Knott's Berry Farm

This original theme park is located in sunny California in Buena Park. The name "berry farm" is something of a misnomer for theme park activities dominated by roller coaster rides. What originally was a berry farm has been developed into a one hundred and sixty acre theme park. The visitor will find many world class exciting rides and other unique attractions. While not as famous and Disneyland, it definitely has attractions to please a wide variety of thrill seekers.

One of those is "The Ghost Rider." It is one of the best wooden roller coasters in the world. The Xcelerator is identified as the best launch roller coaster. It also is home to "The Supreme Scream" is one of the world's tallest drop tower rides at two hundred and fifty four feet high. Everyone feels a thrill if they are brave enough for the to take this splashdown ride. Other attractions include the Mystery Lodge which is a theater show with special effects, the Calico Mine Ride which is a nostalgic train ride through simulated mines and caverns. There are also "Camp Snoopy" home of the Peanut's gang created by Charles Schulz (check spelling), and for your hunger pains try Mrs. Knott's delicious chicken dinners which are also world famous.

The California Surf Museum

Located at Oceanside, it is dedicated to the preservation ov historic surfing artifacts and memorabilia. This museum preserves and documents the history of surfing. Many surf boards are on display in addition to interesting pictures of others. For the person interested in surfing this is "the" place to visit. The most recent addition is "Surfing in San Diego" an exhibit located in the Theme Exhibit Hall within the museum. A wonderful overall tracing of the early roots of surfboard designs to the current improvements.

Oceanside Beaches

For the thrill of surfing try one of San Diego and Oceanside's wonderful beaches. There are ten from which to choose in the general area. Try one, try two or choose your favorite three. You'll find variety and no matter which you visit, the scenery will take your breath away. The temptation of visiting and surfing brings many surfers both novice and professional to the area.

At Harbor Beach you will find surfing as well as swimming and picknicking lots of fun. A large beach, it is the perfect place for groups to hold their events. A quieter family oriented spot is the Breakwater Way beach is located at the mouth of the San Luis Rey river. Perfect for picnics, barbecues and beach volleyball.

Pier View North beach is quieter than most and a wonderful swimming area. Pier View South is a tourist magnet crowded and filled with activities. The Oceanside Boulevard Beach and Buccaneer are located in front of the private homes and family oriented. They have basketball courts, grills, public facilities, and places to buy a snack. Buccaneer Beach even boasts a gym. Sunny California is a tourist magnet. In addition to Hollywood and star gazing for fans of the famous, you will find excitement and fun in a wide variety of possibilities.

A spectacular view of the island is to be found at the end of a mountain trail. Along the way your escort will guide you and tell wonderful stories of the history of Jamaica. For a tremendously exciting time you may even be allowed on a bareback ride along a beach. You would have to be an experienced rider for this delightful ride. Nearly every resort or hotel will be happy to arrange one of these equestrian experiences for you at the time of your choice.

There is a Polo Club at Chukka Cove situated between St. Ann Bay and Runaway Bay. It is a state-of the art riding and polo club. They offer rides along the beach with a choice of riding in the water or just along the beach. One of the most popular day trips is the one provided by Safari Tours. You will not only ride but also stop for river tubing. The horseback riding at Prospect Plantation will be on magnificent horses previously used for polo. Anyone who knows horses realizes the excellent quality and training of polo ponies (they are called that as a nickname since they are actually horses).

Other services for horseback riding in Jamaica can be found in Negril, Montego Bay as well as the South Coast Area, which provide choices for riding into the mountains, through the countryside or onto the beach and into the water.

Another one worth mentioning is Ocho Rios Jamaica Horseback Riding tour. Ride one of their horses down to a splendid beach where your fantasy of riding a horse bareback into the sea becomes reality. Anyone over the age of five and weighing not more than two hundred and fifty pounds can take this tour. I would suggest experience with riding as a prerequisite.

The guides will take you from your Ocho Rios cruise ship in an air conditioned van to the stables. The drive takes you along the North coast of Jamaica and gives you a great chance to see the sights. You will want a camera along for this drive. To avoid losing or damaging an expensive camera, I would suggest buying a disposable one.

Upon arrival at the stables you will have friendly and trained guides to match you with a horse well suited to your level of experience. This adventure is perfect for couples, families and beginners. The professional escorts ensure your security and safety as long as you are honest about your experience with horses. They share their knowledge of the land with you in a continuing narration on the passing scenery. This tour leads you past a great variety of plants and trees as you make your way towards the sand and sea.

Your ride is about two hours long and ends when you get back to the country estate of the stables where you can enjoy refreshments in a setting surrounded with bougainvillea, pimento trees and fishtail palms. They return you via air conditioned vehicle to your cruise ship. Advance reservations are required. This adventure will provide a lifetime memory.

