Friendly Places (Part One)…

Over the past 2 ½ years Judi and I have visited over 75 different communities. Each one has its own unique charm, but only a few really stand out! In this article I would like to acknowledge my four top “friendly places”.

Buckhorn – We have been traveling to the Village of Buckhorn for over 25 years. We even had a boat moored for a couple of years at the Buckhorn Yacht Harbour. Our first experience with the Village was at their annual Fine Art Festival. Since our first visit, we have been back to Buckhorn hundreds of times. However, it’s only been over the past few years that we have discovered the true spirit of the community! To date we have visited four of their events, the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival, Colours ‘N’ Crows, Fiesta Buckhorn and the Buckhorn Maple Syrup Festival held at the McLean Berry Farm. At each one we were always greeted with friendly enthusiasm! Even outside the events, when we needed information or help, we could always count on the wonderful Buckhorn residents. The community spirit is always there!

Prescott – This town completely caught us off guard! We had been to Prescott a few times before, but only to drive through. On a sunny July afternoon we had driven to Prescott to visit their St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. We arrived at their normal venue only to be told that the play had been moved to a local church. The move was due to a forecasted severe thunder storm coming to the area. At the church we were greeted by friendly volunteers who told us that the doors to the church would be opened shortly. We joined others who were also waiting. The people around us talked about their town and the upcoming play. This was opening night, so no-one knew what to expect. Eventually we were led to the front of the church to an open seat. The lady who led us gave us some insight as to what was going to happen once the play started. She also told us that Prescott’s Mayor, Suzanne Dodge, would be sitting behind us! As we waited for the play to start, people started to fill the seats in the church. All around us people said hello and asked about us. They knew we weren’t from the area. Eventually the Mayor took her seat behind us and I turned around to say hello and introduce ourselves. There was an immediate connection between us. I felt that I had met a long lost friend. Suzanne told us all about her town and its attractions. You could see the pride in her eyes when she talked about Prescott and its people. She told us that next year, 2010, was their bi-centennial and that they had a lot of events planned throughout the year. She invited us come to Prescott to help them celebrate. As this was the Festival’s opening night, the town was hosting a Gala after the play. Not only did Mayor Suzanne invite us to the Gala, but several people around us also insisted that we come. We had a wonderful time and certainly appreciated how we were treated. Prescott is definitely one of the top friendly places we have visited! (Part Two - continued next week)