Go on a virtual road trip with Jerome and Holly, N.L.'s YouTube couple

CBC

5 hours ago

When Jerome and Holly McGrath head out on a road trip, they're sure to bring guests along for the ride — hundreds or even thousands of them.
The semi-retired couple lives in Paradise, just outside of St. John's, but they spent some time in Alberta before that.
"We always talked about, when we came home, we would do some videos for people who are away so they could follow what we're doing and where we're going," said Jerome.
That's exactly what they did in 2021 when they started posting videos to their YouTube channel.
Holly and Jerome have been touring Newfoundland and Labrador since then. They've documented nearly 100 excursions around the bay and beyond, just using an iPhone and sometimes wireless microphones.
Some of the pair's favourite spots to visit are Codroy Valley, Random Island, the Bonavista and Trinity area and Cape St. Mary's.
"Sometimes we don't even know where we're going. We just get in the car and go," said Holly.
The videos are unscripted, and viewing them feels like riding in the passenger seat alongside the McGraths. Jerome says that's intentional.
"Holly said [to] just be natural… we talk a lot to one another anyway," he said.
It's proven to be popular.
A video posted in November 2024 amassed over 12,000 views on YouTube. It depicted a trip to Jerome's hometown of Branch, on the Cape Shore of the Avalon Peninsula.
That particular piece is just half an hour long, but features many landmarks in the small town, narrated by Jerome's recollection of childhood memories.
That's the kind of content the audience connects with, according to Jerome.
"People comment on stuff like that," he said. "'We can't wait to get up Sunday mornings to put your video on and see what you're all about.'"
Even people in the United States and other parts of Canada watch and comment on the videos, Holly said.
She added that one woman in Vancouver Island was inspired to move to Bonavista because of the scenery that the couple recorded and published.
They have quite a following here at home, too.
"We stepped into a restaurant on the way [to Adam's Cove]. As we were coming out, this lady went, 'Oh, Jerome and Holly! My God, I never thought I'd meet you guys,'" Jerome recalled.
The YouTube channel simply named Jerome & Holly McGrath has more than 600 subscribers, which Holly says is disproportionate to the view counts on the videos.
"But when I look at the demographics on YouTube, most of them are people our age," she said. "A lot of people don't know how to subscribe."
The duo said it would be nice to make some gas money from their videos, but they're having fun all the same.
"If we don't get anything five years from now… we're still going to do it," said Jerome.