Newfoundland & Labrador - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 341

PLANNING YOUR TRIP
» Book ahead for rental cars and accommodations. If arriving during mid-July to
early August, secure a car by April or May and don't wait much longer to book a
room. Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism ( www.newfoundlandlabrador.com ) has listings.
» Driving distances are lengthy so have realistic expectations of what you can cov-
er. For instance, it's 708km between St John's and Gros Morne National Park. The
Road Distance Database ( www.stats.gov.nl.ca/DataTools/RoadDB/Distance ) is a good referen-
ce.
» Know your seasons for puffins (May to August), icebergs (June to early July) and
whales (July to August). Icebergs, in particular, can be tricky to predict. Check Ice-
berg Finder ( www.icebergfinder.com ) to get the drift.
Language
Two hundred years ago, coastal fishing families from Ireland and England made up al-
most the entire population. Since then, as a result of living in isolated outposts, their lan-
guage has evolved into almost 60 different dialects. Strong, lilting inflections, unique
slang and colorful idioms pepper the language, sometimes confounding even residents.
The authoritative source is the Dictionary of Newfoundland English
( www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary ).
NEWFOUNDLAND ITINERARIES
Five Days
Start in St John's by visiting Signal Hill ( Click here ) and Cape Spear ( Click here ).
Both are historic sites, but they also offer walking trails and views where you just
may see an iceberg, whale, or both. At night sample St John's eateries, funky
shops and music-filled pubs.
After a couple of days of 'big city' life, move on through the Avalon Peninsula.
Cruise to see whales and puffins at Witless Bay Ecological Reserve ( Click here ) ,
plan a picnic in Ferryland ( Click here ) or visit the birds at Cape St Mary's ( Click
here ).
Spend the last day or two soaking up the historic eastern communities of Trinity
( Click here ) and Bonavista ( Click here ) and the cliff-side hikes inbetween.