Campobello

I have always wanted to head north from Acadia to Lubec and go see Campobello.  When FDR was only a year old, his parents began to take him to their summer home on this Island that is officially in Canada but is now and International Park managed cooperatively by the US and Canada.  FDR's parents had a summer house on this island that is still on the property.  Evidently, FDR had a very close relationship with mom and she was not all that enthusiastic when he told her he had found the girl he was to marry, Eleanor.  After Franklin and Eleanor were married they build their own summer home on the property that has 34 rooms!  Unfortunately, that is closed at this time of year but as I entered the visitor center the ranger was just beginning to play two dvd's, one was about the park and the other about the interior of the house.  The tour by dvd was almost as good as actually going inside the house and gave you a real sense of what life must have been like.  The ground were open for touring and as I stood on the porch and looked out over the massive view of the ocean, I was struck by how cool it was to stand in the same place where FDR and Eleanor once stood!  The dvd talked about the charismatic and tenacious FDR and went into detail about his battle with polio.  It noted that FDR was president for twelve years and that is the longest presidency to date.  Not much was said about Eleanor but I know something about her from other sources and admire her for her independence and courage as a woman of that time.

I had my passport with me and the feeling of leaving the US is always a little daunting, even if it is only to a very small island!   The US Virgin Islands still does not require a passport but I did use it to go to Tortola when I was in the islands last fall.

I found one little restaurant on the island for lunch and basically just explored.  On one tip of the island there is a beautiful lighthouse.  An elderly gentleman caught me as I was getting back into my car and asked me if it was the first time I had ever been to the island.  When I replied yes, he encouraged me to take my camera to two different spots for great photo opportunities, which, as you can see, I did.  He has lived on the island for seventy nine years.  The idea of living in a small rural place, and on an island  for one's entire life always makes me wonder what that is like.  I am not all that traveled but the traveling I have done has altered my perspective in many ways.  I cannot imagine never having the desire to leave on place, ever.  

I traveled what is called the "Bold Coast" up and back to Campobello.   I have to mention that Maine is one big state!!  I still have not made it to Baxter State Park or hiked Katahdin but this will be remedied in 2013!

Though the weather has not been all that great and the winds were upward of 30 mph during my visit to Campobello... the day was a success.  I arrived back in Southwest Harbor about dinner time so it is quite an easy trip to do in a day.

The weekend will bring a guest!  It will be nice to have company here and share my cabin for a bit.

Keeping you posted......

Southwest Harbor

“It used to be said that to be a summer resident at Bar Harbor you needed money but no brains; at Northeast Harbor you wanted brains but no money; but at Southwest Harbor, neither brains nor money! One can guess where that story started, but it is a gross libel on Southwest Harbor, which attracted college presidents and professors after the other resorts had become too expensive for them”

From “The Story of Mount Desert Island by Samuel Eliot Morison

Guess I must be in the right place, then!  Southwest Harbor is known as the "quiet side" and it is my favorite area on the Island.  I usually split my time between Mt Desert Campground, where I stayed during my first several days here and Harborview Motel and Cabins, which is right smack on the water.  The Harborview has been owned and operated  by the same family and it is comfortable and friendly.  A continental breakfast is included.  I have stayed in both the cabins and the motel rooms and one stay I was given the third floor suite at discount!  It is an older motel but they do a pretty good job of keeping it up and for the rates and location; it is an enjoyable place to be.  Easy walk up to the village center where one finds everything necessary.  Sawyer's Market is a wonderful market with lots of gourmet treats, beer, wine and now liquor.  In the summer they have an excellent selection of produce, fresh fish and meats and prepared foods.  At this time there is still a pretty decent selection.  There are also about ten good eateries:  Cafe 2 (wonderful vegetarian selection and outdoor bar for happy hours, Sips, Red Sky, Cafe Dry Dock and Inn,  Quiet Side Cafe (the best blueberry pie and ice cream), Fiddlers and Biels Lobster Pound right within the village. There is also a great bakery.  There are a number of B&B's... though I have never stayed in any of these.   The shuttle buses can take you anywhere on the island from here.  The library is very inviting and I have spent a good deal of time there when the weather is not great... and this time that has been much of the time!!  There are also some cute shops in town, of course and a great bike shop.  I actually had my bike tuned up there this time.

There are a number of good hikes nearby and I have done some good cycling from this location as well.  Echo Lake is about two miles and is one of my favorite swimming beaches complete with bathrooms and changing rooms.  Great place for a swim after and bike or hike or just to spend a beach day with a good book.

There are a few campgrounds within about three miles of the village center:  Smuggler's Den (a mix of rv, tents and cabins with a swimming pool) and the Quiet Side campground which is a little more funky with tent sites and small cabins.  There are also a number of folks that rent vacation cabins near by.

Harborview is open all year round as are a couple B&B's but it is very very quiet.  I spent a week here after Christmas a few years back and was one of two people in the motel!  It was beautiful though... snowed several times and I got some terrific pictures which I will include in this blog when I get home.

All in all... Southwest Harbor is my spot on the island... I would recommend it as a base for a visit to Acadia!  You have everything you need and then some right within walking distance.

Bass Harbor is the last of the four harbors I listed and is about nine miles from Southwest Harbor Center.  It is tiny compared to the other three.  It has a restaurant on the water called the Seafood Ketch.  For those of you who I worked with at River Valley... it is owned by Sara Sawyer's uncle or cousin!  But what Bass Harbor is most famous for is Thurston's Lobster Pound.  This is the best lobster you will have anywhere!

