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Mwww.star-telegram.com Sunday, March 4, 2012 11E
TravelCompiled by Sandy Guerra-Cline
The itinerary
Stephanie Allmon817-390-7852
Historic Hotels of America is offering the perks-filled Explore Lynchburg Package. The dealstarts at $179 a night, plus taxes, and includes adeluxe or premium room at the Craddock TerryHotel and Event Center, a turn-of-the-centuryshoe factory in Lynchburg, Va., that has beenconverted into a boutique hotel; a bottle ofVirginia wine; and two tickets to the LynchburgMuseum and the Point of Honor historic home(value $20). Two-night minimum stay required;two nights, with taxes, starts at $398. Validthrough Dec. 30. In addition, if you book thepackage at www.historichotels.org, you will geta free one-year family membership to theNational Trust for Historic Preservation (a $30value). Membership includes a subscription toPreservation magazine, discounted admissionto more than 600 historic places worldwideand 10 percent off future stays at participatingHistoric Hotels of America, when booked onthe website. 800-678-8946.— Carol Sottili and Andrea Sachs, The Washington Post
Explore the charmsof historic Lynchburg
“Agnes Martin: Before the Grid” will runthrough June 17 at the Harwood Museum ofArt in Taos, N.M. Martin, an abstract painterwho died in 2004, would have celebrated her100th birthday in March. She was a quietfixture of the city’s art community but waswell-known in the art world for her muted gridpaintings. The show is the first large posthu-mous exhibit of her work and the only onewith extensive paintings and drawings thatpredate the grids that made her famous.Martin lived in Taos in the ’50s and movedback in 1993. She liked drinking martinis atDoc Martin’s Restaurant in Taos. For her cen-tennial, it will offer a special martini in herhonor. 575-758-9826; http://harwoodmuse-um.org — Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press
Discover the N.M. rootsof artist Agnes Martin
New Mexico Mountain Landscape, Taos AP
Are you a fan of spring training’s CactusLeague? Just down the road from Surprise,Ariz., and the Texas Rangers, the W Scottsdaleis offering a spring training package with ac-commodations for two, starting at $329 pernight, through March 31. The package includesvouchers for two cocktails each night; buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals; and complimen-tary transportation to Scottsdale Stadium,pre-season home of the San Francisco Giants.Want to see the Rangers play while you’re inScottsdale? They play the Arizona Diamond-backs on Tuesday and the Colorado Rockies onMarch 30. Both games are at Salt River Fieldsat Talking Stick in Scottsdale. 877-782-0104;www.wscottsdalehotel.com/ArizonaSpring-Training
Take a swing throughScottsdale
The W Scottsdale welcomes baseball fans.W Hotels
Bye, bye, bottlesYou won’t find disposable plastic water bottlesbeing sold at the Grand Canyon National Parkany longer. The National Park Service hasbanned them. They make up about 20 percentof the park’s waste and 30 percent of recy-clables. The park, which has water stations forrefilling reusable containers, will not stopvisitors from bringing in disposable bottles,however.— The Associated Press
Fun fact
Hikers in Grand Canyon National Park AP
FIJI — I’m lying on a giant ba-nana leaf in the middle of theFijian rain forest.
My masseuse at Koro SunResort’s Rainforest Spa hasscrubbed my body with nat-ural botanical ingredients de-signed to help weary travelerslike me recover from jet lag.Next, I am covered with an-other banana leaf andwrapped in soft cloths, al-lowing the minerals and nu-trients to penetrate into myskin. Cocooned like a butter-fly, I am soon ready to be re-born. I am in Fiji following inthe footsteps of The Bachelo-rette. No, a fiance with a dia-mond ring won’t reward mein the end. But my trip to thistropical South Pacific para-dise includes resorts chosenby ABC-TV as backdrops forthe final episodes of the reali-ty show’s seventh season(“starring” still-engaged
Ashley Hebert and J.P. Ro-senbaum).
Koro Sun, located on Fiji’ssecond-largest island, VanuaLevu, is an all-inclusive trop-ical retreat with 31 bures (Fiji-an for house) and six privatevillas, set within 160 acres ofa former coconut plantationat the edge of a private la-goon, opening onto the KoroSea. Most bures and villashave ocean views; others arebuilt over the water with lad-ders into the lagoon, or idylli-cally set streamside, sur-rounded by lotus flowers. Adeluxe four-bedroom villanear a waterfall became theBachelorette’s fantasy suitefor one of her overnightdates.
The setting would makeanyone fall in love — or, in thecase of honeymooners Tylerand Sandra Roberts of Frisco,who are there the same time Iam, celebrate their love.
Among the romantic of-
ferings is a Passion Under thePalms package — the chanceto have a romantic dinner inthe middle of the rain forest,as Ashley and J.P. did on theshow.
Fiji is known as the softcoral capital of the world, anda stay at Koro Sun gives diversthe opportunity to see forthemselves. Upon descend-ing, my group fins across acolorful reef to the deep blue,open ocean where schools ofbarracuda swim around andpast us like impatient com-muters on a superhighway. Amore tranquil reef dive fol-lows, where endangeredhawksbill turtles swimamong brightly colored softcorals and fish species uniqueto South Pacific waters.
The perfectly peacefulending to the day’s activitiescomes in the liquid form ofkava (made from the root of apepper tree), Fiji’s nationaldrink. One night after dinner,
we join several Fijian men —singing and playing guitar —in a traditional ritual in whicha wooden cup filled with thebrown drink is passedaround. Later, I slip deeplyinto dreamland.
The dream continues atNamaleNamale Resort, located nearthe Koro Sun, is the next des-tination on the journeythrough the dreamy domaincaptured onscreen for TheBachelorette. Motivationalguru Tony Robbins owns theall-inclusive resort, whichhas won accolades like Mod-ern Bride’s “#1 HoneymoonSuite in Fiji” for its romanticappeal.
Want to snorkel, kayak,ride horses along the beach,hike to a waterfall or visit anearby village? All you haveto do is ask.
My luxury lodging at Na-
Duavata Villa has hosted Donna Karan, Meg Ryan and other celebrities, as well as serving as the Fantasy Suite on The Bachelorette.Namale Resort & Spa
Falling for FijiA traveler visits beautiful resorts featured on ‘The Bachelorette,’
and finds that there’s plenty to loveBy Debbra Dunning BrouilletteSpecial to the Star-Telegram
Koro Sun’s visitors can get a banana leaf body wrap. Koro Sun Resort A giant clam rests on a colorful reef in the Koro Sea. Special to the Star-Telegram/Debbra Dunning Brouillette
More on FIJI, 12E
Savusavu, Vanua Levu, FIJI— One of the first pieces ofjewelry I recall wearing as achild was a cultured-pearlnecklace — a strand of small,off-white pearls saved forspecial occasions.
Years later, I became fasci-nated with the black pearls ofPolynesia, as I read about thepearl farms of Manihi, anatoll near Tahiti, and drooledover the jewelry made fromthese carefully cultivatedcreations. After many years, Iwas in another part of theSouth Pacific, about to take abehind-the-scenes tour ofFiji’s only commercial pearlfarm, J. Hunter Pearls, locat-ed on Savusavu Bay, on theisland of Vanua Levu.
Throughout history,pearls had been precioustreasures of great value,found only in nature as a raregift bestowed by Mother Na-ture. But by the early 1900s,the pearl-culturing processbegan, with techniques de-veloped by Japanese re-searchers. In the 1920s, cul-tured pearls were first intro-duced into the jewelry mar-ket.
Since the 1960s, the blackpearl industry has been wellestablished in French Poly-nesia, but it had never beensuccessful in Fiji until 2000,when native Fijian JustinHunter decided to follow hisdream. After earning a ma-rine biology degree in theU.S. and gaining experiencein the cultivation and farm-ing of shellfish with a U.S.company, he returned to hischildhood home of Savusavuto begin culturing pearls in a
pristine environment that islargely free of impurities andpollution.
A glass-bottom boat rideinto the bay allowed us to seethe oysters strung throughfishing line and tied to ropes,which have been lowered intothe water to feed and develop
for up to two years beforeharvesting.
But the process doesn’tbegin there. It can take asmany as six years for an oys-ter to produce a pearl, sold ei-ther as a loose pearl or set intoa piece of jewelry. While a
It takes great patience to farm Fiji pearls7 The process can takeyears and requires lots ofcareful tending.
By Debbra Dunning BrouilletteSpecial to the Star-Telegram
Fishing line is strung through the oysters and tied to ropes that arethen lowered into the water. J. Hunter Pearls
More on PEARLS, 13E
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M12E Sunday, March 4, 2012 www.star-telegram.com
male is a master suite inTatadra House (Fijian for“the dream house”), thesame one that had beenoccupied by Hebert on theshow. The double doorsfrom my bedroom openonto a large private deckwith infinity-edge poolseamlessly blending intothe Koro Sea below. Anoutdoor daybed at the edgeof the volcanic rocks makesfor a prime viewing area forFiji’s breathtaking sunsets.
You don’t have to beRussell Crowe, Meg Ryanor Anthony Hopkins — allformer guests — to feelspecial here. With a staff-guest ratio of 3-to-1, evenat its full capacity of 44guests, everyone is made tofeel like a celebrity.
After mentioning to the
guest services managerthat I’d like to try kokoda (alocal fish), for example, itis added to the dinner me-nu one night in the form ofan appetizer of raw fish cutinto cubes, marinated inlemon juice, then com-bined with coconut creamand condiments.
As I enter the dreamhouse on my last evening,petals are strewn on thefloor leading to my four-poster bed. A message —“sweet dreams” — hasbeen written in flower pet-als on the bed, a bath hasbeen drawn in the Jacuzzitub, and votive candles arelit. The scene has been setfor romance . . . or, in mycase, for a very goodnight’s sleep.
The morning of our de-parture from Namale, theFijian staff gathers to singIsa Lei, the traditional Fiji-an song of farewell. Thosedeparting sign a stepping-stone in wet cement, a Na-
male tradition. The stonesare placed throughout thegrounds, leaving a perma-nent imprint from eachguest to match what Hud-son calls “the imprint thatNamale leaves in theheart.”
Vomo’s private islandparadiseThe next morning I departfrom Port Denarau Marinaby catamaran for the hour-long ferry service to Vomo,a 225-acre private islandresort in the Mamanucaschain. Tom Hanks fans willremember the movie Cast-away, which was filmed onnearby Monuriki. As mygroup nears Vomo, wetransfer to a small boat tomake the approach to whatwould be our last slice ofFijian paradise, where weare greeted as if we wereroyalty. (I later found outwe had barely missed a trueroyal visit, when just daysbefore our arrival, Prince
Albert of Monaco and hiswife, Charlene, spent timeon Vomo, eating, drinkingand mingling with guests— their superyacht an-chored offshore.)
Vomo Island longserved as a retreat for thechiefs of Fiji’s westernprovinces before being de-veloped as a resort in thelate 1980s. In more mod-ern times, it was chosen forthe filming of the finale ofThe Bachelorette. With amaximum occupancy of70, most of Vomo’s 28double-occupancy villasfront the island’s gorgeouswhite-sand beach; othersare in lush garden or hill-side settings.
A California couple re-cently rented the entire is-land at a cost of $35,000per night for themselvesand 68 guests for theirwedding.
On Vomo, I take gettingaway from it all to the nextlevel, arranging a picnicand snorkeling trip withmy pals to explore the vi-brant, healthy reefs just offthe private island resort’seven more private island —Vomo Lai Lai, a five-min-ute motorboat ride away.Another day, I go stand-uppaddleboarding on thecalm, nontidal waters sur-rounding Vomo. Vomo’sbeautifully manicurednine-hole, par-3 golfcourse is just a walk-by forme, on the way to SenakaiSpa, where I indulge in ananti-aging papaya facial.Those who are ready toslow things way down canstake claim to one of thestrategically placed ham-mocks near each villa. Ikeep eyeing mine and fi-
nally manage to put thingson pause in paradise for ashort nap in the shade ofthe palms.
A few hours later, just asthe sun is about to slip be-low the horizon, I descenda staircase from The RocksBar, perched high abovethe beach, where a Fijianfeast awaits my compan-ions and me. It is movie-set perfection. And in fact,
it is here, below The Rocks,where the climactic beach-side proposal was shot,with sister island Vomo LaiLai in the background.
