The Irish Loop follows Routes 10 and 90 around the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula. Tom and I started our drive on Route 10 in St. John’s. We drove Route 10 along the East and South Coasts to St. Vincent where it turns into Route 90. We filled Route 90 north along the west coast until it connected us with the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) Route 1.
Our drive along the Irish Loop was beautiful with a variety of landscapes and weather conditions.
Driving the Irish Loop
The first part of our drive was hilly with trees and water in nearly every direction. We passed fishing communities, beautiful coves and small peninsulas including Ferryland, where we stopped to take a break and explore.
As we continued our drive south from Ferryland the hills slowly gave way to flatter land. We passed a small wind farm and the trees disappeared. It was still beautiful but in a different way. As we reached the southern tip of the peninsula, we could see a wall of dense fog rolling in. That was a good time to stop for the night.
After boondocking a night in Portugal Cove South, we continued west to St. Vincent where we boondocked another night, alongside countless whales, before continuing north up the west coast of the peninsula in another round of dense fog.
You can view a few photos of our drive on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Exploring Ferryland
Ferryland is one of several communities with historic sites including uncovered remains of an early English settlement, a canon and a lighthouse. Hiking trails throughout the area provide historical context and offer beautiful views of the rugged shoreline and islands. We saw whales swimming in the water below and, oddly, a helicopter flying overhead.
You can view a few photos of our visit to Ferryland on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Boondocking in Portugal Cove South
We found a great boondocking site on the beach of Portugal Cove South. An RV group was already there filling most of the space, but we still had plenty of room and they welcomed us to join them for happy hour.
The beach wasn’t sandy but the rocks were extremely smooth. Aly enjoyed sniffing her way down the deserted coast and we enjoyed watching her seagulls diving, full speed, into the water for fish. After an enjoyable night, and morning, exchanging stories with fellow RVers, Tom and I continued on to St. Vincent a top destination for whale watching!
You can view a few photos of our boondocking site on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
Boondocking and Whale Watching in St. Vincent
As Tom and I approached St. Vincent, the fog cleared and we could immediately see water spouts from whales near the shore. We quickly parked at one of several boondocking sites and walked across the wide rocky beach to the water. It was a feeding frenzy! Whales and seagulls everywhere.
Tom and I, of course, could only see the whales when they breached the surface or spouted water. But, judging by what we saw on the surface, it must have been a “whale” of a traffic jam below! Unfortunately, the whales were too busy gorging on fish below to provide much of a show above. I did capture a few open mouths popping out of the water. One appears to be spilling over with fish.
You can view a photos of our boondocking site and whales on the Carpe Diem Facebook page by clicking on the image below.
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