6/19/22: Newfoundland Road Trip Encore!

For those of you new to my blog posts about the Newfoundland trip Steven and I took in mid-June 2022, here's a brief recap. We began our driving trip from our home outside of Denver, drove across the American Midwest to Chicago, north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, across to the Canadian province of Ontario, to my hometown of Ottawa, then to Quebec City, to the Eastern Canada provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and finally boarded the ferry to Port aux Basques on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland. Here are links to four of my favorite posts from the road trip to get you up to speed!

https://bergersadventures8.blogspot.com/2022/09/61822-unforgettable-fogo-island.html

https://bergersadventures8.blogspot.com/2022/09/61622-twillingates-long-point.html

https://bergersadventures8.blogspot.com/2022/09/61522-north-to-twillingate-via-salmon.html

https://bergersadventures8.blogspot.com/2022/09/61322-iceberg-alley-lanse-aux-meadows.html

From there, we explored the island's western and northern communities, including L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, which was first discovered by Norse expeditions from Greenland, over 1000 years ago Then, we slowly headed south and east toward the lovely Twilingate area, before taking the ferry to Fogo Island, where we spent a few days discovering the windswept haven made famous by Zita Cobb, a Fogo Island native who left to study on the mainland, make her fortune, and return to reinvest it in several enterprises to bring economic stability to its inhabitants. 

It was now time to leave Fogo Island and return to the "mainland," although, in fact, we'd still be on the island of Newfoundland. As ferry reservations could not be made, we arrived 2 hours early for the 10am crossing to Farewell. Between Fogo Island and Farewell were several tiny islands, including Change Island below.

Returning to the mainland was like returning to a different world, Steven said, compared to the extremely limited services available on Fogo Island. Before heading to Fogo, we had spent days driving The Road to the Isles, a scenic, almost 200-mile drive on the Kittiwake Coast, known for its beautiful coastal views, wildlife, including icebergs and whales, history, including the Beothuk people, and connections to the islands, which provided a quintessential Newfoundland experience. 

Now, it was time to head inland first toward the small city of Gander, which caught the world's attention on September 11, 2011, when, as a result of the terrorist attacks on the U.S., 38 planes carrying 6,579 people and 19 animals, including 2 chimpanzees, touched down in Gander, almost doubling its population of 9,651. You may remember that all airplanes were forced to land at the nearest airport, and inbound flights from Europe were diverted to Canada. Passengers came from 95 countries with differing cultures, dietary and religious needs, and customs. 

Residents of Gander and surrounding communities welcomed strangers, whom they called “plane people,” into their homes, churches, and schools. As passengers were only allowed to bring carry-on luggage, many needed clothing and medication in addition to food and shelter. Over the course of 5 days, local groups and residents tended to the people's needs, often working around the clock to do so. Entertainment was provided, including boat rides, hikes, parties, and BBQs. Kosher and vegetarian meals were prepared, and a place was arranged for Jewish and Muslim passengers to pray. 

Years later, the story of the Newfoundlanders' tremendous hospitality was memorialized in the Broadway musical Come From Away.

Interestingly, a similar situation occurred just two days ago, on January 8th this year, when two flights were diverted to the airport due to bad weather. Again, the Gander locals got up late at night, drove out to the small airport to pick up the 300 passengers, and took care of them until the weather improved and their flights could leave again!

After being cooped up inthe car for too long, we hopped out at Cobb Rotary Park, which was named for Alexander Cobb, a Scottish stonemason who worked on the Newfoundland Railway, trained many Newfoundlanders to operate the railway, and also commanded the first train and crew that crossed Newfoundland before the launch of the passenger train in June of 1898.

Nearby was Cobbs Point Military Park, where we wanted to pay tribute at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

A short distance away was another memorial that I had little memory of. On December 11, 1985, an Arrow Air flight left Cairo on an international charter flight to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, Germany, and Gander. On board were 8 crew members and 248 passengers; the latter were members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, based at Ft. Campbell, who were returning from a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Desert.

Tragically, the aircraft crashed shortly after its departure from the Gander airport, approximately 3,000 feet beyond the end of the runway, killing all onboard from the impact and a severe fuel-led fire. It was the worst air disaster ever on Canadian soil. 

The plane came to a final rest in what was once a heavily wooded area, now a peaceful grass field. Ten years after the disaster, on December 12th, 1995, a memorial service was held with Canadian and American military representatives present, plus local, provincial, and federal officials.

On June 24th, 1990, a dedication ceremony was held in memory of the 101st Airborne Division. The memorial depicted an unarmed American soldier standing atop a massive rock, holding the hands of two civilian children, each of whom is holding an olive branch, indicative of the division's peacekeeping mission in the Sinai. As the trio is pictured looking toward Fort Campbell, Kentucky, they are surrounded by the trees, hills, and rocks of the crash site.

Behind them rose three tall staff bearing flags from Canada, the U.S., and Newfoundland, from left to right, and two others.

