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Many of those vacationing in Sea Isle City have only one week in our great town, which is not nearly enough to see it all. The fantastic beaches we offer are only one of many options for fun, sun, and entertainment at the South Jersey Shore. Those of you who have been coming for many years have your favorite things to experience, and most will repeat the majority of things over and over again because of the lasting memories they create.

Since I have been a local in Sea Isle City for over ten years, I have had the pleasure to experience many local attractions, eating establishments, and other unique “hidden treasures” that many are not aware of. In the following article, I am going to share some of the other attractions in our area with mention of my favorites.

As I stated above, everyone comes to Sea Isle City for the beach. Whether you enjoy riding the waves, lounging in a chair with a good book, or sitting on a deck watching and listening to the calmness of the sea, the ocean is our main attraction. But there are many other activities that are available in our charming town.

For those of you who are early risers, there is nothing better than watching the sunrise over the horizon. On clear days you will see a spectacular two-minute show as the sun makes its appearance and fills the sky with bright colors of oranges, reds, and yellows.

Another early morning event is a walk, bike ride, or a skate on our promenade. Constructed around 1963, our version of a boardwalk runs from 29th Street to 57th Street and is approximately 1.5 miles from one end to the other. Did you realize that a person weighing 170 lbs can burn over 300 calories while walking the promenade?

At 10:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays a very interesting, educational opportunity arises. The Sea Isle City Environmental Commission offers “Beachcombing” at the 29th Street beach. For a small donation of $1.00 for adults, and $.50 for children, you will learn facts about the shells, birds, sealift, plants, ocean, and dunes.

While enjoying the beach during the day, Sea Isle offers some “Fun in the Sun” activities that will make memories of a lifetime. For those who enjoy fishing and catching your meal, Sea Isle has many boating excursions from a few hours on the water fishing, to a full day tour out into the ocean. You can rent your own boat, or take a guided tour to the best fishing places in South Jersey. Or if you want to take a kayak into the Back Bay and observe nature at it’s best, you can rent one and two man kayaks and paddle your way through the marshes. During this quiet, peaceful voyage you will see birds, fish, and wildlife in its natural habitat.

For those of you who want the excitement of a fast, thrilling ride, waverunning is an exhilarating experience you won’t forget. Safe and guided, these sea craft can be a highlight of one’s vacation.

As the late afternoon comes upon you, for those over “21″, you can’t beat a nice cold tropical drink or beer at the Springfield Inn, the only outside bar where you can listen to a band play, while sipping on your favorite beverage and watching the waves come in.

After a fun day playing and sunning in the Sea Isle Sand, the evenings can be enjoyed as much as the day. Eating in Sea Isle is an experience in itself and you should make sure to enjoy the cuisine of the Island.

For the over “21″ crowd, Sea Isle has many nightspots with a variety of music to suit anyone’s taste.

Joe Prato is a real estate agent working in Sea Isle City and Cape May County, NJ. He has written a series of guides to help you plan your Jersey Shore vacation. His website, provides tools and guides to help you make the most of your vacation.

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Byron Bay accommodation choices are very wide, depending on your budget and preferences. If you’re visiting this beautiful Australian town and want to find a luxury accommodation spot to relax and enjoy your time here, this article will give you some ideas of where to start looking.

First things first - why Byron Bay, and where is it?

Byron Bay is a town 800km (~500 miles) north of Sydney and south of Brisbane, on the north coast of New South Wales (NSW). It has a population of approx. 9,000 people, with the larger Byron Shire having close to 30,000 people living in its boundaries.

With average summer daytime temperatures of 28C (~82F), and average winter daytime temperatures of 21C (~69F), both locals and visitors enjoy plenty of outdoor activities, due to the moderate but very pleasant climate.

Byron Bay is truly a destination for all seasons because of these lovely temperatures and the beautiful environment. If you’ve never been to Byron Bay before, it’s approximately 2 hours drive south of Brisbane and a 40 minute drive south of the Gold Coast. The area offers a year round tropical paradise of beaches and rainforests, and is an extremely popular tourist destination.

Spectacular blue watered beaches invite even the sun-shy to come out and explore Byron Bay. Naturally enough, there is an impressive range of luxury byron bay accommodation, including resorts, apartments and hotels. Just make sure you bring your swimming ‘togs’ so you don’t miss out on a refreshing dip in the beautiful waters.

While you are visiting Byron Bay, why not try some of the great local activities, such as rain forest tours, bush walking, hang gliding, sky diving, ultra-light flights, Harley tours, cycling, canoeing, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, horse riding, deep sea fishing, vintage car tours and Australia’s only flying trapeze school.

