Traveling North to the Florida Georgia Line

Gunny and Pinky thought they got the front seats!

Today is the first day of our 150 plus days of two lane adventures! We left Zephyrhills with two of the six Geek-E-Birds ... but that is a story for another day! We headed north on US Hwy 301. We are going to stay on 301 for all of today. We are on this road every day, but do you know that you can follow US 301 north all the way to Glasgow Delaware. US 301 travels about 1,100 miles, it passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. It goes through the cities of Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia; Rocky Mount, Wilson, and Fayetteville, North Carolina; Florence, South Carolina; Statesboro and Jesup, Georgia; and Ocala, Zephyrhills, Brandon, and Sarasota, Florida.

On US 301, you travel by a great deal of railroad tracks. Here is some of the history of those tracks. In 1887, narrow-gauge track was laid and a wooden depot was built for Peter Demens' Orange Belt Railway, which passed through the greater Dade City area on the way from Sanford to St. Petersburg. Henry Plant bought it in 1895, converted it to standard gauge, and sold the railroad to the Atlantic Coast Line in 1902. The original depot was then torn down and replaced with a new one in 1927. The Atlantic Coast Line merged in 1967 with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, forming the Seaboard Coast Line. Rail service to Trilby ceased in 1976. The depot was taken by trailer to the Pioneer Florida Museum in 1978, and is on display with a 35-ton steam locomotive used by the Cummer Sons Cypress Company.

As you pass through the many small towns, Croom A Cooche, Sumterville, and Coleman you can see so many typical Florida "cracker" houses. They were so named because of the sound of the whips used by early cattle-raising settlers. Originally, most were lumber construction, with a four-room hipped-roof attached to a kitchen and dining room by an open breezeway.

We love the picturesque sights on the two lane roads. We love to watch the scenery along the roads. It is a much more relaxing way to travel than to feel the swish, swish of the 18 wheelers passing you by on the interstates. Don't you agree? 

In Oxford, we passed through the intersection of US 301 and CR 466, which takes you into the heart of The Villages. It made us think about a friend of ours who is relocating to The Villages this fall. We can’t wait to head there to visit her. If you have never been to The Villages, google it sometime you will be amazed! It can be compared to a Disneyland for seniors … there is everything there to do, but it all shuts down at 10pm!

In Belleview we passed by the west side of Paradise Springs. It is a privately owned site that boasts a huge cavern area perfect for Florida cave diving. There are prehistoric fossils embedded in the walls and the strata of prehistoric limestone that was once beneath the sea are clearly visible to the divers. It offers clear water and 72 degree constant water temperature making Paradise Springs a year-round destination where you can enjoy this amazing geological wonder set under the shade of beautiful oak trees.

In Citra Florida you can find The Orange Shop, set in an orange grove. You can also see Florida's Largest Peanut Farmer, Gene Waldron. His journey as a peanut farmer began fifty years ago. He quit school and went to work farming at the age of fifteen. He began with one hundred acres of peanut fields in 1959. He would sell these peanuts to the Jacksonville Farmers Market. Fast-forward fifty years and Gene Waldron now farms 7,000 acres of peanuts across the state of Florida. He owns 3,200 acres near Citra and leases the remaining land farther south where he has a longer warm season for growing. Waldron Farms are particularly well known for their "green" peanut. The green peanut has reached its full maturation size, but is not allowed to completely dry out. This creates a taste that most peanut connoisseurs prefer. Green peanuts are also harder to come by; because they are not completely dried out and cured like dry-roasted peanut varieties they have a shorter shelf life. Most green peanuts are eventually boiled to become the southern road-side snack favorite "boiled peanuts". During Waldron’s busy months, they produce 5,000 bushels of green peanuts a day. Waldron sells these peanuts from as far south as Homestead, Florida, to as far north as Boston and Canada and all the way out to Texas.

In Island Grove, Alachua County Florida, you can find the Island Grove Wine Company. They specialize in fine blueberry wines using the freshest blueberries from Florida plantations. For decades, Alachua County has been the heart of Florida blueberry production and remains so today producing 25% of the entire state’s production of this flavorful fruit. The blueberry wines are made from 100% blueberries with no grape juice or flavorings used and are very low in sulfites. They also produce several tantalizing fruit wine blends to appeal to any occasion.

