AIR CURRENTS Magazine Volume 12 Issue 3

AIR CURRENTS The Official In-Flight Magazine of Gulfstream International Airlines

Grow Up Vertical Farming is the Wave of the Future

MONTANA MEMORIES Explore the Faces of Montana

THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC Jack Foley and Franz Hepburn Return to The Bahamas

LET’S GO TO LEGOLAND The Perfect Piece to Your Florida Vacation Y O U R C O M P L I M E N TA RY G U I D E T O F L O R I D A A N D T H E B A H A M A S

Michael Owen - International Football Player PRC 200

www.tissot.ch

Freeport: Port Lucaya Marketplace Nassau: Rawson Square, Bay Street - 240 Bay Street - Atlantis, Beach Tower - Marina Village at Atlantis

celebrate this moment forever

Celebrating life’s most memorable moments.

3IGNIl CANT 3AVINGS s #ERTIl ED !PPRAISALS s )NTERNATIONAL 'UARANTEE OF !UTHENTICITY &REE $AY 2EPLACEMENT 0LAN s *EWELLERY 2EWARDS s )NSTANT #REDIT Exclusive seller of

1-800-6-NO-DUTY

ColombianEmeralds.com

FREEPORT: 1PSU -VDBZB .BSLFUQMBDF t *OUFSOBUJPOBM "JSQPSU 1SF $MFBSBODF NASSAU: 3BXTPO 4RVBSF #BZ 4USFFU t #BZ 4USFFU t "UMBOUJT #FBDI 5PXFS "UMBOUJT 3PZBM 5PXFST t .BSJOB 7JMMBHF BU "UMBOUJT "OUJHVB t "SVCB t #BIBNBT t #BSCBEPT t $BODVO t $VSBDBP t (SFOBEB t +BNBJDB t 4U -VDJB t 4U .BBSUFO "JSQPSU t 5PSUPMB t /PSXFHJBO $SVJTF -JOF

ďŹ nd us on facebook Š2010 movado group, inc. ďŹ nd us on facebook Š2010 movado group, inc.

, ĂŠ / ,°Ê…Õ“>Â˜ÂˆĂŒ>Ă€Âˆ>˜]ĂŠÂ?i>`iĂ€]ĂŠ>ĂŒÂ…Â?iĂŒi° DEREK JETER. humanitarian, leader, athlete. introducing the series 800 sub-sea™ chronograph ÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂŒĂœÂœÂ‡ĂŒÂœÂ˜iĂŠÂŤiĂ€vÂœĂ€Â“>˜ViĂŠĂƒĂŒiiÂ? in two-tone performance steel™. water resistant to 20atm. movado.com

Ă“n{ĂŠ >ÞÊ-ĂŒĂ€iiĂŒ]ĂŠ >ĂƒĂƒ>Ă•]ĂŠ >Â…>“>ĂƒĂŠÂ­Ă“{ӎÊÎäӇÓnääÊÊUĂŠĂŠ Ă€ĂžĂƒĂŒ>Â?ĂŠ ÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŒĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠ ĂŒÂ?>Â˜ĂŒÂˆĂƒ]ĂŠ*>Ă€>`ÂˆĂƒiĂŠ ĂƒÂ?>˜`ĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ >Ă€ÂˆÂ˜>ĂŠ6ˆÂ?Â?>}iĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ >Â?Â?ĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠ >Ă€>ĂŒÂ…ÂœÂ˜ĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ >Ă€LÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ >ÞÊÊ *>Â?“`>Â?iĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ >Ă€ĂƒÂ…ĂŠ >Ă€LÂœĂ•Ă€]ĂŠ L>VÂœĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ >Ă€LÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ ĂƒÂ?>˜`ĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ “iĂ€>Â?`ĂŠ >Ăž]ĂŠ Ă?Փ>ĂŠĂŠUĂŠĂŠ*ÂœĂ€ĂŒĂŠ Ă•V>Ăž>ĂŠ >ÀŽiĂŒÂŤÂ?>Vi]ĂŠ Ă€iiÂŤÂœĂ€ĂŒĂŠ Ă€>˜`ĂŠ >Â…>“>

© D. YURMAN 2011

速

Silver Ice Collection

What’s Inside

Volume 12 | Issue 3 | 2011

10 12 14 20 41 61 62

Welcome Aboard View From the Flight Deck Flybys Island Hopping Florida Fanfare Customs Information Route Map

27

45

56

BAHAMAS BOUND Paradise of Plenty Exuma has so much to offer.

FLORIDA FUN The Perfect Vacation is a Snap Florida’s newest fun spot: LEGOLAND. HUMOR If I Had a Hammer The ups and downs of do-ityourself.

16

FEATURES

51

16 Wish List Shopping worth taking a vacation for, with fine jewelry from Tiffany, Cartier, Bvlgari & more.

46 The Salad Days Farms of the future get a head start in The Bahamas.

51 The Faces of Montana Fly to Gulfstream’s newest destination.

52 The Power of Music Jack Foley and Franz Hepburn return to The Bahamas.

54 Coral Sands’ Four Cottages Offer Dream Homes Away From Home.

Coral Sands Resort on Harbour Island.

6 | Volume 12 Issue 3

46

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

$ISCOVER THE 6ILLAS AT #APE 3ANTA -ARIA

AN UNMATCHED OPPORTUNITY TO OWN PRIME BEACHFRONT REAL ESTATE IN THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH "AHAMAS %ACH SQUARE FOOT VACATION HOME IS BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED WITH RICH HARDWOODS AND )TALIAN MARBLE AND GIVES YOU UNINTERRUPTED VIEWS OF THE #ARIBBEAN 3EA %NJOY FULL ACCESS TO ALL THE AMENITIES OF #APE 3ANTA -ARIA "EACH 2ESORT AND MAXIMIZE YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITH THE VILLA RENTAL PROGRAM

The OfďŹ cial In-Flight Magazine of Gulfstream International Airlines

PUBLISHER KENT JIMISON PUBLICATION DIRECTOR WENDY CLEMENTS EDITOR DIANE PHILLIPS CREATIVE DIRECTOR JANICE HARDY

#!0% 3!.4! -!2)!

s "%!#( 2%3/24 6),,!3 s ,/.' )3,!.$ s 3/54( "!(!-!3

EDITORIAL STAFF ALEXAVIA DORSETT CRAIG ELDON CLAY SAUNDERS ADVERTISING SALES KENT JIMISON TRAVEL MEDIA INTERNATIONAL (954) 346-0712

4/52 4(% .%7 6),,!3 )& 9/5 ).6%34 9/52 6!#!4)/. )3 /. 53

3!,%3 ).&/2-!4)/. s 4OLL &REE WWW CAPESANTAMARIA COM s %MAIL VILLAS CAPESANTAMARIA COM

ADVERTISING SALES FOR FLORIDA & GRAND BAHAMA ADVERTISING OPTIONS, INC. (561) 369-8265 ADVERTISINGOPTIONS@EARTHLINK.NET CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MARY ARMSTRONG • FAITH R. FOYIL BRIAN IRWIN • MARGIE KAYE WILLIAM VANATTI

War has come, and it’s Nya’s fault. Now she faces a past she can’t change. A present she didn’t want. And a future she can’t escape.

DARKFALL by Janice Hardy BOOK THREE

OF

THE HEALING WARS

And look for THE SHIFTER,

BOOK ONE

OF

THE HEALING WARS

Published by Balzer & Bray An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers Sold at bookstores ever ywhere, or online at: www.barnesandnoble.com • www.borders.com www.target.com • www.harpercollinschildrens.com www.amazon.com • www.indiebound.org

www.JaniceHardy.com 8 | Volume 12 Issue 3

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS BRIAN IRWIN • LESLEY SPENCER

TRAVEL MEDIA INTERNATIONAL 10001 VESTAL PLACE CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA 33071 (954) 346-0712 FAX (954) 252-2123.

KJMSN@AOL.COM EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT (242) 394-0677 DIANE@DPA-MEDIA.COM

AIR CURRENTSŠ 2011 is published quarterly for the approximately 1,000,000 passengers who travel annually on Gulfstream International Airlines. Copyright 2011 by Travel Media International. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited. All opinions expressed in AIR CURRENTS are solely those of the contributors. While every reasonable care has been taken, neither AIR CURRENTS nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage to photographs and material submitted to this magazine. Information contained in these pages is subject to change without notice. Volume 12, Issue 3, 2011.

Subscriptions available for $16.00 per year. Please send check or money order to: Travel Media International, 10001 Vestal Place, Coral Springs, FL 33071, Attn: Subscriptions. www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Something special Experience at: "AY 3TREET p -ARINA 6ILLAGE 0ARADISE )SLAND p (ARBOUR "AY 3HOPPING #ENTER -ALL AT -ARATHON p 0ALMDALE p ,0)! $EPARTURES ,OUNGE -ARSH (ARBOUR !BACO p %MERALD "AY %XUMA p (ARBOUR )SLAND %LEUTHERA

Welcome Aboard Dear Valued Customer,

W

ith the busy holiday season upon us, we here at Gulfstream International Airlines are committed to ensuring your travel plans are met and we exceed your expectations for comfortable, worry-free holiday travel, leaving you to enjoy more time with family and loved ones.

Starting early November, Gulfstream is adding new markets and increasing service to popular destinations. Air travel from Florida to The Bahamas will be available daily from two new markets, including routes from West Palm Beach to Freeport, and Orlando to Marsh Harbour, providing you with additional options for more convenient travel.

We’ve also been busy making preparations for our first winter service throughout Montana in order to ensure the same reliable service we provide in our Northeastern operations. Our team of professionals has readied the de-icing equipment and met all regulatory specifications to deliver you the utmost schedule reliability during these challenging months.

As you prepare for the holiday season, we’re also eagerly preparing for the anticipated 2012 scheduled service of our fleet of SAAB 340B Plus aircraft to bring you increased comfort and superior service. The SAAB turboprop aircraft fleet has flown over 14 million hours and has served over 270 million passengers, ensuring excellence in reliability and safety. The larger planes seat more passengers and feature active sound control to reduce cabin noise, to offering the amenities of in-flight service attendants and lavatories.

At Gulfstream we are pleased to be part of your holiday travels. Whether you’re flying to the snow banks of Montana or the white sandy beaches of The Bahamas, we are honored to help bring families together during this joyous time.

To you and yours, happy holidays from the Gulfstream team.

Sincerely, Darrell Richardson CEO, Gulfstream International Airlines

10 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Bill Harpster

Kim Rojas

Jose Toledo

Jeff Spotts

Captain Adam Lee

Captain Charles Mowers

Greetings From Montana!

