Visiting the islands of the Abaco chain is always an adventure. Each of them has its own charm and there is something different to see on every island. Some we had seen before during our 1997 trip, some we didn't bother to revisit. This time around, we decided to make a day-trip around Whale Cay to Green Turtle Cay, something we didn't have a chance to do during the first trip to the Abacos.
Come along with us as we explore the islands!
ELBOW CAY
Elbow Cay was our homebase for the week. It really had all we needed and we could have stayed there happily all week long, never venturing out to any other islands. There are great restaurants, grocery stores, shops, nice beaches, a subdued nightlife, and a wonderful lighthouse. We had our own dock and beach right down from the cottage, so we could sit there or lie in the hammock on our deck and read a book.
We waited until the final day to climb the lighthouse but we saw it every night from the porch and passed it every time we went into Hopetown Harbor. It's a great landmark and a wonderful place to explore.
Only three of us climbed up since Darrell's oldest daughter doesn't like heights, and we waved at her from the top while she waved at us from down below. Both kids wore red that day, and they matched perfectly with the red and white colors on the outside of the lighthouse. Inside the colors are bright pink and green.
We spent some time at the top, admiring the views of Hopetown Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. We could also see the top of our rental cottage from up there. From that vantage point you can easily see the peaceful beauty of the Abacos.
LITTLE HARBOR
We ventured down south to Little Harbor one day, entered the harbor and anchored near Pete's Pub, the only establishment with food and drink in this tiny area. Little Harbor is not an island - it's really part of Great Abaco Island, south of the main town of Marsh Harbor. Randolph Johnston's Art Studio and Foundry are there with the work being carried on by his son, Pete. We admired one of Pete's metal scultpures, a large manta ray, as we walked the path towards beach. The beach near the harbor opening is not as pristine as other places, actually it's rather junky, but it was interesting to see the remains of various types of corals there.
There is an abandoned lighthouse at the opening of Little Harbor. When we visited in 1997, it was more intact than it was this time around. I think Hurricane Floyd must have caused some of the damage - there didn't appear to be much of a roof left. We didn't get too close to it, but we took some pictures of it from the rocky beach on the Atlantic Ocean side of the harbor. I'm not sure what the cross and rocks were symbolic of on the beach but the cross framed the small lighthouse very nicely.
The two girls enjoy the beach at home in Florida and Laura likes to surf, so we stood on the beach and watched the waves come in around the rocks, deciding that this was not the place to surf! We did "catch some waves" in our pictures though, as they were crashing around behind the kids.
GREEN TURTLE CAY
This island is north of Whale Cay but sometimes the passage out in the ocean is too churned up to navigate it safely from the southern islands of the Abacos. Luckily we picked a calm day and got around it just fine and went on into the harbor at New Plymouth, the settlement on Green Turtle Cay. It's a nice town, clean clapboard houses, shops, restaurants, and great beaches just a short golfcart drive away. We rented a four-seater and set off to explore.
One of the first areas we came to was the graveyard. It's prime real estate - has a waterfront view! Darrell stopped to read the tombstone of Sidney Lowe, former owner of Sid's Food Store. The story of the day he died was on the stone and made for some interesting reading. Then we motored up the hill to Gillam Bay and enjoyed the water there for a little while. Darrell helped a honeymoon couple get their golfcart out of the sand where they had gotten it stuck. Then we went on around the Cay, up the road to an ocean overlook area where we took some more pictures, then on to the upper part of the Cay where there are a few more hotels. We admired the scenery all along the way and I especially loved all the red trees, probably Royal Poincianas but I didn't ask what they were. They were everywhere on this Cay and they were gorgeous.
Back in New Plymouth, we did some shopping then handed in the cart and started home. We saw a big barge on the way into the harbor as we were leaving and also saw a fleet of sportfishing boats passing by on their way to the lower cays. Not your normal rush-hour traffic! The pace is different in the Abacos, which is one reason we like to visit there. Next time we go it would be great to rent a place on Green Turtle and explore the northern areas of this little bit of paradise.
Hopping from island to island is the best way to spend time in the Abacos. As we explored the waters from island to island, there were plenty of silly times and we also enjoyed a few serene times as well. Travel on with us as we experience all the different moods the Abacos can inspire ...
