There is plenty to see and experience along the most spectacular street in world: the Las Vegas Strip. Some of the world’s largest hotels dominate the skyline, while legendary attractions perform for pedestrians. Without a doubt, there is no other street like it in the world.
Once known solely for twinkling lights and big names on big marquees, the Strip is now famous for grand facades, dazzling light displays, elaborate fountains, choreographed attractions and heart-pounding thrill rides.
Beginning on the southern end of the Strip, you will find Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. These three resort properties spare no expense in keeping with their themes.
Mandalay Bay uses thousands of palm trees to lend to its tropical flavor, as well as an exhilarating opportunity to state eye-to-eye with sharks at Shark Reef.
Luxor’s pyramid shape, obelisk and Sphinx create an Egyptian wonderland while the spotlight emanating from the tip is the brightest man-made light in the world.
Only a few steps away from this stunning pyramid lies a fire-breathing dragon, the centerpiece of the moat at Excalibur, a Las Vegas style royal kingdom.
Farther up Las Vegas Boulevard you’ll find the world’s largest hotel, MGM Grand (best known for its superstar entertainment), Aladdin and New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Constructed to mirror the New York City skyline, New York-New York also features the Manhattan Express Roller Coaster, an exciting thrill ride that loops dives and races around the skyline.
Beyond The City of Entertainment and The Greatest City in Las Vegas lies Bellagio and Paris Las Vegas. The dancing fountains in front of Bellagio have quickly become a favorite among visitors. At times propelling water 240 feet into the air, the fountains produce an elegantly choreographed display that leaves millions of Las Vegas visitors breathless.
Cross from Bellagio’s lake and fountains is a half-replica of the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of Paris Las Vegas. Visitors can take a trip to the top of the tower for a beautiful view of the vibrant colors and amazing facades of the Strip.
Beyond this elegant stretch of the Strip you will find Caesars Palace and The Mirage, which features one of Las Vegas’ most legendary attractions: the Volcano. Every few minutes, this mountain of cascading fountains begins to rumble with anticipation. Soon after it erupts with pillars of fire and plumes of smoke in a dazzling spectacle.
Next door to The Mirage Treasure Island and the palm-encircled cove of Buccaneer Bay. Every 90 minutes after dusk, the serene bay turns into a swashbuckling brawl. Pirates and sailors wage a full-scale battle, complete with explosions and firing cannons. Across the street in The Venetian, an upscale resort that brings the soul of Venice to the heart of Las Vegas.
What Las Vegas experience would be complete without an eagle’s eye view of the whole spectacle? At the northern end of the Strip, the Stratosphere Tower not only offers this, but also fine dining and the world’s highest thrill rides.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. However long it takes for you to experience it, no visit to Las Vegas is complete without a trip down the Strip.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Belgrade – beauty in brick and stone
A pedant chronicler has noted that during its tumultuous history Belgrade had been destroyed exactly forty six times. The city had been reduced to ruins by the passing armies of the foe and friend alike, and further ravaged by the passage of time.
Of its destruction, everything is known. It is history. And precisely because of this history, composed of wars, large and small, it has almost been forgotten that Belgrade had been built at least as many times as it has been torn down. Sometimes, it rose again from the ashes, and sometimes it was only dolled-up, with make-up covering its scars which go along with every important historic personality of such stature and standing.
An aesthetics-minded hair splitter may note that the city is, in fact, a huge mish-mash of styles and architectural epochs, wherein a normal person can hardly sort anything out. But Belgrade finds beauty precisely in this diversity. To them, the Baroque perfection and monumentality of a Vienna and a Budapest are somewhat monotonous, the gleam of Paris a mere indiscretion, while Manhattan makes them immediately thinks of elevators…
At the beginning of the 20th century Belgrade started slowly changing from an oriental town – “the last caravan-saray” of the once powerful Ottoman Empire – into a European city. Anticipating future trends, Serbian Prince Milos Obrenovic embarked on the first city zoning mission. The Prince Milos Street, the main Belgrade thoroughfare, does not, therefore, bear his name only by accident: the Prince had really laid out this busy street himself, and it was partly built during his lifetime.
The features of oriental architecture entirely disappeared in the second half of the 19th century, especially after the Turks departure from Serbia. At the time, Belgrade became a Mecca for builders and architects from Italy, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Each of them left his mark on the capital’s architecture. The most important works of the period have by now almost entirely disappeared from various tour books, but the Serb school of architecture – whose traces survive into the present – its origins then.
This school – of native Serb genius coupled with foreign experience and expertise – involves a beauty tailored to fit the city’s size (and the investor’s wallets, of course), achieving a splendor still to be recognized in the granite facades of the Kneza Mihajla street, the city’s most beautiful pedestrian mall. Some may object by saying that this beauty is merely cosmetics, and that solely the fronts of the ornate buildings have been preserved. But even the awareness that the beauty of happier days may and must be preserved is a sign of spiritual health.
It is a beauty not perceived by many. Much like any other international center, Belgrade is also divided into three horizons, or levels. As of recently, it has begun to grow downwards: fabulous business and shopping malls and train stations have been appearing underground. The street level is made pretty by the cordial smiles and the beauty of the city’s female inhabitants, by the glow of shops windows, and by the greenish patina coating the old monuments. The third horizon consists of the facades and the pigeons. Nowadays, however, in the hustle and bustle of our age, there are not too many Belgrade inhabitants – or even visitors – who can spare a glance and have the patience to enjoy the rich mixture of this everlasting city’s styles. Hence this testimony recorded by the camera.
Of its destruction, everything is known. It is history. And precisely because of this history, composed of wars, large and small, it has almost been forgotten that Belgrade had been built at least as many times as it has been torn down. Sometimes, it rose again from the ashes, and sometimes it was only dolled-up, with make-up covering its scars which go along with every important historic personality of such stature and standing.
An aesthetics-minded hair splitter may note that the city is, in fact, a huge mish-mash of styles and architectural epochs, wherein a normal person can hardly sort anything out. But Belgrade finds beauty precisely in this diversity. To them, the Baroque perfection and monumentality of a Vienna and a Budapest are somewhat monotonous, the gleam of Paris a mere indiscretion, while Manhattan makes them immediately thinks of elevators…
At the beginning of the 20th century Belgrade started slowly changing from an oriental town – “the last caravan-saray” of the once powerful Ottoman Empire – into a European city. Anticipating future trends, Serbian Prince Milos Obrenovic embarked on the first city zoning mission. The Prince Milos Street, the main Belgrade thoroughfare, does not, therefore, bear his name only by accident: the Prince had really laid out this busy street himself, and it was partly built during his lifetime.
The features of oriental architecture entirely disappeared in the second half of the 19th century, especially after the Turks departure from Serbia. At the time, Belgrade became a Mecca for builders and architects from Italy, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Each of them left his mark on the capital’s architecture. The most important works of the period have by now almost entirely disappeared from various tour books, but the Serb school of architecture – whose traces survive into the present – its origins then.
This school – of native Serb genius coupled with foreign experience and expertise – involves a beauty tailored to fit the city’s size (and the investor’s wallets, of course), achieving a splendor still to be recognized in the granite facades of the Kneza Mihajla street, the city’s most beautiful pedestrian mall. Some may object by saying that this beauty is merely cosmetics, and that solely the fronts of the ornate buildings have been preserved. But even the awareness that the beauty of happier days may and must be preserved is a sign of spiritual health.
It is a beauty not perceived by many. Much like any other international center, Belgrade is also divided into three horizons, or levels. As of recently, it has begun to grow downwards: fabulous business and shopping malls and train stations have been appearing underground. The street level is made pretty by the cordial smiles and the beauty of the city’s female inhabitants, by the glow of shops windows, and by the greenish patina coating the old monuments. The third horizon consists of the facades and the pigeons. Nowadays, however, in the hustle and bustle of our age, there are not too many Belgrade inhabitants – or even visitors – who can spare a glance and have the patience to enjoy the rich mixture of this everlasting city’s styles. Hence this testimony recorded by the camera.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Novi Sad, Serbia
Historians include this city among the younger ones as it was founded 300 years ago, or more precisely in 1694, although the first archaeological sites relive the traces of settlements back to 3000 years BC. The first inhabitants were 12 soldiers with their service on Petrovaradin Fortress and 20 bakers, butchers and other craftsmen, engaged to meet the needs of the garnison there. Perhaps the history book of Once Sad is not to thick compared to other European cities, but since 1694 the actual bridgehead was built opposite to Petrovaradin Fortress, and around it, on the Danube riverbank where the Petrovaradiniense or Rascianica civitas trans Danubium situate, the suburb of Petrovaradin or Raska town across the Danube – the book is written with the constant struggle and striving for the better, useful nice and peaceful life to the advantage of all citizens, at first those were Serbs, Germans, Yews, Greeks, Hungarians and Cinzars… When you say Novi Sad you think of the crossroads of all highways, the centre of the largest river cin this part of Europe – Danube, protected and enriched with beauties of Fruska Gora – Wholly Pannonia – the foundation of the Orthodox religious spirit in the North, the city in which you can see the time from far away buy with no haste, the city of wide boulevards and winding streets – the network with which you can feel each of its quarts, the city of candelabras, special windows, wine and wine cellars, jazz, al sort of clubs, the irresistible Vojvodina cuisine, the city of galleries, off theatres and cinemas, memento collections, monuments, bust and large gates, University and traditional education centre with 13 faculties and colleges, sports treasury with over 200 organizations on land and water, the city of artists and numerous ateliers, the city of congresses and expos..
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Jewellery as part of Serbian national costume
Jewellery is a universal part of human culture; its individuality – social, ethnic and personal – lies only in how its universalness responds to the traditional aesthetic rules and values typical of a particular group, nation or individual.
