Treasure Beach Cool Runnings

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Treasure Beach is still very Cool. Stayed with Kory at Sunset Resort Villa went fishing with Talla caught a whole heap a fish.

Ites,
John

Very jealous. Was there in march. Kory is great host and hard worker. The colours in your shots were amazing!

Hi Dwest,
Where are you NB, NS, PEI? I have a place in Washington County, ME about 20 miles from St Stephen, NB. Blueberry Country!!

Yeah Kory's place is really nice and he has done a great job as well as his staff. During my stay there were several Canadian guests so it seems that you guys north of the border are on to it too. As far as the color of the photos goes its in the magic dust I feed the camera or maybe the Appleton I feed myself!!

Hi. We're just across the border from Houlton Maine. Do you fly from Bangor? We split trips between TB and the farrrr west end of Negril - out at the Westender.

Hi Dwest,

Actually I live in Connecticut but own land in Wesley, Me right off Rt 9 (the airline road) which is a main thoroughfare between Bangor and Calais. You see a lot of Irving trucks heading between St. John and Bangor on Rt. 9. I haven't been to Negril in several years due basically to the growth there over the past 10 - 15 years and the non stop hustle on the beach. The West End Road used to end at the lighthouse but I assume that it continues much farther now. What's up with the housing development (high end suburban type homes) that are built out past the lighthouse? Look like some expensive homes?

Hi Dwest,

When you fly to Jamaica do you fly from Bangor or St. John ? I imagine in any event you connect in Boston. Must be a pretty long day of travel to get to JA but it's always worth the wait.

Hey, not sure what housing development? We stay at Westender and its just before the west end road ends. There is no new development out that way. There was something that started to get built but didn't for five years or so. It's not built up at all really, just like being in the country. We fly out of Moncton usually, early 6 am flight but am in Montego Bay by 1:30 or so...easy peasy. You fly through Toronto but it's a good connection.

Attachment 26497Attachment 26498Attachment 26499Hi Dwest,
I just remember driving past the lighthouse past Rick's and continuing on that road and all of a sudden you come upon this residential neighborhood that reminded me of southern Florida not Jamaica. If you check Google Earth you can see what I'm talking about. I haven't been to Negril in 13 years and don't know / recall where Westender is. I never stayed on the West End as I preferred the beach life as opposed to the cliffs. Rumor has it that there were scenes from the movie Pappillon filmed in the cliffs area in the early 70's where Steve McQueen jumps into the sea while Dustin Hoffman stays behind. Other scenes from the movie were filmed in Falmouth and they hired as extras people from Seaford Town (German Town) about 2 hours from Negril because they were white Jamaican who didn't look like tourists. Sounds like Moncton-Toronto-MoBay is a pretty good route. Used to be JFK -Mobay or Kingston was a direct flight but now 80% of the flights connect in Miami or Atlanta making the trip trip a very long one.

I'd love some more pics if available??

Hi Flipadelphia 26,

If you go to the Negril Message Board (Not South Coast) and check the thread Old Negril Photos you will see some of my other pics under johng. Enjoy!!!

Beautiful pics!

I have been to TB a few times & love the natural beauty & the serenity. Staying in TB or the West End Cliffs will depend on who I am traveling with. We stayed at Banana Shout on the cliffs this past April, which was nice. But, TB next time! I've heard good things about Kory too!

The south coast board is usually quiet, so I don't check it much. I have to tell you this Maine conversation is very interesting!

I have always lived in Michigan. In my years of travels, 2 places have loudly begged my return, Maine & Jamaica.

The 1st time I saw Bar Harbor, Maine was from a cruise ship in 1994 & I immediately fell in love. We were there only 1 day, but I had to go back for vacation the following year. I have been back many times since, always exploring a little more each time. Last year, we rented a cottage in Greenville, ME. Just before the trip last summer we had family over & through ancestry.com found out my great, great grandfather & both his parents were from Maine! My great grandmother's maiden name was Tracy & there are a bunch of them in Houlton & Gouldsboro.

At this point, I have reached a dead end on the online genealogy trail & was thinking about spending some time there this summer to see what I else I might find.

& also to see something bigger......like....if I might be interested in moving to Maine? My youngest turns 18 soon & I am tired of the urban grind.
I'm ready for a change & was actually online last night looking at real estate & jobs in Maine.

Only to find Maine again this morning........ via my other love, Jamaica!? Maybe it's not such a crazy idea, after all?!

