Day Trips

Day Trips

If you want to explore farther, there are a number of scenic routes you can take – these are laid out in trails around different parts of the Avalon Peninsula. Some of our favorite day trips include:

  • Tour Hawthorne Cottage in Brigus, the former home of famous Arctic explorer Captain Bob Bartlett. Visit Ye Olde Stone Barn Museum. If you are in town on the right week-end, explore crafts from local vendors and enjoy music at the Blueberry Festival. Stop for lunch at The Country Corner.
  • Cape St. Mary’s Sea Bird Sanctuary – Take Route 100 from Route 1 to Placentia. Visit the Castle Hill National Historic Site. Follow the signs to Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve– the most accessible seabird colony in Canada. Thousands of northern gannets nest on a 200-foot-high sea stack called Bird Rock, only 50 feet from the lookout. You can also spot razorbills, murres and other seabirds from here.
  • Salmonier Line Nature Park – Visit wildlife at the Salmonier Nature Park on Route 90. Specially designed enclosures allow you to visit moose, caribou, foxes, beavers, lynx, and other animals in their natural habitat. Trails throughout the park are board-walked and accessible.
  • Spend the day in Carbonear– Go shopping. Stop at Earle’s Riding Horses and go on a trail ride. Visit the Railway Station Museum, tour The Rorke Store, and go for a walk on the boardwalk.
  • Spend a day in St. John’s – Nature lovers should visit MUN Botanical Garden, with 5 hiking trails and 10 acres of cultivated garden area. Visit the tea room and gift shop. Take a stroll through Bowring Park. Watch the ducks at Pippy Park and take a stroll through the Fluvarium. History lovers will enjoy the Rooms Museum and Art Gallery . Shop in the specialty stores along Duckworth and Water Streets. Take a stroll along the waterfront, and stop at one of the restaurants to enjoy local cuisine. Be sure to take in the view from Signal Hill. The Signal Hill Tattoo is also well worth watching.
  • Take a short ferry ride to Bell Island and tour the community museum and underground mines.
  • If you are interested in archaeology, there are a number of active archaeological sites in the area.