North America Travel

Old Mission Santa Barbara: Queen of Missions

California

by W. Ruth Kozak

Santa Barbara California is a city of white-washed Spanish style buildings with red tile roofs tucked between the mountains and sea. The palm-lined streets and long stretch of white sandy beach give it an exotic allure. There were no trees here when the Spanish came; no palms lining the beaches and boulevards, no wooded hillsides. It was simply a barren swath of coastline occupied by the Chumash people who were hunters and gatherers oriented to the sea.

On this sunny afternoon I have a special destination in mind: a visit to the Old Mission Santa Barbara to discover the city’s past. I hop onto a tourist trolley down by the Presidio. On the way through the picturesque streets, the handsome driver tells us that he’s a descendant of the Chumash Indians who occupied this land long before the arrival of the Spaniards. In 1602 a Spanish explorer named Sebastian Vizcaino sailed up the channel between the coast and Channel Islands, and claimed the land in the name of the king of Spain. He gave it the name “Santa Barbara” because it was the Saint’s Feast day.

The tour bus passes by various historical buildings in the old town and heads up the winding road. On the outskirts, a majestic building crowns the hillside, glowing like an opal in the bright California sun. This is the Queen Mission, the tenth founded by Franscisan Padre Junipero Serra, established December 4, 1786.

Disembarking from the trolley I stand in awe as I observe the impressive building with its twin bell towers and the imposing architecture that combines Moorish, Mexican, Chumash Indian and Spanish design.

In the mosaic-paved entryway a Moorish fountain dating back two hundred years burbles with a spray of water. The large basin in front is the lavandaria where Chumash women washed their clothes. The crude lions head at the front of the lavandaria was carved by a Chumash artisan. Nearby is a botanical garden dedicated to native plants used by the Chumash people.

I set off on a self-guided tour. Inside, the small, dark rooms contain a colonial art collection of the baroque or neoclassical eras, imported from Mexico and South America that demonstrate the life of the Franciscan monks and the pioneers who lived there alongside the Chumash Indians. Three stone statues depict St. Barbara and the Virtues, carved by a mission Indian who used pictures in books as a guide.

Over time the original buildings were damaged or destroyed by earthquakes. The present friary was restored then later built after another quake in 1927. The church represents an amazing engineering achievement combining the efforts of the Chumash, Spanish and Mexican artisans. I tour the rooms where the missionaries slept, the kitchen where a meager menu is shown: little more than beans and rice. In the chapel room are displays of skills taught there including candlemaking, pottery, weaving and ironwork. Galleons from Manila and China clippers brought Asian culture to the area and some of this reflects in the artifacts and embroidered silk vestments displayed in the chapel museum. The church itself is decorated with Mexican art, some 200 years old.

Passing under a low doorway decorated with skulls I enter the mission cemetery where Santa Barbara‘s culturally diverse early settlers are buried along with Chumash Indians. When the Presidio was formed in 1783 the Spanish soldiers were of varied ethnic origins including Mexican Indians, Sephardic Jews and Africans. The heritage of Santa Barbara is reflected in the names and backgrounds of those buried there.

In the tranquil Mission garden I pause and imagine what life for the Chumash people was like back then. This garden was once a work area where many of them learned trades. Their workshops and living quarters were located in the surrounding quadrangle of buildings. Today many descendants of the Chumash, such as the driver of the tour trolley, still live in Santa Barbara. Fortunately their customs didn’t die out and today local native communities provide support for the preservation of their ancient culture.

The Mission’s original purpose was the Christianization of the Chumash but once Spain lost California to Mexico in 1822, it was secularized although missionaries were allowed to conduct services. Eventually it was returned to the Catholic Church and used as a school and seminary. Today it is used by the Parish of Santa Barbara and stands as a monument to the cultural diversity of California’s heritage.

Santa Barbara Wine Lovers Tour

If You Go:

♦ www.sbmission.org
Mass celebrated daily 9 – 5; Sunday 7.30,9 and 10 a.m. and noon.
Admission $4. adults.
2201 Laguna St. Santa Barbara CA
Phone: 805-682-4713

♦ Santa Barbara Trolley Tours
www.sbtrolley.com
805-965-0353

About the author:
Ruth is a travel and historical fiction writer and one of her favorite North American destinations is California. On a visit to attend her grandson’s graduation from the Santa Barbara University, she made this fascinating visit to the old mission of Santa Barbara.

