Prospect Reef Resort Culinary & Holiday
Point Sebago Resort - A Family Resort on Sebago Lake

POINT SEBAGO RESORT A Family Resort on Sebago
Lake RELAXING SUMMER TIME – But Beware the Pirates

“Ahoy ye, mates! The scurrilous pirates that roam
Sebago Lake are boarding!” yelled our captain.
Thus began our most hilarious adventure during our
three-day weekend at Point Sebago Resort. Our two-deck
boat cruised serenely from the Resort docks for about
half an hour, with the weirdest crew since Johnny Depp
did “The Pirate” movie. Our wacky mates danced and
sang original songs like “Sebago Pirates”. (I have
their lively CD, “Point Sebago Days”) and entertained
us with an hysterical Catskill-like review complete
with improvisation, skeletons in the spiral staircase!
The children, families, I my husband laughed ‘til our
sides split. Until the moment of truth, when our crew
spied a “Pirate Ship” closing in fast on the starboard
side. We watched helplessly as the ship approached,
climbed aboard, and took over our ship! The rest of
the cruise was uproarious, as our mates were forced to
anchor near shore as the pirates and our crew fought
over buried treasure.
Eventually, the pirates were driven off, waving
their Jolly Roger skull and cross bones flag, as we
heaved a sigh h of relief and headed back to safe
harbor at Point Sebago Resort. This cruise alone was
worth the entire weekend, and all the cruisers agreed!
The crew, many of whom are drama students, also help
run activities, wait tables, and add to the fun
happening at the resort.
Activities galore entice tots to grandparents. The playground, facing the lake, is on a sandy beach; the kayaks, cruise boats, and paddleboats are at the docks. The teens have activities all summer long, from dances to games to competitions, luring them away from game boys and computer screens to interaction with their peers in sports, water activities and whatnot.
“Some families have been coming here for 35 years,
and this has become a family reunion time,” Greg Burke
told me. “They take the same cabins every year, at the
same time.” (Greg’s family favorite? Near the Beach
Pavilion, facing the lake.) At night, the guys get
together, drinks in hand, and just sit and gab in
front of the cabins while the women and kids do the
same. During the summer, families and couples book for
a week or longer, and quickly get into that easygoing
rhythm.
What a life! But after just a too-short weekend, I
relaxed quickly, and could see how nice a weeklong
stay would be. The food was delicious and was served buffet-style on our weekend in the adults and family dining room. I enjoyed swimming in the lake, wandering the grounds. John and I hated to leave our little Shangri la at Point Sebago Lake.
The vistas from the resort were beautiful, and no
tall buildings or commercial sites were in view,
adding to the serenity.
At nigh, families built campfires, told tall tales,
toasted marshmallows, and listened to the crickets.
Point Sebago is a 775-Acre Resort on Sebago Lake in
Casco Maine, with a terrific 18-hole championship
golf course, 10 tennis courts, marina, restaurants,
miniature golf, Water Park, shuffleboard, horseshoes,
and an award winning activities program for kids,
families and adults.
“The ‘play’ possibilities are endless, much like
our schedule of events,” explained Greg Burke, the
public relations director for Point Sebago Resort. "We
have families who’ve been coming here for 35 years,
and now their kids are coming with their families.
Because so many resort goers wanted to move in, the
management is building four-season vacation homes at
the resort,” said Greg.
Resort counselors lead and plan so many events and
activities it’s hard to remember them all, never mind
do everything. Even on our three- day weekend in June,
my husband and I longed to just sit on our deck
overlooking Lake Sebago, or throw a fishing pole into
the lake (as our neighbor did), but we didn’t want to
miss the Pirate Cruise, a chance to kayak around the
lake, a narrated tour, or swimming. All in all, we
managed some deck time, putting our feet up on the
rails, watching the twilight fall, and listening to
the grvtting frogs and other lake life.
Best of all, the Resort is just about a two-hour
leisurely drive from Boston’s North Shore, and the
Friday we went, no traffic clogged our lovely Maine
rural views. On the way back, we stopped at a few
little highway, craft and produce stores in Raymond
and chatted up the locals. The lovely ladies at
Chipman’s Farm Market even ended up mailing back my
pocketbook, which I inadvertently left there while
loading up on the blueberry preserves.
Our relaxing weekend included rounds of golf on
their award-winning golf course and a lobster fest on
the annual Lobsterfest Getaway Weekend! June 10. June
10-12 Lobsterfest Getaway Package Included ~ 2 Nights
in an All Inclusive Park Home, ~ Friday Night
welcome Dinner, ~ Saturday and Sunday Breakfasts,
~ 2 Lunches (Saturday - Sunday), ~ Saturday Night
Lobster Dinner by the Lake ~ Use of Canoes, Kayaks, Paddleboats, Sunfish & Tennis Courts. The Golf
Weekends are also available with two rounds of golf
plus cart.
For the weekend special, we arrived in the early
afternoon on Friday so we could start enjoying all
that Point Sebago has to offer. Our accommodations in
an all-inclusive Park Home offered more amenities than
the pine cabins my two sons, Aaron and Jacob, lived in
when they went to Camp Lawrence summer camp. John and
I stayed in #162 Park Home, with two bedrooms
television, a little kitchen, deck, a couch, and a
deck facing the lake shaded by tall pines. It was a
perfect campground resort. Other types of housing
range from vacation homes, cottages, travel trailers
to campsites.
At check in, resort goers on the food plan
receive a welcome package with meal and activity
coupons. Buffet dinners in the Beach Pavilion,
breakfast and dinners were terrific. Guests don’t have
to be on a meal plan; many families cook on outdoor
grills, or in their kitchens. The lakeside Snack Bar
and Chippy's Pavilion is a popular meeting point, as
well as ice cream central, and place to buy any little
thing the family forgot, from sunscreen to sandwiches.
For information on prices, programs, directions,
etc., visit the website at www.pointsebago.com or call
Point Sebago Resort, 261 Point Sebago Road, Casco,
Maine 04015. Toll Free: 1-800-655-1232, 207-655-3821,
Fax 207-655-3371, or email info@pointsebago.com.
Point Sebago is in South Casco on Route 302. Take
Route 95 to Exit 48 off the Maine Turnpike for 22
miles on Route 30 to Point Sebago Resort. The resort
is between, North Conway, NH and Portland, ME.

