text:
Sankt Goar

Sankt Goar is a small quaint town in the Middle Rhine Valley near the Loreley in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, with a lovely atmosphere and pretty scenery.

Understand
Although not a very lively town, it gives off a very nice friendly vibe. It is a true German town although orientated towards tourists. This small town is great to experience the spirit and culture of Germany without the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

By car
The B9 goes through the town and is about half way (30 km) between Bingen and Koblenz. Alternatively 12 km from the A61 exit 42 Emmelshausen.

By train
Train station St. Goar of the line Mainz – Koblenz.

By boat

 * Bingen-Rüdesheimer cruise boat to/from Bingen and Rüdesheim.
 * The Köln-Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt, better known as KD, runs cruises and scheduled services up and down the river between Cologne and Mainz, stopping in Sankt Goar.

Get around
The town sits in a narrow flat section of the valley between the river and the steep hillside. There is effectively only the main street (B9 Heerstraße) and one main retail street (Oberstraße) making it an easy place to walk around. To visit the castle on the hill above either drive to the car park or take the tourist road train up the hill.

Do
The Rheinburgenweg runs above the town past Schloss Rheinfels.

Buy
This is home to many shop catering to tourists and thus one of the best places to buy a beer stein, clogs or cuckoo clocks, non of which are traditional to the region although obviously associated with Germany. They have the biggest range of all three. Wine is obviously the local produce, but probably better to purchase in other villages in and above the valley if you are looking for a bargain.

Eat
There are two restaurants in Schloss Rheinfels offering good food and great views of the Rhine.

Go next

 * On the right Rhine side St. Goarshausen with the Burg Katz, Burg Maus and the Loreley
 * Oberwesel
 * Bacharach
 * Bingen
 * Boppard
 * Koblenz

title: Sankt Goar


text:
St. Helena (California)

St. Helena is in Napa Valley in the Bay Area of California.

By plane

 * San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco.

By car
From San Francisco:
 * Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Highway 37;
 * Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121;
 * Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to St. Helena.

Get around
St. Helena is a small town but the wineries are spread out. Driving is recommended but biking can also be fun. Please do not Drink and Drive. Even though you may not feel like you are drinking, it only takes a few wine tastings to be over the legal limit. Be safe and designate a driver or hire a taxi or limo.
 * Elite Limo +1 707 265-8777

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: St. Helena (California)


text:
St Helens

There's more than one place called St Helens, St Helen's, St. Helens, or St. Helen's:

Australia

 * St Helens (Tasmania) - a beach resort town on Georges Bay in East Coast Tasmania

United Kingdom

 * St Helens (England) - a town in Merseyside, North West (England)

United States of America

 * Mount St. Helens - a volcanic mountain in the state of Washington.

title: St Helens


text:
St Helens (England)

St Helens is a town in Merseyside in England, 14 miles northeast of Liverpool. It was historically part of Lancashire, but in 1974 became a separate metropolitan borough. It's industrial and in 2021 the borough had a population of 183,200.

Two famous families from St Helens are the Beechams, who established the pharmaceutical company and who included the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, and the Pilkingtons who manufacture plate glass.

Understand
Industry and population boomed in this area in the 18th century. The four towns of Sutton, Parr, Windle and Eccleston grew together and became known as St Helens, from St Elyn's chapel-of-ease in Parr. A town hall was built in 1839, and in 1868 St Helens was incorporated as a borough. The big drivers of its growth were coal-mining and glass, especially plate glass. These marched together because you need coke from coal to achieve the very high temperatures of glass furnaces, approaching 1600°C.

Glass has been made for over 6000 years and the Romans introduced the technology across Europe. Early manufacture produced an uneven puddle, so when it was carved into squares to fill windows, glaziers naturally placed the thicker end at the base. This led to the misconception that glass is a weird kind of liquid that flows over centuries. Plenty of counter-examples disprove this, where the thicker end is at the top, and it is in fact a solid. That said, the precise nature of the transition from flowing liquid to glassy liquid to solid glass remains an unsolved problem in physics.

Only small glass plates could be made, so the Victorians peered out of their homes or into shops through their characteristic partitioned windows. Making larger plates necessitated something clean and flat to lay the molten glass on, that could withstand the intense heat. Baths of molten tin were used from the 19th century, but it only became a viable mass-production method in 1960, thanks to Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff in St Helens. Their "float-glass" process was licensed and used worldwide. Shops installed broad store windows and changed the face of the High Street, offices opened out their architecture, and "plate-glass universities" sprang up on greenfield campuses.

The process patents expired in the 1980s but Pilkington Brothers tried to maintain a monopoly until busted by US anti-cartel legislation. The company now faced the chill winds of competition. They still manufacture plate glass but have been taken over by NSG, a Japanese company.

Get in
The area around St Helens is criss-crossed by motorways. M6 east is the usual approach from London and the Midlands. M62 south connects Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. M57 southeast, effectively Liverpool ring road, connects Widnes and Kirkby, for Formby and Southport. St Helens is 14 miles from Liverpool (with John Lennon airport) and 22 miles from Manchester (with the much better connected  airport).

By train
Trains from Liverpool Lime Street run every 30 min via Edge Hill, Eccleston Park and Thatto Park, taking 30 min to St Helens Central. They continue to Wigan North Western, and some go on to Preston and Blackpool. From London Euston change at Liverpool or Wigan, either way takes 2 hr 45 min.

has a staffed ticket office and machines, toilets, and a waiting room on each platform. There is step-free access to both platforms. Plusbus tickets are available.

Trains from Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria run hourly via Newton-le-Willows towards Liverpool Lime Street, and stop at St Helens Junction and Lea Green three miles south of town.

has a staffed ticket office and machines but no toilets. For step-free access to the Liverpool-bound platform you need to call ahead, no barriers Manchester-bound. Plusbus is available, and you'll want the bus to reach town centre.

By bus
The major bus lines no longer have regular services to St Helens.

Arriva Bus 10 / 10A runs every 20 min from Liverpool Queen St, taking 70 min. Don't take the 10B, which branches off to Huyton.

Bus 329 runs every 40 min from Warrington, taking 35 min. Bus 352 runs every 20 min from Wigan, taking 45 min.

Bus 35 runs every 30 min from Junction railway station to the rugby stadium and bus station, then west to Gillars Green.

Bus 17 runs every 30 min from Widnes via Sutton Manor, Lea Green railway station, Sherdley Park and the rugby stadium.

St Helens bus station is 100 yards west of Central railway station.

Get around
Most of the attractions are within walking distance.

Bus 12 circles every 30 min between the bus station, Central railway station and the shopping centres. Taxi operators include AtoB (+44 1744 600600).

See

 * "... a township unpleasing to the eye, where the natural amenities have been replaced by everything unlovely that man could devise" - St Helens circa 1905

 * Town Hall is a rambling 19th-century sort-of-Italianate building on Corporation Street and houses the municipal offices.
 * St Helens Parish Church is on Church St 200 yards west of Central station. It's Anglican, completed in 1926 after its predecessor burned down.
 * originally just impounded a mill pond, but was enlarged in 1750 to create a reservoir for Sankey Canal. So it's a mile-long lake used for angling and competitive powerboating. Lakeside trails lead into Sankey Valley.
 * Sankey Valley Country Park stretches for 7 miles southeast from Carr Mill Dam along the line of Sankey Canal, which is joined by Sankey Brook and flows to Newton-Le-Willows. There are footpaths and cycleways. The canal is disused.
 * is a reclaimed brownfield site, on waste from a power station. It's been landscaped with parkland, lagoons and pathways.
 * is an extensive green space yet was once very much greater, owned by the Hughes mining dynasty, lords of all they surveyed. In the 20th century it was sold off piecemeal, and its mansions were demolished, until after the Second World War the Borough bought the remnant as a park. The north end is Sherdley Park Golf Club, the south has formal gardens, woodland, ponds and play areas. It's sometimes used as an event space.
 * is a park, centred on "The Dream", a 66 ft sculpture. From 1906 to 1991 it was a colliery, one of the deepest on the Lancashire coalfield at 2000 ft, and the colliery gates still stand on Jubits Lane its western boundary. There was never a pit disaster, but some 60 workers died in accidents, and the mine often struggled for profitability. It fell victim to an NCB "review" and the site was cleared and landscaped. The park has a mix of woods and open lawns and is accessible 24 hours.
 * is a ruin, all that remains of an abbey; it was built in 1435 so it is by some distance the oldest building in St Helens. A chantry was where monks chanted prayers for the illustrious dead - especially their patron's ancestors, if they knew what was good for them.
 * is a park, centred on "The Dream", a 66 ft sculpture. From 1906 to 1991 it was a colliery, one of the deepest on the Lancashire coalfield at 2000 ft, and the colliery gates still stand on Jubits Lane its western boundary. There was never a pit disaster, but some 60 workers died in accidents, and the mine often struggled for profitability. It fell victim to an NCB "review" and the site was cleared and landscaped. The park has a mix of woods and open lawns and is accessible 24 hours.
 * is a ruin, all that remains of an abbey; it was built in 1435 so it is by some distance the oldest building in St Helens. A chantry was where monks chanted prayers for the illustrious dead - especially their patron's ancestors, if they knew what was good for them.

Do

 * What's on? Read Liverpool World.
 * Theatre: Theatre Royal is on Corporation St (Box Office +44 1744 756000). The Citadel is on Waterloo St (+44 7821 659962).
 * Golf: nearby courses are Sherdley Park and Grange Park, with another dozen further out.
 * Go to the races but set off early. Haydock Park is in Ashton-in-Makerfield north of Newton-le-Willows, with flat-racing in summer and jumps in winter. Aintree north edge of Liverpool is a winter jumps course, where the premier event is the Grand National in April.
 * Reminisce Festival in September celebrates 1990s music. The next event is in Sherdley Park on Saturday 10 Sept 2022.
 * Go to the races but set off early. Haydock Park is in Ashton-in-Makerfield north of Newton-le-Willows, with flat-racing in summer and jumps in winter. Aintree north edge of Liverpool is a winter jumps course, where the premier event is the Grand National in April.
 * Reminisce Festival in September celebrates 1990s music. The next event is in Sherdley Park on Saturday 10 Sept 2022.
 * Reminisce Festival in September celebrates 1990s music. The next event is in Sherdley Park on Saturday 10 Sept 2022.

Learn

 * St Helens College has academic and vocational courses for school leavers and adult learners. Main campus is Water St in town centre.
 * Carmel College has courses for 16-18 year olds and 18+. It's on Prescot Rd 3 miles southwest.