In Hawthorne, Florida we saw 301 Blueberries. It is the biggest blueberry farm we have ever seen. The fields seem to go for miles and miles and miles. We just missed the annual Blueberry Fesitval, it was held this past Saturday. They start u-pick blueberries in March or April, depending on how warm the winter season was.

 

This is the first time we passed through Waldo and were not in fear of the speed trap. Yes, you read that right … in this day and age there was corruption in government! The Waldo City Council voted to disband its small police force following the resignation of the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota by the department's interim chief. CBS reported that Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets in one year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town used to have six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers entered the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35.

In Starke, you can see the old Bradford County Courthouse; it was originally built in 1870. If offers a Romanesque architectural style and is located on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is actually part of a historic district in Starke.

Being big on Fairs and Festivals we saw a sign for the Northeast Florida Fair in Callahan. It offers educational and agricultural entertainment for the entire family to enjoy. The theme for the 2015 fair in October is Let's get "moo-ving" to the Northeast Florida Fair. We will still be in South Carolina in early October.



In Callahan Florida, we say many piles of dirt, all different kinds of dirt. What is that, a dirt farm? No, it is George B Wittmer Associates Agri-cycle Farm. GBWA recycles hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of various industrial discard streams and supplies millions of pounds of soil amendments, soil blends, and potting soil materials. Every day, they recover, recondition, process, and ship (by truck, rail, and barge) a very wide assortment of recovered residual streams. Such as papermill organic sludge, fly ash, precipitated carbonates, flume grit, wood yard waste, off-specification boiler fuel solids, stockpiled bark, shives, knots, butts, and other materials previously landfilled. Wittmer eliminates waste stream management, handling, storage and liability by efficiently transforming industrial residual streams into commodities for use by other industries. Now that is going green, actually brown, but no it is very green!

Outside of Hilliard we found the Little Boggy Creek Quail Preserve. It is a place to train or hunt with your dog. It is a privately-owned, licensed quail hunting preserve in northeast Florida. They are open in the fall and run through the first week of March. They have multiple courses open to the hunter and trainer with each course having a different look and challenge. If you need to start, finish, or practice for an event (hunt test or field trial), this is the place for you. We have seen quail in the northeastern states, but never in Florida.

We crossed the Florida Georgia line and headed into Folkston. There was a sign for the Newell Lodge Bluegrass festival. Since we love Bluegrass, I had to know … it was this past March. But we did learn that following this past year’s festival at the Newell Resort in Folkston, GA, it was announced that the festivals there will be run going forward as a partnership between the Carter family who owns the property, and Ernie and Debi Evans, who manage a string of festivals in Florida and Georgia through their company, Evans Media Source. We go to another one of the Evans Media Bluegrass Festival at Sertoma Youth Ranch in the spring. The next bluegrass show at Newell Lodge will be October 8-11, 2015. Too bad for us, as we will be on our way to Pigeon Forge … maybe next year!

In 1864, a critical river crossing for trains near Jesup, Ga., became one of Major William T. Sherman’s targets on the March to the Sea. Strategic planning and the swampy terrain helped the Georgia militia defend the crossing, in a rare Confederate victory on Sherman’s March.  The Altamaha River crossing in the area known as Doctortown -- a name that may have been derived from a Muskogean Indian word, “Alekcha,” meaning doctor -- had been used for hundreds of years. In 1857, the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad built a 100-foot trestle across the river, turning the town into a transportation hub where freight carried by riverboat was transferred to rail cars. Because of its important role in transporting goods and materials in a direct line to Savannah, Doctortown became a target of Sherman.  Confederates prepared to defend the area, they dug into the south bank of the river at the trestle and mounted two 32-pounder rifled guns overlooking the bluff on either side of the bridge. They mounted a third Campbell siege gun on a flat car pushed by a locomotive that could send a shot directly across the trestle and up the tracks. Their defenses were strong, aided by the marshland that surrounded Doctortown on three sides, thus preventing a Federal flanking maneuver. As Sherman’s armies were preparing to invade Savannah, elements of

cavalry along with infantry of General William B. Hazen were sent to destroy the railroad between the Ogeechee River and the Altamaha River and at Doctortown. After successfully burning a smaller trestle to the north at Lake Morgan, the assault on Doctortown began. A brigade of Federals mounted numerous attacks against the Doctortown trestle and its defenders. Though the bridge sustained damage, they were unable to gain the objective. Kilpatrick and Hazen withdrew for Savannah, with the Georgia militia still holding Doctortown. One of the guns from the engagement was later placed in front of the Ware County Confederate Monument at Phoenix Park in Waycross. Today, Doctortown is adjacent to the site of the world’s largest pulp mill plant, owned by the Rayonier Company.

