Animal Watching ExtremesBirds to Whales in Newfoundland Whales and puffins, moose and eagles, osprey and caribou jigs and reels. Most of the foregoing is wildlife typically spotted on Maxxim Vacation's "Newfoundland Nature Tour" but the jigs and reels belong to the spirited two-legged nightlife typically spotted along George Street in Newfoundland's lively capital.
This 8 days/7nights "Newfoundland Nature Tour" begins with pick up at St. John's airport, a tour of the city, and an evening slide show. Steeped in history, St. John's is the oldest city in North America (as well as the most easterly actually closer to Europe than to central Canada). Highlights include Signal Hill where in 1901 Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal, and Government House, built in 1829, about the same time as the White House (but at substantially greater cost). St. John's also is a town full of fun, with lively fiddle music and pub-crawls along George Street to clubs featuring high-energy Newfoundland Irish music. Next up on the itinerary is a boat tour to one of the best whale-watching areas on the continent and a visit to a sanctuary for sea birds that is home to tens of thousands of kittiwakes, osprey, and gannets. It also is the site of one of the largest puffin colonies in North America. A picnic lunch is followed by a visit to an abandoned fishing village typical of those that formed the backbone of the province for hundreds of years. Days three and four bring more whale and bird watching, plus a chance to observe the world's most southerly caribou herd, and a cruise by schooner to North America's most easterly point, Cape Spear. This is the site of the telegraph station where the first Titanic distress signals were received. There's a visit to the old French capital of Placentia, before visiting North America's second-largest gannet colony. Placentia, settled in 1662, was the center of French presence in Newfoundland and contains the remains of a French fort.  You'll also spend a day on the walking trails of Terra Nova National Park. This vast preserve with its hilly woods, rocky coastline, prominent headlands, long bays, and picturesque coves provides prime habitat for moose, osprey, eagles, and a variety of shorebirds.
A morning boat tour examines Newfoundland ecology. This excursion also provides an opportunity to catch sight of bald eagles and, depending upon the season, giant icebergs. This is so-called "Iceberg Alley" where is a procession of massive icebergs drifts southward. These are cut loose by the same polar icecap that spawned the iceberg that sank the Titanic on April 14th, 1912. Traditional Newfoundland meals are provided throughout this relaxing holiday. You'll dine on boiled lobster, pan-fried cod with mussels and herbed butter, braised-rabbit pie, bakeapple cheesecake, and fresh-picked strawberries. You'll sample figgy duff (steamed pudding made from a 400-year-old recipe) and enjoy the local custom of a "mug up" a cup of tea. The tour ends with a free evening in St. John's and another opportunity to sample the Newfoundland capital's unique culture. Supreme nature watching with a touch of city fun adds up to a memorable week's vacation at the affordable price of $2,109 per person (based on double occupancy). Included is round-trip airfare on Air Canada's scheduled service from Boston, all ground transportation, seven-day guide service, selected boat tours, and all breakfasts and lunches. There also are departures from other Air Canada gateway cities in the United States (at slightly higher prices). Extra days are priced at $69. Reservations and additional information: Maxxim Vacations
P.O. Box 23055
Churchill Square P.O.
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 4J9
709-754-6666 or 1-800-567-6666
http://maxximvacations.com Edited by Dave Shultz -Updated 7-7-99- Back to TravelLady Magazine | 