Buy

 * Church Square Shopping Centre is half a mile west of Central station. It has two arcades built around the parish church.
 * St Mary's Market is within Church Square Shopping Centre and has small market shops.
 * Hardshaw Centre was the other central mall, but it's set to be demolished and replaced by office blocks.

Eat

 * Limassol on 17 Baldwin St has similar Greek-Cypriot fare plus occasional belly-dancing.
 * Limassol on 17 Baldwin St has similar Greek-Cypriot fare plus occasional belly-dancing.
 * Limassol on 17 Baldwin St has similar Greek-Cypriot fare plus occasional belly-dancing.

Drink

 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.
 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.
 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.
 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.
 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.
 * Distillery: Monk Isidore Spirits make vodka on North Mersey Business Park near Kirkby.

Sleep

 * Parkview on Prescot Rd gets poor reviews.
 * Premier Inn is some way south on Linkway to M62, so it's convenient for passing motorists but not for town centre. There's another nearby at Rainhill on A57.
 * Premier Inn is some way south on Linkway to M62, so it's convenient for passing motorists but not for town centre. There's another nearby at Rainhill on A57.
 * Premier Inn is some way south on Linkway to M62, so it's convenient for passing motorists but not for town centre. There's another nearby at Rainhill on A57.
 * Premier Inn is some way south on Linkway to M62, so it's convenient for passing motorists but not for town centre. There's another nearby at Rainhill on A57.
 * Premier Inn is some way south on Linkway to M62, so it's convenient for passing motorists but not for town centre. There's another nearby at Rainhill on A57.

Stay safe
Usual common sense around traffic, safeguarding valuables including in parked cars, and avoiding idiot drunks. Some outlying estates are rough at night but you have no reason to be there.

Connect
As of Aug 2022, St Helens and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and Three.

Go next

 * Liverpool is a lively city needing a few days to explore.
 * Formby is the closest beach resort, with sand dunes and pine woods with red squirrels. Genteel Southport is a few miles further north.
 * Warrington is another industrial stronghold of Rugby League, as is Wigan
 * Chester is a charming historic walled city.

title: St Helens (England)


text:
St Helens (Tasmania)

St Helens is a fishing and beach resort town on picturesque Georges Bay, on the north-east coast of the state of Tasmania. It is the largest coastal town in the region. It is renowned for its world-class mountain bike trails, and for being the gateway to the magnificent Bay of Fires. Its temperate climate makes it a great holiday spot all year round.

Get in
St Helens is on the Tasman Hwy, which tracks the eastern coast of Tasmania north of Hobart.

By car
St Helens can be easily reached from other Tasmanian towns and cities by car. It is around two hours drive from Launceston, which is also the closest airport, and a little over three hours from Tasmania's capital city Hobart.

By bus
A twice-daily service runs from Launceston to St Helens on weekdays, with one service per day on weekends. A daily service runs from Hobart to St Helens 7-days per week. See website

Go next
A short drive north is Binalong Bay, gateway to the beautiful beaches of the Bay of Fires. Please note there are no shops north of St Helens and no water available, so stock up on fuel and bring your own water supplies.

Visit St Columba Falls, situated about 30 minutes from St Helens and 12 kilometres from the township of Pyengana. The Falls, which plunge 90 metres from the Mt Victoria foothills, can either be viewed from the car park or from a viewing platform at the end of an easy 15-20 minute rainforest walk.

title: St Helens (Tasmania)


text:
Stia

Stia is a small town in Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy.

Understand
Stia is on the western edge of the Casentenesi National Forest Park.

Stia grew up as the market place below the Guidi castle at Porciano. Presumably due to the topography, the piazza is not a normal square, but a more unusual triangular shape, sloping steeply at its far end. Today it is called Piazza Tanucci, after the Bernardo Tanucci, an Italian statesman, who was born in Stia in 1698.

Stia boasts a pair of covered arcades that run along either side of the piazza. They house a variety of shops, bars and restaurants. On entering the piazza from the lower end, the baroque facade of Santa Maria della Assunta dominates the left-hand side of the street.

Historically the Casentino was a fertile valley with various industries helping make the area prosper. Timber was important during the Medici period for shipbuilding, as was the woolen fabric, produced first to clothe the monks and nuns in the area, and then the wealthy families of Tuscany. 'Panno Casentino' used to be made with yarn spun by local women at home, and later was produced in modern cloth mills. At its height, the largest wool mill in Stia, built in 1838, employed over 500 people, and produced 700,000 metres of cloth a year. The factory is now a museum of wool production.

Get in
By car use road SS 556 or SS 310.

See

Buy
Wool textiles or clothes.

title: Stia


text:
St. Ignace

St. Ignace is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan, at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge.

By car
St. Ignace can be reached from the south over the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge. The north-south I-75 connects Sault Ste Marie, on the northern border of the United States, with Detroit. U.S. 2 connects St. Ignace with Duluth and points west.

By bus
Indian Trails offers daily bus service to and from Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Chicago, Milwaukee, Escanaba, Houghton-Hancock, and Duluth.

By other means
St. Ignace has a paved runway but no commercial air service. Ferryboat lines run from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island in the late spring, summer, and fall.

See

 * Includes the Father Marquette National Memorial.
 * Mackinac Bridge. The Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) is an impressive long-span Suspension Bridge connecting the upper and lower pensinsulas of Michigan. It once was the longest bridge in the entire Western Hemisphere. While there is no pedestrian access on the bridge, crossing it is still an impressive experience. Drivers should keep in mind that the two middle lanes of the bridge are an open steel grating, where the two outer lanes are regular pavement.
 * Includes the Father Marquette National Memorial.
 * Mackinac Bridge. The Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) is an impressive long-span Suspension Bridge connecting the upper and lower pensinsulas of Michigan. It once was the longest bridge in the entire Western Hemisphere. While there is no pedestrian access on the bridge, crossing it is still an impressive experience. Drivers should keep in mind that the two middle lanes of the bridge are an open steel grating, where the two outer lanes are regular pavement.

Do
Go to the Putt Putt Golf. Go parasailing - it's a great way to see the island from a bird's eye angle.

Eat

 * St. Ignace is on the eastern end of Upper Peninsula pasty country. While the Cornish pasty is more closely identified with the hard-rock mining country of the central and western Upper Peninsula, the main dish can be found in and around St. Ignace, typically from small roadside diners on U.S. Highway 2 west of the town.
 * Mackinac Island-style fudge can be purchased on the town's waterfront main street.
 * Bentley's BNL Cafe is a wonderful stop for lunch while passing through. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as ice cream treats.  The whitefish is fresh daily from Lake Huron.

Sleep

 * Breakers Resort and Beach Bar, 927 N. State St. Tel: (906) 643-7733.
 * Cedar Hill Lodge, 680 US 2.  Tel: +1 906-643-9900.
 * Quality Inn Lakefront, 1021 N. State St.  Tel: +1 906-643-7581.  Balcony view of Mackinac Island.  Located on the shores of Lake Huron.  Secure Online Reservations.
 * Quality Inn, 561 Boulevard Dr. Tel: +1 906-298-6614. Indoor pool/hot tub courtyard, complimentary breakfast.
 * Voyager Inn, 750 US 2 W.  Tel: +1 906-207-8111. Indoor pool, free breakfast and nightly popcorn.

title: St. Ignace


text:
Stillwater

There is more than one place called Stillwater

United States of America

 * Stillwater (Minnesota) - a town in the state of Minnesota.
 * Stillwater (New Jersey) - a township in the state of New Jersey.
 * Stillwater (New York) - a town in the state of New York.
 * Stillwater (Oklahoma) - a town in the state of Oklahoma.

title: Stillwater


text:
Stillwater (Minnesota)

Stillwater is a city in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Washington County.

Understand
Stillwater is one the oldest towns in Minnesota, being settled not long after the US government signed treaties with the local Ojibwa and Dakota nations in 1837. The town was the site of a territorial convention in 1848 that led to the establishment of Minnesota Territory as an organized territory in 1849, paving the way to statehood a decade later. Stillwater incorporated as a city on March 4, 1854, the same day Saint Paul incorporated. Today Stillwater is a popular day trip and weekend getaway destination for Twin Cities residents, who come to stroll the historic downtown with its shops and restaurants, and stay at one of the local bed and breakfasts.

The city is mentioned in the Swedish novel Nybyggarna ("The Settlers") by Vilhelm Moberg.

By car
From Minneapolis or Saint Paul, go east on Minnesota Highway 36, which passes Stillwater on the south side. Exit at Highway 95 and go north to reach Downtown Stillwater. If approaching Stillwater from the north or south, you can take Minnesota Highway 95 into town, which follows a scenic route along the St. Croix River. From Wisconsin, take Highway 64, which runs right into the St. Croix Crossing and becomes Highway 36.

By bus
Public transit access to Stillwater is unfortunately pretty lacking. The sole option is Metro Transit's Route 294, an express bus service linking Stillwater to Downtown Saint Paul, which only runs during weekday rush hours.

Go next

 * St. Paul (25 min by car)
 * Minneapolis (45 min by car)
 * Duluth (2-3 hrs by car)

title: Stillwater (Minnesota)


text:
Stillwater (Oklahoma)

Stillwater, in the Frontier Country region of Oklahoma, is home to Oklahoma State University (OSU). It has a distinct small town feel combined with a uniquely welcoming mid-west atmosphere, and OSU brings a young diverse population further enriching the city's culture. The population of 50,000 (2019) varies depending on the time of year from a peak during OSU's homecoming football weekend to the less crowded summer when most students are on break. Stillwater has several districts each with their own unique atmosphere and places to enjoy. Whether you are looking to shop in Downtown Stillwater's boutique shops, enjoy outdoor recreation on the edge of town, or wanting to live it up at a famous bar on The Strip, Stillwater has a place for everyone.

Get in
From the Oklahoma City area, Stillwater can be reached in an hour's drive by travelling north on I-35 and then travelling east on Highway 51. The Cimarron Turnpike serves as the major thoroughfare to reach Stillwater from the Tulsa area, and Stillwater can be reached within an hour-and-a-half using this route.

The Stillwater Regional Airport provides air service for daily commercial flights through Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) on American Airlines.

Get around
Stillwater, with its relatively small size and excellent pedestrian and public transportation systems, is an extremely easy city to get around. While Stillwater is a relatively small city, a car is typically the favored method of transport. The OSU operated bus system, walking, cycling, and ride sharing services are alternatives.