Charming Chef Andre Neidberhauser and Chef Joey Abitabilo cooked up a “Culinary Weeklong Workshop” at lush Prospect Reef Resort on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Blending seven days of slicing, dicing, sauteing and grilling instruction with ample time for a seaside French Thalasso spa, fitness center, day-trips -- sailing on the 69’ catamaran through the Sir Frances Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda, to Jost Van Dyke Island, to Peter Island, lolling beside the salt water pool or luxuriating in a seaside spa session. I, a total kitchen nincompoop, mastered knife skills, expertly sliced onions, made mango chutney, sauteed fresh fish, barbecued jerked beef at the beach and created mango chutney at Peter Island. The low-key resort has 137 rooms and suites, three fabulous restaurants and a wonderful staff. Playful on-site dolphins to swim with add joy at this destination. Callaloo Restaurant serves four-star meals. Sightseeing around the island on Roisster Samson’s trolley tour is a treat for you’ll see a working rustic rum factory, mountain views of the nearby St. John’s island. Culinary 7 day vacation includes professional knife set, chef jackets, all meals, rooms; $1820 PP, double occupancy; rooms begin at $150. 1-800-356-937, www.prospectreef.com. Call BVI Tourist Board 1-800-835-8530 for island information.

Our Lucaya - Grand Bahamian Resort

Our Lucaya Resort fronts one-quarter mile of Lucaya Beach. Beachcombers stroll the seven-mile beach. Stargazers sip Bahama Mamas by the infinity pool. Snorkelers hop aboard Our Lucaya‘s glass-bottom snorkel boat for daily cruises. Dine outdoors or in for China Beach’s Asian fusion; try steak dinner at Churchill’s or cocktails at the bar. Samantha makes a mean Manhattan. Do take hammock time. Across the street spend a lazy hours roaming the booths, boutiques and gallery at Port Lucaya. A wooden boardwalk skirts the harbor, restaurants, bars, barstools, wayfarers, mariners and other voyagers. Evenings and afternoons, crowds hang out at Count Basie Square, sitting at the tables, dancing to the Caribbean beat of local bands (“Who Let the Dogs Out” is a favorite). Divine food upstairs at Mariners and slips welcome luxury yachts, sailboats in from cruising, ferryboats. Here you can find fishing charters, or pay for a Gold Coast snorkel-picnic party trip with Bahama Mama (love those guys!), sail on a catamaran. Kayak tours through mangrove grooves are groovy. Smilin’ Pat leads daily excursions like an East End Adventure to a pristine beach. Scuba, snorkel, swim and sunbathe. Gourmet dinners await at the Ferry House on Pelican Bay. Kudos to Chefs “Worly” Volundarson and Chef “Siggi” Gislason.