Of course, the best of both worlds would be winters in JA & summers in ME. Just need to figure out how. & soon!

Hey WestEndGirl,

Lot to be said about Maine, state Motto "The Way Life Should Be" I sometime refer to my property as Negril North. Thing about Maine is economy is pretty shot. Not knowing your occupation, skills, goals its hard to know. Portland area and Freeport are two pretty hip places. Lot's of places off the beaten track and grid too. Property comparatively speaking is affordable. Yes nice to do Nov-April in JA and May-Oct in Maine, you accomplish that and you got it made. Live the life you love and love the life you live.

My other half's family has a nice place in Rangely.

Never been to Rangely but I hear that it is really beautiful!! Another destination. Maine is so darn big you could spend a lifetime traveling within its boundaries and still not see everything.

I do enjoy Rangely, but it is about a 12-13 hour drive from Philly, and honestly... If I am going to burn paid time off like that, it's not going to be driving. To make it worth it, you need to go for at least 5 days. Then a travel day tacked on to each end.

For me. I'd rather take the 3.5 hour flight and enjoy my favorite beach, my favorite music and my favorite food.

No arguing your point. Maine is beautiful but Jamaica is really beautiful and as you said from Philly you're looking at a really long road trip and with the price of gas you've practically paid your plane ticket. I live most times in CT and for me it's a 425 mile ride to my property (about 8 hours) in Maine, if I fly to JA I have to deal with NYC airports, most often a stop over in Miami and the trip from MoBay to Negril or wherever (Kingston) which turns out to be a really long day. Airfare has been pretty steep recently too. I figure I have to spend at least a week to ten days to make it practical to fly to JA.

Mainiac here! Grew up in CT and been livin in Maine for over 12 years in the western Maine lakes & mountains region.

Why Maine?... here is one reason

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this is my private spring fed trout pond/ swimming hole! Just put another 30 rainbows in!

Id love to do Jamaica in the winter and Maine in the summer... but I LOVE WINTER way too much! oh well... hahaha

Hi Murph,

Looks like you got it figured out. Western Maine is really nice!!! I have a friend over the line in NH, Jackson to be exact at the foot of MT Washington. Like those lakes and mountains. I have a man made pond in Wesley and tried the rainbows, spring fed but they can't make it through the winters so after a few years of feeding the Bald Eagles, otters, etc.. I gave up on it.

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Boston Garden North

Sorry...but when I check out this forum I DO NOT want to see pix of ice and snow!! We are finally getting some weather...I really don't want to go "back there". :)

Love a good game of shinny

Negril North! That is perfect! & probably why I love both so much.

A friend of mine made a great outdoor 'Jamaican' shower at his rustic camp in the ME highlands. Chilly.......but clean!

John, Thankfully, I'm old enough to think things through & still young enough to want to do them anyway! But....I do like to eat. & good credit is a priority! So, if nothing else, I'm planting the magic beans of possibility.........!!!

Hi WestEndGirl,

Well dreams are essential to us all without them we would still be in the stone age (maybe not a bad thing either) so dream big!!! The thing I always tell myself is all these things that I would like to do I don't want to do when I'm too old to enjoy them so it puts a little more emphasis on taking the magic beans of possibility, fertilizing them, watering them, weeding them and then hopefully enjoying the fruits of your labor. I see many around me who only chase the almighty buck, that is their driving force in life. My philosophy on that is " What's the point of being the richest man in the cemetery?" So I guess the challenge is getting the right balance between a happy lifestyle and affording to live it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG3YM6sEkk

Dwest,

Sorry about the reminders of winter, maybe also brings to mind that Montreal, Toronto are already playing golf while the Bruins are still working. Not to worry though the blackflies (Maine State Bird) should be extracting flesh soon enough. I assume they eat Canadians just like they do Americans.

johng, EXACTLY!!!!

Yes my partner has been gardening now for a week with his bug outfit on. The weather (though rainy the last few days) is generally glorious in the summer. What I love is that it can be hot hot but except for a few days every summer when it is muggy...the temperature drops to a nice cool sleeping temp at night. We have black flies a few weeks but really only in the woods. We have a summer place out of town where the gardens are but here closer to town, along the St. John river - you hardly see a black fly. It is good to have access to a place you can go that is truly quiet, that has skies open to a million stars at night and where there isn't a chain hotel, restaurant or big box store lurking around the corner. I have to laugh a week or so ago we had some great weather and I said this is just like Jamaica!

