As the beginning of summer approaches and the long-awaited end to the structure of the "school" year becomes a reality, I usually set to the task of deciding and planning where to travel to. Being struck this year by millennium madness I was eager to enjoy every minute of the last summer of the century. Ponder that if you will and feel the weight of the thought bear on your consciousness. It seems this frenzy hit the entire Norris clan for by late May, early June, members of the family headed to different parts of the globe: one family to France, another to Ireland and I to the lovely island of Antigua.

Once again being offered, as a travel agent, an incredible "deal" by American Airlines to discover the beauty and serenity of one of its popular Caribbean destinations, I jumped at the chance to see and explore a spot I'd read so much about and recommended to clients but never visited myself. With a companion in tow I traveled the long and circuitous route from Shreveport to St. John's Antigua. Two connections and ten hours later we arrived and were immediately aware of a tropical paradise. R & R were definitely the agenda of the next few days.

Antigua (pronounced "Ann-tee-ga by native folks) lies in the middle of the Leeward Island group roughly 1300 miles and a three-hour flight from Miami. I was truly shocked by the distance but thoroughly enjoyed the view from the airplane of all the islands one passes along the way - Exuma, Eleuthera, St. Croix, St. Barts - to name just a few. An incredible sight indeed for the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea are incomparable in beauty and clarity. The island of Antigua is proud of its 365 beaches, one for every day of the year which provide ample opportunity for snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming or simply soaking up the sun. Nature and history combine here for a unique vacation experience. I had read about historic places as English Harbour encompassing Nelson's Dockyard; Shirley Heights and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and was anxious to see them all in the few days we had in Antigua.

We awakened on the first morning of the trip to find that the Island Tour suggested to us by a young local chef we'd met in the airport was being offered that very day directly from the beach of our hotel, The Royal Antiguan. Luckily for us she had recommended a company called "Wadadli Cats" which operates a brand new 60-foot, half-million dollar catamaran on day charter tours of the island. Our choice was the Circumnavigation tour, an exciting sixty-mile trip around the whole island, which offers views of all the major sights and hotels.

A stop at an uninhabited island called Green Island for snorkeling and a West Indies style buffet lunch served by the crew is included. What a treat to see such exotic creatures under the sea and savor island fare on the beach. Imagine the chagrin of the other guests of our hotel who had not been so well informed and appeared on the beach to board the "older" vessel operated by the competition. We felt proud.

The tour was a highlight of my brief stay in Antigua for it allowed me to "see" all that the island has to offer if only from a distance. Though I did not tour all in depth I was happy to catch a glimpse of many of the elegant hotels I've read so much about. Leaving from the northern coast we picked up passengers at Dickenson Bay, the lovely setting for the well-known Sandals Resort. We passed the Curtain Bluff Hotel perched high atop a cliff over-looking the ocean. We sailed by Jumby Bay Resort situated on its own private island, a chic hotel our crew billed as also the most expensive on the island. Approaching English Harbour, I spotted The St.James Club Hotel, a 178-room resort nestled amidst 100 acres of tropical gardens and considered Antigua's most glamorous address.

The St. James is also proud of its own full-service 18-slip marina. My favorite hotel of all that I visited and the place I long to stay when I return to Antigua is the romantic Galley Bay. A haven for honeymooners and lovers alike the resort is best known for its secluded natural setting housing only 70 rooms situated on 40 acres at the edge of a bird sanctuary lagoon. I would pick one of the Gauguin Cotteges just 50 yards from the beach and consisting of two separate thatched rondovals - one for sleeping and one for bathing and dressing, connected by a sheltered walkway. The reception area, dining room and bar are all open to the water and a beachfront deck is the perfect place to watch the sun set and the moon rise over the island.

We sailed into English Harbour in the heart of the National Park, which encompasses Nelson's Dockyard, a fine example of a Georgian Naval Dockyard. This area is considered a national treasure of Antigua. Once a Arawak Indian settlement, the complex became a "safe" harbor and naval base for the English. As far back as 1671 the area was a hurricane haven for ships due to the formidable land-locked basins formed within an old volcanic cone.

