The following magnet blog is a bittersweet story of sweet memories, a miracle and “Hope”.
When our new neighbors, Debbie and Rich, invited Pete and me to be their guests in February 2016 at their vacation cottage affectionately called “Cozy Corner” on Elbow Cay (part of the Abacos) in the Bahamas, it took about five seconds to say, “We’d love to”.
Not sure of the island's exact location, we made travel arrangements specifically as instructed by our new friends. After arriving in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, we reached our final destination via a short ferry ride to Hope Town ( still not sure exactly where in the world we were).
Hope Town and its last of its kind lighthouse in the world
It didn’t matter. Just as Debbie and Rich had described, Elbow Cay was tropically gorgeous. Instantly relaxed; our senses became intoxicated by bright colors, breathtaking ocean views, and smells of sea spray and flora.
We spent four nights, five days of unadulterated fun chilling by the water, riding bikes, shopping, sunbathing poolside and dining under the stars.
Sun and surf, who could as for anything more?
We especially enjoyed attending church service at St. James Methodist before watching the Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 (personally enjoying the commercials more).
Three days before departing, neighbors Dee and Murray, flew in from Philly to join us for two nights of friendship and fun that certainly proved to be additional “treasure” for our tropical island escape.
Pete and I felt we had found a bit of paradise on earth.
Unfortunately, just four years later — tragedy literally blew through.
On the days surrounding September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas, most notably Elbow Cay. A category 5, Dorian is still on the records as being the most intense tropical cyclone to hit the Bahamas—ever.
Much has changed since the horrific storm, but thankfully, it appears that Abaco has made a tremendous comeback.
Neighbors and New Friends at the Abaco Inn
Our favorite happy hour spot, the Abaco Inn and Restaurant, is up and running again, looking fresh and ready to deliver table side a batch of their delicious conch fritters. Thankfully, another restaurant we enjoyed immensely, The Firefly, is very much open today and is highly rated on TripAdvisor.
Sunsets are Amazing on Elbow Cay
And it is with great joy, I can report two amazing stories post Dorian.
St. James's Methodist, its charming sanctuary with windows that open to the sea, was virtually unscathed from Dorian’s wrath. I’ll never forget the lovely service and music and most notably the welcoming folks who eagerly came up to meet us after the worship service. I can’t help but think that it was no coincidence that St. James survived Dorian with so little storm damage.
On the other hand, the iconic Elbow Reef Lighthouse was heavily damaged. I’m happy to report that four years after Dorian, the distinctively red striped lighthouse is open once again for visitors today. Our climb to the top of the lighthouse is remembered as a trip highlight. It gives me great joy to know that others can enjoy the view from the top of this historic lighthouse once again. This landmark has quite the story.
Still kerosene powered, the hand cranked Elbow Reef Lighthouse is the last lighthouse in the world to not be electrified. It has been returned to its former glory thanks to a half million dollar grant from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. Kudos to those who made this great rescue possible.
Round and round she still goes
From doing online research, it appears that Elbow Cay is essentially back from ruin and open for business and vacationing pleasure once again. The fishing is reportedly phenomenal (tournaments are found online). Fishing isn’t my thing, but I can definitely recommend visiting Elbow Cay on Abaco Island if you REALLY wish to get away from it all.
Little did I realize that just one month later, my travels would take me to another country I knew little about but definitely can say —-”Put visiting there on your bucket list”!
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