dress warmly (sweaters
& shells, even if it's warm on the shore).

ST. PIERRE

You expressed some interest in St. Pierre. I already posted this
information separately a couple of weeks ago, but in case you
missed it, here it is again.

We've lived in Newfoundland for over ten years, and have always
planned to visit St. Pierre and Miquelon, but it was always "next
summer." We still haven't gone. However, I can provide some
information that may be of use.

Getting there: If by car, you'll have to take the (6 hour) ferry
from North Sydney in Nova Scotia to Port aux Basques in
Newfoundland, then drive several hundred kilometres to the
Goobies turnoff (I kid you not!) and follow the Burin highway
south to Fortune. This is a two-day trip, unless you want to kill
yourself driving it in one day. There are motels at Fortune and
Grand Bank (best to reserve in advance). You will have to leave
your car there; the ferry (two hours) to St. Pierre takes people,
not cars. Perhaps you can pack bikes along; that would be handy
in St. Pierre. For travel information in Newfoundland (maps,
accommodations, advice) write: Ministry of Cultural Affairs,
Tourism and Historic Resources, P.O. Box 2016, St. John's,
Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5R8. There once was an 800 number good
from the USA (1-800-563-6353) but it may no longer be in service
(budget cuts).

There's more than one ferry from Fortune; each is run privately,
and is linked to one of the main hotels on the island, so you can
expect biased information about ferries from the hotel people and
vice versa. SPM Tours works with the "Arethusa" and the Hotel
Robert/Motel Rode and the Dupont Bed-and-Breakfast (more on
accommodations in a moment). SPM Tours offers package deals for
its customers, including mini-bus links with St. John's,
Newfoundland in case you fly there directly and don't want to
drive yourself to Fortune. Write SPM Tours at 38 Gear Street, St.
John's, Newfoundland A1C 2J5 or telephone [phone] for tour
package information. The other ferry is the "St. Eugene V." It
takes only one hour to cross (around $50 Canadian return per
adult), but does not operate every day. It offers package deals
with Hotel Ile de France, as well as a two-star hotel and bed-
and-breakfasts. Write to the operators, Armement Borotra Freres,
St. Pierre, or telephone [phone]-24-80 or Fax
41-46-08.

If you are flying in, you can come via Halifax. There is a small
airline that your travel agent can find out about.

When you arrive, you'll have to pass through customs. Canadians
or Americans require only some form of identification: a driver's
license will do. Passports are not essential unless you come from
somewhere other than Canada or the USA. Visitors returning to
Newfoundland from St. Pierre are limited in their duty free
allowance by Canadian regulations (check in Canada). St. Pierre
itself is small, and both town and the island can easily covered
in a couple of days; walk or bike. There are a couple of hotels,
and there are lots of bed-and-breakfasts. For full information,
write the "Agence regionale du tourisme" at rue 11 Novembre in
St. Pierre, St. Pierre & Miquelon; telephone [phone]
or fax [phone]. There's also a Centre d'accueil at
blvd. Port en Bessin (+011-508) 41-38-14. The Hotel Ile de France
is at 6 rue Maitre Georges Lefevre (tel. 41-28-36; fax 41-25-55).

Don't limit yourself to St. Pierre; you can take overnight trips
to Miquelon out of St. Pierre. Miquelon is less populated and
bigger in size; if you like beach walking, that's the place
(Miquelon used to be two islands; Langlade is now linked with
Miquelon by a narrow sandbar). The Escale Hotel in Miquelon is at
24 rue Victor Briand (tel. 41-63-09). This excursion only runs
for certain days each week; you may want to coordinate your visit
to Miquelon with your St. Pierre-Fortune ferry schedule (i.e., it
may make sense to head to Miquelon as soon as you get to St.
Pierre, and do St. Pierre after you get back to Miquelon). Also,
the weather is unpredictable (like Newfoundland, SP&M has
weather, not climate). Take sweaters, shells, and foul weather
gear just in case. Fogs can also cause unexpected interruptions
of your schedule. Be flexible.

There are a fair number of restaurants of varying qualities, and
as far as I know, American or Canadian currency is acceptable,
though I have no idea whether the exchange rate is in your favour
or against you when you use US or Canadian dollars rather than
French francs.

One opinion that appeared recently in the rec.travel discussion
group was that St. Pierre "is a quaint (I really mean quaint)
piece of French lifestyle which subsists almost entirely on the
generosity of the French taxpayer. A few thousand people live
there. The main attractions of the place are some excellent
restaurants, and a cemetery  which dwarfs the bad taste of the
most elaborate setup of lawn ornaments one might find in the US."
Before you get the wrong idea, that person insisted that St.
Pierre was "definitely worth a side trip if you are touring
Newfoundland."

WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND

Gros Morne (pronounced, but not spelled, "Gross Morn") National
Park offers a superb and varied landscape with good trails and
campgrounds. There are also cabins and B&Bs at Rocky Harbour,
Norris Point, and Woody Point on the other side of Bonne Bay (I
can get specific if you wish). For information on park
facilities, call the Visitor Centre at [phone] or the Park
Administration at 458-2417 or 458-2418 (FAX: [phone]). There's a
three-km boardwalked trail from the highway to Western Brook Pond
itself, where you can then take a boat to the far end of the lake
(or "pond" as the locals prefer). The pond itself is a 15 km
land-locked fjord that cuts deep into a gash in the shield wall
with 2,000 foot cliffs on both sides of the lake. The boat tours
are extremely popular, and you would be well-advised to book
ahead through the Ocean View Motel in Rocky Harbour (458-2730).
There is more than one tour a day; I think the morning or early
afternoon ones are best (for the light); you'll want lots of film
for your camera. Even if you don't take the boat, the hike is not
difficult and the scenery is worth the effort. Indeed, if you
like hiking and natural scenery, this is the best place in
eastern North America. If there's time, try going around Bonne
Bay (there is a ferry linking Norris Point and Woody Point, as
well as a road around Bonne Bay (a one-hour trip). On the south
side of the bay are a geological massif known as The Tablelands.
The park has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UN
because of its spectacular geology; apparently one of the best
places to see the legacy of plate tectonics is Gros Morne Park.
Whether you're interested in the science or not, the scenery is
spectacular. The Green Gardens trail nearby is an all-day affair,
and not groomed. Look for "Best Hiking Trails in Western
Newfoundland" by Keith Nicol at souvenir stops, local shops, etc.
for a reliable guide on where to hike.

Accommodations in the area range enormously, from excellent
provincial and national campgrounds to cabins (some quite clean
but pricey) to bed-and-breakfasts of mixed quality to motels. A
B&B in Cow Head north of Gros Morne is reputed to be colourful
(culturally) but generous and clean. I stayed at Mrs. Toope's in
St. Barbe and had what the Chinese might describe as an
"interesting" stay (avoid it!). The roads are good, but moose are
a serious problem, and every year visitors are killed in car-
moose accidents. Be extra careful in the evenings, mornings, and
especially at night.

If you have time (a day up, a day back by car), L'Anse-aux-
Meadows near St. Anthony at the tip of the Great Northern
Peninsula might be worth the effort (paved road all the way).
It's the location of a medieval Norse habitation which has been
reconstructed by the National Parks Service and has since been
designated a World Heritage Site. There are motels, B&Bs, and
campgrounds in the area, but be warned that the motels are
overpriced and underwhelming; the Vinland Motel is the most
conveniently located in St. Anthony, but for my money, the best
accommodations are at Gunner's Cove at Bella Hodge's "Valhalla
Lodge" (I kid you not!). It has six very clean rooms, has a nice
view, friendly atmosphere, and reasonable rates (S=$35, D=$45);
tel. [phone]; breakfast is extra. It's about four or five km
from L'Anse aux Meadows, and about 12 km from St. Anthony. A new
bed-and-breakfast at Cape Onion called Tickle Inn is supposed to
be really nice, but it is separated from L'Anse aux Meadows by
the full loop around Pistolet Bay. There is another very clean
bed-and-breakfast in St. Anthony itself, called The Old House
(single, $32; double, $38; $10 for each additional person;
telephone [phone]). It has three rooms; the address is 8
Balsam Drive, St. Anthony A0K 4S0. The St. Anthony Motel
(454-3200; FAX [phone]) charges more: single $55; double $60),
and so does the Vinland Motel (454-8843; FAX [phone]): single
$47.50 up; double $57.50 up. There's a free Travel Guide 1992
available at all tourist information centres, which describes
sights to see, accommodations, etc. There's also a provincial
campground at Pistolet Bay. Besides L'Anse aux Meadows, you might
visit the Grenfell House Museum and the International Grenfell
Mission craft shop. Not much else to see there.

ILES-DE-LA-MADELEINE

The Magdalen Islands are a delightful place to visit. They are a
small string of islands belonging to Quebec and located in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence north of PEI. The islands are of red
sandstone, which is soft enough to be sculpted into fantastic
shapes on many parts of the coast. They are also surprisingly
hilly and covered in stunted spruce forest and boggy meadows,
much like Newfoundland. However, most of the islands are also
connected by roads; these take you over huge sand dunes that have
formed out of sand bars and which give the islands most of their
140 miles of sand beaches. Together with Quebec's mildest
climate, these beaches make the islands a popular destination
with Quebec vacationers. Very few people from other provinces
seem to have discovered these islands; when we were there in late
June 1991, we counted only about a dozen license-plates belonging
to non-Quebecois cars. Of course, the season was not yet at its
height, and the weather again was cool, so that we never actually
did more than get our knees wet. Two years ago, it was 103°F at
this same time of the year!