 

Known the world over for old-fashioned goodness and traditional holiday appeal, Claxton Fruit Cake is the "Choice of Millions Since 1910." Sun-ripened California raisins, delicious pineapple, crunchy Georgia pecans, plump juicy cherries, freshly shelled walnuts and almonds, tangy lemon and orange peel blended into a rich pound cake batter and baked to a golden brown. That is the recipe for the famous Claxton Fruit Cake. In January on 1966, the Claxton Bakery was founded by Savino Gillio-Tos in Claxton, Georgia. He immigrated to the US in 1902. He lived in New York City, where he worked at a Brooklyn hotel as a master baker. He eventually took a job in Macon, Georgia and moved from there to Claxton. Mr. Gillio-Tos's Claxton Bakery was a successful maker of baked goods, homemade ice cream and fruitcakes. In 1945, he sold the bakery to Albert Parker, an employee, and he retired. Under Parker's leadership, the Claxton Bakery began to focus on fruitcakes; this eventually led the bakery to start selling fruitcakes for fundraising purposes in the 1950s. One of the bakery's earliest fundraising partners was Civitan International; since 1951, local Civitans have sold millions of pounds of Claxton fruitcake each holiday season in support of their work with the developmentally disabled. A little over a decade later, in 1964 and 1965, the company was part of the New York World's Fair. Mr. Parker quickly took advantage of the success at the fair and came up with other means to get his product out to the world. One such

innovation came when he entered several floats in the Orange Bowl Jamboree Parade in Miami and also the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C. Today the Claxton Bakery, Inc. works with over a thousand organizations throughout North America. Doesn’t everyone love fruitcake?!

We stopped for the night just south of Statesboro at a small RV park. Parkwood RV Resort & Cottages is located right on US 301. We are on a nice pull through site with full hook ups. I give it 4 out of 5 stars! Looking forward to relaxing, dinner and the finale of The Voice!

Spring Bluegrass Festival at Sertoma Youth Ranch

We enjoy taking our two lane adventures to Bluegrass Festivals! We are enjoying an Ernie Evans production this weekend at the Sertoma Youth Ranch, in Brooksville Florida.

We arrived on Thursday and enjoyed the open mic time. Neither Charlie nor I are musical, but we really enjoy listening to those that are. We watch two of the future stars of Bluegrass. The first brave participant in the open mic night was 7 year old Emma Biesack, she was ready to shine! She played three songs accompanied by her Dad on the guitar. She was joined on stage by her 10 year old sister, Sarah. They played a few tunes together and then Sarah was left to finish out the set on her own. Sarah is a two time Florida State Fiddlers Association Champion for her age bracket. After hearing her play, it is evident why! The 15 minute Mountain Men came up next. They got their name because they have been together for 15 minutes! Their newest member is a woman; they might need to change their name!

Little Girls and Dreadful Snakes

Thursday night campfire sings were limited due to the on again off again showers! Friday came in with some overnight showers and a little sunshine in the early morning. Music resumed at 1 pm on Friday with “Little Lady and the Dreadful Snakes” a local band from Plant City. Our son knows one of the band members, Charlie Boone. They played a mix of contemporary Bluegrass and some new stuff that they wrote. How do you categorize their music? They categorize it as “A little Bluegrass? A smidge of Country? Part Americana? Not sure what we are, but folks sure do tend to like it .... it's Y’all-ternative.” We call it very entertaining and enjoyable!

