Known as one of the islands most popular events, the festival, which was first held in January 1994, attracts sailing enthusiasts from all over the world. It features several days of races and regattas, as well as a day-long craft market and street festival. Over the years, the event has helped put Grenada on the world map for international sailing in the Caribbean.

The Grenada Sailing Festival is run in association with the Grenada Board of Tourism and supported by many sponsors. It lasts for four days and each year organizers report seeing ever stronger and more competitive fleets and record numbers of yachts and participants.

The yachts race in several different classes including J24s, racing, cruising, charter and multihull, and the challenging ocean racing is overseen by a team of internationally accredited judges and officials. The sight is spectacular each morning as the yachts maneuver for positions at the starting line, and even more so during the races themselves.

Along with Grenada’s own home-grown talent and local crews, the festival attracts some of the best names in Caribbean racing from neighbouring Trinidad, as well as Barbados and Antigua. You’ll also see a great mix of other nationalities, including skippers and crews from the UK, Ireland, USA, France, Netherlands, Holland, New Zealand, South Africa and more.

This is the case for “Chimney Tops” in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. These nearly 5000 foot twin peaks are more or less in the center of the park, reachable by Newfound Gap Road, the one main road that crosses from Gatlinburg to Cherokee over on the North Carolina side.

The hike to the top and back is four miles, and requires about three to four hours. In terms of being strenuous, it would fall somewhere on the middle of the scale. The vertical rise is about 1700 feet, with the last 100 feet or so requiring a climb up a rock face of 60 plus degrees.

But that climb is worth the spectacular views from the top. Actually the last portion of the trail runs along the ridge line where you are looking down on both sides, and the views even on the lower part of the final ascent are great – so don’t worry if you choose not to make all of that last climb.

The trail itself runs along lots of cascading whitewater and falls – in fact there is often water running down the rocky trail. The vertical rise over only a couple miles make this hike a fair challenge, but one that can be done in just a half-day. At the lower end there are bridges crossing the rushing water, and also excellent swimming in the river below the falls.

The first half of the trail is the easiest. It’s the second half where the incline increases significantly, and more attention is required navigating the loose rocks that are quite slippery when wet. At the end of the trail are several yards of gnarled tree roots to clamber over to reach the last obstacle – the rock face itself.

To reach the very top, you need to be comfortable with heights as it’s a steep climb with nothing to break a fall. In fact there is a picture on a sign at the start of the trail pointing out that to get the full panoramic view, one needs to climb this rocky incline, which can be quite hazardous, especially when wet.

This is a popular trail, so if your visit is during the busy summer months, getting an early start is mandatory if you want a parking spot anywhere close to the trailhead. Another option that worked for us though was getting a late start – actually mid-afternoon when we got a close-in space vacated by earlier hikers.

The best way to locate one is to ask around. Check with the locals, make use of travel sites on the internet, and ask other visitors. Folks are usually not shy about telling what they think.

Also, keep your ears open. We learned about a place called Franks from overhearing the conversation between a couple folks who were annual visitors to these islands. They were happy to share their discovery, and provided details for finding it, without which we probably never would.

First you have to leave Provo and get over to North Caicos where the pace slows way down. Take the ferry and arrange to have a rental car waiting when you arrive. Note there is no office, over there – just the car and a friendly guy to take your money and answer questions. He may even need you to drop him off at his place on your way out.

While Franks is just off the main road, and has the remnant of a sign partially hidden by some trees, it is definitely easy to miss if you don’t know when to start looking. We passed it a few times each way. The turn off is more of a wash than a road, where the car bottoms out in the potholes.

But once you drive up it a couple hundred yards, you’ll see the house. Yep, it’s a house with the restaurant in front, and a small bar off the main room. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the kids playing outside just reinforced the slower pace here. We later learned they were actually Franks grandkids.

We arrived around lunch time, and aside from a couple guys coming in for to go orders, we were the only sit-down customers. At that time Frank wasn’t there, but his daughter was. Friendly and gracious, she took our order and prepared a great meal of fish, conch fritters, and veggies. We also got a chance to visit briefly with her afterwards.

Bottom line is that our meal at Franks was our favorite during our trip to these islands. It takes some effort to find, but the search is worth it because the food is great and the prices extremely reasonable – which is saying a lot, since most everything tends be pricey in these islands.

A tour of Cuba’s best dive sites will include Maria la Gorda. This dive features 18th century shipwrecks, black coral walls and several cave dives. Cayo Levisa is located about one hour north of Havana and it is famous for its sponges and large tropical fish. East of the Bay of Pigs is the Playa Giron dive site, excellent for beginners but sought after by experts for its sheer drop off and deep caves.

