Day 1 – Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Home – St. Johns, Newfoundland
Today we will depart from our home cities and arrive in St. Johns, Newfoundland to begin an amazing adventure. We will be met by an air conditioned – washroom equipped motor coach, and transported to our hotel. The evening is free to enjoy our unique surroundings.
Hotel: Quality Hotel – Harborview– 3 nights
B
Day 2 – Thursday, September 20, 2007
St. Johns
What a fabulous day awaits us! This morning we will explore one of the oldest cities in North America – a city unlike any other – cradled in a harbour carved from granite. Surrounded by hills running down to the ocean – quaint side streets of a thousand colours, we will soon discover why St. John’s calls itself ‘The City of Legends’. And tonight a ‘special thrill’ – we will take part in a favorite tradition that prevails on the island of Newfoundland – the “Screech In” ceremony which includes a drink of the infamous Newfoundland Screech Rum and kissing a cod fish – or by lack thereof, the posterior of a puffin and repeating a semi-dialect, slightly risqué recitation. The reward of this ritual is a certificate naming the holder thereof as now “An Honorary Newfoundlander”.
B
Day 3 – Friday, September, 21, 2007
St. Johns
This morning we will spend time at the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is located at the most easterly point of land in Canada, Cape Spear. We will carry on to the beautiful town of Bay Bulls where we will lunch at a restaurant with a superb panoramic view of the harbour. Traditional Newfoundland cuisine is the standard. The much prized harbour has been the site of numerous marine conflicts and pitched battles which can be attested to by the shipwrecks at the bottom of the bay and the cannons on the headlands. After lunch we will board a catamaran for an exhilarating, marine wildlife adventure that captures the essence of Newfoundland and its people on an afternoon boat tour to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve which contains four islands – Gull, Green, Great, and Pee Pee – that teem with bird life. This evening we will experience “a unique & most enjoyable evening” where they literally roll out the red carpet in an elegant setting. We will savor the flavor of a traditional meal prepared by one of St. John’s most accomplished chefs and we will enjoy a sampling of more than 500 years of entertainment preserved and presented through traditional Newfoundland music, song and dance.
B D
Day 4 – Saturday, September 22, 2007
St. Johns – Gander
Today we continue on to another exciting destination Gander. As we journey we will take time to explore Terra Nova National Park – located on the eastern edge of Newfoundland, the park is situated in a beautiful rugged coastal area with a variety of habitat.
Hotel: Comfort Inn – 2 nights
B
Day 5 – Sunday, September 23, 2007
Gander
Today we travel along the Kittiwake Coast and discover unspoiled nature that is just “beyond your imagination”, and spend the day on Twillingate Island. The breathtaking, rugged beauty of Twillingate Island, combined with its many and varied attractions, has made this uncut jewel of the North Atlantic a favorite tourist destination.
B
Day 6 – Monday, September 24, 2007
Gander – Rocky Harbour
This morning we will depart Gander and journey to Rocky Harbour to continue our adventure. On our way we will take time to visit the Mary March Provincial Museum, which tells of the fascinating history and formation of Central Newfoundland. This evening is free to relax and enjoy our lovely surroundings.
Hotel: – Ocean View Motel – 1 night
B
Day 7 – Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Deer Lake – Plum Point
Another wonderful day is planned as we travel north to Plum Point and on the way we will spend time in Gros Morne National Park. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, this is an area of great natural beauty with a rich variety of scenery, wildlife, and recreational activities. Waterfalls, marine inlets, sea stacks, sandy beaches, and colourful nearby fishing villages complete the phenomenal natural and cultural surroundings of this world renowned park.
Hotel: Plum Point Motel – 1 night
B
Day 8 – Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Plum Point – Lanse aux Clair, Labrador
This morning we will board the MV Apollo for the ferry from Newfoundland to Labrador. In 1977 archaeologists began excavations that were to reveal what was Canada’s first industrial complex and to help write a new chapter in the early European history of North America. Archaeology on the land has revealed the shore stations where whales were brought for processing and where their blubber was rendered into marketable oil. More than 20 tryworks, hearths for rendering blubber into oil, have been located. In the late 1500s ships sailed each year from the Basque Provinces of France and Spain to hunt right and bowhead whales in the Strait of Belle Isle. The primary port for this 16th century enterprise was the sheltered harbour of Red Bay, and today we will be transported back in time as we cross the Labrador Straights to this National Historic Sight.
Hotel: Northern Light Inn – 1 night
B
Day 9 – Thursday, September 27, 2007
Lanse aux Clair – Plum Point
The adventure continues today as we spend time at the earliest known European settlement in the New World, L’Anse aux Meadows. The reconstructions of three Norse buildings are the focal point of this archaeological site. The archaeological remains at the site were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Exhibits highlight the Viking lifestyle, artifacts, and the archaeological discovery of the site. We will also spend time in St. Anthony at the Sir Wilfred Grenfell House. Grenfell first came to Newfoundland in 1892 as a part of the National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen who came to investigate the living conditions associated with the Labrador fishery. The appalling levels of poverty endured by the fishermen and local population shocked him. The next year, he decided to return with a team of two doctors and two nurses. It was the beginning of Grenfell’s lifetime of service to the people Newfoundland and Labrador. And this evening we will enjoy a very special dinner, as we enjoy a Viking Feast in the small town of St. Anthony.
Hotel: Plum Point Motel – 1 night
B D
Day 10 – Friday, September 28, 2007
Plum Point – Halifax, Nova Scotia
And now we retrace our steps as we journey south to Deer Lake. And here we may choose to extend our amazing adventure as the tour will continue on to explore the ‘Magical Maritimes’ – or perhaps we may wish to depart for home – to tell of the wonderful new memories and new friends we have made on this incredible journey.
Features of This Tour
- First class transportation on an air conditioned, washroom equipped motor coach
- All accommodations – 11 breakfasts – 2 dinners
- All taxes – Services of experienced tour directors and driver
- St. Johns City Tour
- Screetching ceremony
- Cape Spear
- Witless Bay Ecological Cruise
- Twillingate Island
- Gros Morne National Park
- Viking Village, L’Anse aux Meadows
- 17th Century Whaling Station, Labrador
Rates Per Person:
Two per room
$1,895.00 per person
One per room
$2,395.00 per person
The rates quoted are in Canadian currency and are those in effect at the time of printing – should the tariff or exchange rates vary at any time prior to date of your deposit we reserve the right to change the stated rates without notice.
Reservations:
Deposit of $500.00 per person is due within 48 hours of booking. Final payment is due July 18, 2007.
Cancellation Charges:
91 days from departure full refund
90 – 61 days from departure deposit amount
60 – 31 days from departure 50% refund
30 days – day of departure no refund