Going to Gros Morne in August, you expect somewhat of a break in the scorching hot summer weather of the Southern United States. That did not happen. We arrived just in time for an unseasonal heatwave and no air conditioning. That did not deter us. We still had a great time exploring what NASA calls, “a geologists’ dream” …”one of the few places where you can set foot on the Earth’s mantle without digging an inch.”
We stayed in Norris Point at the Tides Inn, in the Executive King Loft Suite. It is the only 2 story room they have and it includes 2 bathrooms, a mini fridge, microwave, soaking tub, living room area and bedroom. It does not have AC, but does have a couple of fans. The majority of time, this is not an issue. It also comes with a hot continental breakfast with real eggs!
While we were there, across the street, Jeremy Charles’ King Lobster Food Truck was set up. He is a well known Canadian chef and is now making delicious lobster rolls in Norris Point. You can get a lobster roll for $25 and add 3 salads for $40. I would stick with just the roll, since the salads we had were uninspiring.
Before heading out on your adventure, make sure to get a latte at The Old Store Cafe. It was there that I met the Newfoundland version of the “Soup Nazi” Can I say that? I mean it in the most loving way. She didn’t try to deny me a latte, but she was probably thinking about it. I made the mistake of asking what kind of syrups they had and another about the menu. They were met with heavy sighs. I settled on an old familiar, vanilla latte and she changed her tone and called me love. Of course I had to go every morning and was greeted with her not-quite, smiling face. 10/10 highly recommend.
Gros Morne is one of the four UNESCO sites in Newfoundland. A must do is the Bon Tour Western Brook Boat Tour. It is a 2 hour boat tour of a fjord in the Northern most section of the Appalachian Mountains, called the long Range Mountains, surrounded by deep rock walls in a lake that is 541 feet deep. The scenery is amazing and the tour is informative. To get to the actual dock you have 2 choices. Both of them require you to allow enough time to get to the destination. Arrive at least an hour and a half prior to your reservation. We walked the 1.86 miles to get there. It is a nice, scenic walk. Not hard. There were several older people walking. We stopped to take pictures, so it took at least an hour. The other option is to ride in a golf cart. It costs 10.00 per person. The day we were there, there was only one cart running, so it took a long time to get a ride. Keep that in mind.
There are so many places to explore and stop and take a picture, that its hard to see them all in the 3 days I had. Here are a few of the places we saw.
There are very few restaurants in the park. Seaside Restaurant is in Trout River and is pretty much the only game in town. Don’t make a trip just to eat there. The food is bland and underwhelming. It does have a great view, though.
The best meal that we had was at Chanterelles. They had great food, and a good wine selection. Which was very difficult to find elsewhere.
Gros Morne is more than just a beautiful landscape; it is a living, breathing geology lesson. The dramatic fjords and barren Tablelands are a testament to the immense forces of continental drift, allowing visitors to stand upon ancient ocean floor and touch the Earth’s mantle. For anyone with a curiosity about our planet’s history, Gros Morne offers a unique blend of breathtaking scenery and human spirit that makes a trip to Gros Morne National Park a truly unforgettable experience.
Trek with Kim 