Captain Chris Poltorak, Michelle Adkins, Erik Lawrence

Michael Ritchey

Karen Strobel

First Officer Kyle Boyer

Christine Eggar

Courtney Arneson

Larry French

View From the Flight Deck

It Takes More Than Superpowers The best safety device on any aircraft is a well trained pilot

A

William Vanatti Director of Training for VPAA Co. dba. Gulfstream International Airlines wvanat@gulfstreamair.com

12 | Volume 12 Issue 3

s a boy, I believed that pilots, like superman, wore red capes. They did the unimaginable with little to no effort. I had no idea how many thousands of hours of training, practice and evaluation they had to accomplish before they could ever fly passengers in an aircraft. Flying as a commercial airline pilot requires an ever greater commitment.

And the training doesn’t stop when a pilot goes to work as an airline pilot.

Federal Air Regulations mandate that pilots at Gulfstream International Airlines receive specific recurrent ground school training, every twelve months. This strenuous training and testing of pilots’ abilities ensure that they are following Gulfstream International Airlines and FAA federal guidelines precisely. Captains and new hire first officers receive this training twice a year, senior first officers receive this training annually.

The recurrent ground training consist of a review of aircraft performance attributes, emergency procedures, federal regulations, security protocols and a through review of the aircraft’s systems; electrical, hydraulic and flight control, etc. At Gulfstream International Airlines we exceed all federal training mandates and, in many areas, almost double what the regulations require. This is especially true for our new hire flight crewmembers. We hold both our captains and our first officers to the highest standards.

For this training and checking, Gulfstream uses a full motion simulator to re-create the exact conditions of the flight deck. This state of the art $5 million simulator duplicates the actual aircraft cockpit, and is able to simulate endless flying scenarios that place a pilot into almost any environment or situation, including snow, ice, rain and hail in either night or day, dusk or dawn. As important to the training, simulators allow a pilot to be evaluated on their skill in handling emergencies involving various equipment failures, weather conditions and malfunctions.

Gulfstream pilots can expect to see aborted takeoffs, mock engine failures during takeoff, wind shear conditions and maneuvering of the aircraft at specific airspeeds, with constantly changing weather conditions, including approaches and landings at various airports under any weather condition.

Only our most proficient pilots are trained as instructors. These instructors meet every three months to stay current with the latest regulations and procedures.

Most instructors have been flying or instructing for many years and. are closely monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the quality of the training and evaluation.

Aviation has come a long way since Orville and Wilbur Wright brought the Wright Flyer out of a dusty, hay-filled barn and flew off using just the seat of their pants for reference. Gulfstream maintains a tireless pursuit of safety and proficiency, so, even without the red cape, your Gulfstream International Airlines pilots will fly you safely to your destination.

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Faster Than a…Slow Call Long-awaited and highly-anticipated 4G phone, data and download service has come to The Bahamas and for visitors from abroad, it’s a welcome addition to a great vacation. High speed phone and internet was launched in Nassau in December and will be available throughout the islands in the coming months. That means that if you’re carrying your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry, you’ll receive your e-mail and be able to download everything from movies to music lightning fast in Nassau and on Paradise Island and very shortly in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Exuma. Frequent travelers will notice fewer dead zones, dropped calls or other faults.

To contact the phone company, call their new call centre at (242) 2255282. Even if you want a vacation that helps you slow down, some things are better delivered fast.

A Christmas Tale About a Pretend Dinosaur For children whose imaginations are fueled by fantasy, the tale of a little boy lost on Christmas day in deep snowdrifts and found alive, thanks to faith, friends and a toy dinosaur with yellow eyes is a charming Christmas tale.

But the message of A Christmas Dinosaur by Sara Jewell (author of Book of Worm), goes far deeper. The 116-page paperback is a creatively woven tale suitable for tweens or any parent who wants to remind a child of the real meaning of Christmas. With touching detail, the story traces Josh, coping with his father deserting the family, his mother’s tireless efforts to find work and food, her courageous struggle to protect Josh and his little sisters from harm and a harsh winter and the goodness of strangers and family who help save his life. Lost in a blizzard, Josh is found because of the only toy he had, a plastic dinosaur with yellow eyes, a giveaway he clung to like a best friend he could carry in his pocket. Published by Crossbooks, available online through Amazon, Sony or Crossbooks and on Kindle.

BOATERS HEAD FOR ROMORA BAY MARINA Romora Bay Resort & Marina will be the in spot for luxury yachts and fishing boats heading to Harbour Island this season. The popular resort, casual waterfront restaurant and marina is the only marina on the island fully operational post-Hurricane Irene. If the name rings a bell, 14 | Volume 12 Issue 3

it’s because Romora Bay was instrumental in the capture of the elusive Barefoot Bandit, thanks to the quick action of a heroic security guard and two visiting yachts. Harbour Island Marina is partially functional and Valentine’s Marina is expected to re-open in March. www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

ÊÓn{Ê >ÞÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê >ÃÃ>ÕÊ > > >ÃÊÊUÊÊ/i i« iÊ­Ó{Ó®ÊÎäÓ Ónää -> `> ÃÊ, Þ> Ê > > > Ê,ià ÀÌÊ> `Ê-«>]Ê >ÃÃ>Õ]Ê > > >Ã Ê Õ ÀiÊ/ Ü ]Ê >ÀL ÕÀÊ Ã > `]Ê iÕÌ iÀ>

2

1

3

Great gifts and souvenirs too good not to take home 1:

David Yurman Boutique. Bay Street (242) 302-2878; Crystal Court at Atlantis; Marina Village; Paradise Island; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Bimini Bay, Bimini; Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport, Grand Bahama. (242) 302-2878.

2: Jimmy Choo. John Bull, 284 Bay Street; Nassau, (242) 302-2800.; Mall at Marathon; Harbour Bay; Marina Village; Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

3: Ippolita Jewelry, John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800.

4: Movado. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800; Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Marina Village, Mall at Marathon, Harbour Bay, Palmdale, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Emerald Bay, Exuma, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport Grand Bahama.

5: David Yurman Boutique. Bay Street (242) 302-2878; Crystal Court at Atlantis; Marina Village; Paradise Island; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Bimini Bay, Bimini; Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport, Grand Bahama. (242) 302-2878.

6: Alex Fragga. 284 Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas, (242) 302-2800; Marina Village, Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Harbour Island, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport Grand Bahama.

7: Ray Ban: 284 Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas, (242) 302-2800; Marina Village, Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Harbour Island, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport Grand Bahama.

8: Bvlgari. Bvlgari Boutique, Crystal Court at Atlantis, (242) 363-5824. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau (242) 302-2800.

9: Elle is 284 Bay Street, (242) 302-2800.

10: Bvlgari. Bvlgari Boutique, Crystal Court at Atlantis, (242) 363-5824. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau (242) 302-2800.

11: David Yurman Boutique. Bay Street (242) 302-2878; Crystal Court at Atlantis; Marina Village; Paradise Island; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Bimini Bay, Bimini; Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport, Grand Bahama.

12: Breitling. John Bull, Crystal Court at Atlantis (242) 363-3956; Marina Village, Paradise Island; Port Lucaya, Marketplace, Freeport, G.B.; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Dunmore Town, Harbour Island; Emerald Bay, Exuma.

16 | Volume 12 Issue 3

4 www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

6 5

7 8

9

10

12

11

1

2

3

6 4

1: 2:

3: 4: 5: 6: 7:

8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13.

18 | Volume 12 Issue 3

Chanel. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800; Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Fisherman’s Village, Bimini Bay Resort & Marina.

David Yurman Boutique. Bay Street (242) 302-2878; Crystal Court at Atlantis; Marina Village; Paradise Island; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Bimini Bay, Bimini; Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport, Grand Bahama. (242) 302-2878.

Tiffany & Co., John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800; Crystal Court at Atlantis, (242) 363-3956; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Emerald Bay, Exuma.

Coach. 303 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 326-0557.

Amijones. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800. Marina Village, (242) 363-1141.

Nikon. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800.

TechnoMarine. John Bull, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800; Crystal Court at Atlantis; Marina Village, Paradise Island; Marsh Harbour, Abaco; Harbour Island; Emerald Bay, Exuma. Our Lucaya, Freeport, GBI. Cartier. Cartier Boutique, 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2872; Crystal Court at Atlantis, (242) 363-5808.

Hublot. John Bull, Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, (242) 363-3965.

Coin of the Realm, Nassau, Charlotte and Bay Streets. (242) 322-4862.

Dooney & Bourke. 284 Bay Street, Nassau, (242) 302-2800; Marina Village, (242) 363-1156.

Graycliff. West Hill Street across from Government House, Nassau. (242) 302-9150.

Alex Fragga. 284 Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas, (242) 302-2800; Marina Village, Crystal Court at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Harbour Island, Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport Grand Bahama.

5

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

10 8 7

9

11

13

12 www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 19

Bahamas Bound

20 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Island Hopping Your guide to The Islands of The Bahamas

J

ust 50 miles east of South Florida’s coast lie over 700 tropical islands and cays that combine the seascapes of the Caribbean with the untouched quality of the South Pacific. Flamingos walk the shallows in search of shrimp while just beyond, along the sundrenched pink-and-white sand beaches, iguanas feast on hibiscus flowers. In The Bahamas, “fast paced” is confined to wave runners and roulette wheels.

Here, world-class resorts offer accommodations for families, business travelers, and couples in search of seclusion.

The Abacos The famous red and white candystriped lighthouse still serves as a beacon to all the sailing, fishing and yachting enthusiasts who come to play in the tranquil waters of the Abacos.

The 130-mile stretch of bays, beaches, secluded inlets, pine forests, lagoons and pastel New England-style villages welcome visitors who seek firstclass diversions. The Albert Lowe Museum, located on Green Turtle Cay, highlights the area’s unique culture, from its shipbuilding traditions to its local artists. This quiet island escape entices those seeking unspoiled beaches and an extremely laid-back atmosphere.

Andros Andros is the largest island in The Bahamas and the fifth-largest in the Caribbean, attracting divers and fishing enthusiasts, as well as casual sightseers.

Mostly flat, its 2,300 square miles is one of the biggest unexplored tracts of land in the Western Hemisphere. It consists of pine forests, thick impenetrable bush, mangrove marsh and palm-lined beaches along the east coast, riddled with lakes and creeks, and most of the local residents live along the eastern shore. The Andros Barrier Reef, the world’s third-largest and healthiest barrier reef lies off the coast, and divers come from all over the world to explore it.

The reef plunges 6,000 feet to a narrow drop-off known as the Tongue of the Ocean. The island also offers a vast array of Blue Holes for the experienced diver. These underwater cave systems are found both inland and in the ocean, and though no one has even gone in one and out the other, it is believed that they do connect. Bonefishing here is among the best on earth, and Andros is also known for its world-class marlin and bluefin tuna fishing.

Bahamas Bound Bimini Bimini is made up of three major islands—North, South and East Bimini—each rich with history and natural resources. Most of the islands’ population, about 1,600 residents, live in Bailey Town in North Bimini, while the main tourist center is in Alice Town, also on North Bimini. Most of the hotels, restaurants and fishing operations can also be found here.

It’s believed that this tiny island was once part of the road system of the Lost Continent of Atlantis.

But today it’s the fishing that makes Bimini world renowned.

island in The Bahamas, located near the Tropic of Cancer. With temperatures in the high 60s during the short winters, rising to the mid-80s in summer, and pristine virgin beaches, Cat Island is one of the most beautiful islands in The Bahamas. Local historians claim that Cat Island residents were the first to see Columbus. The great explorer himself was believed by some to have been welcomed here by the Arawaks.

Beautiful beaches offer an array of water sports. Boating and diving are among the main reasons to go to Cat Island, and diving lessons are available for novices.

Cat Island

Eleuthera

Named after the pirate Arthur Catt, Cat Island is the sixth largest

Eleuthera is one of the longest islands in The Bahamas, 110 miles

The perfect outdoor furniture for sophisticated style with dozens of colours and patterns to choose from.

from top to bottom. This intimate isle of rolling hills and lush green forests beckons visitors with the subdued charm of yesteryear.

Quaint colonial villages echo the history of the island’s pilgrim settlers who arrived over 300 years ago and named the land Eleuthera, “freedom” in Greek. Vacationers indulge in that same carefree spirit as they roam miles of pink sand beaches that lead to lush plantations where exotic fruits from pineapples to mangos grow in abundance.

The mile-long Cave at Hatchet Bay invokes the Earth’s past with spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations that glitter by torchlight.

Harbour Island Best known for its soft sand pinktinged beaches, Harbour Island is a tiny, celebrity-studded island.

Only three miles long by one mile wide at its broadest point, it boasts more restaurants, tony inns and examples of charming doll-house like architecture per square foot than any other island in The Bahamas.

Most people traverse the isle by golf cart and whether you are stopping by the famed Arthur’s Bakery for a baguette or Pink Sands, Rock House or The Landing for a meal, you’ll find visitors and locals friendly and welcoming on this island steeped in tradition and proud of its cottagelike feel.

The Exumas

Oasis

chic living

The Bahamas’ leading outdoor furniture company.

East Shirley Street | www.oasisoutdoorliving.com | 242-393-4498 | 242-394-7408

22 | Volume 12 Issue 3

This 100-mile-long string of 365 islands and cays—most of them uninhabited—is the yachting mecca of The Bahamas. These waters, some of the prettiest in The Bahamas, are also ideal for fishing (bonefishing especially).

The Exumas stretch from Beacon Cay in the north to Sandy Cay in the south. The Exuma National Land and Sea Park, protected by The Bahamas National Trust, encompasses much of the coastline.

The park is accessible only by boat and is one of the major natural wonders and sightseeing destinations, with an abundance of undersea life, reefs, blue holes, and www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

shipwrecks. Portions of the James Bond thriller Thunderball were filmed at Staniel Cay. Not far from George Town, the largest settlement on Great Exuma, is the rapidly growing Emerald Bay area with the luxurious 5-star condotels at Grand Isle Resort & Spa and the famous Greg Norman Golf Course.

Grand Bahama Island A favorite port of Old World pirates and modern day rumrunners, Grand Bahama remains largely untouched since its swashbuckling days. Those seeking adventure can explore uncharted primitive forests, scuba dive through prehistoric underwater caverns, or swim side by side with dolphins. Freeport/ Lucaya offers posh resorts with service designed to pamper, splendid oceanview suites, and nightlife from casinos to musical revues. This tropical metropolis appeals to the sports minded with championship golf, renowned tennis facilities and

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

deep-sea fishing. Discover vibrant island history where remnants of the Arawaks, the native Bahamians, depict the ancient culture that invented the definitive tool for the skilled beach bum: the hammock.

Nassau Captains of all walks of life have long welcomed the sight of the sheltered harbor in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. Parliament Square in downtown Nassau displays the island’s colonial history with the Old World pageantry of the Supreme Court and the traditionally dressed police force. Visitors roam through the straw market filled with handwoven baskets before heading to scores of designer boutiques that house fine jewelry, watches, leather and perfumes. Hit the white sand beaches for the ultimate in water sports and relaxation. The club scene comes alive with lively cabaret shows and upscale casinos where visitors revel—and gamble—into the

night. From steel drum bands to cab drivers, the inherent charm of the locals makes a stay in Nassau truly a pleasure.

Paradise Island Aptly named, this island treasure attracts the world’s most recognizable people for worldclass yachting and casino action, Bahamian style. Stately hotels line the sugary sand beaches and pristine reefs adorn the shallow coastal waters. Though the jet-setters call this port the Monte Carlo of the New World, the island’s West End retains the flavor of its colonial past with white picket fences, exotic flowering plants and breezy front porches. Visitors can slip into the island mentality without leaving luxury behind. 4

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 23

J

ust 55 miles off the coast of South

Florida lies Grand Bahama Island. A unique destination where you can bask on endless beaches, kayak through national parks, swim with dolphins, snorkel in crystal clear waters, golf, boneďŹ sh, rejuvenate in a world class spa or do nothing at all.

For our latest special rate promotions or our ongoing $50 rebate offer visit us at www.grandbahamavacations.com and enter the special rate code bahamas50.

Bahamas Bound

They’ve been fed so often that the purr of our approaching outboard motor rung the dinner bell and brought three pigs running into the water and swimming out to meet us.

Paradise of Plenty Exuma has so much to offer

B

Story and photos by Brian Irwin www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

onefish “Slick” has knobby, weathered feet, heavily calloused from years of wading the shallow waters of the Exumas. He goes barefoot when stalking bonefish, one of the most prized game fish in the world, and our target this day as my fiancée Lori, Slick and myself crept quietly through the shin-deep water of Pipe Cay, casting to the lightning-fast fish. The hard sandy bottom was a perfect ivory, the water as clear as a pane of glass.

Pipe Cay is one of dozens of idyllic islands in the central Exuma chain, arguably the crown jewel of The Bahamas, especially for boaters. Starting just 35 miles southeast of the capital, Nassau, and stretching lazily for 130 over turquoise and powder blue waters, the thin band of shoals defines a sharp border between the Exuma Bank to the west and the mile-deep water to the east. Largely protected from rough water on its westward side, the string of islands is an explorers paradise, with scores of uninhabited islands, deserted beaches and unique features including swimming pigs not found elsewhere in The Bahamas or Caribbean.

The isles of the Exumas are among the Out Islands of The Bahamas, which sit just over an hour’s flight from southeast Florida. Unlike more developed urban cities like Freeport or Nassau, the Out Islands are thinly settled, largely attributable to their remoteness which in days of old made them accessible only by mailboat. Today, there are numerous direct flights from Ft. Lauderdale and Nassau. And while only a short distance from the bustling capital, this paradise has a wild feel. A sense of timelessness seeps from the colorful villages, adding to a laid back lifestyle that lives up to vacation brochures. Lumber for construction projects arrives on boats infrequently. There are few amenities other than world class beaches and comfortable accommodations in brightly colored cabanas amidst quiet streets. The only hint that time has not passed these islands by is surprisingly excellent telephone and internet service in most places. In essence, the chain is perfect, with 365 islands…one for each day of the year.

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 27

Bahamas Bound The most populated of the Exumas is Great Exuma, home of the capital of George Town.

Population figures for the island chain vary widely ranging from 3,500 to 7,000 with as many as a half or a third of those on Great Exuma.

However, the tiny spit of Staniel Cay in the dead-center of the chain anchored our foray into the Exumas.

Most easily navigated by golf cart, the two-mile long island is striped by a gristly airstrip where daily charters, millionaires with pontoon-equipped seaplanes and small planes land, kill the props and downshift into a paradise fit for a movie star.

And indeed the Exumas are. James Bond’s Thunderball was set near Staniel Cay, taking advantage of its incredible scenery. Johnny Depp and David Copperfield own private local islands. Other celebrities and members of royalty alike drift in and out of the islands on monster yachts, stopping to play and picnic on powdery sandbars rimmed with palm trees. Lori and I are far from either

28 | Volume 12 Issue 3

of these social strata, and our ride around the chain was more humble but perfectly adequate: a 13’ Boston Whaler, compliments of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club where we based our adventures.

The Yacht Club is a simple, yet classy establishment founded in 1956. Visitors come and go in golf carts and boats of all sizes, wandering in and out of the bar deemed one of the best by the Venerable Jimmy Buffet. The club is a pleasant vortex, the kind of place where guests mingle and discuss their discoveries of the day, creeping along at a speed of life that leaves worries behind.

Pastel-colored cabanas rest on weathered pillars amidst jagged coral. Behind them is a courtyard with a small pool and lounge chairs.

But most people spend little time poolside; the surrounding islands have too much to offer to allow to go unexplored.

The first day of our trip the water was calm. We glided over varying degrees of aqua making our way

north to Big Major Cay. Famous for its population, this deserted island has the most outgoing locals in the Exumas: a resident colony of wild pigs. Conditioned by years of generous visitors with leftover food, they’ve been fed so often that the purr of our approaching outboard motor rung the dinner bell and brought three pigs running into the water and swimming out to our boat. They ate whatever we threw to them, which included bread, fruit and ironically, bacon. And as soon as the food was gone, so were the boars.

Farther north sits Compass Cay, with a quiet marina at the head of a small harbor. We pulled up our boat beside luxury yachts and strolled to the store, nothing more than a tattered box adorned with wooden signs, hand painted with phrases like “What’s the hurry? You’re here now.” On the dock a local fisherman cleaned four lobster the size of skateboards, throwing scraps into the water where they were slurped up by a half-dozen nurse sharks.

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

These “pet sharks” are docile and toothless, which seemed improbable, but proved to be true. We slid on our fins and masks and jumped in with the well-fed fish. Their fivefoot long chocolate-colored bodies whirled around us, occasionally bumping against our legs with their coarse skin. Smaller fish, like Sargent Majors and Blue Runners trailed the sharks, gulping up their scraps, leaving the water bathtub clear.

