jskinnell

Our Canadian Maritimes Adventure Week 7 – Twillingate

We gave ourselves 7 nights in Twillingate and were glad we did. The first two days it rained. A LOT!! So to have the extra days to explore was a blessing. We stayed at Peyton’s Woods RV Park in Twillingate.

There are a couple of iceberg boat tours you can do. However, since we’d already seen them up close, we chose to take advantage of the sun (which we hadn’t seen a lot of) and hike.

Hiking in Twillingate

Twillingate has this great website that is a wealth of hiking formation. In fact, Rockcut Twillingate’s slogan is A Walk on the Edge, and some of these hikes are just that!

Map of Rockcut Twillingate Trails, featuring various hiking paths, trail distances, difficulties, and notable features such as beach access and scenic lookouts.
Click on the map to go to Rockcut Twillingate Trails website

Lower Head Trail

While the map calls this trail Lower Head Trail, we used Alltrails and combined the Sleepy Cove Trail and Nanny Hole Trail which start at the Long Point Lighthouse parking lot. By combining both trails we saw some amazing cliff sides, walked along the beach, and even saw a bunny. This was the only wildlife we saw! These trails combined were a little over 3 miles.

A couple smiles for a selfie while standing on a wooden overlook, with a scenic view of the ocean and rugged coastline in the background under a clear blue sky.
Scenic coastal view with rocky cliffs and blue ocean, featuring a camper van parked along a dirt road.
A scenic view of rugged coastline with rocky islands and blue ocean waters, surrounded by green hills and pine trees under a clear blue sky.
Coastal landscape featuring rocky shoreline and clear blue waters under a sunny sky.
Clear turquoise water gently laps against rocky shores under sunlight.
A scenic view of a rocky coastline featuring a clear blue sky, calm turquoise waters, and a pebble-strewn beach with surrounding hills.
A person standing on a rocky beach by the ocean, with blue sky and cliffs in the background.
A rocky coastline with clear turquoise water in a cove, surrounded by rugged cliffs and green vegetation.
Rocky coastal landscape with steep cliffs overlooking the ocean, blue water, and clear sky.
A rabbit hopping over green vegetation in a natural landscape.
A scenic view of rocky coastlines meeting the ocean under a clear blue sky.
A rocky island with lush greenery surrounded by calm blue waters under a clear blue sky.
A person walking along a coastal cliff with ocean waves below, under a clear blue sky.
Rocky coastline with a large rock formation and clear blue ocean under a bright sky.
Coastal view with rocky cliffs and a distant island in the ocean under a clear blue sky.

Top of Twillingate Trail

This hike was more in the woods with viewpoints of the water. With the rain, it was a bit muddy in spots, and the mosquitoes found us if we stopped for too long. This trail was almost 2 miles.

A person walking on a wooden boardwalk through a lush green landscape, surrounded by tall trees under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A panoramic view of a lush green landscape with a forested area in the foreground leading to a calm ocean and distant hills under a partly cloudy blue sky.
A scenic view of a body of water surrounded by islands, with lush green trees in the foreground and a cloudy sky above.
A couple posing for a selfie with a scenic view of rolling hills and a body of water in the background.
A panoramic view of a calm lake surrounded by lush green forests under a cloudy sky, with several small islands visible in the water.
A scenic view of a coastal landscape featuring multiple islands surrounded by calm waters, with green forests in the foreground and rolling hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Trail from Peyton’s Woods RV Park

For this 1.5 mile hike, we started at our rv park and walked down to the beach in Back Harbour. We continued past the docks and fishing area and on to the top of the small mountain we had seen from the campground. The views were worth the somewhat steep climb to the top.

Colorful fishing huts reflected in calm water, surrounded by green hills and a clear blue sky.
A coastal landscape featuring a small fishing village with colorful houses and boats docked near the shoreline, surrounded by water and hills under a clear blue sky.
A tranquil view of a calm sea with blue skies and a distant rocky island, framed by rugged shoreline and moss-covered rocks in the foreground.
A person standing on the shore looking out over a calm lake with small islands in the distance under a clear blue sky.
A serene coastal landscape featuring calm blue waters reflecting the sky, rocky cliffs on the right, and a small island in the distance.
A sailboat anchored on calm waters, reflecting the surrounding green hills and blue sky.
A rocky hill covered in green grass under a clear blue sky, with a winding pathway and wooden fence leading up the slope.

French Beach Trail

Probably our favorite trail was the French Beach Trail at Spiller’s Cove. Every time we crested a small incline all we could say was “Wow”! This 3-mile trail was a bit difficult with some of the small climbs, and it was muddy in spots. However, the payoff at the top was worth it! And we even saw an iceberg off in the distance.

A rocky coastline with steep cliffs overlooking calm blue water and distant hills under a clear sky.
A serene coastal landscape featuring rocky shorelines, calm waters, and a distant beach with scattered pebbles, framed by lush greenery and hills under a clear blue sky.
Rocky coastline with steep cliffs overlooking a calm blue sea, featuring a small pebbled beach below.
Rocky coastal cliffs overlooking calm blue waters under a clear sky.
A serene coastal view featuring rocky cliffs and clear blue waters under a bright sky with scattered clouds.
A person standing on a wooden staircase overlooking a calm sea with rocky cliffs and small islands in the background, surrounded by greenery and under a clear blue sky.
A scenic view of a coastal landscape featuring calm blue waters, rocky shorelines, and lush greenery under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of a rocky coastline with cliffs, clear blue water, and a distant shoreline under a sunny sky.
Rocky coastline with cliffs, clear blue water, and scattered boulders on a sunny day.
A distant view of an iceberg floating in calm water, with rocky terrain in the foreground.

