Lighthouse and Luxurious Day

When on Elbow Cay or in Abaco, one MUST visit the Elbow Cay Reef Lighthouse!  It is THE symbol of the Abacos!  Most people call it the Hope Town Lighthouse, but it is actually named after the reef that is marking.  The following is from the Bahamas.com website, a great two paragraph summary of this iconic treasure.

The British Imperial Lighthouse Service built this candy-striped lighthouse to mark the Elbow Reef during the 1860's. Hope Townees at the time resented this and opposed the project, as they saw it as a threat to their wrecking trade. They went as far as to sink a barge being used to transport building materials. Despite their sabotage efforts, the lighthouse at Hope Town went into operation in 1863. Primitive artifacts and relics of the Wrecker's Days can be seen at Wyannie Malone Historical Museum in Hope Town.

The lighthouse stands at 89 feet, with 101 steps, and is one of only two remaining beacons saved from automation (which is vigorously opposed by residents). Extraordinary efforts are undertaken by the locals to secure the parts for the kerosene-burning apparatus of the light, most of which are no longer manufactured. An image of this lighthouse is featured on the Bahamian $10 bill. Visitors are free to visit the lighthouse in Elbow Cay and drink in an amazing panoramic view. Together with the village's neat rows of gingerbread cottages painted varying pastel shades, it gives this settlement plenty of charm.

Emma, Zack, Summer, Nicholas, and I walked ourselves through the settlement to the "Lower Dock" to catch a ride across the harbor to the lighthouse.  I hit up a lovely elderly couple, "Can you give us a lift to the lighthouse?"  The lady said, "Sure!" but the husband wasn't too pleased when five of us boarded his tiny rental boat.  (Hitching a ride is the easiest way across...and a very common practice.)

View of the lighthouse from the lower dock.

Arriving at the lighthouse marina fuel dock.

 I sent the kids up first and waited on the ground to get pictures of them as they emerged

Summer, deep in thought.

Summer and Nicholas at the top.

Same shot, no kids.

Mommy and Nicholas on the western side of the lighthouse.

View looking to the west.

Summer and Mommy also on the western side. Damn, that kid is tall!

View of the eastern side and harbor.

Looking south east.

I love the door handle that leads to the observation deck.

Inside the lighthouse, on the observation deck level.

I 💕Lighthouses!

The following is a series of arty shots.  I read, one time, on the Abaco Forum, someone saying how every time he comes to the Bahamas he gets "photo amnesia" and takes the same picture year after year.  I so totally do that!!!  But, this lighthouse NEVER gets old.  I could seriously visit this lighthouse every single day and not get tired of it or take it for granted.

After we arrived back on terra firma, we looked around in the Lighthouse Society shop and bought T-shirts for Summer and Emma, a key chain for Nicholas, and a hat for me.

We went on to the store at the fuel dock to see their wares and ask about a boat that would take us back to the settlement.  The lady at the shop said, "You can go next door, if you can get there, to the Hope Town Marina and Inn, and see if they can take you.  Or you could just ask somebody to take you across."  So, I walked down the dock, saw a handsome local looking man and asked him if he could carry us across.  Little did I know, he had two other passengers and just a teeny tiny Jon boat.

Believe it or not, they recognized me from jogging the other day and I got a fist bump from the guy wearing the cocaine and caviar T-shirt.

But, then, I guess I am somewhat recognizable!

 We survived the two minute boat ride, shopped around in the settlement, and drove the golf cart back to our house to share our photos, purchases, and of course...to announce the results of the hitchhiking experience.

A sad reminder, Tampa 351 miles.  Don't make me go!  I'm here with my brethren.

Summer started a puzzle.

I decided to walk down the "bumpy road" to the Abaco Inn and then walk on the beach going south. 

Century Plant...also known as agave, sisal, and the number one ingredient in tequila.

A smooth section of the "bumpy road".

While I was walking, Shawn and the kids were at On Da Beach.  Summer is modeling her new hat.

During my walk, I came across this...the handle from a stamp.  Ain't no need to date stamp nothin' 'round here.  We in da islands, mon.

WTF?  That's from the other side of the globe!

Arty shots...  (It's kind of like the refrain in a song.  We've come to the arty photo section of this blog.)

Waves splashing up and through a hole in the rocks.

Cowboy hat n braids, that's how I roll.

Waves gently falling over a rocky ledge.

When the wave recedes, the sand and water make amazing ripples and tidal pools.

Abaco Inn, overlooking the ocean and shoreline where I just was.

 Meanwhile, back at On Da Beach, Nicholas learned to fly his trick kite thanks to a kite surfer who kindly provided a free tutoring session.  And then, he went fishing in the surf just before dusk.  Thankfully nothing was biting...especially sharks looking for skinny chicken legs.

Summer finished the puzzle! 

We all got to do what we wanted to do today, yet no one did too much and at the end of the day, we all felt such a calming peace.  Precious, precious Abaco...thank you!