Showing posts with label Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bahamas. Show all posts
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Second Trip To The Abacos: EXPLORING THE WATERS
EXPLORING THE WATERS OF THE ABACOS
The water in the Abacos is multi-colored. In one area it's cobalt blue, in another it's turquoise, and in many places it can be a clear green, like looking at the sea bottom through a old-fashioned green coca-cola bottle. We saw many shades of blue and green as we explored the different islands.
Gillam Bay is near New Plymouth, the quaint settlement on Green Turtle Cay. The water there was a pale turquoise the day we visited, as you can see in the picture above. It was very calm and soothing, warm and clear and beautiful. Just up the coast of this island, we stopped at a beach overlook and took two more pictures of the water - on the left you can see out to the Atlantic and on the right was a shot looking back toward the Gillam Bay area. The water changed from pale to a medium shade then to a much deeper shade of that gorgeous turquoise.
SNORKELING FOWL CAY PRESERVE, PELICAN CAYS LAND AND SEA PARK, THE MERMAIDS
Of course, the colors under the water are just as spectacular! We went snorkeling in several places during the week, and they were all wonderful in their own way. Fowl Cay Reef was our first stop, an underwater preserve between Scotland and Man-O-War Cays. It was low tide so the top of the reef was almost visible when we arrived, and we had to keep our bellies from rubbing against it while swimming over it.
Most of the time we swam around the reef walls or swam into cut-out areas to get a better look. It's a fabulous reef for snorkeling, we got "up close and personal" with the fish and the reef inhabitants. In one spot we saw thousands of baby fish floating back and forth in the current. Of course we had to keep a respectful distance from the living things on the reef to ensure nothing got damaged by our touch.
The Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park is another wonderful place to see underwater life. We tied up to one of the mooring balls placed at various Abaconian reefs to ensure the reef doesn't get damaged by boat anchors or outboard motors. We moored right in the middle of the park and jumped in to enjoy the view. We were rewarded with gorgeous displays of elkhorn coral, sea fans, sea whips, lots of fish and even a sea turtle swimming by. You can see the turtle in the bottom right-hand picture, near the upper left corner. I know he blends in but he's there, honest!
That same day we decided to explore the Mermaid's Reef, a fish-filled area near the shores of Marsh Harbor. There is a line of pastel homes nearby which helped us find this area, and also as we got closer we could see the Mermaid's sign bobbing in the cobalt-colored water.
We tied up to a mooring ball and started to swim with the fish. There aren't as many corals here, mostly encrusted rocks with lots and lots of fish. There was one particular parrot fish, a huge one decorated with bright yellow and pink, who swam by us constantly. Other smaller fish were going in and out of hiding places in the rocks.
For some great pictures of the reef in the Abacos, visit Shelly's site. In May of 2002, she went to all the same reefs we visited, but her camera captured the underwater world so much better than mine did. Be sure to click on her videos too, especially the one with the sea turtle. The one we saw at Pelican Cay was just like that one.
OTHER CREATURES UNDER THE SEA AT BAKER'S BAY
One day we went to Baker's Bay, the site of an abandoned cruise line's party dock and beach. Since the dock is still partly standing, the fish there have made it their underwater home. We saw a lot of fish, a paddle boat sunk and left behind as a home for the fish, and even a large baracuda hanging out near the pilings. There were also lots and lots of starfish, one of my favorite underwater sights.
Of course snorkeling isn't the only water-related activity in the Abacos. We swam at our dock, went fishing off-shore a couple of times, and we cruised over the water in our rental boat as we traveled around the area, exploring different islands.
The water in the Abacos is multi-colored. In one area it's cobalt blue, in another it's turquoise, and in many places it can be a clear green, like looking at the sea bottom through a old-fashioned green coca-cola bottle. We saw many shades of blue and green as we explored the different islands.
Gillam Bay is near New Plymouth, the quaint settlement on Green Turtle Cay. The water there was a pale turquoise the day we visited, as you can see in the picture above. It was very calm and soothing, warm and clear and beautiful. Just up the coast of this island, we stopped at a beach overlook and took two more pictures of the water - on the left you can see out to the Atlantic and on the right was a shot looking back toward the Gillam Bay area. The water changed from pale to a medium shade then to a much deeper shade of that gorgeous turquoise.
