How we celebrated Canada Day 2005

Most years we celebrate Canada Day at home. Our house backs on Quidi Vidi Lake giving us a front row seat on our deck to watch the fireworks. However, this year we decided to do something a little different.

We have driven through most of Newfoundland but rarely stop to really see it. We decided to take our time       and see the communities on the Trinity Loop, this Canada Day weekend. After decorating our bikes with the necessary Canadian flags we headed out.

First stop was at Monty's in Whitbourne to fill our tanks and empty our bladders. We chatted with some other riders. Some fellow HOG members were there on their way to do the Irish Loop. The Newfound Riders were also making a pit stop on their Canada Day run. We had a bowl of soup and and a quick chat with Monty, checked out the bike pictures that have been added to his wall since the last time we were there, and headed out.

We had decided to spend the night in a B&B in Trinity so we continued on to Clarenville on the TCH and then on to route 230A. We normally don't go this way because it is a little slower but it gave us an opportunity to see some of the smaller communities that we usually miss.

We arrived in Trinity about 3:00 P.M. and headed for the B&B. We stayed at the Eriksen Premises, a beautifully restored building circa 1850. Christene, the operator, showed us an album which detailed the restoration of the property, definitely a labour of love. It included a crafts store, and a tea room which also served traditional Newfoundland cooking. Nothing but the best b'y.

We spent the evening strolling around Trinity. They have an excellent summer theatre headed up by Kelly Russell and his wife. There's lots to see and do, with several restaurants, an art gallery, gift shops, boat and kayak tours and historical walking tours available.  You can visit Rocky's Bar. Made famous by one of the regulars, Kevin Spacey, when he stayed in Trinity while staring in the movie "Shipping News". He talked about it on the Jay Leno show during an interview. Another attraction is a coastal hiking trail, rated as one of the best in NorthAmerica. However, I'm a biker, not a hiker so we didn't check it out.

The next morning, after a big breakfast that was included in the very reasonable room rate, we headed out to visit the movie site which was used in the filming of "Shipping News" and the mini series "Random Passage". The road was not in bad condition and was nice and twisty, with very little traffic. It was a nice ride with beautiful scenery.

The "Random Passage" site was well worth the visit. We had a great tour guide and his stories added a bit of humor which made the visit even more enjoyable. They have added a Tea Room and gift shop, and serve some excellent Newfoundland pea soup.

We headed out again on Route 230 enroute to Bonavista. We passed through several interesting communities, including Kings Cove with it's old lighthouse. Port Union with all of it's history as the town where Sir William Coaker started the Fishermen's Protective Union.

We stopped for lunch in Bonavista. We had an excellent meal of pan fried cod at the "Harbour Quarters" reastaurant. This is part of J.T. Swyers Co. Ltd., a company that according to the information on my coffee mug, has been in business since 1892. In addition to the restaurant, the building is used as a bed and breakfast. It has been tastefully restored and even the furniture has been made by local craftsmen.

Next door is the "Ryan Premises". This company was a Newfoundland wholesaler and distributor for many years. The buildings are open to the public daily.

Since it was Canada Day weekend we thought that we could not return without going to Cape Bonavista, where, according to many historians is where it all began. Here in 1497, John Cabot landed and discovered the New World, claiming it as a colony of England.   

It was a short, scenic drive to Landfall Park in Cape Bonavista where we saw the Cabot monument.

After a short photo session at the monument we continued along route 235 to complete the loop.

We stopped for gas near the communities of Plate Cove East and Plate Cove West. I was told that in the past these two communities had different industries. In one, the main industry was fishing, because it had a good harbour, and the other was a farming community, because of the soil; an interesting little bit of trivia. We filled our tanks and headed to Clarenville for a meal before heading home.

Overall, a great weekend. Even the dense fog near Goobies wasn't that bad. It was all part of what we are, and why this country and this province are so important to us. The weekend made us remember why we are all so proud to say, "I'm a Canadian"

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