L'Anse aux meadows lies at the very tip of Northwest Newfoundland.  Nearby is the small town of St. Anthony, where we saw several icebergs and met some bikers, who were also exceptionally friendly and personable, like all Newfoundlanders.  

The Viking site of L’Anse aux Meadows is scenic, enabling you to believe that the Norse chose it partly for its beauty. Three icebergs were visible in the distance.  Tall grasses, tiny wildflowers and horizontal forests brought Mistaken Point to mind.  The Visitor’s Centre was beautifully done and informative with a lovely Viking ship replica. The UNESCO Plaque is very impressive!

On the long but easily walkable path, there was not much left of the actual Viking remnants, marked with red flags or they might have been missed, and they had a model of what the village might have looked like in days of yore. Further on were replicas of what the town might have looked like with various buildings, such as an outhouse, a slave room, a blacksmith room and other areas with costumed people walking about. The roofs were rustic and nicely done with great woodwork, but in general, this part of the site rang a bit false.   

To get to the site, just take the Viking trail (route 430) to the end, which is a long, beautiful drive.  The journey is 5 hours from Gros Morne, and it is well marked and easy to find. Some people recommended staying in St. Anthony as it is inexpensive, and noted for icebergs as mentioned before.

The highlight of the drive is a photo opportunity and views of Flowers Cove Thrombolites Landscape! These are actually some of the earth's most primitive life forms.

Visited 14JUL 2018