All photos are by W. Ruth Kozak.

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

British Columbia, Canada

by W. Ruth Kozak

Warm Christmas cheer greeted me and made it a pleasant winter’s outing when I visited the Burnaby Heritage Museum. From the blazing coloured lights to the Victorian Christmas decorations I was quickly transported into the spirit of the holiday season.

The Village represents a heritage community along the old B.C. Electric Interurban Railway Line. A visit to the little heritage shops is always interesting and the docents will eagerly give you some background history. I particularly enjoy visiting the 1920’s General Store which for me is somewhat of a trip down memory lane to my early childhood on the prairies. Inside the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee Chinese herbalist shop, red paper lanterns are strung up for the holiday season. In the print shop, the docent is giving a group of school children a demonstration of old printing presses. In the Interurban Tram barn you can visit one of the restored trams. They ran until the late ‘50s, and I can recall riding the tram home from high school, barrelling down First Avenue with the floorboard clattering, on its route to New Westminster.

There are various ongoing events throughout the season including a theatre where you can watch old silent films, a blacksmith demonstration, carolers, a Christmas scavenger hunt, rug hooking demonstrations, children’s crafts and even a visit from Father Christmas. When you arrive at the ticket office, they’ll give you the day’s scheduled events and the location of where you can see them.

The 1911 home of bachelor Tom Irvine features the kinds of simple Christmas decorations of the past. Inside the old school room, a docent representing a turn-of-the-century teacher lectured a group of visiting school children exactly as if they were students of that era. What a surprise when she made them all line up and show their hands to make sure they were clean, just like they used to do in old school rooms!

At the Elworth house it’s Christmas eve at the 1922 home of the Bateman family. It gives you a real sense of stepping back into the past. There’s also a replica of a log house decorated to resemble a gingerbread house, straight out of Hansel and Gretel (there’s no witch inside, though). Traditional Christmas decorations including a tree decorated with handmade ornaments are displayed in the Jesse Love farm house (circa 1893). And there’s a group of mannequin carolers in period costume in the living room ready to sing in a caroling diorama. In one of the bedrooms the bed is covered with a hand-made quilt demonstration the quilting skills of women in those days.

A ride on the vintage C.W. Parker Carousel is a must no matter what age you are. This is my one of my favourite activities at the Museum. The carousel originally operated at the PNE for many years and I remember riding it when I was a youngster. It was later restored, with each pony or sled carefully painted and repaired by donations from various people or organizations. Ride on the beautiful prancing horses, accompanied by the tunes of an original Wurlitzer organ. Great fun! At the gift shop next door you can buy those last minute trinkets to fill the Christmas stockings.

There’s lots to see at the Heritage Village, with hirty-two displays as well as the scheduled events. The afternoon I visited, a musical duo from Guatemala was playing “Feliz Navidad” and other seasonal songs inside the little church. After my tour I refreshed myself at the ice cream parlour with some lemon cake and a hot cup of cocoa. They also provide full meal service.

This is the Museum’s 40th Anniversary so if you’re in the vicinity, be sure to stop in to spend a pleasant afternoon or evening enjoying a heritage Christmas. Bring the kids, or come by yourself and relive some of your childhood!

If You Go:

Burnaby Village Museum & Carousel
6501 Deer Lake Avenue,
Burnaby, B.C.

Burnaby Village Heritage Christmas to January 2, 2011
Times: 12 noon to 8 pm Daily
(Closed December 24 & 25)
Tickets: Free gate admission to celebrate the Heritage Museum’s 40th Anniversary
Carousel Ride (any age) $2.25 per ride

About the author:
W. Ruth Kozak always enjoys a trip down memory lane. She tries to visit the Burnaby Heritage Museum a couple of times a year, especially at Christmas. Ruth write historical fiction as well as travel and memoirs and instructs various writing classes in Vancouver. Visit www.ruthkozak.com

All photographs are by W. Ruth Kozak.

