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St John, Newfoundland


mrspaper
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It depends on your interests

Signal Hill, Cape Spear

lots of history there

 

Here is a site with some thing to do & see there

http://www.stjohns.ca/visiting-our-city/things-do

http://www.trailcanada.com/newfoundland_labrador/st_johns/

 

Thanks

Great links

Looks like a good place to rent a car

From the port, what loops do you suggest we do

I have no idea how far driving is from one place to another

do you have a suggested route we should do

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We have been to St. John's twice and both were by air. We rented our cars at the airport. However on both occasions we stayed near the harbour and have some short term familiarity. The closest car rental appears to be the Avis store at the harbour and there is a National store close by. On our visits we did a whale watching tour with O'Briens. They picked us up and took us to their pier at Bay Bulls. http://www.obriensboattours.com This was in July when the humpback whales were in abundance. We have also visited The Rooms Museum which was a very enjoyable visit. http://www.therooms.ca

No need for a car if these are the choices. We have not done a driving tour the links that LHT28 provided have scenic driving tour suggestions.

 

we highly recommend O'Briens . It was a fantastic day with them.

 

edit to add this thread. it may help as well. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=754287

 

have a great time.

Edited by LiftLockCouple
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We have been to St. John's twice and both were by air. We rented our cars at the airport. However on both occasions we stayed near the harbour and have some short term familiarity. The closest car rental appears to be the Avis store at the harbour and there is a National store close by. On our visits we did a whale watching tour with O'Briens. They picked us up and took us to their pier at Bay Bulls. http://www.obriensboattours.com This was in July when the humpback whales were in abundance. We have also visited The Rooms Museum which was a very enjoyable visit. http://www.therooms.ca

No need for a car if these are the choices. We have not done a driving tour the links that LHT28 provided have scenic driving tour suggestions.

 

we highly recommend O'Briens . It was a fantastic day with them.

 

edit to add this thread. it may help as well. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=754287

 

have a great time.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

Lyn

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Thanks

Great links

Looks like a good place to rent a car

From the port, what loops do you suggest we do

I have no idea how far driving is from one place to another

do you have a suggested route we should do

 

I took a look at the scenic drives suggestions and if it were me….. I would choose the Irish loop. Depending on a few factors, you may not be able to get all the way around the loop. As I have mentioned we have been to Bay Bulls which is on the loop. It is a lovely area.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g154962-i754-k2911962-How_much_time_to_drive_and_see_the_Irish_Loop-Newfoundland_and_Labrador.html

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I took a look at the scenic drives suggestions and if it were me….. I would choose the Irish loop. Depending on a few factors, you may not be able to get all the way around the loop. As I have mentioned we have been to Bay Bulls which is on the loop. It is a lovely area.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g154962-i754-k2911962-How_much_time_to_drive_and_see_the_Irish_Loop-Newfoundland_and_Labrador.html

 

Good suggestion from someone who has been there

In Sept, not sure if whales will be in abundance. I've done whale watching, and seen plenty from my ship in Alaska, so it wouldn't be my primary choice.

I appreciate your taking the time to give me some helpful info

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Good suggestion from someone who has been there

In Sept, not sure if whales will be in abundance. I've done whale watching, and seen plenty from my ship in Alaska, so it wouldn't be my primary choice.

I appreciate your taking the time to give me some helpful info

 

You are correct, Sept is not prime whale season. The Humpbacks are in Witness Bay NL in July and August.

Have a great visit.

http://www.theirishloop.com

Edited by LiftLockCouple
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What you do may be very weather dependent. We were there for four days last September and had sun, fog, rain, wind - in various combinations. So, have a plan-B if the weather is poor.

 

If you go to Signal Hill, you will notice the Johnson Geo Center on your left just before you arrive at the parking area. We stopped on our way down, and were shocked at the admission price for the four of us, but we reluctantly paid and found one of the best things we visited. If you have any interest in geology, the Titanic, off shore oil industry etc do not miss the opportunity. It is a case of sensory overload, as there is so much to absorb.

