Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring Island is the most popular island in the Strait of Georgia.  It can be reached by small plane or ferry from Port
Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver Island, or mainland British Columbia.

Salt spring has a fascinating history.  It was first settled by black slaves, fleeing persecution, and then by immigrants from Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and Portugal.   The island later became home to logging operations and then agriculture.   Now, Salt Spring has a decidedly multicultural atmosphere.  Today peoples still come to settle on the island, drawn by its beauty and tranquility.   Summer is an exciting, though crowded, time of year on the island so, if possible, visit in the spring or autumn.

Champion Ready For Shearing

Activities

Salt Spring is the perfect place for hiking and biking, from its forested Ruckle Provincial Park, with its six miles of hiking trails,  to its many white-shell beaches and meandering roadways.  Climb to the highest point on Salt Spring’s Baynes Peak, for a great view of the whole island and the surrounding sea.  If you choose to ride the trails, horses are for rent at Salt Spring Trail Rides.

Fish for bass or trout in the island’s several stocked lakes, or in the surrounding seas for salmon.  Take a kayaking adventure along the coast.  Swim or beachcomb on its shell and sandy shores.

In May, you will be able to visit the Wool Exhibition covering all aspects of wool production, including shearing, washing, spinning, and dyeing.

Late spring is the time for sail-boat races, sand-sculpting,and other beach activities for the whole family.

Art festivals take place throughout July, including theater and dance.  This is the time for the many island artists and craftsmen to exhibit their works and for tourists to buy a variety of treasures at reasonable prices.  Throughout the year, the many island art galleries, as well as studios, are open to the public.

Accommodations

Salt Spring is a friendly island which boasts a variety of accommodations to suit all tastes and budgets.  Here are a few.

Bed and Breakfasts include, among others; Dancing Light Cottage in a forest setting, specializing in organic breakfasts; Blue Heron Bed and Breakfast, and Beach House Bed and Breakfast, both offering private suits; and Armand Heights Bed and Breakfast which has spectacular views of both the coastal mountains and the gulf islands.

Other comfortable hotel-like accommodations include; Harbor House, Salty Springs Spa Resort, and Hastings House. To avoid  surprises, phone ahead for rates.

Places To Dine

For a full breakfast in an antique setting, try Weston Lake Inn.  Here you can always get fresh produce, and farm-fresh eggs.

If you want a deli lunch or some fixings for a picnic, stop and load up at The Fat Rascal on Fulford-Ganges Road.  Tides Inn, also on Ganges Road offers great fish and chips, and a variety of salmon dishes.

For an excellent dinner in a pub-like atmosphere, try the Vesuvius Inn.  House Picolo is another good location for dinner, offering a variety of dishes featuring seafood, lamb and Scandinavian cuisine.

For More Information Go To:

www.saltspringisland.bc.ca

Salt Spring Island In The Early Morning

Sand-Sculpting Competition

Parksvillle is a small town with a big heart.  There are family activities for the whole family, every month of the year.  Parksville is located on the east side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.  It is located right on the sea.  The town is close to the Island Highway, so staying in Parksville gives you ready access to the rest of the island should you choose to explore.

Arbutus Grove Motel

There are accommodations in Parksville to suit all tastes and budgets, including hotels, motels, resorts, and bed and breakfasts.  A great beachfront choice is The Beach Club Resort.  It is Parksville’s most luxurious hotel, offering spectacular mountain or ocean views from all rooms and suites.  The Beach Club boasts a seaside pool, fitness center, and excellent restaurant.

Other good choices include the Parksville Beach Resort, the Park Sands Beach Resort, the Surfside RV Resort and the Skylite Motel.  If you are traveling with pets, the Skylite should be your destination as it is a pet-friendly facility with spacious rooms to accommodate, and welcome, your most fastidious pets.  The Ting-Na-Mars, Seaside Spa Resort will pamper your body and spirit after a busy day of sightseeing.  This is also a great place to dine.

As it is such an attractive tourist destination, Parksville offers Dining Facilities to suit all tastes.  Ole Mexicanos Cafe offers Mexican food spiced up at your request.  Try their margarita pie.  Joey’s offers family style dining in a friendly atmosphere along with their fish and chips, and salmon burgers.  Macluer House Restaurant is the place for seafood and their famous Wednesday curries.  This is just touching the surface.  In addition to other restaurants, pubs, sports bars, and lounges, Parksville has restaurants specializing in Japanese, French, German, and Chinese cuisine.

