auntieC

We are currently planning our trip for this summer and are inquiring about local opinions on what to do and suggested time to visit. We are well-traveled individuals and try to do advance preparation before setting out on our adventures.
In 2005 we abandoned our normal trek to Europe to travel to Nova Scotia as well as a visit to the western end of your island (or as much as you can see in only 8 days). We fell in love with Newfoundland and Newfoundlanders. So this year we are trying to fit in as much of the eastern end as we can with 14-16 (?18?) days. Our thoughts are to do 4 or 5 nights in St. John’s – we want to spend Canada Day there and take in part of the Theatre Festival. In addition to that stop we’re thinking maybe 2 nights in Ferryland, 2 in Placentia, 2 in Trinity, 2 or 3 in Twillingate, 3 in Grand Bank/St. Pierre. The towns aren’t specifically locked in yet – just an idea of the areas we want to visit – and the fact we don’t want to spend more than a few hours moving between stops. We are the type of travelers who enjoy the luxury of time in a place and freedom to explore the sites without rushing too much from place to place. Endless hours in the car don’t often afford much close contact with the places you are visiting. Discovering local events and mixing with people is another favorite activity. We’ll take whale and iceberg tours, but not in kayaks. We hike local trails, but not the ones that require carrying overnight/survival gear. We try to pick accommodations in advance and look forward to a mix of B&Bs, cottages and small hotels – I travel for a living so please spare me the Fairmonts or even Holiday Inns.
Our time frame is to start somewhere around 12 June. We have to be heading back by 12 July. We hope to see both icebergs and whales on this trip so we realize we are pushing the time frames for both and most likely will have to cover some lengthy distances. Please advise of any thoughts on when would be the best time to visit your area. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. We are hoping to set flights this weekend, so any advice would be well received.
Thank you for your time. Hope to see you soon.