All of suites, chateaus, cabins and rooms offer following: refrigerator, coffee machine, tea kettle, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fluffy duvet, large stone wood burning fireplace (and wood), cable TV, VCR, free movies, hair dryer, vanity mirror, ironing board, and terry velour bath robes. Prices vary depending on where you choose to stay and time of year you're booking. Feel free to take a virtual tour by visiting Bear Trail Resort website. The most popular time of year to visit is from mid-July to end of October. The resort is closed for six weeks from mid-November to December 27th, and month of April.

Now before I go on I need to express how awe-struck I was by what resort has to offer. You can only imagine my reaction when I was able to experience it first hand. Allow me to set scene.

I arrived on a typical cool and sunny Ontario afternoon; air was crisp and colored leaves were beginning to fall like clockwork, marking turn of a new and wonderful season. Already impressed by my scenic drive on winding dirt roads boarding quiet lakes, I couldn't imagine my day becoming any more perfect. Approaching Whitney I spotted a beaver sitting on some barely frozen ice building himself a place to reside. I strategically pulled over and watched him hard at work—in a moment he noticed me and dove under tissue paper thin ice. It was time for me to find my bed for night as well, I thought, and continued on my journey.

The resort is tucked away down a hidden gravel road and hugs Galeairy Lake—seven miles of sparkling water and hidden coves disappearing well into Algonquin Park. If you sit quietly by shoreline you will hear haunting call of loons communicating to each other. Beaver, otter, deer, and moose are spotted in area. Fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes can be caught either off shore, or on canoe trips in summer. The resort's Chef, Subie Cybulskie, is happy to cook your cleaned fish for dinner at no extra charge.

Pulling into resort I instantly felt a sense of comfort. Log cabins were to my left and welcoming forested land to my right, and an inviting main house straight ahead. I understood why get-a-way was classified as "quaint and cozy". There is more of a feeling of being a guest in a friend's home, rather than a number in a big hotel. Couples of all ages were checking in, one after other, ready for their weekend of magic to begin. I watched one couple exchange a silent and knowing recognition with each other, while Tonya, pleasant young clerk at front desk told them about what facilities resort has to offer.

In fall and winter season Bear Trail Couples Resort offers an abundance of activities, such as: hiking Algonquin Park (a spectacular walk is a 2.7 km trek on Lookout Trail, overlooking park); mountain biking 35km of mysterious and beautiful terrain located along fabulous Madawaska River; badminton and tennis on on-site courts when weather applies; all-terrain-vehicle tours (1.5 hour trip is $70CND, info can be gathered at

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Joanna Niebler, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Straw roofs are not a Mayan invention, as they originated in Africa from where they spread to five continents. In Yucatan, this form of covering was made with best native materials. First of these is chicle tree, zapote by its local name. Its latex once served as a base for chewing gum (today, 99 percent of chewing gum comes from petroleum products), and was extracted through deep incisions made in its trunk.

Zapote is a reddish color, among hardest woods known, impervious to heat or humidity, and flexible. These qualities make it especially useful for adapting to ornate designs. The second element of construction is wild grass, it grows in abundance throughout peninsula, reaching heights of one meter. Although not widely used, xit palms are another popular roofing material.

Building a palapa is an art, although primitive, and requires much practice and creative ability to master technique. Palapa builders as generous artisans have revealed many of their secrets. The building process begins with cutting of wood, a significant cosmic act since it is determined by lunar phases. Trees may only be cut on nine of every 28 days, during seven days of full moon and two more. Theory has it that just like ocean tides, sap of trees rises during full moon and their trunks reach saturation when cycle is at its fullest. After timbering, when sap dries, it will provide a natural repellant against boring insects.

Grass must be torn from ground manually with its roots intact, then left to dry several days in sun. It must be combed just before it becomes brittle. This is done by laying it on a bed of upright nails and gently pulling it through in one horizontal motion. Bundles are then woven together into plaques and laid onto framework.

In case of xit palms, these are cut then broken where main stem and leaf meet. The remaining fronds are separated into three sections and inserted in a horizontal pole that keeps them together.

Assembling a palapa is a delicate process, full of unexpected. On coast they must be built in accordance with prevailing winds. Builders must determine structure's weight, which in turn determines size of support beams, then they must calculate a sloping angle for roof (generally 45 degrees.).

That angle is crucial. It allows rainwater to quickly drain away before it can penetrate roof material and lead to rotting. The steeper slope, more durable a roof will be. This formula has one drawback however, as higher means costlier, and as a result there is a compromise on 45 degrees.

The Maya used palapas to cover homes and temples built for many purposes. Today's examples include restaurants and many businesses. Cancun is filled with monumental palapas. Almost every hotel has one around its pool areas. They link modern Cancun with a remote past.

Quintana Roo, one of most recently established states in Mexico, has a population of 880,000. Most of inhabitants live in Cancun, Chetumal, (the state capital), Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, and San Miguel Cozumel.

One of most attractive ceremonies still being carried out is the

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Edwi Ali, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com