Parksville Beach

All year round Parksville offers a variety of activities for the whole family. Spend your days beach-combing or swimming in the warmest waters on the island.  Visit the Paradise Fun Park.  Hike, bike, or ride the nearby forest trails.  Go fishing, sailing, or kayaking.

Paradise Fun Park.

There is always something to see or do in and around Parksville.  The downtown area offers unique gift shops and specialty stores where you can browse for fashionable clothing and unusual gifts.  Here you will also find the Farmers Market, the theater under the stars, the kite festival, home and garden tours, the classic car show, craft fairs, wildlife festivals, and of course the internationally famous Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition that runs from July 16 through August 15.

There  With Parksville as your home base, you can explore the nearby areas as well.

For more information special events or what to do in and around Parksville, go to:

www.visitparksvillequalicumbeach.com

Carved by the mighty Snake River, Hell’s Canyon, is the deepest canyon in all of North America.  It lies along the borders of Eastern Washington and Western Oregon.  The Nez Perce were the first people to settle the canyon area, later followed by miners and ranchers.  Today the area around the canyon draws tourists to ride, hike, fish, hunt, and mountain bike, and of course to jet-boat along the raging river itself.

You can fly into Lewiston from Portland or drive there from the I-84.

To have a comfortable overnight stay close to Hell’s Canyon, tourists seem to prefer the Quality Inn, La Quinta, and the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston, or the Quality Inn, in Clarkston.  Lewiston and Clarkson are connected by a bridge across the Snake River.  The two towns were named after the explorers Lewis and Clark who reached the area in the early 1800s.

If you visit the Canyon, make sure you take a ride on the Snake.  A variety of packages can be arranged in the town or from your hotel.  Trips range from a few hours to overnight.  You river guide will give you a running commentary on the history of the river as you bounce along.  You can even take a ride on the mail boat as it takes its weekly run.  If you like rough water, and don’t mind a crowd,  take your trip in the spring when the water really rage.  Crowds are smaller in spring and autumn, and the river is calmer.  Whenever you travel the river, dress appropriately.  Wear non-slip shoes and don’t be surprised if you get wet.

You have a choice of a covered aluminum boat, or

a wilder do-it-yourself adventure.

Good places to eat in the Lewiston area include, Mandarin Pine Restaurant, Jonathan’s, and Red Lobster.  In Clarkston, try The Bamboo Gardens, Bogey’s, or Arby’s.    An adventure in the Hell’s Canyon area would be a wonderful way to spend a vacation.

The, 185 mile, Cabot Trail winds through the northern area of Cape Breton Island, through some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.

The trail is named after the Italian explorer John Cabot who explored the area in 1497.

My favorite time to travel the trail is in the fall when the slopes are alive with the red and gold of dying leaves.  However, any time of year has its attractions from swimming on the pristine beaches in the summer to skiing, and skidooing in the winter.  Following are just a few of the highlights along the trail.

Baddeck

Typically the Cabot Trail starts in Baddeck.  This was originally the hunting ground of the native Mi’kmaq.  Later the Loyalists began to settle there at the time of the American Revolution.  Alexander Graham Bell, left his native Scotland, and came to Baddeck to conduct his experiments, along with other famed inventors.  Along with its historical museum, the area also offers an excellent golf course as well as yachting on the Bras d’Or Lakes.  A four mile hike will take you to the white waters of Uisge Ban Falls. The best place to overnight in Baddeck  is the waterfront Inverary Inn Resort.

Traveling north and west from Baddeck, you will come to Margaree Harbour.  Just up the road are Inverness and Mabou.  Visit the Inverness Mining Nuseum, a relic of the town’s coal mining past.  Mabou is a fascinating little village, where time really seems to stand still.  The U. E. Loyalists first settled the area but were quickly replaced by the immigrating Scots.   Here you should stop a while to watch the eagles feed at the rivers edge, and visit the Mother of Sorrows Pioneer shrine, build in 1920.  The interior of the shrine is designed like a miniature cathedral.  A short but vigorous hike will take you to the top of the cliffs where you can clearly see giant rocks deep in the sea below.  Celtic music is alive in Mabou, transmitted note for note,  through the centuries.  If you want to square dance to the music of gifted fiddlers, stop at the West Mabou Hall on a Saturday night.

