Good morning from Gaultois, Newfoundland!
I’m enjoying a cup of coffee while I take in the incredible view from my window and soaking in the silence. It’s so wonderfully quiet here.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might recognize this view. We’re staying in the same house we rented last year ~ we loved it so much that we decided to buy it, and as of a month ago, it’s ours!
Dion and I are on a self-funded leave this year so we have much more flexibility with our time. Since the kids are off to school and we don’t have to work, we had the freedom to pack up the puppers, load up the truck and head halfway across the country. In February. The perfect time to travel…
Despite the wintery temps, we had fairly good driving conditions and made it to North Sydney ahead of schedule. With a bit of luck on our side, we called Marine Atlantic and switched our ticket to an earlier crossing to get to Newfoundland sooner than we’d planned.
We lucked out with good weather, which meant that there weren’t high winds and we could rest well in our cabin. The dogs were more than happy to snuggle with me in one of the beds until it was time to start our journey across the island the next day.
Since we had the earlier-than-scheduled crossing, we hadn’t looked ahead to the forecast and didn’t see a massive system moving in over the entire island of Newfoundland. The trek would alter our destination and bring us to St. John’s instead of Gaultois, which meant a very long day of driving — most of it, still hauling our U-Haul trailer… just for some extra fun.
If you look closely at the screenshots, you can tell how long our day was. But hey, it makes for a good story and great memories right?
We were more than happy to reach our Airbnb and get settled for a week in the city. *Ethan is studying at the Marine Institute so we couldn’t wait to surprise him with a visit.
Take it from me: staying in an Airbnb is so much better than staying in a hotel room. There are plenty of hosts who allow you to bring your pets with you too, which worked out well for us. It’s so nice to have space to relax and get comfortable (and a kitchen to make your own food instead of relying on restaurants!). Although, there’s something to be said for finding amazing little spots like this one:
Our week flew by ~ we enjoyed spending time with Ethan and his girlfriend Maria, we saw a few sites like Cape Spear and Signal Hill, and got caught up on laundry (if you’re used to traveling, you’ll appreciate anywhere that has a washer & dryer..).
Off we went to Hermitage, where we stayed for two nights because the ferry to Gaultois was storm bound. But it was all worth it by the time we finally arrived on the island.
*note: Gaultois, pronounced Gaul-tus, is a small town on Long Island, off the Southern shore of Newfoundland.
Dion and I are overjoyed to be here in our little home on a hill, soaking in what we’ve been missing since last summer. We’ve missed our friends, and we’ve missed the culture and traditions that make this place oh-so-special.
Second Wind Studio 
Congratulations on the purchase. Spectacular pictures.
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Thanks Doug! Since I was in the passenger seat, I had time to collect a few pictures (bonus: it distracted me from the road conditions) 🙂
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