A post by Mark McCarthy: Perhaps my favorite story from this Christmas involves a bottle of Newfoundland ‘Screech’; an empty bottle at that. Last week we had more then a few people over to help celebrate the season and while I wasn’t surprised to see so many rum drinkers – I was rather taken aback…

I recently hosted a media awareness program for Newfoundland’s department of tourism that included a sunrise tour of Cape Spear, a national park located at the most eastern point of land in all of North America. We captured beautiful photos and enjoyed a great start to a most promising day with one of the girls…

A post by Regina McCarthy: We embarked on another successful quilting tour in September of this year – completing the last of the British Isles with our trip to Ireland (Scotland -2014, Wales – 2013 and England in both 2010 & 2012) . Of course there are so many wonderful needlepoint displays in Ireland that…

I met a couple of interesting fellows from New York City on one of my many stays at Fisher’s Loft Inn last summer. We had a great conversation before supper but when they told me they worked as Opera Managers – I shared a Newfoundland opera story that I thought you might also enjoy; especially…

A post from Jim McCarthy: I’ve often heard people complain that there’s nothing but trees to see on Newfoundland’s Trans-Canada Highway. Really? Based on the drive we enjoyed last weekend I’d have to think this sounds like another good reason to travel with a qualified, local guide when you visit this province.     Undoubtedly,…

Francis Corrigan told a great little story when we were discussing the advantages of using a local guide in Newfoundland (see Mark’s blog on this topic earlier this year – ‘Safe Assure’ https://www.mccarthysparty.com/blog/safe-assure/ ) Last year Frances was directing a group that overlapped a tour company from the mainland who were operating on an identical…

I’ve often wondered about the characters who spray paint the many rock faces along Newfoundland’s Trans-Canada Highway. What would possess a person to desecrate these geological wonders with indiscriminate scribbles and senseless professions? They’re not exactly random or spontaneous creations.     There must be some sense of planning involved?  I can’t believe people just…

A post by Mark McCarthy: “What we lost from the land we gained in the sea !” My father has often used this wonderful expression when he attempts to explain the Newfoundlander’s attraction and willingness to populate an island whose rocky coastline is located in such a challenging climatic zone. Our province’s nickname ‘The Rock’…

A post by Bill Trophy: On July 15 to 26, McCarthy’s Party had the pleasure of hosting a large and vibrant group of guests from the Bernard Betel Centre of Toronto. Centre coordinators Irina Shulgin and volunteer Irina Garlovitsly handed the reigns to me, Bill Brophy, as their in-province tour guide. What an honour and…

A Post from Jim McCarthy: Our tour guides have an arsenal of expressions to diffuse the unseasonal weather conditions we’ve experienced in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer but this story exemplifies my son Andrew’s ability to make every Newfoundland experience an enjoyable one. Last weekend I met him at the airport in Deer Lake where…

A post from Mike Edmunds: Despite the recent cold temperatures and the many mauzy days in the month of July, the spirit found within the recent McCarthy’s Party Tour remained strong and enthusiastic. Several days before the start of our ‘Eastern Tour’ flights got cancelled, rescheduled, and rebooked. Our guests arrived by bus, by shuttle,…

Mike sent this note following his last McCarthy’s Party Tour through the province. Andrew…here is a sample of a personal email that I received from one of my tourists about the special treatment he received on his tour and the kind words he had about McCarthys. Not sure if it is of any value for your blogs.…

We hosted a media familiarization tour for 8 newspaper, magazine and travel writers this past week. To say our schedule was “Jam packed” would be an understatement. We had four days on the island and were on slam from early each morning till late every evening. Despite the many wonderful sites, and we were fortunate…

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good love story – whether that be the love of a woman or a love of the land. But when you combine the two you end up with something so special it just has to be shared. I always knew Joe Wiseman to be a great man but…

A post by Mark McCarthy: Being from Newfoundland and Labrador and as President of McCarthy’s Party, one of the things I am most proud of is the integrity of our people, products, partners and local guides. But, since Mother tells me that pride is a sin, and due to the nature of this story, let me instead…