DAY TWO: Sunday, 1
June 2014 -- Continued
When I arrived at Cheeseburgers In
America’s Paradise , I took a seat in the back
so I could observe the action. There
were about a dozen other patrons present, so I didn’t know how easy it would be
for my server to help me with some of my picture taking opportunities. Someone taking random pictures at an area
marks you as a tourist or a nutjob, or both.
The cheeseburger I had was as good as I remembered. I even took a shot of it next to the pyramid
for size reference. I took a couple pics
of the area myself, but nothing which would be too distracting to the other
patrons.
I’d heard the bartender talking to
a barfly about hockey, so I had to step in and check this out. The bar
isn’t in another room, but a separate building. Keep in mind the dining
area is mostly outdoor space under a large canopy tent. Personally, I
feel it gives the place a special charm.. As I walked in to the bar area,
it occurred to me that I hadn’t even stepped foot in here on my first visit, so
shame on me. The TV there was playing a current soccer game (I think it
was US vs. Turkey ),
and there were flags of various sports teams hanging within. I didn’t see
any Texas
teams.
I was wearing my Cooper’s Cave Ale
Company shirt. The bartender took a look and said “Glens Falls , NY St. Croix from the Glens Falls-Saratoga region about 11
years ago. He used to work at the Dugout. The other gentleman (I
believe he said his name was Martin) was from the southern part of New York
State who’d moved here awhile back, and he’d recently been to a family wedding
in Saranac. Small world!
We spent the next hour talking
about exits on the Northway, the rivalry between the Adirondack Red Wings and
the Albany River Rats, and other related topics to the Glens Falls region. Steve even had a
rubber rat which was thrown out during the River Rats’ games which he showed
off. That was a great surprise, and something inspiring (as Steve was
able to relocate here and make it work). Another patron who’d come into
the bar a short time later (who’d never been to the region) was amazed at how
these different people were all reminiscing about the area. That was a
great meeting.
A short distance after leaving
Cheeseburgers In America’s Paradise , I went up
a road which I thought would lead me to a vantage point where I’d be able to
get some pictures of the area. There were some white condo-type buildings
on the hillside, so I thought I’d be able to pull in there. I don’t
specifically recall the name of the place, but there was a small café right at
the foot of the drive (I think it had a blue pig on the sign; I believe this
was the “Mount Roepstorff
Once I reached the top of the hill
(which was an extreme incline), I didn’t see a way to turn into the condo area,
so I kept driving. The road became so twisty and curvy, I realized I was
going over the hill to the other side of the island, which was not where I wanted
to be. Silvara’s engine didn’t seem to like this type of terrain. I
found a place to turn around, and then got back to Route 62. Heading
westward, I soon passed the Buccaneer, but opted not to turn into there.
I figured I’ll be back this way again in a few days, so I’d scope it out
then.
Back at my villa, I finally put all
my stuff into the drawers. Y’know, it would be too much of a hassle to
swap rooms later, as it’d be just for a few days. If I was going to be
here longer than a week, then I would. My patio doesn’t have as good of a
view, so I’ll just spend more time sitting on the beach.
I decided I’d work on my tan and
this journal at the same time, so I put on my swimsuit and suntan lotion, and
headed out. There was someone sitting in one of the beach chairs where I
was heading, so I pulled up one next to her. Eventually we got to
talking, and to me it was another inspirational story. Her name was
Genieve, and a year ago she left her family in Staten
Island to work as an office assistant for her uncle (as well as a
waitress at the Buccaneer). She lived in the Palms condos.
We talked a lot about how you don’t
think there’s anything to do in an area until after you leave the area.
She’d been on St. Croix a year, and she
hadn’t done much exploring of the island. Sometimes that happens after
working all week. I shared stories of places I’d been here, as well as
other locales, and she did also. It was a great conversation, and the
personal interaction was more enjoyable than scribbling notes. I like to
write, but I like talking to people more. I didn’t have any cards on me
then, but I still gave her the address for the blog. She pulled it up on
her phone, and said she’d look at it more on her laptop (when she could see the
screen better). We talked about meeting later at the Palms bar tonight,
and she even suggested I come out to the Buccaneer at one point.
When she went back to her place (to
get ready for her dinner meeting), I returned to my patio. I worked on
this journal a bit more, ate a sandwich, and showered before going to the Palms
bar for my nightly Rum Punches. I guess I could’ve taken a quick dip to
wash all the sweat and suntan lotion off, but since I had to walk back to the
room to drop my stuff off, it made sense to shower. Considering the beach
was pretty empty, I probably could’ve left my stuff sitting there for a short
period without anything happening to it.
The final night of the fashion show
was going on, so I sat at the bar and scrawled these very words as I drank.
I figured if anyone wanted to strike up a conversation, or if the
opportunity presented itself, I could jump into a chat. Nothing did.
The pulse of the crowd was nice to feel, even though I wasn’t part of
anything which was going on. I told Ocean that I’d have two drinks at the
bar each night. Of course, there was also the complimentary bottle of
Cruzan back at the room I could work on too.
It just occurred to me when I
bought food at the store today, I got grape juice instead of apple juice. What’s the relevance, you ask? I’ve
learned from past experience that apple juice mixes better with Cruzan where
grape juice does not. I got the grape juice because the size was
appropriate for what I’d consume for the week.
Before going over to the Palms bar,
I put the small Minacs cooler in the fridge to get it cold. I also put
some ice into a baggie and put it into the freezer. Tomorrow my plan was
to go to the Cruzan Distillery, and I was going to pack a picnic, based on the
amount of rum I expected them to give me. This way I had a make-shift
ice-pack which would keep the contents of the cooler chilled for a short period
until I was ready for them. I’ll see how
well it works tomorrow.
As I sat in my beach chair, looking
at the Big Dipper, the time seemed right to release the romance charm that I’d
made with Cat’s group. The bent tree outside of Room 8, being a very
recognizable spot, I decided to claim as “my space.” I opened a circle around
the tree, and did an extensive invocation to the spirits. I then opened
the bag of mixed herbs, spread some on the tree, and scattered the rest with a
short prayer to each of the four elements. The remnant (the small cloth
which had held the herbs) was then buried at the base of the tree. As the
cloth was biodegradable, it would eventually break down. Cat had created
the containers with that in mind.
My first sacred spot was Moran
Point at the Grand Canyon, and the second was Grace Bay Beach
When it was time to come inside, I
saw one of the Palms security personnel sitting in the common area of the
villa, so I stopped to chat with him. His name was Jonathan. He was 21, originally from Puerto
Rico , and had a six-month-old son. He’d learned welding as a
trade, but couldn’t find any work in the area. His gig as a security
guard here was netting him $8 an hour, which wasn’t enough for him to live on.
We chatted for about a half-hour or so about economic conditions on the
island and job prospects. Jonathan was following some leads in Virginia , so I wished
him luck.
By that time, the two Rum Punches
at the bar and part of the complimentary Cruzan bottle were beginning to be
felt. Part of being on holiday was staying up as late as I want, and
sleeping in for however long as I can, so I’m going to take advantage of it.
For more information on the places visited or mentioned:
Cheeseburger In America’s Paradise : http://www.burgersvi.com/
Cooper’s Cave Ale Company (Glens Falls , NY
Dugout (South Glens Falls , NY
Buccaneer Resort: http://www.thebuccaneer.com/
Royal West
Indies Resort (TCI): http://www.royalwestindies.com/
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