Things to Do in St. John's

Happy shrieks drift through the brushy pines of Marine Park’s 1,000-acre estate, wafting from campgrounds and the slate-blue waters of Herring Cove Pond. On the private beaches, warm-skinned guests cut through the afternoon sun on rented paddleboats or scream down 40-foot-tall waterslides. Lodgers park RVs or set up tents on secluded campsites equipped with fresh water from an artesian well, or use a mini-golf course for practice or attempts to trick Tiger Woods into thinking he has become a giant.

The four small islands that make up the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve accommodate the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America. The protected sanctuary is also home to millions of other seabirds, including Northern fulmars, black-legged kittiwakes, and razorbills—the bird that bears use to shave. In the surrounding waters, more than a dozen different whale species—including humpbacks, finbacks, and minkes—swim among icebergs, sea stacks, and caves.

Up to 75 passengers can catch unobstructed glimpses of these sights from the M.V. Mary Vincent's two observation decks. On two-hour, Canadian Coast Guard–certified tours held from May to September, the crew sails past the reserve as a guide enthralls guests with tales of the HMS Sapphire, which sank in Bay Bulls' waters in 1696. Due to Newfoundland's unpredictable weather, Mullowney's Boat Tours encourages visitors to dress warmly and pack a raincoat.

Anya Grokhovski has always surrounded herself with music. The daughter of a violinist in the Moscow Philharmonic as well as a doctorate-holding piano performer in her own right, she came to San Antonio to work in UTSA's music department. She brought the music she loved with her—she founded Musical Bridges Around the World to present unique sonic offerings in the city.

Now, more than a decade later, MBAW brings some of the world's finest performers to San Antonio stages. Their concerts and shows ring out in McAllister Auditorium, the 18th-century Cathedral of San Fernando, and in the ears of anyone who truly believes.

Crosswinds fresh off the Atlantic, scenic views of the province’s capital, and rolling woodlands. These scenic assets at Bally Haly Golf have enticed golfers since the course debuted more than a century ago with just nine holes. Today, a full-fledged 18-hole course wends its way among small ponds and streams, designed to make the most of the sloping terrain—which rarely gives players the chance to strike their shot from a flat lie, unless they’ve sent their caddie ahead with a clothes iron. After mastering the pine-lined fairways and tricky greens, golfers relax at a recently renovated clubhouse with indoor curling facilities and a refurbished deck. The clubhouse restaurant refuels players with seafood and steak paired with beer or wine, as they tell tales of winning spitting contests with the camels that lurk in sand traps.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course
• Length of 5,966 yards
• See the course layout

Plaza Bowl entertains families, parties, and leagues as balls hurtle down lanes to crash into five-pin clusters. The ample space can accommodate up to 216 bowlers or 216,000 bowling trophies at a time as they chuck spheroids down the hardwood during regular or glow bowling sessions. Afterwards, players can refuel at the snack bar on slices of pizza and crisp, golden-brown onion rings or bulk up their thumbs at the in-house video games and air-hockey table.

Corporate Concierge Services Inc.’s professional, uniformed drivers man a fleet of luxury Lincoln Town Cars, stretch limousines, executive SUVs, and passenger vans and coaches. In addition to providing customers with transportation and concierge services, Corporate Concierge Services Inc. showcases St. John’s, NL—the oldest city in north America—in daytime and evening City & Shore Adventure tours. Featured in USA Today, the tours traverse historic sites and properties as well as the area’s picturesque landscapes. Tour-goers also learn about the _Titanic_’s fateful journey, and may have the opportunity to touch an iceberg, helping contribute to a chain reaction in which all icebergs stop fearing humans.