Scrub Island: Privately Owned but Publicly Fantastic

Off the eastern tip of Anguilla is uninhabited Scrub Island, about 3 miles square and fun to visit. On the leeward side is a beautiful white sand beach which usually has calm waters. It is the only one in Anguilla that faces completely away from the prevailing winds and seas since Anguilla runs east-west and the winds come from the east.

The interior of Scrub consists of rolling low hills, soft and green more like Scotland than Anguilla. It is an easy walk to the other side of the island. The only inhabitants are wild goats that grow fat in the rainy season and skinny in the dry season but they get water then by eating the pear cactus on the island.

Catch a ride over a glass bottom boat from Shoal Bay or Island Harbour. Or on Keg's wide, stable fishing boat. Or just drop into Smitty's Seaside Bar and Restaurant in Island Harbour. You could also take some cold drinks with you, because there aren't any bars on Scrub Island yet. And there aren't any protected harbours on Scrub either, so it is sometimes impossible to land in high seas.

When you get over, you can just play on the beach in Scrub Bay where you land, or you can take a hike to explore the island. You will need walking shoes or sport sandals. Remember, Scrub Island is private property, except for the beach which is public, like all beaches in Anguilla. So be respectful. Scrub is supposedly uninhabited, but who knows what has happened here over the centuries. There are rumors of wrecked Spanish galleons, and some other unconfirmed history.

In two hours you can hike most of the island and when you make it back to the beach, a dip in the ocean will be very refreshing. That is Scrub Island, Anguilla's private yet flabbergasting place!

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Thank-you, Curt Schilling

This is a thank-you letter to Curt Schilling.

Curt, although I do not personally know you, I want to thank you for everything you've done while spending time in the Boston, Mass., area. While some people focus on your strong opinions, I choose to center on your humanity, your mission to help others in need, your support of our brave men and women Soldiers, to fully potentiate your baseball skills with 100 percent effort, and your daily presence as a lifelong student of baseball, history and, most importantly, life in general. Unlike many people who feel that you can stop learning once graduating school, it seems like you have become smarter and wiser every day. We can hear it in your wise and passionate perspectives on just about anything from world politics to the politics in baseball -- and the articulation to effectively communicate the given subject matter (including some informative and entertaining entries on your blog, 38 Pitches.

Unlike some pampered, prima donna athletes who care about the money first, you seem to have connected so well to us New Englanders through candid media interviews and important work in the community. We live in the next town over from you and have heard from neighbors how much of a "regular guy" you are -- a person with a big smile, good listening skills, a kind word to say and a helping hand. One of our friends told us that you were so pleasant to others when watching July 4th fireworks one year in Walpole, Mass. We have heard other examples of your decency that are so much appreciated by "Red Sox and New England Nation." You unselfishly supported that Medfield, MA, family in need on "Extreme Home Makeover," and your work to fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gerhig's Disease) through Curt's Pitch For ALS speaks volumes about your priorities in life.

Boston can be a nasty town -- with a sector of the media contributing greatly to that dubious, self-centered cause -- but you have chosen to recognize and celebrate the Boston sports fan, the New England resident, and to carry on the magic of our National Pastime, which has sadly become somewhat tainted by financial greed and cheating through the years.

You received a lot of credit for that bloody sock incident -- and what a effort you put in to help us win the 2004 World Series -- but your dedication to the game goes well beyond that. It was an honor seeing you pitch every time out -- you weren't given the best athletic skills, but, boy, did you make the most out of them. We hard-working New Englanders with a traditionally strong work ethic appreciate the effort!

Best wishes in your future endeavors. We wish you could stay in New England, but you know what's best for you and your family. Your presence created a lot of memories that we New Englanders can take with us, forever -- including seeing the Red Sox finally becoming World Series Champions after years of suffering. Thank-you again for being such an integral part of our beloved baseball team and region!

Best regards,
Eric H.
Editor and Publisher
VisitingNewEngland.com
CooperstownForKids.com
VisitingCooperstown.com
The Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette

Editor's note: So, you might be ultimately asking , what's a thank-you letter to Curt Schilling doing in a New England Travel Blog? Well, we also like to focus on the people who make New England so special. You'll be seeing a lot more focus on this type of writing, as New England is not just a place of places and things. The people, ultimately, make it a special place!

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A Hidden Restaurant in Medfield, MA

Article by Eric H.

Basil restaurant, in Medfield, MA, meets all the requirements of those looking for an affordable upscale quality restaurant, a hidden New England dining gem, and a conversation vehicle where you can show off your vast knowledge of restaurants no one else knows about.

Located in a modest Medfield neighborhood just behind the town center, Basil, at first inspection, looks like, perhaps just another home in the neighborhood until you look in the windows and realize (1) either this is a very big family sitting down to dinner or (2) perhaps this is a catering hall. Although Basil does catering, the reality is that this is a top-notch restaurant with chef and owner Thomas McGue turning out some really great Italian and American dishes from the innovative to the familiar during lunch and especially dinner.

Whether it's the the fresh salads (they make an incredible Caesar) and homemade soups (ditto on the New England clam chowder), handmade pasta (butternut squash ravioli, yum!), or wonderful main entrees in the steak, fish and seafood categories, Basil is one of our favorite "date places." The atmosphere is subdued, but friendly, and features a large salt water fish tank as well as a cozy bar/pub area in the back. The two floors of dining space are quite comfortable with nice carpeting, dim lighting and enough space between you and other customers. The only complaint (and it's a minor one) is the somewhat cloying, unctious smooth jazz music that has me conjuring up awful images of Yanni in my head.

All that jazz, however, takes a back seat to the quality of the food: it's simply amazing. Our favorite dishes: the veal, chicken and shrimp marsala (this is one dish, not three separate), slow roasted duckling with orange marmalade sauce, sauteeed spiach and tri colored peppers, and the tender delicious pork tenderloin marinated with rosemary, garlic and peppercorn. We recently had an amazing haddock dish that left us saying, "Who needs to go to the best seafood restaurants when you have a place like Basil?"

If you have room for dessert, we heartily recommend the chocolate lava cake and the toll house cookie pie. These aren't your basic chain restaurant sweets that look so good on the menu, but so putrid in the taste buds. These desserts are clearly made by a culinary genius, like an artist creating a masterpiece -- you can taste it in the fresh, real ingedients and see it in the elegant presentation.

Another great aspect about Basil is that its prices really haven't gone up over the past several years. It used to seem expensive when things were less expensive in the good old days, but now in tough economic times, Basil is a bargain. They even have a "lighter fare" menu to keep the prices -- and calories -- down even more. Kudos to Basil for making upscale dining so affordable and just as delicious as all the fine dining places you see hyped in the mainstream media dining reviews and advertisements. It just goes to show, you never know what gems you'll find in a neighborhood behind a suburban downtown.

Basil
43 Frairy Street
Medfield, MA
1-508-359-4400

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