Let's Go!

There are lots of ways to get there, I am going to give you a nice circle route. Head south on Highway 2 to Highway 39, then West to Calmar. Calmar has a great little bakery on the north side of the road, and will make a nice stop to pick up a treat to eat in the car. Continue West, you will turn south at a point and pass through Thorsby. Continue south past the many farms and pastures. You will come to Highway 616, at which point you want to turn Right, or West. This will take you on a scenic trip around the lake and past some Bison farms. Unfortunately the roads were not designed with tourists in mind, and this will not be a completely lake shore drive. The 616 is a nice rolling drive, and you want to look for the South (left) turn to highway 771. Here is where you will get close to the lake and have a view. Follow the 717 as it heads south and eventually south east around the lake. At one point you will pass The Village Gardener Greenhouse on your left side. In the spring and summer this may make a nice place to get out and look around.
It is only a few more minutes south west on the 771 until you come to highway 13, turn left on this road, so you are headed east. In about 3 minutes time you will see "The Village at Pigeon Lake" on your left side. It is not a typical "village", nor is it on the lake, and by no means huge, although it is expanding. It is the name given to the development.

The Village

The Village consists of several stores, a grocery store, gas station and many others. The four most popular are in a row, starting with the Eco Cafe. This award winning restaurant is worth a stop just in time for lunch. The food is definitely high quality but not ridiculously priced. Their environmental philosophy, of buying local produce when available, shows in the freshness of the taste. Next is The Clothing Store, a place for womens fashions. The next store is very popular, The Country Sampler, an ever evolving store with pine furniture and home decor like you wont find many other places. Prices are excellent. The other noteworthy stop at the Village is Daisy McBeans, a good dessert stop before continuing on. They have ice cream and many other novelty treats, including home baked goods or incredible sandwiches. This is a good place to have a coffee and treat before heading onward. There is a Spa located in the Inn, and if you can get an appointment they are very good. If you visit the Village during the week, as opposed to a weekend, you should stop in to the ATB Bank to view their display of local artwork. In fact, I would say that coming during the week is better, since weekends are very crowded.

Continuing on...

From the Village head East, left, onto the Highway, about 1 mile down the road, on the right hand side, is Back Street Antiques, worth a stop, but I caution you that not everything is an antique and prices are a bit higher than in "The Village". Then ¼ mile south of Back Street is The Wilderness Store, another shop worth visiting as it has very unique wood furniture and other items. If the women in your party have enjoyed the previous stops, then this one may be one for the men. Then head back on Highway 13, going east, which would be to the right. If you have had enough you can head back home on Highway 2, going north, but I suggest continuing East to Wetaskiwin, and from Wetaskiwin, north to Millet. This is a scenic drive and has another destination shop for you. About half way between Wetaskiwin and Millet, on the left hand side of the road is a really neat greenhouse, with good selection and prices, particularly on indoor house plants. From here you can continue on home.

Trip Time

Traveling time from Edmonton to "The Village" is about one hour, I have suggested some good stops to break up the trip, going home through Millet will take longer than heading back up o Highway 2. There are a lot of people who have cabins at the lake, but a surprising number come as a day trip from the city. For those who don't know about this hidden treasure, I would like to encourage you to make a trip.

For Monaco, chose the Corniche Inferieure, which will guide you along the coast, or the Moyenne Corniche, the spiritual home of sports cars and film stars. Monaco is as you would expect, greatly compacted glamor. If you like to gamble and people watch then you would be foolish to avoid a stop here.

But I'm rather scruffy, so I went for the Grande Corniche. The Grande Corniche is the highest of the three, with beautiful sea views from a mountain trail. On clear days you can even see Corsica. This road overlooks the picturesque Eze, so you can briefly see the sites without braving summer crowds. There are few places to stop along the way, so when you find one take a moment to pause and savor the view. Some may consider these roads to be “hairpins” but next to the roads across the Pyrenees it is highly civilized. This is the sort of driving that makes you feel alive, a real buzz that does not need the pop-culture anchor point of the lower Corniche.

Despite being the longest route of the three, by necessity as it winds up the mountain itself, the Grande Corniche is the least likely to be congested. Locals go for the coast road, and tourists for the Moyenne Corniche. I am bemused as to why more do not choose the top road, since the sights here are unrivaled.

But all too soon the journey is over and we pass, without comment, through the unmanned border control into Italy. After all, we are all Europeans now. It seems that either side of the Rivera has become a sort of fusion. You will find pizza parlors all over St Tropez and the menus in San Remo are also written in French. The only clue that you are in another country is the change in language around you.