As we toast with a NewZealand pinot noir andnibble on French goat’smilk brie and figs, I tellmyself that this is the per-fect real-life finale, too —just the right place for mywide-awake dream to end.
Vomo Island Resort, a private getaway in the Mamanucas chain, is an hourlong boat ride awayfrom Port Denarau Marina. Blackbox/Chris Williams
FijiContinued from 11E
Vomo was the setting of the season finale of The Bachelorette. ABC/Matt Klitscher
If You GoTourism Fiji: www.fijime.com; www.fijifriendly.com
Getting thereAir Pacific (through LAX in Los Angeles); www.airpacific.com,800-227-4446(American Airlines AAdvantage members earn AAdvantageMiles for travel on a published eligible fare ticket on Air Pacif-ic.)
Where to stay� Koro Sun Resort and Rainforest Spa; www.korosunresort-.com, 877-KOROSUN� Namale Resort & Spa; www.namalefiji.com, 800-727-FIJI� Vomo Island Resort; www.vomofiji.com, 1-679-666-7955
Upcoming festivals� South Pacific Food & Wine Festival, Denarau, Fiji;www.southpacificfoodandwine.com, March 14-17� Fiji 2012 International Jazz and Blues Festival, Port Denarau,Fiji; www.fijijbfest.org, May 10-13
Puzzle appears on 6E
L A M P S L A C A S A G A B F E S T SI S A A C E X A C T S E V E R M O R EP E R S O N A L S H O P T O N I B R A XO C T O P O D H I M O M N E A R E S T
E D U C E A T I N T R YA N T I D E P R E S S L A V Y O W Z AM O R N S T I N T V I D A L S O I LO N O F F O P S W H E E L I E U R BK E G L E R P L E A S U R E P R I N C I
L A Z E L E N S T R E A D O NS C O T B I E R S L A P S E M E N OY O D E L E R H A I R A M A DP H Y S I C A L G E O G R A D A R K E RH I T M C Q U E E N O I D J O N A HO B E Y A I R E S P U R E R C E C EN A S A L S E Z A R T I C H O K E H E
N E A D E L T A E L O NB A C K E N D R O O T S A D S P A C EU N D E R G R O O N T H E W A T E R F RR E L E A S E D M A L O N E A R T O OT W I S T T I E S L E W E D R U S S O
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Your Guide To That Perfect Getaway
Glen Rose, TexasDinosaur Capital of Texas & America's Dream Town 2004
Voted America's Dream Town in 2004, Glen Rose provides a great escape from the metroplex, with
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888-346-6282www.glenrosetexas.net
SCROGGINS, TXDEER LAKE CABINS
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GLEN ROSE, TXBARNARD RIVER HOUSE
“The Barnard Street River House” in Glen Rose, Texas offers an ideal retreat nestled
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option for small group retreats, family vacations or romantic weekends.
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CANTON, TXPLUM LAKE CABIN RENTALS
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To Advertise Your Getaway
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GLEN ROSE, TXDINOSAUR CAPITAL OF TEXAS
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Nutrients found in the largely pollution-free waters of Savusavu Bay provide the ideal environ-ment for culturing pearls. J. Hunter Pearls
Mwww.star-telegram.com Sunday, March 4, 2012 13E
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The British Isles offer an endless resource of historic sights. The number of well-preserved landmarks makes this destination especially attractive for those wishing to feel as if they have traveled back in time. If you are planning a trip through England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, consider including the following favorites in your itinerary.
The eye-pleasing village of Stratford-upon-Avon creates an old English scene of thatched-roof cottages and half-timbered houses, including the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Further north, York Minster is the largest Gothic church in England. York also showcases an extensive collection of armor and a reconstructed Viking City from the year 948. History lives on through London’s steadfast symbols of Big Ben, the Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, just to name a few. Not far from London, the origins of mysterious Stonehenge date back to 1500 B.C., the Romans harnessed the natural hot springs 2000 years ago in Bath, and Henry II established Oxford as the first university ofBritain in 1167.