In view of this, the jewellery loosely defined as Serbian denotes ornaments that were worn (though not necessarily made) in the lands inhabited by the Serbian people. The jewellery was there for adornment, as well as an obligatory part of the traditional dress. The national costume has undergone a series of transformations over the centuries, to go out of use completely in the mid XX century. Fate has decreed that both national costumes to live in museum collections, as carefully guarded valuables, cultural wealth whose historical and financial value cannot be estimated by conventional standards.
Serbian national jewellery was extremely diverse; it differed endlessly in form and shape, in the parts of dress and body which it adorned, in the material it was made from, and it the techniques employed in its manufacture. Some of the ornaments were made at home, from relatively simple materials. However, jewellery properly so-called was made in specialized shops by artisans and craftsmen known as smiths. Smiths made jewellery mostly from silver alloys, often with a thin gold coating. Pieces of coloured glass or more expensive materials, such semi-precious stones, pearls and coral, were often inlaid for effect.
The techniques used were many and complex: forging, cutting, casting, embossing, lacing, enameling, engraving, enchasing, and many others. The most beautiful jewellery, however, was made in the filigree technique. By twisting thin silver wire, with an almost obligatory addition of ornamental studs, the artisans achieved outstanding decorative effects and wonderfully imaginative forms. This technique was used to make necklaces, bracelets, sashes, rings, hairpins, brooches, ear-rings, belt buckles – in fact, all kinds of jewellery worn by girls and young women, as well as men, though in a far lesser measure. Filigree workshops were to be found in all major centers in Serbia, though the highest quality filigree jewellery, unsurpassed to this day, was certainly made by the masters of Prizren. The filigree tradition in Prizren dates from the distant past. In the 19th century, this town had numerous specialized workshops for the manufacture of filigree jewelerry. However, new times and a gradual abandoning of the traditional way of dress has weakened the interest in old jewellery, affecting the supply and quality of the products and finally leading to the dying out of the craft.
Jewellery was worn on formal occasions: feast days visits to the church and, mostly, weddings. It was the custom to bedeck the bride with a large quantity of different jewellery, not only for adornment, but also as protection against evil believed to threaten the bride on her wedding day, jewellery being considered to have magical properties. Greatest attention was devoted to decorating the woman’s head: on the forehead was worn a complicated headdress held in place at the back of the head by hairpins, and the ears were hung with massive earrings. Across the chest were worn strings of chains enchased with coins, at the waist, a webbing belt with silver plates, and rings on the fingers and bracelets on the wrists.
Men’s jewellery, although much less luxurious in terms of variety, was no less beautiful than the women’s. The best known men’s adornments were massive, richly enchased filigree watch-chains worn by well-to-do town tradesmen visibly displayed across the chest; above all hung chains made of row upon row of gilded silver plates, adorned with rosettes, huge metal studs and braids – unique jewellery in kind and look, whose origin is the subject of many ancient legends.
The aesthetic and artistic value of traditional Serbian folk jewellery lies in the endless wealth of form and design. Although there are typical repetitions, each individual artifact is still unique in itself, with its own distinctive stamp bestowed by a detail which makes it an original and inimitable work of art. Some of these pieces of jewellery could take their place alongside the choicest products of the goldsmith industry in the world and be an asset in any elite jewellery collection in Europe and the world.
In view of this, the jewellery loosely defined as Serbian denotes ornaments that were worn (though not necessarily made) in the lands inhabited by the Serbian people. The jewellery was there for adornment, as well as an obligatory part of the traditional dress. The national costume has undergone a series of transformations over the centuries, to go out of use completely in the mid XX century. Fate has decreed that both national costumes to live in museum collections, as carefully guarded valuables, cultural wealth whose historical and financial value cannot be estimated by conventional standards.
Serbian national jewellery was extremely diverse; it differed endlessly in form and shape, in the parts of dress and body which it adorned, in the material it was made from, and it the techniques employed in its manufacture. Some of the ornaments were made at home, from relatively simple materials. However, jewellery properly so-called was made in specialized shops by artisans and craftsmen known as smiths. Smiths made jewellery mostly from silver alloys, often with a thin gold coating. Pieces of coloured glass or more expensive materials, such semi-precious stones, pearls and coral, were often inlaid for effect.
The techniques used were many and complex: forging, cutting, casting, embossing, lacing, enameling, engraving, enchasing, and many others. The most beautiful jewellery, however, was made in the filigree technique. By twisting thin silver wire, with an almost obligatory addition of ornamental studs, the artisans achieved outstanding decorative effects and wonderfully imaginative forms. This technique was used to make necklaces, bracelets, sashes, rings, hairpins, brooches, ear-rings, belt buckles – in fact, all kinds of jewellery worn by girls and young women, as well as men, though in a far lesser measure. Filigree workshops were to be found in all major centers in Serbia, though the highest quality filigree jewellery, unsurpassed to this day, was certainly made by the masters of Prizren. The filigree tradition in Prizren dates from the distant past. In the 19th century, this town had numerous specialized workshops for the manufacture of filigree jewelerry. However, new times and a gradual abandoning of the traditional way of dress has weakened the interest in old jewellery, affecting the supply and quality of the products and finally leading to the dying out of the craft.
Jewellery was worn on formal occasions: feast days visits to the church and, mostly, weddings. It was the custom to bedeck the bride with a large quantity of different jewellery, not only for adornment, but also as protection against evil believed to threaten the bride on her wedding day, jewellery being considered to have magical properties. Greatest attention was devoted to decorating the woman’s head: on the forehead was worn a complicated headdress held in place at the back of the head by hairpins, and the ears were hung with massive earrings. Across the chest were worn strings of chains enchased with coins, at the waist, a webbing belt with silver plates, and rings on the fingers and bracelets on the wrists.
Men’s jewellery, although much less luxurious in terms of variety, was no less beautiful than the women’s. The best known men’s adornments were massive, richly enchased filigree watch-chains worn by well-to-do town tradesmen visibly displayed across the chest; above all hung chains made of row upon row of gilded silver plates, adorned with rosettes, huge metal studs and braids – unique jewellery in kind and look, whose origin is the subject of many ancient legends.
The aesthetic and artistic value of traditional Serbian folk jewellery lies in the endless wealth of form and design. Although there are typical repetitions, each individual artifact is still unique in itself, with its own distinctive stamp bestowed by a detail which makes it an original and inimitable work of art. Some of these pieces of jewellery could take their place alongside the choicest products of the goldsmith industry in the world and be an asset in any elite jewellery collection in Europe and the world.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Southern Maine Coast
Grab a towel and sunscreen, we’re headed for the beach. Unlike the rest of the coast, where rocks, ledge and cliff define the landscape, along the Southern Maine Coast, from York through Old Orchard, miles of wide sand beaches are the rule. Build a sand castle, go surfing, play beach volleyball, swim or simply walk for miles.
Equally magical and plentiful are the region’s nature preserves. The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farm comprises 1.600 acres. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is divided among 10 sites. Bird watchers flock to the East Point Sanctuary, a Maine Audubon preserve in Biddeford. For a quiet retreat, try Saco Heath, a 500 acre preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy where trails lead through woods and fields.
Off the beach, antiquities and architecture buffs can tour the Sayward-Wheeler House, in York Harbor, and the Georgian-style Hamilton House and the Federal-style home of writer Sarah Orne Jewett, in South Berwick. Legend has it that the ornately decorated Wedding Cake House, in Kennebunk, was built by a sea captain for his bride as a substitute for a wedding cake when he was called to sea. The Brick House Museum leads architectural walking tours through Kennebunk’s historic district.
Immerse yourself in Colonial history in the Old York Village Historic District. For a taste of 19th century village life, spend a day at Willowbrook at Newfield. Military history buffs should begin in Kittery at the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum. Nearby Fort McClary is an 1846 hexagonal blockhouse. Delve into the region’s maritime history at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and the Kittery Historical and Naval Musem.
The arts are well represented here, too. The Ogunquit Museum of American Art shows works by Marsden Hartley, Rockwell Kent and others; don’t miss the sculpture garden. Catch a play at the Hackmatack Playhouse, in Berwick, or the Ogunquit Playhouse, a classic summer stock theater that regularly attracts well-known actors. The beautifully restored Biddeford City Theatre is listed on the National Historic Register.
Maine’s southern coast has plenty to entertain kids. There’s the Wild Kingdom zoo and amusement park in York. Amusements parks in Saco and Old Orchard Beach deliver big thrills with roller-coasters, carousels, waterslides and other riders. A gentler ride is available at the Seashore Trolley Museum, in Kennebunkport, where you can view more than 200 streetcars and take a four-mile ride on one.
Shoppers take note: Kittery has more than 125 outlet stores; antiques stores are plentiful in Wells; and boutiques, galleries and specialty stores crowd Perkins Cove, in Ogunquit, and Dock Square, in Kennebunkport.
Equally magical and plentiful are the region’s nature preserves. The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farm comprises 1.600 acres. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is divided among 10 sites. Bird watchers flock to the East Point Sanctuary, a Maine Audubon preserve in Biddeford. For a quiet retreat, try Saco Heath, a 500 acre preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy where trails lead through woods and fields.
Off the beach, antiquities and architecture buffs can tour the Sayward-Wheeler House, in York Harbor, and the Georgian-style Hamilton House and the Federal-style home of writer Sarah Orne Jewett, in South Berwick. Legend has it that the ornately decorated Wedding Cake House, in Kennebunk, was built by a sea captain for his bride as a substitute for a wedding cake when he was called to sea. The Brick House Museum leads architectural walking tours through Kennebunk’s historic district.
Immerse yourself in Colonial history in the Old York Village Historic District. For a taste of 19th century village life, spend a day at Willowbrook at Newfield. Military history buffs should begin in Kittery at the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum. Nearby Fort McClary is an 1846 hexagonal blockhouse. Delve into the region’s maritime history at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and the Kittery Historical and Naval Musem.
