Welcome to St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador
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W E L C O M E T O S T . J O H N ' S C A M T C O N F E R E N C E V I S I T O R S G U I D E 2 0 1 8 WELCOME TO ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR On behalf of the music therapists living and working here in this beautiful city, we welcome you to our vibrant and historic home. Late May Weather: Taxi Companies: Average high 11° C Jiffy – 709-722-2222 Average low 2°C Newfound – 709-744-4444 Come prepared for Bugden’s – 709-726-4400 sun, wind & rain City Wide – 709-722-7777 DRIVING DIRECTIONS Driving Directions to the Sheraton from St. John’s Airport: From the airport, head south on World Parkway. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on World Parkway for 250m. At the lights, turn left onto Portugal Cove Road. Continue straight on Portugal Cove Road for 4km. Portugal Cove Road continues as New Cove Road after 4km – continue straight on New Cove Road. Drive straight on New Cove Road for 1km. Turn right onto Kings Bridge Road, continue for 750m. Continue straight through the lights onto Ordnance St for 150m. Taxi from airport to Turn left onto Duckworth St for 30m. Sheraton: $25.00 (fixed price from City Wide Turn left onto Cavendish Square – Sheraton is on the right. Taxi) Total driving distance: 7.5km Total driving time: 12-15 minutes Driving Directions to the Sheraton from the Trans-Canada Highway (from other locations in Newfoundland or from the Port aux Basques or Argentia ferries from Nova Scotia): Take exit 41A off the TCH to merge onto highway NL-2E (Pitts Memorial Drive) After 15km, take the exit marked “Water Street East/Harbour Drive” Merge onto Water Street, continue on Water Street for 1.5km Turn left onto Hill O’ Chips Turn right onto Duckworth St for 30m. Turn left onto Cavendish Square – Sheraton is on the right. THINGS TO DO 0 1 LOCAL SCENIC DRIVES a. Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site: The oldest surviving lighthouse in the province is also the most easterly point in North America. Tour the lighthouse, hike on one of the connecting trails or explore the coastline – in May, sightings of icebergs and whales are common here. Location: Blackhead Road via Route 11 (Cape Spear Drive) b. Signal Hill National Historic Site: The site of St. John’s harbour defenses from the 1600s until World War II, Signal Hill is also where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. Signal Hill offers beautiful views of the city and the ocean, and connects with coastal hiking trails. Location: 2kms (7 minutes) from hotel Price: $3.90 for Cabot Tower tour c. Killick Coast Drive & Bell Island: The Killick Coast extends east from Topsail along the south shore of Conception Bay to Cape St. Francis, and ends just outside St. John’s. Travel to Portugal Cove via Route 50 or Route 40. From here you can take a 20-minute ferry ride to Bell Island where you can tour the former submarine iron mines, the lighthouse perched on a cliff and see large outdoor murals based on the island’s history. See Flatrock, Middle Cove and Logy Bay along this route. d. South of St. John’s, Route 10 takes you to the whale and seabird tours that operate in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve from several communities. Several thousand humpback and minke whales come here to feed. Most years, 10,000-year-old icebergs drift past and are able to be seen from shore. Follow Route 10 all the way to Ferryland to visit Archeological history or enjoy one of their Lighthouse picnics. 0 2 OCEAN TOURS a. Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale Watching Tour: 90-minute tour of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Tours depart at 10:30am and need to be booked in advance. Group rates are available for 10 or more. Location: Boats depart from Bay Bulls, 34kms (30 minutes) from hotel. Gatherall’s offers a shuttle service for an addition $25 on your tour. Price: $60 adult/$42 student https://gatheralls.com b. Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours: 2-hour tour departing from the St. John’s pier. Limited departures in May – booking ahead is advised! Location: Boats depart from the St. John’s harbour front, pier 6. Price: $70 adult http://icebergquest.com c. O’Brien’s Boat Tours: Join one of two available tours and look for whales, puffins, and icebergs while enjoying the rugged coastline of Newfoundland. 