Category: USA & Canada

Once European settlements were established in Northeastern Canada, ships transporting goods needed to be safely guided along the rocky coasts of Newfoundland & Labrador. So the province is home to many historic lighthouses that enrich the character and the coastal landscape of this pristine region, providing glimpses of its seafaring past. In a Discovery Tours small group, you’ll visit these national treasures, listed here by order of their appearance on the coast.

Cape Spear, Newfoundland (1836). Perched on a hill overlooking St. John’s harbor at the easternmost point of Canada, Cape Spear was the second lighthouse to be built on the island but is the oldest surviving one. During World War II, a gun battery was installed on the site to defend the harbor. Barracks were added for troops. Cape Spear National Historic Park was opened to great fanfare by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1983.

Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland (1843). Marking the entrances to Bonavista and Trinity Bays, this historic lighthouse is the fourth-oldest in Newfoundland. Its original lamps and reflectors were shipped here from Scotland. It operated for about 120 years until an electric light on a nearby skeleton tower was illuminated to serve the same purpose. Today, Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is a museum with period furnishings and whaling and ecological exhibits, and still boasts the vertical red and white stripes of the island’s original lighthouses.

Point Amour, Labrador (1857). The tallest in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in the entire country, Point Amour Lighthouse was built of limestone from local quarries at a time when steamships sailed through the Strait of Belle Isle, the stretch of sea that separates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador. The cylindrical tower is a Provincial Historic Site and was one of a series of “Imperial Towers,” so named as they were financed by the British Empire.

Lobster Cove Head, Newfoundland (1898). Before construction of the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse in Bonne Bay, a simple oil lamp burned in the private home of G.C. Fearn to alert ships to the perils of the rocky coast. The townspeople, convinced that a stronger light was needed, got together to arrange for this iron tower to be built. Signal flags were also used here to convey messages between ships and the shore.

Fox Point, Newfoundland (1906). This charming square tower on a rocky promontory is quite modern, completed in 2003. When a light was originally placed here, in 1906, it was a round iron tower just a couple stories tall. It was replaced by another around 1960, at which point the first tower was lowered down the cliff face, presumably to be disposed of in the sea. The structure jammed in a crevice until the continual lash of waves washed it away.

Cow Head, Newfoundland (1909). The Cow Head Peninsula was long a summer destination for families, but not for vacationing. Before roadways were modernized, many Newfoundlanders lived on the ocean in warm months and sheltered themselves inland during winter so they had easier access to fishing in summer. When the Cow Head Lighthouse was completed, it became a gathering place where locals enjoyed picnic lunches and gazed out to sea.

Each year between April and September, roughly a half million Atlantic puffins descend on Witless Bay in Newfoundland to nest. It is the largest colony in the western Atlantic and it truly takes the breath away.

This odd looking bird (some would call it adorable) is marked by its black crown and back, white underbelly and cheeks, the bold red markings on its beak, and its orange webbed feet. It is often called the “clown of the sea” for its bright colors and clumsy gait. But this is no clown: The Atlantic puffin is as graceful a swimmer as it is a flier, using its wings to propel itself through water and deftly catch small fish.

Remarkably, the Atlantic puffin spends autumn and winter (October through March, roughly) in the open waters of the northern seas. It comes to Witless Bay to breed, burrowing into the cliffs of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, a quartet of small islands off the main island of Newfoundland. It lays a single white egg and, once the chick hatches, feeds it babies whole fish. It only takes six weeks for the chick to mature enough to set out on its own. Once it does, it flies the coop in the most dramatic fashion: In the dark of night, the fledgling swims out to sea and does not return to land for several years, following its instinct as it survives in a harsh marine environment.

Though the Atlantic puffin is a highly social bird during breeding season, taking over Witless Bay with a half million of its closest friends, it lives a solitary existence while at sea. Though it hasn’t been studied extensively in its open-water habitat, it seems to spend more time bobbing on the surface of the ocean than flying in the air. This helps to explain its plumage: Its black back makes it difficult for predator birds to spot it from the air, and its white belly can be easily mistaken by underwater predators for a bright sun spot or clouds in the sky. Once a year during winter, it becomes more vulnerable as it sheds its feathers to make way for new ones. This leaves it stranded on the water for up to two months.

Back on land during breeding season, the bird is monogamous. But their loyalty is to the burrow rather than their mate, as each male and female habitually return to the same nest year after year. Once they are settled in and their egg is laid, incubation duty is shared between partners. Incubation lasts about 45 days.

The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve plays a key role in the survival of the Atlantic puffin and in preserving the natural cycle of which they are a part. Witnessing some 500,000 of these incredible creatures at once makes for quite a spectacle, which our small group does during our new Newfoundland & Labrador trip. We hope you’ll join us to see one of nature’s greatest gatherings of sea birds!

