Fun, sun, golf, sand; It's grand in Bermuda
Easily accessible island is perfect vacation spot
Notwithstanding whatever troubles Mark Twain experienced in the 19th century, Bermuda is easily accessible in the 21st century — despite reputation and rumors of Bermuda triangle stories.
In fact, Bermuda's attraction — in part — derives from how easy it is to get there. About an hour flight from some East Coast cities and under two hours from New York lands you on the island within minutes from most any activity.
Actually, the island represents only the north side tip of the famed triangle, and a jaunt from New York of just under 800 miles does not encompass any of the "dangerous waters." Experts have concluded that the documented disappearances in the triangle represent about the same number of mysterious events that have occurred in other such places — perhaps even less considering the heavy traffic passing through the Caribbean.
And Bermuda is not in the Caribbean, as many think. It lies directly east of North Carolina, and temperatures do not reflect the warmer, balmier climates of the Caribbean islands — at least during the winter months. In early April, the weather felt more akin to England, from which Bermudans derive their heritage. But even during the winter months, temperatures average in the 60s, and the summer months see the mercury rise to the mid 80s.
Golf courses overlook the ocean, offering scenic vistas of clear turquoise water and scenic rock formations on the shallow ocean floor. Under a bright sun and just 68 degrees, we were tempted to walk the course. But that thought quickly passed — after all, we were on vacation.
So I tied in my clubs to the back of the cart, and the friendly Bermudan wished us a good time but warned me not to cheat. I showed mock offense and said, "I never cheat." And he smilingly replied, "Oh, you just lie!"
It's all about fun here, but my son explained to our newly found friend and me that I couldn't claim a good score unless I played straight up, after which our wise friend counseled my son, saying: "Even Jesus has a fish story, see John 21." But, as usual, my son got the last word in as he came back and said, "This is golf, not fishing."
We had to purchase a few golf balls, as they were not supplied with the rental clubs. The lady behind the counter not only explained to us that these were experienced golf balls, and that exact phrase was printed out on our receipt. I told her she really had a gig going here, because the main experience these balls had was getting lost, and I didn't need any experience in that.
Recent comments
As someone who is very scared of swimming in open water (without…
A former visitor to Bermuda | June 1, 2008 at 5:11 p.m.
