Lake Hartwell – Lake Hartwell Homes for Sale – Lake Living – Lake Hartwell Real Estate

In case you missed it, in April there was a fun filled event on Lake Keowee that revolved around antique water craft.  These were the boats of your father’s father that caressed Lake Keowee that beautiful April weekend!

Boat slips belonging to the Crooked Creek RV park were filled with more than 50 antique wooden-hulled boats, some dating all the way back to the 1930s.

These boats, most of which were made in the by gone era when Bing Crosby crooned, Gable was on the Big Screen, and whose designers were Chris-Craft, Gar Wood, Thompson, Aristocraft and Elco boats, gathered for the Lake Keowee Antique Boat Festival.

Sponsoring the festival was The Blue Ridge Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.  Boats came to Lake Keowee from as far away North as Michigan to spend the weekend caressing the spring fed waters of Lake Keowee!

Moored at Crooked Creek was The Matriarch, a 57-foot, 1940 Elco motor yacht, which received visitors who toured her throughout the festival.  If you are interested in a dinner cruise on The Matriarch, please click the link to go to her site!

According to the President of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, “We had 54 boats on display, and probably three thousand or four thousand people came out Saturday.  “Keowee is a beautiful lake. I haven’t been here in about 10 years, and it’s just as gorgeous as ever.”

Travel + Leisure Golf magazine has once again named The Cliffs Communities among America’s Top 10 Golf Communities. It is no surprise that Travel + Leisure Golf placed The Cliffs No. 5 for 2009 based on achievements such as Tiger Woods’ first U.S. course and The Cliffs Collection of destination properties.

“Cliffs-branded properties have innovated for years with their wellness centers, reciprocal amenities and little extras like America’s first Tiger Woods–designed golf course. But golf communities face competition from the ever-growing destination club industry, and The Cliffs’ founder Jim Anthony is virtually alone in pushing back. He’s been collecting far-flung, exotic getaway properties under the banner of The Cliffs Retreat Collection. Should life in The Cliffs’ eight Carolina communities induce ennui, a member can bivouac off to Patagonia, Chile, or British Columbia,” write David Gould and Lauren Kim of Travel & Leisure.

“It is an honor to be recognized in the Top 10 for the fourth consecutive year by such a respected publication,” said Scott Beville, President of Cliffs Real Estate, Inc. “This designation is a testament to Jim Anthony’s vision and the level to which our organization executes that vision – fostering continual innovation as we embark upon our third decade in business, in order to make The Cliffs the preeminent place to live, work and play for our Members.”

“The past year, while not without challenges, has also seen great rewards. More than 100 families have joined our communities in the past six months, and purposeful alignment with our owners and strategic partners keeps us focused on pursuing excellence together, as a team,” Beville continued.

For more information about The Cliffs please visit www.cliffscommunities.com.

In an article entitled, Green Living, Homes that Tread Lightly on the Land, Lake Keowee was again highlighted in the news.  While this is not new news, I thought it interesting when I recently read the article that at the Cliffs they have built a “Green House,” an eco-friendly home, but will also staff it with an environmental services coordinator whose job will be to educate members of the Cliffs Communities on green living techniques.

The story goes on to highlight the Cliffs Center for Environmental Golf, the first of its kind.  Daniel Brazinski, who oversees the Cliffs championship golf courses stated, “In five years, I would like this center’s findings to prove that, with a team of highly trained professionals, a golf course can be managed in such a way that actually serves to enhance the environment.

It is our hope to share the knowledge that we uncover along the way with those who are interested in using these new techniques to improve their property management practices, whether they be golf courses, athletic fields, green spaces or private lawns.”

From The Cliffs efforts to other shoreline management guidelines provided by local government and Duke Energy, Keowee should remain pristine for future generations to enjoy!