The arts are well represented here, too. The Ogunquit Museum of American Art shows works by Marsden Hartley, Rockwell Kent and others; don’t miss the sculpture garden. Catch a play at the Hackmatack Playhouse, in Berwick, or the Ogunquit Playhouse, a classic summer stock theater that regularly attracts well-known actors. The beautifully restored Biddeford City Theatre is listed on the National Historic Register.
Maine’s southern coast has plenty to entertain kids. There’s the Wild Kingdom zoo and amusement park in York. Amusements parks in Saco and Old Orchard Beach deliver big thrills with roller-coasters, carousels, waterslides and other riders. A gentler ride is available at the Seashore Trolley Museum, in Kennebunkport, where you can view more than 200 streetcars and take a four-mile ride on one.
Shoppers take note: Kittery has more than 125 outlet stores; antiques stores are plentiful in Wells; and boutiques, galleries and specialty stores crowd Perkins Cove, in Ogunquit, and Dock Square, in Kennebunkport.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Maine – Mid Coast
Craggy fingers of spruce-clad land reach out for the sea. The fragrance of beach roses permeates the air. Traditional fishing villages survive in the shadows of more cosmopolitan towns. Choose among fine restaurants and lobster-in-the rough; large resorts and cozy inns; galleries and boutiques; antiques and flea markets; nationally renowned museums and historic meeting houses. Add in a wealth of offshore islands, a handful of beautiful sand beaches, an abundance of lighthouses and historic forts, and scores of postcard-perfect towns. Top it off with a rich cultural scene including frequent festivals, concerts and live theater. The blend makes Mid Coast Maine shine.
A trip through the Mid Coast will dip you into Maine’s maritime history, from past to present, from five-masted schooners to Aegis cruisers. It all began at the Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Popham’s settlers abandoned the colony in 1608, after building the first English ship constructed in the Northeast. Listen for the ghostly footsteps of marching soldiers as you clamber through the ruins of Forts Popham, Edgecomb, William Henry, Pownall and Knox. Maine’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage is documented at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, and at Searsport’s Penobscot Marine Museum. Learn about Maine’s own Civil War hero at the Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Museum in Brunswick. Stop by the Shore Village Museum in Rockland to view the world’s largest collection of lighthouse memorabilia.
Artists have long flocked to this region, inspired by the natural beauty of soaring headlands, rugged shores, cozy harbors and sleepy villages. You can view their works at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland and Rockport’s Center for Contemporary Maine Art. Take home a treasure from a Belfast gallery, a Wiscasset antiques shop or an area arts and crafts show.
Mid Coast Maine is a great to get physical, too. Hike to the summit of Mt Battie for a birds-eye view of Camden. Explore the coast by sea kayak. Take a swim in the clear waters of Damariscotta or Megunticook Lakes. Explore the peninsulas of island by bicycle. Most of Maine’s historic windjammers are based in this region, and you can take a cruise on one of a few hours or a full week. Ferries from several ports carry passengers to the islands; excursion boats from Boothbay Harbor and other ports take visitors out to see seals, puffins and whales. You can even go out on a working fishing boat. End your day with a lobster dinner, either a traditional one at a dockside shack or an inspired rendition created by one of the region’s nationally recognized chefs.
A trip through the Mid Coast will dip you into Maine’s maritime history, from past to present, from five-masted schooners to Aegis cruisers. It all began at the Popham Colony at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Popham’s settlers abandoned the colony in 1608, after building the first English ship constructed in the Northeast. Listen for the ghostly footsteps of marching soldiers as you clamber through the ruins of Forts Popham, Edgecomb, William Henry, Pownall and Knox. Maine’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage is documented at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, and at Searsport’s Penobscot Marine Museum. Learn about Maine’s own Civil War hero at the Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Museum in Brunswick. Stop by the Shore Village Museum in Rockland to view the world’s largest collection of lighthouse memorabilia.
Artists have long flocked to this region, inspired by the natural beauty of soaring headlands, rugged shores, cozy harbors and sleepy villages. You can view their works at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland and Rockport’s Center for Contemporary Maine Art. Take home a treasure from a Belfast gallery, a Wiscasset antiques shop or an area arts and crafts show.
Mid Coast Maine is a great to get physical, too. Hike to the summit of Mt Battie for a birds-eye view of Camden. Explore the coast by sea kayak. Take a swim in the clear waters of Damariscotta or Megunticook Lakes. Explore the peninsulas of island by bicycle. Most of Maine’s historic windjammers are based in this region, and you can take a cruise on one of a few hours or a full week. Ferries from several ports carry passengers to the islands; excursion boats from Boothbay Harbor and other ports take visitors out to see seals, puffins and whales. You can even go out on a working fishing boat. End your day with a lobster dinner, either a traditional one at a dockside shack or an inspired rendition created by one of the region’s nationally recognized chefs.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Maine Lakes & Mountains
Few places offer so many ways to enjoy the seasons as does Maine’s Lakes & Mountains Region. Mother Nature displays her artistic side in fall, painting the countryside with brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, using the deep greens of Maine’s towering evergreens as a counterpoint. Autumn’s pleasures are many: Country fairs, antiques and artisans’ shops, apple orchards, covered bridges. Have lunch at a general store, take a brisk hike or a leisurely paddle, and then wile away the evening by the fire at a country inn or a lakeside cabin.
When snow blankets the region, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice skating become the outdoor pursuits of choice. At Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, alpine skiers and snowboarders enjoy the only above tree line skiing in the East. Sunday River, in Bethel, sprawls across seven peaks. In Rangeley, Saddleback Mountain shares its ridgeline with the Appalachian Trail, providing a remote wilderness experience. Hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails lace the region. Cross-country skiers and snow-shores have their own back-country trails as well as modern centers with maintained trails.
When spring arrives, so do the fishermen. The crystal-clear lake waters are home to legendary brook trout and landlocked salmon. Then there are those lazy days of summer, perfect for sailing, canoeing, hiking and bicycling. Nine-mile-long Rangeley Lake is the centerpiece for 112 smaller lakes and ponds that feed into it, including beautiful Flagstaff Lake, the state’s fourth largest. Sebago, Maine’s second-largest lake, with waters so pure that it provides drinking water for the city of Portland, is popular with water sports enthusiasts and justly famous among anglers for its landlocked salmon. Long Lake is prized for its majestic White Mountain views. Rivers and stream delight paddlers as well as fisherman. The swollen Carrabassett challenges kayakers and canoeists in the spring while the peaceful Saco is a summer family favorite.
Outdoor recreation may be the region’s calling card, but there’s much more to do and discover here. Visit the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community and Museum in New Gloucester, the only Shaker village still functioning as a religious community. Immerse yourself in 19th century rural life at the Norlands Living History Center in Livermore. Learn about America’s first international diva at the historic Deertrees Theatre and Cultural Center in Harrison or view the works of Marsden Hartley, Lewiston’s most famous artist, at the Bates College Museum of Art.
When snow blankets the region, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice skating become the outdoor pursuits of choice. At Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, alpine skiers and snowboarders enjoy the only above tree line skiing in the East. Sunday River, in Bethel, sprawls across seven peaks. In Rangeley, Saddleback Mountain shares its ridgeline with the Appalachian Trail, providing a remote wilderness experience. Hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails lace the region. Cross-country skiers and snow-shores have their own back-country trails as well as modern centers with maintained trails.
When spring arrives, so do the fishermen. The crystal-clear lake waters are home to legendary brook trout and landlocked salmon. Then there are those lazy days of summer, perfect for sailing, canoeing, hiking and bicycling. Nine-mile-long Rangeley Lake is the centerpiece for 112 smaller lakes and ponds that feed into it, including beautiful Flagstaff Lake, the state’s fourth largest. Sebago, Maine’s second-largest lake, with waters so pure that it provides drinking water for the city of Portland, is popular with water sports enthusiasts and justly famous among anglers for its landlocked salmon. Long Lake is prized for its majestic White Mountain views. Rivers and stream delight paddlers as well as fisherman. The swollen Carrabassett challenges kayakers and canoeists in the spring while the peaceful Saco is a summer family favorite.
Outdoor recreation may be the region’s calling card, but there’s much more to do and discover here. Visit the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community and Museum in New Gloucester, the only Shaker village still functioning as a religious community. Immerse yourself in 19th century rural life at the Norlands Living History Center in Livermore. Learn about America’s first international diva at the historic Deertrees Theatre and Cultural Center in Harrison or view the works of Marsden Hartley, Lewiston’s most famous artist, at the Bates College Museum of Art.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Katahdin, Moosehead, Penquis
Woodlands and water have been luring visitors to inland Maine for more than a century. The seemingly endless forests were viewed by timber barons as a source of seemingly endless wealth. They felled the trees to build cities in New England first, and later for lumber-starved Europe, floating the logs downriver to ports such as Bangor. These entrepreneurs were followed by wealthy summer visitors who came to hunt, fish and relax. To serve their needs, industrious Mainers created sporting camps, usually comprised of a main lodge and cabins set on a remote lake. On larger, more accessible lakes, such as Moosehead, resort hotels were built. These in turn attracted more city folk, lured by the promise of clean, cool air and water. And then there were the early naturalists, men such as Henry David Thoreau, who came to see the raw beauty f nature and document it.
Today’s visitors come for many of the same reasons: to escape the heat, stresses and crowds of the city; to rediscover the beauty of nature by hiking, walking and canoeing; and to fish and hunt. The rivers dammed by power companies now provide reliable whitewater for rafting, canoeing and kayaking. The roads built for timber harvesting allow travelers access to remote ponds and stream for fishing and to hiking and camping areas. And many sporting camps have redefined themselves to cater to families. Today, just as a century ago, water, woods and mountains are the big attractions.
Greenville is the gateway to Moosehead Lake. Cruise the lake on the S/S Katahdin, a restored steam vessel and floating museum. Hike to the summit of Mount Kineo for awesome views over the lake. Moose Mania, held every spring, is the best time to see a moose. Local outfitters offer moose safaris by plane, pontoon boat, canoe and even dogsled.