Historic Apalachicola

Historic Apalachicola, along the Apalachicola River, was a bustling cotton shipping port in North Florida's Panhandle region in the mid 1800s. After the closing of the American cotton market stopped the bustling river traffic, Apalachicola turned to oyster and shrimp fishing. Now, it’s also a bit of unspoiled Florida. Wild nature rules on 12,358-acre island St. Vincent Island, barrier island in Apalachicola Bay and a National Wildlife Refuge. St. George‘s Island, a 28-mile long barrier island, separates Apalachicola Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. Pristine silky beaches, forests, trails and wilderness are a remnant of Florida's original landscape. Turtles, dunes, piping plovers, surf, shells dazzle island goers. Climb aboard the Governor Stone, a 1877 63- foot Gulf Coast schooner and National Historic Landmark to cruise the river and estuary. Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses over 246,000 acres in Apalachicola Bay. The educational center is worth a peek. Dine at he marvelous Victorian Gibson Inn, Magnolia Grill. That Place on 98 and Blue Parrot Oceanside Cafe are Jimmy Buffet -types. Great crab, fresh seafood, deck-overlooking harbor. Finni’s Grill & Bar. Oyster Cove, Lodging --Collins Vacation Rentals, Inc., 800-423-7418. www.collinsvacationrentals.com. In Apalachicola town, the Coombs House Inn, 80 Sixth St. Call 850-653-9199; www.coombshouseinn.com Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce, 850-653-9419, VISIT FLORIDA -- 1-888-7FLAUSA; www.flausa.com. US Airways, 1-800-428-4322.

Family Fun at Old Orchard Beach Old Orchard Beach’s broad seven-mile long white sand beach sparkles as brightly as her seaside amusement parks, Playland and Atlantic Ocean. Old Orchard Beach, a funky, family-fun, Victorian-era Maine town, appeals to campers from Bayley’s Campgrounds , vacationers from the elegant Old Orchard Beach Inn, and dozens of motels. Summer scene -- children and parents laughing, squealing on the scary rides; pizza, popcorn, French fries, people strolling. New sound? Whistles and chug-chug of Amtrak’s new DownEaster train from Boston to Portland, Maine. The Old Orchard Beach trains station and stop on Orchard Avenue is one block from the ocean. Stroll out on the Pier, visit the elk farm, Audubon Sanctuary, canoe and kayak rental and forests or just laze around on the beach. Breakfast and lunch at Joseph’s gives you a broad sweeping view of the ocean; Surf 6, on the beach, features lobsters, pool table, and karaoke. For a true Old Orchard Beach experience, eat at the Clambake; get in line, order fish, lobster, hamburger and feed leftovers to the seagulls out back. For more info, call the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, 207-934-2500.

Dining in New York City

 
Quebec City New France Festival August 6 - 10, 2003

By Rachel Rome

Thousands of festival-goers dressed in festive costumes for four joie de vivre-filled days last year at the New France Festival in Quebec City, Canada -- and I was one of them. In 2003, the festival is August 6 - 10. Our tour guides had rented costumes for my group -- skirts, long pants, vests, tri-cornered hats -- and we wore them every night. People in tri-corner hats, skirts, vests and long pants recalled the 1608 French settlers who founded Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River! At the le Quartier Louisiane (Louisiana District) at Parc Montmorency, the aristocrats wore silk and satin, feathered hats and frilly sleeves. , Recreation and Tourism for Louisiana led us around the area, filled with food booths and kids games. Quebec cuisine is fantastic. The first night, a spectacular costumed parade through the streets of Old Québec featured the famed Four Giants of Quebec, bands, revelers and jugglers. Highlights: Dinner at the regal Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. It’s 310 steps up to the Chateau from the river; walk or take the funicular; breakfast at Le Cochon Dingue, an authentic Quebec institution. After breakfast, I took a mini-bus with a tour guide around Québec City. At night, strolling musicians and dancers entertained at the open-air restaurant. Our theme dinner in Les Voutes du Cavour, a historical home, typical of New France architecture, featured food and entertainment of this era. In Quebec, we enjoyed a ride on The M/V Louis Jolliet offers dinner and lunch cruises on the St. Lawrence River. Took an excursion to Montmorency Falls and the Island of Orleans. Montmorency Falls are one and half times higher than Niagara Falls and very beautiful. A ride on the cable car to the top, a stroll to the lookout point and the bridge overhanging the falls is worth it. Drive to the rural Island of Orleans to see the many buildings dating from the French Regime (17th and 18th centuries). One of the Island's finest restaurants, "Le Moulin de St. Laurent", www.moulinstlaurent.qc.ca, serves regional cuisine in the former 1720 old flour mill. Mont-Sainte-Anne, close to Quebec City, offers a cable car ride to the top for a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence River; ski, bike or hike here. Dinner at Le Graffiti is an uptown treat. I stayed at a cozy Hotel des Coutellier, 253 Rue Saint Paul, 418-692-9696, in an antique area a few blocks from Place Royale, the heart of the New France Festival. Www.quebecregion.com ; www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca  (New France Festival); Quebec City and Area Tourism -- 418-522-3511, www.quebecregion.com . Air Canada, www.aircanada flies to Quebec City.