The province of Newfoundland & Labrador takes the breath away with its astonishing natural beauty and fascinating history. Three of its landmarks stand out for their significance to the character of Eastern Canada and to the collective cultural identity of the world. Visit this remarkable corner of the globe with Discovery Tours, and you’ll experience these three important UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Gros Morne National Park

This magnificent landscape is the second largest national park in Atlantic Canada. It is named for its highest point, a misty-top mountain of barren rock that calls to mind the Scottish Highlands. But the park, of course, consists of much more. Vast Tablelands stretch out among the hilly orange-brown terrain; these rocky expanses are made more dramatic by their proximity to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bonne Bay, in particular, is a spectacular sight, formed when two glaciers converged here 10,000 years ago. Today, the deep ravines that guided those two glaciers are now a double-armed fjord, a 15-mile inlet lined with steep cliffs.

Why it’s important: Gros Morne National Park is sometimes referred to as the “Galapagos of Geology.” Just as those islands provided evidence for biological evolution, these coastal mountains offer proof of plate tectonics. Scientists with a trained eye value this unique landscape because it illustrates the process of continental drift. The earth here shows clear evidence of the geologic forces the occurred when the continental coast of North America was carved by oceanic plate movement.

Red Bay Basque Whaling Station

In the 16th century, Red Bay was buzzing with the comings and goings of the whaling industry. At this west-coast settlement established by the Basques, hunters set out on their chalupas, or whaling boats, so they could harvest the creature’s oil for light lamps back in Europe. Each season from 1530 to the beginning of the 1600s, about 15 whale ships and 600 men were sent here from Europe in search of the right whale and the bowhead whale. Today, the old whaling station is a museum of original Basque artifacts and ships recovered from the bottom of the ocean.

Why it’s important: Red Bay provides the most complete picture of the European whaling tradition. Every aspect of whaling was conducted here, from hunting to butchering to oil production for shipment back to Europe. The old station features remains of ovens, cooperages, living quarters and underwater remnants of ships and whale bones.

L’Anse aux Meadows

Around the year 1001, the renowned Viking Leif Eriksson and his crew landed on the coast of Newfoundland, the first Europeans to reach North America. He called it “Vinland,” and sent back word to Greenland that others could follow. The settlement did not last long, however. Scholars disagree whether it was the harsh winters or conflicts with indigenous people that drove the Vikings away. But they left behind a treasure trove that offers a snapshot of their culture, from the remains of their sod longhouses to iron tools. Since the discovery of the site in the 1960s, a longhouse has been reconstructed and many theories have pondered how Vikings spent their time here.

Why it’s important: L’Anse aux Meadows provides ironclad evidence that Norsemen were the first to set foot on North American shores. When the site was discovered, it generated a fair amount of controversy among those who gave the credit to Christopher Columbus. But as the timber-framed turf buildings here were identical to those found in Greenland and Iceland from the Viking Age, this fascinating place marks a milestone in the history of human migration and exploration.

Visit these captivating UNESCO World Heritage Sites during our Newfoundland & Labrador tour!

The year was 1959. The United States had already owned the land that comprises today’s Alaska for nearly a century, having purchased it from Russian Czar Alexander II in 1867. In 1912, the far-flung area became organized as an official territory, though it wasn’t admitted as the 49^th state for another 47 years under the Eisenhower administration.

The largest state in America (twice the size of Texas), Alaska is also the nation’s third-least populous. By comparison, consider that the population of New York City numbers around 8.5 million over about 305 square miles. In Alaska, a mere 750,000 people are spread over 663,000 square miles. To say that the state is sparsely populated is an understatement, one that explains why its vast and unending wilderness stands among the most unspoiled and pristine expanses on Earth.

Without question, its two most fabled national parklands stand out for their magnificent scenery. Discovery Tours is thrilled to show them to you during one of our latest small group adventures.

Denali National Park

Few places embody Alaska’s untouched and dramatic beauty like Denali National Park. The 6-million acre park and preserve center around the highest peak in North America, once known as Mt. McKinley but renamed “Denali,” meaning “the high one” in the language of the local Koyukon people. The 2015 name change generated a fair amount of controversy. But you’re sure to agree that, no matter what you call it, the exquisite splendor of the peak and its surrounding wilderness defy any language.

Our small group journeys to the park in the most dramatic fashion: by deluxe dome railroad car. This spellbinding route is one of the most scenic train rides in the United States, stopping along the way in remote mountain towns where locals are as likely to board with luggage as with huskies. You will traverse magical woodlands, vast tundra and craggy peaks dusted with snow en route to the park, where more dazzling vistas await.