Recreational opportunities abound in this region, from hiking Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest peak, to whitewater rafting the Penobscot River. Hike, snowshoe or ski into Gulf Hagas, nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East”. Nearby sites such as the Hermitage, an old-growth stand of white pine, and Katahdin Iron Works, the ruins of an 1843 blast furnace and kiln, also invite exploration. Go fly fishing or snowmobiling, cross-country skiing or mountain biking. Visit Baxter State Park, a gift to the people of Maine from Governor Percival Baxter. The Appalachian Trail ends (or starts, depending on your point of view) at Katahdin’s mile-high summit.
Be sure to allow time to visit the historic sites, such as the Maine Forest and Logging Museum, in Bradley, the 1876 Robyville Bridge, the only completely shingled covered bridge in the state, in Corinth, and the remote Ambejejus Boom House. Museums, shopping, fine dining and much more can be found in Bangor, the region’s largest city.
Today’s visitors come for many of the same reasons: to escape the heat, stresses and crowds of the city; to rediscover the beauty of nature by hiking, walking and canoeing; and to fish and hunt. The rivers dammed by power companies now provide reliable whitewater for rafting, canoeing and kayaking. The roads built for timber harvesting allow travelers access to remote ponds and stream for fishing and to hiking and camping areas. And many sporting camps have redefined themselves to cater to families. Today, just as a century ago, water, woods and mountains are the big attractions.
Greenville is the gateway to Moosehead Lake. Cruise the lake on the S/S Katahdin, a restored steam vessel and floating museum. Hike to the summit of Mount Kineo for awesome views over the lake. Moose Mania, held every spring, is the best time to see a moose. Local outfitters offer moose safaris by plane, pontoon boat, canoe and even dogsled.
Recreational opportunities abound in this region, from hiking Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest peak, to whitewater rafting the Penobscot River. Hike, snowshoe or ski into Gulf Hagas, nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East”. Nearby sites such as the Hermitage, an old-growth stand of white pine, and Katahdin Iron Works, the ruins of an 1843 blast furnace and kiln, also invite exploration. Go fly fishing or snowmobiling, cross-country skiing or mountain biking. Visit Baxter State Park, a gift to the people of Maine from Governor Percival Baxter. The Appalachian Trail ends (or starts, depending on your point of view) at Katahdin’s mile-high summit.
Be sure to allow time to visit the historic sites, such as the Maine Forest and Logging Museum, in Bradley, the 1876 Robyville Bridge, the only completely shingled covered bridge in the state, in Corinth, and the remote Ambejejus Boom House. Museums, shopping, fine dining and much more can be found in Bangor, the region’s largest city.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Maine Greater Portland & Casco Bay
Built on a promontory with water on three sides, Portland is Maine’s largest city, but it embraces visitors with a friendly, small-town atmosphere. It’s big enough to support a vibrant cultural scene, small enough to easily navigate. The city is reputed to have the greatest number of restaurants, per capita, second only to San Francisco.
The enchanting Old Port links Portland’s downtown business district with its waterfront. This part of the city pulses with activity. Old-fashioned streetlights and brick sidewalks set the mood, boutiques and restaurants line the streets, fishing and excursion boats crowd the docks.
The Portland Museum of Art anchors the uptown Arts District. The museum houses a strong collection of European and American masterpieces with a focus on Maine art, including works by Winslow Homer, who maintained a studio at Prouts Neck, in Scarborough. The Children’s Museum of Maine, next door, is a must for kids. Nearby are the Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland Stage Company, the Center for Cultural Exchange and the State Theatre. Merrill Auditorium, in Portland City Hall, is the home of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The Portland Opera Repertory Theatre and PCA Great Performances also stage programs here.
History and architecture buffs should consider a walking tour of the city. The Victoria Mansion is considered to be among the finest examples of Victorian villa architecture in the world. The Abyssinian Meeting House, built in 1828, was an important center of the black liberation struggle. Historic houses include the boyhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Neal Dow Memorial, home of the father of prohibition, and the 1755 Tate House, a fine example of the Georgian style.
Perhaps the best place to take in the view is the Portland Observatory. Built by Lemuel Moody in 1807, it reflects his seafaring ways: 122 tons of ballast hold it in place. A small museum highlights Moody’s contributions to Portland, and the 102-step climb to the orb deck is rewarded by 360-degree views over the city, the surrounding countryside and Casco Bay.
To the east is Cape Elizabeth, where Portland Head Light has been warning of treacherous ledges since 1791. South Portland is a major retail center. In Falmouth, you can wander the 2.5 miles of easy trails through the Gilsland Farm Sanctuary and Environmental Center. For more exercise, climb 383-foot tall Bradbury Mountain, in Pownal. Freeport is home of the always-open outdoor retailer L.L. Bean and more than 170 outlets, as well as the intriguing Desert of Maine. And in Yarmouth, home of the annual clam festival, don’t miss the DeLorme Map Store’s Eartha, the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe.
The enchanting Old Port links Portland’s downtown business district with its waterfront. This part of the city pulses with activity. Old-fashioned streetlights and brick sidewalks set the mood, boutiques and restaurants line the streets, fishing and excursion boats crowd the docks.
The Portland Museum of Art anchors the uptown Arts District. The museum houses a strong collection of European and American masterpieces with a focus on Maine art, including works by Winslow Homer, who maintained a studio at Prouts Neck, in Scarborough. The Children’s Museum of Maine, next door, is a must for kids. Nearby are the Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland Stage Company, the Center for Cultural Exchange and the State Theatre. Merrill Auditorium, in Portland City Hall, is the home of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The Portland Opera Repertory Theatre and PCA Great Performances also stage programs here.
History and architecture buffs should consider a walking tour of the city. The Victoria Mansion is considered to be among the finest examples of Victorian villa architecture in the world. The Abyssinian Meeting House, built in 1828, was an important center of the black liberation struggle. Historic houses include the boyhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Neal Dow Memorial, home of the father of prohibition, and the 1755 Tate House, a fine example of the Georgian style.
Perhaps the best place to take in the view is the Portland Observatory. Built by Lemuel Moody in 1807, it reflects his seafaring ways: 122 tons of ballast hold it in place. A small museum highlights Moody’s contributions to Portland, and the 102-step climb to the orb deck is rewarded by 360-degree views over the city, the surrounding countryside and Casco Bay.
To the east is Cape Elizabeth, where Portland Head Light has been warning of treacherous ledges since 1791. South Portland is a major retail center. In Falmouth, you can wander the 2.5 miles of easy trails through the Gilsland Farm Sanctuary and Environmental Center. For more exercise, climb 383-foot tall Bradbury Mountain, in Pownal. Freeport is home of the always-open outdoor retailer L.L. Bean and more than 170 outlets, as well as the intriguing Desert of Maine. And in Yarmouth, home of the annual clam festival, don’t miss the DeLorme Map Store’s Eartha, the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Maine, Down East & Acadia
Fresh-water lakes, whitewater rivers, the highest tides in the country, quiet coves and crashing surf define Down East & Acadia, a region prized by artists and historians, adventure seekers and nature lovers. Here you’ll find Acadia, the first National Park in the East; Somes Sound, the only fjord on the East Coast; St Croix Island, the landing site of the French in the New World; and Machiasport, where the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War occurred.
The region’s landscape ranges from raw and spectacular to quiet and subdued, encompassing craggy granite cliffs and desolate blueberry barrens. Rugged fingers of land tipped with granite fingernails reach out to the sea, inviting exploration. Poke around classic villages and working harbors, browse shops and galleries, explore nature preserves and wildlife refuges. The scenery alone has earned coveted National Scenic Byway status for two routes. The 43 mile Acadia Byway winds along Route 3 from Trenton to Bar Harbor, then follows a section of the National Park’s Loop Road through Mount Desert. The 29 mile Schoodic Scenic Byway circles through Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor and a remote section of Acadia National Park.
Visit the internationally known Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, on Deer Isle. Take in a performance at the art deco-style Criterion Theatre, in Bar Harbor, or Grand Auditorium, in Ellsworth, or the recently reopened Stonington Opera House. Join a local celebration: the Winter Harbor Lobster Festival, in Machias, the Eastport Salmon Festival, Native American festivals in Bar Harbor and Pleasant Point, an arts festival on the Shoodic Peninsula and the annual Blue Hill Fair.
Historic sites abound. Learn of the role local patriots played in the Revolution at the Burnham Tavern, in Machias, and about Maine’s Native Americans at the new Abbe Museum, in downtown Bar Harbor. Marvel at the talents of Jonathan Fisher, Blue Hill’s first pastor, at the Parson Fisher House. Take a walking tour through Castine, where signs detail the town’s early history, or Cherryfield, which has a 75 acre National Register Historic District comprising 52 architecturally significant buildings. Detour off Route 1 to admire the Ruggles House, in Columbia Falls, an architectural gem.
Outdoor adventures are plentiful. Take a whale-watching or puffin-sighting cruise. Canoe the St Croix River. Go bird watching at Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. Try fly-fishing in Grand Lake Stream. Or simply take it all in from the summit of Cadillac Mountain, on Mt Desert, the highest point on the Atlantic Coast in North America, or from the Coastal Trail at West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, in Lubec, the first town in the lower 48 warmed by the sun’s rays each morning.
The region’s landscape ranges from raw and spectacular to quiet and subdued, encompassing craggy granite cliffs and desolate blueberry barrens. Rugged fingers of land tipped with granite fingernails reach out to the sea, inviting exploration. Poke around classic villages and working harbors, browse shops and galleries, explore nature preserves and wildlife refuges. The scenery alone has earned coveted National Scenic Byway status for two routes. The 43 mile Acadia Byway winds along Route 3 from Trenton to Bar Harbor, then follows a section of the National Park’s Loop Road through Mount Desert. The 29 mile Schoodic Scenic Byway circles through Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor and a remote section of Acadia National Park.
