From The Isthmus to St. John's

Canyons, Coves & Coastal Waters by Dan Murphy, Jim Price, Kevin Redmond

The Isthmus is a narrow neck of land stubborn enough to have survived the heavy glaciation which cut the two deep bays, Placentia and Trinity, that you can see on either side. To the left is Sunnyside and the nearby Bull Arm construction site in Mosquito Cove where a giant concrete structure is being built that will be used to extract oil from the Grand Banks. Group tours are available throughout the year, while individual tours are offered during the summer. The company decided to offer tours of the site because so many people had asked to see it. To the right of the highway, travelling east, are the communities of Come by Chance, Arnolds Cove, Southern Harbour, Little Harbour and Fairhaven. From Route 1 you can see the cold deep waters of Placentia Bay with its scattering of 365 islands.

Further east, take the intersection with route 201 to Bellevue Beach Provincial Park. Relax and swim on the freshwater side or comb the pebble beach and watch the seabirds that inhabit the shoreline. Along the shore you will notice many attractive seashells washed up by the tide and coloured stones that were deposited by volcanic action and polished to their present smooth, round shape by the ebb and flow of the Atlantic.

Sometime between late June and early August, depending on the water temperatures, beaches in the Avalon area are the site of the annual capelin scull. Billions of these small smelt-like fish spawn in the shallow waters and are carried right up on the shore by the high tides. Crowds of men, women and children scoop them up in nets, buckets or any other available receptacle. The scull is by far the easiest fishing you wil ever undertake, and these small fish make a lovely meal when they are fried to a crispy, golden brown.

Route 201 loops back to Route 1, where you'll notice the stunted forest that borders the highway. The winds that blow steadily across this area for most of the year are responsible for the small size of the trees and the fantastic twisted shapes that they take on. Many of the ponds and lakes are inhabited by pan-size trout. They provide lively sport for anyone with a little angling skill and patience.

Just past the intersection of route 100, the Argentia turnoff, an environment of low brush and stunted tress takes shape amidst barrens and marshland. In August, there are choice blueberries to be picked all over the area. As you continue across the peninsula, stop and stretch your legs at Gushue's Pond Provincial Park where swimming and boating are popular activities.

South of the highway is the Avalon Wilderness Reserve and its 5,500-strong herd of woodland caribou, the southernmost herd of its kind in the world. Near the Witless Bay Line (Route 13) you will see evidence of the great ice sheets that once covered North America. Large boulders, known as erratics, sit where they were dropped by the retreating glaciers thousands of years ago. In fact, this is probably the most southerly artic/alpine region in the world, and a variety of plant life reaches its southernmost limit here.

On the small ponds in the vicinity you may catch a glimpse of Canada geese, which share this habitat with ptarmigan and horned larks. You may wish to relax and investigate this wonderful part of nature during a stopover at Butter Pot Provincial Park before undertaking the final leg of your journey to St. John's. The park, within easy access from all communities on the Avalon Peninsula, is a popular weekend rendezvous for campers. Butter Pot has a sandy freshwater beach, spacious campgrounds and an interpretation display. Guided nature walks are conducted by a park naturalist on the hiking trails within the park boundaries.

Just east of the park is the "City Limits" sign that means you're near St. John's. You can continue on Route 1 into the northwest section of the city, or you can go downtown on Route 2, which ends at Water Street, one of the oldest European throughfares on the continent.

To Scenic Tours: Avalon Region