Dildo, Newfoundland made its way onto our list of stops by name alone.  We live near places like Intercourse, Virginville, Bird-in-Hand, and Blue Ball.  So, why would we not want to visit a place like Dildo, Newfoundland?   I had no expectations other than to perhaps see a road sign for the town of Dildo and get a photograph.  However, I found Kimmel Cottage on Airbnb and decided to book a stay in Dildo for a couple of nights. 

The dogs and I arrived in Dildo late into the evening and settled in at Kimmel Cottage - a quaint cottage with a deck overlooking the water.  There were a few flyers and brochures on the dining table showing things to do in and around Dildo.  As it was late into the evening, we saved our exploration for the daylight of morning.  

In the morning, we walked down the street to a small community park.  A billboard in the park shared the history of Dildo and how it came to be.  Spoilers: no one really knows how the town became known as Dildo.  There are several theories and plenty of legends, but no one has truly settled on the origin story.  What is known is that it sits at the entrance of the Dildo Arm on the south side of Trinity Bay and shares its name with Dildo Island. 

I returned the dogs to Kimmel Cottage and popped across the street to Nan and Pop’s Souvenir shop.  What you’ll find is that the Dildonians accept their name as it is, but they don’t feed into the cheekiness of the name in the way places like Intercourse, Pennsylvania have.  They like to keep it respectable, so you won’t find penis-shaped bottle openers with the town name emblazoned upon them or anything of the sort.   The cheekiest thing I found was a tee shirt proclaiming “There’s a little Dildo inside everybody” with a map of Newfoundland marking Dildo’s geographic location.  I grabbed a few bits and bobs to take with me before crossing the street back to Kimmel Cottage. 

After relaxing on the deck with the dogs, I decided to take a walk down to Dildo Brewing Company.  I was seated on the deck overlooking the water.  The atmosphere was great and the service was outstanding.  I enjoyed a flight of their craft beers along with a burger and fries before grabbing some souvenirs and beer for the road and heading back to Kimmel Cottage.

Overall, Dildo was a peaceful respite - a quaint community to escape the hustle and bustle of life.  A place where you could let your worries go out to see with the receding tides.  A place where you could sit on the deck and watch the fishing boats come and go as the seabirds fly overhead.  A place where the salty sea breeze cleared not only your sinuses but also your mind, body, and spirit.  We came with no expectations and we left with no worries, no stress, and no sorrows.