Morton Arboretum Offers Much More than Trees
By Connie Reed
ITWPA Member
I’m driving through the splendor of one of the world’s largest arboretums, surrounded by the beauty of trees, shrubs, and plants collected from around the world, 1,700 acres of them, when I see a giant ant -- make that two -- no, three. They must be 10 feet tall! The monstrous ants posed on the hillside seem ready to stampede toward my vehicle. I whisk by them before they make their move. Later I’m wandering through the children’s garden when I spy another oversized insect, a grasshopper, and this time I’m on foot. But not to worry -- the mammoth insects are part of the David Rogers Big Bugs exhibition at the Morton Arboretum. Exhibits like Big Bugs, a hedge maze, an interactive children’s garden, and special themed activities, together with 16 miles of hiking trails, nine miles of paved roads for biking or driving, and even guided tram tours, make for a day of fun for people of all ages and with a variety of interests.
Serious plant enthusiasts and gardeners appreciate the 190,000 specimens in the Morton Arboretum’s collection, specialty gardens throughout natural landscapes, and guided walks. Active folks can rent bicycles in the summer and cross country skis in the winter. Kids have fun in the 4-acre garden created just for them, splashing in the frog fountain, playing instruments made from colossal flowers, or spinning a pot of pansies while peering at the dimensions they take on through a kaleidoscope. Family members race each other through the hedge maze, while others watch their progress from a platform built around a 60-foot-tall Sycamore tree.
Lots of special events are offered for adults, kids, and families. Adults can tweak their gardening and landscaping skills. Kids can learn about bugs or gather for story time. Family activities are offered, too, like an occasionally-scheduled overnight campout where you can sleep under the stars surrounded by the lush landscaping of the Morton Arboretum. But watch out for those Big Bugs that may be lurking in the gardens.
Morton Arboretum is located about 25 miles west of Chicago in Lisle, Illinois, and is open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. until sunset (shorter hours for the children’s garden). Visit on Wednesdays for discounted admission. Lunch is available in the Ginkgo Room restaurant overlooking Meadow Lake. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.mortonarb.org/.
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Aroma Workshop Chicago: Slinging Oils, Making Smells
By Sean Hillen
ITWPA Member
Photos by Columbia Hillen
If you walk too fast, you might miss it, and that would be a shame.
For Aroma Workshop (www.aromaworkshop.com) operates out of a small, glass-fronted store off trendy Halsted Street in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. The delicate smell of perfumes lingers in the air as you open the door and walk down a few steps to the ‘testing’ room.
Here, seated on high stools arranged along a counter with scores of miniature transparent bottles on black wooden trays, is where clients create their own perfumes under the keen eye (and nose) of owner and former New York dancer turned perfumer Tedd Neenan.
As Tedd, of Irish background and a native of Columbia, Missouri, is busy issuing guidance to clients, my companion and I spend several moments gazing around. I count over 60 miniature bottles on each of several wooden racks, each having a different oil inside, some with intriguing names: LSD, pink sugar, gardenia, honeysuckle, fig, cassis, sea mist, desert aloe, and big sun. There is also a jar of coffee beans to help clear nostrils. Behind us on a line of shelves standing against the wall are a wide selection of products made by Tedd and his staff -- bath salts, eye creams, scrub masks, foot lotions, facial toners, and aromatherapy preparations made from essences ranging from elder flower to rose hip, eucalyptus, pomegranate, and aloe vera. Nearby are soaps of all varieties -- glycerin, coconut milk, China musk, juicy peach, and white tea -- as well as scent sticks.
It is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of fragrant products.
Several customers are already there, reflecting wide age differences. To one side of us a middle-aged woman and four children under the age of 10 voice their delight enthusiastically upon mixing oils and smelling the results. On the other side are two men, one with an intricate tattoo on his upper arm. They sit, eyes closed, in quiet contemplation, each holding a test strip close to his nose. They’ve obviously been here a while and seem to be nearing the final, crucial stages of their personal perfume creations.
Iris Lin, Tedd’s assistant, is dealing with several clients who have come to collect refills of fragrances they had made on previous visits. Aroma Workshop has hundreds of what Tedd terms ‘recipes’ from clients who regularly return to stock up on scents they had made -- for deodorants, perfumes, room sprays, etc.
Tedd says his interest in fragrances first began when he worked for several years in his brother’s shop, The Potion Parlor, in Columbia. “I was always keen on fragrances but I had so much fun working there, mixing oils, that my interest was heightened immensely. I had been a dancer through the early ’80s and fell in love with the creative process. Also, my wife, Liz Muckley, a Chicagoan, is an actress and Playback artist.”
