We travel across the Avalon Peninsula to St. John’s, Newfoundland - much to see and do here. In St. John’s (the oldest city in North America) we charter a bus for a guided city tour, which includes Quidi Vidi Village with lots of local charm, Cabot Tower, Signal Hill (scene of the last battle between the French and English for the dominion of the Atlantic coast) plus the Signal Hill “Tattoo.” After lunch at “My Brothers Place” we visit the famous “Veiled Virgin,” Cape Spear lighthouse (the farthest point east in North America) and Petty Harbour. Our final day in St. John’s we visit the Institute for Ocean Technology where we are in awe as we see them design, build and test new boats and ships such as the sailboats for America’s Cup.

In Gander we see the North Atlantic Aviation Museum with its interesting history and exhibits plus the Silent Witness Memorial where 248 American soldiers, plus eight crew members, lost their lives in the worst Canadian air disaster in history on December 12, 1986. Here we enjoy a great steak barbecue dinner with all the trimmings upon arrival prepared by local natives at the RV Park.

Next you are in for a real treat as we mingle with locals in the laid back scenic fishing communities of Bonavista and Twillingate located along the Bays of Eastern Newfoundland. Here we get VIP treatment as local friends are our hosts for six exciting days. The locals look forward to our arriving so they can show us their wonderful friendship and hospitality.

In Bonavista we sit down to a fantastic private dinner served and hosted by local natives. Then we take part in “Newfie Time” and a traditional Newfie “Screech-in Ceremony.” You will never forget this day as it is truly a unique experience. Beside a Bonavista Highlights Excursion we visit the world famous Puffin Sanctuary of Elliston.

Twillingate has a traditional local Newfie dinner planned for us the evening we arrive. Twillingate is definitely a highlight of this tour and the best place to experience the old down home Newfie traditions and culture you come on these trips for. Beside some very interesting tours, we enjoy the live local musical show “Split Peas”. We top this all off with a scenic whale watching boat cruise aboard the M.V. Daybreak. The boat tour covers an area where kittiwakes, razorbills, storm petrels, murres and cormorants can also be seen. This is a prime location to view whales so we should have an opportunity to see and photograph Humpback and Minke Whales in their natural environment.

Then it’s on to Rocky Harbour where we are free to explore Gros Morne National Park and see some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Canada. Covering over 695 square miles, Gros Morne has many lakes and fjords with Western Brook Pond, the most striking having cliffs rising to 2,250 feet. Due to its outstanding geology, the park was proclaimed “A UNESCO World Heritage Site” in 1987. Our staff are the chefs and treat you to a Barbecue hamburger feast one evening.

Following the coastline north, we spend two fun filled days in St. Anthony. This is one of the most interesting and historic areas in North America. We tour the Village of L’Anse Aux Meadows where the Vikings landed about the year 1,000 A.D. Proof of their existence can still be seen at the original excavations as well as at the reconstruction of the original Norse village. Our bus also takes us to tour Norstead Viking Village, Grenfell Experience and the popular Jordi Bonet Murals. There are plenty of moose in this area so keep your eyes peeled for these magnificent animals. While in St. Anthony we enjoy a special Viking evening called “The Viking Feast.” After we are seated, the Viking activities begin along with a feast of delicious and varied Viking food. After the meal, everyone is encouraged to take part in the “Viking Yell-In” ceremonies, making everyone an authentic Viking. We are given certificates verifying that you have been inducted into the “Eternal Viking Family.”

From St. Barbe we take the passenger ferry to Labrador and the Northern Lights Inn in L’Anse Aux Clair. Here we enjoy a bus tour of the Labrador Straits, the burial grounds in L’Anse-Amour and the one time whaling capital of the world, Red Bay, Labrador. That evening we sit down to a fantastic Basque dinner, spend the night and wake up to a splendid breakfast buffet. After returning to St. Barbe by ferry, we travel to Deer Lake where we visit the famous Newfoundland Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion.

After a stopover in Grand Codroy, we take our rigs to the ferry for our four-hour return trip to North Sydney and then on to Louisbourg where we spend two fun filled days. We visit the Fortress at Louisbourg, where one quarter of an 18th century French Colonial Town has been authentically restored. One evening we go to the Louisbourg Playhouse to enjoy a great stage show and live Ceilidh (Kaylee) entertainment.

After a night in Truro we spend a day in Hopewell Cape enjoying the magnificent “Flower Pots” formations and record tides before going on to Saint John, New Brunswick where the Reversing Waterfalls will be part of our Saint John area sightseeing tour. We enjoy an exquisite farewell dinner party at the scenic “Reversing Falls Gardens Restaurant” on our final evening there. Then it’s on to the border and Bangor, Maine where we say our good-byes to all of the new friends we met on the caravan and remembering the good times and fun we all had on our Ultimate Dream Vacation to the Canadian Maritime Provinces.