Wedding Trip Report - Part 2

[Shelby]

Hope Town – May 21 – 28, 2007

After our fantastic wedding in GTC, Tom and I headed to Hope Town for a week, just the two of us. We took the new Abaco Ferry from MH to HT, and were very happy with the service. Nice, clean ferry, easy front-loading, air-conditioned, fun music, helpful staff. I have not in the past have any problems with Albury’s Ferries, but competition’s never a bad thing!

We stayed at Parliament Harbour House, which is on the same road, and just south of, the post office/upper public dock. I’m not sure if the house is an original Loyalist home or just a replica, but it has that old Abaco feel – but with new, modern appliances and beautiful, large front porch that faces the harbour, lighthouse and the setting sun. It was the perfect size for the two of us (and for groups of 3 or 4, I understand the living room sofa pulls out into a bed…)

After all the excitement of our wedding week, Tom and I were content to have a pretty low-key honeymoon. Although the weather was sunny, it was unseasonably windy. Tom wasn’t able to do any diving and we spent less time at the ocean beach than we would have liked because of blowing sand.

We spent the week reading, toodling around the island in our golf cart, walking on the beach, sunbathing at Tahiti Beach, climbing to the top of the lighthouse (twice, because my camera batteries died at the top and I had to go down to the store at the marina to buy more!), catching up with family friends and relatives, and taking photos. We took lots of walks through town and paid several visits to Iggy Biggy. What a terrific shop – lots of original, high-quality souvenirs and gift ideas.

I was also impressed with the Hope Town museum, which is full of great information and interesting artifacts. If you’re interested in learning more about the Loyalists, this is the place to go! Both my maternal grandparents are Abaconian, so I found it fascinating to learn more about how they and their ancestors lived. Oh, and we bought a number of books by local writers, such as Chester Thompson. I read “The Fledgling” in an afternoon and really, really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read the rest of them!

We had GREAT burgers at On Da Beach, had a lovely dinner with family and friends at Sea Spray (the lobster bisque and creamy conch chowder were fabulous!) and we ate WAY TOO MUCH of Ma Belle’s fresh-baked bread (they sell it at Sweeting’s grocery store south of town, and many of the restaurants serve her desserts as well.)

We were impressed with both the Harbour’s Edge and Cap’n Jack’s – both have great and fairly diverse menus, especially the former. And we enjoyed several yummy breakfasts at the Hope Town Coffee House – their fresh baked goods were absolutely delicious! One morning, we had orange-chocolate chip muffins still warm from the oven. (Try getting that at Starbucks!!) Oh, and I’m not a coffee drinker, but Tom’s a bit of a connoisseur, and he says their coffee is pretty terrific, as well.

I have to admit, Hope Town has changed a lot since I last visited 15 years ago. It seems the majority of the houses in town are no longer inhabited by local residents, but have instead been converted into vacation rentals. Though Hope Town is as beautiful as ever, it feels more like a theme park than the peaceful, laid-back town it used to be.

Call me old fashioned, but I love the out island custom of greeting everyone you see – locals, tourists, little children, seniors, everyone. In GTC, it’s as natural as breathing – EVERYONE says waves, says hello, good morning, etc. I can’t tell you the number of folks we passed in Hope Town – particularly tourists – who couldn’t bother to smile or return our greetings. Disappointing.

The other thing that surprised me was Tahiti Beach. I, as much as anyone, was pleased to find that you can now drive to the beach. (In the past, the only way to get there was by boat.) The down side to this accessibility is that the beach is no longer the remote, idyllic spot it was. Both times we visited Tahiti Beach this trip, it was swarming with tourists. I certainly understand the attraction – after all, the beach is stunningly beautiful – but it’s so much busier than it used to be.

Don’t get me wrong. Although the effects of progress are more evident in Hope Town than some of the other Abaco Cays (Sadly, I’m sure that’s just a matter of time!), it’s still an amazing place. We had a delightful week there, and a wonderful honeymoon.

And now it’s back to reality, and counting the days till our next trip to Abaco!


Amanda

[Shelby]

Here are a few more photos from our Hope Town trip...

Amanda

[Patti Puzo]

Another stunning job Amanda. You've done a great job capturing all the island colors. Didn't it go fast?
It is sad to hear about the change that you recognized in Hopetown.
Are you and Tom going to make an Abaco trip a yearly event?
Take care,
Patti Puzo

[BahamaAngie]

Very nice report and pictures. You too look so happy!

