Saint John's Newfoundland type place, but further west?
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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavsfan137
So, Saint John's looks like an outstanding place to visit. Phenomenal nature, and an aesthetic which resembles that of Europe, and is perhaps more picturesque than many cities over there. One problem though. Saint John's seems to be quite hard to get to. First, time. When I look at flights there, they all appear to be quite lengthy with multiple stops.
When I look at going by car, it says it would be 51 hours from FL ONE WAY, when factoring for the ferry across. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's super nice, but I mean, that's a longer amount of time than it would take me to get to Vancouver! Or, put another way, I could drive to the Rocky Mountains in NM and back in the amount of time it would take me to go one way to SJ. Now, it is still something I have given thought to one summer with my family. Is it THAT worth it though?
Second part is expenses. The flight there would seem to be almost as expensive as actually going to Europe. Driving even would be expensive, besides all the gas, the price of a ferry, plus either bringing my car across, or renting one over there, appears to be super steep also (like 100$ plus each way, plus 50$ per person in group each way. Yeesh.)
I still want to get there eventually, but in the meantime, do any of the other maritime provinces offer a similar feel? I know Quebec City and Montreal are pretty fantastic, but they aren't coastal, per se. And, from what I can tell, Halifax, Charlottetown, Saint John (NB) and Fredericton, don't look or feel especially European, not even compared to places like Portland, Maine, at least from pictures, though that impression could be wrong. Cape Breton Highlands would seem to offer some of the phenomenal nature of Newfoundland, but it doesn't appear to have any major/European feeling towns. That being said, which place in the mainland maritimes is the best combination of historic, European style urban center, combined with bucolic/astounding natural setting? OR, is there simply nothing that quite measures up to Gros Morne/Saint John's, and I need to figure out a way to get across? Thanks everyone!
It sound's like you're really just craving a trip to St. John's anyway. Honestly, St. John's and Newfoundland can't really be replicated. It's not just the scenery or its old world charm, and very palpable Irish connection. It's the people. Newfies are a fun, creative, witty, hospitable, story telling bunch. I spent 4 nights in St. John's including two days without a car, with plenty to do to keep busy on foot. I say just go the distance and make your way to the far eastern tip of the continent. It will be worth it. It's an uncommonly authentic and invigorating place to visit. I loved the nightlife the there, lots of local music.
What's also cool about St. John's is you have access to buzzing and fun town, but can also easily slip out into rugged coastal hiking right on the edge of town up at Signal Hill or Fort Amherst. The East Coast trail runs over a 100 miles of coastal hiking along side big rocky cliffs and coves.
I went to St. John's back last summer in 2016. And although I'm always wanting to travel new places, I'll always have an itch to get back to the Rock again. It's worth the journey, it's isolation is what help keeps it so authentic. Not sure what your air gateway is but you can get to St. John's non-stop from Montreal and Toronto (I'm sure it's not difficult to get to either from Florida airports). I flew through Montreal on my way up and Halifax (on my way back to Boston) on the way back. Feel free to PM me if you'd like. You can make your trip more fun and have a layover in Montreal for a night or two like I did on the way up.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 05-11-2017 at 07:39 PM..
It sound's like you're really just craving a trip to St. John's anyway. Honestly, St. John's and Newfoundland can't really be replicated. It's not just the scenery or its old world charm, and very palpable Irish connection. It's the people. Newfies are a fun, creative, witty, hospitable, story telling bunch. I spent 4 nights in St. John's including two days without a car, with plenty to do to keep busy on foot. I say just go the distance and make your way to the far eastern tip of the continent. It will be worth it. It's an uncommonly authentic and invigorating place to visit. I loved the nightlife the there, lots of local music.
What's also cool about St. John's is you have access to buzzing and fun town, but can also easily slip out into rugged coastal hiking right on the edge of town up at Signal Hill or Fort Amherst. The East Coast trail runs over a 100 miles of coastal hiking along side big rocky cliffs and coves.
I went to St. John's back last summer in 2016. And although I'm always wanting to travel new places, I'll always have an itch to get back to the Rock again. It's worth the journey, it's isolation is what help keeps it so authentic. Not sure what your air gateway is but you can get to St. John's non-stop from Montreal and Toronto (I'm sure it's not difficult to get to either from Florida airports). I flew through Montreal on my way up and Halifax (on my way back to Boston) on the way back. Feel free to PM me if you'd like. You can make your trip more fun and have a layover in Montreal for a night or two like I did on the way up.
Thanks everyone. I think my question is answered. I plan to make a trip there at some point in he next couple years. I appreciate all the advice everyone has posted, and I plan to even spend a couple weeks on the island when I do it. Living like a local, hitting pubs, etc.
Wow. Those tourism videos make me want to visit, tomorrow. What an awesome place. I also tend to think that whether I fly or drive, it would still likely be cheaper to get there than places like Alaska, Hawaii, or Europe.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,734 posts, read 23,728,028 times
Reputation: 14594
Quote:
Originally Posted by cavsfan137
Wow. Those tourism videos make me want to visit, tomorrow. What an awesome place. I also tend to think that whether I fly or drive, it would still likely be cheaper to get there than places like Alaska, Hawaii, or Europe.
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