Just around the corner from Staniel is Thunderball Grotto. An unassuming head of coral with a hollowed out center and subsequent cave is a snorkeler’s dream. At low tide we found our way through a barely submerged tunnel and surfaced in the belly of the island. A few holes in the 40’ high roof allow sunlight to slash the darkness of the cave, their borders adorned with hanging vines and seeping water.

The grotto is home to a broad palate of tropical fish, octopus and eel, its water glowing an iridescent shade of blue.

Bitter Guana Cay is the next Cay south of Staniel. A short boat

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

ride lands you on a long beach that ends abruptly with a tower of coral at the island’s tip, weatherbeaten and jagged from relentless waves that curl around after pounding the eastern coastline. But here, on the westward face, the water was flat and azure. Lori and I walked the chalky beach, the sand as fine as confectioners sugar. Cactus plants and stunted shrubs capped the beach.

No people live on Bitter Guana.

There’s not a single structure. But the tracks you leave on the beach will not be the only ones.

As we walked three large iguanas skittered out of the vegetation, clawing their way along the sand, dragging ropey tails behind them.

They approached us with curiosity, but stopped short when they realized we were without food. They sat still,

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 29

Bahamas Bound with crumpled skin and crimson eyes, as we plucked rosy conch shells from the sand and watched the sun give way to gravity on the horizon.

Bonefish Slick, who elects not to use his given name (Oliver Monroe) is a quiet man. He’s 50 years old and has been guiding bonefishermen since his teens. As we fished on the first of two days with him, he gathered live conch as we angled, throwing a few into the boat.

When we returned to the Staniel

Cay Yacht Club—a place where a pullover tee-shirt with buttons could be considered overdressed—Slick disappeared only to return with a giant bowl of conch salad. It is little wonder that when people hear you are heading to The Bahamas, they beseech you with unabashed fervor to do three things—swim in the water, wear sunblock and eat conch salad. It’s a concoction that resembles a citrusy salsa with tenderized chunks of meat, onions

peppers soaking in lime and orange juices. The name is a misnomer. It’s not a salad. It’s ceviche.

The next morning we waded the flats of Pipe Cay. A broad expanse of foot-deep water the size of three football fields stretched out in front of us. Slowly, we stalked schools of bonefish, walking among halfburied conch shells, hermit crabs and starfish. Slick said little, intensely searching for any sign of the elusive fish. The day was long, with the hot sun bearing down as we hooked, but lost a few bones. There was not another person in sight.

Suddenly we heard a forced whisper. “Bones, three-o-clock,” Slick proclaimed, pointing his knobby finger toward a group of approaching bone fish. Their silver bodies were invisible, allowing them to be spotted only by the shadow that their cruising cast on the sandy ocean floor. I quickly peeled out fly line and cast ahead of the school.

Simultaneously Lori shot her line to the side of the school. The fish shifted direction, floating over her line and mine. My rod twitched with the action of a nibbling bone for a second when Lori shouted out that she had a fish on.

I turned to watch her rod fling into a sharp bend. I felt an electrifying jolt on my rod as it sharply whipped forward. Line screamed from my reel as my fish did the same thing that Lori’s did: shoot off toward the distant azure water of the Exuma Bank. It might have been saying goodbye, but whether it returns or not, we will. 4 Brian Irwin is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been widely published in various newspapers and magazines. This was he and Lori’s first trip to the Exumas. www.brianirwinmedia.com

30 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

4:G =CB 4@33 WHY AN “Out Island�?

WHY

Stella Maris Resort Club?

Consider:

There: A tourist-metropolis. . .crowded, noisy, with bumper-to-bumper traffic. A vacation machine, in which you count for little. Lost in sheer numbers.

Here: Peace, tranquility, unspoiled nature. Lots of space to lose yourself in. Oldfashioned hospitality.

The expense? Discover real vacation values: Very reasonable hotel rates. Daily FREE activities. “Sun & Sea�. . .�Diving�. . .�Fishing�. . . �Honeymoon� packages. Bungalow rentals for 1or more weeks.

Our Advice?

Looking for Shopping Malls?

Hot Night Clubbing? Flashy Casinos? Fast paced water sports? No, we don’t have it.

Or, looking for warm-hearted friendliness, beautiful facilities. . . the oceans, the beaches, water sports at their best. . .in an enchanted island retreat. . .for just a small number of visitors?

Then you belong with us.

Call Us.

R E S O R T C L U B Long Island, Southern Bahamas www.StellaMarisResort.com info@StellaMarisResort.com

800-426-0466 • 954-359-8236 Fax 954-359-8238 242-338-2051 (0) (3), Fax 242-338-2052

Be at Peace Peace and Plenty Resorts offer three small, intimate and relaxing hotels on Great Exuma for your vacationing pleasure. Complete with the amenities of home, Peace and Plenty Resorts give you a pampered haven you’ll come back to again and again. Spend your days enjoying our beautiful beaches, snorkeling, PADI scuba, fishing and more. Spend your nights dining at one of our restaurants, sampling the cuisine of local chefs. However you choose to spend your time, Peace and Plenty Resorts will make it memorable.

Peace and Plenty Resorts (800) 252-2210 • (242) 336-2551 • www.peaceandplenty.com

>Ă€iĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠĂƒÂœÂ“iĂŒÂ…ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ>ĂŠĂ›ÂˆiĂœÂś

>Ă€i vÂœĂ€ ĂƒÂœÂ“iĂŒÂ…ÂˆÂ˜ÂˆÂ˜} ˆ˜˜}ĂŠ At the Abaco Inn, everything comes with a view. Our 12 bungalows, 8 luxury villas, restaurant, bar, even our freshwater pool - it just never stops being breathtaking.

T A N

Y O U R

T O E S

I N

T H E

A B A C O S

£°nää°{Ăˆn°nǙ™ÊUĂŠ L>VÂœ ˜˜°VÂœÂ“ĂŠUĂŠ Â?LÂœĂœĂŠ >ÞÊUĂŠ L>VÂœĂŠUĂŠ >Â…>“>Ăƒ

DWaWb eee ;g=cb7aZO\Ra Q][ T]` RSbOWZa

SAMMY T’S Beach Resort

Cat Island, Bahamas

Awaken your soul...

The peace and quiet, the food, the staff, is what makes Sammy T’s the place you are searching for. Our resort has the feeling of home, and we like to think that we have invited some friends over for a couple of days, just to relax and regenerate themselves.

Cat Island is renowned for its totally tranquil atmosphere, its lush natural vegetation and miles of untouched spectacular beaches, including our private beach nestled within a cove.

Sammy T’s offers a varied and entertaining schedule of sporting and leisure activities.

The resort features six individual one- and two-bedroom villas. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, DVD library along with full bedroom and living room furnishings and a kitchenette with a microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker.

Sammy T’s Beach Resort • Bennett’s Harbour, Cat Island • The Bahamas (242) 354-6009 • Fax: (242) 354-6010 • info@catislandbeachresort.com • www.catislandbeachresort.com

...like no other place on earth

• • • • •

• • • •

Boats for rent and guides for hire Renowned Bahamian-American cuisine Freight & passenger air service available Full-service marina - deep water dockage

Friendly, casual atmosphere Beautiful secluded beaches Incredible SCUBA, snorkeling & fishing Charming waterfront cottages Unique swimming pigs, nurse sharks & iguanas

www.stanielcay.com | info@stanielcay.com | Bahamas: 242.355.2024 | US: 954.467.8920

4:G =CB 4@33

Imagine...

yourself at Pigeon Cay!

Pigeon Cay promises romance and offers the ultimate in privacy, seclusion and breathtaking views. Each of the seven cottages is equipped with all comforts of home and all are steps from the beach, located along a private 3-mile stretch of white, powdery sand beach.

Instead of glitz and glamour, there is nature at her finest, incredible beaches to walk or run, turquoise waters to swim or snorkel, hills to climb or bike, caves to dive, or play a round of golf on a Par 6 course.

Pigeon Cay Beach Club Cat Island, Bahamas Phone/Fax 242-354-5084 e-mail: pigeoncay@starband.net www.pigeoncay-bahamas.com

DWaWb eee ;g=cb7aZO\Ra Q][ T]` RSbOWZa

Unlock Life WHERE YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS. Less than 200 miles from Florida’s coast, The Bahamian island of Abaco is home to the village of Treasure Cay and our laid-back resort of the same name. More than three miles of sleepy white sand beach anchor a genuine Caribbean paced experience; reminding guests of a truly relaxed way of life.

Served by multiple daily direct fights, Treasure Cay is home to a highly regarded 150-slip marina and a 6985 yard classic Dick Wilson golf course.

Guests enjoy the choice of three restaurants/bars, fishing, scuba, boat rentals and more. Accommodations range from standard rooms to deluxe rooms to one, two or three bedroom suites offering full kitchens and a living area with private balcony. *No surcharges on credit card fuel purchases.

1-800-327-1584 or 1-954-525-7711 www.treasurecay.com

The Hot test Deal in The Baha m a s...When Turtles Fly! Who said that for rates to be this low it would have to be when turtles fly?!

Searching for discounts on Bahamas Hotels? Our ‘When Turtles Fly’ package prices start at just $499 per person for 3 nights deluxe accommodations, round trip airfare on Continental Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Treasure Cay, Bahamas (TCB) and all taxes and service charges on both flight and room. Based on double occupancy in either a Deluxe Club Room or Waterfront room. Add on nights at $58-$125 per person per night.”

A Perfect Day at Small Hope Bay

Great diving and so much more!

What is your idea of the perfect island vacation?

If it is scuba diving one of the largest and most unexplored barrier reefs in the world, great snorkeling, superb bonefishing, laying in a hammock, exploring nature, more Bahamas diving, having a cold Kalik, strolling on the beach, reading a good book, meeting interesting people, spending time with your family, or by yourself, I think that I have the place for you ...

This small Bahamas all-inclusive resort is more than just another Bahamas hotel, we are the most established dive resort in the Caribbean. Our environment is very safe, peaceful, secluded, and a great romantic getaway. Come join us for a new adventure, a true Bahamas experience, a family vacation, a relaxing holiday retreat on the beach, or the Caribbean vacation of your dreams.

Celebrating 50 Years of Perfect Days!

With only 21 cottages and all inclusive rates, the Perfect Day is right here ...

www.smallhope.com

See our blog and testimonials. Follow us on YouTube, YouTube Testimonials, Facebook & Twitter

Totally All-Inclusive Small Hope Bay Lodge

Fresh Creek, Andros, Bahamas (800) 223-6961 • (242) 368-2013/2014 SHBinfo@smallhope.com

4:G =CB 4@33

DWaWb eee ;g=cb7aZO\Ra Q][ T]` RSbOWZa

SKY’S THE LIMIT

Put your feet up, relax and enjoy a book on our lovely pink sand beach. Or you can find food, solace and the beverage of your choice at the Bistro, with a full-service swim-up cocktail bar. Sky Beach Club seamlessly blends modern amenities with the splendor of unmatched natural beauty and excellent service.