[DaGoose]

Wow, beautiful photos. Are you a pro? Sure looks like it.

Even in the 14 months between visits to Hopetown, we noticed a change. Some new MacMansions were built and the cute little red firehouse had been replaced. I realize the new building was greatly needed, and some wonderful folks worked very hard to make it happen, but the old one was just so darned charming! Like you, we're from Southern California and have seen so much of the change here, that I fear I'm a bit hypersensitive to that kind of stuff. I know it's inevitable but it's sad at times. All that being said, Hopetown is still fabulous and one of the most charming places I have ever been to.

So, do you have a countdown yet?

Tina

[Shelby]

You guys are so sweet. Thank you!

Patti, we have been making Abaco an annual (or more frequent!) event for a few years. That'll definitely continue. We want to go next year for Island Roots, though I don't know if we can hold out that long. Maybe for New Years and Junkanoo as well....

Tina, nope, I'm not a professional photographer, but thank you for thinking so! Tom bought me a digital camera a few years ago and I love to play around with it. I take gazillions of photos and I find that, if you take enough of them, you end up with a few good shots in the mix. :-)

Amanda

[Shelby]

Tina, I forgot to ask. Where in SoCal are you?

Amanda

[DaGoose]

Originally Posted by Shelby

Tina, I forgot to ask. Where in SoCal are you?

Amanda

We're in Vista which is in North San Diego County about 8 miles inland from Oceanside.

I lived in LA for about 11 years. Started in Venice in the late 70's (you can only imagine what that was like!) and then lived in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Hollywood and Palms. Can't say that I miss it much except for maybe the restaurants. Where do you live in LA?

Tina

[Shelby]

Hi, Tina. We're in Pasadena. We're both Canadians, from Vancouver, but Tom was transfered here for work last summer.

We like Pasadena quite a bit -- it seems less frenetic and more "real" than some of the other areas we looked at. And, although we had heard that no one walks anywhere in LA, we're in Old Town Pasadena, where there are tons of shops, restaurants and theatres all within walking distance.

Now that the wedding's over, we're hoping to do much more exploring. Other than a few day trips to Santa Monica and Malibu and a long weekend in San Francisco, we haven't had much chance to do so. Any recommendations?

[SamFamAustin]

My folks used to live in Sausalito across from San-Fran and I have to say that was very beautiful. You might research a good deal there. One day we drove to Chinatown, out to Seal Rock, back to the Museum and Coit Tower, and a lunch stop at a fantastic Thai restaurant - then back to Sausalito for happy hour and a BBQ.

The next day was even more spectacular, touring wineries to the north from Tiburon to Sonoma in these funky little towns with outrageously good wine. Warning: the wine circuit can be quite tiring, so don't do it all at once.

Went boating the next day, like ferries to Angel Island and Alcatraz and even Pier 59 (I am writing from memory and probably have botched up some of this really bad!). The sun came out and burned off the fog so we had to "hide" in the most famous US chocolate factory and then hung out on the Pier for the next ferry with a giant cooked crab and a can of Heineken. Heaven ... and chocolate for appetizers was totally backwards but perfect.

You've probably done all that but it still has that "wow factor" after all these years! September and October are best.
sammie

[DaGoose]

Amanda,

Old town Pasadena is charming, you are so lucky to live in such a great place. Have you been to the Rose Bowl Flea Market yet? Doesn't get much better than that. Speaking of LA, I think a fun day trip would be to head on out to the beach, maybe Will Rogers and then take a walk at the Self Realization compound a tiny bit up Sunset and then have drinks and a late lunch/early dinner at Gladstones. (Please keep in mind that I haven't lived in LA for years.) It's not Abaco but when the weather is fine, it's pretty spectacular.

But to me. the piece de resistance is a trip to Catalina Island. If you have the time, take a long weekend. Rent a golf cart and tour, do the touristy things like a glass bottom boat (never done that but I hear it's fun), and most definitely a tour of the Casino, maybe even an evening movie there too. And please don't miss having a drink at the Marlin Club bar, especially if you hit it when Brian is the bartender (I think he works afternoons). Not a place for the teetotalers or the PC crowd, but it's been there since the late 40's early 50's and it's the local's place. The history of Catalina and William Wrigley (his Cubs had their spring training there) is truly remarkable. As you can see, I'm a big fan. Until I 'met' Abaco, that was the place my ashes were going to be spread!

You might want to head to our neck of the woods too. Come to think of it, I think I just put alot of people to sleep. This forum is about Abaco! I'll PM you with more info...sorry folks !

Oy yeah and Sammie's right. Sausalito is great too!

Tina

[Shelby]

Somehow, Part 2 of my trip report has become separated from the top of this thread... So, here it is again!

(Admin note: we restored it to the top of the thread)

Hope Town – May 21 – 28, 2007

After our fantastic wedding in GTC, Tom and I headed to Hope Town for a week, just the two of us. We took the new Abaco Ferry from MH to HT, and were very happy with the service. Nice, clean ferry, easy front-loading, air-conditioned, fun music, helpful staff. I have not in the past have any problems with Albury’s Ferries, but competition’s never a bad thing!

We stayed at Parliament Harbour House, which is on the same road, and just south of, the post office/upper public dock. I’m not sure if the house is an original Loyalist home or just a replica, but it has that old Abaco feel – but with new, modern appliances and beautiful, large front porch that faces the harbour, lighthouse and the setting sun. It was the perfect size for the two of us (and for groups of 3 or 4, I understand the living room sofa pulls out into a bed…)

After all the excitement of our wedding week, Tom and I were content to have a pretty low-key honeymoon. Although the weather was sunny, it was unseasonably windy. Tom wasn’t able to do any diving and we spent less time at the ocean beach than we would have liked because of blowing sand.

We spent the week reading, toodling around the island in our golf cart, walking on the beach, sunbathing at Tahiti Beach, climbing to the top of the lighthouse (twice, because my camera batteries died at the top and I had to go down to the store at the marina to buy more!), catching up with family friends and relatives, and taking photos. We took lots of walks through town and paid several visits to Iggy Biggy. What a terrific shop – lots of original, high-quality souvenirs and gift ideas.

I was also impressed with the Hope Town museum, which is full of great information and interesting artifacts. If you’re interested in learning more about the Loyalists, this is the place to go! Both my maternal grandparents are Abaconian, so I found it fascinating to learn more about how they and their ancestors lived. Oh, and we bought a number of books by local writers, such as Chester Thompson. I read “The Fledgling” in an afternoon and really, really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read the rest of them!

We had GREAT burgers at On Da Beach, had a lovely dinner with family and friends at Sea Spray (the lobster bisque and creamy conch chowder were fabulous!) and we ate WAY TOO MUCH of Ma Belle’s fresh-baked bread (they sell it at Sweeting’s grocery store south of town, and many of the restaurants serve her desserts as well.)

We were impressed with both the Harbour’s Edge and Cap’n Jack’s – both have great and fairly diverse menus, especially the former. And we enjoyed several yummy breakfasts at the Hope Town Coffee House – their fresh baked goods were absolutely delicious! One morning, we had orange-chocolate chip muffins still warm from the oven. (Try getting that at Starbucks!!) Oh, and I’m not a coffee drinker, but Tom’s a bit of a connoisseur, and he says their coffee is pretty terrific, as well.

I have to admit, Hope Town has changed a lot since I last visited 15 years ago. It seems the majority of the houses in town are no longer inhabited by local residents, but have instead been converted into vacation rentals. Though Hope Town is as beautiful as ever, it feels more like a theme park than the peaceful, laid-back town it used to be.

Call me old fashioned, but I love the out island custom of greeting everyone you see – locals, tourists, little children, seniors, everyone. In GTC, it’s as natural as breathing – EVERYONE says waves, says hello, good morning, etc. I can’t tell you the number of folks we passed in Hope Town – particularly tourists – who couldn’t bother to smile or return our greetings. Disappointing.

The other thing that surprised me was Tahiti Beach. I, as much as anyone, was pleased to find that you can now drive to the beach. (In the past, the only way to get there was by boat.) The down side to this accessibility is that the beach is no longer the remote, idyllic spot it was. Both times we visited Tahiti Beach this trip, it was swarming with tourists. I certainly understand the attraction – after all, the beach is stunningly beautiful – but it’s so much busier than it used to be.

Don’t get me wrong. Although the effects of progress are more evident in Hope Town than some of the other Abaco Cays (Sadly, I’m sure that’s just a matter of time!), it’s still an amazing place. We had a delightful week there, and a wonderful honeymoon.

And now it’s back to reality, and counting the days till our next trip to Abaco!


Amanda

[Myra]

Sounds like a great wedding/honeymoon. I am afraid we had the same observations you had about Hopetown many years ago. We now go back every few years or so rather than every year and spend the extra trips to GTC