This past Saturday marked Canada’s 150th birthday. Here at twowildtides, we consider ourselves so proud to be Canadian and so fortunate to be citizens of this incredible country. I spent Canada Day Weekend camping with friends on Newfoundland’s west coast, in Gros Morne National Park. You might remember that last year I published an article about camping on the west coast, which you can find here. Well, this time we went even further up the coast, as far as Arches Provincial Park.
This Canada Day, I didn’t dress up in red and white. I simply donned a ‘Canada’ baseball cap and my two favorite pieces from Wildhood Clothing. Why? Well, Wildhood is a local clothing brand “that believes in the strength of difference.” It is fair trade apparel striving to connect all humanity regardless of race, religion, color, creed, and sexual orientation. I believe that is what being Canadian is all about, so this weekend, I wore my Wildhood Clothing with pride.
The weekend started when we arrived at Berry Hill campground, just north of Rocky Harbour, NL. It was pouring rain, pitch black, and we were exhausted from a long drive. We set up the tents, huddled inside and fell asleep. The next morning, everything outside was soaked but thankfully we were warm and dry and the birds were chirping. It wasn’t long drying up outdoors, so we geared up and took the short walk from our campsite into Berry Pond, which provided a stunning view of cloud-capped mountains.
When we got back, we began to pack up camp, but first made a quick breakfast. We had yogurt, granola, berries, toast, and tea. The air had a little chill so I laid out my blanket and enjoyed breakfast alongside the firepit. I was wearing my all time favorite t-shirt— it is from Wildhood Clothing and says “I’m dreaming of adventure and campfire breakfasts.” And yes, I did wear it specifically because I was eating a campfire breakfast, don’t judge me! Shop the “Free-to-Explore Tee” here.
Once the truck was loaded up we were off. Even though the Berry Hill campground wasn’t my favorite (I would much rather Lomond or Trout River!), the area seemed to have a lot to offer. Rocky Harbour is a beautiful community and there is great hiking just off the campground— let’s just say that Bakers Brook Falls trail is now on my bucket list. It is worth heading up there for the drive alone. I have never seen such gorgeous winding roads!
We continued north along the Viking Trail, through Sally’s Cove and St. Paul’s, all the way to Cow Head, stopping along the way at the site of the SS Ethie shipwreck. This ship ran aground in 1919 during a hurricane, but thankfully no lives were lost. It is interesting to see the rusty remains of the ship along the rocky beach, and it is worth stopping for a quick picture and to stretch your legs.
Once arrived at the Shallow Bay Campground in Cow Head, we set up our tents amid a swarm of mosquitos. We were quite thankful to find citronella coils at the local grocery store to keep them away. We barbequed, enjoyed a few drinks, and played horseshoes and frisbee. Personally, I thought the Shallow Bay campsites were much nicer than Berry Hill.
How can you go wrong with wine in a can??
After we ate, we headed even further north to Arches Provincial Park. Although the temperature had risen to a gorgeous 25 degrees Celcius, the wind was still pretty nippy near the water, so my Wildhood hoodie came in handy. The Arches are a natural rock formation created after years of being pounded by rough seas. It is an incredible sight to see. Stop here for a picnic lunch and a couple photos on your Viking Trail summer roadtrip.
I have honestly worn my Wildhood Clothing raglan hoodie almost every other day since I got it. It is warm but not heavy, the quality is out of this world, and it goes with everything.
Our goal is to purchase fair trade materials, craft high quality clothing, and add our own twist. We purchase high quality yarn, sew it, stamp it -with our own signature designs, test for quality, and prepare for shipment. We do this all under one roof to give us total creative and quality control over the final product.
Shop the Elegant Raglan Hoodie here. You need to have this in your closet!
After hanging out at the Arches for about an hour, we headed back to our campsite at Shallow Bay. I had read in my tourist guide (yes, I use the tourist guidebook for my own province. It is a great resource!), that the beach at Shallow Bay was a must-see. So true! I was blown away by this place— it is a true hidden gem.
In Newfoundland, it is hard to come by sandy beaches. Shallow Bay Beach, located only two minutes from the campground, is about 5 kilometers of soft, white sand with hardly a person in sight. Seriously! There were times when we had this giant beach all to ourselves on one of the nicest days of the year. We stayed there until sunset laughing, music playing, tossing a football, and wandering up the beach until we couldn’t walk any further. It was an incredible way to spend Canada 150.
I truly hope everyone is able to see a sunset like this at some point in their life.
I want to thank my friends for embarking on this adventure with me and Wildhood Clothing for inspiring me to do so.
The Wildhood we share is a place where diversity is celebrated everyday.
If you enjoyed this article please leave us a comment or reach out to us on social media, @twowildtides. We would love to hear about how you spent #Canada150, so tag us in your pictures!
We would also appreciate it if you followed @wildhood_ on Instagram and checked out their Facebook page.
xoxo,
char
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