jskinnell

Canadian Maritimes Adventure Week 10 – St. John’s, Newfoundland

Our final stop on our Newfoundland portion of our adventure took us to St. John’s and a week-long stay at Pippy Park Campground. We used our time there to not only explore the area, but also to catch up on maintenance, cleaning, reorganizing, and even getting a new cell phone battery for Mike’s phone.

Sightseeing

St. John’s is the capital of Newfoundland, the largest city, and also home to some great history.

Signal Hill

Signal Hill National Historic Site

Signal Hill and the Cabot Tower are best known for being an important location during various wars from the 1600s through WWII, protecting the harbour from the enemy. This is also where the first transatlantic wireless telegraph was received in 1909. So much history in one location!

Not to mention the views of St. John’s and the harbour.

A couple poses for a selfie in front of a historic stone building with a tower and antennas, surrounded by greenery on a sunny day.
A stone tower with flags on top situated on a grassy hill, surrounded by greenery under a hazy sky.
A historic cannon positioned on a stone wall overlooking a coastal view, with a person standing nearby gazing at the ocean and cliffs in the distance.
A naval ship docked by the waterfront, surrounded by modern buildings and a blue sky.
A scenic view of a harbor lined with various fishing boats and vessels, surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain.
Aerial view of a harbor featuring various boats and ships docked along the waterfront, with green hills and buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.
A panoramic view of a colorful urban landscape featuring historic and modern buildings, with a church in the background and shipping vessels in the foreground.
A view of a busy harbor filled with various ships, including red, yellow, and blue vessels, alongside a coastal city skyline with buildings and greenery in the foreground.
Scenic view of a city skyline with buildings and a harbor, surrounded by greenery and rocky terrain, under a clear blue sky.
A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a maroon t-shirt standing next to a young man in a military uniform at a scenic overlook with hills and a city in the background.

While we were there we met this wonderful young WWI soldier who gave us more of the history and more of his own story.

He said that before Covid, there were about seventy reenactors on the property, but after budget cuts there were now only three. He was quite fascinated with our full-time RV lifestyle, which was something we ran into quite a bit on the island.

It was quite hot that day, and his uniform was made of wool!

The fog rolled in while we were up there and the contrast was quite striking.

A scenic view of a lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with a small white house nearby and some other buildings along the rocky shoreline.
A lighthouse surrounded by mist, situated on a rocky coastline with a nearby house.
A foggy coastal scene with a rocky shoreline and mist obscuring buildings and water.
A scenic view of a mountainous landscape shrouded in fog, with lush greenery in the foreground and a vast, cloud-covered valley below.
A panoramic view of a mountainside shrouded in fog, with greenery in the foreground and a cloud-covered valley in the background.

We checked out the visitor’s center and small museum before we left. The museum told a comprehensive history of the importance of Signal Hill in both war time and communication in the area. And I loved seeing the uniform reproductions on display.

A historical red military uniform displayed on a wall, featuring a white trim and a yellow belt, accompanied by several maps and informational plaques.
A historical military uniform displayed on a mannequin, featuring a red coat with gold buttons and detailing, black pants, and a hat adorned with a gold emblem and a red feather.

Quidi Vidi

Next on our list was a drive to the small fishing village of Quidi Vidi not far from Signal Hill. We decided to have lunch at Quidi Vidi Brewery and loved the view from our table.

I will say that the streets around the harbour were not the widest when driving a dually, but we managed to snag a parking spot on a corner in the small parking lot.

A scenic view of Quidi Vidi Brewing Co. located by the water, surrounded by misty hills, with several boats docked nearby.
A scenic view of a harbor with colorful wooden buildings, small boats docked along the shoreline, and a lush green hillside in the background.
A scenic view of a harbor featuring a yellow building, boats docked in the water, and green hills in the background under a blue sky.
Two drinks on a wooden table: one in a clear glass with an orange drink and a lemon slice, and the other in a larger glass with a golden beer. A person's arm is visible in the background.
A blue fishing boat docked in front of weathered wooden buildings by a rocky shoreline, surrounded by lush greenery and calm water.
A scenic waterfront view featuring two boats docked near colorful buildings on a pier surrounded by lush greenery.