  The two connoisseur restaurants at Sandals Inn beckon you to have dinner outside with palms swaying in the breeze under a sky full of twinkling stars. Relish international dishes and enjoy the 24-hour grill which serves your favorites anytime. As a guest of Sandals Inn, you are free to dine at Montego Bay anytime at the other two Sandals Resorts: Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean, giving you the choice of 11 outstanding restaurants, within minutes from each other, having complimentary transfers included. It is Sandals Inn's way of widening your horizons and value at an inn that is the right size for those who wish for a great summer vacation. Amenities in the room include air conditioning, cable TV, coffee or tea maker, complimentary toiletries, hairdryer, in room safe, iron and ironing board, radio or alarm clock, refrigerator and satellite TV.

For activities you can choose from beach tennis, volleyball, billiards, board games or go kayaking, sailing, scuba diving, wind surfing, water skiing, hydro biking or snorkeling. All water sports are included at nearby Sandals Montego Bay. Roundtrip transfers are included. There is also a fitness center if you want to keep fit after having all that food and drink. Spa services are optional and of course, come at an extra cost. You have rooms for massage and facials, besides other rooms for scrubs and body wraps, couples massage and hydrotherapy. Relax, rejuvenate and spoil yourself. Then you also have the Welcome Party, Nightly and Talent Shows, the Piano Bar, Karaoke and a Resident Pianist.

Local tours and excursions are optional and are not included in the package. Sandals does not operate these tours, they are provided by outside agencies. All tours must be booked at the resort directly with the Tour Desk which will help you regarding the schedules and prices. Airport transfers are provided for in air-conditioned buses to all guests who have made their bookings and arrive in Montego Bay International Airport. Sandals Inn is only a 10 minute drive from the airport.

For day-wear at Sandals, one can choose from tank tops, shorts, swimsuits, casual shirts, sundresses and slacks. Come nightfall the attire turns elegant in a casual way. Most restaurants allow elegant dress shorts.

 

School children of Saint Thomas will memorize their capital city as Morant Bay and agriculture and manufacturing as their foremost industries. Some major cities are Golden Grove, Bath, Sea forth, and Port Morant. Yallas is a town that will cause US readers to wonder if the city of Dallas in Texas was derived from Yallas. According to size, Saint Thomas is the ninth largest.

Christopher Columbus landed on Jamaica in 1494, two years after "discovering" America. Many people find it difficult to think of it as a discovery since the indigen population had been there for forty thousand years as humans evolved. On the island lived a large number of Tainos/Arawaks. Cattle were introduced to Jamaica by the Spaniards. In Morant Bay and Yallahs in this parish. In 1655 with the British capture not only did the British take over but they invited residents from other colonies to join them. Unfortunately two thirds of the immigrants came down with illness (fever of some type) and died. The group included the Governor of Nevis and his family.

Next came the French invasion. That was in 1674. Admiral Du Casse captured many slaves from the British. The word settler sounds like it would describe a group of good people. The word invaders does not carry the same connotation. In either case it seems to be the indigen population that suffers.

The Morant Bay Rebellion is a fascinating part of Jamaica's history. In 1865 the ex-slaves were going through a period of severely unfair situations. When Paul Bogle led a large group of farmers to ask the Governor to grant land tenure in a fair way it ended up starting a civil war. At one point when the authorities (they had already been refused help from Governor Eyre in Spanish Town) tried to repel them, the protesters threw stones at them. The volunteers responded by shooting into the group. Seven of the protestors ended up dead. Their retaliation was to return later and burn down the Courthouse. The unfortunate citizens trapped inside tried to escape but were shot by the rioting crowd.

George William Gordon, one of the British rulers attempted to help the farmers and workers. No good deed goes unpunished. His fellow Brits took him out and hung him. The next day they also hung Paul Bogle. Before this entire rebellion was ended the British had killed more than 430 people. It was a sad period in the history of Jamaica's Parish of Saint Thomas.

It wasn't until 1969 that Paul Bogle was named an official National Hero. One of the others honored with the title was George William Gordon who had tried to do what he considered the right thing.

As for the terrain it is mostly mountainous with the highest point being 4,000 feet above sea level. Although Jamaica is considered to be a tropical island the climate can vary in most parishes including this one. There are underground rivers in this area. Above ground are the Rio Nuevo, the Wag Water and the White River. The land close to these rivers tends to be swampland.

Probably due to the fact that it is one of the smallest and poorest parishes on Jamaica, one would guess that tourism was not the primary source of jobs. Agricultural production seems to be decreasing although bananas and breadfruit among the crops grown are popular food. On the positive side are the good schools that it is known for. Some of the graduates hold important positions in banks and other businesses.