Accommodations range from luxurious poolside bungalows to 3200-square foot, four-bedroom, four-bath villas with private pools. Our elegant residences feature an abundance of glass to capitalize on the breathtaking views. Every detail is dedicated to modern luxury, comfort, and total privacy.

Sky Beach Club Resort Amenities Include: Amazing views of the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Secluded pink-sand beach.

Contemporary dining in the Bistro.

Infinity edge beachfront pool with swim-up cocktail bar.

Gated resort community.

Energy efficient green construction.

Concierge Services for island activities, fishing charters and pre-arrival pantry stocking.

Located 7 minutes south of the Governor’s Harbour airport.

For information on Reservations or Real Estate Sales contact us at (800) 605-9869 or visit our web site www.SkyBeachClub.com

Florida Fun

Florida Fanfare

Your guide to the Sunshine State Water lovers will also delight in water skiing, kite surfing, canoeing and kayaking, while landlubbers will revel in hiking, biking and fishing.

M

ention Florida and instantly images appear of white-sand beaches, endless expanses of blue sky, sunshine and sparkling turquoise waters, but Florida offers much more. World-class restaurants, shopping, museums and cultural events fill city streets, while theme parks, nature preserves and historical parks cover more square miles than sunbathers. Here are just a few of the many things to do while visiting Florida.

Fort Lauderdale Often referred to as the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale is worldrenowned as a yachting and sporting destination. Boating enthusiasts enjoy the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the biggest in the world. Water lovers will also delight in water skiing, kite surfing, canoeing and kayaking, while landlubbers will revel in hiking, biking and fishing.

Fort Lauderdale’s diverse ecosystems provide a magical world of flora and fauna. Scuba Diving magazine has named Fort Lauderdale one of America’s “Best Dive Destinations” and “Best Overall Value” for diving. For those who enjoy a more leisurely day, Las Olas Boulevard provides boutiques and art galleries, world-class cuisine, sidewalk cafes and jazz houses. Tucked away in the heart of the city is the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, a delightful assortment of shopping, dining, waterfront parks and major cultural attractions.

Key West Visitors to Key West can pet a shark, tour a cemetery, visit Hemingway’s former home with a wall dedicated to portraits of his wives and lovers, or experience the riches of a spectacular salvage expedition. The island’s beaches offer ample sunning and water sports opportunities, while beneath the surrounding turquoise waters, historic shipwrecks, a living coral reef and a myriad of marine life beckon underwater exploration. Hardly a weekend goes by without some kind of special event or festival. January brings the Key West Literary Seminar, celebrating the island’s heritage as a writer’s haven. In July, the 10-day Hemingway Days Festival begins with writer’s workshops, costume contests and other activities. In late October, Fantasy Fest features revelry and surprises to the island.

Land lovers can discover the coral reefs without getting their feet wet at the Key West Aquarium, the first tourist attraction in the Keys. And no visit to Key West is complete without viewing a sunset at Mallory Square or atop La Concha Hotel. www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 41

Florida Fun

“First Trip” 16” X 20” Acrylic on Canvas

fishartista® • Original paintings • Gicleés on paper & canvas - all sizes • Notecards, holiday cards & posters

“Two for a Dollah” 30” X 40” Acrylic on Linen

In fine gift shops throughout Abaco

772-341-6566 www.fishartista.com kim@rody.com VHF ch.16: “Spirit” 42 | Volume 12 Issue 3

Miami From parks to animals, shopping to nightlife, you can be sure to find the right activity to fit your personality and budget. Nature lovers will enjoy Everglades National Park, the third largest national park in the continental United States, with 1.5 million acres of rare and beautiful ecosystems. Miami Metrozoo lets you experience the excitement of the world’s jungles with more than 800 animals in a 290-acre habitat. For late-night fun, head for South Beach and Coconut Grove, where you can dance the night away in a trendy nightclub, sample the fare at a world-class restaurant or shop at the stylish boutiques. Check your calendar because Miami also hosts festivals throughout the year, including Taste of the Grove, a food-lover’s paradise, Coconut Grove Arts Festival, for those who are more artistically inclined, and Calle Ocho, an extravaganza of Cuban music, food and dance.

Orlando The Orlando/Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista area is home to some of Florida’s best-known attractions.

Walt Disney World theme parks guarantee to bring out the child in us all. Adventurous types will want to check out Universal Studios Florida, where they can “ride” their favorite movies. More thrills can be found

at SeaWorld’s newest attraction, Kraken, a floorless roller coaster that plunges underwater. Downtown Orlando boasts Church Street Station with restaurants, shops and games for the whole family. Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven slows you down and offers stunning botanical gardens and Southern belles in billowing skirts. On the water, the action-packed water ski shows are as thrilling as they are entertaining.

Pensacola Known as the “City of Five Flags,” Pensacola’s history gives tourists the chance to soak in its varied and colorful past. Historic Pensacola Village offers guided tours of exhibits including furnished period houses, museums, and archaeological sites spanning from the earliest Spanish explorers to the 1920s. The downtown area burgeons with art galleries, theatrical and symphony performances, big-name musical stars, and delightful restaurants and shops ranging from down-home to exquisite. To the west is the Naval Air Station, which boasts the worldrenowned National Museum of Naval Aviation and hosts the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show each November. Boasting some of the most pristine white sands in the state, Pensacola’s breathtaking beaches offer the perfect setting for a seaside vacation. Nearby Milton offers opportunities for camping, www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

canoeing, kayaking and tubing along its crystal-clear spring-fed waters.

Tallahassee With its rolling hills, canopied roads of moss-draped oaks, and Southern charm, Tallahassee defies the stereotypes most people hold when it comes to Florida. With the Gulf 25 miles away and the Georgia border only 14 miles to the north, Tallahassee is strategically located in the foothills of the Appalachians and at the juncture of Florida’s Panhandle and peninsula.

Magnificent plantation houses, the newly restored capital building and the Museum of Florida History reflect the city’s deep-rooted history.

Florida State University, home of the Seminoles, is the second largest university in the state. The city is brimming with school spirit, and football season is a colorful and exciting time to visit when there is a game in town. With college students around, a thriving nightlife is far from lacking. But if a leisurely day about town is more your style, you will find every sort of shopping, dining and interesting things to see.

the city itself, the West Palm Beach area is a microcosm of Florida.

Little surprise there are so many contrasts. In land mass, Palm Beach County is the largest county east of the Mississippi. Stroll, bike or jog almost the length of the city along tree-lined waterfront Flagler Drive.

Enjoy the myriad dining and nightlife options of Clematis Street in the revitalized downtown buzzing with entertainment, art galleries, boutiques and activities. In the countryside, visit a farm, see fields where sugar

cane grows tall and cattle graze, pick fresh corn, strawberries and melons in season, take a safari-like ride on the wild side at Lion Country Safari where animals roam free, check out Dreher Park Zoo, the Norton Gallery of Art or top performances at the stunning Kravis Center within walking distance of CityPlace.

There’s never a shortage of things to do in the snazzy city of West Palm Beach and its surprisingly serene outlying areas. 4

Tampa Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is 335 acres of family adventure, combining world-class animal habitats with heart-stopping rides.

The exotic African theme whisks you to another land as easily as the roller coasters whisk you into the air.

For something different, try Duck Tours of Tampa Bay, a narrated 80-minute land and sea tour in a genuine WWII amphibious vehicle.

Wander along beautiful Tampa Bay, with shops, restaurants and sights for visitors of all ages. Be sure to stop by historic Ybor City, restored to its old-time charm. Watch Cuban cigar makers roll a stogie in Ybor Square, and dance the night away along La Séptima.

West Palm Beach From the magnificently landscaped seaside mansions of Palm Beach to the rodeo grounds west of www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 43

Florida Fun

© 2010 CHIP LITHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

The Perfect Vacation is a Snap Florida’s newest fun spot: LEGOLAND

F

lorida’s newest theme park, LEGOLAND, has been chockablock with rave reviews since it opened in mid-October and although billed to please 212 year olds, the park has been pleasing crowds of all ages in its first months.

Located near Cypress Gardens outside Orlando, the 150-acre fantasyland features more than 50 rides and attractions, none more eye-popping or jawdropping than the buildings of Miniland USA. Painstakingly crafted from tiny plastic Lego© pieces snugly pieced together to create miniature skyscrapers and replicas of famous structures like the Bok Tower, the make-believe towns and states are testament to artistic wizardry and the power of patience. It’s the fourth LEGOLAND park and the second in the U.S. Like Disneyland, its American predecessor is in California. The other two LEGOLAND wonders are in London and Denmark, home of Lego’s founder, a man who began making small wooden toys in his garage as a hobby and accidentally launched an industry that now ranks among the finest educational experiences a child can enjoy. Opening days vary according to season so check by phoning (877) 350-LEGO or going online to www.legoland.com. 4

A man who began making small wooden toys in his garage as a hobby accidentally launched an industry that now ranks among the finest educational experiences a child can enjoy. www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Top: Merlin Entertainments Group CEO Nick Varney poses for a portrait at Coastersaurus, the only wooden coaster any LEGOLAND Park,.

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 45

The

Salad ays D Farms of the Future Get a Head Start in The Bahamas

By Mary Armstrong Photos by Lesley Spencer 46 | Volume 12 Issue 3

s you fly into Lynden Pindling International Airport you are likely to see, glinting in the sun beneath you, a five-acre greenhouse. Even from the air, a five-acre enclosure is huge, especially given what’s inside—rows and rows of lettuce, tomatoes and other tossable edibles that go by names that sound healthy like Spring Greens and Baby Greens.

Sprawled out below, all by itself with its modern, massive rounded glass ceiling, gleaming in the midst of surrounding shrub and bush is Lucayan Tropical Produce, a hydroponic farm situated close to the southwest boundary of the airport. It was built about ten years ago with funding from local businessmen Craig Symonette (Bahamas Ferries), Cameron Symonette (The Symonette Group) and Dr. Earl Deveaux and run by Tim Hauber, General Manager, and a

A

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

team of 20 employees. Deveaux, an environmentalist, is now a Cabinet minister in the Bahamian government and though Lucayan Tropical was very much his baby (though he credits Cameron Symonette), he had to relinquish participation, at least for the time being, as the law in this country requires.

