3 Great isle of Wight Beaches     

Author: Robert Palmer 

The Isle of Wight offers a lot of attractions to people of all ages all year round. Yet one of the main attractions on the Isle of Wight is its wonderful selection of beaches that provide something a little different depending on what you are looking for. Like most British people we love our beaches and what holiday would be complete without a trip to the beach playing in the sand, building sandcastles, having a picnic and listening to the waves crashing on to the shore. With so much choice on offer on the Isle of Wight this article will try and highlight just a few of the more popular beaches that you should try and visit on your holiday.

Beach one is the Sandown beach. This is a large beach which has always proved popular with families and has a lot to offer. The pier is always a popular destination and the crazy golf and mini fairground will ensure that you won’t run out of entertaining things to do. A wonderful selection of pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets, and amusements surrounds the beach so you will find plenty to do if you don’t want to spend all day on the sand. Also a great location for people who love water sports and soft sand and dog restrictions also apply. The beach also received a Blue Flag Beach Award in 2009 for it’s high standards.

A little more secluded beach and less popular is the beach that the area of Shanklin has to offer. There is a medium sized car park to hand and there are near by cliff tops it you fancy a scenic stroll. As well as offering a selection of cafes, pubs, hotels a small crazy golf and a little pitch and putt the area also has a range of amusements which will keep the children out of trouble. The beaches most recent award is that of the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2009.

Our third and final beach on the list is the offering from the area of Ventnor. This is another great beach for the whole family but not really ideal for any water sport activities due to hidden rocks in the local area. On offer to the tourists is a great place that offers fresh Ventnor crab and lobster which is located at the end of the Esplanade. A nice little beach, yet lacking the noise of amusements and attractions that the previously two mentioned beaches offer and the beach was also recommended by the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2009.

There we have three great choices for a beach trip and a memorable holiday.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Luccombe Hall who offer Weekend Break Shanklin based breaks and other Holiday Accommodation Shanklin options. http://www.articlealley.com/article_1039467_29.html

Braxton Culler brings comfort and style to casual niche

By Sarah Sue Ingram — Casual Living, 10/1/2007, http://www.casualliving.com/article/CA6488713.html
The back yard was once as largely ignored and taken for granted as the stars in the sky. Then came studies showing sunshine triggers endorphins that make people happy. Or perhaps the inspiration came from findings that breathing fresh air is healthier. Or perhaps it was some subliminal return to the joys of childhood.

Or maybe it was just the outdoor furniture.

“We’ve made it more fashionable and inviting and comfortable than ever before — as opposed to the picnic table with an umbrella and a few lounge chairs,” said Braxton Culler, president and CEO of the company bearing his name. “The outdoors was taken for granted for a long time. In the last five years, more people are utilizing the outdoor area of their homes.”

Braxton Culler, a High Point, N.C.-based furniture manufacturer, has been in business for 31 years. The company added outdoor furniture 10 years ago but recently ramped up its production.

“It has definitely evolved,” Culler said. “It’s big right now. The designers and people with foresight have shown people how to utilize their outdoor areas. Especially with the new homes that are being built, that’s an important part of the house.”

Culler’s company, which specializes in wicker and rattan furniture as well as upholstery, will unveil 10 new finishes at the High Point Market this month. The finishes will be incorporated with fabric in new colors, including soft pastels as well as bright primary colors.

Company officials will also unveil a new logo at the Market.

“The logo we’ve had has served us well for 31 years,” Culler said, adding the new logo more adequately represents the company’s image. “The colors are updated and more fashionable.”

He was just 27 years old when he founded Braxton Culler. His grandfather Roy Braxton Culler Sr. started in the furniture industry in 1934, and his son Roy Culler, later mayor of High Point, joined him in the business. Then came Roy Braxton Culler III, who worked in the furniture factory during the summers before earning his bachelor’s degree in business from Wake Forest University.

Eventually, his father and uncle sold the business to Burlington Industries, and the third Braxton Culler continued to work for several years for Burlington House Furniture before starting his own furniture company in 1975.

