We Love Hopetown

Our daughter and son-in-law arrived in Hopetown Sunday, on the early ferry (after a red-eye from CA via Miami).

We spent a relaxing day at their rental.

What an expansive view of the Sea of Abaco from their deck – and gorgeous sunsets over the Parrots.

Monday was lunch was at Cap’n Jack’s, on the harbor.

This is a conch burger.  Hard to get conch in CA – or MD.  We also toured the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum, which is small, but excellent:  Lucayan Indians, Loyalists, pirates, wreckers, spongers, boat builders, rum runners, and finally – tourism. 

Wyannie Malone brought her family of Loyalists to Hopetown from South Carolina in the late 1700’s.

And then off to the Hummingbird Cottage Art Centre to see the “Abaco Dinghy” exhibit for “this accomplished artist Guy Mathany.”  We got to meet Guy and his wife a couple of years ago in Hopetown through a mutual friend.  http://www.hopetownart.com/guy-mathany-exhibit-opening-feb-2nd/  His work is amazing; he is incredibly talented. 

This is “On the Mooring,” 9”x11”, from the Art Centre’s website.

And, of course, we had a great walk on the beach.

Tuesday, Amelia and I took the Froggie’s boat to the Abaco Inn for the women’s Cay Topics luncheon – an amazing event with the wonderful women of Hopetown.  The speaker served with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders – 14 countries in 12 years.  Cay Topics has wonderfully interesting speakers, all from Hopetown.  Tom, who runs the Inn, served up a spectacular luncheon of lobster salad, roasted veggies and greens.  With a chocolate cake/strawberry/crème fraiche kabob for dessert.

This is the view from the dining room.

Afterwards, Goldwin and Grant picked us up in a rented golf cart for a short ride to Tahiti Beach, at the south end of Elbow Cay.

At low tide, we can walk out on the sand bars and find lots of sea life.

This one inch-wide crab is in super-camo.  He was on a conch shell which was likewise so covered with algae that you couldn’t tell where the conch ended and this little guy began.

On the way back to the settlement of Hopetown, we stopped at On Da Beach.

For Turtle Racers (a fruity rum drink with amaretto) and fish strips.  Yum, yum.

These Adirondack chairs near our rental are strategically placed for watching boats enter and leave the harbor.  Very relaxing.

We love Hopetown.