Dining and Entertainment

Of course, we did more than hiking while in Twillingate. Our first night there we headed to Sansome’s Restaurant not far from Twillingate. It came highly recommended by friends and locals alike, so we knew it must be good. Mike got seafood chowder (which he thought was the best so far) and a lobster roll sandwich. Both were loaded with seafood. I can attest to the fact that the chicken tenders and fries were good as well, lol. And they also have a lobster pool where you can pick your own lobster if you’d like.

A plate featuring a lobster roll sandwich filled with lobster salad, served with a side of golden French fries.
A large blue tank filled with water, containing multiple plastic crates submerged inside, with ropes securing them, located in a building with gray brick walls.
A man and woman posing for a selfie near a waterfront dock with a cloudy sky overhead. The woman is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, while the man is dressed in a green jacket and cap. Behind them, there is a sign indicating the location, and a red picnic table to the left.
A cooler filled with live lobsters, showcasing their distinctive brown and green shells, some with rubber bands on their claws.

Twillingate Dinner Theater

We also went to the Twillingate Dinner Theater for a delicious dinner and show. The meal was prepared and served by the cast of the show, and then we were treated to songs and skits teaching us all about Newfoundland. We came away awed by their sense of pride at being Newfoundlanders.

When we arrived at our next stop in Gander, we met our neighbor who was one of the founding members of the Twillingate Dinner Theater!

A lively performance featuring five musicians on stage, playing various instruments and wearing plaid shirts. The backdrop shows a map of Twillingate North Island.
A performer on stage is smiling and holding a puppet with an orange beard, wearing a blue top and a long black skirt with a leopard print pattern. The background features dark curtains.
Interior of a dining hall featuring elegantly arranged tables with white tablecloths and black napkins, a stage with a purple backdrop, and hanging lights.
A live performance featuring five musicians on stage, playing various instruments like an accordion, guitar, and percussion, in front of an audience seated at tables.

Museums

Our last day in Twillingate we visited two unique museums that were close to each other.

The Isles Wooden Boat Builders Museum was a fascinating walk through the history of the importance of boats in the small communities around Newfoundland. Upstairs they have a workshop where they are building a boat now.

Wooden boat building is becoming kind of a lost art. Many men used to build their own boat in their workshop, or shed, in the winter to get ready for fishing in the summer. Now they are building magnificent models and displaying them in the museum.

Interior of a boatbuilding workshop featuring a wooden boat in the foreground, various boat parts and tools displayed on walls, and additional wooden structures in the background.
A woodshop interior featuring various wooden boat models and frameworks displayed on the walls, including a small boat hanging from the ceiling and several shelves with different boat designs.
A woman stands next to a partially constructed wooden boat inside a workshop, with tools and materials visible in the background.
Interior of a wooden boat building workshop, featuring workbenches, tools, and materials for boat construction.
Table displaying various wooden nautical artifacts, including pulleys, wooden rings, and curved pieces, in a museum setting.
An interior view of a maritime museum featuring a model sailboat, a wooden fishing boat, a computer displaying information, and various maritime artifacts on a wooden table.
A model ship named 'Voyager' with two masts and white sails displayed on a wooden shelf against a gray wall.

Twillingate Museum

Next door is the Twillingate Museum. This 2-story former rectory now houses a wonderful collection of donated items representing life in the Twillingate area. Along with all the medical equipment, christening gowns, fine china, photographs, and scouting memorabilia, there is an actual Penny Farthing Bicycle along with a picture of the owner, Arthur Hodge. There is also an entire room dedicated to probably Twillingate’s most famous resident, Georgia Ann Stirling, or Marie Toulinguet as she was known in European singing circles at the end of the 19th century. We love finding the local museum and learning about the history of the area through the eyes of the local residents.

A vintage boat schedule display featuring the words 'BONAVISTA ARRIVED HERRING'NK SUNDAY' and a circular clock face with hour markers.
An old-fashioned ophthalmic examination chair with a phoropter, situated in a museum setting, featuring a leather seat and armrests.
A display case containing a variety of antique items, including porcelain plates, books, laboratory glassware, a wooden balance scale, and a metal saw.
A historical black and white photo of a man standing next to a penny-farthing bicycle, with a waterfront and boats in the background. The photo includes a plaque with information about Arthur H. Hodge.
A vintage penny-farthing bicycle with a large front wheel and smaller rear wheel, leaning against a wall with several old walking sticks in the background.
A vintage nursery setting featuring old-fashioned white dresses hanging on a wall, two antique cribs, and a doll dressed in white, with floral wallpaper and soft natural light coming through the window.
Display case featuring historical artifacts, including a portrait of a woman, letters, and various documents, surrounded by green fabric curtains.
An interior exhibit showcasing historical garments, including a red dress and a variety of black attire on mannequins, set against a patterned wall. There are framed artworks, a trunk, and decorative items like hats and a porcelain vase.

Conclusion

A campfire on a gravel beach with a view of a serene lake at sunset, featuring vibrant orange and purple skies.

We truly enjoyed our time in Twillingate. We even got to have a beach campfire at sunset with our neighbors. Their kids are locals, and we enjoyed getting to know them and sharing stories from Canada and America.

We are halfway through our time on “The Rock” as locals call the island of Newfoundland, and we still have so much more to explore.

Next up is Gander. If you don’t know, Gander and the surrounding area played a big role in the events of 9/11. We saw the musical “Come From Away” in Phoenix, and we are looking forward to exploring Gander.

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-350. 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

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