Denali National Park hosts a leg or two of the world-famous Iditarod, the “Last Great Race on Earth.” During your stay, you’ll have the chance to meet with a sled-dog musher and his team of four-legged racers who habitually careen over rugged mountains and across frozen rivers. After your visit with the hardy team, you’ll get a taste of the wild terrain over which they race when you drive through the expansive and legendary tundra itself. Grizzlies, moose and eagles call this untamed, subarctic wilderness home, roaming freely in the shadow of Denali and the majestic Alaska Range. For the most serene experience, your small group is invited to leave your touring vehicle behind and embark some sturdy rafts for a gentle float down the glacier-fed Nenana River. Few experiences compare to drifting in silence through such a breathtaking and inspiring landscape.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

The beauty of any visit to Alaska is that you are constantly immersed in the wonder of your destination. Everywhere you look, during every waking moment, you encounter panoramas more spectacular than the last. All the more wondrous is the time we spend above the treeline admiring the alpine vistas, which we’ll do as we drive to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest park in the United States. Secluded valleys, madly flowing rivers and rich wildlife make this wilderness area hugging the Canadian border truly special.

Small mining towns were built in valley crevices and on mountain slopes as prospectors seeking gold and copper arrived in the area’s early days. Today, what remains of these towns such as Chitina and Kennicott provide a fascinating glimpse of yesterday. But the highlight of your stay in Wrangell-St. Elias may not be the time you’ll spend on the ground, but the bird’s-eye view you’ll have from high above.

You’ll take wing in a small plane over some of the most breathtaking terrain in the world, flying over mountain peaks, massive glaciers and rushing rivers. All around you, snow-covered rock walls spill down into graceful valleys and ravines and fantastic rock formations dot the landscape. You might even spot flocks of Dall sheep or mountain goats carefully traversing cliff sides.

Your destination is the airfield in McCarthy, a modest town nestled in the middle of the park and surrounded by more 14,000-foot peaks and more glaciers than any other place in North America. This is one of the most unique and thrilling experiences you’ll likely ever enjoy. But to Alaskans, travel by small plane is commonplace: Cities and towns are so far apart here that travel by car is not only impractical but sometimes impossible as many remote regions cannot even be accessed by road.

But such is Alaska: rugged, remote and astonishing. And throughout your Discovery Tours adventure – whether you’re walking atop glaciers or ascending Mt. Alyeska by tram, cruising the pristine waters of Prince William Sound or visiting a reindeer ranch, experiencing native heritage, meeting an Alaskan native elder in Fairbanks or touring the Native Heritage Center of Anchorage – you’re sure to be mesmerized by this unique and spellbinding state that seems a nation unto itself.

Experience Alaska in with Gate 1 Travel and have an unforgettable experience in the heart of the North!

Imagine waters so calm that they mirror the snow-capped mountains and towering glaciers that hug their shores … a secluded body of water fed by cascading waterfalls that is host to an array of wildlife … a tranquil paradise where eagles take wing above and adorable seals frolic below. This is Prince William Sound, one of Alaska’s most spellbinding scenic wonders, and in a Discovery Tour small group, you’ll have the chance to cruise upon its glassy surface amidst one of the majestic landscapes you’re ever likely to set your eyes upon.

This spectacular pocket of Alaska was named for King George III’s son, Prince William Henry, in 1778, after international explorer James Cook came upon it. At the time, the prince was just 13 years old and was a decidedly young midshipman in the Royal Navy. As for Cook, he went on to chart North America’s northwestern coast and emerged as the first cartographer to ever place these far-flung, unspoiled reaches on a map.

Prince William Sound embodies the unspoiled majesty of Alaska still. Its surrounding shores are part of the Chugach National Forest, the second largest in the United States. As you cruise these waters, you’ll pass remote islands and astonishing fjords carved by millennia of glacial activity. This remains one of the most dramatic spots in the world to witness tidewater glaciers that tower hundreds of feet right at the shore and to see a swell of waterfalls making their final fall into the seawaters.

Besides the glaciers themselves, you will see ample evidence of the colossal work they’ve done over thousands of years. Starkly beautiful, barren hillsides tell the story of the ice wall’s slow retreat. And just below the water’s surface, ancient moraines– boulder and soil deposits left behind as glaciers drew back – mark the spots to which they once reached. It all makes for a remarkable and fascinating geological snapshot of the centuries.

As you cruise, you’ll learn that there is no other place on the planet that equals Prince William Sound for its earth-sculpting drama. This is the world’s densest concentration of tidewater glaciers, and many of them reach twelve miles inland and upward to ice-covered peaks, some of them 9,000 feet tall. As you explore, a diverse array of wildlife watches over your ship: bald eagles, countless seabirds, otters, seals and Dall’s porpoises among them. Occasionally, your naturalist will even spot whales. And there’s always a chance that you’ll witness the spectacle of a calving glacier as it splinters into the sea with a tremendous plunge.

Join Discovery Tours for the cruise of a lifetime in Prince William Sound during one of our newest adventures, Alaska’s Natural Beauty.