Luxury getaways to the ocean's edge
I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen ice – but what a combo! The sun was setting, the waves rolling, the ice glistening. When I saw all three coincident I became an artist (??) and ran down to the water to catch a permanent glimpse. Here it is – a moment frozen in time to fire up the imagination (some poetic – what?). But it was a beautiful end to a wonderful day – hard work day rewarded by a soft and beautiful sunset. Cheers.
In full disclosure, this gorgeous photo wasn’t taken at the cottages! But if you do join us this winter, rest assured that you won’t be chopping your own wood! We have two great specials on all winter long, and they both include firewood and all you need for a cozy weekend getaway. Wasn’t that New Year’s resolution about taking better care of your self and your family …. ?
Thanks to our good friend Bud Vincent, for capturing this beautiful scene, and sharing the photo with us.
We really mean it when we say The Doctor’s House is the perfect winter getaway – not too far from the city, we’re a warm and romantic refuge from the dreary season we’ve been having. And of course, there’s one key ingredient for a winter getaway – and that’s a roaring fire to cuddle up before and watch. We’ve got one in our dining room, and, as you can see, there’s no shortage of firewood. We’ll keep you warm!
…. is cozy and warm, good for a fire, great for the soul, and, in a word, magical. Thanks to Leonard Howlett, a Newfoundland artist whose work we feature in our gift shop at The Doctor’s House, for capturing the season here so stunningly. We stay open during the winter, because we know a stunning getaway just an hour outside St. John’s is something people need and love all year round. Remember that we’ve extended our spa packages at The Doctor’s House to last all winter, and, also at the Inn, we’re offering buy one night, get the second for $99 for January-March. It’s our way to make your winter a little warmer.
With Christmas coming and all the new snow I’m actually getting really excited for the winter. And if you know me, you know that’s something I never used to say. Winter used to be the bane of my existence. But there is nothing like a small cozy cottage, a fire, some hot chocolate (or, lets be honest, red wine) ….. and the beauty of the Wonderful World of Whiteway always shines through. Keep an eye on our Specials and Packages page – we’re already offering Buy One Night, Get One Half Up, and soon we’ll be offering a special Winter Getaway Package, too. Let it snow (let it snow, let it snow!).
Unfortunately I only took my cell phone with me yesterday when The Berry and I hiked the trails of of Whiteway (make that WWW – Whiteway Winter Wonderland). The picture above really captures how stunning the area gets in the winter; the picture below, why I should take my camera with me more often!
Anyway, yes, yesterday was the first snow of the year and it was floating down in big puffy flakes – the kind that you can catch on your tongue. The perfect weather for a romantic walk.
It was a refreshing promise of the winter to come, and gave us inspiration to help us plan our “Stay In and Stay Warm” winter packages. We’re working on making sure enjoying our cottages in the winter is as cozy as possible – please let us know if you have any suggestions!
Really, there is not much nicer than coming in to a warm cottage with pleasant music, a fire going and red wine on a winter’s day.
Would I leave our guests to fend for themselves, having to bring their own wood for their fire pits? I think you know the answer to that! Everyone loves a fire, especially as the days are getting colder and shorter!
Examine this picture closely – it’s not just a shot of Shag Rock. If you notice to the left of it, there’s what looks like smoke rising out of the water. And that’s just what our guest, Tim, saw on Thursday night while having a BBQ on the deck of The Blueberry, which overlooks Trinity Bay. Confirming it with binoculars, he realized a long liner was on fire.
Tim called me, I called Guardian Angel Alf, Alf called Clifford George (and told me to call the fire department). Alf and Clifford raced for Clifford’s boat to afford a rescue, if possible.
In minutes the smoke had turned to flame – from the shore we could see the inferno with our naked eyes. In no time, there were other boats coming from other closer communities, too. That’s what we do in Newfoundland – we can always rely on our neighbours in an emergency.
Alf and Clifford were second at the scene. They talked to the Skipper, who luckily (or by Divine Intervention) was towing a boat behind him (a standard safety precaution). He and the first mate (the only two people on board) barely had time to get in it before the flames completely overwhelmed their boat.
The fire started in the engine room, and the small crew only had time to get out one May Day before they were forced to abandon ship. The captain had to sit and watch his boat burn to the water’s edge.
Clifford came home and couldn’t get the scene out of his mind – so, as he is wont to do, he painted what he had seen to get some peace. He then brought the painting over to Alf as a memento of the near-tragic event.
Thank God no one was hurt. It makes us appreciate our view of the ocean even more – it allows us to take notice of what’s actually going on out there. And thankfully our guests can’t keep their eyes off it like we can’t. Since no one was injured, the story was just a little one on the news, but you can tell from Cliff’s picture below that it was a harrowing, unforgettable night for all involved. 
I’m looking forward to a busy but fun long weekend, especially since we have family coming to stay with us. But not much tonight could match the Saturday we had last week, right on the beach in front of our new home (still hard to believe we live here!). We had a traditional Newfoundland boil-up on the beach, complete with not only Joe Friday’s famous cod-au-gratin, Laurelyn’s beautiful partridgeberry bread pudding and a deep-fried turkey from yours truly, but also a truly great assortment of our new friends and neighbours. I think there was at least 18 of us, and we sat listening to the waves and each others’ laughter until midnight. It was the perfect ending to what had been a busy day.
I hope that our guests, and you, dear readers, will have an equally fun long weekend, and will stay safe. One last hurrah for the summer!
Gotta love Lisa Day and her shenanigans (I know we do!) ….
Murphy and I had the place to ourselves the other night – The Berry and Joe Friday both had to go to St. John’s to work. What a sunset we had – and what an excuse to kick back in silence and recuperate from lots of hard work, mental and physical. The waves just wash it all away.
I was happy, though, to take a break from the relaxing to set up floodlights and a cd player (for Newfoundland music, of course!) and bring down wood to the beach for our guests at The Blueberry – Veronica and Jim, and Mike and Patricia, from Kingston, Ontario. They invited me to have a beer and enjoy the night with them, and few offers have been more tempting! Work for a board meeting called me away, but I was there in spirit! (and here’s my last blurry night shot, I promise! – I wanted to share this moment with you, but I’m getting used to my camera still …. Allison George has told me to turn up my ISO settings at night, so I hope that helps!)