A QUICK TRIP AROUND DOWNTOWN ST. JOHN'S

Our current trip to St. John's isn't a vacation by any means (the Penguins mean business!).  However, we did take a quick trip around downtown St. John's this morning to get a little more of the flavor of the area (and to find a Tim Horton's).

St. John's is the largest city in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the 20th largest city in Canada.  It's also considered to be one of the oldest cities in North America, with permanent residents inhabiting the town since the 1630s.

Aside from being old, it's also the most easterly city in North America, sitting right on the Atlantic Ocean.  

Right outside of the Mile One Centre is a marker noting 'Mile Zero' - the start of the Trans-Canada Highway.  The route spans all of Canada, starting in St. John's (or ending, depending on your vantage point) and ending in Victoria, British Columbia.

St. John's has a distinctive Celtic flair to it, with numerous pubs that would fit in downtown Dublin dotting the bustling George and Water Streets and the surrounding roads and alleys.  You can hear the Irish influence in speech when talking to St. John's residents, who have a dialect you won't hear anywhere else.

The Mile One Centre sits just a few blocks St. John's Harbour, which is packed with cargo and fishing ships.  

You can also hop a boat for an iceberg cruise, and appaarently this spring is bringing a big influx of floating ice to the area.

The Atlantic Puffin is the official bird of the province, and can be seen in artwork and community projects around the city (as well as in the stands at IceCaps home games).  We have yet to see a live one in person though.

The island of Newfoundland is sometimes called 'The Rock,' and it's easy to see why when you step outside the Mile One Centre.

There's much more to see in the area, including Signal Hill.  Home to Cabot Tower, the hill was a key fortification and the site of the final battle of the Seven Years' War.  Today it is a national historic site and offers a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean and coastline.  Signal Hill was also the spot where Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless transmission in 1901.

We're hoping to be able to take a trip up to the hill sometime in the future, possibly next week before Game Six.  However we'd delay that trip until next season in favor of a quick series victory against the IceCaps!