Swinging Bridges plus One

They were followed by “Swinging Bridge.” Swinging Bridge is a group of five talented gentlemen from the Venice area of Florida. Today they had a sixth member, that they really wanted to play with. The band has been playing together for more than 14 years and performs regularly throughout the southwest region of Florida. The band’s first CD project "Rough Edges" remains a hit with their cadre of fans. Their great lead singing, tight harmonies, dazzling instrumental breaks, and dead-on timing puts them on a par with some of the foremost nationally known bluegrass bands. The band has a great on-stage personality too. They have a repertoire of songs and instrumentals that draw from traditional and contemporary Bluegrass, Country, and other genres to create a show that is a treat for any bluegrass fan. This is a bluegrass group that gathers around the mic to create the tight harmonies, we really enjoy those groups the most. The rain started again, near the end of “Swinging Bridge’s” set, since the stage is under a large covered pavilion, we all could just stay put and enjoy the music.

The Boxcars

The Boxcars were up next. Several musicians in the Boxcars played with Alison Krauss as members of Union Station. For nearly seven years, they lived the life of high profile musicians, as the band earned Grammy awards and IBMA trophies, toured extensively, made national TV appearances and recorded albums that reached far beyond the core bluegrass audience. They left the band and successful ventures with other bands, until they came together to form The Boxcars. When one of their founding members departed the band, he was replaced by the youngest member of this group. He plays Dobro and is just out of his teens. B he can play the Dobro with the best of them. The rain stopped during The Boxcars set and according to the Doppler Radar, the rain should be over for us this weekend!

 

Nothin’ Fancy was the last band in the first set. Nothin’ Fancy formed as a bluegrass band in 1994 to compete in a bluegrass competition. Since then, they have grown in popularity. They have released 11 full length albums, and continue to perform at festivals all across the United States, Canada and Norway including the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, and Lincoln Center in New York City. They have successfully hosted their own Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival every year since 2001 in Buena Vista, Virginia. Mike Andes is the leader of the band, will tell you his talent is God given, because he by ear and has never had any lessons or professional training. Mike is the perfect MC for the band and keeps the show rolling from song to song with his wit and charm. The band has a mandolin, a banjo, a fiddle, upright bass and guitar. They stick to traditional Bluegrass mixed with a few other genres to keep it entertaining. They do crowd around the microphone to get the classic Bluegrass harmonies.

The same groups played a second set after the dinner break. None of them played the same thing twice, which made the second set just as enjoyable as the first set. Without the rain, you could hear the campfire songs floating in the air from all directions until the wee hours of the morning. Which is probably why the stage entertainment does not start until 1pm, the musicians have to sleep sometime!

Labadee, Haiti - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas - Day Seven of the Cruise

On our ninth vacation day, we stopped at our third and final port. On the north coast of Haiti sits a tropical haven of Labadee. It is set amid spectacular mountains and lush foliage it is reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests. Although it is privately owned, this breathtakingly beautiful destination still retains much of its local flavor. In 1492, the island was originally discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World. Originally named “La Isla Espanola”, it was later colonized by the French, whose influence is still prevalent in both the culture and the language.

Several members of our group booked different activities to enjoy while on Labadee. Two couple took a leisurely kayak tour off one of the many beaches. Four of the guys in the group signed up to Jet Ski, but just before their start time the water got too rough for the jet skis. So their excursion was cancelled. Instead they decided to drink! Imagine that!

Another group of us decided to do the zip line. To call it a zip line, is a bit of an understatement! It is the Dragon's Breath Flight Line, probably because the warm trade winds are whipping in your face like a fire breathing dragon! We certainly unleashed our sense of adventure as we soared down the side of a mountain. 

We were attached to a 2,600-foot long zip line. We had a weigh-in, information briefing, orientation to the zip line, and we tested our mettle on the shorter "Little Dragon" zip line. After we successfully navigated the “Little Dragon” we climbed onto custom-made safari vehicles and road up the mountain to the take-off point. This, by the way, is 500 feet above the beaches of Labadee, Haiti. The zip line experience literally sweeps you off your feet before we landed at Dragon's Breath Rock at the end of the line. I have to say that it was a once in a lifetime experience!

While we were on the island, we enjoyed a barbeque lunch and a quick trip to the Artisan’s Market. The Artisan’s Market was too intense for me. It was like walking the gauntlet. Every vendor was hollering out to you, trying to get you to look at their items or into their shops. The shops were all built along a cat walk, which Tracy and I did not venture onto. Tracy is a true shopper and she was just as anxious to leave the market as I was. Pete got “caught” by one of the vendors and before he could get out of there he spent twenty bucks on two bracelets and an engraved shot glass.

