Discover Our Town

The Valley of Fire: Truly Amazing!

The most beautiful drive I’ve ever taken was on State Route 169—or more specifically, the part of the highway that went through the Valley of Fire State Park. It was breathtaking! I’m telling you, as far as state parks go, this one is a must-see—especially if you’re visiting Las Vegas, where it’s situated only 55 miles away. That’s less than an hour by car, and even quicker by helicopter.

  The most memorable thing from my trip to the Valley of Fire was being greeted by amazing rock formations—the likes of which I’ve never seen before. I felt as if I were getting the red carpet treatment, but here, instead of flashbulbs, everywhere I looked there were rocks gleaming in a variety of gorgeous shades of red. And would you believe these beautiful rocks are always changing? With the movement of the sun, their colors deepen and their shadows alter, making the formations take on totally different appearances from sunrise to sunset.

My first stop was to the Valley of Fire State Park Visitor Center. The staff is very friendly and I got a little inside information about the park’s background and geology. I always find I enjoy things more when armed with knowledge. I also discovered there are a ton of things to do at the Valley of Fire—from hiking and picnicking to camping. You can even cool off with a swim at Rogers Springs or Lake Mead, which are located nearby.

Another highlight of my visit to the Valley of Fire was doing the short, fairly easy White Domes loop trail. It’s just over a mile long, and I remember passing through several unique settings during the trek. I navigated rocks on a dry wash bed, scuttled on soft sand and even entered a narrow canyon—where the red rocks dazzled me yet again. About halfway through, I came across the remains of the film set from The Professionals, which was shot at the park in 1966. That was much better than viewing movie memorabilia at a museum and it cost less!

Of course, I highly recommend a drive on the six-mile scenic loop where you’ll find that many of the Valley of Fire’s most popular rock formations (like Arch Rock) are just steps away. It’s a somewhat rough unpaved road, but well worth the bumpiness as you can drive right up to most of them. Many are named for animals or other objects—such as the Beehives, Atlatl Rock and Elephant Rock—although in some cases the resemblance is a bit of a stretch. I did like the Seven Sisters formation, which is a beautiful grouping of tall, red boulders in the midst of the flat desert. These rocks had an eerily sacred presence that gave me a feeling of inner peace and tranquility.

Overall, you cannot beat the natural beauty of the Valley of Fire. It’s a great place to visit. I know you won’t be disappointed.

Written by Travel Gal, Renee Libutti

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon:
A Larger-Than-Life Experience

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, which is located a mere 300 miles from the Grand Canyon.  That’s a four-hour drive by car, and less than an hour flight by helicopter. Since the Grand Canyon was right here in my backyard, I never felt a pressing urge to visit—even though it’s one of the most written about and most photographed places on Earth. I just assumed I’d get around to it some day.

Well, some day finally came. I won’t tell you my age—but suffice to say, my Grand Canyon visit was at least 30 years overdue. Just a few years ago, I went on a bus tour to the canyon’s popular South Rim. I don’t really know how to describe the experience, as nothing prepared me for the feeling of awe I had upon walking up to the first of several different viewpoints that day. Basically, I just gazed out at the grand expanse. I think the sheer enormity of it is what took my breath away. In fact, its size actually makes visiting seem daunting. Did you know the Grand Canyon National Park covers more than a million acres of gorgeous geography? You’d need two weeks to properly take all that in. My day trip soon began to feel terribly inadequate.

Thus, two years ago, my boyfriend and I booked a late-afternoon helicopter tour to Grand Canyon West, which is even closer to Las Vegas, situated only 140 miles away. I’d never been on a helicopter, so it was quite a rush when it lifted up and looped above the Strip. I saw some amazing views of the Las Vegas valley, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Eventually, the helicopter came over some jagged cliffs and there the Grand Canyon laid—a spectacular vision with the fading sun reflecting in the clouds. Seeing the terrain and the more-than-a-mile drops below me was mind-blowing…and, then we descended into the canyon, some 1,500 feet beneath the rim! The whole experience was surreal.