Cheticamp Craft Store

Traveling north again you will soon reach Cheticamp, just before you enter the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  Cheticamp was first settled by French-speaking subjects, evicted, by the British, from their homes on mainland Nova Scotia.  Chetland is known for its arts and crafts, some of the best on Cape Breton, preserved, by the residents, along with their language and culture.  Cheticamp is known for its salt and fresh water beaches, and its fishing.  Whale watching cruises can be chartered on the quay.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park encompasses about 365 square miles.  Here you will pass some of the most scenic areas of the trail.  Although you can drive through the park in a few short time, plan on several days if you want a real park experience.  Camping is allowed in the park, but to fish for salmon and trout in its many streams, you will need a license.  Isolated areas of park forests are alive with deer, raccoons, skunks, bear, porcupine, and eagles.  The shorelines are shrill with the sounds of seabirds.  During winter months, the park is an ideal location for cross country skiing,  along both groomed and ungroomed trails.  Downhill ski areas are located south of the park.

As you leave the northern portion of the park park and travel south you will be entering the French and MacKenzie Mountains, rising to the height of 1700 feet.  The view here are magnificent, a combination of steep mountains, deep gorges, and the blue waters of the lakes and the sea far below.  At levels here the vegetation is Boreal-Tiaga where stunted trees, some as old as 150 years, fight for survival against a punishing wind.  Once you descend from the French Mountains, you will be entering the country of the moose and the woodland caribou.   Consider a side hike along the Skyline Hiking Trail, the Fishing Cove Trail, or the Bog Trail.

There are many other pleasures to be enjoyed on the Cabot Trail so plan to visit, not for the few hours it would take to speed through, but at least for a week, to fully enjoy the beauty, the people, and the pleasures that you can enjoy along the way.

Summer vacations are the ultimate way to relax and recuperate after a hard year working. Many people opt to make their holiday as sumptuous as possible, booking a 5 star hotel in a luxury Caribbean resort, imagining sipping cocktails by the pool and not venturing from the beach. However, this type of static luxury doesn’t appeal to all. Whilst it’s a welcome break to sunbathe at the hotel, for some, it can become a little dull.

The latest way to indulge in high living on holiday is by taking a yacht charter – in other words, hiring a opulent vessel and sailing at will around Caribbean islands, the Mediterranean or wherever you choose. Rather than being tied down to one location, you are free to explore a variety, mooring up and enjoying dinner in Crete, then sailing to Rhodes the next day to take in the Colossus.

If you don’t know your port from your starboard, you can hire a fully crewed yacht charter. These holidays can be individually catered to your needs – if you need a chef, steward, captain and housekeeper, they can all be at your disposal. Some companies can even offer the services of a fully qualified scuba dive instructor, enabling you to enjoy undersea delights. Meanwhile, if you are an experienced sailor, bareboat charters could be a better option. With just you and the boat, this type of charter offers the ultimate freedom.

Yacht charters are perfect for couples retreats but are also ideal for larger parties. With boats coming in a range of sizes, styles and specifications, you have complete choice to choose a package suitable for your requirements. Yacht charters are becoming increasingly popular with corporate events, treating staff to a well-earned break and of course getting some important networking in whilst enjoying the sun, sea and privacy that such boats have to offer.

I am creating a blog of recipes of desserts from places I have been all around the world also  and main courses as will as many other interesting items. I hope that everyone enjoys these recipes as much as I do . Everything you ever wanted to know anout cooking complete with detailed ingredients and photos .Please stay tuned for many updates to this blog.

Corn flake battered chicken

Okay, everyone has tried this, but did it ever come out worth a dang? Nope. Well here is what I do to make it come out right. Cut up a whole chicken and wash the pieces really well. Get out a couple cups of cornflakes.

