5 Great Summer Getaways

  • Downhome Magazine
  • Posted: May 21, 2009 1:00 PM
Quirpon Island Lighthouse and Inn. Gene Green photo.
With our busy jobs and demanding schedules, we all deserve a vacation suited specifically for our desires. Before booking your summer trip this year, decide what you want out of your vacation. Do you enjoy peace and quiet or a thrilling adventure? Or would you rather a romantic hideaway or a complete lifestyle change? Here are five great summer getaways - one of which is sure to suit your vacation style.

Far Away From it All
Do you ever just want to get away from it all? Every so often, everyone needs a break from the traffic, the bright lights, the ringing phones and the hustle and bustle of daily life. Newfoundland Coastal Safari is just one tour operator that will take you far away from all of these things. The company takes vacationers to Tickle Beach, a remote location 2 km inside Long Harbour Fjord in Fortune Bay, by boat - no roads lead to this wilderness hideaway. While there, vacationers may take in the scenery, wildlife, whales and icebergs and revel in fishing, kayaking and hiking.

Romantic Retreat
There is nothing more romantic than a solitary lighthouse at the edge of the sea, a beacon in the night for lost seafarers trying to find their way home. These structures dot the coastlines of Newfoundland and Labrador, with its strong seafaring tradition. A local tour operator, Linkum Tours, has turned outbuildings at the foots of both the Cape Anguille Lighthouse and Quirpon Island Lighthouse into cozy inns - perfect settings for a romantic getaway.

Working Weekend
While vacations have traditionally been looked upon as times for rest and relaxation, more and more people these days are seeking to experience a different way of life. Several farm vacations are available in the Maritime provinces. Vacationers typically take up residence in a farmhouse located on a working farm, where they may choose to simply enjoy a quiet stay. However, many visitors enjoy pitching in and experiencing the life of a farmer, milking cows, grooming horses and baling hay. McCrea Farms in Shannon, New Brunswick and Springwater Farm in Albion Cross, Prince Edward Island both offer these unique vacations.

Underwater Adventure
If you are a thrill seeker, you probably don't want a quiet vacation sunbathing on a beach. Instead, you might prefer underwater exploring to sitting at seaside. Newfoundland-based Ocean Quest's diving vacations are every thrill-seekers dream. Between pool training and open water dives to swimming with whales, exploring shipwrecks, and examining the undersides of icebergs, you'll stay at the Ocean Quest Lodge.

For the Ladies
If you are a woman who loves a "girls' night out," then perhaps a vacation with the gals is just the break you need. Several inns and lodges accommodate women's retreats at different times throughout the year, where instructors teach outdoors skills like wilderness survival, fly fishing and much more. Then there's also the Beyond Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshops, which see women trekking through the wilderness and learning about the outdoors with the added challenge of leaving no trace of you ever having been there - that means not leaving refuse, food leftovers, or even toilet paper behind.