So I am enjoying my time in Southwest Harbor and yesterday I took a day trip north because I have always wanted to see Campobello, the summer home the FDR and Elenor!  I am putting together that post for you!

Until then... keeping you posted!

Campground Closing - Off to Harbor View

Today I went on my favorite bike around Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond and on to Jordon Pond and the Jordon Pond House.  I am working on a video to be shared later.

I then went to the Bar Harbor Cellars Winery for a wine tasting and to get wine for for my last night at Mt Desert Campground, I planned to  finally have a lobster dinner with a great Chardonnay from Bar Harbor Cellars.  Jen and Shelly and I found this winery when we were up here together a couple of years ago.  Next door to the winery was a “lobster dinner to go” place where they cooked a lobster outdoors in salt water… between the wine, the dinner and the company it was hard to duplicate the experience and though my dinner was terrific it did not quite do it since the lobster place was closed for the season and the my pals were not here!  I did get lobster at Beals in Southwest Harbor and it was packed to keep warm and did.  It was Beals last day before they closed for the season; so I just made it under the wire!
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=4259614622587

Since I last posted I also visited Sand Beach and Thunder Hole on the park loop road trying to get some video footage.  The surf was up at Sand Beach and I did get a clip but still trying to figure out how to use it either in the blog or on facebook.  Sand Beach is one of two spots you can go swimming in the ocean in the park and there was actually one crazy guy in the water at Sand Beach!  

The other beach is near Northeast Harbor in Seal Harbor.  It is commonly shared information that Martha Stewart once owned a summer place in Seal Harbor…. until  she ran into some “financial problems”  and was forced to sell!

 I went on to try and capture Thunder Hole thinking that the surf would provide good footage but it was a total bust! So I added a quick You Tube video so you get the idea.  ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u38YSOj00 ) The conditions have to be just right.  It was hard to believe that this was a spot that people got swept away in tropical storms a couple of years back.  Made several stops to take pictures during on the loop road and in Northeast Harbor.

Northeast Harbor is a small village with some good restaurants and some excellent funky shops and galleries.  If I can find it I will post the picture of some garb outside of one of the shops that brought Nancy Roy to mind.  Northeast Harbor is one place that you  can catch a ride to the Cranberry Islands down at the docks and this is another “must do”.  You can take your bike or just meander around the islands on foot.  There is a little restaurant and some crafts shops on the dock at Great Cranberry and a maritime museum.  On Little Cranberry there is a general store at the docks and if you walk about a half mile there is a Community Center with a good snack bar and some interesting displays about the history of the island to take in.  There is house that you come upon where the owner has created a miniature golf course in his front yard that is very creative and clever and he donates the funds he raised to a variety of worthy causes.  Taking in both of these islands or one is a wonderful day trip.   What I really love about spending time on these islands is the sense that you travel back in time in which life was much more simple.  There are very few vehicles and the ones that are there are many times not even registered and barely running.  Golf carts, bikes are used frequently as modes of transportation.  Summer populations dwindle but there are a few hardy folks who live on theses islands year round.

Northeast Harbor also is the location of the Asticou Inn (http://www.asticou.com/bar-harbor-vacation-resort/asticou/about.html ) and the Asticou Gardens.  The Inn is beautiful and pricy!  The gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit for a serene respite in the midst of the sometimes touristy madness that comes with this territory. 

I also went to the annual Oktoberfest in Southwest Harbor.  Smugglers Den Campground hosts the occasion and honestly there was nothing particularly German about this festival with the exceptions of a few German beers.   It was a $30 entrance fee which gave you ten beer tickets and a glass that was a little larger than a shot glass for tasting and included food.  Once inside I noticed that food was not free; there was additional charges and it was kind of a strange mix of carny type food.   The beers, however were amazing.  There were about twenty or so Maine brewers represented in the beer tent.  To be honest the amount of beer tickets that they gave you were ample enough but I soon found myself figuring out how to avoid giving a ticket!  As I tasted my first beer, I was actually distracted by the conversation I was having with the brewer and forgot to put my ticket in which went unnoticed.  The realization that people were not really paying close attention and the observation that some folks were just a little too tipsy for the amount of beer allocated made me wonder if you could get away with palming your ticket.  You will note in the pictures that there were two types of containers:  a black one and a clear glass jar.  It was easy to scope out the beers using the black ones and just dunk you hand as if you were dropping the ticket!  I could not resist and found the technique easy to pull off!  Now, this is a bad as I get!  And I did leave with an unused ticket in my pocket after I was told by the Allagash brewers to be sure to come back around 6 and even if I had no more tickets they would “hook me up”  with Allagash Black that was really tasty!

A fun day and then back to the campground with a movie for the evening.  It was a windy and rainy night.   The fronts continue to move in and out this week with the common thread being CHILLY!  Where is that Indian summer that I was expecting??

Columbus Day weekend is when things begin to seriously shut down here.   I expected a mass exodus but what I found when I went into Bar Harbor was mobs from two huge cruise ships in the harbor and at least twenty bus loads of fall leaf peepers! 

I have moved into my favorite Harbor... Southwest Harbor and a small cabin a Harbor View Resort.  It is warm and dry and very comfortable without alot of effort! Today I am just relaxing... tomorrow more rain predicted... ugh... may-be just more relaxing... not the worst thing!!

Keeping you posted!

Welcome to Ba Ha Ba!