By bus
The Oklahoma State University Community Transit System provides excellent service for getting around town via 6 routes from 6:20AM to 7:15PM. Then the system operates a reduced route from 7:00PM to 10:30PM. It is also an excellent way to get across the OSU campus. Riders should check the live route map and OSU Transit website ahead of time to plan their trips. Fare is 75¢ per ride; 35¢ for children (5-18), seniors (69+), and the disabled; and free to OSU students and employees (with ID) and children under 5. Transfers from one route to another are free.

By car
Stillwater is also easily navigated by car, and the city has several car rental agencies. Highway 51 (6th Street) provides Stillwater's main crosstown East-West route, and US-177 (Perkins Rd.) serves as the main North-South route. Both offer quick travel from one end of the city to the other.

On foot
Stillwater is fairly pedestrian-friendly, especially near downtown and around campus, but lacks in handicap accessibility in the residential areas. The city is small enough to reach some places by foot, however increasing sprawl is making it less and less of a viable option.

By bicycle
Many streets are marked to be shared with bicycles, while others have dedicated lanes directly next to the road and a few dedicated routes. Visitors can rent a bicycle from OSU's OrangeRide program. Stillwater has two bicycle shops in town, District Bicycles and Cooper's Bicycle Center. View city bicycle route map

Eat

 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM
 * Su-Th 6AM - 8PM, F-Sa 6AM - 9PM

Go next

 * Boomer Lake provides recreation closer to Stillwater, located within Stillwater to the north on Main Street. Picnic areas, a disc golf course, and a lake with multi-use trails provides many recreational opportunities.
 * Lake Carl Blackwell is a popular outdoor recreation area about 10 minutes west of Stillwater on Highway 51. Camping, horse trails, boating, fishing, and other activities are available. https://lcb.okstate.edu/
 * Lake McMurtry is Stillwater's third major lake, about 10 minutes northwest of Stillwater. Lake McMurtry provides many recreational opportunities, as well, and is particularly known for its extensive mountain biking trails.
 * Hoyt Park a smallish park in Stillwater. has a disc golf course, walking trails, and baseball diamond, as well as large green belts good for a variety of activities
 * Oklahoma City lies a short hour's drive southwest of Stillwater and is a popular destination among Stillwater residents on the weekends.
 * Tulsa is Oklahoma's second major city and is also very close, being only an hour-and-a-half drive northeast of Stillwater.

title: Stillwater (Oklahoma)


text:
Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach is a beach town in Marin County, California.

Get in
To reach Stinson Beach by car, take Highway 1.

If you'd prefer to take the bus, Marin Transit's West Marin Stagecoach route 61 offers somewhat inconvenient service from Sausalito and Marin City, where you can make connections from San Rafael and other parts of the Bay Area.

See

 * The beach! Stinson Beach is one of the cleanest in California, and it's a popular spot for locals.

title: Stinson Beach


text:
Stirling

 * For the village in southeast Ontario see Belleville (Ontario)

Stirling is a city in the central lowlands of Scotland, and historically the county town of Stirlingshire. For centuries this was the main route between the Highlands and the Lowlands, guarded by the castle on its battleship of a crag, and with the River Forth sweeping round as a moat. The Scots won two famous victories against the English on the nearby fields, at Stirling Bridge and at Bannockburn. Medieval Scottish rulers made it their residence and capital.

Stirling had a population of 37,730 in 2024. The city limits include Bridge of Allan, the village north of the river which is now the campus for Stirling University, and Dunblane further north; these are described on their own pages.

Understand
The River Forth meanders east out of the Trossachs across a broad plain, and swells when it's joined by the River Teith - this made Stirling the lowest point that early architects could span with a bridge. A few miles downstream the river becomes tidal, and you had to cross by ferry until modern times. So if you controlled the bridge at Stirling, you controlled the all-weather route between Edinburgh and the Highlands. Better still, you got to levy tolls and taxes on everyone who needed to pass.

The city was inevitably bashed about in several conflicts, the last at the hands of the Jacobites, who in 1746 failed to capture the castle and blew up their own ammo depot in pique. Stirling has since then been a quiet market town, making its living from agriculture. Before the railways, huge cattle drives would plod over the bridge and through town towards southern markets, even as far as London Smithfield. When 19th and 20th century heavy industry developed, this was to the south around Falkirk and downstream in Grangemouth, Fife and the Lothians; Stirling was relatively untouched and preserved its old centre. There's nowadays a ring of light industry and suburbs, but the big boost was the 1967 establishment of the University of Stirling. This has some 8500 undergraduates and 4000 postgraduates.

Visitor information

 * is the tourist office, in the Old Town Jail on St John St near the castle. It's open daily 10AM-5PM.
 * Stirling Council — city council website

By plane
Edinburgh Airport is the nearest, and has a good range of flights domestically, within Europe and beyond. It's 29 miles (47 km) southeast of Stirling, a 30-min drive along the M9 motorway. Or take the bus or tram from the airport to Haymarket or Edinburgh Park for frequent trains to Stirling.

Glasgow Airport  likewise has good domestic and European flights but fewer long-haul. It's also the wrong side of the city for Stirling. By road, follow M8 east then M74 to avoid city centre traffic, then head north on M73 to M80. Or take the airport bus into Glasgow then the train.

By train

 * Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain

Stirling has trains every 30 min from Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh and Haymarket, and Perth; and hourly from Aberdeen and Dundee. There are trains every 15 min from Dunblane and hourly from Alloa. From Inverness there's an hourly service, alternately direct or changing at Perth.

From Manchester or Birmingham change in Glasgow. From London, York and Newcastle you usually change in Edinburgh, but there are two direct daytime trains from London King's Cross taking 5 hr 30 min.

Two Caledonian Sleeper trains run overnight Su-F from London Euston. The Highland Sleeper, departing around 9PM, calls at Stirling before 5AM on its way to Inverness; the southbound train picks up shortly after midnight to reach Euston by 8AM. You might prefer to take the Lowland Sleeper north near midnight, changing in Glasgow around 7AM for a morning train to Stirling; the southbound train leaves Glasgow Central at 11:30PM to reach Euston by 7AM.

Grand Union is a new railway company that plans to run four trains a day from Stirling to London Euston, via Motherwell, Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes. They aim to start in July 2025.

is central in town, with a staffed ticket desk and machines. There's a waiting room and toilets plus a few convenience shops, but more in the shopping centre just south. There is step-free access to all platforms.

By bus
McGill's Bus X36 runs from Glasgow Buchanan station to Stirling M-Sa every 30 min and hourly Sunday, via Cumbernauld and Denny. Buses from Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness rush past on the M9 and don't call at Stirling.

Citylink Bus 909 runs from Edinburgh St Andrew Square hourly via the airport, Bo'ness, Grangemouth and Falkirk to Stirling (90 min), with two buses a day extending to the University campus.

Bus 978 also runs daily from Edinburgh and continues from Stirling to Doune, Callander, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Dalmally, Taynuilt and Oban. National Express no longer calls at Stirling.

Stirling bus station is 100 yards south of the railway station, adjoining Thistles shopping centre.

By road
Stirling is on the main A9/M9 route from the central belt of Scotland to the Highlands, some 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Glasgow via M80, and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Edinburgh via M9. From London and the Midlands it's usually quickest to follow M6, M74 then M73 onto M80.

Get around
The town and castle are best explored on foot.

Uni-link Bus UL runs every 30 min from Stirling bus station to the University of Stirling campus. McGill's Bus 54 also runs there every 30 min via Bridge of Allan village.

McGill's Bus 38 runs every 20 min from Falkirk via Larbert and Bannockburn. Bus 51 runs every 30 min from Alloa. Bus 59 runs hourly from Callander via Doune and Blair Drummond Safari Park.

Taxi operators are Alba Cabs (+44 1786 595025), Goosecroft (+44 1786 472220) and Stirling Taxi (+44 1786 343434).

Nextbike offer app-based bike hire in Stirling. Bikes cost £1 for 30 minutes, or £10 for the day. Bikes are hired and returned to stations around Stirling, from Bannockburn to Bridge of Allan.

See

 * Valley Lane Cemetery is on the south flank of Castle Hill, with 19th century funerary monuments. The pyramid in the adjacent gardens is a monument of 1863 "to all those who suffered martyrdom in the cause of civil and religious liberty in Scotland".
 * Mar's Wark opposite Holy Rude is the facade of a 16th century townhouse, and that's all that remains.
 * was built some time in the 15th century to carry the road to Perth and the Highlands. The timber bridge that it replaced, 180 yards upstream, caused the English downfall at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297: see Bridge of Allan for this story. The modern A9 crosses just downstream and the old bridge is pedestrianised.
 * Bridge of Allan lies across the river: visit here for the Wallace Monument and Stirling University. It also includes Cambuskenneth Abbey, but that's easier to reach from Stirling.
 * was built some time in the 15th century to carry the road to Perth and the Highlands. The timber bridge that it replaced, 180 yards upstream, caused the English downfall at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297: see Bridge of Allan for this story. The modern A9 crosses just downstream and the old bridge is pedestrianised.
 * Bridge of Allan lies across the river: visit here for the Wallace Monument and Stirling University. It also includes Cambuskenneth Abbey, but that's easier to reach from Stirling.
 * was built some time in the 15th century to carry the road to Perth and the Highlands. The timber bridge that it replaced, 180 yards upstream, caused the English downfall at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297: see Bridge of Allan for this story. The modern A9 crosses just downstream and the old bridge is pedestrianised.
 * Bridge of Allan lies across the river: visit here for the Wallace Monument and Stirling University. It also includes Cambuskenneth Abbey, but that's easier to reach from Stirling.

Do

 * What's on? Tune in to Central on 103.1FM or read Stirling News.
 * Cinema: Vue Cinema is on Forthside Way just south of the railway station.
 * Live music: Albert Halls is on Dumbarton Rd, and Tolbooth is on St John St next to the Visitor Centre. Alhambra Theatre has closed.
 * AMF Bowling Alley is on Forth St east of the railway station.
 * Football: Stirling Albion were relegated in 2024 so they play soccer in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier. Their home ground is Forthbank Stadium, capacity 3800, by the Sports Village a mile east of city centre.
 * Alloa Athletic play in Scottish League One, the third tier. They play at the Recreation Ground in Alloa, capacity 3100.

 * Rugby: Stirling County RFC play rugby union in National League Two, the amateur game's third tier in Scotland. Their home ground is Bridgehaugh Park, just north of the A9 bridge out of town.
 * Golf: Stirling GC is southwest on Dumbarton Rd. White tees are 6504 yards, par 72.
 * (aka The Peak) is the main fitness facility, on Forthside Way a mile east of town. It has a swimming pool, ice rink, climbing wall, gym and fitness classes. Stirling Albion football ground is across the road.
 * See Bridge of Allan for walks in the nearby hills.
 * Summer Sessions are a series of rock concerts held in June and July 2024.
 * Stirling Highland Games are in August at the Sports Village. The next are on Sat 17 Aug 2024.
 * Summer Sessions are a series of rock concerts held in June and July 2024.
 * Stirling Highland Games are in August at the Sports Village. The next are on Sat 17 Aug 2024.