The capital city of Scotland provides a variety of interesting sights such as Edinburgh Castle, the oldest surviving house in Edinburgh, the Brass Rubbing Centre, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Scottish border town of Jedburgh is home to the Mary Queen of Scots House. This is also the town where tweed was invented by combining two colors for the first time. The Old Blacksmith’s Shop tells the story of Gretna Green, where runaway couples from England were secretly married by the town blacksmith.
The untouched, rugged landscape of Wales compliments this journey back in time. In the North, stand the majestic towers of Caernafon, one of the castles built by Prince Edward I in 1283. In the South, a guided tour uncovers the 2000-year history of Cardiff Castle.
The oldest university of Ireland, Trinity College in Dublin, houses the illuminated Book of Kells. Around 800 AD, four Irish monks beautified this four-volume edition of the Gospels using ink from bugs and plants. From the remnants of a Viking settlement to the 18th century Georgian architecture, Dublin offers insights into every facet of its past. The Kildare Stud Farm and Waterford Crystal Factory are an impressive show of Irish tradition and Blarney Castle is always a popular stop.
Planning a trip to include all these points of interest can be intimidating, but an escorted tour eliminates the planning worries. An additional benefit is the guide who will explain the story behind the sights. Image Tours, Inc. is currently offering a $300 per couple discount on June and September departures of their 16-day British Isles Tour when booked before April 4, 2012. Tour prices range from $4040 in September to $4440 in June, per person based on double occupancy, including air from DFW, air taxes, transportation in the British Isles, tour manager throughout the tour, hotel accommodations, 22 meals, and an afternoon tea. For more information, contact GULLIVER’S TRAVEL SERVICE INC.Ph: 817-924-7766.
History comes alive through touring the authentic sights of the British Isles, culminating in an engaging, educational, and unforgettable travel experience.
Photos provided bywww.visitbritain.com
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Journey through Time and History in the British Isles
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small number are pur-chased from the local peo-ple, the majority of theoysters used in pearl farm-ing at J. Hunter are bred ina hatchery from the larvalstage, or collected in thesea as “spat” during theoysters’ reproductivemonths, from October toFebruary, when they at-tach themselves to collec-tor strips. Nine to 12months later, the babyoysters are harvested byhand, then strung throughfishing line onto knottedropes and again loweredinto the water. After six tonine months, they aretransferred to knottedropes spaced farther apartso they have room to feedand develop until harvest-ing.
When the size of theoysters and the time ofyear is right, usually after agrowth period of 18
months to two years, theyare implanted or seeded byhighly trained technicianswith a nucleus, serving asthe irritant, which be-comes the heart of the cul-tured pearl. Interestingly,oysters are seeded withbeads made from the shellof the Mississippi mussel,found only in the Missis-sippi River, so Fiji pearlshave within them a bit ofthe American South.
Unlike Tahitian blackpearls, J. Hunter pearlsaren’t all black or shades ofgray. The uniquely coloredoyster shells that grownaturally in Savusavu Bayproduce pearls in a rain-bow of colors that Fijipearls are becomingknown for — gold, choco-late, cranberry, bamboogreen and royal blue.
We watched as the re-cently harvested organicgems were sorted into spe-cific grades by Justin’swife, Leanne, taking intoconsideration the luster,color, shape and surfacequalities of the pearl.While I knew that saltwa-
ter cultured pearls werenot a mass-produced, fac-torylike product, I had noidea the amount of tech-nique, care and time thatgoes into cultivating themagnificent multicoloredorbs spread out before us.When we learned that ofall the oysters that are im-planted, only 50 percent ofthem produce a pearl, andonly 10-15 percent of thoseproduce pearls of highquality, I gained a new ap-preciation of the risk ver-sus reward taken by pearlfarmers.
While I left J. HunterPearls without the tur-quoise pearl set into an oc-topus mounting that I’deyed among the jewelrydisplays, I gained a newappreciation of what ittakes to transform a tinynucleus within the humbleoyster into a thing of greatbeauty and value. I also leftwith a newly coined phrasein my head — to be as pa-tient as a pearl farmer. Ifpatience is a virtue, pearlfarmers must be virtuous,indeed.
PearlsContinued from 11E