Bar Harbor is the central location for sure but with that comes tourists, tourists, tourists!  The Visitor Center for the park is located about ten minutes from Bar Harbor and I highly recommend going there when you first get here.  Of course, it took me years!  It is so very easy to get disoriented on this island. The island is really shaped like a big lobster claw and when you get that it does help.  However, in the middle of the network of regular roads is the "park loop".  There are several entrances around the island and this only helps to confuse you!  So, getting your bearings at the visitor center to begin with might help.. or may-be not! 

Bar Harbor overflows with restaurants and shops from funky to touristy.  You can part with your money here easily.  There are also art galleries,  The Abbe Museum and The Reel.  My favorite spots: the Bar Harbor Inn terrace for lunch looking over the harbor,  Testa's for lunch and again you can see the harbor and Rupununi's for Jazz Brunch or a snack of Guiness and lobster bisque.  I found out today that Rupununi is a river in the Amazon where the owner spent some time.  I also found out today that there is a marathon here next weekend and there was a triathlon up until last year that was a run, kayak and bike. A new find a couple of years back, when Jen, Shelley and I were here was 2 Cats.  They have a spectacular breakfast and you can also just go for coffee and enjoy free wifi... very much a coffee house atmosphere.

You will also want to go out on the Mary Todd... the sunset cruise is nice and you can bring your own beverages and snacks.  When full sails are up it is really pretty spectacular and you can even help put them up!  Bean Doran and I had quite a ride a couple years back when the winds were stiff (we were not which may have made it more scary) and they actually had to put the sails down.  The first time I went on it... I was solo and dropped my favorite leather sheath of my jackknife overboard.  I kept my self from going after it.. though I must admit retrieval was my first inclination... weird how your mind works in that situation.  

There are also opportunities for whale watching, scenic and nature cruises and guided kayak trips to the Cranberry Islands.  One of my first trips I did a day kayak out to the Cranberry Islands... we had a picnic lunch and on the way back put up spinnakers and let the wind take our kayaks home.  I met some very nice folks and had a great day.  

So your visit to the park needs to include some Bar Harbor time... even though I have come up here often - if you were here for months; you could never do everything that is available and this is what keeps you coming back!

Bar Harbor is the first Harbor on the island that I bring to you via this blog.   There are three others to share:  Northeast Harbor, Bass Harbor and Southwest Harbor.  

More to come...

I will keep you posted!

First Days in Acadia

Acadia National Park
Acadia....  dates back to a place in greece known as "idyllic place" or refuge.

Between 1901-1915 Acadia National Park was establish with the help of John D. Rockefeller, Jr, Charles W. Eliot and George B. Dora.  Rockefeller donates 11000 acres for park.

The Rockefellers... were indeed busy "fellers"!  Is it any wonder that I think of this place as my "Virgin Islands North"!  Hiking, biking, swimming, sailing, kayaking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, camping, photography, painting, good wine, great restaurants, accommodations of all shapes and sizes and price ranges,  art galleries, funky little shops, museums, music, harbors, lakes, beaches, mountains with vies of the ocean!

John Rockefeller, son of John Rockefeller was very much involved in this park... as was his son, Laurence in the establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park.  I am privy now, to the fact that the establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park was not seen as benevolence in entirety by the natives of St John and perhaps if I dug deeper I would find controversy in the establishment of Acadia.  Never-the-less - we thank them for their efforts in saving these beautiful places for our enjoyment.  In a culture that keeps us racing... it may be one of the only things that can bring us back to sanity... nature's gifts are truly therapeutic!

This place is a Wonder Land and this week you can call me, Alice!  I have had a nice few days settling in and now have set up a very cozy little campsite at Mount Desert Campground (http://www.mountdesertcampground.com).  This is my very favorite campground with beautiful ocean front and wooded campsites.  No RV's over 20' which pretty much encourages tenters and quiet. I, of course, included electricity on my site this time for a little lamp and a heater!  Ahhh such luxuries but necessary with the brisk fall temps.

It has taken me a few days to adjust to just going slower.  I am coming down from a great summer but I did fill it with some hefty endeavors and so now... I rest.  I saved my bike tune up for the local bike shop in Southwest Harbor and just got it back today.  So I can now hit the Carriage Roads.  Rockefeller is also responsible for the development of the Carriage Road network in this park.  This is one of the attractions that people come for and leave remembering forever.  These are cobble stone road ways of rolling, moderately hilly,  terrain through the woods, slipping by ponds and streams, skirting mountains with magnificent views of the ocean.  NO motorized vehicles allowed.  How nice.  A biking, hiking , cross country skiing, treat!  I guess my two favorites bikes on the carriage roads are "Round the Mountain" which I assumed would be easy but turned out not only to go AROUND but go UP as well.  It was a long arduous ride but very rewarding!  My all time favorite is to leave from Eagle Lake parking area, skirt the side of Eagle Lake and then Jordon Pond  (http://www.thejordanpondhouse.com) to end up at the Jordon House for tea or lemonade and popovers!  Another way to enjoy the carriage roads is to go by horse and buggy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiBY2V6tHqU&feature=related), which I did with my sister, Sally, since she could not really hike or bike them.  We got a wonderful bit of history while we were on our tour.  And the thing that most impressed me was the magnitude of the carriage road project with very little machinery and the fact that these roads require little if any maintenance because of the way they were engineered!  It made me wonder about that concept we cherish so "Progress"!

The weather has been a little rainy and so I have spent time in the Southwest Harbor Public Library, where I am writing this post.  Rainy day activities can allow you to stretch in directions that you rarely do when the sun is shining!  I am putting together this first blog piece to begin touring you around the island!  I put together a slide show and was unable to insert it in the blog... still working on some creative things.  However, this time, even though internet is still slow here, it is not as slow as it was in St John and so I am trying to take my own pictures this time!  

