We have been working hard to flush out the details of our events schedule; it will be a busy year for those of us going on these adventures.
April 20 – we are still tentatively planning on lunch at Montauk, NY (KMTP) but the landing fee is $40 (more for Baron’s). Within a short walk is Inlet seafood, a great restaurant in a dramatic setting with ocean beaches and hiking trails adjacent. Land at 11AM, walk down to the area at 11:30, restaurant actually opens at 12noon.
May 11 (changed from May 18) – Westfield, MA (KBAF) for lunch and a visit to the museum afterwards. Mike Shehl is organizing I have Young Eagles that morning (I do it monthly) so depending on things, I’ll be late or on time or not at all. The museum has a great collection of old interesting aircraft.
May 30 to June 2 – Chatham, MA (KCQX). Great town on Cape Cod with nearby attractions including beaches, Wildlife Refuge, lighthouses, museums and a great little town with shops and restaurants. I am staying at the Chatham Wayside Inn downtown. There are numerous accommodations of all types. Since it is a little early season, there should be some availability. I reserved a rental car through National to be dropped off at the FBO.
June 6 to 9 – Formation flying at Barnes (KBAF), Paul Stavrides organizing.
June 23 to 29 – Twillingate. Being organized by Michael Madigan, Brent Hippert and I. There have been some changes to the itinerary, but the following is cast in stone:
— June 22 – Ginny & I will fly to Maine somewhere & stay overnight, TBD
–June 23 – Arrive in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, CYDF. They do have fuel. Leave the airplane
there all week. Stay overnight, I booked Madigan and myself in the nearby Holiday Inn Express. Michael Madigan & I will share a rental car, which I booked.
–June 24 – Drive 4+ hours to Twillingate. Twillingate, located on Iceberg Alley, is Newfoundland and Labrador’s ultimate outport experience and adventure. An ocean playground with icebergs, whales, rugged coastline and unique island culture – the island connected to Newfoundland by bridges and causeways at the end of Route 340. It is a small island and lodging accommodations are unusual.
o We will schedule an iceberg tour and hopefully get tickets to the playhouse.
o There are no big resorts. There are 2 motels, The Anchor Inn and the North 99. There are B&Bs and lots of houses to rent (surprisingly). The Madigans, Hipperts and I jointly rented a big house out of town on the water with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. I recommend contacting Outport Realty. I talked to Marie Magnin, 709-893-2160.
— On June 27, we are driving to Gros Morne (4+ hours). Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs. Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, Gros Morne’s ancient landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gros Morne National Park is truly one of the world’s most unique and spectacular tourism destinations.
o Gros Morne National Park is large, with seven different communities located in the South, Centreal and Northern section of the Park. Each area has numerous accommodations to chose from including B &B’s, Hotels, Inn’s, Cottages, Hostels, RV Parks, and Parks Canada Campsites. I have not yet made arrangements for lodging in Gros Morne.
I have been to both Twillingate and Gros Morne. And both are spectacular. Gros Morne is a national park on par with any national park in North America. Note that we are doing Twillingate first for the icebergs. They arrive in the spring and eventually melt. Many icebergs get stuck in the irregular coastline around Twillingate. The tourist season up there starts July 1, a holiday.
Mike McNamara
610-220-3140
mikemcnamara88@aol.com
Mike McNamara