Among the hundreds of bird species that visit Cuba, there are twenty-one that are endemic to Cuba. During the breeding and migration seasons, the avian population of Cuba swells and the bird watching is excellent. Tours led by experienced naturalists make for a truly memorable experience. Wildlife is diverse and abundant in the forests and wetlands of the area, and the stunning landscape is unspoiled.

Cuba is famous for its cigars, and tours are available of tobacco farms and cigar manufacturing facilities. Enjoy a locally grown and rolled Habano on your tour.

Cuban food is spicy and delicious. Drawing on Spanish, Caribbean and African spices and techniques, a true Cuban tour would not be complete without experiencing the authentic cuisines of the island.

The history of Cuba is colorful and rich. Havana, the main city on the island as well as the capital, is home to many historic buildings and museums. Music, food and walking tours highlight the “old city” tours.

Tourism in Cuba continues to grow. Beautiful, historic and culturally exciting, Cuba is an excellent destination for travelers.

A New York Times article makes the following observation:

“Who needs Europe? The Texas Hill Country, west of Austin and north of San Antonio, might be the next best thing to crossing the Atlantic. The region is lush, colorful and, unlike much of the pancake-flat state, dotted with beautiful green hills that are evocative of Tuscany or the south of France. Moreover, the region is speckled with 22 wineries (www.texaswinetrail.com) that buzz with food and music festivals year round. And towns like Fredericksburg offer a taste of the Old World, with German-style biergartens and schnitzelhäuser.”
 
Wine? Yes, wine! The area is also home to serious wine country and wineries that produce award-winning bottles on a par with the best in the world. According to Orbitz, the Texas Hill Country is the “2nd fastest-growing destination for wine and culinary enthusiasts”.

Lush, green hills & valleys with vibrant wild flowers, along with abundant water in the form of “white-water” rivers & relaxing lakes, combined with “no crowds” make the Texas Hill Country a “must see” place to visit, or maybe even to settle down.

I mean just look at some of the gorgeous locations they chose to build at. White sand beaches, incredible turquoise water, cliff-side locations to enjoy the tropical breezes – I mean these guys definitely knew what they were doing in picking out some prime beachfront locations.

If you don’t believe it, just check out a few of the pictures below that depict some of the Mayan ruins at Tulum in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Now imagine standing on the bluffs, enjoying a spectacular view looking out over an emerald Caribbean Sea.  

It just doesn’t get much better than that!

Around 1000 A.D. Chichen Itza in Yucatan was the center of the Mayan civilization, which was spread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, through Belize and Guatamala, and on to the edges of Honduras and El Salvador.

Today the Maya number around five million and live mostly in the Yucatan Peninsula and the highlands of Guatemala. As they did over a thousand years ago, most live in villages and make their living from the land.

Our modern cities are primarily centers for commerce which is completely different from the purpose of the Mayan stone city remains we see today. For the ancient Maya, these were principally ceremonial sites and gathering places where they came for spiritual reasons.

During the early 1500’s the Spanish were determined to systematically destroy the Mayan civilization. One of the world’s greatest cultural crimes was their destruction of all the wriitten records they came across.

As for the people themselves, those not killed in battle, were mostly decimated by diseases carried to the “New World” from the “old”. Today the magnificent stone cities lie abandoned and in ruins once more.

Tulum or the “Walled City” was built by the ancient Maya on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. One of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, it was occupied for over 300 years, from around 1200 A.D. until after the Spanish conquest.

Located at a convergence of both land and sea trade routes, Tulum was a major link in an extensive trade network. Artifacts found in or near the site indicate Mayan commerce ranged from Central Mexico to Central America and all points between.

The Castillo, sometimes referred to as the lighthouse, is the tallest building at Tulum and the most famous. It stands on the bluff, commanding a view of the ocean and coast for several miles in both directions.

Until the late 20th century when tourists became too numerous, the local Maya continued visiting the temples to burn incense and pray.

There is no way to gain a real appreciation of the Mayan culture without visiting some of these ruins that have been abandoned to the elements. There are hotels to be found in the area, plus the Tulum ruins are only a two hour drive south of the popular beach resort of Cancun, which makes for a pleasant day trip.

Photo Credits: Aaron Logan, Hugo van Tilborg, Keith Walbolt.

To ensure Grenada remains a high quality destination, the government have learnt by previous experience lessons learnt by other islands and employ careful planning restrictions to ensure the properties are low rise, low density but not over-supplied.

Capital appreciation is currently said to be at least ten percent a year, due mainly to the limited supply of high quality accommodation ensuring high levels of demand for both holiday home buyers and property investors.

