4 D GSP’s summer in Newfoundland has not left anyone cold…

What a summer… it is truly hard to believe it’s already end of August.. we are having a rainy day which has not been a norm believe me or not! Locals say it has been a cold summer (last summer they had HOT and DRY one).We have been super happy with the “cooler”summer temps which are around 60-70F/16-21C. Perfect hiking/biking, being outside temps. The puppies love to being able to run, swim all day without melt downs. AND it has been a summer of living outside, grilling, campfires, kayaking, more walks, touring around with the car, getting laundry done, moving to an other beautiful spot to camp!!

Newfoundland is part of Canada as we all know… territory together with Labrador that is the mainland part of it. There are two ways to get on the island.. ship from North Sydney, Nova Scotia or shorter ferry from Blanc Sablon in Labrador but you have to drive 1600 miles from Toronto first to get there. So we took the ferry from Nova Scotia to South West corner of the island Port Aux Basque. We drove the western coast up to St. Anthony in few weeks, saw the Viking’s landing spot back in year 1000. Froze our butts off for few days, saw icebergs (Labrador currant that brings down the icebergs from Greenland flows right past the peninsula.) After 5 days decided that it was time to warm the toes up and we headed few hundred miles down to coast back to the sunshine and beaches.

After seeing the West coast and Gros Morne National Park we headed east and started to explore the mid northern coast with Twillingate and Bonavista areas. Getting back into tourist country and better supermarkets.. hehe, (not much as supermarkets and produce on the west coast, except Corner Brook) We took a leap to the heart of the island and went to Harbour Breton for 4 days, drove through 160 miles of “tundra looking landscape “, no people, houses, pit stops and were welcomed by massive fjords. Amazing how this island has always something new to offer behind every corner. Just beautiful.

We had a week in Terra Nova National Park booked up and settled in for full sports mode. Ian even went for windsurf … water temp was 48F/8C!! Itself Terra Nova is not very scenic park but island and peninsulas around it are amazing. Driving further east and towards St. John’s we were met more and more with weekend local campers. These folks love RV summer camping and most of them have RV spot reserved for full summer, using it or not. Less tourists from Quebec and more “flying in/rent a car” tourists. We are starting to be look upon like space aliens, having California registration plate, or just having US plates. Not many around this year, and we are find with that.

The island is not, I must say, a culinary wonderland destination! It is extremely hard to find any other meat than chicken, pork or mince meat, sausages in the supermarkets outside St. John’s. AND no it’s not vegetarian wonder island ether, fresh produce are there but beside potatoes, onion, cabbage, few peppers and tomatoes one is pretty out of luck in regular bases. All the fresh produce is imported from the mainland so which ever produce lasts the travel.. will be on the supermarket shelf. Yes I come from land of plenty but … come on!!! Tons of sweet cakes, pastries, chips, French fries and other frozen products are very available. Locals are not allowed to sell seafood that they catch, except lobster (season ends beginning of July). We have been gifted by beautiful camping friends some Cod fish… but that’s all the seafood that we have had all summer, not been lack of trying find some! The same goes for meat butchers… there are 3 butcher shops on the island and they are all in St. John’s. There are some local markets on the weekends but we stopped hunting them down after we learned that lot of markets and shops ether do not exists or just did not happen this year.

Weather is cooler on the west side of the island while middle/north and east parts are warmer. Seawater temperatures are cold so camping on the seaside beach will be cooler when the Ponds (lakes) are warm and pleasant. Camping without electricity provided to you by campsite … is up to you…just choose camp spot with sunshine for the solar panels. Most of the electricity and water campsites are taken on the weekends. One thing that we also have learned is that if you desire to have electricity, water AND sewage, the campground will be on “a patch “, meaning a gravel field with some or no privacy from the neighbors. “Full service” camping is rather new thing on the island and winters take a toll on most of things.

There are plenty RV camping spots available for last minute ideas outside weekends. The summer starts here some time just before mid July and is all over by beginning of September. Kids go to school first week of September. If you desire to stay more than 2 days in one camping spot and not beside the toilets I would book a little before hand. Camping out doors is big on the island. Also about the ferry from Nova Scotia to here and out. We booked our tickets last year.. hehe.. and if you have one in and out, keep it! Ferries are FULL, specially if you try to fit a car or camper in as well. Canadians are traveling in Canada now, its 2026. They do not take trips to USA or fly to Florida anymore.. It is the Fact! Island has been busy with “locals” and will be in future years as well. Newfoundland is getting hammered with high food and fuel prices in general ass well and is expensive so if you are on budget… count it in. Fuel is abut the same price than in Nova Scotia.

But… to the happier stories… we are very well and alive. Would not change a minute of this summer. The hiking is out of this world and if you are like me and Rhona..we like to hike alone and Rhona off leash loving the nature full time. Dog are well loved everywhere and everyone is most happy and content loving life. No sour faces (except the French Canadians, yes.. being more sour than the French themselves when you meet them first time!! ha ha), nature loving, fun having beautiful islanders.

It’s a New Year and New Plans

2026 we are going to leave our little South West Corner hide out in mid April and head to Lake Carlyle IL, with en route longer stops @ Moab and @ State Parks in Colorado and Kansas.

1st of June taking a ferry from Bar Harbor MI to Nova Scotia.

13th of June taking a ferry to from Sidney, NS to Newfoundland

Have beautiful summer months to explore Newfoundland

We will be back in Nova Scotia beginning of September and then cruise East Coast slowly towards south… Ian has A-Catamaran Worlds in Tampa Bay in November.