Buy

 * Port Street has the usual range of high-street shops and banks. Stirling has a few independent shops, mostly on side streets or north of the railway station.
 * Farmers Market is held on Port St 10AM-4PM on the second Saturday of the month.

 * Europa Music at 10 Friars St is an independent music store, open M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM, Su noon-5PM.
 * Thistle Marches is a shopping centre just south of the railway station with the usual range of high street stores. Open late Thursday nights.
 * Supermarkets include Tesco 5 min north of railway station, Sainsbury's a little further north, and Morrison's a mile to the east. They're mostly open until 11PM.

Eat

 * Fast food outlets are Greggs (various locations), McDonalds (by station) and Pizza Hut (300 yards north of station). Lots of cheap & cheerful restaurants and takeaways also.
 * Splurge at
 * Splurge at
 * Splurge at
 * Splurge at
 * Splurge at

Drink

 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.
 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.
 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.
 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.
 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.
 * Stirling Distillery makes gin and whisky at 9 Lower Castlehill, tours available.

Mid-range

 * B&Bs: those central include Lost Guest House at 4 Melville Terrace, Castle Walk B&B on Back Walk, and Munro's at 14 Princes St.
 * The Golden Lion is a 3-star hotel at 8 King St FK8 1BD, B&B double £60.
 * Victoria Square is a pleasant small hotel at 12 Victoria Square near the golf course.
 * Blair Drummond has a caravan site by the safari park.
 * The Cross Keys in Kippen is an old coaching inn with fine dining.
 * Victoria Square is a pleasant small hotel at 12 Victoria Square near the golf course.
 * Blair Drummond has a caravan site by the safari park.
 * The Cross Keys in Kippen is an old coaching inn with fine dining.
 * The Cross Keys in Kippen is an old coaching inn with fine dining.
 * The Cross Keys in Kippen is an old coaching inn with fine dining.

Connect
As of Feb 2024, Stirling and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G with EE, O2 and Three.

The Central Library on Corn Exchange Road has free internet access. It's open M W F Sa 9:30AM-5PM, Tu Th 9:30AM-7PM.

The Post Office is within WH Smith, opposite Marks & Spencer, in Thistle Shopping Centre. It's open M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM, Su 10AM-4PM.

Go next

 * Bridge of Allan is just across the river. It has riverside walks and the Lecropt Kirk.
 * Dollar has scenic Dollar Glen, leading up to Castle Campbell.
 * Doune has a 14th-century castle with a great view over the valley.
 * Dunblane has an impressive cathedral. An early Pictish stone was found here.

title: Stirling


text:
Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire

Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire are counties in the Central Belt of Scotland. They're lowland, with a mix of farmland and urban industry, but with hills rising steeply nearby. The big attraction is Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

Towns

 * , the only city, is a pocket-sized Edinburgh, with a historic town centre and the castle perched on a crag.
 * Bridge of Allan, effectively a northern suburb of the city, hosts Stirling University. A short walk leads to the dramatic lookout of the Wallace Monument.

Upper Firth of Forth is tidal, with sea-going vessels, and oil and other industries along its banks.
 * is a small commuter town for Edinburgh.
 * Grangemouth near Polmont is an oil town, a dystopian landscape of metal towers and flares.
 * has the ingenious Wheel, a boat lift connecting two canals.
 * , the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire, is at the navigable limit of the Forth.
 * at the foot of the hills has a scenic glen.

North of Stirling:
 * has a fine cathedral, a museum, and the fortress-like Hydro hotel.
 * has an imposing and much-filmed castle.
 * is a small market town, a good base for exploring the Trossachs.
 * on the northern edge of the county is on the road to Oban, Glencoe and Ben Nevis.

West of Stirling:
 * Campsie Fells are the hills bounding the Forth Valley. The main villages are Strathblane, Blanefield, Lennoxtown, Torrance, Killearn and Fintry.
 * Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is the prime reason to visit this area. The Trossachs are a scenic glen (accessed from Callander or Aberfoyle), above which is Loch Katrine, the reservoir supplying Glasgow. This is set among beautiful hills; a traffic-free lane winds along its bank, and a little ferry putters across it. Loch Lomond is a long fjord scooped out by glaciers but later cut off from the sea, so it became fresh-water.
 * is the turn-off to reach the east shore of Loch Lomond.
 * is on the loch shore. The road continues to dead-end at Rowardennan, start of the climb up Ben Lomond.

Understand
This is where you think you've reached the Highlands. Not quite: the Ochils east and Campsie Fells west are an outlying ridge, with a gap at Stirling where the River Forth finds a way through. But they're close, and Stirling Castle sits on its crag to guard the historic route between Edinburgh and the Highlands. Several important battles were fought in the vicinity.

Scotland was divided into shires (meaning the jurisdiction of a sheriff) in the 11th century, and both Stirling and Clackmannan figure in a royal list of shires of 1305. Down the centuries these underwent various changes of boundary and of function, to adopt something like their present shape after 1889. By then the eastern lowland portion of Stirlingshire was industrial and urbanised, while the rugged west was depopulated as farm smallholdings had been cleared away for sheep, grouse moors and forestry plantations. Those leaving the land headed to Glasgow or further for factory jobs, but already there was a counter-tide as city dwellers had leisure time, transport and disposable income. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs became tourist destinations: Loch Katrine was converted into a reservoir for Glasgow, and prettified with a leisure steamer and Baronial waterworks.

Clackmannanshire is by some margin the smallest county in Britain, having a fifth of the surface area of Rutland, England's smallest county. It's often referred to as "Clacks", to avoid being longer to say than to drive across. It too became industrial, with mills powered by streams rushing out of the Ochils, coal mining, and shipping on the navigable Forth. Clackmannan town was outgrown by Alloa so in 1822 this became the county town.

A re-organisation of local government in 1975 merged Stirling, Clackmannan and Falkirk into the unloved entity of Central Region, a name redolent of brutalist concrete public buildings, flared jeans and mullets in the rain. In 1996 this devolved into three districts, so the counties more-or-less reverted to how they were in the late Victorian era.

Get in
The nearest airport is Edinburgh, and this is west of the city so you drive straight onto M9 and reach this area within 30 min. Glasgow is far side of that city so it would take an hour.

There are frequent trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Stirling and Dunblane, then north to Perth, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen. Trains from Glasgow also run west of Loch Lomond to Crianlarich, where they branch for Oban (for ferries to the Hebrides) or Fort William (for Ben Nevis).

M9 from Edinburgh and M80 from Glasgow meet at Stirling and continue north as A9 to Perth. There are regular inter-city buses along these routes.

By bike follow the canal towpath from Edinburgh or Glasgow as far as Falkirk.

Get around
The train links Polmont, Falkirk, Stirling, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. There are also regular buses along that corridor and to Doune and Callander.

You need wheels to explore Loch Lomond, the Trossachs and Campsie Fells, as there's sparse public transport.

See

 * Castles: Stirling and Doune are the best preserved, but the walk up to Dollar castle is through a scenic gorge.
 * Dunblane has a fine cathedral.
 * Loch Lomond is a fjord that has become a freshwater lake. Its east shore is the more attractive.
 * Falkirk Wheel operates in summer and you can ride a boat between the two canals.
 * The Pineapple at Airth north of Falkirk is a weird hothouse of 1761 for rearing tropical fruit.

Do

 * Climb Ben Lomond, the most southerly of the Munroes, 974 m / 3196 ft high. The well-marked path starts at Rowardennan on the east shore of Loch Lomond.
 * Blair Drummond is a safari park near Doune.
 * Highland Games are held in many towns in summer.
 * The West Highland Way is a long distance walking route from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William. It passes through Drymen and Balmaha then hugs the east shore of Loch Lomond.
 * Ride the ferry across Loch Katrine. At the far end Stronachlachar, either ride back, or bike back along the traffic-free lane, or cycle up the public road past Loch Arklet to reach Loch Lomond at Inversnaid.

Eat

 * Stirling has the best selection - Hermann's Scots-Austrian restaurant is the tops.
 * All the other towns have eating places. Pubs and hotels are often your best choice.

Drink

 * All the settlements have pubs serving meals.
 * Breweries: several, best known being Williams Brothers in Alloa.
 * Distilleries include Glengoyne in the hills south of Drymen, two in Falkirk, and Callander.

Stay safe

 * Standard care over road safety (especially on winding country roads) and care of valuables.
 * The mountains are of no dizzy height but they're on a similar latitude to Newfoundland and can be hazardous in bad weather.
 * Water safety: Loch Lomond especially is big enough to get rough when the wind funnels along the valley.

Go next

 * Perthshire northeast is mostly highland, with attractive towns along A9 including Perth, Dunkeld and Pitlochry.
 * Highlands northwest bring you to Glencoe, or Oban for ferries to the Hebrides.
 * Fife to the east has Culross, Dunfermline, Falkland Palace, East Neuk fishing villages and St Andrews.
 * The Lothians southeast have Linlithgow, but the star attraction is Edinburgh.
 * Glasgow deserves a few days to explore.

title: Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire


text:
St Ives

St Ives (Cornish: Porth Ia) is a seaside town on the north coast of West Cornwall, near Penzance. In 2011 its population was 11,226.

This fishing village grew up into a seaside resort, and has long attracted artists. Today it's a huddle of cottages, small alleys, and craft and gift shops, climbing the slopes above Portminster harbour (facing east into the bay) and crossing the ridge to Portmeor beach (facing north into the Atlantic). These two coastlines meet at the headland called "The Island". South of the main town and railway station, St Ives straggles into Carbis Bay.

Understand
The Tourist Information Centre is on Street-an-Pol, TR26 2DS +44 1736 796297. It's open all year round and can help with accommodation.

By plane
Cornwall Newquay Airport has flights from London (Gatwick & Stansted), Dublin, Leeds, Bradford, Bristol, Manchester and Cardiff. It's about 30 miles (48 km) away from St Ives by A3075 and A30, reckon 45 min by car. Its two disadvantages are i) most flights are summer only; ii) public transport is tricky as first you have to get the bus into Newquay (last bus around 6:30PM), then rely on an infrequent bus or branch-line train for connections to St Ives.

Exeter Airport is further but may be a simpler option. It has more flights year-round, the airport bus runs until 10PM, and mainline trains run hourly from Exeter to Penzance, stopping at St Erth.