Visit the internationally known Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, on Deer Isle. Take in a performance at the art deco-style Criterion Theatre, in Bar Harbor, or Grand Auditorium, in Ellsworth, or the recently reopened Stonington Opera House. Join a local celebration: the Winter Harbor Lobster Festival, in Machias, the Eastport Salmon Festival, Native American festivals in Bar Harbor and Pleasant Point, an arts festival on the Shoodic Peninsula and the annual Blue Hill Fair.
Historic sites abound. Learn of the role local patriots played in the Revolution at the Burnham Tavern, in Machias, and about Maine’s Native Americans at the new Abbe Museum, in downtown Bar Harbor. Marvel at the talents of Jonathan Fisher, Blue Hill’s first pastor, at the Parson Fisher House. Take a walking tour through Castine, where signs detail the town’s early history, or Cherryfield, which has a 75 acre National Register Historic District comprising 52 architecturally significant buildings. Detour off Route 1 to admire the Ruggles House, in Columbia Falls, an architectural gem.
Outdoor adventures are plentiful. Take a whale-watching or puffin-sighting cruise. Canoe the St Croix River. Go bird watching at Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. Try fly-fishing in Grand Lake Stream. Or simply take it all in from the summit of Cadillac Mountain, on Mt Desert, the highest point on the Atlantic Coast in North America, or from the Coastal Trail at West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, in Lubec, the first town in the lower 48 warmed by the sun’s rays each morning.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Maine – Kennebec & Moose River Valleys
For centuries, the Kennebec River has been a major thoroughfare for goods, people and ideas moving between Canada and the coast. History buffs will savor the struggles, wars, deceptions and invasions that highlight this route, mirroring the relationships between the French, English and Native Americans who traversed it. Adventure seekers will thrill to the whitewater rafting, calm-water canoeing, snowmobiling and hiking possibilities, while nature lovers will appreciate the lakes, streams and forests.
This region has broad appeal for outdoor enthusiasts. The Kennebec and Dead Rivers are two of the finest whitewaters rivers in the East, providing rafting, kayaking and canoeing thrills from May into October. The Appalachian Trail passes through this region before it enters the 100-mile Wilderness for the final push to its terminus at Katahdin. The Belgrade Lakes attract summer rusticators to clusters of lakefront cottages and camps to relax, play golf, boat and fish. When snow blankets the countryside, snowmobiles and snowshoes replace canoes and hiking boots. The border town of Jackman sits at a fork in the Northeast Snowmobile Trail that connects with an international trail system 1.100 miles long, linking Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec.
For a better perspective on the state’s history, visit the Maine State Museum, in Augusta. In the same complex are the State House, designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch and built in 1829, and the Blaine House, historic home of Maine’s governors. Just across the bridge is Fort Western, built in 1754 and used as a staging point for Benedict Arnold’s ill-fated journey to capture Quebec in 1775. Also on the east of the Kennebec is the Pine Tree State Arboretum, where you can wander among more than 600 trees and shrubs. On the west side of the river is Hallowell; the downtown is a National Historic District filled with antiques shops, boutiques and historic homes, perfect for an afternoon of browsing.
The campus of Colby College, in Waterville, includes the Colby Museum of Art, which specializes in American art. In Skowhegan, take in a summer production at the Lakewood Theater, bone up on 20th century politics at the Margaret Chase Smith Library Center and admire the Skowhegan Indian. Don’t miss the Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously operated state fair in the country. Nearby Hinckley boasts the L.C. Bates Museum, with an eclectic collection of treasures ranging from rare bird specimens to Native American artifacts. Another offbeat treat is the South Solon Meetinghouse. The exterior promises nothing more than a traditional, 19th century meetinghouse, but artists from the Skowhegan Scholl of Painting and Sculpture have covered every available interior space with colorful frescoes.
This region has broad appeal for outdoor enthusiasts. The Kennebec and Dead Rivers are two of the finest whitewaters rivers in the East, providing rafting, kayaking and canoeing thrills from May into October. The Appalachian Trail passes through this region before it enters the 100-mile Wilderness for the final push to its terminus at Katahdin. The Belgrade Lakes attract summer rusticators to clusters of lakefront cottages and camps to relax, play golf, boat and fish. When snow blankets the countryside, snowmobiles and snowshoes replace canoes and hiking boots. The border town of Jackman sits at a fork in the Northeast Snowmobile Trail that connects with an international trail system 1.100 miles long, linking Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec.
For a better perspective on the state’s history, visit the Maine State Museum, in Augusta. In the same complex are the State House, designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch and built in 1829, and the Blaine House, historic home of Maine’s governors. Just across the bridge is Fort Western, built in 1754 and used as a staging point for Benedict Arnold’s ill-fated journey to capture Quebec in 1775. Also on the east of the Kennebec is the Pine Tree State Arboretum, where you can wander among more than 600 trees and shrubs. On the west side of the river is Hallowell; the downtown is a National Historic District filled with antiques shops, boutiques and historic homes, perfect for an afternoon of browsing.
The campus of Colby College, in Waterville, includes the Colby Museum of Art, which specializes in American art. In Skowhegan, take in a summer production at the Lakewood Theater, bone up on 20th century politics at the Margaret Chase Smith Library Center and admire the Skowhegan Indian. Don’t miss the Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously operated state fair in the country. Nearby Hinckley boasts the L.C. Bates Museum, with an eclectic collection of treasures ranging from rare bird specimens to Native American artifacts. Another offbeat treat is the South Solon Meetinghouse. The exterior promises nothing more than a traditional, 19th century meetinghouse, but artists from the Skowhegan Scholl of Painting and Sculpture have covered every available interior space with colorful frescoes.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Maine – Aroostook County
Expansive, remote and sparsely populated, Aroostook County is an undiscovered gem, rich in heritage and a treasure for outdoor sports-minded folks. The County, as it’s called, is larger in area than the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined and is bounded by Maine’s North Woods and two Canadian provinces. It’s a region that encourages you to slow down and enjoy the good life.
In winter, deep snow blankets the hills and fields, providing unparalleled snowmobiling, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing. Snowmobilers come from far and wide for the International Snowmobile Festival, held annually in Madawaska. Dogsledders come in March for the Can-Am Sled Dog Races in Fort Kent, a qualifier for the grueling Iditarod.
When the snow melts, the 100 mile long Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the free-flowing St John River beckon paddlers. The Meduxnekeag River is a must for whitewater aficionados during spring runoff. Hiking is abundant at state parks and preserves such a Deboullie Mountain. Hikers share the St John Valley Heritage Trail and the Bangor-Aroostook Valley Trails with mountain bikers. The Fish River Chain of Lakes is favored by salmon and trout fishermen. And for an afternoon of walking and learning, visit the Arthur E. Howell Wildlife Conservation Center and Spruce Acres Refuge, a haven for injured or orphaned wildlife.
Summer is the time to celebrate the region’s heritage and rural life. At New Sweden’s Sommarfest, the descendants of Swedish settlers welcome the Solstice as their ancestors did. Madawaska’s Acadian Festival, in June, focuses on the reunion of a local Acadian family, often attracting thousands of far-flung descendants. Fort Fairfield hosts the Potato Blossom Festival, named for the lovely white flowers that blanket the fields with promise of the fall harvest. The Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle, held in August, has been celebrating agriculture and lumbering in The County since 1854.
In Houlton, walk through the Market Square Historic Business District, with 28 architecturally significant buildings dating from 1885 to 1910. In Island Falls, visit the Webb Museum of Vintage Fashion, a Victorian house chockfull of antique clothing and accessories. The region’s logging heritage is chronicled at the Lumberman’s Museum, in Patten. The Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in 1839, is a remnant of the bloodless Aroostook War, a border dispute between the US and Canada that lasted for years. While in Presque Isle, stop by the University of Maine and Canadian Artists. For a taste of farm life with an emphasis on old-time ways, tour the Knott-II-Bragg Farm, in Wade.
In winter, deep snow blankets the hills and fields, providing unparalleled snowmobiling, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing. Snowmobilers come from far and wide for the International Snowmobile Festival, held annually in Madawaska. Dogsledders come in March for the Can-Am Sled Dog Races in Fort Kent, a qualifier for the grueling Iditarod.
When the snow melts, the 100 mile long Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the free-flowing St John River beckon paddlers. The Meduxnekeag River is a must for whitewater aficionados during spring runoff. Hiking is abundant at state parks and preserves such a Deboullie Mountain. Hikers share the St John Valley Heritage Trail and the Bangor-Aroostook Valley Trails with mountain bikers. The Fish River Chain of Lakes is favored by salmon and trout fishermen. And for an afternoon of walking and learning, visit the Arthur E. Howell Wildlife Conservation Center and Spruce Acres Refuge, a haven for injured or orphaned wildlife.
Summer is the time to celebrate the region’s heritage and rural life. At New Sweden’s Sommarfest, the descendants of Swedish settlers welcome the Solstice as their ancestors did. Madawaska’s Acadian Festival, in June, focuses on the reunion of a local Acadian family, often attracting thousands of far-flung descendants. Fort Fairfield hosts the Potato Blossom Festival, named for the lovely white flowers that blanket the fields with promise of the fall harvest. The Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle, held in August, has been celebrating agriculture and lumbering in The County since 1854.
In Houlton, walk through the Market Square Historic Business District, with 28 architecturally significant buildings dating from 1885 to 1910. In Island Falls, visit the Webb Museum of Vintage Fashion, a Victorian house chockfull of antique clothing and accessories. The region’s logging heritage is chronicled at the Lumberman’s Museum, in Patten. The Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in 1839, is a remnant of the bloodless Aroostook War, a border dispute between the US and Canada that lasted for years. While in Presque Isle, stop by the University of Maine and Canadian Artists. For a taste of farm life with an emphasis on old-time ways, tour the Knott-II-Bragg Farm, in Wade.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Golf on Hawai’i
When you pack your clubs for vacation, isn’t it nice to know that the golf courses you’ll play will provide a setting and an experience worthy of the effort? In the Islands of Aloha, there’s no question about it.
