Living Life by Design - with Alan and Mark: Bonavista's Best

Bonavista's Best - an Unforgettable B&B Experience!

Rear view and entrance to the Harbourview B&B

As most travelers will attest, accommodation can either make or break a vacation. When we stayed for several nights in Bonavista, we certainly hit the jackpot!

Our friends, John and Dianne Burns (house/pet sitters extraordinaire), had recommended this B'n'B, and we'll be forever grateful to them for doing so.

Harbour View Bed & Breakfast is aptly named, and is nicely situated so that many of the local attractions are within walking distance, or accessible by a short car ride.

There are four rooms to choose from, and we just loved #3. (We'll be booking the same room for our next visit - already being planned)! As well, there is a lovely sitting room, with communal T.V., a music room that is sometimes used to entertain guests, and a laundry room that was also available to us.

Sitting room, with T.V.

Artwork graces several walls in the B&B

The Music Room

Dining Room

After a long day of exploration, it was wonderful to return to the comfort of our room, with its delightful sitting area at the window overlooking the harbour, and a nice comfy bed to rest our weary bodies ready for the adventures of the next day. The ensuite bathroom was perfect for our needs, and gave us the privacy that we prefer.

Great sitting area, overlooking the harbour

Wonderfully comfortable Queen-sized bed

Colleen and Terry are the perfect hosts. They bent over backwards to ensure that our stay was the very best. The breakfasts were delicious, and Colleen connected with each guest, the night before, to ask what our choices would be for the following morning; and what an amazing range of choices!! From moose sausages (or bacon) and eggs, to fluffy pancakes with homemade compote, waffles with maple syrup or molasses, toast and home-made jams, as well as a parfait of yogurt and fresh fruit which was available every morning, we felt we were being personally spoiled! On two occasions, Colleen delighted us with Toutons - a Newfoundland speciality - filled with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.

All Set for Breakfast

Home-made jams and preserves. My favourite was partridgeberry

We liked that there were 4 options of when breakfast was served, but that they overlapped so that we could interact with other guests. Unlimited coffee, tea, and/or juice was a very welcome start to the day, and they made sure that our cups didn't grow cold!

Something that is unusual in this type of accommodation - and, therefore, setting it apart - was the nighttime snack, which was amazing! Each night, we were asked about our choices for the following night, and they were personally labeled and were to be found on the table and, when appropriate, in the fridge. A variety of dips were served with cubes of fresh bread, including crab - a real treat for Mark! Cheese, crackers, and grapes were available for those, like me, who have an allergy to shellfish/seafood. To top everything off, there was always a couple of scrumptious desserts (made by Colleen or her mom) to finish the repast. (The pineapple pie is to die for!!!)

All Set for Nighttime Snacks

We loved the personal touch, with our name on the label, together with a smiley face!

Each plate was personalized, according to the choice made the evening before

Love the smiley faces by the names - a nice touch!

All this being said, the real jewels of this B&B are Colleen and Terry, themselves.

Colleen and Terry - Awesome hosts!

Both retired R.C.M.P. officers, they run this establishment with efficiency and zest. They both have warm and winning personalities that make you feel like family, not just passing guests. Terry has a wicked sense of humour, and Colleen's laugh is infectious. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun over the 5 nights we stayed there.

Unknown to me, Mark had conspired with Colleen (at her request, apparently) to surprise me on my birthday. We had spent an amazing day out and didn't get back to the B&B until around 8:00 p.m. Colleen and Terry, together with all the other guests, sprung the surprise upon me as soon as we entered! A birthday cake was produced, and we all sat down for our nighttime snack, sharing stories, jokes, personal experiences, as well as travel discoveries.

Surprize, Surprize!

Terry and Colleen then invited us into the music room where they entertained us with their musicianship. Colleen played the piano, and Terry (who had been in a band a few years prior), played the guitar and sang. It was a soirée to remember! They really pulled out the stops for us.

Refreshments in between performances!

This rendering of John Lennon's 'Imagine' was really sweet!

'Sweet Caroline' had us all joining in with the chorus

An amusing start to our stay was ushered in while Colleen was familiarizing us with the routines and amenities upon our arrival. We were standing in the entrance hall and she had just greeted us. At one point, she told us that, for our own comfort, there were two ducts in our room.

We are not sure if it was her endearing accent, or our excitement interfering with our hearing, but Mark and I both heard different things. Mark had heard that there would be two dogs in our room and was thinking that, although we like dogs, why would there be two in our room? I had heard that there would be two ducks in our room - and was also thinking, 'How would two ducks add to our comfort level?'

Colleen saw the perplexed expressions on our faces, and repeated the information. We looked at each other and finally asked, 'Two ducks?" - at which she laughed and spelled out the word, 'ducts', and that they were for the heating so that we could adjust things for our own comfort! Of course, we all guffawed at this, and we heard her glorious laugh for the first time! That's when we fell in love with her!

All in all, it turned out to be our favourite accommodation of our entire visit to Newfoundland, and we are thrilled that we'll be staying in touch with them.

In our opinion, no stay-over in Bonavista would be complete without availing yourself of the hospitality and friendliness that you would experience at Harbour View B&B!