Land's End Airport, 6 miles (10 km) west of Penzance, only has flights to the Isles of Scilly.

By train
The nearest main line station is, 4 miles south of St Ives. Most trains from London and south-west England stop here on their way to Penzance, another 10 min down the line. From St Erth there are branch line trains, buses and taxis into St Ives.

There are direct trains to St Erth from London Paddington (8 daily, 5 hours), Exeter (8 daily, 3 hours) and Plymouth (15 daily, 2 hours). There are frequent connections to Bristol (4 hours), Birmingham (5 hours) and the north, with one direct service to Sheffield, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

An overnight sleeper train, The Night Riviera, runs between London Paddington and Penzance, stopping at St Erth. It runs Sunday to Friday from London Paddington around 11:30PM, reaching St Erth before 8AM (on Sunday before 9AM Monday). The return train leaves Penzance Su-F around 9:30PM, picking up at St Erth 10 min later, to reach London Paddington at 5AM; you can stay aboard until 7AM. Book via Great Western, with airline seats, or single or double sleeper cabins available.

Other nearby destinations along the main line, served by hourly trains from Plymouth, are Penzance (for Newlyn, Mousehole and Isles of Scilly), St Austell (for Eden Project), Par (for Newquay), and Bodmin. See National Rail for times and fares; advance booking is usually much cheaper. A Ride Cornwall Ranger is good value for local travel. It allows unlimited off-peak travel within Cornwall, and between Cornwall and Plymouth, by all trains and most buses. "Off-peak" means M-F after 9AM, and all day Sa Su & holidays. An adult day-ticket is £13, children and concessions around £10.

The branch line train from St Erth to St Ives shuttles back & forth every 30 min. The run takes only 12 min, halting at Lelant Saltings (for Park & Ride) and Carbis Bay (for southside accommodation). The first train is around 7AM and the last around 10PM - speak to the guard if your train is late and you're likely to miss a connection. is at the south end of town.

Another link is First Kernow bus A17, which runs every 30 min between St Ives and St Erth, taking 10-15 min. The first bus is around 7AM and the last at 6:30PM. West of St Erth, this bus continues to Penzance, Zennor, St Just (for Land's End Airport) and Boscaswell.

By coach
National Express coaches to Penzance stop at nearby St Erth. Coach NX404 runs overnight from London Victoria (8 hr) via Heathrow Airport, Bath, Bristol Airport, Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth. NX315 runs daily along the south coast from Eastbourne via Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastbourne, Exeter and Plymouth.

First Kernow bus T1 runs every 30 minutes between Penzance and Truro (1 hr 45 min), calling at St Erth, Hayle, Camborne, and Redruth. Change at Truro for Newquay, St Austell and Bodmin. Reaching Plymouth and Exeter by bus is not worth the bother, take the train.

By car
St Ives is a 5- to 6-hour drive from London via M4, M5, A30 and finally A3074. It's a long way and at some point you'll need to refuel. Don't be paying motorway prices, there's supermarket petrol at (amongst others) M5 jcn 28 (Cullompton Tesco), A30 Bodmin (Asda, Launceston Rd Bodmin) and A30 Penzance (Tesco). Parking options: Several car parks around town centre, (£3-5 per day), but they're small and those in the centre fill up very early in the day. Aim further out, eg at St Ives railway station. "The Island" car park on the headland near the leisure centre usually has spaces; it's a 10-minute walk from the harbour. Or Park and Ride at Lelant Saltings station and take the frequent train to town.

Don't attempt street parking, even with a disabled badge, unless you've checked this with the place you're visiting. The streets are so narrow and the few spaces are reserved for residents.

Get around
Walking is best for St Ives centre, where the streets are narrow and congested. Don't bring a car here, but driving makes sense for outlying accommodation and beaches at Carbis Bay, Lelant and Hayle.

For Penzance, bus A2 runs hourly via Lelant, St Erth and Marazion (for St Michael's Mount), 45 min, from 9AM to 10PM.

For Land's End, bus A3 runs hourly along the B3306 via St Just, Pendeen and Zennor. Or go to Penzance then take bus A1, which runs hourly via Newlyn, Lamorna and Porthcurno, one hour, from 7AM to 6PM.

These "A"-buses, operated by First Kernow, are blue open-top double-deckers in summer. For bus travel plus rail, a good deal is the Ride Cornwall Ranger (adult £13) described above. For bus only, buy a Day Rider for £12 (child £6) from the Bus Station or from the driver on boarding - contactless bank cards accepted. Bus drivers also issue Ride Cornwall Rangers, but only for full price, go to the station for concessions.

Beaches

 * Porthmeor Beach is on the north side of town facing the Atlantic. It's half a mile-long beach with firm sands and sometimes has some good waves for surfing.
 * Porthminster Beach is a sheltered, east-facing beach, more suitable for small children.
 * Carbis Bay two miles south of St Ives is a great sandy sweep of beach.

Calculate how many were going to St Ives
This nursery rhyme was first recorded in 1730, with nine of each entity. It's thought to be pure nonsense for the sake of a riddle, with (unusually for an 18th-century rhyme) no scurrilous or polygamous subtext, and to refer to St Ives in Cornwall though the town in Cambridgeshire is also plausible.

The point of the riddle is to draw the listener into a calculation which can stoutly be declared wrong, as there are several answers. A logical answer is "at least one", as only the speaker is definitely going to St Ives. If the full kit and caboodle are going there, the total is 2802. If the penultimate phrase is taken to exclude the speaker and the man, it's either 2800 or zero. The listener can't win, except by riposting that this is just the dummies' version of the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus Problem 79 of 1650 BC, with powers-of-seven houses, cats, mice, spelt and hekat, total 19,607.

Buy

 * Oodles of gift shops and a few convenience grocery stores, but the supermarket is Tesco in Carbis Bay, open M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM.

Eat

 * Yallah is a good coffee shop by the harbour, open M-Sa 8AM-3:30PM, Su 9AM-3PM.

Drink
Usual selection of traditional pubs and wine bars.

 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.
 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.
 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.

Sleep
Over 70 B&Bs and several nice little hotels in St Ives, more along the coast.

Stay safe
Traffic, traffic, traffic! Plus standard care of valuables, and safety in the water.

Connect
St Ives has patchy reception around town across most providers and your best bet is to connect (and stay connected) to the Wi-Fi that's available at most pubs and restaurants.

Go next
It's either west to Penzance, Land's End and Isles of Scilly (day-trips possible) or back east towards St Austell (for Eden Project), Plymouth and Exeter.

title: St Ives


text:
St. Jacobs (Ontario)

St Jacobs, or 'Jakobstettl' in the local Pennsylvania Dutch, is a village of about 2000 people (2016) that s the heart of St Jacobs Country, a primary tourist destination north of Waterloo, Ontario.

Understand
St Jacobs is in the heart of North Waterloo's well-known Mennonite and Amish country. Driving in the area likely as not you will share the road with their horse-drawn buggies, particularly Sundays which is a day of church-going and visiting, and on Market Days when they are on the way to and from Market. Many offer home-grown produce, and home-made baking and preserves from home or road-side stands, but the 'No Sunday Sales' signs mean just that!

There are two main tourist destinations in the area. The market is immediately north of the Waterloo city limits. The historic village is 3 km to the north.

St. Jacobs features dozens of artisans in historic buildings, such as the Country Mill, Village Silos, Mill Shed, and the Old Factory. Visitors may watch artisans make pottery, quilts, designer clothes, jewellery, glass vases, woven wall hangings tiffany lamps, stained glass doors, miniature doll houses and more. There are also two blacksmith shops.

St Jacobs is home base to the network of Home Hardware, Home Furniture, and Home Building Supplies stores across Canada.

History
The first two settlements near St. Jacobs in the 1830s were Conestoga and Winterbourne. The latter was settled primarily by English and Scots, while St. Jacobs, like Conestoga, was primarily Germanic. In the early 1850s, there was an influx of Mennonites from Pennsylvania, so-called Pennsylvania Dutch. The word "Dutch" does not refer to the Netherlands but is a misnomer for Deitsch or Deutsch (German). They became known as "Old Order" Mennonites due to their conservative lifestyle.

Jacob C. Snider, of Swiss German descent, built a sawmill, a flour-mill and a woollen-mill by 1852, after having built a dam. These features helped to attract others to the small community, which became a village named Jakobstettel (Jacob's Village) in honour of Snider.

By car
St. Jacobs is about 1 hour west of Toronto and 1 hour northeast of London. From Highway 401, exit 278/278A north, take Highway 8 to Highway 85 North, exit "King Street" (Regional Road 15). There are two King Street interchanges; you want the second one. Travel north, following the signs to St. Jacobs Country.

By bus
Grand River Transit is the transit authority for Waterloo Region. GRT bus route 21 runs from ION Conestoga station in Waterloo through St. Jacobs to Elmira six days a week.

GO Transit (website) offers some seasonal bus service (route 25) from City Centre Transit Terminal, Mississauga to St. Jacobs Farmers Market on Saturdays in July and August.

Eat
Area restaurants offer international cuisine, and authentic Waterloo County 'food that schmecks' home-cooked fare.

Sleep
Many travellers visiting St. Jacobs stay in Waterloo or in other nearby cities. There are also accommodations in St. Jacobs:

title: St. Jacobs (Ontario)


text:
St. James (Missouri)

St. James is a city in Missouri.

Do

 * Maramec Spring Park, 21880 Maramec Spring Dr. An impressive spring emanates here in a vale that was once the site of an iron works. Visit foundry ruins, feed fish, camp, relax. Nominal fee. Tel: +1 573-265-7387.

title: St. James (Missouri)


text:
St. Johann

There is more than one place called St. Johann or Sankt Johann:

Austria

 * St. Johann in Tirol
 * St. Johann im Pongau
 * St. Johann am Walde
 * St. Johann im Walde
 * St. Johann am Wimberg
 * Sankt Johann in der Haide

Germany

 * St. Johann (Württemberg)

title: St. Johann


text:
St. Johann im Pongau

St. Johann im Pongau is the main city of the Pongau Region and is in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria.

Go next

 * Zell am See
 * Kaprun
 * Bad Gastein
 * Wagrain
 * Kleinarl

title: St. Johann im Pongau


text:
St. Johann in Tirol

St. Johann in Tirol is a small market town in the Kitzbuhler Alps in the Tyrol region of Austria. The town has become increasingly popular with tourists as a well-developed ski center in the winter season and also as a summer tourist resort.