I went looking for some key dates about this place and I selected the ones that follow:

1604

Samuel de Champlain rediscovers Acadia and names it Mt Desert Island. The French and English begin 150 years of rivalry for possession of North America.  

1688

Canada’s governor to the Acadia region gives a land grant including Acadia to Antoine la Mothe, Seur de Cadillac.  La Mothe visits Mt Desrt but the island is not permanently inhabited for another 75 years.

1870

Almost all of the island’s first growth timber is exhausted.  We love to deplete things.. don't we?

1880’s

The influx of “rusticators” (those banished to the country) signals a change from farming and fishing to a service industry.

1916

President Wilson proclaims Sieur de Monts National Monument, which becomes Lafayette National Park in 1919 and Acadia National Park in 1929.

1920’-1940’s

The culture of the affluent in summer cottages reaches it’s hayday.

1947

Forest fire destroys 17000 acres and all but a few Bar Harbor summer cottages  A theory about this fire is that it actually made this environment recreate itself with the wide diversity that it now has!  

1950’s

The entire areas flourishes as a tourist resort.  And still does!

Hope you enjoyed this little introduction to Acadia.  

I will keep you posted!

The Adventures Continue!

This summer I enjoyed an entrepreneurial experiment selling Smoothies at a local Farmer's Market.    I perfected a great green smoothie during the spring months which I named "Vermont Green Qi".  It caught on during the summer and was particularly popular with the students. Last week on my last day I sold 8.5 half gallons of Vermont Green Qi, selling five 64 oz jugs, a couple to repeat customers.  

I also created fresh fruit smoothies and featured two each week trying to be creative without going to far out there.  A few weeks ago, I used local strawberries and made one called "Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie"... it was great!  I also had a non-dairy option which I am starting to do each week now.  The non-dairy option used bananas and strawberries which is a classic smoothie that you often see sold.   This summer included:  The Olympian Smoothie ( red, white and blue theme, with strawberries, blueberries and VT made vanilla greek yogurt or banana), The Peaches n Creamsicle Smoothie (fresh peaches, oranges and VT made vanilla frozen yogurt) and the Very Berry non-dairy 
(fresh local blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries)... just to name a few.

The business proved successful on a small scale.  I chose to launch this way during the summer and will now plan and perfect for next year. I am still in a decision making mode about just having this be a seasonal venture or try and find an outlet during the winter months. We'll see.  But for a start this summer,  I chose to be at just one market, mid-week with an exceptional location on the Dartmouth Green in Hanover, NH. and with an exceptional manager, Sally Wilson, who was the owner and sole proprietor of the Norwich Inn in my home town of Norwich, VT for many years.  Sally has been and inspiration and a wonderful manager and coach all summer.  

As the fall approaches, I am lucky to have some time off.  During my years at the Community College I looked forward to being able to enjoy fall in New England and do some camping and traveling and the time has come.

On September 26th.. I worked my last farmer's market day for Suzi's Smoothies for the first season.  On September 27th... I headed for the coast of Maine to Acadia National Park.  I am hoping to share some highlights of this wonderful area with you while I am here.

Tune in when you see my post on facebook and join me while I am here in Acadia!  It is always fun to have you with me when I travel!

Keeping you posted!

Celebration for Viers

This post comes to you from Vermont.  The last two weeks, I was unable to have an internet connection.  This gives an account of my last few days at Viers.  There will be just a couple more posts coming in the next week or so to conclude my blog.  I hope you enjoy them.  Wow! Technology is so much easier here!

The last Saturday night at Viers was the eve before the Viers 45th anniversary celebration.  On the day after Thanksgiving, John (a returning volunteer), arrived by sailboat, which he lives on and moors in Great Lameshur Bay.  Tuesday more folks began to arrive.  Firt, Randy Brown (administrator) and Steve (former Board member), Randy Fish and Zoe. The came Tricia (Randy's wife and Secretary of the Board), Jerry (returning volunteer) Alan and Jennifer (Board members).  Finally Andy (Board member) arrived.  The new arrivals would all be staying at VIERS through the weekend.
Thursday night, Randy Brown took all of us in to Cruz Bay to have dinner at Morgan's Mango.  We had a wonderful dinner and a great time. Some of us ended the night with BBC's which is a frozen drink made up of Baily's, Bananas and Creme de Coconut blended with ice. 
Friday was a sprucing up day for camp with good meals and getting to know each other and swimming in the blue waters of Lameshure.  Dinner in the dining hall together was followed by just one BBC for dessert (it really is a dessert drink!)  The day included an amazing spontaneous workshop by Jerry (Jerbear) on how to build a soda pop backpacking stove.  It is truly a unique little stove, very light and efficient.  It uses denatured alcohol for fuel and it is easily made from aluminum cans.
Saturday there was a day long Board of Dirctors meeting in the classroom.  Jamie and Fish took care of snacks and lunch for the meeting so I was able to take some free time and enjoy the good weather.  John and I headed off  to go for paddle and picnic to the White Cliffs.  We swam and snorkeled and had PB&J, oranges and mini candy bars (thanks to my care package from Chris Z!).  We then went back to the dock and out to John's sailboat for a cold beer and  soaked up a sunny afternoon.  We ended the day with another snorkel around Lamesure and then headed back to camp.  We showered and had dinner, compliments of Fish and Zoe, which included pork tenderloin with Zoe's mango chutney from mango's harvested at Viers.  Everyone was in good spirits.  Randy Brown went over assignments for the following day.  Steve and I were to be the welcoming committee.  Other assignments included tours, serving lunch, clean up and speeches and picture taking.
The day was lovely, despite the fact that we had a few down pours.  The people that attended were significant individuals who work tirelessly to preserve and protect St John.  It was exciting to meet each one who came to the celebration.  I found it to be a wonderful way to end my first experience as a volunteer at Viers.
The next several days were full of good bye's as camp transformed into a place of solitude once again.  Soon we were down to Jamie, Fish, Zoe, John, Jerry and I.  I prepared to leave the "hermitage" and Viers and head to Maho Bay Camps for the last ten days as more of a vacation.  On Tuesday, Fish and Zoe packed me up and drove me the other side of the island.  We made a date for them to come over for dinner, which they did the following week. 

