Please find below some tips we live by while on the road...

• Grab a bottle of the local, be it beer or wine. We enjoyed the great selection of Quidi Vidi Brewing Company offerings as well as the aptly named wines from Twillingate's Auk Island Winery. Remember... Wine is better in a wine glass!!! Janie and Monica got ours in the Sydney Salvation Army (0.50 cents each).
• Newfoundland is a big province, with what are often long drives between attractions and communities. Be sure to look at the gas gauge before taking on one of the many scenic, winding rural routes. It could save one from unwanted embarrassment!
• You will find fantastic Hiking Trails for all levels. From the short jaunt to the over nighter. We took advantage of the more moderate trail offerings, getting in roughly 32 kms plus of woodland hiking. Before leaving, we made sure we had the proper footwear and a communal hiking pack with all the necessities to make this possible!!!
• Importantly, Sullivan's Auto put new treads on the Toyota before leaving. Ol' Betsy once again performed admirably.
• We checked in with our card company before leaving so they knew the card would be used in Newfoundland... we also dropped the limit on expenditures in case the number/card got lifted.
• If you have questions... ask them. We got great information on directions, attractions and even just where to pick up some groceries / bottle of wine.
• While in the car...
  • We used a combination of GPS, google maps and paper maps. We always knew (roughly) where we were, reducing a lot of road stress. In NFLD's case, we preferred the paper road map which was absolutely up to date.
  • The kids are awesome travelers. However, it was always important to stop and get out for a bit. We took time to stop and stretch/snack/bathroom/etc. at obvious points to keep the peace.
  • We kept a cooler at all times filled with water and goodies between the kids keeping cool a host of healthy treats. Worked well on the longer car trips as well as in the hotel room at night.
  • The iPod/iPad/iPhone and accompanying charger left a means for music, e-books, and maps as well as our main communication tool home via text / e-mail. The novel that Janie downloaded provided welcome entertainment as well.