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2008
Tour
and Booking Information
Viking
Trail Experience
Journey
through Time!
Journey through time with us to
learn about the birth of a continent and the death of an ocean. Walk
in the footsteps of the New World's first peoples and explore the
home of the first Viking explorers. This exciting holiday starts and
ends in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and explores the nature and geology
of Gros Morne National Park — a United Nations World Heritage Site.
L'Anse aux Meadows, North America's only known Viking settlement and
Red Bay, the Labrador home of over 1,500 Basque whalers during the
1540s, are also highlights of this unique vacation. The holiday also
features the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains, a visit
to the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, lots of birds and wildlife,
plus a short journey to the "centre of the earth." Enjoy
Newfoundlanders, our culture, and our landscape on this
unforgettable holiday. And help us celebrate the 1008th anniversary
of the Vikings walking our shores.
Itinerary
Day 1
The program begins in the afternoon as we meet you at the airport in
Deer Lake (YDF), Newfoundland. In the early evening, we begin this
Newfoundland and Labrador adventure with an overview of your
vacation and perhaps a light hike in Gros Morne. Enjoy the coast and
fishing communities. The region is rich with moose, waterfalls,
orchids, mountains, songbirds, and wildflowers. The priority for the
day is meeting you at the airport and getting you to our comfortable
hotel. Tomorrow is when the fun — and your vacation — really begins.
Overnight Gros Morne
Day 2
Gros Morne provides one of the world's great geology lessons. As
Prince Edward noted, "What the Galapagos are to biology, Gros Morne
is to geology." Hence, its United Nations' World Heritage Site
designation. This morning we enjoy the gentle 60-minute walk to
Western Brook Pond for a 2.5-hour boat journey through a billion
years of geological history. The gorge, the mountains, and the
glacier-carved valleys viewed during this boat trip have been
included among the scenic highlights in Canada's tourism literature
for decades. The level trail's highlights include orchids,
carnivorous plants, and sometimes moose and caribou. The afternoon
features beaches, dunes, spectacular scenery, and more opportunities
for sighting caribou and moose.
Overnight Gros Morne
Day 3
Today we travel to the centre of the Earth. More specifically, we
visit the Tablelands where an 80 square kilometer slab of the
Earth's mantle has been shoved up on land from deep beneath the
ocean floor. Some scientists say the Tablelands more closely
resemble the surface of the moon than the rest of the Earth. We will
visit Parks Canada’s Discovery Centre and learn more about this
UNESCO site's intriguing history and geology. A poet on our
Tablelands walk might claim that we are actually walking on the
centre of the earth, while photographers will marvel at the
mountains and the visual spectacle of this glacier-carved landscape.
This region features a unique collection of plants including high
arctic species, southern mountain top varieties, and carnivorous
plants that are tolerant of the heavy metal rocks thrust up from
deep inside the planet. Our leader will share his in-depth knowledge
of the geology and botany with you; or you can simply enjoy the
rugged scenery and the local stories. We also take some time to
remember the Cambrian as we show off some of our secret fossil beds.
Overnight Gros Morne
Day 4
Today we depart Gros Morne and take the Viking Trail north to St.
Barbe and the Labrador ferry. Enroute we visit The Arches, where the
ocean has carved dramatic tunnels in the limestone rocks. The ferry
ride may require an early rise but it is a holiday highlight with
whales, seals, icebergs, puffins, and pelagic seabirds all commonly
seen (100 per cent average so far). This is a local service and the
schedule can be influenced by weather and other factors, but based
on our previous years of experience, it is likely we will have a
relaxing and memorable drive with time to watch for wildlife and
wildflowers. We always spend some time outside during the 90-minute
ferry ride to view the wildlife and to enjoy the scenery. This
voyage is often included among listings of the planet's best pelagic
seabird watching trips.