In the Footsteps of Captain George Vancouver and the Cannibal Spirit on Quadra Island

British Columbia, Canada

by Susan Zuckerman

Beneath the steep sandy cliffs, crickets sing in the beach grass. I breathe the salty tang of seaweed. A flock of killdeer veers above the waves. In the sand at my feet is a puzzle of animal tracks. The hooves of a doe and fawn are easy to decipher, as are the hand-shapes of a raccoon. But who left these pointy-clawed prints? Then I notice the sinuous tail-drag: an otter.

I picture the sleek-furred animals that left these trails. I also imagine a British naval officer in brass-buttoned jacket and silver-buckled shoes striding alongside. About two centuries ago, Captain George Vancouver added his own footsteps to this very stretch of shore.

A Cliff-top Salish Village

There are not many places on the Pacific Coast where we know for certain Vancouver walked, but this is one: the beach of Cape Mudge at the southern tip of Quadra Island, across Discovery Passage from Campbell River, British Columbia. In 1792, while charting the coast, Captain Vancouver visited here with his two ships, the Discovery and the Chatham. At that time, a Coast Salish village known as Tsa-Kwa-Luten thrived atop the sandy cliff. While the British ships sat at anchor on July 13, 1792, the natives paddled out in canoes and greeted the crews with fish and wild fruits in exchange for European articles of trade.

Vancouver said he needed to indulge his curiosity, and recorded his reciprocal visit: “We were received by a man who appeared to be the chief . . . and he conducted us up to the village by a very narrow path winding diagonally up the cliff . . . within a few degrees of being perpendicular. Close to the edge of this precipice stood the village. . . . The spot where it was erected appeared to be well chosen to insure its protection.”

A path no longer ascends the cliff-face, but the First Nation-owned Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge where I am staying offers a Heritage Walking Trail booklet indicating a “backdoor” approach. The forested route meanders beside a chasm that once protected the rear of the cliff-top citadel. Huckleberry bushes are laden with fruit that I nibble as I walk. The air is sweet with Douglas fir. I’m serenaded by whistling chickadees and breezes in the treetops. A footbridge stretches across the ravine and the forest gives way to a grassy meadow high above the beach.

I’ve reached the naturally fortified site of the ancient Salish village. It commands a sweeping view of Discovery Passage and the snowy peaks of Vancouver Island. I notice a small motorboat below, headed north in the choppy waves but making no progress. I’m reminded of Vancouver’s ships anchoring off Cape Mudge because the tide was too strong to make headway. The motorboat gives up and turns south.

Captain Vancouver’s log mentions a distinctive giant boulder in the village and I find it half-obscured by grass and shrubs. I imagine Salish children’s laughter as they clamber up this boulder and slide down its sloping sides, their mothers admonishing them to keep back from the precipitous cliff. I envision cedar-plank houses over-looking the sea, racks of salmon drying over wood-fires.

The sky splits with a loud screech. A bald eagle soars so close I hear the wind in its feathers. It perches atop a wind-sculpted fir, resembling the highest creature on a totem pole. Like Captain Vancouver, I must learn more about the people who lived here and why they abandoned this beautiful spot.

Potlatch Treasures and the Cannibal Spirit Dance

The Nuyumbalees Cultural Center is situated in the present day Kwakwaka’wakw village of Cape Mudge, also known as Ucle-tah, a kilometer up the beach from Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge. It houses the priceless, historic “Potlatch Collection,” artifacts and regalia once used at ceremonial feast gatherings. The Government of Canada confiscated these items under the Anti Potlatch Laws of 1884. When the law was eventually repealed, one of the conditions was that the repatriated goods be publicly displayed. Nuyumbalees is one of two museums built in the 1970s specifically for this purpose, the other being the U’mista Cultural Center in Alert Bay.

When I first enter the subdued space of Nuyambalees I am greeted by the scent of cedar and the solemn, rhythmic music of drums and chanting. Two human figures carved in wood usher me into a world of breathtaking ceremonial artwork.