With your hands crunch them up quite a bit first. Add a couple tablespoons of all purpose flour to the cornflake mix. Then add dashes of just about every spice you have, like salt, pepper, red and black, oregano, garlic salt, sage, onion salt, and some of that all purpose seasoning if you got it, just whatever you have.

Then take your chicken pieces and dip them in buttermilk, milk or softened butter or margarine and then roll and coat them with your cereal mix. Put them in a greased baking dish about 9 inches by 13 inches, and then cover with some aluminum foil and put it in the oven set on 375 for about an hour.

Easy Swiss Chicken

Get about six or eight chicken breasts and put them in your square glass baking dish. Mine is about 9 by 13 inches and 2 inches deep. Pour a can of cream of chicken soup over your chicken breasts in your glass dish. Cover all your chicken with slices of Swiss cheese.Then I will take some stove top stuffing (dry) and crumble a couple of handfuls over the chicken and Swiss cheese. Then pour a cup of melted butter on top of all that. Bake all this on about 375 degrees on bake for about an hour covered with aluminum foil.

I hope yo also have other interesting stories , adventures

Here is a  map of Manby hot springs near Taos New Mexico also called Stagecoach hot springs. These natural springs are free to visit and are clothing optional. The water stays in the one hundred degree range and the pool of hot water next to the Rio Grande river is big enough for several adults, although it is best enjoyed alone if you can get there early enough. New Mexico features several hot springs.  Ojo Caliente hot springs are featured in the following MyGeoInfo.com article. Ojo Caliente Hot Springs Map

That resort charges a fee but features nice amenities such as cabins, mud baths, several mineral pools and more. You will not find any of that nonsense at Manby hot springs. Below is a photo of Manby hot springs near Taos. Following the photo of Stagecoach Hot springs you will find a map.

You can see the steam rising off of the water on this cool fall morning when the photo of Manby hot springs near Taos was taken.

Here is a map of Manby or Stagecoach hot springs.

Sunset at Anegada - On Valentine's Day

I admit it – I have a soft spot for the British Virgin Islands. I learned to sail here (ASA courses), living on a 41 foot Gypsea for one week with 4 strangers, I became engaged here (at “Willy-T’s) – a bit of a surprise frankly and, finally, my husband and I just spent 2 glorious months sailing the BVIs this year in our own sailboat (our dream when we started sailing and then last year’s lay-offs prompted us to actually do it). For all the salty sailors out there, I agree that the BVIs can be over-run with charter boats and cruise ships but it really presents a glorious place to sail and explore for a few weeks. All the items listed here have been based on my own first hand experiences  – although I did find the following cruising guide handy while sailing the Virgin Islands: “The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands – 14th Edition” by Nancy & Simon Scott.

You can see lots more pictures and read of our sailing adventures at:

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/luckyescape/

1) Willy-T’s (The “William Thorton”) – anchored off Pirate’s Bight, Norman Island. This bar/restaurant, only accessible by boat, has a real reputation, and for good reason. During high season, it is a loud, rowdy, drunken bar. But that is also what makes it fun! Would recommend going there for an early happy hour or after dinner (skip the overpriced menu) and when you are feeling like having a good party night out. Honestly, you will meet the most interesting people here, of all ages and nationalities. It is the kind of place to drop in for a night if you feel like drinking, dancing or both – and want to feel in your “20s”  again. If this is your thing, body shots are encouraged.

2) Dive The Wreck of the Rhone – off Salt Island. This is a must-stop for divers or wanna-be divers. Depending upon your comfort zone, dive the stern at ~40 feet or also dive the bow at ~80 feet. Depending upon your budget and expertise, you could take one of the local dive shops (I used Blue Water Divers, and would recommend their services) as they will give you a guided tour, pointing out all the key attractions, such as the “magic porthole”. You can take your own sailboat there but you will need to keep off the commercial (brightly coloured) mooring balls. 

3) Harbour Market in Spanish Town – I felt a little let down by Spanish Town when I first saw it, given the build up given to it in my cruising book. Saying this, however, there are some hidden gems here that make Spanish Town worth a visit. A highlight is Harbour Market, located right on the water beside Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. After shopping in supermarkets with very limited supplies elsewhere in the BVIs, this one made shopping/provisioning a delight – with its good selection of baked goods (bread, rolls, cakes), spice rack and, the best part, its selection of fresh fish and seafood. Depending on the day’s catch you can wander in here and find fresh 3lb lobsters or jumbo shrimp for sale. Prices are still a little high but reasonable for the BVIs and certainly much cheaper than eating out. For lunch, wander over to Fischers Cove and grab a seat right off the beach – their fresh fish specials are succulent.

