1. Bonne Bay in Gros Morne National Park may be where Karlsefni may have stopped at the end of his search for the missing Thorhall. It is the mouth of at least three rivers that flow from East to West. Of course there are many other East-West rivers in this region, but Norris Point is a spectacular place for a stop.(Chart 4658 detail and 4661 large). It is also may be near the latitude where Leif’s houses were located.

Further north in Gros Morn Park on shore walk to Western Brook Pond. Norsemen exploring might have found it from the ocean side and recognized it as the same pond they had seen from the top when they explored from the East side of the peninsula.

Cow Head (Chart 4663) is almost directly opposite the Saga location of Hop. There is an east-west river running into Cow’s head also. The motel at Cow Head is the Shallow Bay Motel & Cabins. It has a family restaurant with a wall of windows looking towards the water. On some nights there is a performance in the little theater attached to the motel. When I was there the performance was of one of Newfoundland’s dramatic adventure stories. The acting and special effects were quite good. (800-563-1946 www.shallowbaymotel.com) A community museum and craft shop is located at 143 Main St.

The coast has a number of fishing villages and bays. It gradually gets closer to Labrador. Finally you reach the northern tip of the Great Peninsula. There, past cape Onion (Chart 4511) is L’Anse aux Meadows World Heritage Site. It may be where Thorstein Eiriksson repaired his keel. Quirpon Island (Chart 4512) may be where he erected the old keel as a marker and sign of ownership when he finally left in the repaired ship. They called the place Kjalarnes.

After you have seen the Heritage Site take a minute to make reservations for an iceberg & whale watching boat ride tomorrow. Drive out of the National Heritage Site and turn left. Rt. 436 soon ends. At that point turn right and go about 500 meters to the dock where a sign is posted telling normal departure times and contact information. (L'Anse aux Meadows Boat Adventure Tours; Thomas Eddison, Thomas; Hay Cove, NL A0K 2X0 (709) 623-2325). The boat dock is beside the Norseman Restaurant. The restaurant has great food, a nice gift shop and, on Tuesday and Friday evenings, has dinner “theater.” (www.valhalla-lodge.com). The entertainment when I was there was performers doing songs and stories about Newfoundland people and adventures. The restaurant is open 9 am to 10 pm May to October.

3. Head South on the east coast past St. Anthony to Canada Bay (Chart 4583). There you can see a headland in the jaws of two fjords. (near Englee). This may be where Thorstein Eiriksson was killed by natives and buried. They called it Krossanes.

Continue south to Sop’s Arm.(Chart 4584) Sop’s Island is where Gudrid and Karlsefni might have spent their first winter and where Snorri was born. You might want to take time to go ashore and go rafting on the Main River.
A short way to the south of Sop’s arm is Saltwater Pond hidden behind a sandbar in Saltwater Cove. This may be the Hop where Karlsefni and Gudrid traded with and then fought with natives.

Return North as Gudrid and Karlsefni went when they decided to go home. Instead of heading for Greenland, turn east at the north facing shore of central Newfoundland. Pass Partridge Point near Fleur De Lys and Cape St. John,
Contue East to Fogo Island (Chart 4530). This would be the “Island North of the Land” that Leif Eiriksson found. On a clear day you can see the land from Fogo.
Go around the island into Hamilton Sound into Rocky Bay, and south on past the fish packing plant at Carmanville. At the head of Carmonville Arm there is a highway crossing what was a sandbar cut by a stream. It is too rocky to get close in. The stream leads to a protected lagoon (a hop) which may be where Leif Eiriksson built his camp and spent a winter. The land around the lagoon has been set aside for pleasure walking. There is a wood walkway with occasional benches along the lagoon. A good Inn nearby is on Rt 330 towards Musgrave Harbor.

9 You now have seen the Vinland Saga Sites in Newfoundland.
Continuing along the north facing shore of Newfoundland there are other things to see like:
Cape Freels
Terra Nova National Park
Cape Bonavista
A grand finale would be a stop in St. John’s for a taste of civilization
And Cape Spear National Historical Site
And Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.