 

The Rooms houses a museum and art gallery as well as an archive - they have an excellent restaurant with a great view over St. John's, if the weather cooperates.

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What you do may be very weather dependent. We were there for four days last September and had sun, fog, rain, wind - in various combinations. So, have a plan-B if the weather is poor.

 

If you go to Signal Hill, you will notice the Johnson Geo Center on your left just before you arrive at the parking area. We stopped on our way down, and were shocked at the admission price for the four of us, but we reluctantly paid and found one of the best things we visited. If you have any interest in geology, the Titanic, off shore oil industry etc do not miss the opportunity. It is a case of sensory overload, as there is so much to absorb.

 

The Rooms houses a museum and art gallery as well as an archive - they have an excellent restaurant with a great view over St. John's, if the weather cooperates.

 

Sounds good. Do you know off-hand if Signal Hill is on the Irish Loop?

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Sounds good. Do you know off-hand if Signal Hill is on the Irish Loop?

 

Signal hill is high above the harbour entrance. The ships entering St. John's sail right under its tower. If you are on the starboard side when sailing in, look up, way up. If you rent a car, you can visit Signal Hill about 5 mins later.

 

http://comerfords.e.tripod.com/signalhill.html

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While you are driving the Irish Loop, be sure to check out some traditional Newfoundland ( Newfie ) dining. For those of us who have visited Newfoundland or with a Newfie connection, such dishes as Fish and Brewis or Flipper Pie are things of legend. The Island has a unique tradition in the area of food. Here are a couple of links to wet your appetite.

http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/thingstodo/fooddining

http://www.encounternewfoundland.com/traditional-newfoundland-food-unique-island-dishes-and-where-to-find-them

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Cuisine_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

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While you are driving the Irish Loop, be sure to check out some traditional Newfoundland ( Newfie ) dining. For those of us who have visited Newfoundland or with a Newfie connection, such dishes as Fish and Brewis or Flipper Pie are things of legend. The Island has a unique tradition in the area of food. Here are a couple of links to wet your appetite.

http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/thingstodo/fooddining

http://www.encounternewfoundland.com/traditional-newfoundland-food-unique-island-dishes-and-where-to-find-them

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Cuisine_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

you're terrific

thanks

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  • 4 weeks later...
BTW, the capital of Newfoundland is St. John's not St. John.

I remember an acquaintance who got quite upset if anyone forgot the "'s".

 

I was going to jump in here. Yes we do get upset when flatlanders forget that we are St. John's, Newfoundland (pronounced New Fin Land-just say it fast) and not St. John, which is in New Brunswick. Completely different.

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  • 5 weeks later...

If you plan to book a car, its not a terrible idea to book it as soon as you know you might want one. Not sure when you arrive, but rental cars in the summer sell out in April/May for the entire summer. I go back home to NF every 2-3 years and every summer there are numerous complaints of folks not being able to rent cars.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Folks,

 

I live in St. John's and can give you some advice. The irish Lop, while beautiful is probably too much for one day, it is 6 or more hours of steady driving without counting time for stops.

 

There are 2 ways I would suggest you see the area depending on your interests, the first is if you are interested in history and the second in the outdoors and scenery.

 

There is an abundance of history here with skirmishes between the British and French from the early 1600's. This run would include Signal Hill at the entrance to the harbour, don't miss the visitor centre and The Battery at the base of the hill.

 

From there start your southern shore run at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America and take Maddox Cove Rd on to Petty Harbour. Have a late lunch at Chafe's Landing and head back to town for our visit to the Rooms. The Rooms Museum in the middle of town houses an art gallery as well as the museum.

 

If you are more of an outdoors type I would still drop by Signal Hill to have a great view of the city. There are great short hikes around the hill, they can tell you at the visitor centre.

 

Next head to Cape Spear and on the Chafe's Landing. After lunch continue up the shore to Bay Bulls. If the birds are still in, don't worry about the whales and go on one of the boat tours, either O'Brien's or Gatheralls. they take you to the world's largest puffin colony and you will see many other birds as well. It is really worth it.