It was a heady move for someone so young. “There were a few nights I thought I’d lost my mind,” Culler admitted with a chuckle. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

Company officials have changed facilities in High Point twice, and five years ago, they bought a 500,000-sq.-ft. facility.

“We had grown to the point that we were operating out of four different facilities,” Culler recalled. “This enabled me to put everything on one campus.”

There are two separate buildings on that campus. One houses a warehouse and finishing area, while the other houses offices and the manufacturing of upholstery, including cutting and sewing.

Braxton Culler also has a 26,000-sq.-ft. building in downtown High Point at 310 South Elm St., near the International Home Furnishings Center. Asked the benefits of having a freestanding showroom, Culler said, “That depends on who you ask.”

He paused and then added seriously, “Having our own showroom gives us more respectability and more credence. It’s a destination.

“It also gives us a good opportunity to entertain dealers between markets.” he said. “For a company in Ohio that shows in High Point, it’s not convenient for them to show between markets.”

The High Point native, who employs 200 people, is loyal to the furniture markets in his hometown. In fact, company officials don’t show anywhere else.

“At the present time, I feel very strongly that High Point is the No. 1 market in the United States,” Culler said. “We’re very comfortable seeing everybody that we need to see in those two markets and showing our line in a major way.”

He added, only half-kidding, “Most of my customers don’t really care about seeing new merchandise more than twice a year.”

Because the company displays its product only at the two markets, they take on added significance.

“We try to put great effort into both markets and try to do them right,” Culler said. “It’s definitely a group endeavor with what we do here. Everybody steps up to the plate and gets it done.”

Culler, 59, doesn’t have a hero in the business world that he tried to model himself after but rather tries to pave his own way.

“One thing I’ve always had is a high work ethic until it’s completed,” he said. “And honesty has always been an important part.”

Culler learned valuable lessons at Georgia Military Academy in Atlanta, having graduated in the school’s last military class before it became a private school.

“My father went there, too,” Culler said. “I thoroughly enjoyed it and grew up quite a bit during my high school years. It taught me discipline.”

In those days, he was also devoted to playing the tenor saxophone.

“I grew up listening to beach music, and I enjoy the older music,” he said. “I’m not sure which way music’s going, but I’m not going with it!”

Culler and his wife, Ashley, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Sept. 22. Their children are Kimberly, Brack and Josh. Josh lives in Charlotte and works in retail furniture, while Brack (who is really Roy Braxton Culler IV) is Braxton Culler’s vice president of manufacturing.

Work keeps both men busy. In fact, the company just finished a 60,000-sq.-ft. warehouse addition.

“I was in the upholstery business initially,” Culler said. “In the early 1980s, we started importing wicker and rattan. It never was made here. But weaving and upholstery are still done domestically.”

He has seen major changes in the past 20 years and adapted to market demand.

“We’ve evolved into a casual lifestyle — more of a resort look,” Culler said, giving special thanks to prolific designers and decorators from Miami to Maine.

Now with sophisticated patios graced by far superior grills and comfortable furniture, the back yard has become a desired place for entertaining — or just relaxing in style. Also, homeowners gazing out of the recently popular big picture windows want to look at “something more inviting than folding web chairs.”

“People want to make it as inviting on the deck or the patio as it is in the interior of the home,” he said.

The company has more than 1,000 fabrics so customers can put together the color combinations they desire. “Probably 90% of our finishes are done here in the United States,” Culler said. “As everything is going offshore, I’m probably one of the few people that you can get two dozen finishes from in a four- to six-week period.”

Closer to home, Culler was anticipating yet another fall furniture market and its potential. “What I enjoy most about the market is it’s like having a big party,” he said. “Getting ready is the hard work, and the market, when it starts, is the party.