Hopping over the border will lead you to a number of tourist-aimed shops. You will not find the usual beach themed shops, but will come across bootleg alcohol shops. These are towns that know their market. You will find good pizza with minimal effort, but decent ice cream takes more of a hunt.

If you want to go to a real Italian market, head to Ventimiglia on a Friday. You will find yourself joined by numerous French and Italian people, as well as tourists. If you wish, head back on the Moyenne Corniche to see Monaco and Eze by night. This way you can experience two of the Corniche on one journey. Once again, you could go for the auto route and bypass the more intriguing roads, but you would be missing out on a spirit of adventure.

So before you pack your bag and book your airline tickets, I have put together my top ten list of things to do on a 10 day trip!

1. Tour the Tulips of Table Cape

   

   This one is an absolute beauty, truly a photographer"s paradise. Table Cape is best viewed in the first week of October, and is located on the north coast, about 2 hours west of Devonport, on Bass Highway towards Stanley.
   Best of all you can look and take photos from the road side for free. The farms also have great display's, bulbs and souvenirs for sale to remember your experience.

2. Feed a Tassie Devil!

   

   Made famous by the Warner Bros cartoon character, these little guys have the world's strongest jaw! They devour absolutely everything when fed, flesh, skin, and bone - not a scrap left behind! Don't worry about them while your camping, they are only scavengers! Please only feed them under supervision at the many wildlife parks scattered around tassie! While they are friendly, one bite could break every bone in your hand! Get in and see them soon, as unfortunately there is a bad face tumor disease that is really wiping them out.

3. Walk with the Penguins in Stanley

   

   Many places around Australia make you pay to see the Fairy Penguins come up from the beach. In Stanley you can see them for free! You can find them just down on the beach in front of the graveyard. They come out of the surf about 15 to 45 minutes after sunset. I even had one walk between my feet when I was there!
   Stanley is about 4 hours west of Devonport on the Bass Highway. Please don't touch, disturb or shine your bright torch lights on these birds, as they just want to come home and go to bed!

4. Drive the Western Explorer!

   

   This little known, but spectacular drive, traverses the windswept plains and valleys from Murrawah in the North, to Corinna in the South. Enjoy the spectacular views across the north west wilderness area and the appropriately named, savage river national park. It is a great days drive from Stanley, and there is accommodation and camping available in Corinna. Suitable for 2 wheel drives in good weather.

5. Discover the Southern Caves

   

   Well worth a day trip out from Hobart, are the Hastings Caves There are over 50 spectacular limestone caves in the area, all of them still very much alive and growing.
   The caves are managed by Parks Tasmania, and there is a small charge to go on a tour. You can get to them via Hastings Caves Road, off the A6, Huon Valley Highway.
   Enjoy your journey through the Huon, and take time to stop at all the craft, local fruit and vege and wood working shops on the way. The lush spectacular local scenery is not to be missed. Just out of Geeverston, you may like to visit their latest tourist attraction, the Tahune Air walk. This attraction boasts a 600m walk up to 50 meters above the forest and river below. This is a great way to enjoy the splendor of the majestic Huon Pine forests.

6. Tramp around the Majestic Dove Lake

   

   Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park, deserves the title of Tasmania's most popular tourist attraction. The ancient cold climate Huon rain forests have you looking for elves and fairies around every tree trunk. You may not see those elusive creatures, but you will find the park bursting with life! Wallaby's, echidna and wombats galore are everywhere. A 3 hour walk around the mysterious Dove Lake is not to be missed.

7. Walk with the Wombats in Cradle Mountain

   

   Included with your Parks Tasmania entry fee, are nightly wombat walks in the Cradle Mountain. Starting on the board walk, just down from the cradle mountain car park, you'll see dozens of the creatures out foraging, digging new burrows or out guarding their territory. Contact Parks Tasmania for more information, and don't forget to rug up. Wombat's enjoy a funny sort of weather!

8. Climb to Wineglass Bay

   

   Arguably, the most scenic beach in the world, it is only accessible after a 1.5 hour climb over a hill from the closest car park. Trust me, it is worth every step! The fine yellow white sand, granite boulders rocks, sky blue waters and rugged mountain back drop makes this place very special. Only the dedicated walkers reach this spot, so you don't have to worry about the crowds spoiling your photo. The only people you do see a lot of are the photographers with large format cameras, out to soak up every lumen of this place's beauty.
   You can get to Wineglass bay, via Coles Bay Road, off the Tasman Highway (A3). It is about 4 hours north of Hobart. Beware during the summer months the park can get closed due to bush fires, so contact Parks Tasmania for more information.

