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THE HERALD OUTLOOK 1 Page 11 In search of the perfect holiday hideaway The perfect holiday hideaway may not even exist but we can dream cant we Many pleasureseekers would dream especially in January of a sunny tropical island with long white beaches and the ceaseless crashing and sighing of the sea They probably recognize though that certain Caribbean islands have problems that spoil the dream such as unfinished hotels skyhigh prices in restaurants and bars and perhaps a less than friendly attitude toward outsiders Growing numbers of snowbirds seem to be coming to the realiza tion that there are tropiclike islands on the near side of the Tropic of Cancer where lower prices prevail A glance at the map of Florida shows a string of islands Just off the mainland in the central part of the states Atlantic seaboard and a smaller group of islands in the southwest of the state near Port Myers and the Gulf of Mexico East or west Floridas coastal islands offer the visitor a broad range of accommodation restaurants sightseeing and shop ping all of it in that special insular environment and yet relatively close at hand WINTER RETREAT On the eastern side much of Floridas coast is separated from the Atlantic by the Waterway a of rivers and lakes to the east of which is a str ing of lowlying barrier islands that come close to achieving the ideal of a winter retreat whether the vacationer wants total relaxa tion or prefers such activities as fishing and boating The crossroads of the waterways is the fastgrowing city of Stuart some 56 km north of glitzy ritzy Palm Beach One reason foe its rapid growth is that it was linked to busy Interstate only a year or so ago Gossip is that the Stuart-to- Palm Beach section of 195 had been left unfinished for years so that most drivers would pay to use the nearby Floridas Turnpike a toll road Stuart has not only one of the few inlets connecting the Intracoastal Waterway with the Atlantic but its also at the eastern end of a waterway that stretches across the state through Lake Okeechobee to Fort Myers and the Gulf of Mex ico IDYLLIC ISLAND A liftbridge connects Stuart to idyllic Hutchinson Island Older local residents can remember when the island could be reached only by boat and they still recall the islands role in the rum- running trade of the Prohibition Era Local boatowner William Mc Coy bought whisky In the Bahamas and transshipped it to New York Unlike other bootleg gers be didnt water down his li quor which thus became known as the real McCoy or so the legend has it Development of Hutchinson Island is being carefully controlled and monitored by local authorities to ensure that it retains its old Florida character while pro viding facilities for the inevitably expanding number of visitors One restriction for instance is that buildings may be no more than four storeys high That might have stumped some entrepreneurs but Radnor Corp a subsidiary of Sun Oil Co suc ceeded In creating a pleasing 200- resort Indian River Planta tion at the southern end of the island Its centrepiece is a 200- lowrise hotel which opened just a year ago and already has won the American Automobile Associations fourdiamond award The resort combines the hotel with a condominium complex an unusual pairing elsewhere although not in Florida The sites golf course 13 tennis courts five restaurants and marina are ac cessible to hotel guests and con dominium occupants alike SPANISH TREASURE The Indian River Plantations 500metrelong Atlantic beach is part of Hutchinson Islands Treasure Coast so named because of the booty that has been washed ashore over the years from sunken Spanish galleons on the sea bottom some metres offshore As recently as last August an estimated million in gold and artifacts was discovered a few hundred metres out to sea Every now and then a lucky beachcomber finds a gold doubloon washed up onto the Treasure Coast beach On the other side of Florida some 200 kilometres south of Tam pa the tides of the Gulf of Mexico constantly deposit seashells on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva islands less valuable than Spanish gold perhaps but far more numerous more than 400 species of shells can be found there Texas begins 800 telephone number for Canada NC Canadians planning a visit to Texas may now receive the states free promotional travel package by calling Texas new tollfree number for Can ada Our tollfree telephone number will appear in all promotional advertising that the Tourism Division places with Canadian publications said J Wil liam Laudcrback executive director for the Texas Department of Commerce We are confident that this new service will help persuade more Canadian vacationers and business travelers to choose Texas as their destination VAN CONSTRUCTION Persons calling 1800MEETTEX will be asked for their name and ad dress for use in shipping prompttonal materials on Texas Operators will not offer travel counselling Telephone travel counseling is available by call ing 1 2463897 1 which carries regu lar longdistance charges CARPENTRY DRYWALL TAPING ITS A BIKE ITS A SKATEBOARD ITS LE RUN Georgetown Hobby Jm OO Travel Outlook As on Hutchinson Island on the Atlantic side the atmosphere at Sanibel and Captiva is gentle and the development restrained A recently condominium Pointe Santo Sanibel looks out over the Gulf waters from a height of no more than four stories and a respectful distance back from the beach and its myriad of shells NATURE RESERVE Visitors to these Gulf Islands should drive through the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel to see several unusual species of birds sirn Indian River Planta tion on the Atlantic side is also a place for large numbers of migrating birds that follow either salt water or river routes Another recommendation In Fort Myers on the Florida mainland across from the islands visit the winter home of inventor Thomas Edison set in a beautiful 14acre garden where his early laboratory may be visited the home is open daily except Sun day morning The Hutchinson Island counter part of the Edison home is the museum dedicated to Sterling Elliott displaying some of the hundreds of inventions that he patented such as the the addressing machine and the first knottying machine the museum is open every afternoon Indian River Plantation is at 966 NE Ocean Blvd Hutchinson Island Stuart 34998 telephone or 30522537O0 For further information on Sanibel and contact Lee County Tourism Development Council PO Box 2445 Fort Myers 33902 telephone 8133352631 JANUARY Due to a lack of snowfall were forced to CLEAR- AWAY our current stock of Canadiana Snowblowers and Snowthrowers all at DEALER COST Hurry in Our prices will never be any lower 2YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON ALL MODELS Ht TacumMh Snow King Enotna width fo weight Spiral Mao auQM Separata traction a auger forward mono kit optional list Price NOW ONLY 5 HP DUAL STAGE 23 MODEL CNS23 Snow King width carbon auger rotation and adjustable deflector and auger lately clutches Pneumatic Wei with and light kit HP DUALSTAGE MODEL CN1027E HP Teeumseh Snow King engine IB pneumatic tires with chains Electric starter installed Other specification as per Model CN 827 ONLY nan in I IMC HOW ONLY 12 HP DUALSTAGE MODELCN1233DE HP Overhead 33 clearing width Other specif as per Model lilt Pile 1899 NOW ONLY W JLIUH