OK, all this talk about the Caribbean has got me kinda tropicated. So I figured I’d peek around and see what kind of deals exist to get some place warm. Turns out for as low as $153, you can get yourself to the Bahamas for fun in the sun.
Prices vary depending on where you are leaving from…the price out of New York to Freeport is about $250, still not bad, and if you can find a cheap hotel somewhere, or even just crash on the beach, you got it made.
Santa dives? I confess I did not know that, but then again, no one pays much attention to what the fat man does in the summer months. I suppose I always thought he’d be hanging in the Bahamas, slurping down oysters and sucking beers with Jimmy Buffet. But yes, Virginia, Santa dives, too. It started three years ago at Newport Aquarium, where Santa gets in the water with colorful fish and sharks and dives some five times a day. Not to ruin it for the kids, but I wonder who plays Santa in this case…and whether he considers this a viable career. I suppose there are worse jobs to be had, like cleaning up after the reindeer.
Our Divester friends are always writing about destinations around the world that are ideal for diving, and usually great places to visit whether you are into scuba or not. Willy Volk posted two items of interest in the past week that I thought might be particularly useful to Gadling readers. First, Willy provides an in-depth description of what to do when diving is not an option in Key West. From fruity drinks to fine dining, neighborhood walks, museum visits and ghost tours too, Willy gives great details about the pubs, restaurants, accommodations and attractions that he and his wife enjoyed on their southern Florida weekend getaway. In another post, Willy points us to a list that may interest those looking to plan vacations in the Caribbean this winter. Child Magazine’s Ten Best Caribbean Resorts for Families is a helpful guide to kid-friendly hotels in Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Bahamas, to name a few.
It’s my birthday, Gadling readers and I’m very by the books when it comes to birthday’s. Take time out to do something special, kick-up your feet, river dance, drink champagne, have a party and remember TONS of cake and ice cream.
Speaking of cakes, mine will probably be the likes of a Johnny Cake this year as I’m spending the next couple days in the Bahamas. For those of you unfamiliar with the island pastry, Johnny Cake as best I can describe almost like a corn bread. It’s has a light, sweet, comfortable taste that can be served either hot or cold. For an extra sticky feel and sweeter taste add butter, honey or some good old preserves. It’s very easy to prepare and for those of you looking to tackle something new in the kitchen this weekend try the recipe found here. Experience a small piece of the Bahamas for yourself!
Well, you had your chance. You could have joined up with the Wetpixel Bahamas Shark Expedition where you might have dived with sharks, shooting them with your spanking new Digi SLR. Fantastic shots for all the world to see. But you didn’t. Me neither.
But hey, you CAN at least go to Eric Cheng’s Web site – Eric runs Wetpixel, you might remember – and you can check out the photos of Cheng and Gang there. It is not the same by anny stretch as being there yourself, but the photos and the daily ruminations by Cheng are, as always, quite good.