In those pioneering days only four main essential oils were used in Tedd’s brother’s store. Tedd now has around 240 oils at his disposal here.
To strengthen his knowledge, Tedd became a certified aromatherapist, attending classes at the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy in San Rafael, California, before opening his business in Chicago in 1993. At that time the area was more run-down. “This place had been a lumberyard, then a shirt store, then a place that sold antiques,” he recalled. “But I was confident I could get a strong clientele base. After all, hundreds of cars and buses go by here every day.”
Tedd says his clientele is wide-ranging. “One day we might have the whole family here. The next, a husband and wife. Or a grandmother, mother, and granddaughter. Sometimes, retirees or young people on spring break. We regularly open in the evenings for special occasions, to cater for bridal showers or special birthdays where a group of close friends come in to create their own perfumes, drink champagne, and chat. There can be a lot of lively fun then. We can host up to 12 people for an event.”
He added, “We get 30 to 40 customers every week, about 60 percent of whom want to make their own perfumes. Many come in from the suburbs. Some clients come in and make their own perfumes, which they then sell in their stores, and we get a commission on the sales.”
If you don’t see Tedd merrily ‘slinging oils’ (as he terms it) in Aroma Workshop, he says he is likely doing one of several things: hanging out with his partner in Bucktown, walking to Wicker Park, cooking, shopping at Stanley’s, sitting in the first rows at a dance concert, attending an aromatherapy seminar (especially if Doctor Kurt Schnaubelt is leading it), pedaling to work, sweating at a step aerobics class, paddling a canoe in the Ozarks, or hiking in the Rockies.
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They Made Us Break Our Rule
By J. Mike Rogers
When my wife and I started traveling to the Caribbean over 10 years ago, we agreed not to visit the same place twice -- to see as many islands and resorts as possible. Palm Island Resort in the Grenadines made us break that rule. We just returned from our second visit, and it won’t be our last.
Palm Island is not for everybody. If you need flat-screen TVs and shopping and constant entertainment, this is probably not for you. But for us, and many like us, this is a little slice of Caribbean paradise. We spent most of our days on the beach, reading, taking a dip, or just walking and enjoying the sun. It’s peace and quiet. It’s relaxing and reconnecting with your spouse.
While the beach is the star attraction, Palm Island has lots of activities such as snorkeling trips to the Tobago Cays or a day trip to St. Vincent for an island tour. We opted to stay on island this trip but we did have a picnic lunch delivered to us (at a secluded beach away from the main resort area) with real china, real silverware, real napkins, and real flutes for our champagne -- great food and great service. As for resort amenities, the small gym met my needs perfectly. My wife had a massage at the spa and raved about it. There’s also a pool and a tennis court, a library and computer for guest use, and Wi-Fi is available in the reception area. 
I recommend Palm Island’s beachfront cottages but the Palm View Rooms are also a good option, and for a slightly higher level of luxury, try the Island Lofts. Each room has an air conditioner, but ceiling fans are usually all you need. Two beach loungers come with each room, so if you don’t want to walk down to the main beach you can enjoy the sun right outside your door. There’s also a table and chairs with an umbrella -- great for watching the sun set or for sipping your first cup of coffee in the morning.
Palm Island gets five stars for food. Breakfast includes fresh local fruit, while lunch options include great burgers and salads. Amazing dinners run the gamut from medallions of pork to pan-seared dorado, and Chef Baka uses local sources frequently, especially for herbs and veggies. Two nights a week there’s a buffet: beach barbecue on Wednesday and Caribbean night on Saturday, when a rum tasting is included. (Sparrow’s is the best, and it’s from St. Vincent!) However, we needed gluten-free options and Chef delivered. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are clearly noted on each evening’s dinner menu, but Chef made a special loaf of gluten-free bread so my wife could have toast with her breakfast every day. Nice touch. On Sunday, Chef gave a cooking demonstration using traditional Caribbean methods, and even gave us his recipe.
The staff at Palm Island is fantastic. Everybody is friendly, helpful, genuinely eager to please. We both got slight sunburns the first day (yes, we applied sunscreen, just not effectively enough). My wife looked in the gift shop for some zinc oxide for her nose, but they didn’t have any. So a staff member arranged for slices of aloe vera to be delivered to our room. Even better.
No, Palm Island is not for everybody. Getting there is an adventure in itself, and some might find the resort a bit laid-back. But we go to the Caribbean specifically to be laid-back for a week -- maybe longer next time?