We got back on the ship and relaxed before our casual dinner service. After dinner we enjoyed some Elvis trivia. Randy is the Elvis trivia king, he got 14 out of 15 song titles right! Another team also had fourteen correct, so there was an Elvis song title lightening round. Randy got that song title correct too and was crowned the winner! It was another great day on our cruise. It is starting to sink in that, in a little over twenty four hours our ship will dock at the Port of Everglades and our cruise will be over. Oh, perish the thought!

San Juan PR - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Six of the Cruise

Our vacation day number eight started at sunrise when we docked in the port of Old San Juan. The view of the sunrise was spectacular from our balcony and there was a small airport where we watched many planes take off and land, before we hits the streets of Old San Juan. Charlie and I enjoyed a stroll around old San Juan. We did notice that the hues of the blue cobble-stoned streets are common in Old San Juan. I love to walk the old cobble-stoned streets, whether it is in Plant City Florida, East Amherst New York or Old San Juan Puerto Rico. It has no beaches, no resort hotels, and not a whole lot

of natural beauty. What it does have is over 500 years of history, beautiful colonial architecture literally splashed with tropical colors. Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. As we walked, we say many statues and busts, that could be a whole blog itself! We did view simple busts (Elfante D Henrique) and statues (Al Inmigrante), but the highlight of detailed statues was at Colon Plaza. A statue of Christopher Columbus, it features him standing

regally on top of a pillar with ships and sea serpents coming out of the base. A fountain surrounding the statue shoots streams of water towards the base of the statue. The statue commemorates the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the new world. Christopher Columbus originally named the entire island of Puerto Rico to be San Juan Bautista, however the island was later renamed and only the capital city of San Juan retained the name. Bronze plaques on the base of the monument provide pictorial representations of the ocean journey and arrival of Christopher Columbus and the meeting of the indigenous people.

The Fort of Castillo San Felipe del Morro & Castillo San Cristobal, although technically two separate forts constructed separately, these two Spanish military installations are connected both literally—by less than a mile of city wall—and figuratively. Together they made San Juan a strategic stronghold and defended the city against attacks by the English, Dutch, Americans and others for centuries, and today they represent the bulk of the San Juan National Historic Site. The older of the two, informally known as El Morro, was built starting in 1539 on a rocky point of land guarding the entrance to San Juan Bay. On either side of a quarter-mile walkway connecting the city and the fort is a sprawling, green esplanade, the space is supposed to serve as a reminder to visitors of just how intimidating the fort would have been to attacking soldiers, who had to cross a wide-open field of fire to reach its walls. The fort itself has six levels and a lighthouse, with impressive views of the bay and Atlantic Ocean.

We headed back to the port and boarded the boat for a picnic lunch and to support our friend in the Belly Flop contest on board the ship. We watched the staff set-up. prepare, cook and create a massive amount of food. They moved deck chairs and set up right on deck 11, just below where we were seated. It was very interesting watching them create ... we till are not sure what they created. But, we all ate it and it was good! But really ... look at the size of the cooking implements! I can honestly say, I have never seen a wok so big! Have you?

The International Belly Flop contest was held on board the ship today. We supported our hometown hero! Captain Tsunami, AKA Randy Fitzsimmons. He has been training for this event for two years, working hard to vindicate his defeat on the Oasis of the Sea. His fortitude would be tested today, as he matched bellies with the best of the international best. In preparation for the main show he designed his attire, actually his finance, Sheila Greer, was the head seamstress of the wardrobe. Prior to signing up for the contest, he paraded around the decks in his cape and mask. He was definitely working the crowd, to garner support in advance of the competition.

Work it, come on, work it!

His cheering section was stationed at the Sky Bar on the upper deck, with a great view of the pool. They secured these prime seats at 11am, one hundred and eighty minutes before the event. Naturally, there was drinking involved in holding these precious seats! All of them were up for the challenge, and they were successful, a bit sun burned but successful! Back to the big belly flopper, he signed up for the event. But another eager contest almost toppled Captain Tsunami as he raced to be the first to sign up! With the sign up closed, there were 6 able bodied men up to the challenge! The largest of the competitors towered over Captain Tsunami by a good foot and outweighed him by one hundred pounds!