Get in
The town is on the main Vienna to Innsbruck railway line and is quite close to the Bavarian capital of Munich in Germany.

Although there is an airport with a paved runway length 645m for light aircraft and gliders, it does not have any scheduled services.

Get around
Despite being 660 metres (2,160 feet) above sea level, the town of St. Johann is almost completely flat. The town centre is pedestrianized from 10:00 to 18:00 and all services are within a few minutes walk. There are tour buses operating from the towns main car park to locations around Austria and as far away as Venice and Munich. The best way to travel around is by bicycle and some package holidays include free bike rental from the hotel. There are also a number of local rental companies. There are plenty of walking and cycling trails to choose from.

See
There is a full range of facilities in the town and it is well served by walking paths which allow you to walk at your own pace on flat land or venture into the mountains. The 2,000m high Kitzbuhler Horn overlooks the town and is served by cable car and ski lift. At the other side of the mountain, about 10km away is the regional centre of Kitzbuhl.

Buy
There are several souvenir shops / stalls around town, mostly around the square. there are some supermarkets on the main street, Speckbackerstrasse. There are plenty of sporting goods stores selling ski poles, clothing, etc and a music store. Some larger supermarkets are on the outskirts of town.

Drink
All of the hotels have bars and there are a number of Inns which double up as accommodation and bars. In the Hauptplatz (main square) is the Gasthof zum Baren which has a restaurant / bar on the ground floor and at night the activity moves to the top floor where there is a balcony with views over the square to enjoy by candlelight with your drink. Restaurant da Seisl also has a good bar and Michi's Bar in the Hotel Fisher is very popular. In summer most people drink in the open under sun umbrellas.

There are also a number of bars / inns on Speckbacherstrasse and near the railway station including Bunny's which is an Australian Bar popular with tourists and young people in particular and the Old Dog which is an old style English pub.

Sleep
There are many hotels and pensions in St. Johann and it is very popular with tourists travelling with the Thomsons (UK) and Topflight (Ireland) tour companies.

Go next

 * Kufstein
 * Kitzbühel
 * Saalfelden

title: St. Johann in Tirol


text:
St. John's

St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the oldest city in North America and is on the Avalon Peninsula in the southeast corner of the island of Newfoundland. The city is the easternmost point on the Trans-Canada Highway, a network of roads leading more than 8000 km westward to Victoria, British Columbia.

With 206,000 residents (2016), the metropolitan area is the second largest in Atlantic Canada, behind Halifax.

Understand
John Cabot was believed to have sailed into the harbour on June 24, 1494 - the feast day of John the Baptist, for whom St. John's Harbour is named. The first year-round settlement was not long after 1630, although a seasonal fishery operated in the region long before then. Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the area as England's first overseas colony on 5 August 1583 under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I. Fishermen from England's West Country controlled most of Newfoundland's east coast by 1620. Fortifications were installed from 1670 onward to defend the city, against the Dutch and then against the French—both of whom had briefly captured the town at one time or another. When Newfoundland became a self-governing dominion within the British Empire in 1907 (a status similar to that of New Zealand), St. John's was its national capital. Confederation with the Dominion of Canada in 1949 demoted the city to provincial capital status; by then, Newfoundland had fought in two world wars.

With a location 2100 km (1339 miles) northeast of Toronto, St. John's is closer to Dublin than Vancouver. It is the most easternly urban settlement in North America and is 3½ hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Vancouver on the west coast of Canada is 8 hours behind GMT.
 * Destination St. John's tourism website

Airlines
Canadian airlines operating to St John's:

Other airlines:

Ground transportation
You can reach downtown by public bus No. 14 on weekdays only, buses leave roughly hourly from 6:45AM to 7:15PM to the campus of Memorial University, where connections to various downtown buses are available. A single fare costs $2.50.

Taxi to downtown costs about $25.

By car
St John's is the easternmost point on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), the main road across Newfoundland. If you splash loudly into the Atlantic Ocean, you'll know you've gone past the city.

Traffic arriving from out-of-province normally crosses by ferry from North Sydney (Nova Scotia) to either Port-aux-Basques or Argentia, then follows TCH 1 east to town. (It's also possible to cross from Labrador via a ferry at Blanc-Sablon Québec, but the Trans-Labrador Highway to Quebec Route 389 in Labrador City-Fermont is no easy journey.)

By boat
The island portion of the province is accessible by several ferries leaving North Sydney, Nova Scotia. From there, you can take a 5- to 6-hour ferry ride to Port-aux-Basques, at the southwest corner of Newfoundland, and drive 905 km across the island to St. John’s, near its eastern tip.

From mid-June through September, you can take a 14- to 17-hour ferry ride from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Argentia, Newfoundland, which is 131 km from St. John’s. Ferry schedules and reservation information are available from Marine Atlantic. You should make a reservation well in advance, especially if you want a cabin on an overnight crossing. Marine Atlantic ferries offer a wide variety of on-board accommodations and features, including deluxe cabins, dormitory sleepers, full meal and beverage service, live entertainment, movies, and children's activity programs.

By car
St. John's is a driver-dominated city, although the road layout is haphazard and a map or GPS is de rigueur for visitors. Except for the Downtown centre, parking is almost always abundant. Traffic jams are frequently encountered during road maintenance season due to limited transportation corridors to outlying communities. The downtown area contains many one-way streets so it is important to watch for signs.

St. John's International Airport has the following car rental agencies: Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Budget, and National. In the city you can also find Enterprise, Discount, and Rent-A-Wreck. Executive Car Service is also available for chauffeured car rentals and tours from several providers such as Black Car Service, Corporate Concierge and Jimmy's Sedan Service. If no rentals are available, U-Haul vehicles may be another option.

Book rental cars early for travel during the peak summer months. Rental cars are often totally unavailable during tourist season, so it's recommended to book rentals months in advance.

By foot
The Downtown core can be easily explored by foot if you have full mobility. Take a stroll up Water Street, stop for a drink or take in some live music at a wide range of drinking establishments, a wide range of restaurants, and distinctive shopping. For several weeks during the summer, a section of Water Street is made pedestrian-only, bringing life to the normally car-filled streets.

George Street, just above Water at the west end of the downtown core, near City Hall and the Convention Centre, is a concentration of nightclubs, taverns, restaurants that is typically busy any night of the week, with bar patrons spilling onto many patios and onto the street. Adjacent streets such as Duckworth Street also have interesting shopping and restaurants, and there are a number of (liquor-licensed) billiards halls.

Quidi Vidi Lake, Quidi Vidi Harbour and Signal Hill are popular areas within walking distance of downtown. During the summer, a private free Hop On Hop Off bus service connects downtown, Quidi Vidi, Cape Spear and Signal Hill.

Caution: during the winter, most sidewalks are not cleared, so pedestrians must walk on the streets and climb over icy snowbanks. These dangers make walkers a relatively rare sight - typically only the poor and stubborn walk in St. John's. Stops signs are routinely ignored by drivers, and drivers often run red lights, especially when turning right. Traffic laws are generally not enforced by the police. Pedestrians must be extremely cautious to protect themselves - don't expect your legal right of way to be respected.

By bicycle
There are a handful of steep hills in St. John's, although they can often be avoided by taking more gradually sloped routes. Be warned: although the hills are frequently cited as a reason for the lack of cyclists, the reckless drivers and poor infrastructure are the most significant barriers to active transportation. Few cycling lanes are available, and most are placed in dangerous door zones beside parking areas. Cycle lanes are only designated by a faded stripe of paint - there are no separate protected cycling lanes. Cyclists are officially banned from the network of gravel paths, the Grand Concourse, which is mostly treated as a recreational activity for drivers rather than a legitimate transportation option. This ban on cycling is frequently ignored by cyclists who are terrified of the dangers imposed by car-centric culture. There are very limited bicycle rental options in the city.

By taxi
Many of the cab drivers are quite knowledgeable and eager to help visitors find out about local attractions. If you want to see something but aren't sure what or where, ask a cabbie for a tour of the city or Cape Spear, the easternmost point in Canada. Note that if you are flying in to the airport, taxis may not be available, so you may be stranded at the airport. Taxi drivers are often reckless drivers, so pedestrians and cyclists should be wary, and should not expect them to stop at stop signs or red lights.

Learn
The only university in Newfoundland and Labrador is Memorial University, located on the northwest side of the city. There is also College of the North Atlantic, which is the province's community college.

Buy
St. John's has two modern shopping centres. The Avalon Mall, the largest shopping centre in Newfoundland, has 140 stores (including Winners/HomeSense, Sport Chek, H&M, Old Navy, a 12-screen Cineplex movie theatre (Scotiabank Theatre), and The Rec Room) and is on Kenmount Road. The Village Shopping Centre is in the West End on Topsail Road. St. John's also has several big box centres; Stavanger Drive in the east end; Kelsey Drive (off Kenmount Road); and Pearlgate located in the suburb of Mount Pearl. Also near Pearlgate is The Shoppes at Galway, which is the home of St. John's Costco store.

Downtown St. John's boasts a wide array of shops and boutiques, most notably Water Street. Everything from unique souvenirs to designer clothing.

Unlike most provinces in Canada, cold beer can be purchased in convenience stores. Liquor and wine are only available at NLC locations. Cannabis products can be purchased from several retail locations by adults (max 30 grams), including pre-rolls and beverages.

Eat
St. John's is the hometown of Canadian fried chicken chain Mary Brown's Chicken. The first location opened in 1969 in St. John's at the Avalon Mall, where there is still a branch. Many of their locations are available in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Budget
Newfoundlanders will tell you that you can't leave St. John's without having fish and chips at either Ches's or the Big R (known to locals as "the Big Arse"). Local favourite dishes include "chips, dressing and gravy" (french fries and stuffing covered in thick gravy), "fish-and-brewis" (a sort of hard bread), and "cod cheeks" (the cheeks of cod fish, really).

Drink
George Street, in the heart of downtown, is a prime location for nightlife. Water Street, said to be the oldest street in North America, also contains several pubs, usually of a more relaxing atmosphere.

Cope
Visitors should have clothing for highly variable weather in Saint John's. For example, the high for July 5, 2017 was but was more than  on the next day.

Stay safe
While St. John's is generally regarded as a safe city, increases in the crime rate have been reported. Panhandling is very common in downtown, however simply replying "no" or ignoring those individuals usually does the trick, while a few more may be more persistent. Very rarely will these people become violent, and are usually not a problem.

As in any other city of comparable size, use caution when travelling after dark. Common areas to avoid after dark include Buckmaster Circle, Old and New Penneywell Road, areas immediately around Hamlyn Road, Livingstone Street, Water Street west (Springdale Street west to the beginning of Waterford Bridge Road including Victoria Park) and Shea Heights. Most of these places are not areas which tourists would normally be in, and shouldn't be a huge problem.

