Making the Most of Your Time

On the east coast of Canada, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, as it is officially called, is a bit of a contradiction in terms: it's the youngest province—it joined the Confederation in 1949—but its timeline stretches back to AD 1000, when Vikings made first landfall on the Great Northern Peninsula. You won't meet Vikings today, but you can certainly soak up hundreds of years of history by walking around downtown St. John's. Take a stroll up Water Street, the oldest street in North America. Imagine a time when pirates like Blackbeard sailed around these shores and often made stops to get supplies and have a drink at the first pub on the continent.

Across the island, on the Great Northern Peninsula, you won't want to miss the glacier-carved fjords and magnificent mountains at Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a boat tour, do a hike, and visit the Interpretation Centre.

Farther up the Peninsula at L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, visit the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America. Sit inside the Norse Longhouses and take a look across the Labrador Strait.

Farther north, at St. Barbe, you can catch the ferry to Québec on the mainland and then drive a short distance to Labrador, which begins at The Straits. Moving west, make your way through some of the wildest parts of the country and finally to the twin towns of Labrador City and Wabush, a trip that combines natural phenomena, wilderness adventure, history, and culture.