Band on the Run: Golf Carts = Wildlife at Resorts

by Ember Swift on
Ember Swift, Canadian musician and touring performer, will be keeping us up-to-date on what it’s like to tour a band throughout North America. Having just arrived back from Beijing where she spent three months (check out her “Canadian in Beijing” series), she offers a musician’s perspective on road life. Enjoy!

I wonder about resorts. Here I am in this perfect fantasyland and I am quietly contemplating it all with head slightly cocked to one side, brow furrowed. I wonder if resorts are about the illusion: the illusion of having enough money, of having a “staff,” of having food and drink plentiful and always available that has been prepared by others, of having a life of leisure.

I mentioned this to my close family members and the response was: “No, Ember. This is what normal people call a vacation.”

Uh-huh. Okay then. I’m clearly not normal. But, to be fair, that’s true. For me, a person who travels for work, my ultimate vacation takes place at home in my own bed with my own kitchen and the quiet of no strangers and no action. In fact, I could probably use some pointers on “vacationing” like a normal person.

I’m also clearly being told to relax and get into it. Live a little. Enjoy.

And, I’m working on it.

(Besides, I don’t play until tomorrow and there will be no sound check to be on time for and no band to assemble. I should be living it up! Don’t worry, it shouldn’t take me long…)

I went for a run this morning after a long sleep. Maui is six hours behind Toronto and so I slept until one p.m. in my body and found it was only seven a.m. here. Getting up and going for a run in the not-quite-killer heat was refreshing and a great way to start the day, (especially since I’m not really a morning person and it was great to feel rested before the day had really begun!)

Not to mention an excellent way to get the “lay of the land” here. I ran through the resort section, which is several resorts all squashed together here in Lahaina, Maui. In fact, it reminded me of Beijing and the university area (Wudaokou) where every corner seems to have a new gateway to yet another educational institution. So it is here with resorts. I can’t keep track of how many there are or where one stops and another begins. They are all beautifully coiffed, however, and each has beach access. We’re staying at the “Royal Lahaina Resort.“

Also, there is a large golf course that seems to weave around them all. This sign made me laugh since the last time I saw a sign for anything “crossing” it was for moose and elk in Northern BC. I guess golf carts are the wildlife in resorts! (This thought made me laugh out loud to myself while running. A passerby heard me laugh and looked up, smiled and said good morning. It was all a really great moment.)

I soon discovered that the golf course cart trails made a decent running path this morning as there weren’t any golfers out yet, and it led me to the edge of the water and an historic plaque:

It seems that this part of the island – Lahaina – was once an important shipping port for the sugar cane industry. The port is called “Keka’a Landing Pier.” There were railroad lines that led from the plantations to this port and vice versa for supplies. Now, there is just this plaque and the crumbling remains of a pier that is no longer functional. The resorts are all edged up around this once-bustling pier and I’d imagine that not many people actually even see this little jutting section that holds so much history.

I stopped running then, for just a moment, to both read the plaque and do a full 180 degree turn to check out my surroundings. Staring at the ocean, the golf course comes right up to the cliff, which then weaves down overtop of large volcanic rock boulders on the right towards sand and beach. The resort on my left also hugs the cliff and the resort we’re staying in farther down on the right has outbuildings and cabins and various pools right up against the golf course and stretching into the distance. Its far side is flanked by another resort yet again. The beach continues, of course, and the water was sparkling.

I started running again then down across the volcanic rock boulders to the beach where I took up the hardened sand just above the waving water line. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way this land must have looked a hundred years ago and more. I wondered about the liveliness of the shipping port, the commerce or businesses that must have sprung up around it, the general din of boat horns and railroad steam engines. I imagined the people then. Could I imagine the scene even remotely accurately?

I got my running shoes wet then, daydreaming rather than avoiding the surf. It’s alright, though, because they’ll dry in this heat. They’re fine.

I turned around and headed back to the resort after awhile. When I got to the edge of the walkway back up to the lobby that led to the elevator that lead to my room (!), I took one look at the ocean and knew that I had to go in there. I stripped unceremoniously to my sports bra and white y-fronts and ran in.

For the first time in my life (even after numerous trips to Hawaii and New Caledonia) I understand now why the inside of swimming pools are blue in colour. They’re actually trying to replicate the beautiful blue of the ocean in places like this! (duh!#@ — and that’s directed at me!) Swimming under water, you could see the reflection of sun through the ocean and hitting the sand below, the turquoise water shimmering like sequins above my head.

It was gorgeous and I came out wearing the same shimmering grin as the ocean.

I then put my running pants and shirt back on, and, carrying my sneakers and walking barefoot, I dripped sand and salt water all through the patio, lobby, elevator and hallways and up to my room. I got back looking like a soggy sea urchin.

No, I should say: A smiling soggy sea urchin.

The ocean at my fingertips? I could get used to that.

And, check out the view.

Win Backroads Trip to Costa Rica!

by Martha Edwards on

Have you ever been to Costa Rica? I haven’t but I’ve been dying to go ever since my brother (usually the anti-traveler in the family ) came back from a 3-week trip armed with awesome photos, even better stories, a wicked tan and a hippy-style ring for me that I’ve worn ever since.

Here’s your chance to immerse yourself in Costa Rica’s lush rainforest for free — you can enter to win a Backroads Trip for two to the tropical destination. There’s no need to rush though — the contest is open until May 31, 2008. You can enter by clicking here.

(Via Marilyn at Intelligent Traveler)

Gadling’s Summer Beach Post Roundup

by Justin Glow on

Best Nude Beaches — Gadling blogger Willy visited a nude beach. Once. “After spending a few days at the gorgeous, trendy, topless-friendly (but ridiculously overcrowded) Clifton Beach, we decided to mix things up and head farther afield. Sandy Bay was, as promised, remote, quiet, and pristine. It was also filled with creepily bronzed, withered middle-aged men who were so evidently trying to ogle my junk that I couldn’t relax. In short, it was fun, it was different — but it was time to go.”

Keep Your Gadgets Charged on the Beach — The Juice Bag is the “world’s first heavy-duty solar beach tote.” It has an ultra-thin solar panel built into the side which harnesses the power of the sun and converts it into juice for your cellphone, digital camera, sombrero, or other gadgets you may bring to the beach to ruin with sand.

Tiny Island Nation Seeks Tourists — “Love beachside bungalows? Does the thought of few (or no) other travelers excite you? Lemme guess: you like friendly locals? If this combination sounds too good to be true, it’s not. I’ve got one word for you: Principe.”

Protect Your Electronics at the Beach — “How do you keep those electric doodads safe from sun, sand, and surf?”

5 Hidden, Affordable Beach Destinations — “The piece details five North American spots that are jam-packed with activities, food, fresh air — and beaches. Just to clarify up front: “affordable” means meals run $8-$20 and accommodation runs roughly $100 a night. Still interested?”

13 Budget Beaches — “Beaches are my favorite holiday getaways. Unfortunately, many people prize beaches, and as such, they can be expensive to get away to. Enter Concierge, which has compiled a baker’s dozen of the world’s best affordable beaches. Of course, depending on where you live, some of the destinations may cost a few pennies to reach, but with accommodation prices this low, you can afford it.”

World’s Best Active Beaches — “I love relaxing on the sand, in the sun, with a beer on one side, a dog on the other, and a magazine with lots of pictures in front of me. Occasionally, I gaze out at the paragliders and envy them their active lifestyles. Then, I take a long, slow sip of my cold drink and remember why I came to the beach. Yes… relaxing on the sand is wonderful.”

World’s Sexiest Beaches 2007

by Justin Glow on

Each year, our friends over at Concierge.com put out a list of the world’s sexiest beaches, featuring the best places to “flirt with millionaires, lick the salt off a margarita glass, siesta in a hammock, and gaze at blood-orange sunsets night after night.”

If these don’t make you wish you were somewhere else, you’ve either got your toes in the sand right now, or you’re dead to the world. Here is 2007’s sexiest beaches:

  • Caprera Island, Sardinia, Italy — “La dolce vita meets Euro bling.”
  • Salvador da Bahia, Brazil — “Slow, happy, and inexpensive.”
  • Cousine Island, Seychelles — “Me Tarzan, you Jane!”
  • Playa de los Lances, Tarifa, Spain — “Surf hard, play hard. Flirt even harder.”
  • Pink Sand Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas — “Colonial swagger with high society tennis games at dusk.”
  • Kuta Beach, Bali — “Beachcombing boho chic.”
  • South Beach, Miami, Florida — “Nightlife hub, arts mecca, de facto capital of Latin America, Miami is all sexy, all the time.”
  • Pigeon Point Beach, Antigua — “British aristos meet Hollywood movers-and-shakers for a love-in, colonial style.”
  • Bodrum, Turkey — “European? Asian? Yes”
  • Santa Maria Beach, Ilha do Sal, Cape Verde — “The calm before the storm.”
  • Laguna Beach, California — “California lovin'”
  • Ihuru Island, Maldives — “Just say no to shoes.”
  • Playa Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — “City kids get physical in a tropical playground.”
  • Paradise Beach, Mykonos — “You’re only young once. If you’re not, keep drinking-you’ll feel young soon enough.”
  • Grande Plage, Biarritz, France — “Beach bums meet fashion plates.”
  • Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii — “The vibe: Chilled-out aloha spirit.”
  • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — “It was this big-honest!”
  • The Similan Islands, Thailand — “Wash my hair tonight? Why bother?”
  • Motu Tane, French Polynesia — “Fashionistas air kisses and catwalks on the beach.”

For detailed information on each of these beaches, including the best places to stay, visit Concierge.com.

One for the Road: More Sand in My Bra

by Kelly Amabile on

Travelers Tales has released another title in their hilarious travel story series. First, there was the Leo Trio:Bra, Panty and Thong — three books bursting with funny tales from female travelers. Then the anthology series turned to the gents for their rip-roaring stories in What Color is Your Jockstrap. And now the series comes full circle, returning to the original sandy bra for yet another scoop of silliness and humor from wanderlust ladies.

More Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road, Again! is a collection of on-the-road mishaps that is sure to entertain. Leo teamed up with fellow traveler Julia Weiler to co-edit this latest batch of travel blunders–take a booze cruise in Vietnam, get lost at a sex camp and tag along on tour with Ellen Degeneres. Throw this one in your beach bag ladies–I’m fairly certain that these 29 tales will keep you laughing all summer long.