Located in Middlesex (county of) it had a population of 113,000 as of 2001. The land area covers 610 square kilometers. The crops of coffee and citrus, cocoa to coconuts are still produced in addition to sugar cane of course. The people also raise livestock. The fact is though, agriculture is on the decline. There has been talk of developing the land for parcels of housing and other buildings. Being inland makes the land less valuable as a resource. Although I'm sure that any citizens in all of Jamaica can get to the shoreline to enjoy the ocean though.

Some business ideas for Jamaica's citizens to explore might be designing swim suits as well as other light clothing. Since livestock is flourishing they could open a livery stable or two for horseback riding. Being inland they might want to consider raising and training the horses to supply stables closer to the ocean and therefore more profitable due to the tourist trade. Another thing to think about might be building boats of all sizes. There must be a need for many boats of all types. Any luxury items and souvenirs to sell to the many visitors might be lucrative. It is a fact that over one hundred thousand people from all over the world flock to Jamaica each year. The beauty of the land, the many activities and the friendly people who make their trip pleasant are all influencing visitors to return year after year.

Among visitors who can afford the luxury, they might fly their wedding attendants and all the guests to Jamaica for a grand celebration. This is usually movie stars, oil billionaires and others with financial advantage. The hotels cater wonderful weddings on the beach with an outdoor or indoor reception afterwards. With the trend among movie stars being multiple marriages, Jamaica will be busy catering possibly three or four weddings for each during their lifetime.

During the Spanish occupation Montego Bay had a unique industry. They exported lard. In the forests were many wild hogs and they became the source of supply. An amusing part of the folklore of the area is that Montego was once known as "Bahia de Manteca" which sounds exotic to the reader of the English language, but the joke is on us. The name is interpreted to English as "Lard Bay." When the English began their rule of Jamaica, this was said to be one of the island's poorest parishes. As it prospered, so did the naming of places, towns, etc. after the British. King James II. was given respect by naming the St. James Parish after him. He was honored by Sir Thomas Modyford, first Governor. This entire area grew and flourished as it moved into the growing of sugar cane.

Along with the plantations came the advent of slavery, a dishonorable part of Jamaica's history. Fire destroyed parts of Montego Bay through the seventeen hundreds and the early eighteen hundreds. Then in eighteen thirty-one a rebellion against slavery was initiated by Samuel Sharpe. As you recall he is a National Hero of St. James. It was through his efforts and that of the English in general that slavery was ended. Many fought and died to achieve this. As is usually the case, the slave-holders protested them being freed. Samuel Sharpe was hanged for his achievements of planning the rebellion. He would be proud to know that Emancipation was achieved in eighteen thirty-four.

Covering 594.9 square kilometers with 1524 meters being above sea level. Two rivers run through it. One appropriately named the Montego River the other the Great River. There are smaller ones but these are the main ones. There is a lot of limestone in two-thirds of the parish. In Montego Bay are the commercial (industrial) section and the tourist section. It is divided in half. Can you guess which half is located along the shore.

The citizens of Montego Bay work mainly in the tourist industry. Jamaica is a popular honeymoon destination. Some people who are able to afford it will fly their entire wedding party and guests to the island for their ceremony. No wonder one in four people work in the tourist industry.

One major attraction is Rose Hall Great House. Built in seventeen-seventy, it has a total of over 100,000 visitors per year. There is a fascinating ghost story attached to this home. A woman named Annie had lived in the house with her then husband John Rose Palmer. The Legend (short version) is that Annie murdered all three of her husbands. Her slaves later killed her by strangulation. As in every chilling ghost story, her spirit is reputed to inhabit the house to this very day.

The southern portion of Trelawny sits in an area that is not fit for human occupants. Called Cockpit Country it is designated as a nature preserve with 27 species of birds, and also home to the largest butterfly in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is the beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly.

In the area are sinkholes and approximately 48 caves. Two of them Windsor and Carambie Cave are especially lovely. Some of the caves have drawings on the walls. These were done by the Taino people. It isn't noted whether or not they are from ancient times. Four main rivers, the Quashie, Cane, Rio Bueno and the Martha Brae complete the landscape in Trelawny Parish.

The citizens of Trelawny Parish are employed in manufacturing jobs, agriculture and tourism. Of course sugar cane is grown but also coconuts, ginger, coffee, pimento, bananas, yams and strawberries. Some are working in the commercial fishing industry with up to thirty boats going out each day. Diminished from a flourishing business is the sugar production. There are only eight factories producing sugar on the island. Of the eight, two of them are in Trelawny Parish. Among all industries, it is the tourist portion that is flourishing the most. Some major hotels are located here also. One has an interesting name, The Starfish Hotel. It is amusing to think of all the swimming pools at all these hotels that are considered necessary on an island surrounded by water.

