Canada Trip Revisited

 I have 2 bucket list travel destinations on my radar this year: Newfoundland and Alaska.  The former will complete my Visit all 10 Canadian provinces goal.  What about the territories?  Unlikely to visit any of them, especially not Nunavut.  They are too cold and simply too remote.  Alaska would complete Round 2 of Visit all 50 states and wrap up some unfinished business from the first trip.  I missed out on Denali State Park and the Fjords National Park.

I cannot afford both in the same summer and Canada feels like the better fit for this year.  The fact that the Blue Jays will be home over the 4^th of July sealed the deal.  I have a few changes of plan since the first post on the subject. 

Instead of flying out of Atlanta, I will probably opt for Birmingham.  Either way, I’ll have to get up early, but the Birmingham option requires 3 flights instead of 2 and greater chance of a missed connection.  However, the big advantage is that I can get from Alabama to Newfoundland in one day.  I won’t have to take an overnight layover in Toronto or stay in an Atlanta hotel to catch an early flight.  I’ll get to Newfoundland just before 7 PM local time if everything goes off on schedule.  This will enable 2 nights and one full day.  Even if there is a SNAFU and I don’t make it until the next afternoon, I should still qualify for the strict standard.  All I need is a walking tour of downtown St. John’s and at least one meaningful conversation at a local bar.  The latter will not be a problem and I’m sure that my southern accent will create a buzz.

EDIT: The Blue Jays are home on July 3 and July 4th then they go on the road.  That means I must do Toronto before Newfoundland.  Come to think of it, I like that idea better.  I will only have one connection to Toronto, probably in Atlanta.  I will have to go to Terminal T but that's accessible via the tram.  There is no need for a rental car with the public transportation system in Toronto.  I'll get there just after noon if all goes well.  I want to see the Hockey Hall of Fame, the CN Tower, Waterfront, Nathan Philipps Square and a Blue Jays game.  A day and a half should be enough time.  I can see a night game on 7/3 or a day game on 7/4.  On 7/5, I'll take a morning flight to Newfoundland.        

I initially planned on renting a car in Newfoundland but am currently leaning against it.  Word on the street is that rentals are awfully pricey and with the one-way streets, I will NEED a navigation system.  There is no guarantee that it will be included or even available.  Instead, I’ll take a taxi to my hotel from the airport.  There are plenty of restaurants and bars within walking distance.  The only real disadvantage is that I’ll miss the sunrise at Cape Spear, which is the easternmost point in North America.  Oh well.  There are plenty of scenic spots within walking distance.  I’ll plan on walking tours and possibly a short hike the next morning.  Early July is the best chance to get decent weather but even still, it could be rainy, windy and chilly.   

It seems like the best option is a 3 hour bus tour of the city as well as Cape Spear.  I’ll try to schedule it for the afternoon in case there is a SNAFU the previous day.  I’ll have another night on the town.

Day 5 will be the trip home.  With the holiday, I will only miss 2 days of work barring a SNAFU.  It will be 3 flights.  The first will be to Toronto.  From there, my connection to Birmingham will be whatever is most convenient.  I'd much rather have a delay going home than the alternative.