And when the sun finally disappears behind the hills you can dine at one of Byron Bay’s many superb, award winning restaurants, enjoy a local band or theatrical production… or stroll along a serene moonlit beach, looking forward to your next day in paradise.

If your tastes in accommodation are a little up-market, then the best resource for finding and choosing Byron Bay accommodation is the Simply Lush Luxury Accommodation directory (www.simplylush.com). This page is the gateway to their luxury Byron Bay accommodation listings.

They review and recommend beautiful beach houses (check out the front deck view of the ocean from Pips), Tuscan guest houses (Victoria’s has an awesome swimming pool) and villas, apartments, bungalows and so forth.

I guarantee you’ll be excited by the choice of luxurious Byron Bay accommodation sites on Simply Lush’s website.

For more information on these and other luxury Byron Bay accommodation choices, be sure to check out the Simply Lush website: Luxury Australian Accommodation.

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Did you know……..

That the Westminster Abbey that we tell you has been there for 900 years has not
really been there, as you see it, for that long at all? The original Abbey, as created by
Edward the Confessor, was completely different and was built in the Norman style. And
did you know that this great man was for a long time England’s patron saint? And did
you know that Westminster Abbey, as you see it today, took almost 500 years to build? In
fact, the famous West Towers designed by Christopher Wren’s pupil, Hawksmoor, in
1745, are actually among the last major structures to be added around the nave and central cross.

So today’s Abbey started life with the idea that Henry III had: in order to properly revere his hero, Edward the Confessor, it was necessary to modify his Abbey and have himself buried next to the saint. This idea rolled on through the centuries, with various kings leaving their mark by making special additions. For example, during the reigns of Henry V and Richard II, the nave was completed - and Henry VII helped to establish his authenticity by making the Lady Chapel his Henry VII chapel, with a huge mausoleum bronze effigy of himself and his dear lady wife Elizabeth of York. So finally we have today’s image of our great coronation church which has almost totally destroyed that of Saint Edward! Some way to revere a saint!

Well at least the Gothic style did lighten things up - literally. Those flying buttresses that you see on the outside, and which are often thought to be ungainly, are what allowed the architects of 500 years ago to have thinner, higher walls, with today’s huge windows that we now take for granted. But did you also know that today’s cathedrals are not at all like those of 400 and 500 years ago, in entirely another respect? Today, we think of the inside of these places as sombre and dull, and that that must be a reflection of how religion has always been. You could not be farther from the truth, from the reality. Yesterday’s churches were wonderful bright places blazing with colour with pictographic stories plastered all over the walls and windows. But this is all before the Protestants who took over in Edward VI’s reign (oh, what a great time they must have had running riot during the short time of this sickly boy king’s time in power - and even more so in Oliver Cromwell’s Republican regime - not a misprint, yes Republican - which had even more puritanical leanings). (Did you know that Britain became a republic for quite a few years in the middle of the 17th century - and happily chose to go back and embrace the monarchy with profound joy?)

Did you know that this original Westminster Abbey used to sit on land that was known as Thorney Island? For that is what it virtually was, an island, surrounded by streams and rivers and marshy land. In fact did you know that the whole of that solid and respectable area that we now call Belgravia was marshy, inhospitable and crisscrossed by villains who used to be called footpads but are now known as muggers? So why are things so different now? Well because, although people liked to make profits just as much as we do today, they were willing to invest their heart and soul, as well as tremendous vision, energy and drive. So a man called Cubitt, who was developing St. Katharine’s Dock near the Tower, had the bright idea of moving the sludge up to today’s Belgravia and draining the area so it is now very solid indeed. And why is this land called Belgravia? At the time and up until today, the Duke of Westminster owned - and still owns - all the streets around Belgrave Square, including London’s longest and most prestigious square Eaton Square. Aristocrats had the amusing habit of naming parts of their city empire after villages and towns on their country estates. So if you think of Chester, Belgrave and Eaton squares as quaint little parts of London, you wouldn’t be thinking quite the same way as the dear old Duke himself - as no doubt he believes they are rather quaint little parts of his country estate.

Now reader, if you knew all these things, you really do not need a proper registered London Blue Badge Guide. However if you did not know some of it, and want to hear lots more, then get in touch with one, and tune in to one of the world’s most fascinating stories.

© Peter West Tours 2006

Peter West is a registered London Blue Badge Guide who specializes in made-to-measure sightseeing tours around London, as well as longer trips around England, Ireland, France and anywhere else in Europe. Please visit his website http://www.peterwesttours.com/ to contact him.

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