For years, we have been planning to do the Ferryland Lighthouse picnic but due to our schedules and how quickly they booked up, we never made it there until this year. We booked about two months before we actually visited and we lucked into an absolutely beautiful day when it arrived.

Getting There

Ferryland is located on the Avalon peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, about an hour from St. John’s. While we followed the directions on their website, we misunderstood one aspect. We drove up over a hill and towards a dirt road, however, it appeared to only be big enough for one vehicle. We assumed that this was part of the walking trail, so we turned the vehicle around and parked near the water, then walked in the dirt road. Turns out that you are supposed to drive in there (you will eventually see a parking lot on your right!). We inadvertently added a couple kilometres on to our walk, oops!

You need to drive in this road!

Once you reach the parking lot, you can either choose to walk to the lighthouse or get a ride on a side-by-side for $10. The website states that the walk takes 20-40 minutes but it took us about 15 minutes. There is one hill at the beginning and then it is mostly flat, easy trail walking. I would caution you to wear comfortable shoes as there was some loose gravel on the hill.

The Picnic

With Covid restrictions, we were unable to enter the lighthouse but instead took a seat near a pick up sign outside. We called in to let the staff know we had arrived. It took approximately 15-20 minutes to have our lunch brought out to us after we arrived. From there, we were free to roam the property and find a place to enjoy our picnic.

Normally they provide picnic blankets but this year we had to bring our own. We found an area away from others and spread out our feast. The sun was scorching and we had an amazing view of whales frolicking in the ocean while we enjoyed our lunch. The only downside was the ants that seemed determined to enjoy our lunch as well, but that’s to be expected during a picnic.

We both had a homemade lemonade and chicken curry sandwich with orzo salad, while I had chocolate ganache cake and Jordan had carrot cake for dessert. The meals cost $28 + tax for adults and there are also children’s meals available for $14 + tax. We had a choice of three sandwiches (one veggie) and six desserts. We paid for our meal via e-transfer.

Lunch with a view!

Overall, it was a fantastic day and a wonderful experience and I would love to do this again in the future!

Staycation 2020: Your Guide to Twillingate, Newfoundland

Hi guys! As I mentioned in my last post, Covid has forced us to be tourists at home this year. We are now officially back from our staycation and I can’t wait to share it with you guys. I’ve decided to break it down into regions to make it easier for anyone who may be searching for ideas from Google. First up.. Twillingate!

I’m not sure if I visited Twillingate when I was younger but this was my first trip there as an adult. Twillingate is  an island located off the northeastern coast of Newfoundland that is connected to the mainland by a short causway. The population of Twillingate is roughly 2200 people but they normally see tens of thousands of visitors during this time of year. Our friends who traveled with us have been there previously and remarked on the noticeably quieter streets in town this year.

WHERE TO STAY IN TWILLINGATE

We stayed at Cricket Field Cottage, which we booked privately but is available on AirBnB. As we were traveling with our dog, we had to find a pet friendly place that could accommodate four adults. While this place was a little small, it was nice and quaint. We were able to sit out on the front deck and see the ocean, which is always a bonus. The beds are a bit on the small side, but I was very grateful that the rooms each had a fan to accompany the ocean breeze from the window!

Our bedroom at Cricket Field Cottage

Bedroom door .. how cool is this whale?

Other AirBnB Options in Twillingate..

The Drift Away Suite is located on the main road next to the brewery and market and has a gorgeous loft and ocean views.

Cozy Cove Chalet has amazing ocean views and would be perfect for families or groups.

The ocean doesn’t get much closer than at Grandma J’s Oceanfront Home.. wow! Also, this place is so cute that I’d like to move in there. That claw foot tub! The shiplap!

This place is called The Museum and it looks so cool! A traditional salt box style house with more of those gorgeous ocean views.

There are a ton of options on AirBnB for Twillingate (and surrounding area) as it’s such a popular tourist location but be warned.. they tend to book up quickly during the summer! I highly recommend booking as soon as possible. Even without the out-of-province tourists, we lost our original location due to not booking it fast enough.

Use my link to get a discount on your AirBnb!

WHERE TO EAT IN TWILLINGATE

Sansome’s Dockside Dining is located shortly outside of Twillingate in a community called Hillgrade. We heard great things about this place and we were not disappointed! It doesn’t look like much, but the views are worth looking past the decor. We ate inside as it was raining but the ocean was directly outside the window. If the weather is nice, you can eat on the deck which is actually over the ocean. The service was excellent, the prices were unbeatable, and the seafood was good. We started with calamari, and I had the seafood chowder (which was so full of seafood that it actually filled me up) and a lobster kaiser. Jordan had fish and chips with gravy. All that, plus a beer and a soda came to approximately $60 with tax, which is quite affordable for the amount of food we had.

Fun fact: they have a “pet” seagull named Tilley who would have gotten the remnants of my lobster roll if the crows didn’t get there first.

Our table at Sansome’s

The view from our table!

The first of many calamari.. and probably my favourite!

Hearty seafood chowder

Lobster on a kaiser

Fish and chips

Annie’s Harbour Restaurant couldn’t accommodate us the first night we arrived for supper, but we came back for lunch the following day. It was a nice day so we were able to eat on the deck, but they have inside seating as well. We had calamari to start, and I had the “screechin” chicken and fries, while Jordan had the shrimp and fries. I rarely order chicken in a restaurant but the Newfoundland Screech and brown sugar sauce sounded delightful (plus I had seen a good review!). The chicken was incredibly tender and tasty, albeit a bit sweet for my tastes. Service was a little slow here but the food was good so I’d still recommend it! They also carry Split Rock beer, just in case you don’t make it to the brewery! Lunch for two was roughly $55 with soda and tax.

Annie’s Restaurant

Crab dip and calmari

Screechin’ chicken and fries

Shrimp and fries

Crow’s Nest Cafe is located in Crow Head, just before you get to the lighthouse. We went there for lunch on our first day. They have a couple tables inside and outside, but we opted to take our food back to the AirBnB. They had one or two panini options, soup, and a ton of desserts. Myself and Jordan both picked up the chicken and sundried tomato panini and shared slices of cookie dough cheesecake and salted caramel cheesecake. We were also able to get good lattes there!

The view from outside the Crow’s Nest Cafe

Panini and cheesecake from Crow’s Nest Cafe

We didn’t make it to Georgie’s Restaurant but the menu looked good and a local resident highly recommended the fish tacos.

If you visit after 2020, I will also suggest Canvas Cove Bistro. Sadly they have chosen not to open this year due to Covid-19, but the photos of their food look amazing and they come highly recommended.

Lightkeeper’s Fudgery and Gift Shop is located just before the lighthouse. We popped in and grabbed some fudge while we were there. They also have a gift shop with souvenirs as well as a variety of ice cream.

Lightkeeper’s Fudgery

Speaking of ice cream… you must go to Lickety Split and get a partridgeberry sundae or a bakeapple sundae.. or BOTH. I had the partridgeberry and the tanginess combined with the sweet ice cream was amazing. Jordan had a Butterfinger flurry which was also good but trust me on this one.

The menu at Lickety Split

Partridgeberry sundae

WHAT TO DO IN TWILLINGATE

Split Rock Brewing Co. is one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Twillingate. I’m loving all the craft breweries that are popping up over Newfoundland and I have previously tried and loved their sour beer. Sadly, they had no sours available from their Sour Patch B’ys line up while we were there. However, I did try and enjoy the Combines Ale which was a nice alternative. They also have bar food food available at the Stage Head Pub but we didn’t eat while we were there.

Split Rock Brewing Co

Jordan’s beer flight

Auk Island Winery is an incredibly popular tourist destination in Twillingate. While the wines are not personally my favourite, I know the tourists cannot resist “Moose Joose” and “Funky Puffin”. You can do a tour and/or tasting for roughly $10-15 depending on the number of samples. They also have a gift shop and restaurant on site.

Wine wall

The Twillingate Artisan Market is my favourite type of store. It sells a variety of products made in Newfoundland, everything from scarves to shot glasses and suncatchers to sea salt. I went home with some Newfoundland Beer Vinegar, an iceberg magnet and a shot glass from Saucy Pots Pottery.

Long Point Lighthouse is incredibly scenic and offers panoramic views of the ocean. We didn’t go inside the lighthouse but they had a Titanic exhibit which sounded quite interesting.

Isles Wooden Boat Builders Museum & Workshop isn’t necessarily a place I would have visited myself, but our friend wanted to go and it was actually quite interesting. The downstairs of the buliding is the museum and upstairs is a wooden boat workshop. We talked with the local boat builder who taught us how he builds wooden boats. Each year, they sell tickets on a boat that he builds to raise money for the museum.

A boat in progress

Follow the progress on Facebook!

Back Harbour Beach was where we spent a few hours relaxing while we were in Twillingate. The water is freezing but it has a nice pebbled beach that felt private. We were able to take the dog there for a swim off leash which she thoroughly enjoyed!

Back Harbour Beach

Twillingate has a number of hiking trails, which I recommend you check out here. We had hoped to do a hike but we were limited with time and it was way too hot on the full day we had there.

Last but not least.. Twillingate is well-known for its icebergs and whale watching! If you aren’t local to Newfoundland, this is a must-do. Along with ice bergs and whales, you may also see puffins, dolphins, and a variety of sea birds.

Boat Tour Operators:

Twillingate Adventure Tours

Iceberg Man Tours

Iceberg Quest

Captain Dave’s Boat Tours

With only 1.5 days in Twillingate, we tried to fit as much as we could into our limited time. Sadly we had to miss out on some things but that gives us the perfect excuse to go back again next year!

Have you been to Twillingate? If so, please leave a comment below with your best suggestions for anyone who may be visiting the area!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Where I've Been...

The answer to that is, quite literally, nowhere. As with everyone else, Covid-19 has thrown a wrench in so many of my plans for 2020 (like my resolution to visit three new countries) and I’m trying to adjust to the “new normal”. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I’ve spent a lot of time reading, playing Animal Crossing, and nelecting my poor little blog. It’s hard to blog when you can’t travel, go out to eat, or go shopping. Thankfully now we are allowed to do those things (with limitations, of course) so I’m hoping to get back to writing. To catch you up, here’s the latest on my life..

We are STAYcationing this year! We’ve moved our October 2020 cruise on the Celebrity Equinox to a new, unknown as of now date in 2022 (we already have another cruise booked for Fall 2021, vaccine-pending). We figured we may as well take advantage of being forced to stay at home and actually get out to enjoy our province this summer. We are heading on a 5-day staycay (or shall I say… “baycay”) very soon and I can’t wait to share it on the blog. As of right now, we are planning to travel to Twillingate and the Rocky Harbour area so if anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them! We are also planning a trip to Ferryland to have a lighthouse picnic and an overnight in St. John’s to celebrate our wedding anniversary (where did that year go?!). We’ve already visited Trinity and Port Rexton for the first of many trips to come this summer.

Port Rexton Brewery

We are tackling some home projects. Nothing major, but we are currently in the process of getting our house fully painted. We’ve hired a professional for the main area and we’ve been tackling the other rooms slowly but surely. We have one bedroom left to go in the basement apartment and then it will be complete. We are hoping to sell this house within the next year or so and a new coat of paint makes it look so fresh and clean. Once we sell this house, I can’t wait to take you guys along on the process of building our “forever home”! This house was only meant to be a short-term plan and we have so many ideas for our next home. Step one: we need to figure out where we want to build it.

Mug from Ethereal Boutique

I’ve done a lot of shopping lately. I’ve been trying to support local businesses during this tough time, but I’ve also bought quite a few new items for summer. I’m planning to do an Instagram story post as soon as our living situation is back to normal. I’ve also become an East Coast Mermaid rep for the Sandy Toes Shop. Do yourself a favour and go check them out – they have the cutest line of east coast/beach life apparel. Plus, the tank tops are so soft and comfortable. I have a feeling I’ll be living in them all summer long!

East Coast Mermaid tank from Sandy Toes Shop

I think that’s all the news I have for now! What’s new with you guys? Leave a comment below!

Celebrity Equinox Eastern Caribbean Review: Day Four

Magen’s Bay, St. Thomas

Day four on the Celebrity Equinox was another port stop, this time in St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands). St. Thomas is known for its beautiful beaches and so our plans for the day involved a trip to the famous Magen’s Bay Beach. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the buffet before getting off the ship in St. Thomas. We didn’t book an excursion, opting to travel to the beach via an open-air cab. The cost from the Crown Bay cruise ship terminal to Magen’s Bay is $10 per person one way. There are lots of cabs to choose from just outside the cruise port but the rate is a flat rate and doesn’t vary.

The ride to Magen’s Bay was very interesting, to say the least. You basically go up one mountain and down the other. The roads are narrow and full of twists and turns, with no sidewalks and steep cliffs. Our cab driver was a woman and she was lovely & did a great job of getting us there safely, but I personally wasn’t a fan of the drive itself. However, it did lend itself to some beautiful views of St. Thomas!

The view from the taxi!

The group of tourists traveling on our cab made plans with our driver to pick us up at the beach in three hours. Once we got to the beach, we separated from the group and walked down to grab a lounger in front of one of the bars. We spent about three hours lounging in the shade, swimming, and enjoying the view. I have to be honest, though – Magen’s Bay is rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it wasn’t our favourite. I can’t explain why and I’m glad I went there, but I don’t feel the need to go back again.

Magen’s Bay Beach

Supper and Martini Bar

After we got back to the ship, we decided to grab burgers at Mast Grill for a quick afternoon snack. We then spent some time reading on the pool deck before heading back to our room to get ready for supper. I recall watching the view of the sunset that day and just feeling so happy and grateful to be there. Ever get those moments where you think “Is this real life?”. That’s how I felt that day.

Lounging in my favourite place with my favourite drink. Docked next to a Royal Caribbean ship!

A beautiful evening with the sun setting on the boats!

For supper that night I had the creamy butternut squash soup as my appetizer. I couldn’t decide between the rigatoni and the grilled branzino so Reggie brought both and I’m so glad he did as the branzino was amazing and not to be missed! Jordan had the caprese salad for his starter and steak and chips as his main. For dessert, Reggie brought us a chocolate mousse cake to celebrate our honeymoon! It was very tasty and needed to say, we were absolutely stuffed. I think we are both in agreement that this was our favourite meal of the cruise.

After supper, we went to the martini bar for drinks. We tried quite a few different martinis and got a little tipsy that night! I think we finally went to bed around 11:30pm which is late for us, especially considering we had an early rise the next morning for our excursion in Tortola.

Martinis from the Martini Bar

Celebrity Equinox Eastern Caribbean Review: Day Three

Land at Last

By Day 3 on the Celebrity Equinox, I was ready to put my feet on land but unfortunately we weren’t due to arrive in San Juan until late afternoon. We started our day with a late breakfast at the buffet, then spent the early afternoon lounging in the Solarium. Our port stop for San Juan was scheduled for 3:30-11pm, which was a first. Typically you are in port during regular business hours (for example, 7am-3pm, 8am-4pm, or 9am-5pm depending on the itinerary). This was also our first time visiting San Juan. We attempted to do an Eastern Caribbean cruise in 2017 on the Norwegian Escape but the route was changed to Western Caribbean due to Hurricane Maria. Needless to say, we were thrilled to finally visit some new countries after three Western Caribbean cruises!

Living my best life on the Celebrity Equinox!

San Juan, Peurto Rico

Finally, we see land!

We arrived in San Juan at 3:30pm and got off the ship around 4pm, once the initial crowds dispersed. We didn’t have a plan except to find some wifi (we never buy internet while cruising) and a place to eat. There is a Starbucks located a few steps away from the cruise port terminal, so we went there for a cold drink and wifi. We like to visit local spots when cruising but Starbucks is a sure bet for wifi in the Caribbean.

Sailing into San Juan, Peurto Rico

It was really strange to see the baristas in Starbucks dressed in santa hats considering it was scorching hot. In Canada, I associate Christmas with snow and cold. Christmas décor aside, it was a nice reprieve from the heat and we were able to get in touch with family & friends back home. I was also able to pick up the Starbucks “Been There” Peurto Rico mug! I’ve been collecting them for a few years and try to grab one whenever we visit someplace new.

I love all the colorful buildings and beautiful architecture

The famous umbrella street in San Juan

After Starbucks, we set our sights on a local bar that I had found on Google before we left Florida. We were hoping to visit a brewery but couldn’t find one directly in San Juan. However, this bar promised over 50 beer on tap and over 100 bottled varieties. After a lot of walking and map-studying, we finally stumbled upon La Taberna Lupulo. Thanks to the expansive beer list, I was able to find my first sour beer in the Caribbean and I enjoyed it with some delicious tacos and chips. The service was great and it was nice to visit a local spot away from the hubbub of the cruise port. I will definitely go back there on another trip to San Juan!

Delicious food at La Taberna Lupulo

Hot Tubs and Pool Deck

The Solarium water display at night

Once we left the bar it was getting dark, so we decided to head back to the ship. Thankfully the walk back was all downhill and slightly cooler! We got back on board around 6:30pm and decided to go for a dip in the Solarium hot tub. I think we had the whole Solarium to ourselves at that point, since most people were still ashore!

Pool deck at night

It was a beautiful evening so we decided to lounge poolside after we left the hot tub. They had live music playing – a duo that sang folksy cover songs. We had a few drinks by the pool then went to the Sunset Bar on the aft of the ship for sailaway. It was beautiful sailing out of San Juan after dark and we were already looking forward to visiting again the following week.

Beautiful view of San Juan at night

CLICK HERE FOR DAY FOUR ON THE CELEBRITY EQUINOX