9. Smell the Lavender Fields of Scottsdale.

   

   The sweet smell of lavender puts a spring in your step, and a smile on your face. The lavender fields of Scottsdale are an awesome sight in full bloom, and are at their peak around January. Unfortunately, this does not line up with the tulip peak, so if you want to see these fields in full bloom, you may need to make a second trip. Take your time traveling around the farms, they nearly all have shop fronts, where you can buy lavender products, souvenirs and have a coffee or lunch all year round.

10. Laugh at the Launceston town monkeys

    

    Free council run zoos are very much a rarity in modern Australia, so this is delightful find. You can find these amusing creatures, right in the heart of Launceston's “City Park”, only a short stroll from the main shopping precinct.
    There are about 20 Japanese monkeys that are kept in the enclosure, which is open from 9am to 5pm each day. It makes a great place to have lunch, or to bring the kids

Pack Your Bags and Visit!

So, I hope I have inspired you to pack your bags and board a ferry / plane to come and visit the most beautiful isle in the world. Whilst these are only my top ten, there are so many more highlights that you should experience, including:

• The snowy top of Mt Wellington, Hobart.
• The Cadbury chocolate factory, Hobart
• Lake St Clair
• The chairlift and "Nut" at Stanley
• The blowhole and penguins of Bicheno
• The super cheap cheese factory at Burnie
• The flowery beaches of Swansea (see the picture on the right)
• The beautiful farmland, craft stores and murals of Sheffield
• The rugged beauty of the south west wilderness

Enjoy!

I long for a place with a cool swimming pool and hot tub to soak in after a long day of sightseeing.

Needless to say, we didn't camp this summer. Instead, without any particular itinerary, our family embarked on a road trip to experience the spectacular United States. Fueled with excitement as well as gasoline, we stayed in a different hotel each night. We could've flown, but that takes the fun out of a good old American road trip.

Sure, airplanes get you there faster, but the seats are rather uncomfortable. Remember when it was glamorous to fly? Well the style and sophistication have been replaced by stale sandwiches packed in plastic trays served by snippy flight attendants. The golden days of train travel have also disappeared. Instead of nice meals served inside a dining car,we now eat microwaved beef dinners and look out dingy windows as we chug along the tracks.

Besides, there is something comforting and thrilling about traveling long distances by car. It's a spontaneous, panoramic adventure into the real world. You can stop and go as you please, and if the kids have to pee for the umpteenth time, who cares?

The pleasure of being “somewhere else” gives us a burst of energy. Travel has proved to be the ideal Rx for boredom, broken hearts and strange illnesses. I think part of that is because no matter where we travel, we look at similar things through a different pair of eyes. A cocker spaniel panting on the sidewalk on a hot summer's day in Santa Fe is suddenly much more interesting than a dog panting on the sidewalk back home. Heck, we'll even take its picture on our digital camera.

An old historic building in North Carolina is more exciting than one with similar architectural features at home. Breaking down in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa is much more adventurous than having your car stalled on Main Street at home.

We even look at people crossing the street in awe. See the old man in Martha's Vineyard smoking a cigar on that bench over there? Such a scene suddenly seems poignant to us.

Moreover, everything is unusually significant because we aren't going to stay there too long and we are compelled to experience everything within our reach.

We'll eat in a café in Ontario and although the scones are like hockey pucks, we convince ourselves it is the best thing we've ever eaten, just because we're so far away from home.

We'll eat stale bagels in New York just because not eating a bagel in New York is a sin.

We also tend to do foolish things we normally wouldn't dare do at home. Things like dancing in the water fountain without our shoes on, for example. Sometimes I like to speak with a Russian accent to see if I can fool people. I find it to be a very inexpensive form of entertainment. These people will never see us again.

I have an entire collection of hotel lotions, shampoos and bars of soap and shower caps I will never use, but I feel compelled to “steal” them anyway.

Many of us convince ourselves that we'll be more productive at work if we take a vacation. Ironically, when we return it's the same old thing all over again and we realize we need another vacation to recover from the original vacation.

And I think we travel not only to see new places, but to appreciate where we live.

Dorothy was right: There is no place like home.