4) Saba Rock Restaurant (Saba Rock Island Resort) – John and I went on our sailing adventure on a budget, which limited our spending onland. Yet, we would usually splurge a couple of times a month to try new places. Originally we dinghied over to Saba Rock for happy hour, fearing the dinner prices, but we fell in love withthe place and decided to extend our stay to dinner. And, it was well worth the splurge – make sure you ask for a table right on the water, by the underwater lights, and you will be able to watch sea creatures swimming around while you enjoy the fine dining. The meals were expensive as per the rest of the BVIs but the quality was very good and the “all-you-can-eat” salad bar was a nice plus. After dinner, make sure you take a stroll to the north side of Saba Rock, to lie in the hammock and look at the stars. Mooring balls are available here, right off the restaurant/beach, but this area can get rolly in higher winds.

5) Friday Night Caribbean BBQ & The Jumbies at Leverick Bay – What originally enticed us to Leverick Bay was the full use of its resort facilities (swimming pool, laundry, book exchange etc.), even if your boat is on a mooring ball, rather than in a slip at their marina. This is one of the few resorts to offer this to mooring customers and a decent sized bag of ice is also thrown in for free. Then we discovered Leverick Bay’s “Friday Night Jumbies & All-You -Can-Eat Caribbean Buffet”.  For $30 per person (not including drinks), you can reserve a table by the pool or on the beach and enjoy as much Caribbean food as you like + a reggae band + a show by the local Jumbies. Wine is relatively affordable, starting at $30 per bottle. This evening is so popular that reservations are essential. And, make sure not to miss the resort’s daily happy hour, which is one of the best deals in the BVIs – 1/2 priced drinks (anything you want) from 5-7PM. 

6) Sandy Spit, Sandy Cay - If you wish to get away from the crowds, set you anchor just off the southwest side of the sandy beach beside this picturesque island. Mind that you leave enough swing room for the reef. Imagine it – the blinding white sand, turquoise sea and lapping waves. Take a picnic lunch via dinghy to the island, write your boat name in the sand and take a picture of it. If you are lucky, you will have the island as your own and you will feel as though you are on a deserted island!

7) Anegada – This island stop is a highly recommended stop as a perfect place to while away the weekend. If you are taking your boat there, first ensure you have done your navigation research regarding entering the anchoring/mooring field. You will need to follow the channel markers and many of the electronic maps are incorrect. Upon arrival, either drop anchor or pick up a mooring ball in front of Neptune’s Treasure (if the draft on your sailboat is 5.5 feet or less) or pick up a mooring ball in the main field (outside Potter’s By The Sea). Dinghy to shore and grab a drink at any one of the local bars that line the beach and watch the fabulous sunsets. If you want to splurge, you can find a 1/2 lobster platter at Potter’s By The Sea (which is one of the cheaper places to eat on the island). This was also one of my personal favourites – rent a scooter (at the pier next to Potter’s By The Sea) or, if this option is not available grab a local taxi, and ensure you take a visit to Cow Wreck Beach on the other side of the island. Don’t expect amazing snorkeling here BUT do expect a long, deserted white sandy beach and clear turquoise waters. Help yourself to a beer or rum punch at the bar and just record it in their bar book. I would, nevertheless, recommend bringing your own lunch. Not that their food is bad, it is very limited and expensive for what you get.

8.) Cane Garden Bay – You can have good and bad experiences at this Bay, depending upon the Northern Swell. Avoid it even in a moderate swell – wait for the swell to dissipate before anchoring/mooring here for the night. Otherwise, you will spend the night rolling rather violently and you will not be able to take and leave your dinghy at the main dinghy dock. When you do get there, take the dinghy into the dock and head to any one of the many bars that line the beach (make you you hit Myett’s bar, hidden in the trees and greenery on the beach). This is a great place to also pick up provisions and ice (Bobby’s Market) – just a 5 minute walk down the road from the dinghy dock.