An array of masks is the main feature: ravens, wolves, bears, killer whales, mosquitoes, double-headed serpents, all used in potlatch dances. Included in each description is the original owner, and some of their photographs are also on display. Many have Anglicized names such as Billy Assu and Amos Dawson, but their Kwakwaka’wakw names translate to honourifics such as “Always Giving Potlatches” or “High Ranking in Feasts”.

One of the treasures is an exquisite ermine headdress. The frontlet has a carved hawk-head encircled with turquoise abalone shell. A capelet of forty white ermine pelts cascades over the shoulders. Originally it was given to Chief Moses Alfred as part of his wife’s dowry, then passed down through many generations.

I’m especially drawn to numerous brilliantly painted masks with meter-long beaks: the Cannibal Spirits. Some are crowned with carved human skulls or eagle-down tufts. All have their beaks tied shut. It is believed the masks snap their beaks if not secured. Traditionally they were hidden when not in potlatch use, wrapped in cedar bark or Hudson Bay blankets. Only for the final part of a complex, four-day dance were these masks worn.

The Cannibal Spirit Dance was the most important in Kwakwaka’wakw culture, used to initiate members into a secret society known as the Hamatsa. Possessed by the Cannibal Spirit, the young novice would disappear into the woods for ten days. To take away his human scent he wore only hemlock branches. Older Hamatsas occasionally went in and blew whistles, simulating the voices of supernatural forest creatures. They also taught him ritual dances and songs. Eventually the novice entered the Big House dancing wildly, gnashing his teeth, and even biting members of the audience. The Cannibal Spirit was feared to suck out people’s brains with his long beak. By the fourth day, the older Hamatsas, dancing in shaggy cedar-bark skirts and capes, tamed the Cannibal Spirit. I feel honoured to view such sacred works of art, yet saddened and humbled that the First Nations people, however proud they may be of these treasures, are forced to display them.

Photographs and touching are not allowed in the Cultural Center, but there are plenty of opportunities outside. Next door is an education center with a collection of masks and button-blankets to handle and even wear. Across the street stands an open-air structure with colourful totem poles carved by local artists. Petroglyphs are also scattered about, large stones with ancient carved figures.

I’m curious, though, why the Kwakwaka’wakw are now living here. Captain Vancouver met a different tribe, the Coast Salish. What became of those people down the beach in the cliff-top citadel?

The Death Hole Days

I learn that after Captain Vancouver’s voyage, a branch of the Kwakwaka’wakw known as the Lekwiltok descended from the north in their war canoes, with firearms acquired from European traders. Between 1792 and 1850, they raided and occupied numerous Salish villages and eventually commanded all of Discovery Passage—all save Tsa-Kwa-Luten, the village atop the sandy cliffs at Cape Mudge. So well fortified by nature, the Lekwiltok decided it was impossible to attack.

Across the water, however, the northerners occupied the village at Campbell River, one of the best salmon streams on the coast and the main source of food for Tsa-Kwa-Luten. A few years later, the Lekwiltok built the village of Ucle-tah, still occupied by their descendants, where I visited the Cultural Center. The people of Tsa-Kwa-Luten, their enemies now virtually on their doorstep and their supply of salmon greatly diminished, decided to leave. They joined their kin in Comox Harbour, a few miles south on Vancouver Island.

Cape Mudge became known as The Death Hole. Discovery Passage was an important route for the Haidas, Tsimshians and other tribes of the north who canoed to the Hudson Bay trading post at Fort Victoria. Fierce winds and strong tides made for treacherous travel past the cape. The worst threat, however, came from the fierce Lekwiltok who guarded the passage in their swift canoes. Some travelers paid a toll to pass safely but many met slavery or death. Most travel past Cape Mudge had to be undertaken by stealth in the dark of night. The people of Ucle-tah even attacked and raided European ships. In one instance, the entire crew of a Hudson Bay vessel was murdered when they stopped for water at Cape Mudge. Gradually, however, as European settlers spread throughout the coast, the people of Cape Mudge put away their arms and changed to meet the challenges of a new era.

