planetrumsey

From June 25 to July 3, we headed out from Ottawa to explore the rugged coastlines, historic outports, and colorful streets of Newfoundland. It was nine days filled with incredible scenery, unique local history, and some great gluten-free finds along the way.

Here is a look back at how our East Coast adventure unfolded.

🏔️ Part 1: Iceberg Hunting & Shed Parties in Twillingate

Days 1–3: Settling into "The Isles"

Our journey started with a bit of a travel hurdle: our original flight was cancelled, and the resulting rerouting gave us a three-hour delay. By the time we finally drove into Twillingate, it was 10:45 PM. Luckily, our home base for the first three nights—a classic, saltbox-style home right in Wild Cove—was as cozy as it was traditional, making it the perfect spot to unwind after a long day of traveling.

The next morning, we hit the water with Twillingate Adventure Tours. We chose this specific tour because the smaller boat size lets you get much closer to the sights. We went out looking for icebergs and struck gold, spotting two of them—including one that was absolutely massive!

After spending the afternoon exploring the town, we headed to a shed party in the evening with the Grand 'ol Shed Party. With traditional music and a great crowd, it was a fantastic, fun introduction to local culture.

Day 3 was our dedicated hiking day. We laced up our boots and ventured out to Spillers Cove, followed by a trek up to the Top of Twillingate. We rounded out the day by catching a spectacular sunset from the Long Point Lighthouse.

Did You Know? Twillingate sits right in "Iceberg Alley." Every spring and early summer, 10,000-year-old glacial giants break off from Greenland and float right past these northern shores.

🌊 Part 2: Coastal Pastures & Scenic Trails on the Bonavista Peninsula

Days 4–6: Puffins, Whales, and Herman the Horse

On Day 4, we transitioned over to the Bonavista Peninsula. We stopped in Gander to restock our supplies and took a quick break at the Bluehill Viewpoint to stretch our legs. Our next Airbnb was in the tiny outpost of Champney’s East. We picked this spot because it sits perfectly in the middle, making it easy to explore both the Bonavista/Elliston area and the Trinity/Port Rexton area.

Before heading to the house, we stopped by Port Rexton Brewing Co. for happy hour. They have an impressive selection of gluten-free beers, and we grabbed a quick bite from the great grilled cheese food truck parked right out back.

Day 5 was packed with sightseeing. We started in Elliston to look for puffins, and they completely stole the show—they were incredibly cute, and we got some fantastic close-up photos. Next, we did a quick hike out to Spillars Cove before heading into the town of Bonavista.

While exploring, we stopped for a quick treat:

🍦 Sweet Rock Ice Cream: A Local Stop

Located right on Church Street, Sweet Rock Ice Cream is a great local spot to grab a cold treat. Their artisanal ice cream is made fresh in nearby Trinity, often incorporating local ingredients and handmade sweets from their sister shop, Aunt Sarah’s Chocolates. Housed in a bright, colorful building, they serve up a rotating menu of traditional flavors alongside unique options like Carrot Cake ice cream and refreshing Lemon Sorbet. They also offer scratch-made waffle cones and excellent gluten-free options, making it a perfect afternoon pit stop.

From there, we drove out to the Bonavista Lighthouse, where we had a clear view of the ocean and even spotted multiple whales breaching. On the way back, we wanted to check out The Dungeon Provincial Park, which took us straight through a community pasture:

🐎 The Living History of the Bonavista Community Pasture

Driving down Dungeon Road toward the sea cave feels like stepping back in time, mostly because free-roaming sheep and horses casually claim right-of-way on the gravel road. This coastal expanse is a living example of a traditional Newfoundland community pasture.

Historically, rural outports used a shared system for managing livestock. Instead of fencing animals in, early settlers built extensive wooden fences to keep livestock out of their private vegetable gardens. The vast, unfenced coastal barrens—the common land—were left entirely to the animals to freely roam and forage. Many of the horses grazing here carry the heritage of the Newfoundland Pony, a hardy breed perfectly adapted to the island's brutal climate. The animals were incredibly curious and walked right up to our car windows, and we even officially named one horse Herman!

Before leaving the peninsula on Day 6, we got an early start to tackle the area's most famous trail:

🥾 The Iconic Skerwink Trail

This 5.3 km coastal loop is internationally celebrated, even earning a spot on Travel + Leisure magazine's list of the top 35 walks in North America and Europe.

The trail starts as an easy, flat walk along an old railway bed through the forest. But around the one-kilometer mark, the trees open up to a spectacular cliffside path perched high above Trinity Harbour and Port Rexton.

