Newfoundland

Another detour, along what’s called the French Ancestors’ Route, will lead you to Boutte du Cap. This park sits on a large cliff that juts into the sea, along the southwestern edge of a dolphin-shaped peninsula. As with so many places on the west coast of the province, winds whip the beach, whales lurk beneath the waves, and the landscape outside of the towns appears entirely untouched. The park has all the gobsmacking coastal views the province is known for, but it’s also home to a traditional French bread oven, where on summer afternoons, you can end your breathtaking cliffside walk with a freshly baked baguette.

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Farther north, you’ll reach the Tablelands. In this stretch of Gros Morne National Park, the ground is full of rocks that seem to have fallen from some far-off planet. In fact, these stones, peridotite, originate from the Earth’s mantle and have appeared above ground thanks to the area’s tectonic movement.

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This drive along the west coast invites a lazy pace, so you can keep an eye out for whales and seals, or stop at places such as artist Ben Ploughman’s quirky Museum of Whales and Things. Near the great peninsula’s northwestern tip, the museum is full of original art, skulls and bones, and an almost fully reconstructed sperm whale skeleton. There’s also a golf course hiding behind the building, if you’re willing to play nine holes in whipping winds along sharp inclines. But if you’ve made it this far, you just might be.