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site

We thought that Cape Spear was just another lighthouse, but we were surprised! This is the easternmost point in North America. And this was also an important fort during WWII. From this point, the military was able to protect the harbour as well as cargo ships leaving to resupply the allied forces.

A couple posing for a selfie in front of a lighthouse on a rocky hillside under a clear sky.
A white wooden lighthouse with a red and white striped dome, featuring two red chairs in front on a grassy area.
A coastal view of a white lighthouse with a red and white striped top, overlooking the sea. Two red chairs and wooden benches are positioned on the grassy area in front of the lighthouse, with a white picket fence along the path.
A man and a woman take a selfie on a coastal cliff with the ocean in the background, enjoying a sunny day.
A historical concrete bunker with a flat roof, surrounded by green grass, with a person standing in front of it reading a sign. In the background, a lighthouse is visible on a rocky hill.
A dimly lit corridor with concrete walls and a smooth floor, featuring several open metal doors along one side.
A man in a green jacket and hat stands at the entrance of an old, weathered building with cracked walls and a rustic doorway.
A large, rusted metal pipe is displayed within a wooden enclosure on a flat surface, surrounded by a wooden fence.

There are several hikes you can take around the site depending on your skill level. If you choose, you can drive to the lighthouse without having to hike there. We got there before opening and by the time we left the tour buses and other visitors had arrived.

A bustling street scene with historic buildings, including shops and restaurants. People walk along the cobblestone street, and a modern skyscraper is visible in the background. The area features outdoor seating and decorative street lamps.
Colorful row of houses with vibrant painted exteriors in red, blue, yellow, turquoise, and pink, featuring decorative flower boxes.
Photo courtesy of Newfoundland and Labrador Toursim

We drove down to old St. John’s near the harbour and found a place to park in a paid parking space. We walked along Water Street and down to the harbour. Since it was Sunday morning, we opted for a pastry and coffee while we sat at one of the picnic tables along the outdoor mall.

We realized that I forgot to take a picture of the famous Jelly Bean Row. I was too busy helping Mike navigate the narrow streets!

So here is a picture of them courtesy of the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Board.

Bicycling around St. John’s

We finally found a place where we could get the bikes out and go on a couple of rides.

The T’railway system is a great way to see different parts of the St. John’s region. We chose to ride the trail along Conception Bay. We started in Paradise at a park, and rode along neighborhoods and wooded areas before coming out onto the bay. Our first day we rode about 20 miles, and the second day we started at the place where we had turned around and continued for another 6 miles for a round trip of 12 miles. This section had a strong headwind and a lot of gravel, which made for a rougher ride.

A serene river flowing through a lush green landscape, with rocks in the water and a water tank visible in the background.
A scenic view of a river flowing through a lush forest with trees and rocks under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A serene landscape featuring a winding river surrounded by lush green trees and rocky terrain under a partly cloudy sky.
A man and a woman smiling for a selfie, wearing cycling helmets and gear, with a scenic view of a river and trees in the background.
Two cyclists posing for a selfie by the water, with a rocky shoreline and a clear blue sky in the background.
A scenic view of a winding river surrounded by lush green trees and rocky formations viewed from above.

This was just one of many routes along the Grand Concourse Route.

Conclusion

As we made our way to the Argentia Ferry port to catch the overnight ferry back to North Sydney, Nova Scotia, we felt that we had truly done and seen most of what was on our Newfoundland bucket list.

We’re Mike & Jennifer Skinnell, and together we are The Rambling Quilter. We travel the country full-time in our 42 ft. fifth-wheel pulled by our F-450. Jennifer writes our blog, travel articles, contemporary romance, cozy mysteries, and “Don’t Wait – Our Full-Time Journey Through Breast Cancer”. Our blog is purely for information and entertainment purposes. However, if you’d like to support Jennifer’s writing career, her author link to her books is below.

Jennifer’s Author Site

Discover more from The Rambling Quilter

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply