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COPYRIGHT 2005 Natural History Magazine, Inc.
Come to the place where the day dawns first.
Come to the place where the New World begins. Newfoundland and Labrador. Where the Atlantic Ocean and the dawning sun make their first appearance in North America. Cape Spear, where Newfoundland and Labrador's oldest surviving lighthouse has stood for 16 decades. And the wind warms your soul as you stand closer to Ireland's Cape Clear than Ontario's Thunder Bay.
Come to St. John's, the oldest settlement in the western world. Build on wooden ships and iron men around a naturally-sheltered harbour. Where 40 vessels lay anchored 40 years before the Mayflower landed. Raise a glass in a place that boasted over 80 pubs before the Americans began their battle for independence. Now that's history. Stand at the top of Signal Hill where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless transmission and said "Hello" to the information age.
In these hills, Britain staked its first colony and fought its final battle with France in the Seven Years' War. Some days you can still hear the muskets echo.
Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the oldest parish this side of the ocean, and thread softly around a cemetery that's been here for close to 300 years. You can even cheer on the longest-running sporting event in North America, the Royal St. John's Regatta. It takes place the first Wednesday in August on a lake we call Quidi Vidi.
Get close to the wildlife in Quebec City.
QUEBEC CITY IS A CITY WITH A European nestled on the shores of the St. Lawrence River since 1608. Cradle of French civilization in America, Quebec City with its historic district is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Narrow winding streets, old stone homes and churches, ramparts and cannons, copper roofs and graceful architectural curves all bring to mind the old continent. It is a lively and dynamic city, with one foot set in the 21st century and the other in history, with its numerous patrimonial sites.
You can stay in a...
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