For a million years clouds poured rain upon jagged volcanic peaks. The rains in turn fed uncounted waterfalls, pounding rock into fertile soil, forming emerald plains that gave birth to some of the finest golf courses on earth. Each is unique and their settings are as memorable as the play. It’s simply a golfer’s paradise.
Among Hawaiian 80 plus courses are some of the most gorgeous holes to swing for. Picture yourself on the first tee box. The low morning sun gives shape to the heavenly green fairway before you. Take a deep breath and pinch yourself. Not even an errant tee shot can break this spell. With the Pacific Ocean over your shoulder, try not to be distracted by a breaching humpback whale. You’ll need all your concentration to make that fast breaking putt.
Golfing is always in season with Hawaiian beautiful year-round weather. Hawaiian courses extend throughout the six major islands, and their terrain is just as varied. From cool tropical valleys to awesome ocean-side lava cliffs, the views are spectacular.
Where better to begin the PGA tour than in Hawai’i. Here the golf gods smile on some of the most beautiful courses in the world. The pros’ season begins with two tournaments in January, the Mercedes Championship on Maui, followed by the Sony Open on Oahu. Win any of golf’s four majors and you’ll be invited to play the last tournament of the year, the PGA Grand Slam on Kauai. The Turtle Bay Championship is played in the beginning of October on Oahu’s gorgeous North Shore. Not to be denied paradise, the PGA Senior Tour kicks off its year with the MasterCard Championship on Hawaiian Big Island, followed by the Senior Skins Game on Maui. Hawaiian Big Island is also home to the LPGA Takefuji Classic.
Prepare to be spoiled. In Hawai’i, a camera should be a required piece of golfing equipment.
For a million years clouds poured rain upon jagged volcanic peaks. The rains in turn fed uncounted waterfalls, pounding rock into fertile soil, forming emerald plains that gave birth to some of the finest golf courses on earth. Each is unique and their settings are as memorable as the play. It’s simply a golfer’s paradise.
Among Hawaiian 80 plus courses are some of the most gorgeous holes to swing for. Picture yourself on the first tee box. The low morning sun gives shape to the heavenly green fairway before you. Take a deep breath and pinch yourself. Not even an errant tee shot can break this spell. With the Pacific Ocean over your shoulder, try not to be distracted by a breaching humpback whale. You’ll need all your concentration to make that fast breaking putt.
Golfing is always in season with Hawaiian beautiful year-round weather. Hawaiian courses extend throughout the six major islands, and their terrain is just as varied. From cool tropical valleys to awesome ocean-side lava cliffs, the views are spectacular.
Where better to begin the PGA tour than in Hawai’i. Here the golf gods smile on some of the most beautiful courses in the world. The pros’ season begins with two tournaments in January, the Mercedes Championship on Maui, followed by the Sony Open on Oahu. Win any of golf’s four majors and you’ll be invited to play the last tournament of the year, the PGA Grand Slam on Kauai. The Turtle Bay Championship is played in the beginning of October on Oahu’s gorgeous North Shore. Not to be denied paradise, the PGA Senior Tour kicks off its year with the MasterCard Championship on Hawaiian Big Island, followed by the Senior Skins Game on Maui. Hawaiian Big Island is also home to the LPGA Takefuji Classic.
Prepare to be spoiled. In Hawai’i, a camera should be a required piece of golfing equipment.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Golf in Nevada
Nevada and golf are synonymous. In fact, with more than 100 courses throughout the state, Nevada is truly a golfer’s paradise. From championship courses such as the 36-hole Las Vegas Paiute Resort to casual, recreational links like the nine-hole Brookside Golf Course in Reno, Nevada has endless recreational options for golfers.
In Southern Nevada, there are more than 50 courses within two hours of Las Vegas including three dozen in the immediate area. The courses range from publicly owned and operated links to private clubs that are limited to members and guests.
Among the newer courses in Southern Nevada: the Rhodes Ranch Country Club and the Royal Links Golf Club.
The venerable Desert Inn Golf Club, established in 1952, is one of the hosts of the annual PGA Las Vegas Invitational in October, along with two private courses, the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin and the Las Vegas Country Club.
Several other Southern Nevada communities have also established themselves as golf Mecca’s including: Boulder City, located 23 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Henderson /Green Valley, 13 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Laughlin, 95 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Mesquite, 79 miles northeast of Las Vegas; Primm, 43 miles southwest of Las Vegas; and Pahrump, which is 62 miles west of Las Vegas.
The Reno-Lake Tahoe region offers more than 50 golf courses within an hour of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport including the Wolf Run Golf Club, the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, the Resort at Squaw Creek, and the Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch. In the Reno area, courses include not only the state’s oldest links – the Washoe County Golf Course, which was established in 1934 – but several of the most recent courses such as Arrow Creek, Red Hawk, and Monteux, all of which opened in the past few years. The latter is a private course that is also home of the Reno/Tahoe Open, a new stop on the PGA tour.
The Carson City area, south of Reno, offers what it calls the “Divine Nine”. These nine courses encompass about 70.000 yards of green and roughs and include the Dayton Valley Country Club, Empire Ranch, and the new Sierra Nevada Golf Ranch.
At Lake Tahoe, golfers try not to be distracted by the lake’s natural beauty while attempting to sink a long putt. Lake Tahoe offers a dozen championship courses including Edgewood Tahoe on the south shore of the lake. Edgewood is the site of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July and is rated one of Golf Digest’s top 25 public US golf courses.
In the more rural parts of Nevada, golfers will find plenty of wide-open spaces into which they can slice or hook. Courses range from Hawthorne’s Walker Lake Country Club, one of the state’s most picturesque nine-hole courses with its mature, towering elms, to the Mason Valley Country Club in Yerington, which recently expanded to 18 holes.
A couple of the state’s most unusual golf courses are Burning Sands at Empire, a nine-hole public course in the center of town, where green fees are a $10 donation, and the Sandy Bottoms Golf Course in Gabbs, the state’s only all-clay, free course. Playing Sandy Bottoms is kind of like playing at entire round in sand traps.
In Southern Nevada, there are more than 50 courses within two hours of Las Vegas including three dozen in the immediate area. The courses range from publicly owned and operated links to private clubs that are limited to members and guests.
Among the newer courses in Southern Nevada: the Rhodes Ranch Country Club and the Royal Links Golf Club.
The venerable Desert Inn Golf Club, established in 1952, is one of the hosts of the annual PGA Las Vegas Invitational in October, along with two private courses, the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin and the Las Vegas Country Club.
Several other Southern Nevada communities have also established themselves as golf Mecca’s including: Boulder City, located 23 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Henderson /Green Valley, 13 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Laughlin, 95 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Mesquite, 79 miles northeast of Las Vegas; Primm, 43 miles southwest of Las Vegas; and Pahrump, which is 62 miles west of Las Vegas.
The Reno-Lake Tahoe region offers more than 50 golf courses within an hour of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport including the Wolf Run Golf Club, the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, the Resort at Squaw Creek, and the Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch. In the Reno area, courses include not only the state’s oldest links – the Washoe County Golf Course, which was established in 1934 – but several of the most recent courses such as Arrow Creek, Red Hawk, and Monteux, all of which opened in the past few years. The latter is a private course that is also home of the Reno/Tahoe Open, a new stop on the PGA tour.
The Carson City area, south of Reno, offers what it calls the “Divine Nine”. These nine courses encompass about 70.000 yards of green and roughs and include the Dayton Valley Country Club, Empire Ranch, and the new Sierra Nevada Golf Ranch.
At Lake Tahoe, golfers try not to be distracted by the lake’s natural beauty while attempting to sink a long putt. Lake Tahoe offers a dozen championship courses including Edgewood Tahoe on the south shore of the lake. Edgewood is the site of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July and is rated one of Golf Digest’s top 25 public US golf courses.
In the more rural parts of Nevada, golfers will find plenty of wide-open spaces into which they can slice or hook. Courses range from Hawthorne’s Walker Lake Country Club, one of the state’s most picturesque nine-hole courses with its mature, towering elms, to the Mason Valley Country Club in Yerington, which recently expanded to 18 holes.
A couple of the state’s most unusual golf courses are Burning Sands at Empire, a nine-hole public course in the center of town, where green fees are a $10 donation, and the Sandy Bottoms Golf Course in Gabbs, the state’s only all-clay, free course. Playing Sandy Bottoms is kind of like playing at entire round in sand traps.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Colorado wines
Discover the romance of wine tasting in Colorado. The winemaking industry here has grown to 34 wineries in spectacular locations across the state. Along with their distinctive style and friendly tasting rooms, each one is framed by the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
Over a century has passed since wineries in Colorado were uprooted in Prohibition and today, winemakers are rebuilding a Colorado tradition. Vineyards across the state feature the classic European wine grape varieties. Now, with surprising success, the art of winemaking is thriving.
The abundant sunshine, warm days, cool nights and low humidity provide the perfect conditions for growing wine grapes with the complex character and chemistry required to craft award-winning wines.
Colorado hosts nearly three dozen wineries located throughout the state, from the areas of the Front Range near Denver, to spectacular central mountain destinations. The federal government has designated two regions in western Colorado as American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): the Grand Valley, between Grand Junction and Palisade; and the West Elks, surrounding Paonia and Hotchkiss. The vast majority of Colorado’s wine grapes come from these two areas.
Most of the wineries are small, family-owned estates that have earned a well-deserved reputation for creating a wide variety of premium wines. From deep Merlots and expensive Chardonnays, to elegant Rieslings and Cabernets, Colorado wines consistently win top national and international awards. And the fruit wines are unprecedented in the category. Charming tasting rooms and genuine Rocky Mountain atmosphere make touring Colorado wineries a wonderful way to see the state. The wines of Colorado add a delicious dimension of culture to one of America’s most colorful and adventurous leisure destinations.