The thing is I’m not finished with the Grand Canyon. I still want to see more of it. I’ve got a longing to hike to the canyon floor, and perhaps to raft down the Colorado River. I’d also like to set foot on the North Rim.

All I can say is no matter how you do it, you should definitely visit the Grand Canyon—at least once. Everything is dramatic around the plateaus and beneath the river-carved rim. And everything is big, including the experience you’ll have in this vast, legendary expanse. If you’re anything like me, you’ll surely get addicted!

Written by Travel Gal, Renee Libutti

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Allegan Country Inn - Allegan, MI

   

Allegan Country Inn - Allegan MI

Tradewinds - Your Peronal Invitation To Amber Day

WHAT'S NEW? Opal's Mystery Revealed! Spooky Stories... Fall Shipments Have Arrived! Amber Day Is Here! Save Big On October 12th! Amazing Deals in the Store and Online. October 2008   Dear Customer, Tradewinds is excited to announce that AMBER DAY is Sunday October 12th! Our Polish wholesaler is arriving at our Downtown Burlington Store with a truckload of designer, one-of-a-kind pieces in sterling silver and all of it is on sale! All Amber in sterling silver is 15% OFF, MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER and receive an ADDITIONAL 10% OFF! Is 18k Gold what you're looking for? Our Amber collection in gold is not officially on sale, but MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER and we'll give you 10% OFF any Amber jewelry set in gold. Can't make it to Burlington on October 12th? Don't despair, AMBER DAY is happening ONLINE as well! All sterling silver and Amber Jewelry on our website is 10% OFF As always, priority mail shipping is free on Jewelry to anywhere in the continental United States so don't miss out! Log on and save big! If you are planning to make the drive to Burlington be sure to check out our HAPPENINGS PAGE for up-to-the-minute details and any schedule changes that might occur. Opal's Mystery Revealed! This Fiery Stone Heats Up October Birthdays Ever wonder what Opal actually is? Interestingly, it is a mineraloid gel which is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock. Precious opal, from which most jewelry is made does have an internal structure. Ordered spheres of silica help produce opal's internal colors by interfering and diffracting light as it passes through the stone. Cool right? In the Middle Ages, opal was considered lucky because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in it's color spectrum. Later in history, Opal was seen as bad luck if not the owners's birthstone. It's not hard to make the leap that the extreme fragility of opal, compared to other gem stones, might have contributed to these and other superstitions. Tradewinds offers a huge selection of natural precious opal. the majority of it is in the form of OPAL DOUBLET. A Doublet is a slice of colorful natural opal glued on to a dark backing of potch (opal with no play of color), obsidian, onyx or some other dark backing. This process gives the opal more strength and durability as it's being set and worn. More Opal Jewelry Spooky Stories... Just in Time for Halloween: Diana's Tales of Transylvania This month in FUN FEATURES Diana and Dave travel to Romania, only to discover that the spirit of Dracula still haunts the misty Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. Click here to read FULL MOON OVER TRANSYLVANIA: IN SEARCH OF DRACULA if you dare! This month in Dave's Photo Gallery he walks us through A DAY IN NEPAL. These new images, from his recent trip to Bhaktapur, a small town nestled in the Kathmandu Valley, are sure to inspire the inner traveler in us all. FUN FEATURES Fall Shipments Have Arrived! New Jewelry is Pouring in, Get a Jump on the Holidays! 'Tis the season for massive jewelry shipments at our Downtown Burlington Store. We have finally received the much anticipated shipment of THAI HILLTRIBE jewelry, including a selection in gold vermeil! Dave went insane in Bali and sent kilos of beautiful new green TURQUOISE as well as OPAL all set in an array of new sterling silver designs. The new GOLD JEWELRY from Nepal and Hong Kong is already on display, you won't want to miss out on the new CULTUR ED PEARL and DIAMOND selections or the new GREEN AMBER designs in 18k gold. October is also a great month to cash in on great deals at our Downtown Store. BEAD SALE - 20%-60% Off Selected Necklaces: September 29th-October 12th WAREHOUSE SALE- 20%-70% Off Selected Handicraft Items - October 13th-October 26th AMBER DAY IS OCTOBER 12TH!!!!!! HALLOWEEN SALE 15%-50% Off Storewide -October 27th-November 2nd To see all of our In-Store sales for October check out the IN-STORE SALES CALENDAR on the HAPPENINGS Page Tradewinds Online is growing this month also. We have uploaded a ton of new AMBER JEWELRY to the NEW ARRIVALS Page in preparation for the ONLINE AMBER DAY SALE. Receive 10% OFF all Amber and Sterling Silver jewelry for the entire month! Log on and enjoy! NEW ARRIVALS WHAT'S HAPPENING Amber Day Details Fun Features Opal Jewelry New Arrivals email: newsletter@tradewindsvt.com phone: (toll free) 1-888-485-5488 web: http://www.tradewindsvt.com