Cedar-Plank Salmon and Quadra Island Wine

Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge is one way the native people of Cape Mudge have met the challenge of living in today’s society. The spacious lounge is designed like a Big House with a vaulted ceiling, the walls decorated with traditional art, including cedar paddles and button-blankets. The dining room features contemporary First Nations art. I feast on cedar-planked salmon, sip local Quadra Island wine, and gaze at the sunset over Vancouver Island.

Cape Mudge remains a wild place. A lighthouse now guides ships through the treacherous waters of the Death Hole, but you can still hear the Cannibal Spirits whistling through the fir trees. And I feel a kinship now with George Vancouver. We have both left footprints on this windswept shore.

Open Boat Nanaimo Whale Watching

If You Go:

From Vancouver, take a ferry (about two hours) to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Campbell River is a two-hour drive north of Nanaimo. From downtown Campbell River the ferry to Quadra Island takes about 10 minutes. Ferry Information: www.bcferries.com

Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge has an RV park and cabins on the beach as well as the main lodge. All rooms in the lodge have ocean-view balconies. Tsa-Kwa-Luten website: www.capemudgeresort.bc.ca

The rustic Southend Farm and Vineyard is a short drive from Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge and well worth the visit, although the wine shop is only open on weekends. I recommend their Ortega white and Black Crow red (an Agria and Pinot Noir blend). www.southend.ca

The Cape Mudge lighthouse is a short walk north of Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge. Over 100 years old, it is still staffed and fully operational.

Ancient petroglyphs are a feature of Cape Mudge. A few have been moved outside the Nuyumbalees Cultural Center. Some are in situ on the beach in front of Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge. One of these is a lovely human face carved on a huge boulder, but accessible only at low tide. An excellent guide, Petroglyphs of Quadra Island by Joy Inglis, is available at the gift shop at Nuyumbalees and the bookstore near the ferry terminal in Quathiaski Cove.

More Links:

♦ The Cultural Center: www.nuyumbalees.com
♦ A wealth of info about Quadra Island: www.quadraisland.ca
♦ An account of George Vancouver’s voyage, written by him in 1801, can be accessed at: www.canadiana.org

About the author:
Susan lives near Vancouver, B. C. She is a recently retired elementary school teacher and writes historical fiction. The British Columbia coast is one of her favourite areas to travel.

All photographs are by Susan Zuckerman.

Woofing – The New Way To Work And Travel

Alaska

by Stephen Sexton

WOOF – it’s not the sound of a dog barking, but the acronym for a hot new option for working holidays that more long-term travelers are turning to in these dire economic times.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a website that matches farmers with willing workers. The farmers receive free help around their property, while the “woofers” get a free bed and meals (usually healthy organic food), a unique experience, and if they’re lucky, a primer in small-scale organic farming practices.

Woofing has been around since the mid ’90s and but is only now taking off in a big way. That has much to do with the state of the global economy – more people are looking for a cheap way to travel, and the worldwide recession and the belt-tightening that has gone along with it has prompted many young people to look at different ways of living and consuming. In other words, not to rely on anybody for the basics in life, like food and energy. After all, if the global economy eventually collapses, as some more pessimistic woofers predict, then self-sufficient living will be the future for us all. Even if you don’t share that gloomy view, you may still love the woofing experience for other reasons. The chance to get back to nature and breathe some fresh air is a big draw from many work-weary city dwellers.

I recently returned from a summer of woofing around Alaska and can vouch for the spiritual aspects of farming. Feeding chickens and pigs can be a messy and tiring business, when you see those animals eye’s light up at the sight of you “it makes you feel good for some reason” one fellow woofer recounted to me.

“Getting all dirty is actually pretty fun… it makes you feel like you’ve earned a good night’s rest. You just don’t get that same feeling of satisfaction at the end of a day from office work,” said another.

The chance to see the world and spend very little money while you’re doing it is probably the main reason people choose to woof. As well, you meet the locals and learn about the local area far better than you can by staying in hotels and doing package tours.

I stayed on three different farms over the course of my summer, and each revealed some of the advantages and pitfalls of the business.