Bacolet Bay Beach & Spa Resort
Bacolet Bay is a quality new resort development being built in a tropical oasis surrounded by fantastic views of the sea, sand and rainforest. It will offer 5 star lifestyle and state-of-the-art facilities in a stunning location, as well as an a very attractive investment opportunity. The luxury low density resort offers a mix of apartments, villas and hotel cottages situated across 41 acres of tropical gardens.

Features:

• World class management
• Private beach
• The restaurants will offer top quality cuisine from local Creole cooking to international 5-star A La Carte menus and wine
• Gym & Spa – providing a haven to all guests during their stay
• Wedding Chapel – nestled in the perfect setting with spectacular views over the ocean creating a perfect location for the most important day of your life
• The beach club area has a couple of superb swimming pools
• Tennis Courts
• Conference Facilities

Location
Not many places around the world that can surpass the setting and views offered by Bacolet Bay. It’s outside the hurricane belt and has fantastic views of the warm seas with prefect white powder sandy beaches on a green lush tropical background and mountains.

The airport offers many regular flights and is only 20 mins away from the resort.

Bacolot Bay is situated on one of the less developed islands in the Caribbean with a shortage of good quality accommodation in the region therefore the development is well positioned to benefit from good capital appreciation and rental income.

The Brandenburg Gate was designed by the architect “Carl Gotthard Langhans”. It is 26m high, 65.5 m wide and 11m long. This monument is reminiscent of the Propylaea Acrópilis in Athens. It has five entrances, of which the central is the widest, leaving two smaller doors. The areas of interior and exterior steps are covered with reliefs representing Hercules, Mars and the goddess Minerva. In 1867, seventy nine years after it was built, two gates were placed higher on both sides.

The monument is crowned with a quadriga sculpture measuring 5 meters in height. It represents the goddess of Victory mounted on a cart pulled by four horses, which are looking in direction to the city of Berlin.

In 1806, after the Battle of Jena, the chariot was brought to Paris by Napoleon to be displayed as a trophy of war. Before that happened, Napoleon was overthrown. After the siege, General Von Pfuel, commander of one of the areas of the city, recovered the statue for Berlin in 1814. That statue was restored and a cross of iron was added.

During the Second World War, the monument suffered more serious damage and the chariot was destroyed almost completely. In 1956 the city council agreed to the reconstruction despite the arguments about the divided city. Despite these problems, they worked together and rebuilt the monument again.

With the construction of the Wall in 1961, Brandenburg Gate stayed in no man’s land, there was no access to it from either east or west. Only a few soldiers and guests from the GDR had access to that monument.

After reunification in 1991, the chariot was dismantled and restored. Between January 2001 and October 2002, the Gate underwent a complete restoration. Brandenburg Gate was uncovered on 3rd October 2002 and from that moment, it has been the most representative monument of the German capital.

The marine mammals are displayed in the museum for you to get to understand better. There are polar bears, seals, walrus, and bowhead whales with stories to help you understand the importance these mammals are to the world.

See some of the clothing worn by the different clans and how the decorations of these, made with beads and buttons, are different from one to the other. You will also see how the animals provided many of the necessary items for the people to survive along with products from the forests made into household utensils.

Between1854 and 1861 the citizens of Fort Scott experienced the violence resulting from the clash between free-state abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates. The era described as Bleeding Kansas described the murder, arson and mayhem committed by both sides during the fight to determine whether Kansas would be admitted into the Union as a free or slave state.

Despite admission as a free state in 1861 the violence of the Bleeding Kansas period continued throughout the Civil War. Fort Scott was re-established as the Union Army district headquarters which included the first African-American unit for the Union entering service in 1863.

After the Civil War, Fort Scott became one of the largest cities in eastern Kansas rivaling Kansas City several times as the largest railroad center west of the Mississippi. Fort Scott later became home to three brick factories-some of which were used to pave the Indianapolis Speedway and in construction of the Panama Canal along with many of the streets and buildings of Fort Scott. Agriculture, small industry and insurance have also played a large part in the development of Fort Scott.

The Fort was restored in 1978 and was designated a National Historic Site. It remains the centerpiece of our historic downtown where we have just completed a $2 million Streetscape Project which added period street lights and park benches to our shaded sidewalks.

Interesting Fort Scott tourism places to visit include:

• 1873 Old Congregational Church
• Fort Scott National Historic Site
• Narrated Trolley Tours
• 1862 U.S. National Cemetery

Also in the area – Kansas vacation getaways:
Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site and Wildlife Refuge
Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
Kansas Rocks Recreational Area
Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area

Eastern Kansas vacation is nationally known for its Fort Scott National Historic Site and its National Cemetery. But, the community that was built around a frontier military fort well over 160 years ago is a thriving community rich in historic heritage, unique shopping opportunities, industry, culture, education and outdoor recreation. Recognized for its small town hospitality, Fort Scott and its residents are even the proud owners of three World Records!