Chateau on the Bayou of Raceland, LA

Claudette Ledet Pitre is living her dream.  She’s converted her 21 year old, four bedroom, three bathroom Victorian home, which is nestled along Bayou Lafourche in Raceland, into a cozy bed and breakfast. The idea came shortly after the storms on the evening of her mother’s funeral.  Pitre and her sisters were mingling with family and friends when the conversation turned to the devastation Hurricane Katrina had caused in neighboring parishes.

            

               “We had just buried my mother,” Pitre recalled.  “We went back to her house and sat around for a few hours.  Then someone mentioned that a group of animal rescue workers were living in tents at the old Rosela Plantation about two miles from my house.” The group was from Seattle.  They were part of the crew helping rescue stranded animals in New Oreans." "These people were sleeping in tents and it was hot,” she said.  “I had the space and there was no way I would have let them sleep out there another night.”At the time, Pitre’s home wasn’t adorned as it is today. But, she said, the workers slept in a comfortable bed and enjoyed home-cooked Cajun meals.

            

                   By January 2006, Pitre decided to completely convert her home into a bed and breakfast.  She began studying what made B&B’s successful, applied for her licenses and visited several operations along the bayou to learn more about running her own business.

To furnish the rooms of her home, Pitre included a number of pieces she inherited from her mother.

“I’ve come a long way since the first time I allowed strangers, who became like family before they left, live in my home,” she said.

                

                    At the bed and breakfast, visitors can sleep in one of four bedrooms equipped with everything they would need to live like they were at home.  Visitors enjoy a deluxe continental breakfast and have access to a laundry facility and sitting area.  Rooms also have telephone, cable and Internet connections.  A professional body massage therapist is also available upon request.

Since opening nearly three years ago, Pitre has had guests from all over the world.  An avid traveler, she enjoys mixing her heritage with other cultures. “This is the best part about owning a bed and breakfast.  I have traveled around the world and I embrace everyone from all nationalities so they can experience a little Cajun culture,” she said.  “I build friendships and people come back again and again – just like family.

                  

                     Pitre believes that guests seek her bed and breakfast because it is convenient.  A Chateau on the Bayou is 10 minutes from Thibodaux, 15 minutes from Houma, Luling and Larose and 30 minutes from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

                  

                   “My guests say they prefer a bed and breakfast over a hotel because it is their ‘home away from home,’” she said.  “My guest can rest in the hammock and watch the bayou flow slowly by or rock in the comfortable rocker on the back porch while watching the birds search for vegetation”

                   Sometimes they even see a bald eagle soaring over the bayou where the fish are jumping or catch a glimpse of an alligator raise its head above the water or an egret perched on the wharf,” she added.  Pitre said the Cajun hospitality experience is guaranteed.

Contact

Chateau on the Bayou

3158 Hwy. 308

Raceland, LA 70394

            985-537-6773 or 985-413-6773