Up and at it early while the gang slept in. Foggy at sun up with a constant moan echoing from the foghorn of the HV Atlantic Vision. But as fate would have it, we crept up Placentia Bay and the way cleared and we had decent views of the coastline, expecting a 10:00 AM docking time. Good sail all in all, but very glad that one could sleep through the heart of the trip.

We hit the ground running in Placentia, and after grabbing some ice and vittles to replenish the cooler, we set out down the Route 100 South to Cape St Mary's. Our destination, the Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve, was pretty impressive. Mercifully, the morning fog, which shrouded the ferry and coastline, lifted leaving clear, sunny skies and a light ocean breeze... Perfect conditions.

This remote site is located at the far reaches of the Avalon Peninsula and hosts a Northern Gannet colony while giving expansive views of the rock formations and cliffs that are home to these birds. Really kind of jaw dropping! We hiked the 2 kms out and back getting some great shots of the birds and ocean vistas. Of note, one could hear these birds cussin' at each other a km away... Really loud and easily distinguishable call!

We then navigated by car across the marshy barrens that make up the geography of this region, viewing the almost tundra like vegetation, towards St. John's. Making best use of time, we next visited Cape Spear National Historic Site, as it was along the way and prior to entering the City. Cape Spear is described as Canada's most easterly point. Once there it was easy to see why this site had been inhabited... location, location, location. After purchasing a combined family ticket for Cape Spear and Signal Hill, we used the well worn walking trail to ramble through coastal terrain visiting a WWII gun battery and several periods of lighthouse construction. The locale has a commanding overlook of St. John's Harbour, and is undoubtedly visible for miles from the water. The views toward the Atlantic seemed to go on forever, and the area is frequented by both whale and iceberg.

With Cape St. Mary's and Cape Spear under our belts, we drove into the city (I love GPS) and checked in at the Delta St. John's and our digs for Tuesday and Wednesday. Great spot... In the heart of the city and all the amenities (i.e. internet, pool, AC, etc). After lugging the bags to our room we quickly set out in search of supper. We stopped at Kelly's Pub on George St. (just minutes away) for a couple of very smooth Quidi Vidi Honey Brown Ales and a round of Fish 'n Chips for all. Little rough around the edges, but we were treated to an Entertainer (Tuesday Night no less), who sang and played traditional tunes for us, and waitresses everywhere. Straight up pub fare which we were entirely comfortable with! Kids were allowed there until 8:00 PM which made this dead easy...

Back at the Delta by 7:30 PM, we headed for an hour of fun and play in the pool just to make sure everyone slept well. Wednesday AM looked as though it had some rain in the forecast, so planning was adjusted to make sure we started the day with as much indoors as possible!