Keeping you posted....

More Fun Serendipity

Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner Fundraiser in Cruz Bay

It is Friday night and we have a group in camp.  I took the time today to do a  “big cleaning”  of my Hermitage and I am glad that I did.  You cannot imagine cleaning here.  You clean top to bottom and within twenty four hours (may-be sooner) the spider webs form and the mildew sets in.  It is a constant battle.  So today, I took the upper hand!  And I am glad that I did because the Hermitage is … Oh.. so pleasant tonight.   Food, not so good.  Not wanting to venture into the dining hall with all kinds of activity; I settled for a banana (very ripe) and a granola bar and some leftover pulled pork sandwich (which by the way tastes like liverwurst … something I never have been drawn too)  and a rum and ginger (when I leave here… I may never drink rum and ginger again… it is truly an island habit)  Tomorrow morning, I will make up for it,  and find something more appealing to eat, if possible,  and those, my friends,  are the eating habits at Viers.  Not, how you say… DINING…

The group that is here were at camp about a month ago and they do their own thing.  Consequently, it is easy to recede into a reclusive state and kind of become invisible.  So, I think I nested today for a reason and it a perfect move.   I am going to enjoy the weekend “on my own” but here.  And that is a lovely way to spend the last weekend before all kinds of people start arriving on Tuesday.  It is not that I could not be assertive about participating with this group, and Zoe encouraged me to do so.  However, it is my energy bank that determines my behavior at this point and though I might be energized by participating; it is at such a low ebb that I cannot initiate the engagement.  It is a good barometer of involvement depending on what your objectives might be in the future.  

As I left you, I was headed for a pre-thanksgiving dinner in Cruz Bay complete with steel drum and reggae bands.  We arrived somewhat early, to find that tables had been set up in the middle of the street right in downtown Cruz Bay.  The dinner was a fundraiser the Love City  Pan Dragons steel drum band, which is a group of local St John kids. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtdXV6CRcDg   We had not quite been sure of the location but it sure was easy to find!  We stood on the sidelines for a bit not wanting to be the first to sit and eventually the tables began to fill in and the steel drum music glided on air in and around the purple tables and us.  It is very gently music, fitting for the climate.  There was an incredible spread of food.  We expected that it would be local foods but to our surprise was traditional Thanksgiving fare with the addition of fresh fish.  I was disappointed for Zoe, because it left her few veggie options.  We enjoyed the food and the music, though the band broke for dinner and then in the second set played many of the songs that they did in the first set, holding off the reggae band for too long.  We were, however, incredibly impressed with the talents of the kids and the conductor.  Some of the kids were real performers and used the totality of their body to share the rhythmic beats. 

We were also interrupted several times by some real quick downpours.  I was impressed by two local women with umbrellas poised who just sat as if nothing was happening, eating their dinner and enjoying themselves.  I think umbrella is an art form at this time of year here.  At one point we actually got under the table with some people (volunteers from Maho that I had met when I was there) that were sitting with us.  We joked around about drinking each other under the table.  How could you pass that up?

There was a long intermission after the kids ended their concert.   It was way too long.  The reggae band, Inner Visions  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG3xFvM-nJM&feature=related) did not seem to be heading the call to come up to the stage.  It was our guess that they were having visions of their own somewhere and we thought this particularly because the aroma of reefer was everywhere.  Such a familiar aroma here.

Finally, they started but by then the crowd had filtered away.  There were a few determined dancers in the street, many of them challenged by merely standing.  Other’s just apparently really needed to dance.

Zoe and I decided to call it quits and drive back to Viers.  I faced a new challenge of driving “all the way” as they call it here, in the dark of night.  It is hitchhiking lingo for going all the way to Cruz Bay or Coral Bay.  I was pleasantly surprised to find street lights on ninety percent of the stretch back and no formidable problems.  One more notch in my belt!

The next day I was coming back into Cruz Bay to drop Zoe at the ferry…so I was getting a lot of driving practice during the weekend.  I decided to take the long way home via the north shore since it has the three most difficulty very steep hairpin turns.  I maneuvered these very well.  I have surely earned my St John Wheels

I stopped at Shipwreck for a burger on the way home.  As I ate my burger, I was introduced to a pirate game called “Shut the Box”.   This game is not easy and it could be very addictive.  It you were a pirate, I am sure there were bets involved,  along with lots of rum and most likely loss of life.   As I ate and played… I realized that I was eating a burger that came from the same food delivery as camp!  It was then I decided not to pay for another burger on this island but wait until I get back to the states.  Probably the same kind of food delivery there… may-be there will be burgers no more.  I doubt it.. I’ll make my own.

