Bermuda 2018

Wowzers! Bermuda is BEAUTIFUL! The flight was quick and easy because… North Carolina is the closest state to Bermuda! Bermuda is only 650 miles east of the North Carolina coast, which makes it the closest point of land to the island…CRAZY! i didn’t know this!

Our taxi driver was awesome and shared with us so much history! The people here are so kind! Something that he pointed out that I found interesting was that Bermuda’s only water source is rain water. Each household is responsible for their own water. The roofs are made with limestone with grooves put in them. This allows the rain water to funnel down to tanks underneath the home. They are painted white to keep the house cool during warmer weather. The reason for the use of limestone is for protection of the home during hurricanes.

We arrive at The Reefs in Hamilton! It’s gorgeous! I honestly don’t think you could find a place on this island that wasn’t gorgeous! We are welcomed graciously with Bermuda’s signature cocktail, the Rum Swizzle…LOVE It! We are escorted to our villa and it’s perfect! One of our trip goals is to get up early to see the sunrise. We are NOT early risers so, this is more challenging than you think. 😉

We decide to kick it at our beach for a minute while we figure out our plan. After our ocean rest we head over to Friont Street to see what the action is like. Front Street is full of shops, restaurants, homes, boats..it’s right on the harbor…it’s the place. Of course we run into The Dog House, Russ is a HUGE Georgia Bull Dog fan so, we have to stop in for a drink and a snack. We figured out pretty quickly that this is a big late night spot. We took it back towards our area, and had dinner at Henry VIII. It’s a Sushi Bar Pub located right up the hill from us. This would be ideal for lunch or sunset…it sits pretty high up overlooking the ocean. The food was good and it was a sweet little set up, it’s super cozy. After dinner we strolled over to Turtle Hill battery which is a historical military fortification. It was constructed in the 19th century as part of the British defense strategy to protect the island from potential naval threats. We then ventured over to the Fairmont Southhampton Resort…too big too much! We felt like we were in Vegas…now that I said that out loud (or typed out loud ;)) …maybe that was why Russ busted out the worm in the front foyer. We had a GREAT first day in Bermuda!

We unsurprisingly missed the sunrise the next morning but did not miss our complimentary breakfast! We were ready to take in more history so we jumped in a cab and headed to the National Museum of Bermuda located at the westernmost point. Bring on the history! We are the BIGGEST nerds! Russ’ Mom is a retired history teacher so that’s where Russ gets it and I’m just a nerd who wants a stronger connection to the places and the cultures that I’m visiting.

The museum chronicles more than 500 years of the island’s history. It’s located on the grounds of the Keep fortress at the Royal Naval Dockyard. It also recounts Bermuda’s naval heritage. It’s very interactive. We walked all over and learned so much from the navy barriers, walked through forts, checked out local art, and learned alittle about the nautical side of things and what motors were used on boats and why.

Bermuda was thought to be feared and haunted, this is how it got it’s name “Isle of Devils”. Bermuda is surrounded by treacherous coral reefs, which caused many shipwrecks. This combined with unpredictable storms and a reputation for mysterious phenomena, led to seafarers to avoid the islands. This contributed to legends of supernatural or unexplainable dangers surrounding the area….That’s where The Bermuda Triangle came into play.

What most didn’t realize that it was the coral reef that was causing the shipwrecks, not supernatural phenomenons. Oh, I can’t wait to tell you my favorite shipwreck story! Not that i’m happy that the ship went down but it’s a pretty cool story.

This area is quite busy for this is where the cruise ships come in…there is ALOT of action!

We enjoyed our day taking in Bermuda’s history, went back to The Reefs to rest and then headed back towards Front Street for dinner at Harry’s at the Waterfront. This place is super swanky! We had an incredible dinner in a beautiful setting.

Ok, we did it! We woke up for the sunrise! It was NOT easy but we did it! The picture that I captured was and is one of our all time favorites! We are not looking our finest but the pic captures the moment! ! It was absolutely beautiful! We then ventured over to our lovely breakfast!

Russ is not only a HUGE Georgia Bull Dog fan he is also a HUGE golfer! So, he is about to be in golf heaven! He heads over to the Port Royal Golf Course for a round….FORE!