No fear in CPT Tsunami's eyes!

Yikes, there was fear in the eyes of his fans, but none in Captain Tsunami's eyes! The flopping order was set and the competition began! The first flopper, was a real amateur, hailing from the cold northern state of Vermont! His flop barely scored him a three! The next contestant came from a bit warmer state, North Carolina, but he still lacked the necessary prep time in the pool and only scored a three point five. A few others made gallant efforts, but none came close!

Look at the cast of characters that has to hold the hurt box!

CPT Tsunami was the second to last competitor. He worked the crowd before he climbed onto the “hurt box” to make his flop! The cruise director had to get reinforcements to hold the “hurt box” down while CPT Tsunami prepared for his flop … he took his stand on the very front edge of the box. He spread his arms and his cape fluttered in the breeze as he jumped his and long on his perfect flop! The scores were tallied and he came out at 4.973 … come on … it was a 5! The last competitor stepped up, he was the biggest of the floppers … he had a t-shirt on, which he never took off. FOUL, is what we all said … half of

Getting ready for the FLOP!

the “fun” of the belly flop contest is the “hurt” from the flop! Anyway, he flopped and was awarded a 5 … a 5 … he had a t-shirt on! Wuss! Okay, it looks like CPT Tsunami got robbed again, but at least he placed second! He has the second place medal to prove it! CPT Tsunami cannot retire yet, he will have to avenge his loss on his next cruise!

As we backed out of the docks after the Belly Flop contest concluded, the Captain informed us, we were stopping after we backed out and were going to wait.

CPT Tsunami, the splash felt round the ship!

The largest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet was coming around the end of the fort and pulling into the berth we had just left. Quantum of the Seas was going to dock. Everyone crowed to the railings to catch a picture or two. The Quantum has a sky diving simulator, a jewel-shaped capsule that gently ascends over 300 feet above sea level providing breathtaking 360° views of the sea and your destinations and all new entertainment venues. They also have bumper cars, roller skating, and circus school. Amazing! We counted 15 decks of balcony rooms ... WOW!

Quantum of the Seas, docking in Old San Juan

Saint Kitts - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Five of the Cruise

On vacation day number seven we docked in the port of Basseterre, Saint Kitts, also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island. It is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Where the two bodies of water meet, you can see the waves going in opposite directions. A ring road goes around the perimeter of the island with smaller roads branching off of it; the interior of the island is too steep for habitation. The highest peak is Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano.

We selected to go on the “Rail & Sail” excursion, but we got tickets for the “Rail” excursion by mistake, oh well … we make whatever we do fun! This excursion is one of the highlights was the island of St. Kitts. The narrow gauge railroad was constructed beginning in 1912 to connect the island’s many sugar cane fields and sugar mills at sugar plantations.  The finished product was then loaded onto ships that transported the sugar to markets around the world.  The St. Kitts sugar industry declined and after 350 years the industry died off.  With sugar cane shipments almost dormant, investors opened the St. Kitts Scenic Railway to offer sightseeing tours of the island beginning  in 2003.  The owners of the railway modeled the tour train after the White Pass & Yukon train operation at Skagway, Alaska.  As with Alaska’s train tour, the cruise industry has been a boom for St. Kitts Scenic train. Today the train ride covers 18 miles as it circles from the northwest coast, along the northern coast, to southeastern St. Kitts.  Along the way the tracks pass sugar cane fields, tropical forests whose canopies encircle the tracks, villages of colorful houses and stone churches, and ravines crossed by tall steel trestles.   Ocean views are plentiful during the journey as are friendly locals who enthusiastically wave at the train.

The trip starts right at the dock aboard shuttle buses painted and lettered for the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. We climbed onto a bus, it is a bit odd to see the driver’s seat on the other side of the bus! Our bus driver was Eustis Franz. He narrated the scenic highlights as we pass through several villages, a tree filled with egrets, and a scenic spot where we can see Brimstone Hill Fortress high above on a hillside.  The fortress is part of the island’s history which saw it change hands multiple times between the British and French. We learned about “Bloody Point.” In 1623, Sir Thomas Warner brought his family and others, to an island inhabited only by native peoples. Less than two years later Pierre Belain d'Esnambue led a small group of French settlers to the island. Within a year, blood flowed. This eruption of violence wiped out the entire native population of Arawaks and Caribs. It was an out and out massacre at what is now Bloody Point. Once the English and French had the island to themselves, they expanded their sugar and tobacco plantations at will, and began bringing in African people to serve as slaves. This is why St. Kitts's rich culture was influenced by the peoples of Africa, Europe and the Caribbean itself. He was a very friendly and informative driver. His favorite sayings were "All is well, Mon" and "We be OK, Mon." I think he said them at the end of every sentence!

