The view from our room at the Candlelite Bay Inn from York Harbour, Bay of Islands just west of Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

It was a long day of driving.  We’d left L’Anse Au Clair, Labrador and took the ferry back to the island. Our plan was to stay in Corner Brook for the next two nights.  We were having some trouble finding advance accommodations in Corner Brook because of the lousy cell phone coverage I had in Newfoundland; only two hotels had vacancies but both had dodgy reviews.  We thought we would try our luck and just find something when we arrived.  Bad idea.

When we got into town we had no luck finding anything.  We were exhausted, but the only nice hotel that was in our budget was full.  We decided to get outta Dodge and head west, hoping to take our chances along the coast of the Bay of Islands.  The map showed the names of harbours and coves but there were no visible accommodations as we drove west.  I found a weekly cottage rental by phone in York Harbour and left them a voicemail message.  Immediately after that the tenuous cell phone coverage I had in Corner Brook died out.  Just when we thought we’d had to head back to the city and stay at Corner Brook’s answer to the Bates Motel, we stumbled upon a sign advertising the Candlelite Bay Inn.

The photos on the sign showed a place far too glamorous for us but we would have almost paid anything.  Brian was a gracious and attentive host.  He showed us a couple of rooms, one of them a suite with kitchen, whirlpool bath and stunning views of the bay.  It was exactly what we needed.  Even better, he offered us a deal on the room.  We loved it so much we stayed for a second night.

Our room was decorated beautifully and attention to detail was everywhere.  A balcony on each side of the unit and the kitchen was fully equipped with fridge, microwave, dishes, utensils, etc.  No stove, but there was a griddle that we used to fry up dinner the next day.   We sat outside that night and watched the sun go down off Guernsey Island, the namesake of our room.

K also had a blast in the jacuzzi tub.  I added a single tube of shampoo/creme rinse but it threatened to take over the world.  The creme rinse gave the suds a glue-like consistency that was bizarre.  It was like a big fluffy blanket.  Very cool.

The next day we decided we had to stay for another night and spent the day touring Lark Harbour and taking a short hike to the falls in the Coppermine Trail.  We spent the late afternoon in the hot tub outside and ate our dinner on the deck, looking over some of the most beautiful scenery Newfoundland has to offer.

One drawback was that there was no wi-fi, which would have been a nice feature considering our problems accessing the internet for the week prior.  Then again it gave us more time to enjoy the scenery. We came upon this place by accident and it was almost as if something else knew it was exactly what we needed.

Oh, and did I mention that there is a dining room with a fully stocked commercial kitchen?  We did not eat here because we came with our own food, but Brian can whip up a delicious meal for you.  Just read the reviews.

Newfoundland is a truly remarkable place, and we will return to this beautiful island and its beautiful people.  Candlelite Bay Inn will be one of our stops and I can’t wait to get back there.

www.candlelitebay.com