9) Norman Island (Pirate’s Bight) – Although Norman Island has numerous attractions, one of my favourite things to do is to grab a mooring ball closest to the reef (near to the port side of the bay if you arriving), go snorkelling in the late morning/early afternoon and then sit on the boat and watch the pelicans diving in tandem for their late afternoon feeding. Moorings here ($25 per night) include a free rum punch at Pirate’s Bight.

10) Pusser’s – Marina Cay (Micheal Bean) – The Pusser’s at Soper’s Hole has the best “Happy Hour” (2 for 1 from 5-6pm) but I am most enamoured with the Pusser’s at Marina Cay given its beautiful surroundings and, in season (end December to May), to witness Micheal Bean’s one pirate band. You can’t but help feeling overwhelmingly happy listening to him perform with such enthusiasm. And the free rum shots don’t hurt either !

11) Bubbling Pool, Diamond Cay  – Don’t make the same mistake we did. Ensure you are actually at the correct “Bubbling Pool”! This is a saltwater, natural jaccuzi which is a 10-15 minute hike from Foxy’s Taboo – it really is bliss ! Follow the directed path (ask directions at the bar), you will need good walking shoes and bug spray. It can be busy in high season so head there is the late afternoon for a dip.

12) Biras Creek, Virgin Gorda (North Sound) - Take a break at Biras Creek, where you can set your anchor or pick up one of the mooring balls in the very protected bay. Take the dinghy ashore and, instead of meandering around the expensive resorts in the area, save some money and take one of the set walks over the island of Virgin Gorda (Try “Guy’s Trail”). The views from the top are breathtaking……Just ensure you have good walking shoes for the climb as the path can get a little rough and bring sunscreen and a large bottle of water.

13) Jost Van Dyke – This island is definately worth a visit, including dropping in on the infamous Soggy Dollar Bar or the original Foxy’s Taboo. A limited selection of mooring balls are available here if you wish to sail here. Just keep an eye on the Northern Swell – this can penetrate the mooring/anchoring field and make for rather rolly conditions.

14) Snorkeling at Cooper Island – Cooper Island is known for The Cooper Island Beach Club but I personally found it a little over-rated and pricey for its offerings. The best part of this stop is taking the dinghy over to Cistern Point for a snorkel or dive in the late afternoon. This is some of the best snorkeling I had experienced in the BVIs, assuming a swell isn’t running. There is a dinghy line where you can park yourselves while in the water. And, if you are really lucky, you may catch a glimpse of humpback whales that sometimes wander into the waters north of the island mooring field. (We did !)

15) The Caves at Treasure Point – A snorkeling paradise located on the west side of Norman Island. We dinghied over here from our mooring ball in The Bight at Norman Island (there is a dinghy mooring line), although you and our boat can pick up a National Trust Parks mooring ball (permit required). The snorkeling is best amongst the four caves and you will literally be swimming in schools of fish. Try and avoid going when the local tours are there.

16) The Baths – This is a “must see” but given how busy it is during high season, try and avoid the cruise crowds. You can explore Devil’s Bay, a 15-20 minute walk from the beach entrance for snorkeling, including poking in the caves or you can drape yourself on the white, sandy beaches. There are vendors here for lockers, food and drinks. If you take your boat here, you can pick up a National Parks Trust mooring (permit required) although you will need to adhere to the beach’s flag system (red = closed due to rough conditions). Another alternative – which we found nice and easy and also meant we didnt need to worry about mooring ball availability – pick up a mooring ball outside Spanish Town and grab a local cab after you tie your dinghy up the marina’s dinghy dock. It will cost $3-4 per person for the taxi ride. Entrance to The Baths = $3 per person (adult).

17) Visit to the Bitter End Yacht Club – Spa. This is a “spoil yourself” kind of place – peruse the resort grounds, enjoy the secluded swimming area and platform at the far end of the resort, grab at drink at either the restaurant or the pub, try their watersports, or relax in the spa. Make sure to check out their washrooms next to the marina office – they are built over the surf….

18) The Indians. This is a daytime outing – pick up one of the National Parks Trust mooring balls (permit required) and snorkel or go diving to your heart’s content. You will see an abundance of sea life here. Keep an eye out for the black tipped shark that likes to hang out here !