We crossed over to the islands by car ferry from Souris, PEI. In
1990, the M/V "Lucy Maud Montgomery" charges $26 per adult one
way plus $50 for the vehicle. You should reserve passage (you pay
once you're on board; they take major credit cards); for ferry
information (schedule, reservation) contact Traversier CTMA
Ferry, C.P./P.O. Box 245, Cap-aux-Meules, Iles-de-la-Madeleine,
Quebec, G0B 1B0 (tel: [phone] for reservations). To fly
there is not so easy; Air Intair had a flight out of Montreal
that stopped in Charlottetown (call 514-636-3890 in Montreal) and
I think there was once an air connection with Halifax, but it may
now be cancelled. Try Air Alliance for information (1-800-361-
8620). And, of course, for information about the islands
themselves, contact the Association touristique des Iles-de-la-
Madeleine, C.P. 1028, Cap-aux-Meules, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, PQ,
G0B 1B0 (tel: [phone]; FAX: [phone]). Tilden and Budget
both have rental agencies on the islands, and Cap-aux-Meules
Honda will rent mopeds and motorcycles as well. "Le Pedalier" is
a shop that will rent (and repair) bicycles.

We spent most of our time on these islands driving about,
exploring each of those that were accessible by road. The roads
can be hilly on the islands themselves, but very flat on the sand
bars connecting the islands. As a result, bicycles seem a logical
way to travel about if you are not in a hurry. There are
campgrounds, cabins, and B&Bs, but we stayed in the Auberge
Madeli, a modern motel (no pool) on the main road in Cap-aux-
Meules. It's saving grace for us was that it had a pizzeria
attached, where we had breakfasts. There are a number of
restaurants, good, bad and indifferent, but the tourist office
near the ferry terminal had the good sense to collect copies of
the menus of the major restaurants, so you can get a good sense
of prices and cuisine, if not necessarily reputation. Two or
three of the restaurants are truly excellent, and one was world
class. We never had time to sample them all. We like the
Alexandre in Cap-aux-Meules, found La Mouliere (in an austere-
looking inn called Au Vieux Couvent) a bit pretentious, though
famed for its mussels, but the best (and most expensive) was "Les
Tables des Roys", to which I took my wife on our 20th wedding
anniversary; we left the kids at the motel with a pizza and cable
television. The restaurant offered superb food in a style best
described as "nouvelle cuisine de la mer". There were several
courses, each with modest portions of food exquisitely prepared
to be a delight to the taste buds and to the eye. I won't go into
details, except to say that the food was exquisite, the wine list
extremely generous in its choices, and the waiter outstanding. He
was attentive and helpful when appropriate but never obtrusive.
What really impressed me was that he was the only waiter,
attending every table (there must have been about a dozen
tables), yet he never appeared rushed, and we never felt that he
was neglecting any single one of the tables. It was a most
impressive performance, matching the quality of the meal.
Possibly none of this sounds exceptional to you, if you've had
Big City dining opportunities, but service like this, in an out-
of-the-way place like these islands, is astonishing when you
consider what passes for restaurants and service here in
Newfoundland.

We spent some time on the beach despite the cool weather, and one
afternoon we took a two-hour trail ride on horse-back. None of us
had ever ridden much before, so it was quite an experience. But a
thoroughly enjoyable one, and the fellow in charge of our group
(the four of us plus two other tourists) was very patient and
good-natured about our abilities. The trail took us through the
woods, over fields, then down to the beach, across the dunes, and
back along the marsh on the other side of the dunes. In all, we
must have ridden six or seven kilometres, usually at a walk, but
occasionally trotting and once on the beach, even galloping.

By and large, we found the people friendly and helpful. French is
the dominant language, and fortunately we had enough to get by,
but the tourist industry clearly caters to Quebecois visitors, so
don't be surprised or irritated by language difficulties. There's
a fine maritime museum  at Havre-Aubert, a salt mine you can
visit (we didn't) at the northern end of the islands, wildlife
reserves with trails, and lots of crafts and artisaneries
(glassware, pottery, sweaters, and other stuff; "Les Artisans du
sable" has an incredible range of very good quality crafts using
sand as a theme). You can arrange fishing trips, visit an
aquarium, try your luck at bird-watching, or go wind-surfing. The
average water temperatures are fairly warm by Canadian standards:
17 degrees Celsius, as warm as 18 to 24 degrees in the shallower
lagoons. If you're there in mid-August, there's an annual
sandcastle contest on the beach in Havre-Aubert that sees some
impressive creations.

Hope this helps.

Olaf Janzen
Department of History
Sir Wilfred Grenfell College
Corner Brook, Newfoundland
A2H 6P9