Eustis dropped us off at the community of Fig Tree, where we boarded the train.  Our train consisted of five double decker cars, pulled by a petite diesel engine and assisted by a power car that provides electricity to the passenger cars.  The 500 horsepower engine came from Romania while the power car was built in Colorado.  The passenger cars were constructed in Seattle especially for the St. Kitts Scenic.  Passengers can choose to sit in the open air upper level which contains padded bench seats along each side of the car or downstairs in wicker chairs at tables where they can enjoy air-conditioning and large picture windows.

Our departure point at Fig Tree is located on a balloon track which allows trains to reverse direction without having to run around a wye.  We leave and can see Mt. Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, to the east.  Later the rails pass through sugar cane fields that once were part of the island’s leading industry.  Soon we pass stands of coconut palms and note various forms of wildlife.  Some passengers spottted monkeys roaming the forested terrain as over 40,000 monkeys make St. Kitts their home.   We travel the coast near Willet’s Bay and pass through the village of Dieppe Bay a few minutes later, where the black sand beaches from the volcanoes are visible.

The winding line rail offers many opportunities to watch the diminutive engine with its steam engine-like drivers moving its wheels.  Our car attendant delivers complimentary piña coladas and rum to passengers as we see the Atlantic coast and set a southeasterly course.  She also offered locally produced sugar cakes to everyone. A trio of local singers entertain the guests on our car’s upper level with a medley of local songs. 

Soon the tracks pass through a grove of almond trees and emerge near the village of Tabernacle.  As has been the case for most of the journey, the ocean is on the left side of the railway while mountains dominate the view to the right.  A sharp curve reveals the impressive 300 foot long Christ Church Bridge, one of four steel trestles in the final 60 minutes of the trip.  Each of these towers over a ravine below and the rails navigate around a curve entering and/or leaving each trestle. 

The second trestle, set among a banana grove and views of a black sand beach appear to the left after exiting the structure. Grange Bridge is traversed a couple minutes later and we learn that it is 90 feet tall and 200 feet long.  The train travels over the fourth bridge and soon the sights become more industrial as the rails turn inland. We pull to a stop at Needmust, close to the island’s international airport; this stop also is built on a loop.  Within minutes we board the same buses that we rode from the ship to Fig Tree and within ten minutes we are back in Basseterre where “Independence of the Seas” is docked.

St. Kitts Scenic Railway is a great way to view the island of St. Kitts.  The hospitality of the on board personnel coupled with nice scenery provide a unique Caribbean activity.  The tour guides of the railway gave us a beautiful tour of the area.

Since sugar was once the most important crop to St Kitss, I want to talk about it a bit more. It was used to make molasses and rum, and to sweeten the cuisines of people around the world.  And because sugar cane grows in warm, tropical climates, the Caribbean islands were the perfect places to grow it.  European settlers from England, France, and Holland came to the region, cut down the islands' forests, and planted sugar cane. St. Kitts with its rich volcanic soil and an ideal climate, made growing easy. Annually St. Kitts yielded a fortune in sugar and rum for its wealthy, mostly absentee,

landholders. By around 1775, the time of the American Revolution, 68 sugar plantations existed on St. Kitts, one for every square mile.  The plantation owners sold their sugar products to American, British, French and Dutch customers. They are also credited with production innovations that led St.Kitts to become the world leader in sugar cane cultivation, and a catalyst for the industrial revolution. The persistent arguments, outcries, and writings of three prominent English residents of St. Kitts, are said to have influenced the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 more than any other factor. And with the total elimination of slavery throughout all the British colonies in 1834, came the end of the sugar industry. Europe's beet sugar undersold Caribbean cane. Depressed market prices could not offset the production and transportation costs for an island crop. In 2005, due to plummeting profits, the Government closed both the cane fields and sugar factory. The sugar train railway is now home to the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, a unique tour that takes visitors through many of the plantation ruins.

