Newfoundland Accommodations: Where to stay this summer!
My roundup of Newfoundland accommodations, along with local restaurant recommendations!
Tag: Newfoundland Travel
Newfoundland Restaurants Worth the Drive
From pastry pit stops to dining destinations, these are the Newfoundland restaurants to stop on a road trip.
The Newfoundland Staycation Bucket List
This is the remix. When we were making our travel plans for 2020, Adam and I decided after our trip to Italy in May we would focus on Newfoundland & Labrador travel for the summer, but that was before COVID-19 exploded the entire globe’s travel plans. Clearly, our third trip to Italy never happened (we’re trying for spring 2021), but our Newfoundland staycation road trip plans are still in full swing. Let’s be real, Newfoundland and Labrador in the summertime is THE BEST! We actually get nice weather, there is a lot to do, plus it’s more important than ever that we support our local tourism economy — they’re the ones that are always making us look good to the rest of the world.
Growing up we didn’t take fancy trips to Europe for summer vacation, we took road trips. Our little family of four would pack up the car with snacks, beach toys and rubber boots to head across the island; we went everywhere right up to L’Anse Aux Meadows!
These days, those trips outside the St. John’s overpass are affectionately known as baycations, spending time relaxing ‘around the bay’ which could mean anything from a tiny cabin by a lake to staying in a luxury saltbox. Non-essential travel is allowed here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I am doing all of the research to plan for a trip across the province. Now is the time to hit the road, take that staycation you’ve been talking about for years! While some accommodations and restaurants have chosen not to open for the summer, there are myriad options to make up an amazing staycation! This list is a combination of bucket list items I’ve already ticked off and new things I’m excited to do this summer.
Long Weekend at a Witless Bay Airbnb
Screw stopping to smell the roses, I’m all about them ocean views. Witless Bay is only about half an hour’s drive from St. John’s, so it’s easy to get there on a Friday evening, but it feels like it’s a million miles away.
Where to Stay in Newfoundland This Summer
Whether it’s a saltbox house vacation rental, drop-dead gorgeous boutique inn o homey hostel, there’s a plethora of Newfoundland accommodations to snuggle into this summer.
Glamping in Newfoundland: Feeling Right at ‘Ome
My affinity for hotels is no secret. I’ve babbled endlessly about my affection for them, particularly in my post about the Alt Hotel in St. John’s, but for our first wedding anniversary last September I wanted a different experience. After a particularly busy summer moving home to Newfoundland, setting up a garden, patio drinks, family BBQs and weddings, I yearned for some good old fashioned peace and quiet. While perusing ‘historic saltbox homes near the ocean’ on AirBnb I stumbled upon a series of small cabins cloaked in canvas. “There’s Glamping in Newfoundland?” I thought to myself, quickly scanning the photos of pillow top mattresses, bright quilts and ocean views. One phone call to Adam later and I had booked Ome Sweet Ome for our anniversary escape.
Continue reading Glamping in Newfoundland: Feeling Right at ‘Ome
Alt Hotel St. John’s Staycation
The best part about a staycation? No pressure to leave the hotel, not that I wanted to leave the Alt Hotel St. John’s anyways: With gorgeous decor and high-tech amenities, the Newfoundland addition to the Le Germain family is welcome.
The Food at Fogo Island Inn
I ate all of the food during my winter stay at the Fogo Island Inn. Bread on bread on bread at Newfoundland’s most luxurious island hotel.
Skerwink Hostel | Trinity East, Newfoundland
While I’ve stayed in lots of hostels in Europe, Asia and Australia, my experience in North America has been limited. And in Newfoundland? Non existent. There are actually less than a dozen hostels across the province, ranging from row houses in St. John’s to lodges in Gros Mourne. But as our Newfoundland explorations continue, Adam and I have been more interested in finding unique accommodations. Enter Skerwink Hostel.
I was excited about our overnight stay at Skerwink Hostel in Trinity East, a great little community on the picturesque Bonavista Peninsula 3-hours drive from St. John’s. The hostel is named after the epic awe-inspiring (and award-winning) Skerwink Trail just down the road, and having never done this particular trail before it was on our 2017 Newfoundland travel bucket list. It’s also happens to be a short walk to my favourite Newfoundland brewery, Port Rexton Brewing, which I raved about earlier this summer in this blog post. Continue reading Skerwink Hostel | Trinity East, Newfoundland
A Guide to Exploring the Baccalieu Trail, Newfoundland
Newfoundland’s Baccalieu Trail is full of things to see, and it only took me six years living away to appreciate what it means to be a tourist at home.
Port Rexton Brewing | Newfoundland
The dam of craft beer in Newfoundland is about to be tapped. When I left home six years ago, there wasn’t much of a scene here. Besides mass produced beers like India and Dominion (made by Molson) or Quidi Vidi’s small selection, there wasn’t much happening. Storm …
carmen’s capers (with no capers) casserole recipe
Sitting on the subway today I noticed a girl eating a full meal of pad-thai and I thought to myself, “I don’t know how she does it.” I’ve never really been one to eat on the run, chomping down on an apple while walking down the street or noshing on a slice of za from around the corner. Food trucks I can do — mostly because they are delicious — but I will still sit on the sidewalk or a nearby picnic table. And, I’ll probably have a sit down meal later.
For me, every meal is an event.
Even the simplest of fare, a soft boiled egg with toast while leisurely reading the weekend paper, slurping down a giant bowl of pho in front of the TV on a cold winter evening, or a quick weeknight bowl of pasta over wine and conversations with my fiancé, are all milestones in one way of another. The elementary act of preparing food is relaxing and makes the day melt away; I could dice peppers all day, grating cheese to shed stress with each pass, even the sound of the timer going off are all signs that relaxation is on the way.
For every milestone in my life there was food.
When my grandpa died, I told all my older cousins Mountain Dew lowers sperm count while sipping on a cup in the funeral home’s kitchen ( I was 13 and they still bring it up). When my poppy died, my aunt introduced me to the cheesy mini rice cakes I still consume on the regular and think of cuddling up on the couch with her munching away. A bottle of Crush cream soda sat in the cup holder in the car the first (and only) time Adam and I broke up. Honey garlic wings and scalloped potatoes mean February birthdays and all the Hearn women gathered around my mother’s dining table, and Carmen’s capers meant my birthday or a homecoming after I moved away from Newfoundland.
Maybe because I’m a little homesick, maybe because I’m craving pasta, here is the recipe for the ever-delicious-certainly-not-low-fat Carmen’s Capers (with no capers) from a Company’s Coming cookbook by Jean Paré from god knows when. For a long time this recipe had no photo because frankly I had no idea how to photograph it and make it look good!
Carmen’s Capers
Carmen's Capers (with no capers)
The ever-delicious-certainly-not-low-fat Carmen’s Capers (with no capers) from a Company’s Coming cookbook by Jean Paré from god knows when.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 lb spaghetti
- 1 - 19 oz can canned tomatoes
- 1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
-
Brown beef & onion in a frying pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir. Transfer to bottom of 2 qt casserole.
-
Break up spaghetti for easier serving. Cook according to package directions. Drain.
-
Layer spaghetti over meat.
-
Break up any large tomato chunks. Pour over top.
-
Spoon soup over tomatoes.
-
Cover with cheese.
-
Bake uncovered in 350F over for 30 mins until hot and cheese is melted. Cover halfway through cooking if cheese starts getting dry.
-
Let sit for at least 5 minutes to let the casserole set
Pin this for later
