Trip to St. John's & Newfoundland (apartments, rent, how much)

[Champ le monstre du lac]

The east coast of Canada, the Maritimes, and Newfoundland don't seem to get a lot of traction on this forum, and I've seen inquiry about Newfoundland in past threads, so I'll throw in my two cents. I just came back from three nights (not nearly enough time) in St. John's and I'm ready to go back for more and see some other parts of the island as well. This is my new favorite spot (and summer desert escape) in Canada. I caught myself daydreaming during a slow hour at work today, getting me back there.

Let's start with the weather. Well, St. John's is on a steep hillside on a harbor with huge rocky headlands facing the open Atlantic ocean along the Labrador current, so pack tons of layers and be prepared for anything. And when the sun breaks, it's just fantastic. Newfoundland unveils its magic. My partner and I flew in from Montreal, when we landed in St. John's it was horizontally raining outside. No biggie, we put our ponchos on and went for a pub crawl and started hunting down music that we'd want to attend at pubs strewned up and down Water and George streets. This little city/big town has unexpectedly very fun nightlife for a place of its size.

Back to the weather, it boiled down to Day 1 - rain and wind. Day 2 - Fog. Lingering, blowing, rising, and misty fog. This felt especially nice on my desert skin, knowing I was heading back to days on end of 90-100F ahead of me, I was happy to be wearing a hat and a hoodie with misty air. Loved it, though we were among the very few that were enjoying the weather as the locals wanted their summer back. We never get days like this in New Mexico. Day 3, the suns out! Perfect day to take a drive on the Irish Loop, that had some fantastic coastal scenery dotted with steep rocky headlands, lighthouses, abundant wildlife, and history. I especially loved Cape Race, with the treeless landscape, blowing grass, kettle ponds, big open skies, and the rocky cliffs, and a lighthouse on the closest point of land to where the Titanic sank. It's a 23 kilometer ride down a dirt road to get to Cape Race, wish I had more time there.

What I found most memorable about Newfoundland was the people. There were a whole cornucopia of different accents from standard Canadian with some vowel pitch, to an assortment of Irish sounding dialects that changed from one town to the next village up the road. Some I could only halfway understand. St. John's is very eclectic. The homes are well cared for, and the Jellybean row houses that line the steep hillside streets exude a lot quaint character and charm. Newfies are a very openly sociable. The bars and pubs draw out Tuesday night crowds to listen to live music. A lot of the musicians come from all over the island to play on George Street that bring their own style of music. Newfoundlanders have a distinct identity that they're proud of, and they definitely made me feel welcomed.

The first two days in St John's we didn't rent a car, this is a walking town. On our second day we spent all morning and afternoon hiking up to Signal Hill from our downtown apartment (Air Bnb - Jellybean row/3rd floor flat) and then walking all over the city and around the harbor. It's a nice town to just linger around a bit for a few days, or a week if you have the time. It's not loaded with chains and has a lot of small businesses, restaurants, (and BARS, lots of bars!) to drop into. A beautiful drive down to Cape Spear, Ferryland, and the Irish loop is the perfect day away from town. You get the whole beach to yourself a lot of times, and stunning rocky cliffs.

So, I started this thread to generate more discussion about Newfoundland and ask if any of the posters here have ventured east to the Rock with some stories to share. Newfies have a LOT of stories to share. I know that living there is obviously a night and day scenario, but I really think St. John's is one of the most intriguing Canadian cities to visit.

[revrandy]

I have found St. Johns to be one of the friendliest cities in Canada. The only place where you are more openly welcomed is in the high arctic.

One winter I was in St. Johns on business and a blizzard rolled in. We were stuck at the hotel for 24+ hours as all the roads were closed. Unfortunately the hotel did not have a restaurant. So the manager or owner (not sure who) went room to room and asked what you would like for meals. They then went out on snowmobiles and brought food back for everyone in the hotel. Mind you it wasn't that busy, being the middle of winter, but still. What shocked me even more is when I went to check out, they never added any charges for the food. It was explained that we were their guests and it was their duty to feed us when we couldn't feed ourselves.

That province has a soft spot in my heart for their kindness and hospitality.