Overnight
L'Anse-au-Clair
Day 5
Today we visit Red Bay — the 16th century's whaling capital of the
world. Less than 50 years after Columbus, this little-known part of
North America had a population of over 1500 European people whereas
areas like Boston and New York were still wilderness. We visit the
interpretation centre, and weather permitting, we catch a boat ride
to the actual dig site where we explore the trails walked by the
Basques almost five centuries ago. The new world’s first written
documents originated here with ships’ manifests, whalers’ wills, and
other poignant remembrances of this past era being recorded and
preserved. Our local leader is delighted to share this history and
sense of place with you. We also visit Canada's second tallest
lighthouse at Point Amour. Another highlight is the oldest burial
mound in North America — older than the pyramids. The entire
Labrador Straits area is rich in birds of prey, wild flowers, and
fossils. Everyone with a camera will want to try to capture the
sweeping seascapes and the dramatic colours the sea itself takes on
in this wild place. Our leader will show you the coastal sites where
the land-based whale and seal watching is amazing
Overnight
L'Anse-au-Clair
Day 6
Today we travel to Blanc Sablon, Quebec and take the Labrador ferry
back to Newfoundland. Along the way we get our last look at
Labrador's whales, seabirds, lighthouses, and seals. Once we arrive
in St. Barbe, Newfoundland we travel to L'Anse aux Meadows to visit
the only authenticated Viking site in North America. From here we
can look out at Belle Isle which is the northern extreme of the
Appalachians in North America. The ground where you stand (and where
the Vikings stood 10 centuries ago) is the most northerly portion of
Appalachia, the backbone of this continent. Now we relive the early
Middle Ages as Parks Canada with its historic enactors and recreated
boats and buildings bring the story of the Norse in the New World to
life. The staff of Wildland Tours works with Parks Canada to share
the story of the families, researchers, and modern explorers who
contributed to both the discovery of this site and to humanity's
knowledge of this long forgotten epic. Tonight we sometimes rejoin
the historic enactors for a Viking feast in a great sod-covered hall
overlooking the headland frequented by Lief Ericson over 10
centuries ago. We can also consider a boat trip to look at dolphins,
whales, and wildlife off the dramatic coastline. In June and July we
often see icebergs in this area too.
Overnight St. Anthony
Day 7
Today we explore St. Anthony for an hour or two before returning to
Deer Lake and on to Corner Brook for the night. St. Anthony on the
northern tip of Newfoundland was the staging point for many northern
expeditions. Arctic explorers used its sheltered harbour to take on
sled dogs and other supplies as the world raced for the North Pole.
Another St. Anthony highlight is the Grenfell Interpretation Centre.
In 1892 a young English doctor visited St. Anthony and founded the
Grenfell Mission in order to bring medical aid to the native and
fishing families along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. We
visit the interpretation centre that tells the inspiring story of
Dr. Grenfell — friend to Kings and Presidents — and we visit his
actual home. Step back to the early days of the 20th century and
enjoy the tales of dog teams, hardships, courage, and innovation
that surrounded Dr. Grenfell. We also stop to explore the Maritime
Archaic Indian exhibit at Port au Choix National Historic Park. This
is the last archaeological site we visit on this holiday which is
considered by some experts to be North America's most diverse
archaeological adventure. Learn about the trade, art, and artifacts
of the ancient people that occupied this site 3,500 years ago.
Overnight Corner Brook
(Newfoundland's second city)
Day 8
Depart for home. If your schedule permits you can explore some of
Corner Brook from your well-located hotel. Your leader will have
other exciting options for you to consider.
Notes
Included
All accommodations, all ground transportation, all breakfasts
and lunches, the services of our experienced
guide, all admissions, all boat/ferry passes
Not
Included Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland
Other
We do reserve the right to
re-arrange the schedule for your comfort and convenience should the
weather or ferry schedule require changes to be made.
Terms
and Conditions
*13 per cent
Canada/Newfoundland Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is not included. Non
Canadians receive a FCTIP tax credit on their invoice from us and
thus actually pay only 6.5% HST.
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