Week 1: Canadian Summer Staycation Series!
This is the first in a series of 13 weekly blog posts highlighting one iconic Canadian experience in each Province and Territory.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of traveling for a vacation within Canada before, now is the ideal time to do so.
With a decrease in the number of international tourists expected to visit because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions in place, popular tourist destinations within Canada will be less crowded this summer. Hotels and resorts have been offering discounted room prices and free room upgrades to entice travelers to book accommodations.
In addition to a less expensive and more enjoyable travel experience, the tourism industry in Canada has been hit hard by Covid-19 and they are going to need our help to recover as quickly as possible with our tourism dollars.
It’s no secret to those who know me that I love Canada! Even though I sell travel to destinations all over the world, my favourite place to travel with my family is right in my own beautiful backyard.
Canada is more than just where we live, it gives us a sense of place and belonging and by exploring our own country we can get closer to its history and personality.
If my love of Canada could be packaged into a logo, this one from Destination Canada would be it!
One of the first places that I traveled to outside of my own province within Canada was in high school when I spent two months one summer working in Twillingate, Newfoundland.
Over those 2 months, I got to know the people of Newfoundland well. They were warm, welcoming, friendly and generous and they made me feel right at home from the very first day that I arrived. Less than 24 hours later, I was “Screeched-in” at my next door neighbours kitchen party.
A “Screech-in” is a ceremony performed on non-Newfoundlanders where you drink a shot of a very strong, local rum called Screech, recite a few words and kiss the lips of a cod fish to become an honorary “Newfie”. This is a must do bucket list experience for any first time visitor to Newfoundland!
Kissing the cod during a Screech-in Ceremony! Photo Courtesy of Destination Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the four Atlantic provinces and the most eastern province in Canada. Part of the province (Labrador) is located on the mainland and the other part (Newfoundland) is located on the adjacent island.
Did you know that Newfoundland is the world’s 16th largest island?
Twillingate, is an island, connected to the island of Newfoundland by a series of bridges and causeways located on the north eastern shore of Newfoundland.
With 29,000 kms of coastline, Newfoundland and Labrador is the perfect spot for viewing the 400 to 800 icebergs floating southward each year from Greenland past Labrador and the north east corner of the island of Newfoundland. This is known as Iceberg Alley and it’s the iceberg capital of the world.
Icebergs are edges of glaciers that have broken off into the ocean and the ones floating through Iceberg Alley can vary in size up to 150 feet tall (and that’s just the part that is above the water!).
Icebergs floating past Torngat Mountains National Park located on the Labrador Peninsula. Photo courtesy of Destination Canada
Iceberg season is typically from May to July with peak viewing in May and June. Twillingate just happens to be located alongside Iceberg Alley and as a teen who had never seen an iceberg in “real life” before, it was a pretty amazing experience to see them throughout the summer on my way to work.
You can watch the icebergs from land or on water in St. Lewis, Battle Harbour, Red Bay, Point Amour, St. Anthony, La Scie, Twillingate, Fogo Island, Change Islands, Bonavista, St. John’s / Cape Spear, and Bay Bulls / Witless Bay.
Iceberg viewing from land. Photo courtesy of Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism
Iceberg viewing by kayak – this is on my bucket list! Photo courtesy of Destination Canada
And if you’re lucky, you can even see icebergs and whales on the same boat tour! Photo courtesy of Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
Newfoundland and Labrador is a beautiful province to visit and Iceberg Alley is a must do Canadian bucket list experience!
Let’s all do our part and help support our own economy and tourism industry to recover by choosing to spend money on Canadian travel experiences this summer.
Stay tuned next week for part 2 of our 13 part Canadian Summer Staycation Series!
Here is the link to our other blog posts in this series….
Nova Scotia: Tidal Bore Rafting
Prince Edward Island: All Things Anne
Quebec: Turning Back Time in Old Quebec
Saskatchewan: Notoriously Moose Jaw
Alberta: The Drumheller Dinosaurs
British Columbia: Rainforests and Beaches
North West Territories: The Northern Lights
Nunavut: Inuit Culture in Iqaluit
We would love to hear about your Canadian vacation plans for this summer below in our comments section. Where are you going and what are you planning to do and see while there?
is a Canadian lifestyle and travel blogger, sharing stories, information and resources about family travel and everyday family life.
Very interesting article and love the pictures!
Thanks for reading Roselyn!