Don't be surprised if you don't know Abaco... no one knows Abaco. Although this upcoming trip will be my 4th trip to the island, and Jason's 2nd, no one outside of the Burkhardt family has ever heard of Abaco.
Unless you're a sailing enthusiast familiar with the annual Abaco Regatta the only time you may have seen or heard of Abaco was on the television series, "Scrubs" during the episode where the cast travels to a small island to attend The Janitors wedding. Even though they don't actually mention Abaco, Elbow Cay, or the city of Hope Town in the episode, the presence of the lighthouse is a noted local landmark and one that's hard to miss.
Elbow Cay is a six-mile long island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the West, and the tranquil and warm Sea of Abaco on the East. The main village of Hope Town with it's colorful houses and quaint shops (pictured above) surrounds a protected harbor and is guarded by a candy-cane stripped Lighthouse which was built in 1863.
Hope Town mostly consists of vacation rental homes, a few touristy shops, 2-3 restaurants, 2 small hotels and endless possibilities for relaxation on the soft sand and in the warm waters.
Getting to Hope Town is an adventure in itself. Our usual itinerary will include airline travel to Miami, with a puddle-jumper flight to Marsh Harbour airport on the Great Abaco Island. Followed by at least two taxi cab rides (two because there is nine of us traveling and we need two vehicles to accommodate everyone plus luggage) with a stop at a major grocery store for provisions. Then a 30 minute Ferry ride out to Elbow Cay where golf carts usually await to deliver us to our final rental home destination near Hope Town. A fun fact about staying on Elbow Cay is your only means of transportation is usually a fleet of golf carts to hop around Elbow Cay and a open bow boat to beach hop around the nearby Cays.
This new trip will include a first for me - the family will not be returning to the rental home known locally as "Top Side", which has been the Burkhardt's Abaco home for every trip so far... this time we are staying at "Calypso" which offers a larger house for everyone to be comfortable and a game room to keep the kids (Wendy's neice and nephew who are 5 and 8) occupied while the adults sun bathe.
Although we usually stop for provisions at a major grocery store on the Great Abaco Island before boarding the ferry and arriving on Elbow Cay - one of my favorite stops in Hope Town is Vernon's Grocery. A small mom/pop shop that consist of general grocery items, the best part is the home made breads and cream pies Vernon cooks up in the back of the shop. The Banana Bread and Coconut Cream Pie are my favorites and only a few of the amazing items that keep the Burkhardt family returning to Abaco as often as financially possible.
The other reason we love Abaco is for its pristine waters and beaches and the remoteness of the islands. It's unbelievable that the awesome beaches and town of Abaco are always mostly empty. You feel like you have the entire Bahamas to yourself there. I am looking forward to taking pictures and practicing my photography, Jason is looking forward to the sun and the beach - even if it means 7 days in close quarters with the "in-laws."
This trip is also special because we will be celebrating my father's 60th birthday - and this year Dad has decided to end our Abaco vacation with a three night stay at the fabulous Atlantis Resort & Casino on Paradise Island.
Complete with a full water-park and casino - the Atlantis has plenty of adventures to offer.