Lucayan Tropical is an ongoing experiment in revolutionary farming methods and although the enterprise is small by comparison to agribusiness in the U.S. its potential implication for The Bahamas is tremendous. The staff has spent a decade working to discover the right working model for Nassau’s sub-tropical climate. They have a vision bordering on zealousness to feed The Bahamas, making a country that has been almost completely reliant on imported foods, self-sufficient. When they began their quest toward healthy food independence, the dream was as far from reality as the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy getting together for a hand of poker. Today, it holds a lot more promise.

What makes the story of Lucayan Tropical Produce so special is not just what it can do to help The Bahamas raise its own food, but what it means in the broader sense as the world struggles to find ways to feed and water itself. On October 31, the world’s population hit the seven billion mark. According to a conservative estimate by the United

Nations, by 2050 the world population will have increased by three billion to a staggering 9.1 billion people. Most of these people will choose to live in urban areas. By conventional farming methods, the extra land needed to feed them would be an area the size of Brazil.

But even if such vast land could be found and dedicated to agriculture, it’s irrelevant, because well before that the supply of fossil fuel needed for modern farming methods will have started to dwindle, and the price of food produced by traditional means will begin its inescapable rise.

Sekani Nash, who coordinates distribution at Lucayan Tropical Produce, ses a revolution in the way we feed ourselves. “Agricultural institutes are re-thinking the whole idea of what a farm is and how it can be sustainable in the future,” he says. “The importance of this is that it is 400% more efficient than traditional farming because we can produce on one acre of a hydroponic farm what would require four acres on a traditional farm.”

In the recently published book, The Vertical Farm, by microbiologist, ecologist and Professor of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University Dr. Dickson Despommier, the author asserts that farms of the future will move to where the people are, right into the city centre. Thirty years ago hydroponic farming was so new

By conventional farming methods, the extra land needed to feed them would be an area the size of Brazil.

48 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

it was shown at the Epcot Center in Disney World. In his book, Despommier takes the concept to new heights.

A vertical farm, he says, would be designed as 10 hydroponic greenhouses stacked one on top of the other like a green skyscraper. It would be built not in the countryside, but on a small footprint of land in an urban area. It could occupy a derelict lot in a poor part of town or be a flashy design incorporating apartments and greenhouse gardens with a café and shop.

Although most of the extraordinary vertical farms designed by Despommier and his eco-minded student architects are still dreams, more modest but workable solutions are springing up everywhere, even in countries with little or no traditional farming industry. Such technology is ideally suited for areas with extreme climates like the Arctic Circle and the desert Arab states or those with poor soil quality, like The Bahamas. In the last issue of this magazine, in fact, we ran a piece in Flybys about tower gardens that are now being imported into The Bahamas and are finding their way onto balconies and patios in Abaco and Nassau.

As The Bahamas’ largest hydroponic farm, Lucayan Tropical Produce supplies advice and seeds to fledgling hydroponic ventures in Andros, Abaco and Eleuthera.

Its tissue culture laboratory has also partnered with the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation to provide tissue cultured bananas and pineapples to local farmers across the archipelago. Tissue culture technology expedites mass production of strategic disease and hurricane resistant varieties of key crops, distributed to ramp up national food security.

Brainchild of horticulturist Dr. Selima Campbell-Hauber, the lab at Lucayan Tropical Produce serves as the research and development arm of the greenhouse. Dr. Hauber is currently developing a project to produce and distribute native Bahamian orchids that will be marketed as the nation’s first ‘living souvenirs.’ The product is certified by The Ministry of Agriculture and packaged with a phytosanitary certificate allowing it to be distributed across borders. As tissue cultured plants are sustainably cultivated, the product complies with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

At Cape Eleuthera Institute in South Eleuthera, the agricultural experiment is taking shape with aquaponic methods, a style so new that the word is not registered in a Microsoft Word dictionary. A full tilapia fish farm exists underneath the hydroponic greenhouse. The water from the fish tank contains nutrients from fish excretions that act as fertilizers. That water is cleansed and circulated through the hydroponic tanks to feed the plants to create a fully enclosed sustainable system.

On the coast of Dubai, an experimental greenhouse has been built using sea water. The salt water is sprayed over special grills similar to a desalination plant. The condensed, purified water and humidity is used for growing the plants and the run-off from excess water production has turned the strip of desert around the greenhouse into a fertile oasis.

“Farmers have become technicians,” says Nash. “We have navigated a steep learning curve to engineer hydroponic technologies that work in this environment. Now our challenge is to reduce reliance on imported, expensive fertilizer and develop sustainable composting and waste recycling techniques.”

Despommier has a dream for the world, so let us consider what that dream may mean to The Bahamas. Imagine a time, one hundred years from now, when the last drop of black oil has dripped out of its exhausted oil well. Due to global warming the sea has risen 12 inches, storms are frequent and more intense, and the world has run out of fossil fuel. Yet The Bahamas with a population of a million people will be producing its own crops and fish in hydroponic, aquaponic, vertical gardens and sea water-cooled greenhouses. Energy, produced by solar, wave or wind power, will be abundant.

The technology is already here. It’s only a question of money. 4

Imagine a time, one hundred years from now, when the last drop of black oil has dripped out of its exhausted oil well.

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 49

The vast prairie lands of the sparsely populated state, its snow-capped mountains and tranquil rivers will probably never be seen by scores of travellers who pass through.

The Faces of Montana M

By Clay Saunders www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

ontana is indescribable, unimaginable and simply beautiful. Its awe-inspiring mountainscapes reflect a type of purity that you rarely see anymore. And although it typically connotes a vast remote territory, this Pacific state is more accessible than you might imagine. After all, it is estimated that millions pass through Montana while en-route to its popular neighbor Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Despite the small number of visitors who make this state their final destination, Montana over the past four decades has been brought to the world through familiar faces. Faces that have enthralled us and given us countless moments of glory, joy and laughter.

Beginning in the ’70s, Montana gave us Evel Knievel. This name was as familiar and popular then as Hanna Montana is today. With his dare devil motorcycle leaps (which at one time included a successful 14-bus jump), and his Vegas style shows, this Montanan has entranced and won the attention of viewers from around the world.

Then came the ’80s. And Dallas. A prime time soap opera with all the allure and risque-ness of today’s ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’. Playing on center stage of the popular series was America’s favorite heartthrob, Patrick Duffy. Born and raised in the small-town of Townsend, Montana, Duffy ruled the soap screen with his rugged mountain good looks, macho demeanor and captivating swag.

Not known as a state for bringing home basketball trophies and rings (or major basketball teams for that matter), but Montana—via Deer Lodge—is certainly known for Phil Jackson. This retired NBA player from Montana is considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NBA. Debuting as a coach for the Chicago Bulls in the late ’80s, Jackson was an instant hit. Then in the ’90s came his successful association with the popular Los Angeles Lakers.

From then on, Jackson’s face—like that of any other national television personality—became and still is immediately recognized and admired.

In our present decade, Montana is again well represented by the likes of filmmaker and television director David Lynch. Born in Missoula, Montana and later moving to Philadelphia, Lynch, three-time Academy Award nominations for Best Director, will forever be known for his popular TV show, Twin Peaks and film The Elephant Man. Montana has a population of less than one million— 974,989, and a land area of 147,000 square miles. The vast prairie lands of the sparsely populated state, its snow-capped mountains and tranquil rivers will probably never be seen by scores of travellers who pass through. With the faces of Montana, this land will always be appreciated for both its natural beauty and its world renowned talents. 4

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 51

The Power I

f you have any doubt about the power of music, follow Jack Foley and Franz Hepburn for a day. The popular classical performers have watched a single song take years off an elderly person’s face, restore an Alzheimer’s patient’s memory, if only temporarily, bring moments of sheer joy to the very ill. Foley & Hepburn are a duo of the most unlikely mix that works in the most incredulous ways, including using their talent to lift spirits and make others feel as positive, buoyant, vital and alive as they are.

In a sold-out 100-city concert tour that took them from New York to Dubai, and all over the U.K., this past year with part proceeds of every performance going to charity, Britishborn Foley and Bahamian-born Hepburn, sometimes with pianist Richard Link, visited numerous hospitals, hospices and homes for the elderly.

52 | Volume 12 Issue 3

“When I am singing to someone with the latter stages of Alzheimer’s and I am singing an old Frank Sinatra song or something like ‘Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone other than me,’ they start singing along. It’s beautiful. They remember every word. Something lights up in their eyes,” says Foley. “When the music stops, the light goes out of their eyes. It’s like the switch goes off and they close down.”

Commitment to charitable work, particularly to health or medically-related causes, has its roots with both. Franz Hepburn served as the European Development Manager with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism for many years, a secure, prestigious post. The product of a musically inclined Nassau family, he had grown up surrounded by the sound of music. His mother still sings in church choirs, his cousin Phil Stubbs is a famous Bahamian singer (Bonefish Foley, Proud

By Diane Phillips

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

to be Bahamian, Stress).

His uncle Ezra Hepburn was an accomplished recording artist. In 2002, Hepburn, based in London, decided to take a chance and enter a competition for an appearance in Operatunity with the show due to air the following year. There were 2,500 entries. The tall, striking looking Bahamian with the deep baritone voice was selected as one of six finalists. Hepburn couldn’t believe his good fortune. He was on Cloud Nine. A week later he was on the operating table, his blood pressure so high the nurse re-took it 10 times, changed machines three times, and told him if he had been overweight or a heavy smoker, he would have been dead. As it was, he was being operated on for a detached retina, and sent on his way with strict instructions to see a cardiologist immediately.

“They did an ultrasound and could not find my left kidney,” he said. Further tests revealed he was born with an undeveloped left kidney, but the right organ was larger than normal. The undeveloped kidney was removed. The brush with death opened his eyes.

“I said to myself, Life is too short. If there is something you want to do, go for it. I knew it would be singing.”

It would be a year before his voice re-settled, but as it did, other problems vanished, including the detached retina. His voice improved. And it was through Operatunity auditions

coupled with the pain of watching his beloved uncle die alone with only his nephew by his bedside gave him the courage to find his voice, literally. He knew he could sing and he wanted to use his voice to bring comfort to the elderly, the suffering.

Foley & Hepburn do more than perform, they are the medicine men of song, bringing joy to the elderly, the ill and sheer entertainment pleasure to anyone fortunate enough to listen. Two individual singers, two distinct pasts, two far different pathways to a hugely successful duo booked so consistently that they are on the road and performing more days a year than not, raising money for cancer, patients with dementia and retirement homes.

“Foley & Hepburn works because we’re both so different,” says Jack Foley. “We’re from completely different cultures, I’m from a working class, coal mining town in northeast England, he’s from the Caribbean. I’m white, he’s black.