Monday. mostly clean up from the weekend UVI group,  and Tuesday, clean up continued,  were both quiet days and I looked forward to our invitation from Lyndie, and the viewing of the ski trip to the North Pole.  I had showered and dressed and was waiting for Jamie and thought may-be I should not have gotten him into this but he was ready and we found our way to their island home.  The driveway was a treacherous at they get around here but the payoff is always the view and it was truly spectacular. On the way out of the driveway Jamie did “ a several point turn” with the truck to avoid backing since he said a mistake can “have big consequences around here” and to which I replied… “yeah, like death. ”

Lyndy and Heinz  had built this house over several year periods,  quite awhile ago and now go back and forth between here and Lyndonville, Vt.  There was an expansive wrap around deck that made you wonder how they got the huge lumber up the hill.  The house was stark and beautiful.  We were served wine and snacks and given an introduction to  the video.  Hienz had done the video and narration and Lyndy did the music.  It was beautifully done.  They told us that it was actually four adventures that we would be seeing (I silently flinched thinking Jamie was going to kill me since he had plans to go out afterwards).  We all were totally captured by the presentation, them reliving every minute, I am sure,  and we were reduced to five year olds watching these two do the most amazing things including riding a Russian trawler thought the ice caps of the artic, skiing to the North Pole, climbing the highest most northern peak while camping for fifteen days on the ice and finally actually finding discovering the northern most island!  So, they have set foot on a piece of land that no one else has ever seen.  When they arrived at the North Pole they took a picture of their GPS device with the coordinates… since that is the only way you tell you know you are there!  The horizon shows the curvature of the earth and they announced they were standing on the very top of the earth.  Wicked!!   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnIO2K5v7wo)

Afterwards we talked a bit and they were full of questions about us.  When we finally left, Jamie and I agreed that we had both fumbled when telling them about our “adventures” that seemed so insignificant by comparison. Lyndie also mentioned that she had sky dived a couple weeks ago since she had never done it.  They met each other as pilots and they both purchased and fly hot air balloons.   She is actually turning 80 on Tuesday and I plan to call her and wish her Happy Birthday.  They both are truly inspirational, but I particularly find her to be.  They are full of life, healthy, happy and a bit crazy, self-proclaimed! 

The next day was particularly long.  Days now with no event in them, seem much longer than they did initially.   Thursday we had to go pick up the other truck at the repair shop (two drivers needed for this)  and so I asked if I could go check out Jumbie beach and that was approved!  Jumbie beach is a cute little beach but by the time I got there was no sun to speak of.  Now, this was a good fine in retrospect because if you wanted to spend a day on the beach you would get a good dose of morning sun and then have shade all afternoon.  Since sun was what I was after.  I moseyed on down to Cinnamon Bay, rented a float and floated for awhile.  Then I headed back to Viers and stopped at the Tourist Trap.  I needed to get back by six for a call from my family so I just got a sandwich to go but ran in to Ann.  Ann, I met on the plane coming down and she and her husband have a house right near the Tourist Trap and Concordia.  They invited me to join them and with them sat Wayne, who manages Concordia and Roseanne, who works at Concordia.  We got in to a great discussion about volunteering with them next year and I told them I would come over this week sometime.  The Tourist Trap seems to be a happy hour location for Concordia employees, volunteers and those who live adjacent to Concordia and Salt Pond.  And, it has good food and a fun atmosphere. 

Back at Viers.. I had just missed my call from Mar but she was calling back in ten minutes.  I got the call and talked with everyone… Mom, Sal, Mar, Steve, Matthew and Sarah.  It was brief but so nice to hear their voices!!

Thanksgiving morning arrived on schedule.  Jamie and Kelly had worked in the dining hall all of Wednesday while I was gone.  They made three pies, stuffed the turkey,  etc. and there was very little to do on Thanksgiving day.  I worked some and then went down to the water to try out the camp kayaks.  They are short and stout and require a lot of work to keep them going in a straight line.  But my motivation was to tie to a mooring in the bay and lay in the sun!  I paddled to the mooring… tied up and laughed to myself to think of all the huge vessels that have tied to that mooring and now I lay there on a yellow, six foot, sit on top kayak!  No one to take a picture… damn!  But I am sure you can picture it.  The bay has several mooring but none taken.  This surprised me as I would sure some fancy boater would want to have turkey day on their boat!  I think they were all moored on the north shore since that had been super busy when I was over there the day before.

Tonight, Friday, there are 36 kids in camp.  So solitude has blossomed into pretty much full chaos.  It is raining right now which may keep them quieter tonight or it could work the other way.  They ring the bell for breakfast a 6am… so it will be a different atmosphere for the next couple of days.    AND then… lots of people will be arriving for the Grande finale at Viers.

Oh, and the ladies from D.C. left on Monday but I have an invite to go visit.  They left clothes behind which I packed up to send them and the day I was going to do it… they called in the morning for just that.  I told Sheila she owed me a beer for the package and paying for the four Viers postcards she took… but the package was more than expected.. so she now owes me a Cosmo! ha ha ha

Keeping you posted….

"Road Trip" (Road Town, Tortola, BVI)

It is Saturday afternoon, November 19.  I have been here a little over two months now!  The last time I went anywhere for two months was across country when I was twenty something!  This continues to be quite the experience.