About a half-hour drive south of Gander was the community of Gambo, the birthplace of Joey Smallwood, Newfoundland's first premier, a role equivalent to a U.S. governor. In 1949, Smallwood led a referendum to have the province of of Newfoundland, now Newfoundland and Labrador on the Quebec mainland, join Canada. Before then, it was a distinct British colony and later a self-governing Dominion separate from Canada, with its own government. However, economic difficulties during the Depression led to a period of British rule, and the referendum passed, though only 52% of Newfoundlanders voted to become part of Canada.

Views of Freshwater Bay from Joey's Lookout in Gambo:

Another half-hour or so from Gambo on The Road to the Shore was Terra Nova National Park with its rugged coastline and boreal forests.

In the park's visitor center, we were excited to read that one of the world's largest populations of humpback whales migrates from their subtropical breeding grounds in the Caribbean to spend from April to October in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador. Even if we had had a crystal ball when we visited the park in mid-2022, I can't imagine we would have believed that, in a few years, we'd travel again to Iceland, on to Greenland, and also bop around the Caribbean, and see humpback whales in each of these places!

A skeleton of a white-beaked dolphin, who are popular summertime visitors around the park's bays and arms:

This was how much moose browse a moose eats every day - about 45 pounds! That meant that each moose chews up more than seven thousand tons of scenery each year, changing the face of the park. Moose weren't native to Newfoundland - they were introduced more than a century ago. In the early years, there was an abundance of food and few natural predators, leading to their numbers ballooning and damaging the park's forests. 

Their enormous appetites require large amounts of vegetation, and in winter, they browse on young balsam fir, preventing the saplings from growing. Eventually, entire patches of forest are converted to open 'moose meadow,' resulting in the loss of plant species and animal habitat. Parks Canada has implemented a variety of approaches to mitigate moose impacts on forests. 

The park's rugged landscape is surrounded by forests and wetlands. The ocean moderates the local climate, creating a maritime environment that supports a rich habitat and mix of plants and animals. Fun fact about rock crabs: They have hairs on their legs that help them sense movement in their environment.

 

Fun fact about sea stars: They have neither brains nor blood.

Fun fact about snow crabs: They can grow back their limbs when they molt.

Fun fact about rock cod: Like Atlantic cod, they are most active between sunrise and sunset. 

View from the park's Coastal Trail:

A short drive from the visitor center took us to Blue Hill, where we were treated to glorious views of the Newman Sound coastline and the islands of Bonavista Bay.

Fun facts about Terra Nova National Park: You're never further than 3 miles from the ocean; of the 169 bird species, 63 use the park as breeding grounds; there are 86 brooks, rivers, fens, bogs, marshes, and swamps in the park; there are 523 plant species, including trees in the park; 21 land mammals call the park home; and the park's highest elevation is 739 feet above sea level.

The former fire tower, whose main aim was to keep watch and respond to wildfires, was a rare sight in Eastern Canada in 2022, as even then, fire management had considered the ecological benefits and potential hazards of fires. The park had been home to five fire towers; this steel tower, built in the mid-1980s, was the fifth and last used, replacing the original wood tower. 

Signage cautioned park users to have a "light touch," as every interaction visitors have with the environment could affect its future state. Standing atop Ochre Hill, we had a dynamic 360-degree panorama of the park at our feet. From about 650 feet above sea level, the islands of Bonavista Bay dotted the horizon. We could pick out long, glacier-carved fjords reaching deep into the heart of Terra Nova's boreal forest. If we used our imagination, we could pick out bogs, rolling hills, and ice-scraped rocks.

We'd hoped to climb to the top of the fire tower, but the winds were so intense that we thought it might be dangerous to climb beyond the first level. 

Steven and I then headed east on The Discovery Trail toward Trinity on the Bonavista Peninsula.

Steven and I captured a postcard-worthy view of the historic village of Trinity from the overlook before entering the seaport, known for its well-preserved 18th-century architecture. It was 'discovered' when Portugal commissioned mariners, brothers Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real, to search for a route to China. Though that mission failed, Gaspar sailed by accident into Trinity Bay on Trinity Sunday in 1501. Merchants from England's West Country founded a settlement on the same site in 1588, making it older than St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the U.S.

It didn't appear that we went to bed hungry that night, did it!

Our accommodation for the next couple of nights was in a rustic cabin from 1948, but the price was definitely from 2022!

Now that we've only recently returned from Greenland, the vibrant colors of the homes and stores on that island remind me of the similar hues used in many Newfoundland communities. I wonder if it was also to help the locals be cheerful during the long, dark winters.

Next post: I'm excited to show you the Bonavista Peninsula!

Posted on January 10th, 2026, from the high seas aboard a cruise ship that left a few hours ago from Galveston, Texas, for two weeks in the Caribbean. It appears we left Denver in the nick of time, as winter finally made its presence felt with snow and cold. We timed our 'escape' well, spending the last several days exploring Houston. Make sure to take care of yourself and your loved ones.