Even in music, we are opposite in every way. I am a tenor and sing right at the top of the tenor range, he signs right at the bottom of baritone-bass.”

It is a case in which contrasts marry talent in a connection explosive in delivery. In May, Foley & Hepburn were in The Bahamas for a week of concerts. They will be back for a week of concerts in February 2012. Their dance card is full and it’s no surprise. The mixture of their voices is so rich in tone,

Their music reaches down deep inside you where it stirs sleeping feelings, awakens joy, regret, peace, forgiveness, hope, belief, trust, love and a desire for more. You do not want the song to end or their performance to be over.

of Music that he met Jack Foley, who had made it to the semi-finals and like Hepburn, was ready to leave one life behind and start over.

Foley’s past could not have more different. Unlike the Bahamian Hepburn whose father was assistant commissioner in the Royal Bahamas Police Force, allowing young Franz (named after Franz Liszt) to grow up with many of the finer things in life, Foley was the son of working class parents in northeast England. His father was a coal miner. He himself was a tree surgeon.

“I hid the fact that I could sing,” he says. “It was a very macho world and it was no more cool to sing than to be a ballet dancer.” But Foley remembered watching the filming of Billy Elliott, the show about a young man who wants to be a dancer. It was shot in his home town. That memory www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

so intense in feeling that listening to Foley & Hepburn is not just going to a concert performance. It is an emotional experience. Their music reaches down deep inside you where it stirs sleeping feelings, awakens joy, regret, peace, forgiveness, hope, belief, trust, love and a desire for more.

You do not want the song to end or their performance to be over.

Go online www.foley-hepburn.com, click on albums.

Listen to Ave Maria, The Music of the Night, You Raise Me Up. And then try to go back to doing whatever you were doing before unchanged. You cannot. Two men coming from entirely different pasts and pathways, united in voice, connecting with the audience and if you are lucky enough, connecting with you. 4

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 53

PHOTO@COOKIEKINKEAD2010

From family to celebrity friendly, a steady stream of vacationers, honeymooners, love birds, fishing buddies, and individuals looking to spend quality time away seek out this glorious destination year round.

By Margie Kaye

Coral Sands’ Four Cottages Offer Dream Homes Away From Home A

s if the world-renowned pink colored sand beach, sun streaked turquoise water, delectable island fare and laid back luxurious amenities weren’t tempting enough to make you pack your bags for the Coral Sands Resort in Harbour Island, Bahamas, they have recently added four new beachfront one and two bedroom colonial style cottages and another two-bedroom cottage to their inviting selection of accommodations offering just a few more reasons for you to come and stay a while at Coral Sands.

Brimming with attention to detail and indulgent comfort, these beautifully appointed dream cottages are awash in environmentally friendly function and designer décor, making them the ideal destination for an island escape.

54 | Volume 12 Issue 3

A wondrous blending of luxury and tranquility converge for the ultimate in relaxation. One two-bedroom and two one-bedroom cottages are located directly on the ocean front with breath taking ocean views; the other one bedroom model is nestled just 100 feet from the beach with a spectacular ocean view.

The cottages each feature plush memory foam king size beds stylishly dressed in fine Anichini linens, crowned with headboards and surrounded by custom night tables, a desk, and bookshelves beautifully designed to house your belongings, creating a comfortable and homey feeling.

Walnut plank wood floors adorned with area rugs add drama and warmth to each cottage, where every mood is enhanced with custom lighting and

decorative blackout window drapes.

Whether enjoying a book perched in the oversized reading chair, watching television on the 32” flat screen television or winding down to music on your iPod, every comfort and convenience is there for the guests to enjoy.

After a day spent basking in the sun, you can wash your cares away in the sensuous free standing bathtub illuminated by soft chandelier lighting or step into the large walk-in shower boasting oversized jet shower heads and www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

a sitting bench for a spa-like experience.

A round decorative porthole window invites sunlight, sunsets and star gazing, and adds to the essence of seaside serenity.

If you can’t get enough of nature’s beautiful surroundings, retreat to your spacious outdoor covered terrace with designer lounging furniture and day beds, and all the fresh air you can inhale.

The cottage wet bar complete with refrigerator, coffee maker and tea kettle keep your favorite libations and snacks close at hand for enjoying an intimate happy hour day or night.

You can double your pleasure and your living space in the new two bedroom cottage, Sea Oats, the ultimate beach front villa at Coral Sands featuring the same artistry and architecture of the one bedroom cottages. Sea Oats features two elegant master bedrooms, two luxurious bathrooms, kitchenette and dining areas presenting the ideal scenario for families and friends traveling together and maintaining their privacy when desired.

The master Colonial-style bedrooms are cloaked in warmth with walnut plank floors, area rugs and designer furnishings built with shee shan sustainable wood.

Elegant French doors stretch nine feet tall welcoming sunlight and awe

inspiring views of the world famous pink sand beach just steps down the path leading from the cottage.

The living/sitting room offers a tranquil setting indoors, as does the spacious outdoor covered terrace. With ceiling fans stirring the intoxicating ocean air and an array of inviting patio furniture grouped atop the Ipe hard wood decking, the living is laid back from sun up until sun down, and then some.

The beauty of this quaint 37-room boutique hotel lies in the understated elegance that transcends the property, set along the notorious pink sand three mile stretch of beach recognized as the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean by the Travel Channel, and consistently voted as one of the top five beaches in the world.

From family to celebrity friendly, a steady stream of vacationers, honeymooners, love birds, fishing buddies, and groups looking to spend quality time away seek out this glorious destination year round. With weather consistently warm, in the 70s and 80s, balmy nights and breezy days make for a comfortable stay with a no-brainer light dress code and mindset of “anything goes.”

Staying on the lush grounds at Coral Sands is an all encompassing date with down time, but if the adventurer in you beckons, Coral Sands’ efficient and friendly staff will happily arrange various island excursions including deep sea fishing, scuba diving, bone fishing, and scenic tours by bicycle or golf cart.

Whether a picnic on a private island is on your wish list or a historic tour of Dunmore Town is right up your alley, your hosts will make it happen for you.

When night falls and dinner plans call, gourmet dining is what’s on the menu at the resort’s own Terrace Restaurant, considered to be amongst the finest restaurants in the Bahamas, and boasting a new and delectably

varied menu. With culinary creations orchestrated by Executive French Chef Ludovic Jarland, there are tempting selections of surf and turf elegantly plated and sumptuously prepared to your liking. The chef himself often appears tableside to make his personal recommendations for a guaranteed palate pleasing experience. Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi in a Salsa Verde Sauce, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, and Caribbean Bouillabaisse overflowing with an assortment of lobster, grouper, shrimp, mussels and clams bathed in a vegetable broth are among the favorites ordered each evening, along with creative spins on the fresh catch of the day.

With all there is to savor at this beautiful island resort, isn’t it time to unpack your bags and stay a while?

Paradise awaits at Coral Sands, where the living is easy in your home away from home. 4 Chapel Street, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Bahamas. www.coralsands.com 800-468-2799 or 242-333-2350.

Volume 12 Issue 3 | 55

Humor

If I Had a Hammer The ups and downs of do-it-yourself

By Faith R. Foyil

I

recently attended a local Home Depot “Do it Herself” workshop called Basic Home Repair, figuring it might be of value since the highlight of my home improvement knowledge is “lefty loosey, righty tighty.”

The workshop was conducted by “George” and “Ted.” Actually, George and Ted weren’t their real names. I don’t actually recall their real names, since, besides lacking basic home repair knowledge, I’m really bad at remembering names.

Fifteen or so people, mostly women, sat in a semicircle in front of George and Ted. We participants shared a special bond —and it had nothing to do with the tube of Krazy® Glue someone had left behind on one of the folding chairs. The bond was the prospect of gaining Do-It-Yourself repair knowledge that might allow us to avoid asking for help fixing things from tired spouses or overpaid professionals. This prospect was exciting, almost as exciting as the fact I hadn’t had to cook dinner that night.

Alas for George, nobody raised a hand when he asked: “Who has ever wanted to install a deadbolt?” Perhaps George would have received a better response to “Who has ever wanted to lose two inches of thigh flab without giving up chocolate?” Or, better yet, “Anybody interested in where to find a real Louis Vuitton handbag for under $50?”

Despite our seeming lack of enthusiasm, Ted lifted a big door onto a table and sawed a circular hole with a carbide-hammer bit or drill-paddle-hammer carbide of some sort. It was definitely some kind of drill, hammer or bit. Or paddle.

As I faded into total tool ineptitude, a perky blonde-haired woman to my left raised her hand and chirped, “I just installed a Kwikset® door knob all by myself.”

I hated this woman. Not just because she could install doorknobs. I hated her because she could install doorknobs PLUS her perfectly coiffed hair wasn’t randomly stuffed up into a CVS banana clip like mine. Her smugness (perfectly combed hair in

56 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Graycliff. FiveStarLuxuryatitsBest.

Good taste, great cuisine, superb wines, award-winning cigars and gracious living all come together at Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant, a beautiful, historic mansion, in the heart of Nassau.

THE HOME OF RELAXED ELEGANCE West Hill Street, Nassau, In The Bahamas

(tel) +1242.322.2796 (toll-free) +1800.476.0446 www.graycliff.com

Humor Home Depot?) somehow prompted the competitor in me to perk up a bit.

This was opportune, since George was now discussing butt markers and how to locate studs, certainly of more interest. George used the butt marker, (or maybe it was the carbide hammer paddle?) to show us how to put the lock in the door.

Next, Ted discussed hot water heaters and wiring. I think he said something about bare wires, or ground wires and how the black and red wires are hot. With all this talk about stud sensors, hot wires and butt markers I was truly alert now and suddenly thought of an important question to ask: “Anybody know if there’s an ATM nearby?

Hey—I needed cash for lunch money for my kids! So while pondering the future ATM trip, I pretended to look like I understood the deadbolt discussion. I didn’t want to appear rude to George and Ted. I also didn’t want to give Mrs. Smarty Wooden Plank Barbie Hair the satisfaction of knowing I was truly clueless.

The workshop ended, as I recall, which, I really don’t, with George or Ted, or maybe some other person, slicing or splicing wire and discussing programmable timers. Or something like that.

One of Home Depot’s former mottos is “You Can Do It. We Can Help.” I only wish this was true for me. Maybe another workshop will give me more confidence. Who knows, I might be able to put in locks just like The Kwikset Queen.

Maybe I’ll even start remembering names.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to hire a seemingly endless sea of suburban plumbers, electricians and carpenters for basic home repair jobs that I simply can’t handle on my own. But I do adeptly wield one little tool—a pen. As I’m writing out checks.