Falmouth the capital city has been thriving due to the need for a port from which to export sugar and other products. Quite the social center Falmouth has two major newspapers. Perhaps part of its popularity stems from the fact that the Parish that Falmouth is in was named after Sir William Trelawny who was the Governor of Jamaica at the time.

With the British influence it isn't surprising that the government is is modeled after that of UK. The Queen appoints a Governor General. His role is ceremonial as is the Queen's in UK. The Prime Minister has executive powers along with a cabinet, It resembles the structure of the American System. The Representatives are elected officials and number sixty, while the twenty-one Senators are appointees. There is a Judicial System also and though Jamaica voted for independence it remains a part of the Commonwealth.

The entire island of which Trelawny Parish is a part, covers an area of 10,991 square kilometers (4,244 square miles). It has a mountainous terrain with the mountains rising to 4000 feet above sea level. Climate being tropical is a major attraction to the 100,000 tourists that fly in each year. Total population in 2006 was estimated at 2,643,800 people. Two languages are listed, Patois and English. Surprisingly, children are obligated to continue school only until the age of fourteen. Employment of about 1.25 million people is seventeen percent in industries, almost eighteen percent work in agriculture and a whopping sixty-four percent are in the service industry. This of course is in the tourist industry. This magnificent island brings joy into the lives of the many visitors and the people of Jamaica welcome them...

BRIEF HISTORY

Jamaica is sometimes thought of as a primitive place with modern conveniences provided only to tourists. However, electricity was operable as far back as 1893. Black River was the location and the house it was introduced in was named Waterloo. Although St. Elizabeth covered, before 1703, most of the Southwestern portion of Jamaica, as happens all over the world as a result of "progress" boundaries change.

St. Elizabeth was diminished in size in 1703. In that year, Manchester was taken. Again in 1814 it was decreased in size by losing a part of Manchester. The Governor at the time named the resulting combined areas after his wife. We can now see the influence of England on the island with its governing body consisting of the English titled class.

There was diversity in the population however. Tainos/Arawaks lived there. The influence of the Spaniards who settled in Jamaica can still be seen in the Saint Elizabeth area. Tourists can still find the old buildings with "Spanish wall masonry." It is quite amazing that portions of these walls with their limestone and sand between wood construction are still standing.

As previously mentioned the British came to rule Jamaica. In 1655 they immigrated and began to establish sugar cane plantations. St. Elizabeth with its conveniently located seaport in Black River, prospered along with the planters. Another industry that proliferated was the logging. There was a market for the log wood and it was used to make Prussian-blue dye a popular commodity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

GEOGRAPHY

St. Elizabeth Parish has a latitude of 18°15'N, a longitude of 77°56'W. It is located west of Manchester, east of Westmoreland and south of Trelawny and St. James. Jamaica's second largest parish it is right behind Saint Ann's which covers 1212.6. Three of its four constituencies, also called electoral districts are controlled by the majority voting block of the People's National Party. The Jamaica Labour Party is predominate in only one of these four electoral districts. This information was last documented in October of 2002.

DEMOGRAPHY

Presenting information estimated in 2001 we find 148,000 in the entire parish with 4000 in the capital town of Black River. A large number of folks with different ethnic background provide St. Elizabeth with an interesting racial mixture in the population. It is said to be the largest variety in all of Jamaica. Lets see, among them are the Miskito Indians, the Maroons, the Irish (who immigrated in the nineteenth century. Also German, Scots and Portuguese found Jamaica a desirable place to migrate to.

ECONOMY

Jamaica is a tourist magnet. Who wouldn't be delighted to visit a place with sun, sand, friendly people and those beautiful sunsets. There are other spots that are also very interesting to explore. It includes forty-four caves, a cliff enticingly named "Lovers' Leap", and no self-respecting tourist would leave the island without visiting the famous "Treasure Beach" a gorgeous scenic spot. No wonder tourism has been thriving since 1993.

With mining, agriculture (which consists mostly of sugar cane), and fishing predominating the prosperity of Jamaica and St. Elizabeth Parish are sure to continue.

The large hotels may be increasing the wages paid to workers due to the increasing focus on education. St. Elizabeth Parish is proud to have St. Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz. Rivals include Hampton School, and Munro College.

Combined with Black River High, Lacovia and Maggotty High (not a type) and the Bethlehem Moravian College there are many educational opportunities for the citizens. It seems that many students from all over the world might find this location a wonderful place to get their higher education degrees. While, naturally, taking advantage of all the things the tourists travel to Jamaica to enjoy.