I truly love the change of seasons, which is why New England has been a good home for me.  But, I usually try to break up the Winter months by going somewhere a little warmer.

A two-hour direct flight from Boston was all that was required to arrive in paradise, and I instantly fell in love…with everything.  I was only spending a long weekend on the island (Friday-Monday), but I was able to sample many of the local treasures, and all the while, kept asking myself:  Why the crap didn’t I come here sooner?!?

I feel that Bermuda is the epitome of relaxation.  The island is quaint and quiet with brightly colored houses peppering the landscape.  The locals are friendly, helpful and anxious to find out where you’re from and what you’ve gotten to see during your stay.  And above all, the beaches are to die for.

Me at Horseshoe Bay

Elbow Beach

This getaway was taken in early January, so although it was a nice respite from the cold, the weather was only in the high 60’s to low 70’s.  Very comfortable, but not quite warm enough to go swimming perse.  A return trip in the summer may be needed due to all the swimming one can do inside the cave lakes, which would truly be enjoyable after a really long, hot day!

Cave pool!

Once again, all my senses were engaged on this trip.  The air smelled fresh and clean, the caves I toured were complex and beautiful, and the Bermudian Wahoo (a grilled white fish served with banana slices and almond slivers) was mouth-wateringly delicious.  A trickle of water or a crashing wave was always nearby, coupled with a light breeze that constantly teased the skin.  Was there anything more I could have asked for? No….

One of my favorite experiences was searching for a place many locals didn’t even know about.  I was on the hunt for Glass Beach.  This was a small area of beach made up mostly of sea glass.  The notion was too exciting to be overlooked.  After taking the ferry to Dockyard, and poking around the ceramic shops, I hit the road to begin my search.  Not too far down I came to a small bay with a beautiful view.  I had to make a short climb down to the beach and then rock hop quite a way, but the journey was totally worth the effort.  The water was at low tide, allowing for the awesome rock formations to be shown in full view.  After taking no less than a hundred pictures of the scenery, I finally came to the area of beach densely covered by the sea glass.  Pieces of every size and color mingled with the rocks and sparkled in the sun like jewels spilled from a pirates shipwreck.  A very satisfying find indeed!

Glass Beach

I’ve heard that 3 or 4 days is really all you need to see the island, and I feel like that’s a pretty good estimation. It helps that the island is only 20 square miles and the public transportation system is excellent.  I was able to cover a lot of ground in a long weekend, but was also left with a desire to return and a short list of additional places to check out if a second journey should be made.

Until next time….