We have two guests, women, Shiela and Patricia from D.C. for five days.  They are not new to St John but new to staying here.  They have been off each day on day trips.  Zoe and I joined them on a birding expedition that the National Park offers on Friday mornings at Francis Bay.  I have never been bird watching before and it was terrific.   Afterwards, Zoe and I had breakfast in Coral Bay at Sylvia's Clean Plates.  This is the second time I have had breakfast there and both times had coconut pancakes, very delicious.  We are in the midst of a coconut binge here at Viers, thanks to Zoe.  She collected a bunch and Jamie helped her crack them and Zoe spent most of the day getting the coconut meat out, grinding it up in the cuisinart and then squeezing it through a cloth.  We all tried that.. it was like milking a coconut!  This resulted in lots of juice that Zoe let sit for about two days so that it would separate.  The goal was coconut oil and it actually ended up more like a suave.  Zoe conditioned her hair with it and I am going to try it.   Susan made coconut macaroons which were outstanding.  We all munched on coconut meat just raw which this also  is very good… kind of nutty tasting. 

Bill and Susan departed today.  They were to stay at Viers a month but due to a health issue, Bill needed to go home sooner.   I drove them in to Cruz Bay to catch the ferry for STT this morning and it was not the way they wanted to end their trip.  However, as Jamie said, “this is not the place to be sick”. 

We have nine guests in camp from University of Virgin Islands.  We had to prepare their cabins and this was the first time I have done that task i.e. for a group.   Now I can add “chambermaid” to my job functions at Viers! 

We also have two new volunteers as of last Wednesday, Zack and Kelly who were volunteering at Concordia for two weeks.  Jamie picked them up hitchhiking and arrangements were made for them to come here when they left there.  They are field biologists and have worked in the National Park at the Outer Banks during summers.  They are in their twenties.  They have been given the task of rescreening and repainting the screen frames in the dining hall and they are doing a great job.  We welcomed them with a group dinner on Wednesday night that Jamie and Zoe prepared.  It was heavily vegetarian and incredibly good.  Jamie did supply a bottle of wine to go with it that was also incredibly good… of him.   Zack and Kelly also brought Damian, who was just spending one night.  He is the son of the National Park Director for the Virgin Islands and has grown up living in National Parks all over the country… How cool is that?  We had a wonderful dinner together and I rallied for it because I had just returned froma three day excursion and getting back that last day is always exhausting.

My outing was to Tortola,  a British Virgin Island.  Sunday night I went into Cruz Bay and stayed overnight at the St John Inn.  I  needed to be in Cruz Bay to get a 6:30 am ferry to STT and then an 8:30 ferry to Tortola BVI.  I was determined to use the passport that I “expedited” before I left at least once while I was here.   

The St John Inn ( http://www.stjohninn.com/) was fine for my purposes.  It is very close to the ferry dock and so very convenient and no hills to climb.  They only had a suite available and I was wondering what exactly made it a suite but the answer was that it was two rooms, though small.  It was very clean and well decorated.  My “suite” was right off the office and when I tried to leave the room the door got stuck because the veneer was coming off it.  The manager and I spend a bit of time screwing it back together to insure that I could get out of the room!  Just another “typical you never know quite what to expect and go with the flow”  moment that are so frequent in the islands. No need to fuss about things because it really gets no results.

 I showered and went to dinner downtown at the Limetree Inn (http://limeinn.com/) which is one of my favorite restaurants… though others are gaining on it. I watched some TV!  As usual there was nothing that interesting to watch.  I got to bed early because I had an early and long day ahead of me.

I was so concerned about the alarm not going off that I got very little sleep and finally got up at 5am.  About 5:30 I opened my door to the office where a young girl sat at the desk (the night manager) who was more than a little surprised to see me up so early.  I explained that I was catching a ferry and she thought I was way too early, which I was.  It was still pitch dark outside. So I went back in my room and watched TV for a bit and left the Inn at about 6.  I got a cup of coffee at JJ’s  and then boarded the ferry.  It was actually a neat experience as the sun started to come up and to watch St John recede as we headed toward Red Hook.  I left the ferry and the Safari bus was at the stop. The Safari bus is better than the Vtran.  They cost a buck and run all over STT.   I jumped on and we were headed toward Charlotte Amalie for the Tortola “fast ferry”.  I arrived at the second ferry and the desk was not yet open and when I looked at the clock it was 6:55!  I still cannot figure out how I got from one place to another in less than a half hour.  This seems impossible to me but as I reviewed it in my mind I concluded that is what happened.  If you were trying to do this; I don’t think you could pull it off.  The thought actually crossed my mind that I had been in a fatal accident on the ferry and I was walking around as a ghost as I am sure you have seen in a number of movies.

Now I had an hour and a half to wait.  I walked back a few blocks trying to find something open to have a little breakfast and found a latte place… a latte and bagel… excellent.

I boarded the fast ferry finally and was on my way to the British Virgin Islands… Road Town… Tortola that took about ninety minutes.

It was an enjoyable ride.  I arrived and walked around Road Town… found a great shop called The Gallery (http://www.thegallerybvi.com/)%20and promised them if I won the lottery… I would be back.   The shop had things from many local artists and they were all so beautiful.   I also spend at least a half hour in the Sunny Caribee spice shope ... You will not find a better selection! (http://www.sunnycaribbee.com/ )I had lunch at Pusser”s Outpost  (http://www.pussers.com/t-road-town-pub.aspx) and bought some gifts that, of course, included the famous Pusser’s Rum and so did lunch.  I had grog  , “the real thing”.  Here is the recipe:  (http://www.pussers.com/t-grog-recipe.aspx) After paying a $5.oo custom’s tax (so many fees…so little time) I boarded the ferry for STT at 2:30pm.  I was sitting on the top deck and we had a major downpour, these happen frequently here.  I was under a small roof so I stayed outside and was rewarded with a magnificent rainbow that faded into the ocean on both ends.  This is the land of rainbows because of these brief heavy downpours, followed by brilliant sunshine.

