“Home is where the heart is.”
Pliny the Elder (aka Gaius Plinius Secundus) Roman Naval Commander (a.d.23-79)
After months away from home, our daughter, Shannon, managed to squeeze in a weekend visit to George Town. Our older daughter, Natalie, also intended to visit but had commitments that required her full attention. We truly missed Natalie, but we entirely understand and support her priorities.
Shannon brought a feeling of being entirely at home even though Massachusetts was thousands of miles away. The fun began when we met her flight at Exuma International. Our cab driver, Greg, insisted we had cold beers for her when she exited customs. “I will take a Bud light,” he said. Greg was indispensable when Shannon was held up by immigration because she did not have a copy of our cruising permit. Who knew that we needed to show that? Greg instructed her via text to tell immigration to look it up online. It was a shock for us to see her familiar smile in this land, and she found the warm, humid air starkly contrasted with the 20-degree temperatures she left in Quincy, MA, just hours before.
We took the land taxi to Exuma Yacht Club to pick up Elvis’s Water Taxi for transport across the Bay to Kailoa. Scott achieved his goal of getting Shannon to the beach at Chat N Chill by 2 PM. After Shannon’s early 3 AM departure from Boston, she was “in a swimsuit, rum punch in hand, petting stingrays off the beach.” We were back in Kailoa before sunset, enjoying a fresh salad and catching up on life at home. There is nothing like being with a person to understand their lives. We marveled at all she and the family are juggling, and it is safe to say that Shannon thoroughly enjoyed sharing time with us aboard.
We watched the sunrise the following day and listened to the Channel 72 announcements while Scott prepared fresh biscuits, grits, sausage, and eggs for breakfast. Then, we went onto Monument Beach and took a hike to the summit (see photo at the top of this post). At some point along the path, there were rope ladders to pull oneself over the coral outcrop. The 360-degree view was well worth the effort, as was the view of Exuma Sound on the backside. The colors of the water reveal the depth changes from a few feet to 50 feet to 1000 feet in depth.
We stopped at the Coconut Club for lunch and refreshments on our way back. The bougie establishment opened in December 2024. We learned that the owner is from Nashville and that the parts were prefabricated in the States and shipped to the Exumas for assembly. The designer yellow and green graphic décor, beach umbrellas, and merchandise contrasted with most of the rustic beach bars in the Bahamas.
We also attended a concert in the cove behind Chat N Chill. Several boaters organized the concert to raise money for school music programs in George Town. The vintage musician’s stage was on top of the houseboat, and the audience watched from the beach and their dinghies. Another volunteer passed a can for contributions. The event fostered a sense of community and gave back to the Bahamians, who so graciously share their island with transients.
That evening, we returned to Kailoa for sunset and grilled surf and turf al la Scott. Shannon reported that she slept well, having figured out that lying sideways in the berth allowed maximum airflow over her from the 5-inch fan.
Sunday brought more beautiful weather and a trip to Sand Dollar Beach. We walked the Art Trail and enjoyed all the creative pieces left by cruisers. The path looped along the ragged beach, where we snapped pictures in what Shannon described as a “Majestic” landscape. We picked up a piece of driftwood for decorating. Back at the dingy, we cooled off in the translucent aqua waters. Kim shrieked, and all jumped as we watched a 6-foot diameter stingray pass by; with no doubt, it was on its way to Chat N Chill for lunch handouts. It was fun seeing Shannon take it all in with joy and gratitude.
Later that afternoon, we painted our driftwood piece, “Kailoa,” and watched the sunset from Snappy Turtle Bar and Grill as we ate dinner in the company of a black cat.
Shannon thanked us repeatedly during the visit and sent this note after
arriving home in Quincy, MA.
”Thank you so much for the trip I need coconut sunshinneeeee. You guys are seriously the best. I feel so rejuvenated.
Just got settled at home. Thank you for the beautiful woven basket tile of the regatta night out drinks and adventures!!!
I feel so seen!! You guys get me. ❤️ can’t wait to keep following along. Good night love you.”
Most importantly, she told us she was proud of us for pursuing our dreams. We will return to the Art Trail tomorrow to hang our decorated driftwood piece.
Kailoa signing off!
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