Two Sore Backs

Newfoundland is a firehose of gorgeous. Landscapes, people, artistry.

It is also, mostly, an internet desert. That’s why this post is so late! Except for St. John’s, where we were too busy to look at our phones, St. Anthony has been the only location with a fast enough connection to upload a photo.

We arrived at Argentia on July 24 after one of the most unique ferry rides ever. 16 hours from Sydney NS, with hundreds of people like us who did not rent a sleeping berth. A stroll through the lounge at 4:00a reveals so many hilarious sleep strategies that it is worth the price of the trip.

First stop was Castle Hill – Val covered that in a separate post – and because Cape St. Mary’s was a literal fog bank we drove pretty much straight from Placentia to Terra Nova National Park. Sunny, warm, no bugs – who could have known that we needed to go to Newfoundland to dry out!

Day one was the Ochre Hills hike. It begins near a lookout tower on of the highest points in the area. Adjacent to the tower is a large platform that is used for star gazing. The views were awesome.

After the platform we headed off on the trail to the top of Ochre Hill.

After the hike we enjoyed a swim at Sandy Pond, then it was back to camp.

The following day started with a trip to Salvage – pronounced Sal-vay-je – the “Peggy’s Cove” of Newfoundland, and a hike on the Net Point trail. We were blown away by the views.

Then it was a tour of the area including visits to two beaches. Here’s a photo from the first one, Sandy Cove, that my dad would have loved.

And here’s Val, enjoying a swim at the West Beach near Eastport. Quite a day.