RVing to Newfoundland Ep. 12 - Exploring Dildo and Gander! Come From Away & Airport Intl Lounge!

On Episode 12 of our RV / camping road trip to Newfoundland and Labrador we explore the uniquely named town of Dildo (along with Heart's Content and Brigus), made more famous recently by honorary mayor and late night TV host, Jimmy Kimmel, before heading to Gander. Gander has a fascinating aviation history and was once the busiest airport in the world. It's fame dwindled in the 1960's when Trans-Atlantic flights no longer needed a refueling stop but it found its way back into the history books after the horrific attacks of 9/11 when this small town of only 9000 people took in nearly 7000 airline passengers and crew when North American Airspace was closed. This incredible story was immortalized in song by the smash Broadway hit, Come From Away. In Gander we attend the musical play Come From Away. The musical doesn’t just recount what happened here; it breathes warmth into moments of fear, uncertainty, and extraordinary kindness. You can feel the audience leaning in together, as if the walls themselves remember. We also spend time at the Silent Witness Memorial—a hillside shaped by wind and sorrow. It commemorates the 256 lives lost on this exact site when a U.S. 101st Airborne Division charter flight crashed shortly after takeoff in 1985. The trees stand like sentinels around the site, and there’s a hush that settles on you the moment you step out of the truck. It’s not a place for grand statements; it’s a place that invites you to simply stand, listen, and carry a little of the weight with you. A visit to Gander isn't complete with heading to the airport and stepping back in time at the avantguard International Lounge. And you can engage even more in Ganders aviation history at the North American Aviation Museum.