Summary

Every Newfoundlander gives the impression of being on holiday. “Laid back” doesn’t come close. I have never felt so welcomed in all my travels around North America – every mainland state of the USA and all other provinces except Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

One of the best holidays, if not The Best, in North America. All my vacations in North America have included driving a car. None has included driving a car in as friendly and as helpful a place as Newfoundland (except, of course, for the impact Metrobus (long may its name rot in hell)).

I know that I will return and spend three or four days in a few selected communities. On my next trip I shall schedule communities according to Pot Roasts, High School Plays and the like.

I visited 26 communities, exceeding my target of 20, and from now on, whenever I hear Baie Verte, Bay Bulls, Bay Roberts, Bonavista, Cape Spear, Clarenville, Conception Bay South, Deer Lake, Eastern Corner, Ferryland, Fleur de Lys, Goulds, Grates Cove, Harbour Breton, Holyrood, La Scie, Lewisporte, Marystown, Roddickton, Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Seal Cove, Springdale, St Anthony, St George’s, St John’s, or Stephenville mentioned on the news, I will know a bit of that community.

On Saturday October 14th I not only became the most easterly human in North America, but was closer to The Azores than I was to Toronto.

Accommodation

On Thursday, October 12, 2017 I noted the differences in accommodation types. My limited experience in these two weeks is that Efficiency Units appear to be more expensive than B&B, but Efficiency Units eliminate the cost of restaurant or Diner Meals.

On future trips I shall aim for efficiency units and avoid motels like the plague. Stopping for three or more days is where the economy kicks in. No need to gulp down the last of the milk before heading out to the car.

I spent $1,683 on accommodation, or $112 per night, eighteen dollars below my estimate of $130 per night.

Travelling in the off-season (October) meant that no matter where I went there was always a vacancy.

B&B and Efficiency Unit hosts were always ready to greet me, either on-site or at a pre-arranged landmark. “I’ll call you when I’m at the gas station”.

Car Costs

I still need to get the figures for the car rental.

On top of that I had gas costs and maintenance – a jug of washer fluid that got lost in the transfer of rental cars, a $70 oil change I spent on one rental car, a car-wash charge.

I spent $518 on travel costs excluding air fares. I drove just 7,124 kilometres, so gas and maintenance worked out at about thirteen kilometres per dollar or if you prefer 0.0762 cents per kilometre. Or for me $35/day.

Air Fares

My ticket out here booked two months in advance cost me $288. My ticket back booked a mere five days in advance cost me $350.

I could have booked earlier had I been on the ball. For example on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 I find a flight home at $315. Book ahead as far as possible.

On Monday, October 09, 2017 It should have been evident to me that I was scooping up highways faster than anticipated, and I could have juggled my routes to save a day, shifted the St John’s stay into the middle of the week, obviating a wait over a two-day weekend.

Even the two days wasted on Metrobus (long may its name rot in hell) could have been avoided had I thought to request a map while I was still in Toronto. That would have cut two more days off my trip.

In short, mis-management of my time cost me seventy bucks PLUS the cost of four nights of car rental and food wasted sitting in a motel.

Meals

I spent $455 on meals – dining out and groceries at supermarkets. That works out to $30 per day.

I managed to track down Cod Cheeks, Cod Tongues, Toutons, Fish and Brewis, Salt Beef and Pea Soup, Fish Cakes, Jiggs Dinner and Partidgeberry Jam, although the airport stole the jam away from me before I could taste it.

I can’t see why everyone raves about Jiggs Dinner – a meal that is touted as so good, yet when you roll up on a Thursday and ask for it they say that they only serve it on a Sunday, and when you try to order it on a Sunday, they only do it on Thursdays, and if you do happen to be at a place that serves it on Thursdays on a Thursday, they serve it at eleven in the morning until it runs out, “maybe ten minutes later”.

I failed to track down moose-burgers

Sundries

I paid nothing for laundry, washing everything mid-trip at a good B&B.

I spent $778 on gifts, ice-creams(!), books, and a cruddy Metrobus (long may its name rot in hell) pass that I was unable to put to use.

Total cost

All up I think I spent $4500. Excepting air fares I spent $3,825.

Let’s call it $280/day. I had estimated about $300 per day, so I am happy.

In the table above:-

“Meals” includes restaurants AND groceries for the Efficiency unit, hotel room snacks and so on.

“Transit” includes car rental, Gasoline, AND the oil-change and wiper fluid, car wash .

“Ent/Vac” is basically everything I can’t account for – gifts, tips. Especially tips!

“Supplies” includes books, newspapers and the like.

Here is an updated wall map showing where I drove.

And here is my original plan. I think it is fair to say that:-

(a) My goal was attainable and

(b) My goal was attained

Or if you prefer, I achieved my goal.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

I sent off a Letter To The Editor and they published it both in the hard-copy issue and as one of a million letters in the online issue.

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