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Facing North America Head On
07/05/10
Facing North America Head On
Today we woke up in St John's, Newfoundland to the sound of rain. We had a lovely breakfast and headed out. Good thing we brought sweaters and jackets since the high was 55 F!
We walked along the harbor and ended up getting to Signal Hill National Historic Site. Although it was overcast all morning, the views were beautiful. We poked around the park a bit, hiked a little down the back side.
Cabot Tower
Cabot Tower was built to celebrate/commemorate John Cabot's landing at Newfoundland. Near this tower, the first trans-Atlantic wireless signal was received in 1901. The area also used to house several hospitals since people believed that fresh breezes would prevent and cure illnesses. Signal Hill was used during wars, as a hanging area (exciting!) and as a city outlook (St John's has gone through several big fires).
Snails. There were so many snails. I had no idea that snails lived in trees and flowers and on pavement. Good Man yelled at me, "You killed 달팽이!" Well, it wasn't on purpose!
Snail at Signal Hill
Me, at Signal Hill
We finally hoofed it back down to the city to have some lunch and to rest (and recharge my camera battery) before heading out again. Then we drove to Cape Spear.
Cape Spear, Newfoundland
Cape Spear is—if you ignore Greenland—the most easterly point of North America. At the site you find several buildings used as homes in the past, two lighthouses, and some building that housed "disappearing" guns during WWII.
Our tour guide for the Cape Spear Lighthouse was amazing. She was also extremely excited that our first trip to Canada was to Newfoundland. (Unfortunately, we have no good answer to "Why Newfoundland?" Um, cause it's there and we haven't been there yet?)
Side: Why are park employees in Canada so darn young?
If you choose to ignore Greenland, then when you stand at Cape Spear, you can either face all of North America or turn your back on all of it. I'm sure it'd be gorgeous at sunrise ("Good morning, North America!") but seeing as how the sun rises at 5:41 tomorrow, I won't be finding out if reality matches my expectations.
Facing North America
After Cape Spear, we headed back to St John's.
Crayola or Grumbacher should sponsor St John's. It's like a box of crayons or a palette of oil colors blew up.
St John's Row Houses
Jackets Near the Docks
Good Man
Seagull Feasting on Trash Near the Docks
4 comments
"It's a great background for a portrait."
"It is a wall," he said.
Was Cape Spear windy? I was actually out there one time that it wasn't windy, and it was so unusual that we couldn't stop talking about it.
Petty Harbor, will add it to the list.
We're such lazy travelers. We basically show up to where we want to sleep and then listen to the other travelers and tourists make suggestions, or we ask the B&B owners.
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