Caution should be used when on George Street, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. With excessive drinking and drug use, there is a high tendency for people to turn violent. However, it's unlikely that you'll fall victim to assault if you keep out of trouble. Take caution at 24-hour restaurants and convenience stores across town, especially in the downtown area. Patrons from George Street often stagger into such restaurants after last call and can be violent, sometimes attacking unsuspecting individuals. As well, a rise in armed robberies in the metropolitan area have left 24-hour convenience an easy target for criminals.

However, with crime rates much lower than the national average, little is to fear about walking around St. John's at most times of day or night. With some basic caution, there is no reason why your visit to the city can't be a safe one.

Go next

 * Bonavista and its famous lighthouse are further north
 * Dildo - quiet little fishing town is less than an hour's drive away - go whale watching or check out the archaeological remains of early Indian settlement
 * Irish Loop - 7- to 8-hour scenic drive following the southern 'cape' shore (route 10) back to the Trans-Canada Highway. Bay Bulls, one of the closest points to town, is a small bay east on route 10 which is home to various boat tour companies offering whale, puffin, and iceberg watching.

title: St. John's


text:
St. Joseph (Missouri)

St. Joseph, is a city in Missouri. It is famous as the place where Jesse James was gunned down, and as the home of Cherry Mash confectionery (warning: acquired taste). And before all that, embarkation point for the Oregon Trail and Pony Express.

By car
St. Joe is at the intersection of I-29 and US 36, 30 mins north of KCI Airport in Kansas City. I-229 forms a loop that goes to Downtown. US 59, US 71, US 169, and Missouri Route 6 also run through town.

Eat
For various reasons, the food scene in St. Joseph is fairly generic. Plenty of well-established and well-known chain restaurants and fast food joints can be easily found in almost any area of the city, excluding the downtown area.

Connect

 * St. Joseph Conventions & Visitor's Bureau, 109 S 4th St,

title: St. Joseph (Missouri)


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St. Joseph Island

St. Joseph Island is home to about 2,300 residents (2021) in Algoma District in the Lake Superior North Shore region of Northern Ontario. It's the second largest island on Lake Huron (after Manitoulin). Locals claim that maple syrup produced on the island is Canada's best — as Ontario's largest maple syrup producing area, there are plenty of opportunities to taste for yourself.

Understand
St. Joseph Island has two towns: and. Its principal industries are maple syrup production, tourism and small-scale agriculture.

It is popular as camp and cottage country for Sault Ste. Marie and Mid-western American families.

Many small family farms or hobby farms operate on the island producing corn and other vegetables, beef, lamb, poultry and eggs.

History
Little evidence has been found of human activity on St. Joseph Island before the 17th century. By the time the first Europeans arrived in the 1630s, the north channel of Lake Huron was shared by the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples whose Algonkian ancestors had come from the east around 1200. St. Joseph Island became a strategic mid-way point for French explorers, missionaries and fur traders on the long voyage between Quebec and Lake Superior. St. Joseph Island first appeared on European maps in the 1670s.

Any French claim to St. Joseph Island ended with the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763. France relinquished virtually all of its interests in North America to the British. By 1783 the Treaty of Paris effectively ended the American Revolution. The border it created between the United States and British North America ran through the middle of Lake Huron. While the treaty very clearly placed Mackinac Island on the American side, it was unclear how St. Joseph and its neighbouring islands that fell in the middle of the St. Marys River were to be apportioned. In 1798, the Ojibwe agreed to sell the island to the British for £1,200 Quebec currency of trade goods, an annual gift exchange and the right to continue to harvest the island and bury their dead there.

In time, Fort St. Joseph became an important point for trade and commerce in the region. Settlers, many of whom had lived near the fort at Mackinac, and merchants of the Northwest Company followed the garrison to establish the first permanent European settlement on the island around Fort St. Joseph.

Within weeks of the commencement of the War of 1812, the British moved a force from Fort St. Joseph to reclaim their old fort at Mackinac. Abandoned, Fort St. Joseph was burned by a U.S. force in July 1814. The British did not rebuild the Fort St. Joseph following the war. In 1974, the ruins became a National Historic Site administered by Parks Canada. After the war, the border between British North America and the United States was drawn along the western shore of St. Joseph between it and St. Tammany (today Neebish) Island.

Major William Rains, a veteran of British wars in Europe, purchased over 2,200 hectares to start a colony on St. Joseph Island in 1834. Rains, his family and a company of investors established Milford Haven - named after Rains' hometown in Wales - with a store and sawmill in the southeast of the island. However, few settlers came to the island and by 1839 the community consisted of only eight houses.

The population of the island began to shift from the south and west to better agricultural land in the north. Government policies encouraged would-be farmers in the south of Ontario to relocate to tracts of land in Algoma by providing up to 200 acres of land per head of household. The greatest influx of settlers came between 1874 and 1882.

The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway spur from Sudbury across the north channel to Sault Ste Marie in 1887 opened up the region to migration by farmers and settlers. A rough roadway followed so that by 1923, the communities along the channel were connected to Sault Ste Marie by road.

At the close of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, it became very fashionable among wealthy Americans and others to have summer residences along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Americans from the mid-west sought to establish resorts on islands accessible by steamboat on the Great Lakes. In 1900, Chicago merchant Edward H. Pitkin purchased Sapper Island to the west of Campement d’Ours Island and asked his neighbour Frank Lloyd Wright, then an apprentice architect, to design him a home. Completed in 1902, the Pitkin Cottage is one of only two buildings designed by the American architect in Canada, and the only one surviving.

Visitor Information

 * Township of St. Joseph
 * Algoma Country Travel Association - St. Joseph Island

Get in
St. Joseph's Island is connected to the mainland via a free bridge. To access the island, turn south from Highway 17 onto Highway 548.

Get around
The primary road system to and on the island is Highway 548, a 75-km (47-mi) secondary highway consisting of two separate segments: the north-south segment, that includes the St. Joseph Island Bernt Gilbertson Bridge, and a continuous loop route that circles the island.

The north-south segment connects with Highway 17/Trans Canada Highway in the north and terminates at a T-intersection with the loop segment at Kent's Corners, 5.4 km (3.4 mi) south of Highway 17.

The much longer 68-km (42-mi) continuous loop segment circles the island. To assist in navigation and street addressing, segments of the loop have been given suffix letters which generally correspond to the local road name. For example, the portion of Highway 548 which is signed along D Line is named 548D, along Huron Line it is named 548H, etc.

The primary road system on the island has crossroads every 1.25 miles (2 km). Many of these are still gravel roads, however, the local municipalities have been paving many of the more frequently used routes.

See

 * Fall colours (September-October)

Buy

 * Richards Landing (pop. 1200, permanent population approx. 400) is the commercial centre of St. Joseph Island with services including a bank, pharmacy, grocer, liquor store, artisan shops and galleries, fuel station, post office, hospital and medical centre. There is a marina, sportsplex and community centre, as well as a historic town hall, restaurants and accommodation, public parks, beaches and a tennis court.

Eat and drink

 * Maple syrup season breakfast (Spring)
 * Mostly fresh fish

Stay safe
There is an abundance of wildlife, especially deer which tend to pop out of the fields and woods at any given moment, so heads up!

Bicycling: The highway 548 which completely circles St.Joseph Island is hard surfaced as are most of the side roads. These are very scenic routes and well suited for bicycling during the good weather. St.Joseph Island is home to many, many permanent residents that go about their daily business year-round. In the summer months the population swells with summer residents and guests. Many are not familiar or expecting bicycle or pedestrians on rural roads.

Driving: Watch for wildlife, especially deer which can be found anytime of day year-round, in any area of St. Joseph Island

Respect
Private property: There is very little Crown (i.e., public) land on St. Joseph Island. Therefore, you should ask permission before hiking or hunting while visiting St Joseph Island.

Go next

 * Sault Ste Marie — about northwest from the bridge, the next city on the Trans-Canada Highway heading west. Across St. Mary's River from Sault Sainte Marie.
 * Blind River — from the bridge, the next town to the east, serving as a rest stop on the Trans-Canada.

title: St. Joseph Island


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St. Julian's

St. Julian's (Maltese: San Ġiljan) is a town in Malta.

Understand
This town is situated on the coast, north of Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, which are centred mainly in an area known as Paceville.

Go next

 * Sliema
 * Valetta
 * Gzira with several restaurants near the waterfront and Manoel Island.

title: St. Julian's


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St Just in Penwith

St Just (Cornish: Lannust) is the most westerly town on the mainland of the UK. It's in West Cornwall and had population of around 4,800 in the area in 2011. Traditionally a mining town, the last mine closed in 1996. St Just now makes the majority of its income from passing tourists.

Get in
The main way to get to St Just is by travelling via Penzance, 7 miles from the town.

 * By bus: From Penzance there are a couple of bus services (First Bus Cornwall route 10/10A) which takes 30–40 minutes and runs every 30 minutes during the day M-Sa, less frequently in the evenings and on Sundays and (Western Greyhound route 509) which takes 30 minutes and runs via Sancreed on Mondays to Saturdays there is no Sunday service on this route. Alternate buses run via Pendeen.  In addition there is an open-top summer service (First Bus Cornwall route 300) which runs Lands End - Sennen - St Just - Zennor - St Ives every couple of hours.
 * By road: St Just is at the end of A3071 which runs to Penzance and the A30 to England. There are also local B-class roads to Sennen (and Land's End) to the South and St Ives to the North.
 * By train: Nearest National Rail station is Penzance, a taxi costs around £20 or catch the bus.
 * By coach: London Victoria to Penzance.

Get around
The town is very small and easily walked. Plenty of free parking as well.

See
Sights are largely outside but near. Anywhere on the north Cornish coast near here is great with Cape Cornwall as the scenic highlight. Sennen Cove to the west and St Ives to the east have excellent beaches.

Nearby beaches
Various other beaches dot the coast near to the town.

If you have a car, you could try the tourist-orientated beaches of Sennen Cove and Gwenver near Land's End or St Ives town beaches.

Industrial remains
The whole area is full of mining remains but the following are outstanding. Also Ding Dong Mine near Sancreed and Levant mine and beam engine in nearby Pendeen.

Prehistoric remains
Also see sites in nearby St Buryan and the parishes of Madron and Sancreed.
 * h

Granite churches
Although the granite churches here have much in common, they all have distinctive features.

There are plenty more in the area such as in St Levan, St Buryan and Saint Senara's Church in Zennor.

