Heading out from Trepassey, we continued along the Irish Loop up  the west coast of the Avalon Peninsula.  There were a few places recommended to stop and see whales close to the shore, but we were too early in the season.

The road initially continued through the barren lands we had seen on the east coast then transitioned inland through a more wooded terrain and then back along the coast itself.  We passed through several nice villages but did not have any reason to stop. 

At the north end of St. Mary’s Bay, we took a more direct road back to the Trans Canada Hwy 1 and were surprised when the road went from nicely paved to gravel!  But we were committed and headed on for about 7 miles until it became paved again. “The Boat” did well, and we had a little practice as to what we are expecting to see later.

Our destination for the day was back to the Sunnyside of Life B&B, RV, and Tea in Sunnyside to see Sarah and Danny again.  We stayed there last year and were thrilled to go back.  They are the most friendly and welcoming couple, and we felt at home again.  Their RV pads had full hookups too.  So, it was nice to be able to flush the tanks after 2 full days of boondocking. 

After we got settled, Sarah invited us for dinner along with a family from Toronto with 2 young daughters that were staying at the B&B.   She fixed her take on Cod au Gratin on rice, and it was very tasty.  The next day she let us use her laundry to clean a few things, especially what we wore on the Mistaken Point hike in the rain!  And we drove into Clarenville to take advantage of a large Sobey’s to restock our groceries.

We also took two quick close drives.  One was to visit the town of St. Jones Within.  Yes, that is the name.  And unusual names for towns are not unusual in Newfoundland.  Remember Come by Chance that we visited last year.  And as we turned off the highway, we saw our first moose of the trip just before he ducked back into the trees! 

Well, St. Jones Within was quaint and was located on a small bay called St. Jones Within Harbor.  And we just happened to meet two ladies out for a walk who were nice enough to stop and talk for a minute.  We asked about the town name and were told that, well, there used to be another town at the entrance of the bay called St. Jones Without.  And now that all made sense!  Right? 

We also drove down to Arnold’s Cove on Placentia Bay and found a nice walking trail along the water.  That got us out of the Jeep to stretch our legs for a while.  And drove back to Sunnyside through the grounds of large petroleum refinery which seemed a little out of place until we saw the large tanker offshore.

Finally, back to the RV and after dinner we were escorted by Sarah down to Danny’s Man Cave/Workshop for our “Screech In” ceremony.   Also in attendance were two ladies from the other RV in the park, another one of the B&B boarders, and the Mayor of Sunnyside! 

We were to follow Danny’s instructions which included donning traditional Sou’easter rain gear, repeating as best we could some Newfoundland sayings, standing in some cold waters of the Avalon, and “kissing a cod”!  After successfully completing this ceremony, and we “had to” down a shot of Screech Rum!  And we were then declared to be Honorary Newfoundlanders!  A title we are very proud to have.  Thank you, Sarah and Danny! 

Off the next morning to Trinity.  We visited there last year but just for a day.  We pulled into Trinity Cabins and RV and were able to pick our spot as we were the only ones there. 

Our plan was to go out on a boat tour to look for whales and icebergs the next day.  But we had checked the weather, and it was supposed to rain and get colder.  So, they let us reschedule for today.  It is still cold, but sunny and there is no rain.  So we were good to go!  We got “The Boat” settled, bundled up with our warmest stuff and headed to the tour office. 

We got there with plenty of time to check in and were told that we were going by van to the other side of the point because there was definitely a large iceberg.  And for safety and warmth, we were given a full survival suit to put on over our gear and we headed out.   To make the story short, we arrived, put on our suit and got aboard.  The boat was a 29’ RIB with twin 150HP outboards.  There were 10 guests plus 3 crew.  We sat straddled over saddle-like seats that we found were well padded and hinged on springs!  And cast off.

Shortly we were at the first iceberg we had ever seen up close or even at all!  It was impressive and had run aground in about 200 ft of water.  After taking photos, we set off for another iceberg off in the distance.  It was a beautiful day with sunshine, light winds and cool.  But the seas were choppy with 3’-5’ swells.  And at about 30 mph, the ride was bumpy, even with the shock absorbers under the seats! 

The second iceberg was MUCH bigger and much more impressive.  It appeared to be over 100 ft high with twin pinnacles. Even the captain seemed to be in awe.  We were amazed.   He went completely around the berg, and we took lots of photos.

Then we aimed for a spot further out where he thought the whales might be hanging out but to no avail and headed back to the dock.  And we checked off the iceberg on our list!   Now whales!

With the next day free, we decided to drive up to Ellington to see some more puffins.  We were there last year as well but too late for the puffins.  This time they were definitely back, and nesting.  The day was as forecast, cold with drizzly rain, so we didn’t stay long.  And again like the boat ride earlier, they were closer but still clearly visible anyway.   Lesson learned, put the binoculars in the Jeep just in case!

So now we are off to new places and islands.  Who knows what we will find there.