The English began to use it as a Royal Dockyard in 1725 affording them a means to keep a squadron in the Caribbean. Captain Horatio Nelson commanded the Northern division of the Leeward Island Station headquartered in English Harbour from 1784 to 1787 giving the Dockyard its name. Since the 1950's the Harbour has become a major Caribbean yachting center and home to two world famous regattas, the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in April and Antigua Sailing Week in May. Interested sailors can obtain more information on both events from the Antigua Department of Tourism which offers website addresses for both.

English Harbour is also a pleasant place for a quick bite to eat or a strong Dominican coffee at the Dockyard Bakery. Fresh ingredients are baked daily producing breads, croissants, local cakes and meat and vegetable pastries. For more elegant fare in a most romantic setting overlooking the harbor there's the historic Admiral's Inn where one can sample island cuisine with a British flare. On Saturdays in season a steel band plays for the guests enjoyment. The Inn offers a few rooms at reasonable rates for a picturesque overnight stay.

Many locals told us not to miss the famous Shirley Heights Lookout not far from the harbor. Housed in magnificently restored 18th century buildings the complex offers a restaurant for fine dining which serves lobster and fresh local fish and exquisite views of the harbor and the sea. Thursday night is Barbecue night culminating in a Steel Band Concert. On Sunday afternoons one can enjoy six hours of non-stop entertainment including a Reggae Band. The gift shop here tempts the traveler with local handicrafts, ceramics, Island art and attractive souvenirs and gifts.

The most elegant shopping area on the island though is found in St. John's, the capital of Antigua, with its lively-colored shops lining the harbor - a welcoming sight also for the many cruise ships that dock here. Duty-free items, antiques and collectibles, fine jewelry and clothing are found amidst restaurants, coffee houses and bars. Historic Redcliffe Quay and Heritage Quay are a Mecca of world-class shops sure to satisfy the "shop till you drop" tourist.

Our island tour ended with rum punch on the beach at sunset and the strains of tunes by Eric Clapton ( who has a home here and is rather a national hero ) drifting from the catamaran.
This was a memorable day and the most active one of our stay. We shopped a bit at St. John's but over the next two days basically vegged by the pool enjoying the breathtaking views of palm trees, bougainvilleas and sea, reading and giggling at the mostly British tourists some of whom chose to go topless when they shouldn't have.

On our last afternoon in Antigua in an effort to admire Galley Bay Resort one last time I taxied there on a road that lead through a valley with mountains in the distance. The scene reminded me of southern New Mexico. How odd, I thought. I had not expected this jewel of a Caribbean island to be so mountainous. The driver was quick to point out the local school children playing in a yard and also the most incredible water lilies so large in size and luscious in color I had to take a doubletake. I arrived at the resort and rested on the deck just as the last rays of the sun filtered down on the cruise ship, Monarch, passing Galley Bay after leaving St. John's Harbor heading for the next southern Caribbean port. She was majestic as she sailed serenely by.

I returned to The Royal Antiguan to find my traveling companion already fast asleep as she was anticipating, I supposed, the tedious ten-hour journey back to Louisiana. I packed a bit and nestled into bed only to be rather rudely awakened at 2am by numerous fire alarms sounding through the building. Hurrying in semi-panic down the four flights of stairs we arrived at the front desk only to be told, "No problem" (a favorite slogan in the islands).

It seems that fumes from an incinerator in the neighborhood had set off the alarms. Needless to say 6am came much to early the next day and by 9pm that night when we reached Island Drive in Monroe I was exhausted.
It was the kind of satisfied fatigue though that I usually experience upon returning from a pleasurable vacation unlike that which results from the stress of work or worry. I fell fast asleep in my own cozy bed. My thoughts drifted back to the unspoiled charm of that magical island of Antigua where one can easily soak up the sun or soak in the culture. In the words of William Wordsworth, Antigua shares "the sense of majesty, and beauty, and repose, a blended holiness of earth and sky." I felt my journey a notable way to honor the last May of the century.

What next? On the morrow Maine.