Customs in STT took quite a long time.  We were asked if we had food items.  The people in front of my had a bag off snacks and a cooler which they went through meticulously and when I made a wisecrack about it… the customs man said he should arrest me just for making jokes!  He then told me just how serious the matter was and that one ham sandwich had caused an epidemic that killed hundreds of people.  Live and learn!  The worst part of this was that I forgot that I had half of my lunch in a doggie bag and I had said I had no food items.  I am thankful that they did not find it.. or I just may have been arrested. 

I had decided before I left to stay in STT when I got back because I knew I would be weary.  As I began to walk to the Galleon House (where I stayed on my first night in STT), (http://galleonhousestthomas.com/)  the skies opened up again.  I had a little rain jacket on but there was no escaping it.  I got drenched to the bone and just gave into it.  I reached the hotel and was so happy to take a hot shower and change into dry clothes.  I actually did not go out but ate the contents of my doggie bag for dinner and enjoyed the view from the room,  a very pretty room that had been newly decorated.  The next day I met the new owners as of August who are renovating.  I actually reserved the very same room for my last night in STT before I fly home.  The only disadvantage to the renovation is that the price will probably go up and it has been a very reasonable and nice place to stay when you are arriving or leaving here.  However, don’t go there with a lot of luggage!  There are many stairs and no one to help you carry bags up!  I learned this the hard way the first time I stayed there and a couple who was staying there that night also learned the hard way.  I had breakfast with them the next day and found out that they live in Tortola (she was originally from Vermont) and have guest Agape Cottages (http://www.agapecottages.com/) in Cane Bay.  I went online and found out the rates… and though they are reasonable and well located it seems… would be steep for me traveling alone.  I did log the information for future reference as I now am in the habit of doing.

I decided not to hurry back to Viers since the Vtran never seems to come until late afternoon anyway.  Instead, I decided to go visit Blackbeard’s Castle ( http://www.blackbeardscastle.com/ ) This is a restaurant and inn where Jayne and I used to stay as a treat the night before we came home from our St John vacations.   I was astounded to find out that it has been purchased by a corporation, the hotel, the restaurant and several adjacent acres which have been deemed an “historic area”.  As I tried to enter the courtyard I was asked to pay a fee of $14, which I declined.  There were at least three tour buses loading people off and into the area.  The bus loads of people created an amusement park atmosphere.  I wondered if you had to pay the fee to have dinner at the restaurant or stay at the inn?  I spoke with a man, who felt it his job to defend the fee by telling me about the purchase of the land etc. etc.    I found it a bit sad, because it seemed more like a money making scheme than a well motivated endeavor.  The only saving grace, I guess is that it looks very well maintained. 

I found out that the ferry I was waiting for from Charlotte Amalie was probably not going to show and proceeded to jump a Safari to Red Hook where they run regularly on the hour.  I got back into Cruz Bay and actually did not have to wait long to catch the Vtran bus.  On the way back on the bus, I tried to use my flip video camera to capture the roller coaster ride complete with sound effects but I just don’t think you can capture this any other way than by actually riding it!  You are just feeling lucky when you get to your destination each time you ride.

I walked from the stop back to Viers and was joined by two donkeys.  Donkeys frequently walk the roads here adding to the excitement of driving.  Donkey, goats and today I was three cows in the road on my trip to Cruz Bay and one was the biggest cow I have ever seen!  The donkeys and I walked together and I took pictures of them and even some video. They were not bashful and walked right up to me.  I imagine they were looking for food and that tourists probably train them to do so.  I was not quite sure if they can get nasty but they did not.  I was actual stalling to try and get a ride from a passerby but did not until I was about 300 yards from the camp entrance.  Bummer… I had to do the hills and puddles.

My ride as it turns out are a couple in their 80’s who are the oldest people to have skied to the North Pole.  I know this because we picked up the woman yesterday, hitchhiking.  Her name is Lydia. She was walking home and was not doing well on the shaded roads with increasing traffic now that tourist season is picking up. 

AND, she called today and invited us over on Tuesday to see the video of her expedition.  This should be a blast… looking forward to it.  AND, they are from Lyndonville, VT and she frequently comes to Hanover, NH and so I said we would have to get together in my neck of the woods sometime and I am going to make sure that happens.

I also met a shop owner in Coral Bay, who built an interesting house that is a bunch of pods.  I asked her if she rented it and she said no, but did I want to housesit?  I was all over it.  She knows Randy Brown well (the Viers Administrator).  She took my contact information and also told me she has a brother she visits occasionally in Lebanon, N.H.  I had some lunch at the Shipwreck (another favorite of mine), which is adjacent to the shops and then went back and offered my house up as a place to stay if she comes to visit sometime and wants her own place.  I said “I had places I could go”… I have no idea what will come of these connections made…but who knows… it is fun making them.

Please note:  I am pretty aware of what information I give people and just who I choose to give what information.  I even started an email account just for this trip.  So, not to worry …. you do have to be careful.

Tonight Zoe and I are headed in to Cruz Bay to see a youth steel band concert and have a pre thanksgiving Caribbean dinner at the park.  The tickets were $15 and it should be fun.  Zoe flies home tomorrow for the real Thanksgiving.

We at Viers have planned a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for Thursday… but it  is going to be different that is for sure.  It will be Jamie, me, Zack, Kelly, Ranger Dave and another park ranger.  I was kidding around that we could all Skype our families in…. when I really wish I could actually fly mine in!

Keeping you posted!