[deneb78]

I've been to Newfoundland about 8 years ago and loved it. I took the ferry over from North Sydney, NS to Port-aux-Basques. When we docked on the other side, I remember there was the thickest fog I'd ever seen. It was really neat. I continued driving North along the Northern Peninsula past Corner Brook and stopped in Gros Morne National Park which was breathtaking. Definitely the nicest scenery in Canada east of the Rockies. Mountains with very cool rock formations and fjords. I remember that the rocks in Gros Morne was caused by a unique geological process that caused the mantle to be exposed if memory serves correctly. Then I continued driving north to St. Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows and the Viking site. Parks Canada did an excellent job with all the recreated sod houses with even actors in them playing vikings. They had fires going and you could dry what was believed that Vikings ate which was cool. They also had the main building and a walkway with a lot of interpretive displays. I remember the weather in L'Anse aux Meadows was quite chilly with a stiff wind. I was wearing a sweater and was still cold.
I then headed back south and made the long drive to St. John's where I spent a few days. Walked along George Street and went into a few pubs and tried some cod tongues and scallions. Also, walked up to Signal Hill and Cabot Tower which was pretty cool too. I really like the geography of St. John's. It's pretty unique in North America I think. After, we went to Cape Spear to check out the most easterly point in North America before heading back to the ferry to take back to the mainland. A couple of places that I would have liked to check out while I was there but didn't was the Beothuk Interpretive centre in Boyd's Cove to learn about this extinct First Nation. It's such a tragedy that they were all wiped out and I believe they were one of the first in North America to suffer this fate. I would have also liked to see if I could have spotted any icebergs in Twillingate but didn't make it there either. The only potentially bad thing that could have happened but didn't was I almost collided with a moose on the highway which could have been fatal but luckily, I swerved in time to avoid it. Otherwise, Newfoundland was amazing and I loved the friendly people, culture and scenery and I wouldn't hesitate to go again for a visit in a heartbeat at some point in the future

[canadian citizen]

For those that haven't read it.......The Dictionary of Newfoundland English .


link. Dictionary of Newfoundland English Search


A treasure trove of words that you have never heard of before.


A small sample.......Scrunchins, scarf, bikkies, pine beer, on the flake, some twisted today are yah ?


My fave.... I'm so hungry that I could eat the hind leg off the lamb of God.




A kitchen party. Seal flipper pie. Tougher than losing your Mother.........all things that you might hear down there.


Odd place names, Come By Chance, Heart's Content, Little Soft Bay, Despair Harbour, and my favourite Joe Bat's Arm.


Jim B.

[Slate Moonstone]

I went to St. John's and Grand Banks for a summer break five years ago and had a great time. The landscape is beautiful, and has already been discussed the people were extremely friendly. I'd love to go back, although I'd also like to see some parts of the Maritimes (Halifax and the rest of NS, in particular) too.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Originally Posted by deneb78

I've been to Newfoundland about 8 years ago and loved it. I took the ferry over from North Sydney, NS to Port-aux-Basques. When we docked on the other side, I remember there was the thickest fog I'd ever seen. It was really neat. I continued driving North along the Northern Peninsula past Corner Brook and stopped in Gros Morne National Park which was breathtaking. Definitely the nicest scenery in Canada east of the Rockies. Mountains with very cool rock formations and fjords. I remember that the rocks in Gros Morne was caused by a unique geological process that caused the mantle to be exposed if memory serves correctly. Then I continued driving north to St. Anthony and L'Anse aux Meadows and the Viking site. Parks Canada did an excellent job with all the recreated sod houses with even actors in them playing vikings. They had fires going and you could dry what was believed that Vikings ate which was cool. They also had the main building and a walkway with a lot of interpretive displays. I remember the weather in L'Anse aux Meadows was quite chilly with a stiff wind. I was wearing a sweater and was still cold.
:

Next trip to Newfoundland I definitely want to cover Gros Morne and L'anse Aux Meadows and the western coast of Newfoundland. You mentioned nicest scenery in Canada east of the Rockies, I'd agree judging by photos the mountains and geological features definitely stand out. Cabot Trail/Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia look nice and I'd like to cover those areas too, however Gros Morne just seems to look quite a bit more impressive and enticing, I'd love to hike around the fjords up there. It's a long ride to St. John's from there though, which is a place I'd love to get back to. Wondering what the best stopping off points are between St. John's and Gros Morne. Next trip, depending on how much time permits, I may even consider taking the ferry from the northern peninsula up to Labrador. Battle Harbor looks intriguing. Battle Harbour

Originally Posted by deneb78

I then headed back south and made the long drive to St. John's where I spent a few days. Walked along George Street and went into a few pubs and tried some cod tongues and scallions. Also, walked up to Signal Hill and Cabot Tower which was pretty cool too. I really like the geography of St. John's. It's pretty unique in North America I think.:

Agreed, the topography and setting of St. John's definitely makes it unique within North America, especially for the east coast. With the city's steep hills, walkable downtown, and then hiking all over Signal Hill and the mouth of the harbor within walking distance of downtown, St. John's essentially IS hiking. We really had no need for a car at all until we felt like venturing out of town. Some of the coastal scenery in Newfoundland is how I envisioned what parts of coastal Ireland would look like with the rocky cliffs, sparse trees, and the green expanses of grassy meadows.

[GregW]

I have been planning a trip to Newfoundland for years. My Map Art map of the island is nearly worn out and Google Earth knows I have a habit of looking at the place. I have several guide books as well. I have a couple of questions:


How difficult is getting accommodations in some of the really out beyond the beyond outports that have road connections or can be only reached by boat? How expensive?