Hiker's Note: If you're short on time or don't love heights, the trail has inland detours. If you stick to the coast, the views between kilometers one and three are incredible.

The trail winds past towering sea stacks, hidden rocky beaches, and sheer cliff drops. It is very well-maintained, using sturdy boardwalks to cross bogs and wooden stairs to climb the steeper viewpoints. If you time your hike right during the summer, you can look down into the water to spot humpback whales, or see bald eagles hunting along the cliffs. It takes about two hours to complete, but you'll want extra time to stop for photos.

After the hike, we stopped at Two Whales for a quick drink and a snack before starting the drive to St. John's

. We made a slight detour to Mobile to have dinner at The Captain's Table—they are known for their great fish and chips and offer an excellent gluten-free batter

🏙️ Part 3: St. John's Charm & The Dramatic Avalon Peninsula

Days 7–9: Canada Day, Cape Spear, and The Rooms

Our first full day in St. John's lined up with Canada Day (Day 7). We took an Uber to the top of Signal Hill so we could hike down the rugged North Head Trail. After exploring the summit, we followed the trail down into the historic Battery neighborhood and stopped at the Battery Cafe for a break. After a quick rest at our Airbnb, we walked over to Quidi Vidi Lake for the evening music and entertainment. The fireworks were unfortunately cancelled due to dry conditions and fire risk, but the evening was still a lot of fun.

Day 8 was all about exploring the Avalon Peninsula. Our first stop was Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America. From there, we drove down to Ferryland to visit Lighthouse Picnics. It turned out to be a cold, wet, and incredibly windy day, so our outdoor picnic turned into an indoor meal. The food was fantastic, even if we missed out on the famous grassy views.

On the way back to town, the weather cleared up just enough for us to stop at La Manche to see the suspension bridge. The walk in was a bit longer than we anticipated, but the bridge stretching over the river gorge was really cool to see. Back in St. John's, we capped off the night at the popular O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub for some live music.

On Day 9, our flight wasn't until the evening, giving us plenty of time to pick up a few souvenirs downtown and visit

The Rooms

. The provincial museum and art gallery were highly interesting and offered some of the best indoor views of the harbor

. Finally, it was back to the airport to return our rental car and catch our flight home to Ottawa

Countdown to Newfoundland!

We are gearing up for our next adventure, and this time, we are staying a little closer to home. As part of a new "Exploring Canada" series on the blog, we are packing our bags for a 9-day road trip through the rugged, beautiful landscapes of Newfoundland.

Instead of trying to rush across the entire island, we are focusing our time on the stunning Eastern and Central regions, splitting our 9 nights across three fantastic base camps. Our journey kicks off right from the St. John's airport, where we'll grab a rental car and head straight into the heart of "The Rock."

Here is a sneak peek at the itinerary and the stops we have planned:

1. Twillingate via Gander (3 Nights)

Right out of the gate, we are kicking things off with an epic 5-hour trek from the airport up to the beautiful coastal town of Twillingate, making a quick pit stop in historic Gander along the way to stretch our legs. Twillingate is famous for its dramatic cliffs and ocean views. We are dedicating three full nights here to trek the incredible Twillingate Hiking Trails, scout the waters for whales, and hopefully catch sight of some massive icebergs drifting down Iceberg Alley. If you're planning your own trip, the official Iceberg Viewing Guide is a great resource to bookmark for tracking these glacial giants from the shore.

2. Port Rexton, Bonavista, & Elliston (2 Nights)

Next, we’ll wind our way down to the stunning Bonavista Peninsula, setting up our base camp in Port Rexton for two nights. While we are staying in Port Rexton, we’ll be exploring the surrounding area extensively. High on the priority list is hiking the famous Skerwink Trail—a dramatic 5.3 km loop known for its towering sea stacks and sweeping harbor views. We will also be spending time in Bonavista and venturing over to Elliston, which is widely celebrated as one of the closest and most accessible land-based Puffin Viewing Sites in North America.

3. St. John's (3 Nights)

We will wrap up our 9-day loop by returning to the capital for our final three nights. Timing worked out perfectly on this trip, as we will actually be right in St. John's to celebrate Canada Day 🇨🇦! Beyond the city festivities, we plan to use our final days for some fantastic day trips. We are looking forward to standing at the easternmost point of North America at the historic Cape Spear Lighthouse, and heading down the Irish Loop to cross the spectacular 50-meter suspension bridge over the river gorge at La Manche Provincial Park.

It is going to be a packed 9 days of hiking boots, ocean air, and coastal wildlife. Follow along over the next few weeks as we share the full breakdown, photos, and highlights from this classic Canadian road trip!