Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/679293
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2016 46 B ouncing through choppy waters in a rubber Zodiac are intrepid trav- ellers like me—50-somethings and fit retirees who want to do some- thing adventurous and learn something new while on vacation. Our cruise around The Rock's rugged shores on board Adventure Canada's Sea Adventurer ticks those boxes. Adventure Canada has been taking tourists by small ship into the Arctic and other remote spots for 25 years. Our vessel is comfortable, how- ever the focus is not spa treatments and midnight buffets. Our fun will consist of hiking rugged shores and experiencing out- port life, and our ship has all the necessary amenities for such excursions, including an ice-strengthened hull for northern explo- ration and 10 Zodiacs to take us beyond the usual cruise ship ports. SETTING SAIL Newfoundland is a massive island province and we'll see as much as we can on one 10- day journey. Of the 100 passengers, a third are staff, including exceptional Newfound- landers such as novelist Michael Crummey and musician Daniel Payne, who regale us with local stories, songs and Newfoundland English (or Newfinese) that bring our daily discoveries to life. They call this "learning adventure travel" but Matthew Swan, the company's colourful owner and master of goofy diversions, rightly likens it to a "floating summer camp." Getting in and out of the Zodiac is a game we will play several times each day. Flying across the waves with an experienced New- foundlander at the throttle is somewhat like a crazy carnival ride and a sea-salt exfoliation all in one. Zodiacs zip us from ship to shore, BY CINDA CHAVICH TOP: The Labrador Current lured Basques whalers to Red Bay in the early 1500s. OPPOSITE TOP: The arrival of a ship such as ours is reason enough for local musicians to gather and celebrate. OPPOSITE CENTRE: Riddled with hiking trails, Fogo Island is the new "it" place for modern explorers looking for unique culture, art and architecture. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: L'Anse aux Meadows is the earliest confirmed Viking settlement in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism/Barrett & MacKay Photo ADVENTURES ON "THE ROCK" SEEING THE FAR-FLUNG CORNERS OF NEWFOUNDLAND HAS LONG BEEN ON MY BUCKET LIST— AND I'M NOT ALONE.