There is east, and then there is EAST. As in Newfoundland and Labrador, the most eastern point in North America and a Canadian jewel hiding in plain sight, but eminently noticeable if you travel with golf clubs or a kayak. Located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland is all about water, but I also found solitude, unspoiled vistas, and the odd caribou walking along the road.
I started my visit in the capital city of St. John’s, a deep water port with a colorful and vibrant Scandinavian/Irish feel, and the bustling bars to prove it. We stayed at the downtown Murray Premises Hotel, which made everything walkable, including numerous fish and chips emporiums (cod is the freshest local delicacy). As is lobster, so make sure to visit the Fish Exchange where lobster macaroni and cheese gives “rich” a new meaning. So too the ice cream at Moo Moo’s on Kings Road.
St John’s has one of the world’s great urban green spaces, Pippy Park, where the golf course offers incredible views and stiff North Atlantic winds add suspense to every tee shot (and make it difficult for groundskeepers to keep sand in the traps). Other notable golf courses around the city include Bally Haly and Clovelly. I wondered why so many local golfers are southpaws, until I realized it’s because they graduated from hockey, a sport where righties often find it more comfortable to hold a stick left-handed!
Before moving on from St. John’s, I visited two very special places. First, Signal Hill gives a birds-eye view of the city, its harbor, and the magnificent cliffs rising up from the ocean to do battle with the fog. The lighthouse and its horn provide constant accompaniment. Second, Quidi Vidi is a quiet cove that could well have inspired the quintessential bucolic calendar shot particularly when ducklings swim by. A more stunning slice of Newfoundland and Labrador’s exquisite natural beauty is hard to find.
Newfoundland lends itself to the vanishing art of motoring and I was able to indulge in a leisurely drive through the great outdoors, windows down, the road pretty much to myself. A circumnavigation of the Avalon Peninsula is a must, braking only for caribou crossing the road and the photo opportunities, which seem to be never ending. The North Atlantic coastline is as dramatic as it gets, but there are also endless lakes, all serene and with no trace of human taint. “Commercial” and “touristy” are unknown concepts in these parts so visitors will have to make do with “serenity” even at the beautiful Wilds Golf Resort in Holyrood.
For nature lovers and kids of all ages, the Avalon Peninsula offers Salmonier Nature Park, akin to an assisted living facility for wildlife that have fallen on hard times. You’ll find caribou that couldn’t make it in the wild and the world’s sweetest moose, Joey, who let me touch the velvet on his antlers. I felt like I had shaken hands with royalty! Just as extraordinary is Cape St. Mary’s where tens of thousands of birds roost cheek-to-fowl on the cliffs. Stand at the water’s edge from on high and be immersed in takoffs, landings, swooping, and bird chatter.
But about golf, and perhaps saving the best for last The Terra Nova Resort within the vast confines of Terra Nova National Park features two championship courses, Twin Rivers and Eagle Creek. Both take advantage of the Salmon River, which bisects various holes and yes, you can spot salmon jumping up the falls to spawn! On the 18th at Twin Rivers, you can be forgiven for slow play, staring at the sylvan vistas in lieu of teeing up your ball.
It was not easy prying myself away from Newfoundland and Labrador’s quiet and powerful beauty to head back to St. John’s quaint international airport. But one more stop at nearby Moo Moo’s for ice cream with obscenely fresh local blueberries had the desired palliative effect. I have a feeling others have had the same difficult time extracting themselves from paradise.