I opt to cruise around and chill…AND pack for our next move. We always try to mix it up when we travel and GO BIG at least one night. Well, we’re about to GO BIG! We loved our stay at The Reefs but onward to our last night at The Rosewood.

The secret, well, maybe it’s not a secret, for us to GO BIG…is we use our travel points! Between American Express and Chase, our travel points allow us to travel comfortably and without stress. Thank you AMEX and Chase!

Russ had a SOLID day on the golf course! I jumped on a trail and walked over to the course and met him at the 19th hole for a celebratory Rum Swizzle.;)

We jumped in a cab to The Reefs, grabbed our stuff and headed over to The Rosewood at Tucker’s Point on the island of St. George. Hello! We felt like royalty…this place is UNREAL! Our room, I kid you not, was bigger than our house! We had french doors that opened up to a gorgeous pool area over looking the ocean. It felt like we were staying in a Palace. We cruised around the hotel and the grounds…there were delicious nooks and crannies all over! We made a dinner reservation at one of their restaurants, Island Brasserie, for later that evening.

We decided to venture down to the town of St. George. When we were leaving, one of our hotel coordinator’s (who just happened to be the most dapper gentleman I’ve ever met) suggested that while we were in town that we should stop at Lili Bermuda Perfumery. My response was, “we will absolutely stop there!” You can tell that when this man speaks, people listen. I’m SO glad he recommended that!

St. George is known as Bermuda’s first English settlement and former capital. Founded in 1612, it is…wait for it….a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring well preserved colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and historic landmarks. We know how to find them! ;). We cruised around and checked out this beautiful historic area. We walked up to St. Peter’s Church and the Old State House. We also hit up Lil Bermuda Perfumery! The dapper gentleman was SPOT ON! This place is a gem! They also offer classes for guests to make their own perfumes. I LOVE this! Unfortunately, we were not able to do that but what we were able to do was to load up on gifts! There is literally something for everyone here.

Ok, remember when I mentioned that I had a great shipwreck story…total oxymoron…but we’re going with it. The one scent that I fell in LOVE with…because it contained one of my all time favorite fragrances, Neroli, it is called Mary Celestia. Here is the story…in 1864 the Mary Celestia, a Civil War blockade runner sailing to Charleston, SC, sank off the south shore of Bermuda. I bet it had something to do with the coral reef…but don’t quote me because I did not research that part. In 2011 an international team of Marine Archeologiest discovered 2 intact bottles of perfume embossed Piesse and Lubin London, tucked in the bow of the 150 year old shipwreck. WHAT?

Piesse and Lubin was a prominent perfume house in London sought after by the elite crowd in the 1800’s. After majorly analyzing this precious cargo, the rare scent was re-created and renamed after the ship. This was my gift! Thanks Russ! Isn’t that a good one! I still have my bottle of precious cargo!

We head back to our palace to get ready for dinner. Another travel tip that we like to do is research proper etiquette. We want to show respect and honor any and all social environments. Since Bermuda is one of the 14 British Overseas Territories it has a conservative dress code. We wanted to honor and respect that, which we usually do anyway…just sayin’..Russ and I LOVE to dress up! We put on our Bermuda finest and headed over to Island Brasserie for dinner. We walk in and we felt like the host recognized our efforts. He said he had the perfect table for us and walked us into the dining room. Or course, there are so many folks in Tshirts and shorts…no judgement. He takes us to a lovely table and tells us that this is where the Queen sits when she comes to visit…WHAT the WHAT????? WOWZERS! I’m pretty blown away….even if it wasn’t. the table….I”m riding it! We had the most incredible dinner with impeccable service. We strolled over to Tucker’s Bar for a night cap before heading back to our room.

The next morning we woke up and headed to the great outdoors; Russ took off to the Tucker’s Point Golf Course and I headed over to the Bermuda Beach Club. Both locations are on property…just a quick shuttle drive to both. I arrived, literally, at my own private beach! I’ll take it! I was in heaven and just kicked it for awhile. We met back at the palace and got ready to head home…NO!!!!! 😦 We don’t want to leave!!!!!

Thank you Bermuda for your beauty, hospitality, history and FUN!!!!!!