The Bitter End Yacht Club -- A Sailor’s Delight in the BVI

 The Bitter End Yacht Club --

Sailors, yachtsman, landlubbers and families treasure the casual Bitter End Yacht Club, on a little island at the far end of North Sound in the British Virgin Islands, in the most protected deep water harbor in the Caribbean. Trade winds make this sailor’s paradise and sailing is at the heart of the Bitter End. Their fleet of over 100 boats , 15 weekly excursions, boat and fishing charters offers plenty for sea lovers. They boast a sailing, board and wind surfing program for beginners and a Junior Sailing Program for teens ages 12-17. Captains can cruise in a Boston whaler or race J-24s. Every day the dive boat Sunchaser goes to different dive sites. dive at. Or combine a yacht villa vacation -- live aboard a Freedom 30 keelboat; cruise the North Sound islands, and dock at the Quarterdeck Marina to enjoy the resort amenities. This nautical village has 85 shore side accommodations, including spacious hillside cabins with decks overlook the bay and amazing sunsets and starry nights. Landlubbers can hike on trails, enjoy pool, beaches, restaurants and shops. Snorkel, cruise and explore the Caribbean reefs, out islands on the club catamaran. Eustatia Reef is only 10 minutes away; Prickly Pear Island has fine beaches and on Drake’s Anchorage, you can hike to Honeymoon Beach. Or, take a 5-minute ferry to Gun Creek on Virgin Gorda, then rent a jeep, take a cab or a tour with Gafford Potter to Little Dix, , the Copper Mine Spanish Town, and the Baths. Climb past thousand-year old sculpture-like boulders, then dine al fresco in the hilltop restaurant. Family vacations include picnics, movies, snorkeling trips, Junior Watersports Programs and guided walks. Visiting yachtsman tie up at 25 slips and 70 moorings, then use the club’s facilities, too. The Clubhouse Steak and Seafood Grille and English Carvery restaurant offer open air, casual dining and excellent food. The English Pub serves up hot dogs and casual food; the Emporium sells sundries. Tortola’s new airport just opened, and from there to BEYC is a gorgeous 45-minute ride on the North Sound Express Ferry. Sailing through? Hail the BEYC on VHF Channel 16 or call 284-494-2746. For reservations, call 1-800-872-2392, or go to www.beyc.com

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Dining in fabulous New York City restaurants was an unexpected “bonus” during my cultural trek to see the latest Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Art exhibits. In an afternoon’s culinary walking tour led by “Savory Sojourns” creator, Addie Tomei (Marisa’s mother), my friends and I toured ethnic, outdoor and indoor food markets, strolled along Chinatown’s Mott and Mulberry Street, through NoLita (North of Little Italy), the Lower East Side, Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue and Brooklyn Heights. Along the way we bought Israeli couscous, spices by the pound and fresh pistachios in Sahadi’s Market, 187 Atlantic Ave. Slurped lemon water ices, too. China Fun Restaurant on Broadway, at 1653 Broadway, satisfies your yen for gourmet Chinese with many authentic classic and contemporary dishes before - and after -- showtime. Try Stone Forest Chow Fun, Dorothea Wu’s specialty or Lichi Shrimp. A native New Yorker, I visit NYC several times a year, I usually focus on Theatre and museums dining and nibbling hit-or-miss at one of the NYC’s 18,000 restaurants. Addie’s tour steered us to the hottest, trendiest and best NYC restaurants. We dined and wined from Midtown to Brooklyn, under two bridges, to Above at the Hilton Hotel, to Sweet and Tart, Chinatown to the City Bakery, 22 E. 17 St. We tasted veggies at Grand Central Station markets and Union Square Greenmarket’s Farmer’s Market, E. 17th and Broadway. After seeing “Cabaret,” we headed for China Fun’s duck, shrimp, dim sun, hot and sour soup and egg rolls at 11 p.m. Leftovers went with us to the Melrose Hotel, 63rd and Lexington. Staying at the spiffed up and beautifully newly multi-million dollar renovated Melrose Hotel made. Stroll from there Bloomies, Broadway, Fifth Avenue, theaters and museums. Take the Lexington Avenue subway to Museum Mile’s Metropolitan Museum, Jewish Museum, and Guggenheim.