What are the road conditions? We or I will most likely be driving our 2004 Corvette. If there are a lot of gravel roads we will be driving our Subaru.


What time of year is good. I would think late summer and into the fall have the "best", that is not continuous drizzle or snow, weather. Is there a tourist season we could avoid?


Thanks in advance.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Originally Posted by GregW

I have been planning a trip to Newfoundland for years. My Map Art map of the island is nearly worn out and Google Earth knows I have a habit of looking at the place. I have several guide books as well. I have a couple of questions:


How difficult is getting accommodations in some of the really out beyond the beyond outports that have road connections or can be only reached by boat? How expensive?


What are the road conditions? We or I will most likely be driving our 2004 Corvette. If there are a lot of gravel roads we will be driving our Subaru.


What time of year is good. I would think late summer and into the fall have the "best", that is not continuous drizzle or snow, weather. Is there a tourist season we could avoid?


Thanks in advance.

I was there for a short time and it was mostly around St. John's, so I can answer some of your questions. We rented an apartment there, small 1BR, 3rd floor flat for around $105 USD a night, 2 blocks away from the thick of downtown. You sound like you want to reach some of the more remote parts of the island, but I'd recommend you have a look at this site as even in some of those parts there are listings for homes, cottages, apartments, etc. Some people even list their land for overnight camping spots (https://www.airbnb.com/). It was much better and more practical than going the hotel route.

Bring the Suburu, you can stick to the main roads, but there will definitely be dirt roads that you'll want to turn off and travel down to get to the good stuff. We went to Cape Race which was one of the highlights of my trip, and it was a gorgeous and very scenic 23 kilometer dirt road to get there. Even the paved main road along the Irish Loop had some treacherous potholes to dodge every now and then.

I'm not sure if late summer/early fall is more sunny there or not. The island can get wicked weather and pretty chilly any time of year, even July when I was there earlier this month, my first day in St. John's was windy and raining and in the 50's and it dropped to the 40's at night. We got one sunny day out of the three. I guess May/June is the time of year to go if you want to see icebergs drifting along the coast but the vegetation blooms pretty late up there. My last day on the island was sunny and it got up into the 70's. I know it all looked pretty gorgeous with a vividly green landscape in July.

What parts of the island are you interested in seeing?

[GregW]

I realize all of it is not a good answer so I'll start with Gros Morne and the Tablelands. Then the North Coast for the icebergs and great ocean views and sea food. Then the museums in Gander and St. John's and continuing to Cape Race and Mistaken Point fossil beds. I have a Geological map of NF with more sites than it is possible to see without taking an entire summer.

The most logical trip is to take the Ferry to Port au Bosque and drive mostly clockwise around the Island to Argentia and take that Ferry back to North Sydney. I agree with taking the Subaru. The 'Vette does not drive well on gravel roads. The tires are too smooth and lack of suspension travel and ground clearance.

I have used AirBnB for lodging before and found some really nice places and hosts. I will probably do the same on this trip. Thank you for the advice.


FWIW - I can buy Screech rum in New Hampshire liquor stores.

[Aery11]

You may be able to buy Screech in NH .. but you have to go to Newfoundland to get 'screeched in'. That ceremony was performed for me many years ago when I spent several (mid-winter) weeks in Gander. I have drunk the Sourtoe Cocktail in Dawson City, Yukon ... and I have had Screech poured down into me (after kissing the cod and dancing a j i g - why is that word not allowed?) in Gander. From one side of Canada to the other, these unique celebrations are worth seeking out and enjoying.


Glad to see that from NM to CO to NH, people are finding Newfie. It definitely is a culture and land unto itself - and yes, the people are generally wonderful. I second the motion that Newfoundland is a beautiful place, well worth exploring. There is a spirit and musicality in the people that is not found anywhere else.


I have a property in the small town on the mainland of Nova Scotia that is the furthest east 'mainland' point in North America (occasionally called 'the end of the world' here) .. but of course, St. John's is much further east and gets the honours from its island vantage point. Our weather here is similar to that you described, OP, in St. John's - we get those marvelous wet foggy days and the wind. I love summers here but most days I have a sweater at the ready - and particularly this year. Newfie had snow in some places mid-July I believe this year .. a bit late even for them - but not that surprising.


Having seen Gander (and St. John's) in January and February, I would recommend you go in summer or early fall. But, fall will be edging into moose hunting season .. so beware. Moose are the largest non-human population on the island - and they think they own the roads there (in and out of town - in Gander, the guys at the airport named one Charlie the winter I was there .. he was there for months in the yard). Take it easy - and definitely take the Subaru .. not the Vette! And be sure to take warm clothes if you go any time after the end of August.