SNORKELING FOWL CAY PRESERVE, PELICAN CAYS LAND AND SEA PARK, THE MERMAIDS
Of course, the colors under the water are just as spectacular! We went snorkeling in several places during the week, and they were all wonderful in their own way. Fowl Cay Reef was our first stop, an underwater preserve between Scotland and Man-O-War Cays. It was low tide so the top of the reef was almost visible when we arrived, and we had to keep our bellies from rubbing against it while swimming over it.
Most of the time we swam around the reef walls or swam into cut-out areas to get a better look. It's a fabulous reef for snorkeling, we got "up close and personal" with the fish and the reef inhabitants. In one spot we saw thousands of baby fish floating back and forth in the current. Of course we had to keep a respectful distance from the living things on the reef to ensure nothing got damaged by our touch.
The Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park is another wonderful place to see underwater life. We tied up to one of the mooring balls placed at various Abaconian reefs to ensure the reef doesn't get damaged by boat anchors or outboard motors. We moored right in the middle of the park and jumped in to enjoy the view. We were rewarded with gorgeous displays of elkhorn coral, sea fans, sea whips, lots of fish and even a sea turtle swimming by. You can see the turtle in the bottom right-hand picture, near the upper left corner. I know he blends in but he's there, honest!
That same day we decided to explore the Mermaid's Reef, a fish-filled area near the shores of Marsh Harbor. There is a line of pastel homes nearby which helped us find this area, and also as we got closer we could see the Mermaid's sign bobbing in the cobalt-colored water.
We tied up to a mooring ball and started to swim with the fish. There aren't as many corals here, mostly encrusted rocks with lots and lots of fish. There was one particular parrot fish, a huge one decorated with bright yellow and pink, who swam by us constantly. Other smaller fish were going in and out of hiding places in the rocks.
For some great pictures of the reef in the Abacos, visit Shelly's site. In May of 2002, she went to all the same reefs we visited, but her camera captured the underwater world so much better than mine did. Be sure to click on her videos too, especially the one with the sea turtle. The one we saw at Pelican Cay was just like that one.
OTHER CREATURES UNDER THE SEA AT BAKER'S BAY
One day we went to Baker's Bay, the site of an abandoned cruise line's party dock and beach. Since the dock is still partly standing, the fish there have made it their underwater home. We saw a lot of fish, a paddle boat sunk and left behind as a home for the fish, and even a large baracuda hanging out near the pilings. There were also lots and lots of starfish, one of my favorite underwater sights.
Of course snorkeling isn't the only water-related activity in the Abacos. We swam at our dock, went fishing off-shore a couple of times, and we cruised over the water in our rental boat as we traveled around the area, exploring different islands.
First Trip To The Abacos, Bahamas (Day 5-6)
Snorkeling at The Mermaids
Thursday, getting close to the end of the vacation! So what could we do that we hadn't already done? We headed towards Marsh Harbor and the Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbor in search of a great snorkeling place we had heard about - the Mermaids. We docked at the resort and strolled around then shopped a little. Couldn't forget that bottle of Kahlua for my mom, at home watching my cats, and some trinkets for the step-kids and niece. This would be the place to go to be a little closer to civilization than we were on Lubber's, close to the other Marsh Harbor shops but far enough away to feel slightly secluded. Nice place.
According to our map, the Mermaids was just around the corner, off the shore of Marsh Harbor. We cruised around to the other side of a few small islands and searched the shore for the mooring bouys we were told would mark the spot. We anchored at one spot and checked out what was beneath us. Turned out to be an underwater garden of sorts, long grass growing up to the surface with small fish racing around between the stalks. Then we cruised a little farther up the shoreline and spotted the markers, tied up and got in the water. What a different world! Hundreds of large boulders were encrusted with coral and sea whips and other living things, with millions (well it seemed like millions) of fish everywhere you looked.
The bally-hoo (1st picture) were circling above us, the parrot fish (2nd picture) cruising below and the silly looking "monkey" fish came right up in our faces and said "Howdy" (3rd picture - not sure of the real name but they had a baboon looking face). A swarm of fish were congregated at the end of one of the boulders (below left) and it wasn't until I got close enough to it that I realized they weren't part of the rock! They looked just like an extension of the rock but they scattered as I got closer, swam off (below right) in a group.
We stayed for quite awhile in that underwater paradise then cruised back to Lubber's to decide what to do with the rest of the daylight. Since all boats must be back to their docks before sunset (can't navigate these waters at night) we couldn't go far. Elbow Cay was just around the corner, so we decided to go to the Abaco Inn at the southern end of that island and have a pina colada (for me) and a beer (or two) for the hubby. My husband, Darrell, who grew up in Florida and was a surfer dude in his time, said these were the best waves he had ever seen, crashing onto the beach from the Atlantic. They have tiki huts where you can sit and admire the view and a nice bar and dining area. We hung out there for an hour or so then went back to our dock, watched another great sunset, and called it a night.
Tilloo Cay & Marsh Harbor
On the last full day of vacation, we wanted to just relax and make the day go as slow as possible since we'd be returning to the hectic world soon enough! We hadn't collected enough shells yet so we set off towards the south, to Tilloo Cay and the Tilloo bank, a long sandy stretch of land covered most of the time by water about 2 - 4 feet deep. This is the area where the starfish live, all along the inner shore of Tilloo Cay. We anchored near the shore and set off to find a few conch and urchin shells that had washed up on shore. Our collection grew by the minute, there were so many shells to be found there. We ate some sandwiches on the boat then did some more exploring.
After leaving Tilloo, we cruised the closer islands one more time and then motored thru the marinas at Marsh Harbor. On the way there I found my dream house, between the Abaco Inn and Hopetown on the inside edge of Elbow Cay. It's a pretty yellow two story house that I swear one day I'll buy. Darrell, on the other hand, likes the floating variety of homes. He found his dream "house" too, actually several of them, he's not picky as long and they're big and expensive and float on the water!!
Back at the dock, while waiting for another gorgeous sunset, we fed the island cat one last time. This cat hung out around our cottage all week, proving that not only are the residents in the Abacos very friendly, so are the felines! Since he was quite thin and scraggly looking, we called him Scrunge, and fed him whenever we saw him.
Thursday, getting close to the end of the vacation! So what could we do that we hadn't already done? We headed towards Marsh Harbor and the Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbor in search of a great snorkeling place we had heard about - the Mermaids. We docked at the resort and strolled around then shopped a little. Couldn't forget that bottle of Kahlua for my mom, at home watching my cats, and some trinkets for the step-kids and niece. This would be the place to go to be a little closer to civilization than we were on Lubber's, close to the other Marsh Harbor shops but far enough away to feel slightly secluded. Nice place.
According to our map, the Mermaids was just around the corner, off the shore of Marsh Harbor. We cruised around to the other side of a few small islands and searched the shore for the mooring bouys we were told would mark the spot. We anchored at one spot and checked out what was beneath us. Turned out to be an underwater garden of sorts, long grass growing up to the surface with small fish racing around between the stalks. Then we cruised a little farther up the shoreline and spotted the markers, tied up and got in the water. What a different world! Hundreds of large boulders were encrusted with coral and sea whips and other living things, with millions (well it seemed like millions) of fish everywhere you looked.
The bally-hoo (1st picture) were circling above us, the parrot fish (2nd picture) cruising below and the silly looking "monkey" fish came right up in our faces and said "Howdy" (3rd picture - not sure of the real name but they had a baboon looking face). A swarm of fish were congregated at the end of one of the boulders (below left) and it wasn't until I got close enough to it that I realized they weren't part of the rock! They looked just like an extension of the rock but they scattered as I got closer, swam off (below right) in a group.
We stayed for quite awhile in that underwater paradise then cruised back to Lubber's to decide what to do with the rest of the daylight. Since all boats must be back to their docks before sunset (can't navigate these waters at night) we couldn't go far. Elbow Cay was just around the corner, so we decided to go to the Abaco Inn at the southern end of that island and have a pina colada (for me) and a beer (or two) for the hubby. My husband, Darrell, who grew up in Florida and was a surfer dude in his time, said these were the best waves he had ever seen, crashing onto the beach from the Atlantic. They have tiki huts where you can sit and admire the view and a nice bar and dining area. We hung out there for an hour or so then went back to our dock, watched another great sunset, and called it a night.
Tilloo Cay & Marsh Harbor
On the last full day of vacation, we wanted to just relax and make the day go as slow as possible since we'd be returning to the hectic world soon enough! We hadn't collected enough shells yet so we set off towards the south, to Tilloo Cay and the Tilloo bank, a long sandy stretch of land covered most of the time by water about 2 - 4 feet deep. This is the area where the starfish live, all along the inner shore of Tilloo Cay. We anchored near the shore and set off to find a few conch and urchin shells that had washed up on shore. Our collection grew by the minute, there were so many shells to be found there. We ate some sandwiches on the boat then did some more exploring.
After leaving Tilloo, we cruised the closer islands one more time and then motored thru the marinas at Marsh Harbor. On the way there I found my dream house, between the Abaco Inn and Hopetown on the inside edge of Elbow Cay. It's a pretty yellow two story house that I swear one day I'll buy. Darrell, on the other hand, likes the floating variety of homes. He found his dream "house" too, actually several of them, he's not picky as long and they're big and expensive and float on the water!!
Back at the dock, while waiting for another gorgeous sunset, we fed the island cat one last time. This cat hung out around our cottage all week, proving that not only are the residents in the Abacos very friendly, so are the felines! Since he was quite thin and scraggly looking, we called him Scrunge, and fed him whenever we saw him.
First Trip To The Abacos, Bahamas (Day 3-4)
Great Guana Cay
On Tuesday, we zipped around the corner of our island to visit Tahiti Beach for a swim and some snorkeling. This beach is at the entrance of Tilloo Cut, which is the passageway out to the ocean from the protected Abaco Sound. We collected some shells and swam on the southern side of the small strip of beach. It was warm on that side, but had cold water on the other, not more than 20 feet away.
Then we decided to go farther than we had the previous day, all the way to Great Guana Cay. We had been told that no trip to the Abacos was complete if it didn't include going to Nipper's on Great Guana.
So off we went, in search of this renowned little beach side bar. We walked up the beach, watching out for the large outcroppings of rock scattered on the shore and found Nippers with no problem (probably due to the colorful wooden signs on the beach pointing the way!!) and climbed the stairs to the boardwalk bar.
There aren't as many tourists in October so the beach and bar were not crowded and we got to chat quite a bit with the bartender without a lot of distraction. No wild parties, no rowdy beach goers, just a nice day by the ocean, watching the waves crash onto the beach.
We saw the prettiest aquamarine water on the way to and from Great Guana that day. It was a beautiful relaxing ride.
Little Harbor
Every morning the Cruiser's Net comes across the VHF radio with local volunteers telling the residents and the visitors what activities will take place that day. We kept hearing a man named Aubry talking about the good food and good times that could be found at Pete's Pub. So on Wednesday we headed south to Little Harbor, a wonderful place hidden away from the little bit of civilization we found in the Abacos.
Floating into the harbor we could see this place was different. After anchoring the boat in the calm waters we waded up to Pete's Pub, a funny looking outdoor bar built right on the sand. A land rover type vehicle was heading up the sandy drive in front, driven by a man in a floppy hat, our first glimpse of the infamous Aubry. Since we were the only patrons, he had a captive audience and he treated us well, telling stories and encouraging us to sign our names on the bar as so many others before us had done.
Aubrey told us where the good snorkeling spot was, just off the fairly protected beach, and we took advantage of the information for about an hour of swimming and snorkeling. Then we walked to the other side of the island where we could see the abandoned lighthouse far up on the hill. We could also see the raging Atlantic Ocean waves crashing over sharp volcanic-looking rocks, a stark contrast to the calm waters in the harbor. We retreated to the other side and kept Aubry company for a while longer before heading back to Lubbers.
On the way back to our cottage we saw the stars - not the ones in the sky, the ones in the water! There are so many star fish in the waters off Tilloo Cay that it looks like a galaxy in the sand. We rode for miles and miles watching the underwater stars appear beneath us, some alone, some in groups.
It was one of the most memorable sights of the trip. Later that evening we watched the sunset from our dock while watching the tropical fish swim beneath it. There is always something to see in this part of the world. All in all a great day.
On Tuesday, we zipped around the corner of our island to visit Tahiti Beach for a swim and some snorkeling. This beach is at the entrance of Tilloo Cut, which is the passageway out to the ocean from the protected Abaco Sound. We collected some shells and swam on the southern side of the small strip of beach. It was warm on that side, but had cold water on the other, not more than 20 feet away.
Then we decided to go farther than we had the previous day, all the way to Great Guana Cay. We had been told that no trip to the Abacos was complete if it didn't include going to Nipper's on Great Guana.
So off we went, in search of this renowned little beach side bar. We walked up the beach, watching out for the large outcroppings of rock scattered on the shore and found Nippers with no problem (probably due to the colorful wooden signs on the beach pointing the way!!) and climbed the stairs to the boardwalk bar.
There aren't as many tourists in October so the beach and bar were not crowded and we got to chat quite a bit with the bartender without a lot of distraction. No wild parties, no rowdy beach goers, just a nice day by the ocean, watching the waves crash onto the beach.
We saw the prettiest aquamarine water on the way to and from Great Guana that day. It was a beautiful relaxing ride.
Little Harbor
Every morning the Cruiser's Net comes across the VHF radio with local volunteers telling the residents and the visitors what activities will take place that day. We kept hearing a man named Aubry talking about the good food and good times that could be found at Pete's Pub. So on Wednesday we headed south to Little Harbor, a wonderful place hidden away from the little bit of civilization we found in the Abacos.
Floating into the harbor we could see this place was different. After anchoring the boat in the calm waters we waded up to Pete's Pub, a funny looking outdoor bar built right on the sand. A land rover type vehicle was heading up the sandy drive in front, driven by a man in a floppy hat, our first glimpse of the infamous Aubry. Since we were the only patrons, he had a captive audience and he treated us well, telling stories and encouraging us to sign our names on the bar as so many others before us had done.
Aubrey told us where the good snorkeling spot was, just off the fairly protected beach, and we took advantage of the information for about an hour of swimming and snorkeling. Then we walked to the other side of the island where we could see the abandoned lighthouse far up on the hill. We could also see the raging Atlantic Ocean waves crashing over sharp volcanic-looking rocks, a stark contrast to the calm waters in the harbor. We retreated to the other side and kept Aubry company for a while longer before heading back to Lubbers.
On the way back to our cottage we saw the stars - not the ones in the sky, the ones in the water! There are so many star fish in the waters off Tilloo Cay that it looks like a galaxy in the sand. We rode for miles and miles watching the underwater stars appear beneath us, some alone, some in groups.
It was one of the most memorable sights of the trip. Later that evening we watched the sunset from our dock while watching the tropical fish swim beneath it. There is always something to see in this part of the world. All in all a great day.
First Trip To The Abacos, Bahamas (Day 1-2)
Hopetown, Elbow Cay
The first full day of our vacation we ventured out to Elbow Cay, the island with the candy cane striped lighthouse. The settlement of Hopetown on the northern end of this cay (pronounced "key") has a beautiful harbor with restaurants and shops and quaint homes. We rented our snorkel gear, had lunch at the Harbor's Edge restaurant, then climbed the 101 steps to the top of the lighthouse. We love lighthouses, and always try to include them in our vacations when possible ... this one was a beauty!
The light is still fueled by kerosene and a lighthouse keeper sleeps at the top so he can crank the mechanisms every two hours to keep the light running. During the day the light is covered so that the hot sun doesn't shine through the prisms and burn the town! There were great views from the top, you could see everywhere: Parrot Cay, the Hopetown harbor, the Atlantic Ocean beyond that, and the edge of Marsh Harbor off in the distance. After we came back down, we took a stroll on the beach on the ocean side then headed back to our little island for the night.
That evening we wandered around Lubber's Quarters, walked the dirt roads and explored some of the beaches. On the way we ran into a resident artist, Pam Webb. She and her husband built a spectacular house called Oceanview Cottage on Lubber's Quarters and they spend part of the year there. They live the rest of the year in Grant, another neighboring town in our part of Florida. She warned us about the poison wood tree that grows wild in the Bahamas while we walked with her and her dog along the "street". Later that week I purchased two of her paintings which are sold in local shops all over the Abacos, a wonderful underwater scene and one of our cottage, a beautiful reminder of our trip.
Man 'O War Cay
The next day we decided to explore another island, Man 'O War Cay. It was fairly close to our island so it took us less than an hour to get there. This cay is the shipbuilding hub of the Abacos. The two shipyards are a major employer on Man 'O War, along with the ferry service and also home construction. We found some very well stocked grocery stores on this island where I got a wonderful coconut pie that I enjoyed the rest of the week.
It's a beautiful island, filled with tidy homes and gorgeous flowers everywhere. The flowers didn't stop when we got to the beach, there were vines in the sand with pretty purple flowers on them. The beach was rocky and rugged, and there was a car driving along part of it, just like back home on Daytona Beach .... well almost like that! This terrain is a lot rougher than Florida beaches are.
As we walked the beach, we stumbled upon a huge vacation house and the man who was on the porch waved and invited us up. Turns out he was the full-time painter and handy man for the house (he's on the left, my hubby is on the right, intently listening to the painter's story!).
The owners show up a few times a year and, in between, the handyman paints. He said as soon as he finishes the entire house it's time to start over again. Now that's what I call job security. He grew up on the island and told us that, although some of the young people go away to school, most stay on the island and live out their lives there just as he had. Sounds like a great life to me!
We ate lunch at the Pavilion Restaurant, along with some of the local school children, then snorkeled a little later in the protected marina before heading back to Lubbers for the night.
The first full day of our vacation we ventured out to Elbow Cay, the island with the candy cane striped lighthouse. The settlement of Hopetown on the northern end of this cay (pronounced "key") has a beautiful harbor with restaurants and shops and quaint homes. We rented our snorkel gear, had lunch at the Harbor's Edge restaurant, then climbed the 101 steps to the top of the lighthouse. We love lighthouses, and always try to include them in our vacations when possible ... this one was a beauty!
The light is still fueled by kerosene and a lighthouse keeper sleeps at the top so he can crank the mechanisms every two hours to keep the light running. During the day the light is covered so that the hot sun doesn't shine through the prisms and burn the town! There were great views from the top, you could see everywhere: Parrot Cay, the Hopetown harbor, the Atlantic Ocean beyond that, and the edge of Marsh Harbor off in the distance. After we came back down, we took a stroll on the beach on the ocean side then headed back to our little island for the night.
That evening we wandered around Lubber's Quarters, walked the dirt roads and explored some of the beaches. On the way we ran into a resident artist, Pam Webb. She and her husband built a spectacular house called Oceanview Cottage on Lubber's Quarters and they spend part of the year there. They live the rest of the year in Grant, another neighboring town in our part of Florida. She warned us about the poison wood tree that grows wild in the Bahamas while we walked with her and her dog along the "street". Later that week I purchased two of her paintings which are sold in local shops all over the Abacos, a wonderful underwater scene and one of our cottage, a beautiful reminder of our trip.
Man 'O War Cay
The next day we decided to explore another island, Man 'O War Cay. It was fairly close to our island so it took us less than an hour to get there. This cay is the shipbuilding hub of the Abacos. The two shipyards are a major employer on Man 'O War, along with the ferry service and also home construction. We found some very well stocked grocery stores on this island where I got a wonderful coconut pie that I enjoyed the rest of the week.
It's a beautiful island, filled with tidy homes and gorgeous flowers everywhere. The flowers didn't stop when we got to the beach, there were vines in the sand with pretty purple flowers on them. The beach was rocky and rugged, and there was a car driving along part of it, just like back home on Daytona Beach .... well almost like that! This terrain is a lot rougher than Florida beaches are.
As we walked the beach, we stumbled upon a huge vacation house and the man who was on the porch waved and invited us up. Turns out he was the full-time painter and handy man for the house (he's on the left, my hubby is on the right, intently listening to the painter's story!).
The owners show up a few times a year and, in between, the handyman paints. He said as soon as he finishes the entire house it's time to start over again. Now that's what I call job security. He grew up on the island and told us that, although some of the young people go away to school, most stay on the island and live out their lives there just as he had. Sounds like a great life to me!
We ate lunch at the Pavilion Restaurant, along with some of the local school children, then snorkeled a little later in the protected marina before heading back to Lubbers for the night.
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