Over a century has passed since wineries in Colorado were uprooted in Prohibition and today, winemakers are rebuilding a Colorado tradition. Vineyards across the state feature the classic European wine grape varieties. Now, with surprising success, the art of winemaking is thriving.
The abundant sunshine, warm days, cool nights and low humidity provide the perfect conditions for growing wine grapes with the complex character and chemistry required to craft award-winning wines.
Colorado hosts nearly three dozen wineries located throughout the state, from the areas of the Front Range near Denver, to spectacular central mountain destinations. The federal government has designated two regions in western Colorado as American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): the Grand Valley, between Grand Junction and Palisade; and the West Elks, surrounding Paonia and Hotchkiss. The vast majority of Colorado’s wine grapes come from these two areas.
Most of the wineries are small, family-owned estates that have earned a well-deserved reputation for creating a wide variety of premium wines. From deep Merlots and expensive Chardonnays, to elegant Rieslings and Cabernets, Colorado wines consistently win top national and international awards. And the fruit wines are unprecedented in the category. Charming tasting rooms and genuine Rocky Mountain atmosphere make touring Colorado wineries a wonderful way to see the state. The wines of Colorado add a delicious dimension of culture to one of America’s most colorful and adventurous leisure destinations.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nis Fortress, Serbia
In both Serbian and international political plans, the liberation of Nis in the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813) was a major event in the restoration of the Serbian state. The decisive battle between the Serbs and the Turks took place on 31st May 1809, in the vicinity of Nis, near the village of Kamenica, on a hill known as Cegar, where the Serbian positions were most exposed. Unable to halt the Turkish attack, the Serbian military leader Stevan Sindjelic fired a number of shots into the powder magazine and caused an explosion which killed numerous soldiers on both sides. Unofficial data claim that between 3000 and 7000 Serbs and over 6000 Turks were killed on Cegar. Serbian losses were tremendous, so Cegar today has a special position in the history of the struggle for liberation and independence. Today’s tower-shaped monument was erected in 1927 – it symbolizes a military fortification and is protected by the state as part of the cultural heritage.
Nis Fortress was built in the period 1719-1723 on the right bank of the Nisava River, over the remains of ancient and medieval fortifications, after such decree was issued by the Sultan on 19th February 1719, and the project made by the main architects Mehmed and Mustafa Aga. Like other artillery fortifications, the fortress has a polygonal foundation and four major gates (labeled the gates of Istanbul, Belgrade, Jagodina and Vidin) and eight bastion terraces. With its ramparts totaling 2100m in length, 3m wide and 8m high, covering the area of 22 hectares, the Fortress was the strongest Turkish fortification in borderline areas of the empire. Today’s remnants of the rampart and the gates, along with still unexplored internal parts coming from the previous periods, represent a major cultural monument. For this reason, in 1948, Nis Fortress was protected by the law, and in 1979 it was proclaimed highly valued part of cultural heritage.
Just by the road to Constantinople, today in the city itself, there lies the Skull Tower – a unique monument from Serbian liberation wars. In his desire to intimidate Christians and prevent any further rebellious attempts, Hursid Pasha, then the Turkish commander in Nis, and later the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, issued an order for this tower to be built. The skulls of 952 Serbian fighters from the battle of Cegar, of 31st May 1809, were built in. there are no written Turkish sources on the construction of the tower and the number of skulls. The Europe and the world got to know more about it from the words of travel book writers passing through Nis in 19th century.
Nis Fortress was built in the period 1719-1723 on the right bank of the Nisava River, over the remains of ancient and medieval fortifications, after such decree was issued by the Sultan on 19th February 1719, and the project made by the main architects Mehmed and Mustafa Aga. Like other artillery fortifications, the fortress has a polygonal foundation and four major gates (labeled the gates of Istanbul, Belgrade, Jagodina and Vidin) and eight bastion terraces. With its ramparts totaling 2100m in length, 3m wide and 8m high, covering the area of 22 hectares, the Fortress was the strongest Turkish fortification in borderline areas of the empire. Today’s remnants of the rampart and the gates, along with still unexplored internal parts coming from the previous periods, represent a major cultural monument. For this reason, in 1948, Nis Fortress was protected by the law, and in 1979 it was proclaimed highly valued part of cultural heritage.
Just by the road to Constantinople, today in the city itself, there lies the Skull Tower – a unique monument from Serbian liberation wars. In his desire to intimidate Christians and prevent any further rebellious attempts, Hursid Pasha, then the Turkish commander in Nis, and later the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, issued an order for this tower to be built. The skulls of 952 Serbian fighters from the battle of Cegar, of 31st May 1809, were built in. there are no written Turkish sources on the construction of the tower and the number of skulls. The Europe and the world got to know more about it from the words of travel book writers passing through Nis in 19th century.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Molokai – Hawaiian by Nature
While the rest of Hawai’i grew up, the island of Molokai grew roots. Roads are few and generally empty. The island clings to tradition. Its small population prefers to live by raising crops, catching fish and adhering to the old ways. Molokai isn’t merely a lovely island; it’s the only island for those who want to experience something besides commercial luaus, fancy shops, big resorts and the company of tourists. Instead, discover serenity, empty beaches and untamed outdoor beauty. In short, you’ll experience a place where you can look inward as much as outward. You will also find the Hawaiian culture, which is woven into the fabric of everyday life. Though Molokai isn’t sophisticated when it comes to tourism, it offers a wide range of places to stay and things to do.
For a small island – 40 miles long and 10 miles wide – Molokai possesses awesome natural wonders. Bring enough film for such ancient sites as the enormous temple platform called ‘Ili’ili’opae Heiau and the 58 rock wall fishponds that line the island’s South Shore. The South Shore is sheltered by the largest reef system in the United States.
Molokai also contains areas of unspoiled wilderness. Kamakou Preserve is a mountain forest that’s home to endangered native plants and rare birds.
Along the North Shore, the world’s tallest sea cliffs plunge over 3.000 feet to the crashing surf below.
Western Molokai boasts some of the largest and least visited beaches in the state. The Sheraton Molokai Lodge and Beach Village on the West End is the nearest Molokai gets to a resort area. Get back to nature on the island of Molokai.
For a small island – 40 miles long and 10 miles wide – Molokai possesses awesome natural wonders. Bring enough film for such ancient sites as the enormous temple platform called ‘Ili’ili’opae Heiau and the 58 rock wall fishponds that line the island’s South Shore. The South Shore is sheltered by the largest reef system in the United States.
Molokai also contains areas of unspoiled wilderness. Kamakou Preserve is a mountain forest that’s home to endangered native plants and rare birds.
Along the North Shore, the world’s tallest sea cliffs plunge over 3.000 feet to the crashing surf below.
Western Molokai boasts some of the largest and least visited beaches in the state. The Sheraton Molokai Lodge and Beach Village on the West End is the nearest Molokai gets to a resort area. Get back to nature on the island of Molokai.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Lanai – Hawaiian Most Exclusive Island
If your idea of an island getaway includes ultra luxury and secluded privacy, the Island of Lanai awaits you. Less than 3.000 people live on this small island. Life revolves around its one charming town, Lanai City, and two deluxe properties, the upcountry Lodge at Koele and the ocean side Manele Bay Hotel. Both consistently win top resort honors. Two stellar golf courses, a spa, fine dining choices, and plenty of outdoor activities and water sports guarantee there’ll be plenty to do until it’s time for high tea in the music room.
Although it remains off the beaten path, Lanai offers an unparalleled range of activities in a setting that takes full advantage of the island’s natural beauty. Enjoy the charm of lawn bowling or some competitive croquet. Reserve a court at the Menele’s tennis center or set out on an equestrian excursion from the stables near the Lodge. Try your hand at sporting clays at one of the country’s best facilities, which also has a 12 station archery range.
Head for a swim at beautiful Hulopo’e Beach, or depart Manele Harbor for a snorkel excursion to the pristine waters off Lanai’s cliff-lined West Coast. Take a stroll through Lanai City and browse the shops that surround the forested town square. Rent a four-wheel drive vehicle and set off on an adventure that can take you to the lunar landscapes of “Garden of the Gods”, the beachcombing pleasures of Swipwreck Beach or the misty, rain forest heights of Lana’ihale. Experience Lanai, it’s not quickly forgotten.
Although it remains off the beaten path, Lanai offers an unparalleled range of activities in a setting that takes full advantage of the island’s natural beauty. Enjoy the charm of lawn bowling or some competitive croquet. Reserve a court at the Menele’s tennis center or set out on an equestrian excursion from the stables near the Lodge. Try your hand at sporting clays at one of the country’s best facilities, which also has a 12 station archery range.
Head for a swim at beautiful Hulopo’e Beach, or depart Manele Harbor for a snorkel excursion to the pristine waters off Lanai’s cliff-lined West Coast. Take a stroll through Lanai City and browse the shops that surround the forested town square. Rent a four-wheel drive vehicle and set off on an adventure that can take you to the lunar landscapes of “Garden of the Gods”, the beachcombing pleasures of Swipwreck Beach or the misty, rain forest heights of Lana’ihale. Experience Lanai, it’s not quickly forgotten.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Maui – the Magic Isle
Many places claim the power to create memories that will last a lifetime, but few fulfill the promise like the Island of Maui. If its relaxation you’re after, we’ve got it, with near-perfect weather, great places to stay, uncrowned beaches and a setting that inspires awe and a sense of wonder. If you are looking for adventure and new experiences, we’ve got that too. Discover Maui, where whale-filled seas meet heavenly beaches. A place where the sun warms tropical trade winds that will blow your troubles away. Snorkel in crystal-clear waters or play golf on world-class courses of green, velvet perfection. Aloha and welcome t Maui, the Magic Isle.
The ancient Hawaiian chants tell the story of the demigod Maui who harnessed the sun from atop 10.000 foot Haleakala to slow its progress across the heavens. He made the perfect day on his namesake island last just a bit longer.