11:30am departures in May. Tours depart from Bay Bulls, shuttle available for additional price. Location: Bay Bulls Pier, 34 kms from hotel Price: $60 adult/$45 student http://www.obriensboattours.com 0 3 HIKING Hiking the East Coast Trail: Over 300 kilometers of hiking trails, many starting in St. John’s or nearby locations. Find out all the information you need at www.eastcoasttrail.com 0 4 THE ROOMS Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest public cultural space, The Rooms houses local art, historical records and artifacts which tell a comprehensive story of this beautiful place. Guests can also enjoy a café with a beautiful view of the downtown and harbour as well as a gift shop with lots of local trinkets. Location: 9 Bonaventure Avenue Price: $10 adult/$6.50 student 0 5 QUIDI VIDI Quidi Vidi Village Plantation: A historic building in the fishing village of Quidi Vidi, the plantation is home to emerging craftspeople. View their work and enjoy local art while being close to the water. Some art and crafts available for purchase. Head to Mallard Cottage or the Brewery after to make a day of it! Location: 10 Maple View Place 0 6 GEORGE STREET The famous entertainment district of St. John’s. Featuring dozens of bars, clubs and pubs on a pedestrian-only street, George Street has nightlife for everyone. George Street is the place to enjoy a scuff (dance) and a scoff (meal). If you are a first-time visitor to Newfoundland & Labrador, a traditional Screech-In is essential. Booking in advance is encouraged. Try: Christian’s Bar, Trapper John’s or O’Reilly’s. What in the world is a Screech-In? You must be a CFA (come from away). You’ll speak like a Newfoundlander, eat like a Newfoundlander, and kiss the Cod! Once you’ve completed each step, you’ll be named an honorary Newfoundlander. 0 7 ZIP LINING North Atlantic Zip Line: Petty Harbour fishing village is located close to St. John’s but feels miles away. If you’re feeling adventurous, try Canada’s longest zip line course overlooking the natural beauty of Petty Harbour. After, grab some fish and chips at Chafe’s Landing restaurant. Location: Petty Harbour, NL Price: $130 Adult/$95 Student 0 8 PARKS Visit one of the city’s many parks and walking trails. a. Bannerman Park (Rennie’s Mill Rd/Circular Rd/Bannerman Rd/Military Rd) b. Bowring Park (Waterford Bridge Rd/Waterford Valley) c. Pippy Park Camping & Trails (Mt Scio Rd) D S O T W . J N O T H O N W ' S N St. John's has a thriving restaurant scene. Try any of these local businesses for a delicious meal while RESTAURANTS supporting local industry! V = Vegan Options GF = Gluten Free Options Canadian/Pub Food Bridie Molloy’s/Celtic Hearth 5 George Street (Celtic Hearth accessible Traditional Irish pub, live music, 24-hour via Water) menu at the Celtic hearth – popular after nights on George The Duke of Duckworth 325 Duckworth St. A local favourite, offering pub favourites, happy hour & brunch. You may recognize the interior from Republic of Doyle! Greensleeves 12 George St. Live music every night, good pub food and delicious weekend brunch O’Reilly’s 13 George St. Traditional Irish pub food and live music Shamrock City 40 Water St. A local institution – especially “Muggy Mondays” and Fish & Chips Fridays! Sundance 33 New Gower St. (Also accessible from Mentioned in the famous NL song “Paddy George St.) Murphy,” Sundance deck is always busy on sunny days! Bernard Stanley 223 Duckworth St. Delicious comfort pub food and every day brunch. Seafood St. John’s Fish Exchange (GF) 351 Water St. Local, fresh fish. Sit on the second floor for a view of the harbour. Adelaide Oyster House 334 Water St. Small plates & famous tacos. Adelaide doesn’t take reservations for less than 6 people, so head over early! Ches’s Fish and Chips 9 Freshwater Rd., 207 Kenmount Rd., 8 Traditional fish & chips. Must be Highland Dr. accompanied by fries, dressing & gravy for the full experience! Mussels on the Corner William’s Lane/Water St. 'Deed I is in love with you… fresh Newfoundland mussels and local beers. Saltwater (GF) 284 Duckworth St. Every type of seafood you can imagine! Fine Dining Bacalao 65 Lemarchant Rd. Newfoundland fine dining with focus on local seafood, game and produce. Basho 283 Duckworth St. Japanese fusion cuisine in a cozy dining room. Blue on Water 319 Water St. Featuring both small plates and entrees – a variety of fresh, local food. Chinched 5 Bates Hill Contemporary bistro. (“Chinched” is a Newfoundland term meaning “stuffed, very full”) Granite & Portobellos 115 Duckworth St. A very close walk to the hotel with a nice view of the harbour. Gypsy Tea Room (V) 315 Water St. Classic favourites featuring local vegetables. Magnum & Stein’s 329 Duckworth St. A nice restaurant for wine lovers and classic fine dining fare. Mallard Cottage (V, GF) 8 Barrow’s Rd.