Newfoundland ... where the Atlantic Ocean gets up close and personal for the first time with North America at Cape Spear; where you are closer to Ireland than to most other provinces in Canada. It boasts Water Street as the oldest one on the Continent and over 80 pubs existed in the capital city of St.John's before the Americans began their battle for Independence. What can I say - we Newfs always have our priorities straight?!

View of St. John's from Signal Hill

What to see? Gros Morne National Park. Visit the Tablelands - at 600 m this plateau is one of the world's best examples of rock exposed from the earth's interior. Nearby you'll find one of the most beautiful land-locked fjords this side of Norway.     Wildlife abounds! Caribou, moose, bears ... not to mention birds! The Rock is home to over 300 species of birds - falcons, osprey, hawks, gannets, kittiwakes, puffins and even 1400 pairs of bald eagles. Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is one of the few in the world which is accessible to the public.

Gros Morne

Newfoundland holds a rich and varied history. A 7500 year old Indian burial site is the most ancient evidence of a funeral found in North America. Ten centuries ago, Vikings guided open plank ships to The Rock. Leif Ericson dropped anchor and made L'Anse Aux Meadows the only authenticated Norse settlement on the Continent.

L'Anse Aux Meadows

10, 000 years may have passed since the Vikings graced the island ... but the natural wonders remain: rugged coastline,  ice crystal spires and fresh water fjords older than the Rockies. But I have yet to mention the true draw of Newfoundland: the Culture.

Iceberg Alley

England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Portugal and Spain. Quite a mix!! Accents and turn of phrases from centuries ago are alive and well. Newfies are always ready to share a legend or at least a tall tale ... with quick wit and endless charm. As a people - we value our geographic isolation and we've molded this legacy into a culture like no other.