Nice lee scratch perry link, i'm looking for the album to purchase now.

Hey Butterfly,

How you keepin? Lee Scratch Perry is a pretty amazing human being (maybe he's really a scape alien?). Not sure if you know his past and current history but his musical skills are second to none. Not only is he a top Reggae performer he was a driving force in the success of many other musicians including Bob Marley as producer. Originally know as the Upsetter he has gone through some extra ordinary transformations. There is an ongoing production "Vision Of Paradise And Lee Perry" which when finally finished should be mind blowing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNBHNMddfM

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/musi...gq-music-issue

Dwest,

I fondly refer to my land in Maine as Negril North. I just got back last night from a 5 day visit. Thursday through Saturday was non stop rain. I thought I was going to have to call Noah and have him swing by and pick me up. The plus side no bugs. Sunday and Monday better yesterday was awesome.

Hi WestEndGirl,

I hope that you have survived the Red Wings demise to Chicago but life goes on!!! I just got back from Negril North and had a very Irie time. "Maine the way life should be", back to the rat race that Connecticut is. Anyway enjoy the pics!!!! John

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Hi John,

Thanks for the photos! So nice to see everything green & blooming again. Is that a Brookie?

It is 88 & sunny here in Motown. Too hot to think hockey anyway! ;-)

I'm getting ready to go soak up some sun on my lunch hour. Enjoy your day!

WEG

Hi WEG,

Yes that is a native Maine Brookie (catch and release of course). Rained hard for three days until it finally cleared up but it was worth the wait. Glad to hear that you are like a solar panel soaking up the positive energy of the sun!!! Time that they make lunch 2 hours instead of one, also you deserve a pay raise too.

Cool Runnings,
John

Hi Johnj, I have learned a lot about Lee Scratch Perry, and Sir Coxsone Dodd, founder of Studio one watching documentaries regarding the history of reggae, ska, dub and rocksteady. These producers helped pave the way for Bob Marley Wailers, many reggae foundation artist. I find watching these documentaries both entertaining and educational. It must've been a good time back then, also very difficult to get a start in the music industry. I find your pictures and knowledge of Jamaica back then very intriguing. Looking at your pictures and watching documentaries of Jamaica make me wish I could go back to those days. It would be nice to hear some of the foundation, vintage music in Jamaica now as opposed to the dancehall music that's played in the clubs and bar these days.

BTW, Johng I recently watched a documentary on Maine, and was blown away by the beauty and historical content of it. It was very picturesque and breathtaking. I would love to visit one day. I'm sure I will grow to love it almost as much as I love Jamaica. I am a true lover of nature, which is one of the reason of my attraction to Jamaica.

Hi Butterfly,

Thanks for your Irie e-mail. Yes Maine is still a place where you can travel for miles without seeing another person, building, etc.. and there are still wild animals such as bear, moose, deer, Bald Eagles, fresh air, clean water and plenty of space to clear your head from the clutter that has become our daily lives. By all means check Maine out, not sure where you hail from but Boston is the most likely hub in New England but you can also fly into Portland, Bangor relatively inexpensively. Many points of interest but by the sound of your vibe I would say Baxter State Park (Mt. Katahdin) or Acadia National Park would be good starting points.

As far as music goes I must say that I have not followed the path of current music either in America or Internationally and can only say that for me 99.9% of what I listen to is reggae music. I had the good fortune of attending many of the early Reggae Sunsplash Festivals and was fortunate enough to see many reggae shows in Jamaica, USA and Europe over the years and captured several shows with my Nikon FM. If you can somehow build a time machine to go back in time let me know, I'm in.

John


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Great pictures! Thank you. I miss TB.

Hi jeannieb,

Thanks for the positive vibrations!!! Don't know when you last were in TB but although there has been ongoing development it has been controlled and doesn't look over done. They have built a really nice sports park with tennis courts, basketball hoops, soccer fields and have been trying to attract sports teams to come to TB as a sports destination. Pretty unique and very nicely done. TB is still a very Cool Runnings spot.

JohnG. Nice pics of Jimmy Cliff, must've been a good time then. I also love the concerts and seen about 75% of all reggae artist perform live. Maine is absolutely stunning, I will have to take a future trip there, it look so serene and relaxing.

Butterfly,

You would love Maine, serene and relaxing are great descriptions!! Tough adjusting back into regular life after being there just like JA but if you find yourself in New England Maine is a must.