Picnic Tables Offer Outdoor Family Fun

By Leroy C. Calstard

What could be more charming than looking out into a backyard and seeing a wooden picnic table out there, covered in a red and white checked cloth? Picnic tables are the backyard accessory that just won’t go out of style, and for good reason. After all, without your wooden picnic table, where would you gather with family and neighbors to enjoy time together during those impromptu neighborhood barbeques, and where could sit around with your friends and enjoy the nice weather while keeping an eye on the kids running back and forth across the yard? A picnic table may not actually add property value to your home in dollars and cents, but it adds sentimental value and togetherness time that can’t be quantified in cold, hard cash.

The design of picnic tables has not changed much over the years. The standard table is made of some kind of wood – either natural pine wood or wood that is stained a deep red. The table top is made up of two or three long planks of wood, depending on how deep the table is. Benches line each side of the table for side by side seating. The average picnic table seats three or four on each side – more if the sitters are kids. Of course, you can find longer and shorter picnic tables, including ones that are designed for private meals – picnic tables built for two.

If you want a wooden table like a picnic table, there are a few different ways you can get one. First of all, you can simply buy one from a shop. Home improvement stores, hardware stores and even some department stores all sell picnic tables that are ready to be transferred to your backyard and put to use that night. Of course, if you are the handy sort and want to save a little cash, you can build your own picnic table.

Building your own picnic table isn’t the most challenging project around, but it is not for beginners, either. You’ll need to secure the wood, measure it and cut it, sand it down to get rid of those splinters, stain and seal it to protect it from the elements, and then of course assemble the table. There are tons of plans online for building all different kinds of picnic tables, and there are also lots of books you can get in the library to guide you through the process.

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Top 10 Places to Picnic in the Northwest United States

By Lisa Moses
Picnic season is upon us and seeking the best picnic location is a sport for many. The following are the 10 best picnic locations in the Northwest United States. Organized by state, they are evaluated by scenery, accessibility, and amenities.

Oregon

1. The coast of Oregon offers more than 60 scenic points and overlooks. At its most northern point you’ll find Fort Stevens State Park. 10 miles west of Astoria, Fort Stevens is rich in history. It served for 84 years, beginning with the Civil War and closing at the end of World War II. Today, camping, beachcombing, freshwater lake swimming, trails, wildlife viewing, an historic shipwreck and an historic military area make Fort Stevens a park with a lot of diversity and history. The environment offers spruce and hemlock forests, wetlands, dunes, and shore pine. Coffenbury Lake has two swimming areas, a picnic area, restrooms, and a boat ramp.

2. For a truly unique experience visit Newberry National Volcanic Monument near Bend Oregon. Newberry National Volcanic National Monument offers more than 50,000 acres of lakes, lava flows, and amazing geologic features. Visit the highest point, at the summit of Paulina Peak (7,985 ft.). The summit showcases amazing views of the Oregon Cascades and across the High Desert. The summit area of Newberry Volcano holds two sparkling alpine lakes full of trout and salmon. Seven campgrounds offer picnic facilities, and ten day use sites offer picnic tables and a variety of activities ranging from caving to fly fishing.

3. Offering eight picnic locations, the Mount Hood National Forest is located in the Cascades Mountain Range of Oregon, about 50 miles east of Portland. The forest features the Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark, at the top of Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon. Picnicking, and camping and concessions, can be found at Frog Lake, Carter Bridge, Lake Harriet, Pegleg, Rock Creek, Timothy, Trillium, and Two Rivers. Make a day trip out of it and add a hike, a trip down the river with a guide, fishing, and mountain biking.

Washington

4. Mt Rainer National Park is an amazing experience with tons to do. The park has over 260 miles of maintained trails and 147 miles of roads. For those interested in a beautiful, and easily accessible, picnic location, look no further than Kautz Creek or Cougar Rock. Both locations offer handicap access, restrooms, short trails to beautiful vistas, and picnic facilities. Before or after lunch, enjoy a scenic drive and visit Mt. St Helens. It takes about 3 hours to drive from Paradise to the west side of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and about 2.5 hours to drive to the east side. Park officials suggest that first time visitors try to schedule a visit to the Johnston Ridge or Coldwater Ridge Visitors Centers on the west side of the monument, to learn the most about the eruption and subsequent changes to the plant and animal life.

