St. John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s history with European occupation extends back to the 1500’s. Excluding Greenland, it is the most easterly city on the North American continent.
You can easily make this city and the surrounding area a sole destination for a 1 week trip to Newfoundland. Every interest is catered to; history, communications, archeology, music, food, craft beers, geography, icebergs, whales…the list goes on.
For this trip we made a quick tour of the city, and spent more time in the surrounding communities.
The first place we went to was Rugged Rock Harley-Davidson to pick up a t-shirt for a friend. Formerly called Mile 1 Harley Davidson, is is the most easterly dealership in North America.
In our search of great coffee that we could grind ourselves, we were told to go to Coffee Matters. A St. John’s chain with 7 locations, they serve wonderful food and desserts. PS, the coffee was as good as reported!
We spent a few hours wondering around downtown. It is a little disconcerting to see massive ships in a harbour literally meters away. Every direction you walk in is an experience. Architecture, music, art, hills, sights of the harbour and surrounding hills, hidden alleys.. the sensory overload is amazing. Take your time and enjoy.
We had dinner at The Duke of Duckworth one evening. A local institution, it has 3 outstanding features. First, a huge collection of draught beers on tap. You will need to refuel after all the walking. Second, legendary fish and chips, also part of the refueling process. Finally, the coolest location ever. McMurdo’s Lane is an alley that connects Duckworth St. and Water Street. Due to a massive change in elevation, the alley consists of a staircase, that is a workout on it’s own. The entrance to the Duke of Duckworth is off this alleyway of steps. Enjoy!
The jellybean row housing pictured here is along Duckworth St. We also ambled over to the area of Water St. and George St. That is where we spotted the awesome truck.
Click here for other communities nearby
Support Bob’s Newfoundland and use our Amazon shopping links:
