FREEPORT, Bahamas – You could say Keith and Donna Walter waited out the storm to get married. That wasn’t just any storm – it was hurricanes Frances and Jeanne.
“We were here in 2003 on my 40th birthday,” Keith said. “Once we were here, we knew this was where we were going to get married – in October 2004.”
Bitter bridesmaids Frances and Jeanne didn’t see things the couple’s way. In September, the foul-weather duo left Grand Bahama Island in tatters – blowing off rooftops, downing palm and pine trees, and shattering windows, quickly giving way to water damage and mold in homes and hotels.
But the 96-mile-long island, 85 miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., actually got off easy, compared with the Caribbean islands further south.
“We have restored very rapidly,” said Terrance Roberts, director of business development and public relations for Grand Bahama Island, noting that 2,200 of the island’s 3,400 hotel rooms are just fine. The rest – particularly rooms at the Crown Plaza at the Royal Oasis – are undergoing repairs and renovations, and will be ready by midyear, he said.
And so on a Saturday afternoon in January – 75 degrees, a warm breeze and not a threatening cloud in the sky – a marketing rep and a glass installer, both from Baltimore, wed on the beach in front of their friends and family.
“And the minister’s in the glass business, too,” Keith said later at his outdoor reception under a tent at the Ferry House restaurant on Pelican Bay. “At the ceremony, he (K. Brian Sands, the officiant) said, ‘I’m marrying the glass guy.’
“I think we might do some business,” Keith said, with a laugh.
So there you have it. And there are plenty of other things to do in and around Freeport if saying “I do” isn’t your idea of a vacation.
“This is my office”
What: Gold Rock Beach at Lucayan National Park
A bit about it: A walk across the teetering, wooden-plank bridge at Lucayan National Park, a 40-acre preserve, makes walking on sand feel stable. The bridge leads visitors to one of the most spectacular and unspoiled (translation: no hotels) beaches on the island.
When we first caught a glimpse of Gold Rock Beach, guide Ben Rose casually said, “This is my office.” Rose, a guide with Kayak Nature Tours, is knowledgable in all things related to kayaking, scuba diving and the island. He’s lived here since 1957. Our group spent the afternoon splashing in the warm waves, strolling barefoot on the beach and scoping out the occasional seashell, all without a building in sight.
Unexpected moment: It felt a lot like camp. We lunched on ham and cheese sandwiches, drank Tang – just like the astronauts – then fed a community of raccoons our leftovers.
Park admission: $3
www.grandbahamanaturetours.com, 1-242-352-5438
“Your paddle is in backward”
What: Kayaking in Lucayan National Park
A bit about it: The 2.5 miles through inland canals where you can see bottom can be fun whatever your kayak-experience level. And the bottom’s only about 4 feet at its deepest. As we scooted into our two-person, schoolbus-yellow kayak, our guide, Chad Hepburn of Kayak Nature Tours, told our group of 16 newbie paddlers, “This is not a race, but a journey.” The biggest part of our journey was keeping our kayak from getting stuck in the roots of the red mangrove trees. The path is so narrow at points that you must collapse one of your paddles (there’s a metal snap in the middle) and use only one.
Unexpected moment: When Melissa, my kayak buddy, and I were no longer in last place. The whole “it’s a journey, not a race” mantra was lost on us. We finally got in sync with our paddling and became proficient at dodging roots. And I took guide Rose’s advice, when he gently mentioned early in the trip that “your paddle is in backward.” Thanks.
Cost: $69 a person; other kayak and snorkeling tours are available.
www.grandbahamanaturetours.com, 1-242-373-2485
Life of the island
What: Red mangrove trees
A bit about it: The tree is vital to the island. As Rose tells it, the tree begins growing on the coast, sending out propeller roots. The red mangroves collect sediment, a process that extends the land over time. The huge, gnarly roots later break down to produce soil. This is especially important, because soil is only about 1 inch deep on the island. The rest is sand and rock. The red mangroves that grow in the marshes are home to fish and crab eggs.
Unexpected moment: Seeing how well the sturdy red mangrove, along with its relatives the black mangrove and white mangrove, weathered the hurricanes.
Try the conch, but eat the ribs
What: Berettea’s, located on The Strip at Eight Mile Rock, about 25 miles west of Freeport
A bit about it: The sign says “Unda da Grape Tree,” but everyone knows this joint as Berettea’s (pronounced Baretta’s, like the ’70s TV show). Owner Eric “Berettea” Roker, his wife, Shervoine, and family have been situated in this row of brightly colored, tidy lookalike huts on Eight Mile Rock for two years. But he’s been in the food business longer than that. He serves conch (pronounced konk), the local fare, straight out of a seashell. It tastes a lot like calimari. It’s good grilled or with rice, but the best thing on Berettea’s menu is the barbecue spareribs. “This is something I’ve been working on for 19 years. Two and a half years ago, I got it right,” said Roker, 62. “I knew I got it right when people started asking me what was in it.”
He’s not telling. The menu includes your choice of deep-fried rock lobster (they’re small, spiny creatures and lack claws), barbecued spareribs and grilled conch, with sides ofmacaroni and cheese, conch and rice, peas and rice, potato salad or coleslaw.
Unexpected moment: There isn’t a restroom at Berettea’s or any other establishment along The Strip, but there’s a very spic and span one up the road. When crossing the road, remember to first look to the right. England used to rule the roost here, and drivers still operate on the left side of the road. And a big thank you to Esther. She runs the nearby Esther’s Lounge and brought us a roll of toilet paper.
Cost: A plate with two side dishes, $14-$15
Hours: Take away or sit down, the food’s not ready until 6 p.m., Thursday through Sunday; 1-242-348-1489
Isn’t it romantic?
What: Wedding on the beach
A bit about it: A steel drummer played “Danny Boy” while the bride made the long walk from the Westin hotel’s manor house. As Donna Walter stepped out of her white, high-heeled sandals to march barefoot down the sandy aisle, the drummer switched to “Here Comes the Bride.”
A few yards away, another wedding was about to take place. And a few hours later, another bridal party was preparing for its big day near the hotel’s gazebo, another popular wedding setting. There were about 1,000 tourist weddings last year, according to the island’s tourism bureau. Couples come from the United States, Canada and Europe to get married here for the same reasons tourists come for vacations: It’s beautiful here.
Unexpected moment: Most brides don’t tolerate surprises, so back off.
Info: www.grand-bahama.com/weddings.htm
Shower head x2
What: The Westin at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort
A bit about it: It’s truly the little things that make the big impressions. And the details weren’t forgotten in Westin’s line of “heavenly” products. It’s on everything – Heavenly Bath, Heavenly Bed, Heavenly Soap. You get the idea. Then there’s the bed with the all-white pillowtop mattress, high thread-count sheets, down duvet and pillows. And about that shower head. It’s a custom-designed Speakman with five adjustable jets and several spray options. Very nice indeed.
Unexpected moment: When the wet shower curtain didn’t stick to my arm. The Heavenly Bath features a curved shower curtain rod that gives eight extra inches of elbow room.
Hotel info: The Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort is a 372-acre resort with 1,260 rooms. There are two 18-hole golf courses, a spa and fitness center, 14 restaurants and lounges, four tennis courts, four ocean-front pools and Camp Lucaya children’s center. Prices are seasonal, with nightly rates starting at $199 at the Westin, $179 for the Sheraton.
www.westin.com/ourlucaya, www.sheraton.com/ourlucaya
Place your bets
What: Isle of Capri at the Westin at Our Lucaya
A bit about it: It doesn’t cost a penny to look around the casino, but who wants to do that? The Isle of Capri has 400 slot machines and 21 game tables. There’s a VIP lounge for the high rollers, and the Cove restaurant and bar takes care of the rest. So if you’ve got an itch to gamble, it’s the only game in town until April. That’s when the hurricane-damaged Royal Oasis Casino is expected to re-open.
Unexpected moment: Leaving the casino with a 50-cent profit.
Hours: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. daily, slot machines are open 24 hours a day on weekends; 1-888-687-4753
Jackie Hutcherson, Post-Dispatch Travel Editor