Do

 * Walk up to the moors above the town.
 * St Just is good placed for an overnight stop on the Coastal Path (from Penzance, Lands' End and Sennen to the South and Zennor and St. Ives to the North).
 * Scenic flights or trial flight lessons from Lands End Airfield 2 miles from town.
 * Visit Cape Cornwall 2 miles down Cape Cornwall Road (past the grey grim looking Secondary School). Once thought to be the most Westerly point in the UK, proved wrong with modern mapping.  Stunning scenery and a welcoming Coast Watch Station (www.ccnci.org.uk) on the sea facing slope of the cape.  A good circular walk (3 miles, an hour, plus stops) is: down Cape Cornwall Road to the cricket club, turn left and follow on to Carn Gloose, carry on down the track to Cape Cornwall.  On the way back follow the road for 100 m and turn left 45 degrees along a foot path track, follow this round past the house on the left before turning left onto a foot path.  Follow the valley all the way back to the town.
 * Visit the ancient stone circles around the town.

Events

 * Lafrowda Festival: performing arts festival with (free) live music into the night. Mid July.
 * St Just Feast: on 1st November every year is the start of the St Just hunt (which isn't allowed to hunt any more), general 'piss up' in the town.
 * New Year's Eve: fancy dress night. Normally every one spills out from all the pubs and dances round the Christmas tree in Market Square (the one with the Co-op) just before midnight.
 * Market Jew Day in early April every second year is another excuse for a party. It is traditionally the day when the Jews would be shipped out, but luckily now this is only celebrated in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Drink
St. Just is a small hard-drinking town, expect good chat from locals but don't say Cornwall is part of England.

On Friday and Saturdays its not uncommon for people to club together and share a taxi to the night clubs in Penzance "Oii my lover are you going down barn tonight?" is what you may be asked, which refers to the Barn Night Club in Penzance. A taxi is around £20 each way — not too bad if you get 7 people and a 7-seater minibus taxi.

Sleep

 * Various B&Bs in and around the town. Contact the Penzance TIC for booking and more information.

Stay safe
St. Just is a safe place with low rates of petty crime. Be sensible though and don't leave valuables on display in your car over night. St. Just is a major gateway for narcotics dropped off by small speed boats in the middle of the night at the large number of coves dotted around the coast. There is a significant organised criminal network operating, although this should be of little significance to the visitor it does create some of the lowest street prices for illegal drugs in Western Europe.

Go next

 * Geevor - tin mine Pendeen.
 * Visit the Isles of Scilly, a 15-minute flight from Land's End Airfield 2 miles from the town or a 2-hour, 40-minute sea crossing from Penzance.
 * St Ives: drive (or take an open top bus in summer) the 15 miles along the North Coast road (B3306) to St Ives. Spectacular scenery, and various pubs to stop at along the way. Luckily the UK has a higher drink drive limit than the US or other European countries and it's perfectly normal to have a couple of pints and still drive.  While the limit is higher, the police still crack down hard on anyone caught driving above this limit.

title: St Just in Penwith


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St Kilda

 * See Melbourne/St Kilda for the St Kilda in Melbourne

St Kilda is a small archipelago in the Atlantic, 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles of Scotland, of which it's administratively part. Hirta is the main island, and there is no island called St Kilda.

Understand
Until 1930 the people of Hirta subsisted by fishing, crofting and eating seagull eggs, in squalid impoverished conditions. The islands of Dùn, Soay and Boreray were never permanently inhabited and were just used for sheep grazing and egg collecting. In the early 20th century young folk drifted away in search of a better life, there was a run of crop failures, and a young woman died for lack of mainland medical treatment. The last 36 residents were evacuated on 26 Aug 1930 to Morvern on the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

There has been an army base here since 1957, running the radar station that tracks the missile range off Benbecula. Much of the station is now run remotely and it had been intended for those personnel to leave (they're nowadays employed by the privatised defence firm Qinetiq.) A change of plan means that they're staying, and the station facilities are being noisily rebuilt, but this is in the hands of the switchback politics of the UK defence industry.

St Kilda is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Hirta has a resident ranger and rotating NTS work parties but there are very few visitor facilities, eg no cafe. Most visitors come on day trips by boat whenever summer conditions allow. St Kilda isn't the most remote spot in the British Isles - a handful of other islands vie for that title - but has become a romanticised metaphor for isolation. That's mainly because its evacuation is still within living memory, with original film footage, boosted by the fictionalised version of the 1937 Michael Powell film "The Edge of the World".

For a map of St Kilda, try the historic maps from The National Library of Scotland.

Visitor information

 * National Trust for Scotland
 * Visit Scotland
 * Historic Environment Scotland

Get in

By boat, preferably not on Tuesday or Friday, when the supply boat calls to replenish the resident staff, and the landing area is congested.

There are no ferries or air services to St Kilda. With your own boat, or by cruise or boat trip as described below, you need to transfer to a small open dinghy (e.g., a Zodiac RIB) to land on Hirta; there's no mooring. That's mainly because the jetty is tiny, it's also to ensure that no rats can sneak ashore with you, to devastate the island's bird life. (And no dogs or other pets are allowed ashore.) Hirta's jetty is sheltered from the prevailing west winds, but wind or swell from the east or south-east makes landing impractical. Landing on the other islands is only by special permission and is tricky even in the best conditions, as they are steep crags with no harbour. Regular summer visits are:
 * NTS Work Party, see "Do". The NTS hires its own boats for these groups.
 * Cruise ships with a 7- to 10-day tour of the Outer Hebrides and other isles. Itineraries are flexible to adjust for sea conditions, especially for St Kilda so they may not be able to call. See listings in the home ports for:
 * Hebrides Cruises sailing from Oban.
 * Majestic Line sailing from Oban.
 * St Hilda Sea Adventures sailing from Oban.
 * Noble Caledonia sailing from several UK ports.
 * Day trips sail from Skye and the Western Isles. You have to make yourself available for a two-day slot, and they sail on the first suitable day of that slot. It's a 3- to 4-hour crossing with four hours ashore on Hirta, then a sail around the other islands and on homeward. The boats have shelter and toilets but no catering, bring your own packed lunch. See listings in the home ports for:
 * Sea Harris sailing from Leverburgh on Harris.
 * Kilda Cruises based in Tarbert on Harris but sailing from Leverburgh.
 * Go to St Kilda sailing from Stein on Skye.
 * Camping: If you're staying at the campsite and don't have organised transport, you need to negotiate one-way trips with these operators. You may have to pay double, since the boat will be left with an unused day-trip space on each leg of the journey. Also factor in the possibility of cancelled boats outward or homebound. But firm up your camping first as this is even more limited than boat spaces.

Get around
Walk. The island is only four miles long, with a mile of track, so the usual four-hour landing of a day trip is enough to reach anywhere that's safe to approach.

See

 * The bay at Hirta is the flooded caldera of a volcano active 55 million years ago, during the formation of the Atlantic.
 * Lady Grange's House: A cleit is a stone shed or bothy; there are several dotted around the island. This one, on Main Street, was the "house" of Lady Grange (Rachel Chiesley) between 1734 and 1740. She had fallen out with her husband, a high-ranking Edinburgh lawyer, and took to screaming abuse at him in the street and in church. Her accusations of Jacobite treason had enough truth in them to be dangerous, so Lord Grange had her abducted. Then aged 52, she was held captive in several places across the Highlands, then for two years on the Monach Isles and in 1734 was brought to St Kilda. She spent six years in filthy conditions marooned on this rain-lashed Alcatraz, and no-one looked for her or much missed her violent temper. (Dr Johnson later commented that if the land-owner "let it be known that he had such a place for naughty ladies, he might make it a very profitable island.") Eventually a smuggled letter reached her own lawyer, who organised a rescue - but Lord Grange heard of it and bundled her off elsewhere. Her last years were spent in captivity on Skye, where she died in 1745.
 * Wildlife: Puffins are seen from the track leading from the village. Watch also for the unique St Kilda Wren and St Kilda Fieldmouse, fulmars and bonxies, and the semi-wild brown Soay sheep.
 * is the summit of the track, at 361 m. Pity about the ugly radar station, its job is to track missiles fired from the test range on South Uist. A longer circular hike takes in Mullach Bi to the west and Conachair east at 430 m, but this is stretching it for most day trip schedules.
 * Cliffs and sea stacks are dangerous and better admired from the boat. Or better still from below water, where they continue as wall faces and clefts for scuba divers to explore.
 * is the mile-long island sheltering Hirta's bay. The name means a prehistoric fort but there's no trace of this. Until the Middle Ages it was connected to Hirta by a natural arch, but this collapsed - the gully between may be fordable at low tide. The sheep don't care to try this so the vegetation on Dùn is lusher than elsewhere in St Kilda.
 * means "island of sheep" (Old Norse Seyðoy), and several islands are so called, but this is the one with the distinctive feral Soay sheep. They were only introduced to Hirta when that island became uninhabited. The west tip of Soay is the westernmost point in the UK, if Rockall is discounted.
 * rises abruptly to 384 m, yet from prehistoric times people have somehow clung to its slopes. The Boreray sheep is another distinct rare breed, a small horned blackface.
 * rises abruptly to 384 m, yet from prehistoric times people have somehow clung to its slopes. The Boreray sheep is another distinct rare breed, a small horned blackface.

Do

 * National Trust for Scotland organise work parties in summer, typically for two weeks. The work typically involves repairing facilities, wildlife monitoring or archaeology. A cook and a work leader travel out with each group, and various excursions are organised. These parties are over-subscribed, and you need to contact the NTS by autumn for a chance of going out the following summer.
 * Keep a constant eye on the weather. If it's turning for the worse, make your way back to the jetty, as your boat may need to sail at short notice.

Buy
Souvenirs may be available occasionally from either the ranger or the leader of work parties.

Eat
There are no eating facilities open to the public. The army base is off-limits to visitors.

Drink
There are no facilities open to the public. The Puff Inn inside the army base is off-limits.

Sleep

 * If you have your own boat, you're better sleeping aboard.

Connect
There is no mobile signal on St Kilda or on the boat crossing.

Go next

 * If you're lucky, back to where you sailed from. If you're unlucky, you'll be stuck here contemplating a churning grey ocean and the empty wrapper of your last toffee.
 * Even more remote islands: uninhabited North Rona is 71 km northwest of Cape Wrath, further out from the mainland than St Kilda. A very occasional cruise ship visits (eg Noble Caledonia as above) but there are no regular boat trips and you won't even find it on most maps of Britain. St Kilda may be "The Edge of the World" but North Rona feels to have slid off the edge altogether.

title: St Kilda