It was a very enjoyable day on a beautiful island.

St Maarten - Two Lane Adventure on the High Seas – Day Four of the Cruise

Vacation Day Six we docked at St Maarten on a beautiful sunny day! We were so ready to hit the beach after two days at sea! Our travel agent arranged for a private excursion for our group to Sunset Beach. We got off the boat early and had a little time to shop at the port while we located our transportation.

Transportation and our driver was located and we crammed 14 of us into a 15 passenger van. Can you say C-O-Z-Y?!

 As we drove, I noticed many traffic circles and every traffic circle had statues in the middle. I picked a couple interesting ones I could get pictures of to share with you. We came upon the Salt Pickers Traffic Circle. Did you know that there is a Great Salt Pond located in south-central St. Maarten, north of Philipsburg. It is bordered on all sides by downtown Philipsburg and its suburbs. It is the largest permanent saline lagoon (saltwater pond) on the island. Great Salt Pond serves as a natural water catchment basin for much of the runoff water from surrounding hills. It is unprotected, and its shorelines have been completely cleared of their native mangroves and grasses for urban development. This site is primarily used for landfill and land reclamation purposes. Great Salt Pond was designated as a national monument based on its cultural and historical significance. The area was heavily used for the production of salt from the 1630s to the 1920s and many artifacts of this salt-production era remain, such as the rock walls throughout the pond.

The next interesting traffic circle was named Osborne Kruytoff, or Traffic Man Circle. There is a roundabout at the bottom of the Cole Bay Hill where there was a terrible T intersection previously. Getting through that T intersection was not easy. The most aggressive drivers went full speed, cutting everyone off, while the more timid ones waited patiently to hope they could get out. The roundabout eased these traffic issues. By why is it named after Osborne Kruythoff? Many of St. Maarten’s residents don't even know who he was. The old timers sure might remember him though. He was one of the special St. Maarten characters. Some have heard of the "traffic man" when visiting the island. Mr. Osborne Kruythoff of Cole Bay, dressed up with his safari hat and carrying all his worldly possessions in two canvas bags hanging to his side, would be on the square directing the traffic with his machete and incessantly blowing his police whistle while the tourists snapped photos of him. Added to his colorful costume were flowers hanging from his hat, his canvas bags and also from his machete which was used as a traffic baton. The Lt. Governor Mr. Beaujon made the mistake of saluting Osborne one day. He promptly quit his job as cleaner on the beach and for the next few years until the day he died Osborne directed the traffic on the square or anywhere along the road to Cole Bay, where he lived. He directed traffic wherever he was at the moment, and to him it was not important whether it needed directing as long as he could blow away on his whistle and point the cars ever onward with his machete. See, there is a job for everyone, somewhere!

We arrived at our destination and were ready for some fun in the sun in a very unique environment! The beach area at Sunset beach is narrow, especially at high tide, and there is a large empty spot in the center of the beach. If you are a newbie to the beach, you might head there … but avoid it! Stick to the outer edge! We found an empty umbrella and two chairs. We “rented” them for the day and started to enjoy the sun, sand and environment. Okay, here is the environment; the Sunset Bar & Grill is at this beach. It has a 24 hour web cam, the food is really good, and topless women drink for free. I will tell you, that members in our group drank for free …

we got a cooler of drinks with our excursion package … so, we did drink for free, just not from the bar for free! Along with the Sunset Bar & Grill, the local airport runway is two lanes of traffic away from the beach. Actually the end of the runway is two lanes of traffic away from the beach! When a plane is revving its engines for take-off you can watch unsuspecting people’s items blown right off the beach into the water. Some really “smart” people, even try to hang onto the barrier fence … they get blown off too! The other piece of the environment is that when the arriving planes are lining up their final approach, they will fly just feet above the heads of everyone on the beach, before they touch down on the runway.

It was a great day! The waves were a bit strong closest to shore, but once you swam out over them, the water was perfect! We soaked and swam in it for most of the day. A day filled good friends, a few burgers, a few more beers, a little rum punch, some shopping, and too much sun, made it a perfect day all around!