The first was a totally “off grid” farm, several hours out of Anchorage which is the largest city in Alaska. Electricity was provided by solar panels and a generator, while water had to be hauled from a nearby natural spring. It was an ideal place for learning true organic farming practices, and the couple who owned the place were only too happy to answer all my questions. They had about 25 goats (many of which were milked twice a day), four sheep, one pig, about 90 chickens, five turkeys, three old Alaskan Husky sled dogs and an organic vegetable garden. I found working with goats surprisingly enjoyable, as they have their own individual personalities and are somewhat dog-like in that they answer to their name and even enjoy being petted.

While the rustic setting was attractive, the ultra-basic facilities were the things that made me leave in the end. I was housed in an authentic Alaskan log cabin about a mile away from the owners’ cabin, and had no washing facilities after a long day of shoveling goat poop and the like. There is only so much bathing in a freezing creek one can do before it gets old, so after three weeks I moved on, though not before they took me on a ride in their bush plane across the Chugach mountain range and over the sparkling blue Prince William Sound.

The next location was a heli-ski lodge in Valdez. It sounds glamorous on paper, but the reality was a little different. I was given jobs like entering credit card transactions into accounting software and cleaning out the garage. The owner was a single girl taking advantage of an opportunity for some free male help around the house, rather than providing a true organic farming experience. In fact the place did not produce a single edible plant nor own any livestock. That taught me how important it is to learn as much as possible about the situation you’re walking into before you arrive at the doorstep. Suffice to say I did not last long in this job.

The third and last woofing destination was with a couple who owned both a small 2.5 acre farm in the city of Anchorage itself, as well as a 20 acre farm in Homer, a beautiful town on the sea about four hours away. Bill and Judy were unbelievably good to me, and really helped me enjoy my time in Alaska. They were very interesting people, being ex-hippies while Bill was a Vietnam war veteran and an outspoken anti-war and Green Party spokesman.

The usual woofing guideline is that a woofer will work for about 25 hours a week in return for food and accommodation. However Bill and Judy certainly didn’t make me work that long, and they also provided amazing Alaskan meals every night, including locally caught King Salmon that would be worth at least $50 a plate at a restaurant in my native New York.

Woofing is not just in America – it is a truly worldwide organization. Go to the main woofing website: www.wwoof.org and click on the geographical area you want to travel in. A modest joining fee gives you access to the directory of farms for a particular country, and then the would-be woofer must contact each farm themselves to arrange a stay. It’s important to keep in mind that the arrangement you make with a farm is privately negotiated and could take many different forms. The general rule of thumb of 25 hours of work each week is negotiable and only a guideline. And facilities vary widely – some farms will offer only a tent, while others will have much more comfortable accommodation.

With a bit of good luck in finding the right farm, woofing can be a great experience, even for the most hardened of city slickers.

Private Tour: Anchorage 3-Hour Tour

If You Go:

Keep in mind that the best of Alaska is often away from the well worn highways between Seward, the port where the cruise ships berth, and Denali National Park to the north. Between these two points is where the majority of fellow tourists can be found but the best of Alaska is far off the beaten track, including the counter culture capital of Alaska, Homer, situated on the water at the far end of the Kenai Peninsula.

Also, you can find the highest concentration of big mountains in North America in the remote yet stunningly beautiful Wrangell St Elias National Park, located about eight hours east of Anchorage near the border with Canada. The town to go to here is called McCarthy (population 30), located in the middle of the national park and connected to the outside world by a very rough dirt road (no rental cars allowed).

Other highlights are the 26 Glaciers boat cruise around the spectacular Prince William Sound (www.26glaciers.com), which leaves from the port town of Whittier, and the Denali Highway, another dusty gravel road that goes through some very remote but beautifully scenic country east of Denali National Park.

As mentioned in the article, if you wish to WWOOF, then you will need to go to the www.wwoof.org website to find out more.

About the author:
Steve Sexton is a freelance travel writer currently based in New York City. He is originally from Australia but has spent the past six years exploring his new country after winning the “green card lottery,” an immigration program run by the US government that grants permanent residency through a random draw (much to the amazement of many Americans).

Photo credits:
All photographs are by Steve Sexton.

The Magic Capital of the World

Colon, Michigan

by Kelly Pucci

Greg Bordner smiles as he recalls how Colon, Michigan, a sleepy Midwest village surrounded by Amish farms, became The Magic Capital of the World and home to one of the largest magic events on the planet.

