Finding out where people make and drink beer is usually a safe bet on a good time while on vacation. This summer, Port Rexton Brewing Company is giving a lot of people a reason to visit Port Rexton. It’s a three-hour drive, so how can you make the most of your own pilgrimage to the brewery?

Port Rexton is located between the tourist hubs of Trinity (about 10 minutes away) and Bonavista (about 25 minutes away), so it’s always had an uphill battle to define itself, tourism-wise. However, as more and more people are finding out, Port Rexton is a travel destination that can stand on its own.

Upon arrival, to work up a thirst, you’re going to want to hit Skerwink Trail, the walking loop that skirts the coast of Skerwink Head. There’s plenty to see, including craggy sedimentary rock, sea caves and arches, and all types of greenery. Other spots of interest include Gun Hill, Devil’s Cove Loop trail, and the walk out to Skip Cove, Sam White’s Beach, and Fox Island trail.

Once you land at the brewery and introduce yourself to brewmistresses Alicia MacDonald and Sonja Mills, you can sample the Horse Chops IPA, Island Amber Ale, and the Night ‘Bous Porter. Then, buy a shirt, rent a growler, and set yourself up with a branded pint glass and a Belgian beer glass, to drink at home in style.

Since you can’t live on beer alone, there’s Two Whales Cafe. Vacation eating can get dominated by greasy spoons and chicken shacks, so Two Whales is nice change: it’s a small, family-run, independent coffee shop and restaurant.After almost ten years in business, their espresso and baked goods are on-point, and their recipes (like their Tunisian Orange Cake or their Roasted Beet and Garlic Relish) are amazing.

They use organic or locally-sourced ingredients whenever they can, and their mission statement (grounded in fairness, equality, and respect for all things) is apparent in everything they do. With music from the likes of Mark Bragg, and on-going art shows, it’s enough to make you want to check out the local real estate market.

What else? For fans of all things post-apocalyptic, the abandoned ruins of theme park Trinity Loop (closed in 2004) is a must-see, but enter at your own risk. Then, visit the sets for the CBC miniseries Random Passage (2002) and The Grand Seduction (2013). Finally, bunk down at the deluxe accommodations at the Fishers’ Loft, the 4.5 star inn overlooking the harbour of Ship Cove.