19) Trellis Bay – Save this trip for one of the Trellis Bay Village Full Moon Parties. The beach fireballs, band and Jumbies dancing are all worth it! Try the fresh banana daiquiris at “Da Loose Mongoose” while you are in the area. Also, Bellamy Cay (“The Last Resort”) is definitely worth a stop for a drink. I prefer to pick up a mooring ball across the bay, at Marina Cay, and then dinghy across to Trellis Bay, which takes 10-15 minutes. (Trellis Bay itself is a busy anchoring/mooring field, and there is the need – if your boat is greater than 30 feet – to report in to the BVI Airport Authority to report your vessel’s name, mast height and intended course).

20) Fat Hog’s Bay, Tortola (Penn’s Landing) – Ok, you will arrive here and ask yourself why this sleepy bay may have been recommended. It is not the most aesthetically attractive place you will visit but this Bay has its own charm and its own uses, especially for sailors. Firstly, I love that you could catch the local bus for $3 right into Roadtown (taking a boat into Roadtown can be rather arduous, given the traffic and sand bars). Secondly, there is great provisioning and local amenities for boaters in Fat Hog’s- try the supermarket down the road from the mooring field or try the fresh fish stand on the way to Roadtown. Thirdly, it enables you to get some peace and quiet during the high season while on Tortola as boat traffic is a little lighter here.

The Legacy Resort in Phoenix, Arizona is a 328 suite golf resort located at 6808 S. 32nd Street.  While close to Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport and downtown Phoenix, it is located in a peaceful suburban neighborhood near South Mountain Park.

The  resort sits amidst  a lush, eighteen hole golf course and also has a very nice swimming pool and health club.  It is owned and operated by Shell Vacations LLC a major resort and timeshare company.

My wife and I recently made our first visit to the Legacy resort on a recent weekend.  While we live down the road in nearby Tucson we usually only go to Phoenix when we can get a less expensive or more direct flight from Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix than we can from Tucson International Airport at home.   However, while vacationing in Hawaii a couple of years ago ) we visited and purchased a timeshare from Shell in Hawaii.

This particular trip was at the invitation of Shell to provide us with an update on their vacation club and offer us the opportunity to purchase additional points in their club.  While we declined the offer to increase our points, we did learn about some new services available with our present points.  We also had the opportunity to enjoy an overnight stay at the resort at no cost to us.

Designed in the popular southwestern Spanish mission style of architecture, the resort provides a very elegant and relaxing opportunity to get away either night or weekend or an entire vacation.  Opened in 1999, the resort’s history is somewhat unique.  It sits on the last parcel of land which was once a part of the vast Bartlett-Heard Land and Cattle Company owned by early twentieth century Phoenix entrepreneur Dwight Heard.  Heard is best known today for the Heard Museum in Phoenix which he and his wife had built to house their vast collection of southwestern Native American art and artifacts.  The museum was completed and opened to the public in June 1929 shortly after Dwight Heard died of a heart attack.

According to press reports at the time of its opening, the surrounding area which had also once been a part of the Heard Ranch, was a blighted urban area in decline with few amenities or attractions for tourists other than the nearby South Mountain Park area and Arizona Mills Shopping Mall.  However, the developers went ahead anyway and, not only has the resort been a success but it also seems to have had the effect of encouraging the improvement of the surrounding area which appears to be anything but blighted today.

While my wife and I stayed at the Legacy Resort as timeshare owners, the resort itself is operated by Shell Vacations as both a timeshare resort and a public resort open to non-timeshare visitors as well whether they be traveling on business or vacation.

March 19, 2010

Legacy Resort in Phoenix, AZ Main Building

Ontario County Court House

Sitting atop a grassy knoll along Main Street in Canandaigua, New York is the Ontario County Court House.

It is an imposing structure, the main part, including the dome, of which was built in 1858 with two wings added later in 1907.  An imposing gold statute of the Goddess of Justice sits at the very top of the dome, blindfolded with the scales of justice in her left hand and a sword in her right.

The building dominates this section of Main Street with its tree lined streets and well kept old buildings and homes.  One feels a real sense of history standing in front of the Court House.  And well a person should because Canandaigua itself has deep historical roots.