5. Olympic National Forest covers more than 633,600 acres and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The National Forest blankets the foothills of the Olympic Mountains and surrounds much of Olympic National Park. Olympic National Forest offers free picnicking at six locations: Big Creek, Coho, Falls Creek, Falls View, Gatton Creek, and Interrorem. Each site offers shelters and tables. Gatton Creek, Coho, and Interrorem offer toilets, and all except Falls Creek and Gatton Creek offer stoves. Each picnic site offers an abundance of activities including hiking, fishing, camping, and boating.

North Dakota

6. Nestled in the scenic Turtle Mountains on the shores of Lake Metigoshe, Lake Metigoshe offers more than 1500 acres. In addition to picnic shelters, complete with bathroom facilities, there is a boat launch and a swimming area. The park offers a number of hiking trails, education programs for the children and plenty of information about the area. In fact, the lake is well known for its northern pike, walleye and perch, which means that the fishing is top notch!

7. One mile north of Pick City North Dakota, you’ll find the quiet Lake Sakakawea State Park. Located on the south shore of Lake Sakakawea, adjacent to Garrison Dam, Lake Sakakawea State Park offers a wide range of water based recreational activities and facilities. The park has a full service marina, including boat rentals, convenience store, fishing guide services, and 4 designated picnic areas scattered throughout the park.

Idaho

8. Laird Park, St Joe National Forest Idaho. Looking for an old fashioned swimming hole? Visit Laird Park, just outside of Harvard, Idaho. It is a very popular picnic spot with plenty of rest rooms, swimming, and beautiful mountain scenery.

9. Sand Pointe Idaho is well known for water sports, mountain biking, and beautiful golf courses but it is also a perfect picnic location. Undeveloped picnic sites are located all along the Monarch Mountains. Visitors will have the pleasure of discovering small pocket beaches from the Johnson Creek at the mouth of the Clark Fork all the way to Kilroy Bay. You will be guaranteed privacy because these beaches are mostly reachable only by boat. There are vault toilets at some sites. If you’re looking for a developed picnic area with facilities and tables visit Springy Point on the south side of the river. There you’ll find a swimming area, launch ramp, camping and picnic spots.

10. Tucked away at the tip of Idaho’s panhandle in the Selkirk Mountains, 30 miles south of Canada and 85 miles north of Spokane, Priest Lake offers a number of secluded picnic locations. Secluded mountain lakes, isolated beach spots, and shady groves are easily found and offer perfect picnic locations for the whole family or for a romantic picnic. Additionally, 7 islands offer you the opportunity to explore, hike, boat, swim, and of course picnic.

Visit mysecretpantry.com to find your favorite picnic basket or picnic cooler for your summer outing.

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Tips to Pack Health in Your Picnic Basket

By C Abad

It is a wonderful idea if deciding to go to a water or theme park for the day to pack some food together to take with you. This will not only save you a lot of money but it is great for the children especially considering there may be some long queues for different rides or water slides, so to have food and a drink available is very handy.

Taking a picnic basket to the beach for the day or an outing in the countryside is also a great way to have fun for the day with the children, letting them run around for the day with lots of fresh air will certainly give them a good appetite, and because it’s a picnic they usually eat a lot more food. There are a few things to keep in mind when planning a picnic basket for the day.

It is probably a good idea to make a list, the whole idea is to take a picnic and have some fun not to take half of the kitchen with you, so only take what you need. Try and choose a proper firm basket or cooler bag, there should be no carrier bags unless one is taken to collect all the rubbish together at the end of the day.

There is no need to take a huge bag if there is only going to be two people for example, if it is a family of four or more then obviously a decent sized basket or tote bag will be necessary. If there is any need for ice on the picnic then remember to do this the day before.

Once the decision about the basket and food has been decided for the picnic then thought has to be taken about what to place on the ground for all the food, containers, and work space and lastly a place to sit. Some choose to take blankets or a good idea is to use a plastic coated table cloth, then if there is any spillage it is not a problem because at the end of the day it can go in the wash.

