Archive for the ‘Wish I were there...’ Category

I have a secret.

Actually I vacillate from wanting to shout if from the rooftops, to not telling a soul. It’s our favorite vacation spot, Eleuthera. (Although we haven’t been since 2007.)

I hesitate to tell about it for 3 reasons:

1) We don’t want it to change.

2) I don’t want to sound snooty.

3) Everyone’s ideal of what makes a vacation great is different.

But I’m forging ahead.

(And for the record, I’m not snooty.)

Eleuthera is one of the out islands of The Bahamas. While it’s the next island east of Nassau, Eleuthera is worlds apart from the bustling, loud, touristy, cruise ship docking neighbor to the west.

Quiet and laid back you’ll find no amusement parts, little to no nightlife or mini golf on Eleuthera. Eleuthera is all about being in and around beautiful, crystal blue water that’s teeming with colorful sea life.

This is a giant starfish. Starfish, sea turtles and other creatures can be discovered all over the island.

Eleuthera is Greek for freedom – which is certainly what you feel when you’re there. We like to drive around and explore different beaches. For a small island Eleuthera offers quite a variety of things to see.

There are gorgeous coral and rock formations to explore on the windward side of the island.

A few minutes away by car you can be on the super calm leeward side with a completely different undersea vibe.

There’s everything from soft pink sand bottoms, to grass flats to pretty rock formations.

The people are wonderful too – friendly and eager to help you find those special fishing or snorkeling spots.

These gorgeous girls were friendly. Love those uniforms – they match the sea!

There’s very little crime on Eleuthera. The place has a real small town feel.

The crazy thing is for such a lovely place there are very few tourists.

You can drive your rental to one of the island’s most popular beaches, and if you see more than 10 people on a one mile stretch of pink sand, it’s a busy day.

Eleuthera is surprisingly affordable. We’ve found it to be less expensive or comparable to many vacation destinations in the U.S. And if you can redeem some of those airline miles like we did, all the better.

We’re hoping to get back to Eleuthera this summer. We’ll see.

And maybe I’ll run into you there as well. Hey, you never know, it’s a small world.

Do you have any favorite vacations destinations you can share? Do blue waters do it for you? Or do you like snow capped mountains? Maybe you like bustling city full of life?

Last April, while visiting my parents, we hopped in the car and drove to another world.

Nah, it wasn’t really another world, but it felt like it. Plus it sounds so dramatic to say so.

And I’m all into the drama of it all.

Oooooh.

Aaaaah.

Ohhhh.

Back to the point of the post.

Botany Bay on Edisto Island is like no other coastline I’ve experienced in South Carolina. And growing up in SC I’ve seen much of its coast.

Botany Bay is on the wild side. And that’s a good thing.

Beaches, maritime forests, salt marsh, tidal creeks, freshwater ponds and hammock islands make up the 4,630 acres of natural beauty to enjoy at Botany Bay. The land, formerly owned by the late Margaret Pepper, is now managed by the SC Department of Natural Resources and is open to the public for educational and recreational opportunities. Mrs. Pepper’s goal was to preserve the natural state of the land. And I’m glad she did. It’s beautiful.

We spent most of our time at the beach. Even though it was an unusually cold and windy day for April in the Low Country, we strolled out to the beach to wonder in awe at the view. It was almost shocking.

And while it looks like a war zone this cycle of erosion has been happening here for years as beaches are built up in some areas and washed away in others; to and fro, back and forth the land moves.

It’s a fun place to explore.

A perfect place for a game of hide-n-seek.

Everywhere I looked there were unusual pieces of wood, shells and trees calling out to be photographed.

Below is the underside of a tree trunk. Cool huh?

I could take pictures of shells everyday. I’d be happy with that.

A professional shell photographer I shall be, shooting shells by the seashore.

Botany Bay is definitely a photographers dream.

Can’t wait until our next trip. It’ll be neat to see how the beach has changed.

If you’re interested in visiting Botany Bay or learning more about it, here are a few links you may find helpful:

Botany Bay Ecotours

An article by South Carolina Wildlife (Department of Natural Resources)

Edisto Island Preservation Alliance – Botany Bay

Do you know of any natural preserves to visit that you’d like to tell us about? Please share.

I’d like for you to meet my skinny-ass sister (SAS for short), Carole.

(She might be long and lean but I can take her. I can take her in a skinny minute and she knows it.)

She’s smart, kind, beautiful, but best of all, she’s my sister. I love her and I know you will too. Right now she’s going to share a suggestion for the next time you’re out galavantin’ around. Take it away Carole…

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This past spring we took off to the big city of Atlanta. In comparison to our small town of two stop lights, just driving around the city was a thrill for our three children. Our final destination, however, was the Georgia Aquarium. We’ve been eager to check it out since it opened a few years ago.

The aquarium is divided into five “galleries”: Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, Tropical Diver, and Georgia Explorer. Our first stop was Ocean Voyager, which by far was our favorite. Large tanks that rise from floor to ceiling make you feel like you’re in the ocean.

My daughter’s mouth literally dropped open as she gasped at the first sight of the enormous tank. Just her reaction made the trip worth the while. You should’ve seen our six year old – we call him our “wee one.” He had his face smashed up to the first window, when a huge fish came around the corner and startled him. He jumped! I think for a moment he forgot he wasn’t in the fish tank and thought he was fish bait for sure! Our oldest son, age 12, was especially impressed with the four enormous whale sharks and the huge manta ray there in the Ocean Voyager gallery. I think it’s the largest in captivity in this hemisphere.

Other highlights were the beluga whales in the Cold Water Quest. They were breath-taking. And, if you’re not careful, you might just walk right by the garden eels in the Tropical Diver gallery, but don’t. They were my favorite.

This guy was cleaning the tank. What a cool job!

For more information and a few hints for making the most of your trip, go to www.georgiaaquarium.com. It’s a good idea to order your tickets ahead of time. You have to pick a time of arrival when you purchase tickets. I would suggest going with 9:00 a.m. – the earliest arrival time. That first hour before the crowds pick up is fantastic – plenty of room for the kids to smash their noses to the glass. We purchased the Premium Day Pass which includes general admission and Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow. The kids enjoyed the show so it was worth the extra dollars. Not sure exactly how long the show lasted, but it seemed about 20 minutes or so.

Overall the aquarium doesn’t take a long time to go through, so take your time if you want to make a day of it. You can’t bring food in and you can’t leave for lunch and return. A cafeteria is available but I would recommend eating a big breakfast or be prepared for a late lunch after leaving the aquarium.

We had a fantastic time being under water explorers for the day and we didn’t even get wet! It was a great get-away – fun and educational for all.

Safe travels!

– The SAS, Carole