 

If you skip the boat tour you would have time to go to Ferryland where there is an archeology dig going on of the Mansion and colony of Avalon. Lord Baltimore and his wife Mary lived here before going on to found...you guessed is, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Turn around at Ferryland and head back to town. You have about and hour and 15 minutes drive back to your ship.

 

The best place to pick up a car is actually the airport. It is a $15 cab ride but they may do a drop off for you if you are a preferred renter with one of the rental companies. All the big ones are here, and yes, rental cars do sell out here all the time so book in advance. Cancel if you need to.

 

Have a wonderful time here. We were our own country until 1949; the place is unique both culturally and geographically. If you want to see where you are coming to in a fun way, look for the TV program Republic of Doyle on line and watch an episode or two. The city is the big star, but if you watch the last episode of season 4, you might catch a glimpse of my husband and I, we were extras that episode ;)

 

Margaret

 

Ps Ask any other questions you like.

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Hi Folks,

 

I live in St. John's and can give you some advice. The irish Lop, while beautiful is probably too much for one day, it is 6 or more hours of steady driving without counting time for stops.

 

There are 2 ways I would suggest you see the area depending on your interests, the first is if you are interested in history and the second in the outdoors and scenery.

 

There is an abundance of history here with skirmishes between the British and French from the early 1600's. This run would include Signal Hill at the entrance to the harbour, don't miss the visitor centre and The Battery at the base of the hill.

 

From there start your southern shore run at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America and take Maddox Cove Rd on to Petty Harbour. Have a late lunch at Chafe's Landing and head back to town for our visit to the Rooms. The Rooms Museum in the middle of town houses an art gallery as well as the museum.

 

If you are more of an outdoors type I would still drop by Signal Hill to have a great view of the city. There are great short hikes around the hill, they can tell you at the visitor centre.

 

Next head to Cape Spear and on the Chafe's Landing. After lunch continue up the shore to Bay Bulls. If the birds are still in, don't worry about the whales and go on one of the boat tours, either O'Brien's or Gatheralls. they take you to the world's largest puffin colony and you will see many other birds as well. It is really worth it.

 

If you skip the boat tour you would have time to go to Ferryland where there is an archeology dig going on of the Mansion and colony of Avalon. Lord Baltimore and his wife Mary lived here before going on to found...you guessed is, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Turn around at Ferryland and head back to town. You have about and hour and 15 minutes drive back to your ship.

 

The best place to pick up a car is actually the airport. It is a $15 cab ride but they may do a drop off for you if you are a preferred renter with one of the rental companies. All the big ones are here, and yes, rental cars do sell out here all the time so book in advance. Cancel if you need to.

 

Have a wonderful time here. We were our own country until 1949; the place is unique both culturally and geographically. If you want to see where you are coming to in a fun way, look for the TV program Republic of Doyle on line and watch an episode or two. The city is the big star, but if you watch the last episode of season 4, you might catch a glimpse of my husband and I, we were extras that episode ;)

 

Margaret

 

Ps Ask any other questions you like.

 

thanks for the advice. I am printing it and taking it with me

In Sept, it's not advantageous to try to see the Puffin colony, is it?

It has been recommended we can walk around the city and cab it to Signal hill. Does that sound good, or do you recommend a car to get around for the day?

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  • 1 month later...
thanks for the advice. I am printing it and taking it with me

In Sept, it's not advantageous to try to see the Puffin colony, is it?

It has been recommended we can walk around the city and cab it to Signal hill. Does that sound good, or do you recommend a car to get around for the day?

 

Sorry for the late reply. You can just walk around if you want to but you'll miss a lot of the things that make us special. You can walk to both the rooms and Signal Hill, but the hill is steep. I would cab up and walk down. If you don't want to go too far, take in the rooms. You will see it on top of the hill as you enter the harbour.

 

Margaret

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