For reservations, visit www.palmislandresortgrenadines.com, or call toll-free 866-237-2157. Plan on flying to Barbados. There you will be met by a Palm Island representative who will guide you to your SVG Air flight to Union Island. Book seven nights or more and Palm Island covers this leg of your journey. Plan to arrive on Barbados by early afternoon, though. Flights to Union Island must arrive there before dark -- there are no runway lights! When you arrive on Union Island, you will again be met by a Palm Island representative who will take you by golf cart to the Palm Island boat for a short ride to the resort. At the Palm Island dock, staff members will greet you with a drink and show you to your room.
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Romantic Dinner in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
By Jennifer B. Graham
I’m about to sample my first forkful of Chef Rosario Rubio’s Chicken Waldorf Salad -- Hispaniola style.
Yesterday, I had the good fortune of meeting the chef to ask what he would serve a couple on a romantic getaway at the Marina Sands Luxury Resort near Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. With the aid of Elven and Regino, through frowns, gesticulations, and lots of smiles, we breached the language barrier. I got the message, and then some. “Come over to the Bistrot tomorrow and I’ll have a meal prepared for you.” Now it was my turn to smile.
Regino has set a place for me in the elegant dining room. He raises one of the large sun screens, unveiling a fantastic view of the sun-drenched Caribbean Sea beyond the pastel Mediterranean-style resort. A gentle breeze caresses my skin.
Presented on crisp romaine lettuce, the apple is cubed into dainty bits. Morsels of delicately thin chicken strips subtly fleck the creamy salad, which is topped with small pieces of pineapple and garnished with sliced red grapes. The overall effect is a delicious, tropical coolness on the tongue.
A soup course follows, artistically decorated with a creamy swirl. As the bowl is placed before me I get a distinct ocean aroma. Pointing to the soup I tell the chef, “I smell the sea.” Regino translates -- it’s lobster bisque. It has the smoothest texture of any lobster bisque I’ve tasted.
The young chef hails from Santo Domingo, capital of this Spanish-speaking country. He spent two years as chef’s assistant, then followed a five-year apprenticeship. Now he proudly wears his chef’s hat here at the Bistrot.
The fish course tastes as good as it looks, succulent grilled grouper drizzled with a blend of olive oil, butter, lemon juice, and garlic and stacked on a bed of sautéed potato cubes, zucchini disks, and baby Roma tomatoes.
Now for the main dish: home-grown chicken cubed and sautéed, then completed in a delicate curry sauce. This is presented vol-au-vent style and garnished with tropical fruit and fresh herbs.
As a pleasant complement to the meal the choice of wine is Santa Carolina, a Chilean Chardonnay. Rubio and the duo wait expectantly for my reaction. I might only have been at the Marina Sands for a couple of days, but I know just enough to say muy rico -- absolutely wonderful.
The best is saved for last which happens to be my favorite -- Tiramisu. Adorned with sliced poached pear and mango, it does not disappoint. The feather-light sponge cake is soaked in the perfect amount of espresso. Layered with a creamy mascarpone blend and topped with ganache, every bite is a melt-in-your-mouth moment.
If you like a dark roasted cup of coffee with boldness plus a hint of acidity, then this locally-grown bean is for you. Just when I thought I was done, out comes a shot of Baileys -- the cherry on top.
With typical Dominican joie de vivre Chef Rubio and his staff welcome me with smiles when I visit his kitchen. In broken English, Regino tells me, “Thees where chef make the magic, but most important thing that go in the food is love.” Were I on that romantic getaway, of this experience, all I could say would be “That’s amore.”
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Townsville’s Strand, Family Fun
By Barry Gregory
The Strand lies at the end of Gregory Street in Townsville, Australia’s suburb of North Ward. The area was developed after Tropical Cyclone Sid severely eroded the foreshore in January of 1998.
The attractions start with a marina and follow on to a waterfall, the Tobruk Memorial Baths, playgrounds (including a water feature), barbecues for public use, picnic tables with ample shade, plenty of grassed areas, safe swimming, a white sand beach, a pier great for fishing, and a seawater man-made lagoon, along with a good selection of cafes, bars, and restaurants.
All of this is accessed via a tree-lined walking path that runs the full length of this great family-friendly zone. Every weekend you will find it packed with families celebrating an event or just getting together for some fun and relaxing under the myriad of large shade trees. The water playground is a big hit with kids young and old, especially the giant tipping jug.
The yachting club holds regular events on the beach, creating a colorful sight as you look out to Magnetic Island in the distance. Tandem skydivers land on the beach, dropping out of the deep blue sky on the odd occasion. The path is popular with people exercising or just taking a leisurely stroll; either way the energy of the area is refreshing and uplifting -- a must to experience on your visit to Townsville.
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