And I Do It Myself. 4 Writer Faith R. Foyil is the author of two books: Sunny Daze: The Humorous Misadventures of a Tropical Island Mom and 101 Haiku for Moms.

58 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

Dining

Air Currents’

Dining Picks

Anthony’s Grill Located within walking distance of the Paradise Island resorts and next door to Quiznos Subs, Anthony’s has been a staple of the Bahamian visitor diet for years.

The popular eatery with its kids-friendly atmosphere is open for breakfast (from 7:30am), lunch and dinner.

Starting at 11:30am and running straight through 11pm, you can order anything from the 8-page spread, including some two dozen choices of appetizers, soups and salads. Among the starter favorites: Anthony’s Super Combo—spinach dip, chicken strips, Buffalo wings, pork ribs, conch fritters, and the top choice—Anthony’s famous conch salad marinated, chopped, diced and served fresh each time. Main course choices include a hearty, hefty seafood platter, grilled Bahamian lobster tails, herb crusted red snapper, speared grilled shrimp, as well as burgers, pizza and the all-time meat favorite: sweet, tender baby back ribs. Authentic Cuban cigars can be purchased here. No reservations or jackets needed, casual, lively and fun. $$ Full bar with tropical drinks, beer, wine and cocktails. Breakfast 7:30am-11am, lunch 11:30am-4pm, and dinner menu available from 4pm-11pm. Nassau.

Alexandra’s at August Moon For the ultimate in variety taste the ever-changing menu at Alexandra’s. Choose tasting trios with a continent theme (Land of Dragons—Asian cuisine, Old Bailey—British) for $15 or sample individual plates for $7.50. While the menu may frequently change, the quality and service never do. Open Monday-Saturday.

Lunch 11:00am – 3:00pm, dinner from 6:30pm. Call (242) 362-6631 for reservations. Nassau.

Graycliff The only restaurant of its kind in The Bahamas, Graycliff blends old-world charm with 5-star dining.

Located in the main house of a 250-year-old Georgia style mansion, the restaurant’s menu offers the finest in traditional Bahamian meals as well as popular seafood and continental cuisines. Diners can feast on succulent Nassau grouper filet served on a bed of spinach with French Dijon mustard. The filet mignon with seasoned butter is a choice dish for patrons seeking a more familiar meal. Indoor and outdoor dining. Open daily for lunch from 12:30pm-2pm and dinner from 7:30pm.

Reservations required. Jackets required. West Hill St. Nassau; (242) 322-2796.

Mangoes At Mangoes you’ll find pieces of the succulent fruit in almost every dish. A bold, but utterly delicious culinary idea. Seating up to 140, owner and Chef Brandon Sheffield mixes traditional Bahamian dishes with Continental cooking techniques for a scrumptious dining experience. Open Monday-Saturday, 11:30am2:30pm, 6:30pm-midnight. Reservations are preferred.

Call (242) 367-2366 for more information. Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Shula’s Steak House Americans love affair with steak is as passionate as ever and with restaurants like Shula’s Steak House, it’s easy to see why. The real score card of Shula’s is the meat, custom center cuts of Certified Angus Beef® steaks handled with a secret aging process make up their award winning SHULA CUTS. Shula’s: check out the location nearest you. www.donshula.com and arrive hungry. Casual dress at all restaurants. Seafood, including dolphin, shrimp, oysters Rockefeller, stone crab, lobster and local fare almost as popular as the steaks, lobster bisque in season. And save room for dessert. You’ll be asked to order your soufflé in advance as each takes about a half hour to prepare, but like everything else worth waiting for, it’s a treat you’ll treasure.

Sloppy Joe’s A Key West institution, Sloppy Joe’s is a dining and social adventure with festive local fare and atmosphere. The famed Sloppy Joe sandwich is a savory mixture of ground beef, tomatoes, onions and celery. Make sure you indulge in a Papa Doubles, a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway; it’s a sublime mixture of Bacardi light rum, grapefruit juice, sour mix, 7UP and local fresh lime. This celebrated hot spot plays live music three times daily and is definitely worth a visit. 201 Duval St; (305) 294-5717. Key West.

Tippy’s Restaurant, Beach & Bar For a true taste of the islands with a barefoot lunch and a casual happy hour, check out Tippy’s, a place where “you’ll see shirts and ties at lunch and bikinis or sarongs at dinner.” Patrons from all walks of life rub shoulders over a sumptuous menu filled with island spirit. Open seven days a week for lunch (12:30pm2:30pm) and dinner 6:00pm-10:00pm). Dinner reservations are recommended. (242) 332-3331.

Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera. 4

The Hassle Free Way To Fly GULFSTRE AM INTERNATIONAL AIRL I N E S Provides business and leisure travelers with over 140 scheduled, daily, non-stop flights to 24 destinations. Currently GIA ser vices 8 destinations in Florida, 10 in the Bahamas.

is specifically designed for frequent business and leisure travelers. Travel can be much more convenient with SunPac coupon books.

For more information or & sales please call: 1-800-688-7225 or 954-985-1500 x272 e-mail: SunPac@gulfstreamair.com or visit our website: www.gulfstreamair.com

F E A T U R E S •No Penalties for reservation changes or cancellations •Earn Continental Airlines’ OnePass frequent flyer miles •Name transferable •Two complmentary checked bags per passenger •Available in packs of 12 or 24 One-ways •Valid for travel in either direction •Valid for one full year from date of issue •Price and taxes determined by your city pair selection •Last seat availability *Reservation Required, Non-Refundable, No reissue or extension

For reservations please call Continental Airlines: 1-800-523-FARE or 1-800-231-0856 60 | Volume 12 Issue 3

www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR YOUR ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES INFORMACIÓN IMPORTANTE A SU ARRIVO A LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS On your arrival at any U.S. airport all passengers, including those in transit to another country, must fill out a customs declaration (blue) form and, if pertinent, an immigration form (green or white). To facilitate compliance with the necessary documentation you will find some brief instructions on this matter below. Many thanks to you for your cooperation.

ATTENTION • Write your country using English • Write male or female • If you are in transit to another country: Write down TRANSIT TO...in address in the U.S. www.aircurrentsmagazine.com

A su llegada a cualquier aeropuerto de EE.UU., todos los pasajeros, incluidos aquellos que realizan tránsito con destino a otro país, deben rellenar una declaración de aduanas (impreso azul0 y, si procede, un impreso de inmigración (impreso verde o blanco). Para facilitarles conforme a la documentación necesaria, encontrarán en estas páginas unas breves instrucciones al respecto. Muchas gracias por su colaboración.

ATENCIÓN • Escriba su país en INGLËS • Escriba MALE Ö FEMALE • Si está en tránsito a otro país, escriba TRANSIT TO ..en la dirección en EE.UU. Volume 12 Issue 3 | 61

Route Map Pensacola Tallahassee

Orlando Tampa

Freeport

West Palm Beach

Treasure Cay

Grand Bahama

Fort Lauderdale

Marsh Harbour

*** ** * * ** * **

Miami

Key West

The Abacos Bimini

North Eleuthera Nassau

Governor’s Harbour Eleuthera

Andros Town

*

Cat Island

* Andros

*

*

* ** ** **

Havana

Georgetown *** Cuba Route is Charter Service Only: ALL CUBA Charters are subject to U.S. Government approval.

The Exumas

Alliance Partnerships & Frequent Flyer Programs

OnePass is Continental Airlines’ award-winning frequent flyer program. When you enroll, you earn mileage every time you fly Continental Connection— mileage good for free travel rewards.

To enroll in OnePass, call (800) 523-FARE or visit the web site at: www.continental.com *Valid on all Continental Connection flights operated by Gulfstream International Airlines.

As part of our long standing Code-share partnership with Gulfstream International Airlines, you can earn miles on Continental Connection flights operated by Gulfstream International when booked with a United Airlines code and flight number. To enroll in Mileage Plus call (800) 421-4655 or visit the web site at: www.ual.com.

OnePass is Continental Airlines’ award-winning frequent flyer program. When you enroll, you earn mileage every time you fly Copa Airlines, Gulfstream coded flights— mileage good for free travel rewards.

To enroll in OnePass, call (800) 523-FARE or visit the web site at: www.continental.com

*Valid on United & Gulfstream International Airlines Code-share flights.

*Valid on Copa & Gulfstream International Airlines Code-share flights.

B E S T

F O R

I S L A N D

C A S T A W A Y S

All Butler The World’s First All-Butler Resort Sandals Emerald Bay is the world’s first All-Butler Resort, where every guest can enjoy the services of a personal butler who will take care of every want and need. From unpacking your suitcase to an impromptu picnic or dinner on your balcony, your butler is always on call — en-suite, by the pool or on the beach.

Global Gourmet

‘‘

The five restaurants that comprise the resort’s notable dining collection offer pairings of International cuisine with Beringer varietals corked exclusively for Sandals.

Caribbean’s

Best Golf Course

‘‘

TRAVEL & LEISURE GOLF MAGAZINE

®

Ocean Drive A GREG NORMAN-DESIGNED GOLFER’S PARADISE

The Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club is a Greg Norman-designed 7,200-yard, par 72, championship golf course that hugs a rocky coastline, with emerald fairways and prevailing trade winds edged by the sea.

Your exotic private escape I S W I T H I N E A S Y R E AC H Sandals premieres a new level of luxury with the introduction of the world’s first All-Butler, Oceanfront Resort—Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas.

This magnifi cent, award-winning resort offers its guests pampered intimacy amidst the secluded islands of The Exumas. Guests will find oceanview, butlerserviced rooms, suites and villas filled with features to indulge body and spirit.

Aficionados of world-class pleasure will discover a 29,000 sq. ft. Red Lane® SpaX featuring Dermalogica® products, a pro-grade tennis center and a Greg Normandesigned golf course.* If you seek out-of-the-ordinary luxury in the Out Islands, come experience your own exotic, private escape at Sandals Emerald Bay.

For more information call your Travel Agent or 1-800-SANDALS or 305-284-1300

sandals.com X

Spa services additional. *Green fees additional. Unique Vacations, Inc. is the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts.

®

Emerald Bay Great Exuma, Bahamas

An Oceanfront Resort ROOMS, SUITES AND VILLAS APPOINTED TO PERFECTION Picture a sprawling island home, where the fine furnishings are inspired by the British West Indies, all the technologies are in place for your comfort, and windows overlook an endless sea of blue. This should give you the sense of what a typical suite is like at Sandals Emerald Bay. There are 183 rooms, suites and beachfront villas, and all come with the services of a butler trained to the exacting standards of the Guild of Professional English Butlers.