From that same perch today you can look out over this splendid island to survey its terrain. Along the beach-lined South Coast lie the resorts of Ma’alaea, Kihei, Wailea and Makena, each fronting gentle waters perfect for swimming.
To the east, turn your attention to the forested mountains and countless waterfalls that surround Hana. The road to Hana is a series of hairpin turns and single-lane bridges where you’ll discover breathtaking panoramas around every corner.
On the slopes below Haleakala are the grassy ranchlands and flower farms of upcountry Maui. Sublime views and cooler temperatures prevail here. Upcountry is a state of mind, characterized by large family-owned ranches and Hawaiian cowboys who share the beautiful area with the many artists who’ve settled here in a landscape of endless inspiration.
Looking over the central plains, you spy Maui’s other volcanic mountain, Kahalawai. In its morning shadow you’ll find historic Lahaina and the famous resorts of Ka’anapali, Kahana, Napili and Kapalua. Lahaina was once the royal capital of Hawai’i and later a rowdy whaling port. Today, Front Street retains its old world charm while offering a collection of shops, art galleries, entertainment and restaurants just steps from the waterfront.
Maui’s central valley is anchored by county seat Wailuku at the doorstep of ‘Iao Valley and bustling Kahului. Find local-style eateries in Wailuku along with a collection of antiques shops. Kahului is the commercial center of the island and home to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and Maui’s largest mall, the Kaahumanu Shopping Center.
It’s hard to imagine a place more relaxing than Maui. But if, as some say, the key to relaxation is activity, few places compare to Maui. On the ground, in the air, on the water, in the water or under the water. Maui is arguably the world’s greatest playground.
Hike trails equal to none, go for a horseback ride, kayak, and snorkel or dive in the pristine waters. Not done playing? Surf made-in –Hawai’i waves or windsurf the tropical trade winds. And always, the beach. Forty-two miles of uncrowned and sublime beaches to be exact. Add tennis, golf, helicopter tours, history, art, nature, shopping, dining, touring and countless cultural attractions and you’ll want to extend your stay.
The ancient Hawaiian chants tell the story of the demigod Maui who harnessed the sun from atop 10.000 foot Haleakala to slow its progress across the heavens. He made the perfect day on his namesake island last just a bit longer.
From that same perch today you can look out over this splendid island to survey its terrain. Along the beach-lined South Coast lie the resorts of Ma’alaea, Kihei, Wailea and Makena, each fronting gentle waters perfect for swimming.
To the east, turn your attention to the forested mountains and countless waterfalls that surround Hana. The road to Hana is a series of hairpin turns and single-lane bridges where you’ll discover breathtaking panoramas around every corner.
On the slopes below Haleakala are the grassy ranchlands and flower farms of upcountry Maui. Sublime views and cooler temperatures prevail here. Upcountry is a state of mind, characterized by large family-owned ranches and Hawaiian cowboys who share the beautiful area with the many artists who’ve settled here in a landscape of endless inspiration.
Looking over the central plains, you spy Maui’s other volcanic mountain, Kahalawai. In its morning shadow you’ll find historic Lahaina and the famous resorts of Ka’anapali, Kahana, Napili and Kapalua. Lahaina was once the royal capital of Hawai’i and later a rowdy whaling port. Today, Front Street retains its old world charm while offering a collection of shops, art galleries, entertainment and restaurants just steps from the waterfront.
Maui’s central valley is anchored by county seat Wailuku at the doorstep of ‘Iao Valley and bustling Kahului. Find local-style eateries in Wailuku along with a collection of antiques shops. Kahului is the commercial center of the island and home to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and Maui’s largest mall, the Kaahumanu Shopping Center.
It’s hard to imagine a place more relaxing than Maui. But if, as some say, the key to relaxation is activity, few places compare to Maui. On the ground, in the air, on the water, in the water or under the water. Maui is arguably the world’s greatest playground.
Hike trails equal to none, go for a horseback ride, kayak, and snorkel or dive in the pristine waters. Not done playing? Surf made-in –Hawai’i waves or windsurf the tropical trade winds. And always, the beach. Forty-two miles of uncrowned and sublime beaches to be exact. Add tennis, golf, helicopter tours, history, art, nature, shopping, dining, touring and countless cultural attractions and you’ll want to extend your stay.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Kauai – Hawai’i Island of Discovery
Kauai has a lush, rural feel and a laid-back lifestyle all its own. After all, Kauai is Hawai’i oldest island and, as first-born, has a legacy of paradise to uphold. And what a paradise! A trip around Kauai is a feast of green, tropical forests, cascading waterfalls, golden sand beaches and the time of your life. Your circumnavigation will be interrupted by one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, the Na Pali Coast. Don’t be daunted. Take to boat or helicopter to witness its 14 miles of vertical seamounts falling into a necklace of white surf spray. Your heart will skip a beat. Kauai does that to you over and over again.
Nothing prepares you for some of its natural wonders such as the Na Pali Coast, Wailua Falls, Waimea Canyon and the 17 mile Polihale Beach. The landscapes of Kauai have served as locations for more than 50 movies over the years. Ask the friendly people of Kauai and they’ll tell you it’s because there’s no place more beautiful on earth.
Kauai has been around millions of years longer than its sister islands. Time and the elements have created Hawai’i only navigable rivers, carved a deep canyon, tended an amazing feast of flora and set out seemingly endless beaches.
A tour of Kauai might start in the county seat of Lihue, which also gives its name to the airport nearby. Also close is Kalapaki Beach, which offers the best swimming on this part of the island. Driving north along a stretch known as Coconut Coast, you come to the towns of Wailua, Kapa’a and Anahola. This area was settled first and fairly bustles with action. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, accommodations, activities and attractions including many of Kauai’s legendary waterfalls and the Wailua River.
Further up the road, you arrive at the North Shore and the towns of Kilauea, Princeville, Hanalei and Ha’ena. Here, find the world-famous Princeville Resort with its equally famous golf courses and a collection of beaches second to none. At Ha’ena State Park, the road ends at the majestic Na Pali Coast. To explore the other side of the island, turn around and retrace your route. You’re sure to discover any number of interesting things you missed on the ride up.
The drive into South Kauai takes you under a mile long, shady canopy of eucalyptus trees. You emerge into a brightness that will have you reaching for your sunglasses. Welcome to the sunny South Shore. Explore the plantation town of Koloa and the resort area of Po’ipu, with its gentle beaches and popular golf courses.
The West Side of Kauai is further up the road, physically and metaphorically. The towns get smaller, the population thins out and nature imposes in the likes of 3.500 foot deep Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park’s 45 miles of hiking trails. A horseback ride into the rusty, cooper canyon will reveal why Mark Twain nicknamed it the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. At the end of the road is the Kalalau Valley Lookout where you will be rewarded by one of the most scenic views on the island.
Kauai’s natural beauty is the setting for any vacation activity. There are lots to do, whether you’re the active type or your taste runs to the quiet and contemplative. Kauai’s 154 holes of great golf will keep you joyfully occupied.
If you’re planning a wedding or coming on your honeymoon, you’ll find the perfect marriage of fantasy and reality in one of the most romantic spots you can imagine. For families, there are lots of activities to share like hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, bicycling and picnicking on the beach.
And remember, Hawaii delightful melting pot of cultures serves up a variety of dining menu items that will add to your fun of discovery on Kauai.
Nothing prepares you for some of its natural wonders such as the Na Pali Coast, Wailua Falls, Waimea Canyon and the 17 mile Polihale Beach. The landscapes of Kauai have served as locations for more than 50 movies over the years. Ask the friendly people of Kauai and they’ll tell you it’s because there’s no place more beautiful on earth.
Kauai has been around millions of years longer than its sister islands. Time and the elements have created Hawai’i only navigable rivers, carved a deep canyon, tended an amazing feast of flora and set out seemingly endless beaches.
A tour of Kauai might start in the county seat of Lihue, which also gives its name to the airport nearby. Also close is Kalapaki Beach, which offers the best swimming on this part of the island. Driving north along a stretch known as Coconut Coast, you come to the towns of Wailua, Kapa’a and Anahola. This area was settled first and fairly bustles with action. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, accommodations, activities and attractions including many of Kauai’s legendary waterfalls and the Wailua River.
Further up the road, you arrive at the North Shore and the towns of Kilauea, Princeville, Hanalei and Ha’ena. Here, find the world-famous Princeville Resort with its equally famous golf courses and a collection of beaches second to none. At Ha’ena State Park, the road ends at the majestic Na Pali Coast. To explore the other side of the island, turn around and retrace your route. You’re sure to discover any number of interesting things you missed on the ride up.
The drive into South Kauai takes you under a mile long, shady canopy of eucalyptus trees. You emerge into a brightness that will have you reaching for your sunglasses. Welcome to the sunny South Shore. Explore the plantation town of Koloa and the resort area of Po’ipu, with its gentle beaches and popular golf courses.
The West Side of Kauai is further up the road, physically and metaphorically. The towns get smaller, the population thins out and nature imposes in the likes of 3.500 foot deep Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park’s 45 miles of hiking trails. A horseback ride into the rusty, cooper canyon will reveal why Mark Twain nicknamed it the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. At the end of the road is the Kalalau Valley Lookout where you will be rewarded by one of the most scenic views on the island.
Kauai’s natural beauty is the setting for any vacation activity. There are lots to do, whether you’re the active type or your taste runs to the quiet and contemplative. Kauai’s 154 holes of great golf will keep you joyfully occupied.
If you’re planning a wedding or coming on your honeymoon, you’ll find the perfect marriage of fantasy and reality in one of the most romantic spots you can imagine. For families, there are lots of activities to share like hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, bicycling and picnicking on the beach.
And remember, Hawaii delightful melting pot of cultures serves up a variety of dining menu items that will add to your fun of discovery on Kauai.
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