Located on the shores of the north end of Canandaigua Lake, one of the larger of the Finger Lakes in New York State,  the City of Canandaigua is located in an area noted for its beautiful scenery and its history.

Before  Europeans  arrived in the New World the area where the City of Canandaigua now stands as well as much of the surrounding area in present day Western New York State was the home of the Seneca nation.  The Senecas were members of the Iroquois Confederacy (the Haudenosaunee in their language) which was a confederation of six tribes.  The Senecas occupied the western portion of the League’s territory and were known as the keepers of the western door.

During the American Revolution, the Iroquois League sided with the British and joined forces with Loyalist forces in attacking frontier settlements.  In an attempt to stop these raids and secure the frontier, General George Washington ordered Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier James Clinton to attack the territory of the Iroquois League and remove their threat to the frontier.  Washington’s written orders to Sullivan were very clear and included the instruction that The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements,… In the same paragraph he instructed  It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more.

Washington issued the orders on May 31, 1779 and Generals Sullivan and Clinton spent the summer attacking and destroying Iroquois villages throughout what is now Western New York State.  By autumn the threat to the frontier had been eliminated.

A little over a decade later, in 1794, George Washington, now President of the United States, sent Timothy Pickering, who was serving as Postmaster General in Washington’s Cabinet (and later appointed Secretary of State in the Cabinet of John Adams), at the head of a delegation to negotiate a Treaty of Friendship with the Iroquois Confederacy.

The treaty was signed, on the spot where the Ontario County Court House now stands in Canandaigua, on November 11, 1794.  This treaty, variously known as the Pickering Treaty, Treaty of Canandaigua and the Calico Treaty (so named because, among other things, the treaty committed the United States Government giving the Iroquois Confederacy a certain quantity of calico cloth every year in perpetuity – to this day the U.S. Government provides the stipulated amount of cloth to the Iroquois Confederacy each year), was the second that the United States Government entered into under the present Constitution.  And from 1794 to the present, the leaders of the Iroquois Confederacy have continually reminded the U.S. Government of the terms of the treaty and have insisted that the U.S. Government continue to adhere to the terms of the treaty with regards to land and other rights guaranteed to the Iroquois peoples by the treaty.

Today a large rock with a metal plaque sits on the Court House lawn marking the spot where the treaty was signed.

However, the so called Treaty Rock is not the only marker on the lawn as nearby is a metal plaque commemorating the famous Phelps and Gorham Purchase in which two Massachusetts  investors, Oliver Phelps and Nathanial Gorham, purchased a large tract of land in what is now Western New York and includes the land on which the present City of Canandaigua is located, from the State of Massachusetts.  The original charters granted by the King of England to the colonies of New York and Massachusetts mistakenly awarded what is now Western New York to both colonies.  In 1786 following the American Revolution the governments of New York and Massachusetts negotiated the Treaty of Hartford which gave sovereignty over the land to New York but allowed Massachusetts to sell the initial rights to the land to private investors.

The nineteenth century woman’s rights activist, Susan B. Anthony also appears on the plaque with Phelps and Gorham.   Anthony devoted her life to fighting for women’s right to vote even going so far as to forcefully convince election registers in her home town of Rochester, New York to allow her to register to vote in the 1872 presidential election.  A few days later she did the same with the election inspectors at the voting booth and proceeded to cast a vote for the Republican Presidential candidate Ulysses S. Grant.

A few days later she was arrested for violating the election laws (which limited the right to vote to men) and was arrested.  By refusing to post bail she was forced remain in jail which generated the desired publicity and controversy she sought for her cause.  Because of the intense controversy, her lawyers arranged for a change of venue and had her trial moved from Rochester to nearby Canandaigua.  This time history was made not just on the grounds where the Court House now stands but in the Ontario Court House itself as Susan B. Anthony was tried and found guilty of violating the election laws of the United States.  She paid her fine and continued  to fight for voting rights for women   for the rest of her life.  She died in 1906 and, fourteen years later, in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed which gave women the right to vote.

Today the 152 year old Ontario County Court House continues to function as the court house for Ontario County as it sits majestically overlooking Main Street in Canandaigua.