Being in St John's marked the true beginning to my 18 day solo trip and was a great start. Having the trip begin in a Canadian province (that I've wanted to visit for a while now) really allowed me to feel comfortable on my first day alone. No language barrier, crazy temperatures, foreign currency or long flights.. yet.
I specifically chose my flight based on having an 11 hour layover and therefore a tiny extra trip inside my already exciting travel plans. In the beginning stages of planning I was thinking that I would be able to walk, take transit and maybe a taxi or 2 but I'm so glad that I decided to rent a car instead. Not only did the car allow me the freedom to go farther and see plenty outside of the city, but it also doubled as a storage locker for my backpack which I would otherwise have had to carry.
First thing that happened when I arrived and went to pick up my car was finding out that I actually rented from Saint John, New Brunswick and therefore had no car to pick up. That rental company also had no available cars left. Though it ended up being double the price, I was still able to get a last minute car from another company. I re-checked the website after and it automatically defaults to New Brunswick and doesn't even offer Newfoundland as an option despite typing St. John's and not Saint John.
Next thing that happened was my phone died, my charger didn't work in the car and I went for a drive in an unknown direction with no map hoping to find, anything really.
I drove myself to a gorgeous place called Portugal Cove where I did nothing but enjoy the lovely scenery around me. I wasn't there long before I realized that my 11 hour layover would only allow for about 7 hour of actual sightseeing and I got driving again.
Somewhere along the way I stopped to buy what would be my first of 3 new chargers that I would purchase during my vacation. This particular one saved me from driving aimlessly for many hours without a map or any chance to research places worth visiting.
Whales, Puffins and icebergs have a season, much like everything else, but I still felt hopeful that I could see some. I found a place online called Witless Bay that is apparently one of the best places near St. John's to view all three.
I noticed along the way that Newfoundland looks quite similar to Nova Scotia and also that the speed limits on the highway are perfectly unreasonable.
Witless Bay was a lovely area but didn't offer much in the way of my desired trio. There were tiny white birds all over one of the islands in the distance but they were too far to see what type they actually are. I think we can pretend they're Puffins though.
Fortunately for me, I unknowingly chose the best route for my little road trip and everything lined up really well. Petty Harbour was my next stop and turned out to be a charming place for some photos and a break from driving.
I almost missed Cape Spear, which was the place I wanted to see most, but I happened to see the sign for it on my way out of Petty Harbour.
The whole Cape Spear area was just perfect. I walked along the paths from the car to the point that would be the true edge of North America, I used my iPhone compass and everything! This is the closest you can get to Europe without getting in the water or taking a flight.
Once I got around to the upper area where the lighthouses are and looked down over the cliff edge I noticed several pods of Orcas swimming together! Much like the "Puffins" they weren't super close so I didn't see much detail, but when they came up to the surface I could see the distinct black and white colouring.
The actual historic site inside the lighthouse was closing when I arrived so I didn't get to go inside, but with plans to return in the semi-near future I wasn't too disappointed to miss out this time.
When I couldn't take anymore of the Cape Spear wind I drove back through St. John's to Signal Hill. It was just as windy there.
Signal Hill and Cape Spear look clearly across the water at one another, making for a lovely view, but Signal Hill also has the bonus of looking over the city of St. John's. It's a bit bizarre considering how little they have in common, but looking at St. John's reminded me of a similar view point in Athens, Greece.
To finish up my whirlwind trip to St. John's I figured I should actually see a bit of the city! I parked near the water in what I assume is downtown and walked in the liveliest looking direction. George Street was different than I expected but still fun to see and the city in general had way more hills than I was prepared for. I actually had no idea that St. John's was a hill city.. should I have known that?!
During my walk I stopped for supper and had my very first ever meal alone in a restaurant. I can't be the only one who is incapable of doing things solo, can I? And yes, I realize that this was day one of me doing EVERYTHING solo so we'll see if I learn how along the way!
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