Harry Blackstone, a contemporary of another Harry, Harry Houdini, bought a summer home in Colon in the 1920s, where The Great Blackstone, as he was billed, presented informal magic shows for the villagers and visitors before heading on tour. One visitor to Colon, Percy Abbott, an Australian magician and inventor, stayed long enough to open Abbott’s Magic, a manufacturer of magic equipment. The business grew under Percy Abbott’s direction and thanks to the hard work of current owner Greg and his late father, Recil Bordner; Abbott’s Magic is now the world’s largest producer of magic equipment. On any given day Greg fills orders from China, Japan, Europe and Las Vegas.

Stop by the Abbott Magic Shop off Colon’s main street any time of year for a $5 coloring book that colors itself, or a magic wand for a Harry Potter wannabe – Abbott sells over 25 different models ranging from $8 to $150 as well as illusions that costing thousands of dollars. On Saturday afternoons during the summer the Abbott Magic Shop presents live shows in its 50-seat theatre.

To foster a burgeoning magic community during lean years Percy Abbott and Recil Bordner hosted a small get-together in Colon, Michigan attended by 80 professional magicians who developed a strong camaraderie exchanging advice learned from years of performing before audience. The annual event is now a 4-day celebration of magic attended by professional magicians from Europe, Asia and the United States who entertain thousands of fans in the streets and auditoriums of Colon, Michigan.

Hank Moorehouse, an award-winning magician, travels the world evaluating magic acts, inviting the best magicians to perform in Colon, Michigan. This year’s line up includes, among others, Yumi, Japan’s favorite female magician and Kerry Pollack who Teller of Penn & Teller calls “One of the most powerful and charming performers I know”. Hank, a perennial favorite of magicians and magic fanatics, will perform his hilarious version of Houdini’s famous straitjacket escape.

During the 4-day festival The FAB Magic Company, a mega-manufacturer of magic equipment sponsors free magic shows in its main street magic shop and at outdoor locations around town. Owner Rick Fisher sells professional illusions costing thousands of dollars but has a knack for choosing inexpensive, easy-to-master tricks for tourists who impulsively decide to take up magic. A professional ventriloquist, Rick Fisher also sells ventriloquist dolls and instructional CDs.

On August 4, award-winning ventriloquist George Schindler will present a workshop at the Abbot Magic Company. Later that same day, magician “Al the Only” will conduct a tour of magicians’ grave sites in a Colon cemetery. Mr. Only travels from Hawaii to present the Lakeside Cemetery Tour, one of his favorite projects.

The entire town celebrates its heritage during the festival. Churches and civic groups host fundraising dinners and Tammy Johnson serves up dishes of Blue Moon ice cream and bowls of Buckshot Chili at her retro-café. The Chamber of Commerce provides an evening fireworks show. The library sells gently used books collected during the year at the annual arts and crafts fair.

Spreading the word about magic is a high priority for the people of Colon. Greg Bordner honors Colon’s history and continues to foster an interest in magic with a talent show for young magicians held during the festival. Who knows? Maybe he’ll discover another Las Vegas magician like Lance Burton or David Copperfield, both of whom competed in Colon talent shows as teenagers. Incidentally, David Copperfield lost the competition.

If You Go:

The 2011 festival runs from Wednesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 6. A combination ticket to all shows costs $170 and individual tickets to some events are available on-site. For more information, contact: Abbott Magic Company, 124 St. Joseph Street, Colon, MI 49040, 1-269-432-3235, email greg@abbottmagic.com. The FAB Magic Company is located at 111 E. State Street, Colon, MI 49040, 1-269-432-4017, email sales@fabmagic.com. Lodging in Colon is unavailable during the festival; however, several motel chains have locations in nearby Coldwater and Sturgis, Michigan.

About the author:
Kelly Pucci is the editor of Windy City on the Cheap, a website for Chicago bargain hunters. She is the author of many articles about Chicago, Europe, Asia and The Magic Capitol of the World – Colon, Michigan

Photographs:
Photos Courtesy of The Abbott Magic Company.