If there are any small children in the group then a soft blanket are a good idea, this is ideal if they want to crawl or they may have a little sleep in the day. It is a good idea to take washable plastic cutlery and perhaps plastic or disposable plates. It is wise to leave all the priceless china and silver at home after all this is a picnic outing. If you are taking wine or bottles of beer then do not forget a corkscrew and bottle opener.

When packing food try and choose containers that will all fit into the basket or tote bag comfortably, a good idea is to do a pre-pack this way you will have a good idea as to how the containers all fit together. Some food may have to be wrapped in foil, plastic film or paper napkins.

Do not forget all the favorite condiments that everybody likes, salt, pepper, mustard, lemon, and any sauces for meat. These can always be put into small portions in containers and keep them altogether in one separate bag.

There are other things you may want to consider for a picnic for example do you want to take folding chairs and a table, and a folding umbrella if the weather is going to be hot. Depending on where you are going or what time of year it is you may need insect repellent, sunscreen a cover in case of rain and a flashlight is always handy if you stay late in the day.

The children even though they will probably be running around and playing may want to take a ball, couple of toys, sketch pad, book and lastly not to forget the camera for those important family photos.

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Picnic

4 Top Reasons To Go On A Picnic

How would you like to have relaxation, fun and excitement all at the same time? If the idea sounds great to you, then the signs are up that you should think about having a picnic. Indeed not a few individuals have wondered if having a picnic has been the break that they have needed all along. Well, you do not have to be fussy about it. Just see if the following signs relate to you; if they do, then chances are hosting or having a picnic might be your perfect idea of fun, excitement and relaxation. 

1. Being a small group or a big group does not get in the way of enjoying a picnic. You can be as few as one or as big as fifty. But it has been said that the best group that can ever go picnicking is the whole family. Thus if you are a parent, the idea of planning for a picnic should cross your mind easily. Has your career taken so much of your time away from your family? Do you feel like making up for it? Then going outdoors with the whole family to have a picnic is surely one good answer. Picnics bring out the best opportunity there is for family bonding. The parents can have their kids all to themselves. The kids can have their parents all to themselves. They get to play, laugh, talk, eat and have fun together. Every minute of picnic time is quality time.  

2. Do you feel like putting new life and swing to romance? Taking your special someone to a picnic date fits that idea as well. The magic that picnics have for families or friends is the same magic that can work for your romantic adventure. Picnics give you an envigorating world, so to speak, where you may wish to do things together. Be discreet, however, of the picnic site you wish to go to, in case you want a more intimate flavor to your date. 

3. Are you toying with the idea of fun and adventure that will not cost you that much? There is so much variety in activities that you can do in a picnic. Softball, soccer, volleyball, among many other fun games, make picnics occasions of fun, adventure, and healthy relaxation. You will have no need for complex facilities or equipment for these activities. It makes you worry less for things you need to buy, except of course for food and beverages. 

4. Doy you feel like going for a change of pace, or of places and activities you are used to? Having or hosting a picnic is a refreshing diversion. Despite its popularity, picnics do not really form part of people’s routine. Families, lovers or groups of friends often prefer malling or eating out in restaurants, or simply staying at home, than seeking fund and leisure outdoors. Thus the time might be just right for you under any of the above circumstances to go picnicking more often. Have it in your backyard, in state parks, near a lake, or wherever you like. Remember that in having picnic adventures, there is always an attraction that is hard to ignore. 

Whatever your inclinations maybe, the reasons why you might go picnicking are many. The adventure can happen in many places. The occasion it offers for bonding, fun and excitement is unlimited. You can fill the day with games, festivities and laughter. It would be surprising if all these years you have not yet experienced the joys of joining a picnic party. Otherwise it is time for you to get yourself moving to plan for your first picnic adventure. Go and gather your family, friends or loved ones for a day of picnicking. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/camping-articles/4-top-reasons-to-go-on-a-picnic-776976.html (ArticlesBase SC #776976)

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