Boston to Bermuda with Young Kids: August 15, 2014--TONS of photos

[lolavix]

Kids on the ferry.

 

I posted some photos of the ride to Hamilton during day three. Here are some additional shots.

 

 

 

 

 

[dltvermont]

Wow, we've never been to Bermuda (on our to do list) but we were on the Dawn last April/May for our first ever cruise and your pics bring back so many great memories!

[lolavix]

pathubia--I'm guessing that things are still getting worked out on the buses, since it's been just 3 weeks since the change. I'm thinking by October, it'll probably be the new normal...Enjoy the cruise with the 'quiet'. Now that we've done it with kids, I think that would be a whole different experience.

 

dltvermont--Glad you're enjoying it.:D

[lolavix]

We departed the ferry and took a more leisurely stroll today, since we had about 20 minutes before our bus to Tom Moore's Jungle would leave. We needed to take the #1 or #3 to get there.

 

Some sights of Hamilton:

This used to house a policeman who would help direct traffic. I read that the birdcage is the most photographed spot in Bermuda. I only took one photo, though, while I have a few hundred of the beaches.

 

A park en route to the bus station

 

 

The library. I would have loved to have stepped inside to see more.

 

This surprised me, right in the middle of a street of nice shops.

 

Isn't this building striking?

[lolavix]

 

I've seen a lot of photos of Bermuda, but none of the Hamilton bus station.

 

Pink girl, pink sand on the beach, pink buses...

 

Ah, here it is...

 

I will add that the bus drivers are super helpful. We told ours where we wanted to get off, and he announced it, rather than our having to push the stop request button.

 

Who wants to ride the bus with us?

Pink bus stop along the way...

 

 

Taken more for the color, that you'd never see in New England on a place of business.

[lolavix]

The name of the street amused me.

 

 

 

More surprising building colors.

 

 

We don't golf, but we can admire the courses:

 

 

Edited August 25, 2014 by lolavix

[lolavix]

Love the palm trees on the golf course. Another thing you don't see in New England.

 

 

The ride to Tom Moore's jungle was about 35-40 minutes. The jungle is adjacent to Blue Hole Park.

 

You are first greeted by a sign which announced Tom Moore's Tavern:

 

We walked down a long driveway

 

 

 

and came across:

 

The paths are not marked, so you need to have a sense of adventure and a good sense of direction and/or memory. I had heard about this from another review, although the writer had been on the "Hidden Gems of Bermuda" tour. We figured it might be fun, since the photos I saw (and then the additional research) looked terrific.

 

Care to join us?

[lolavix]

It's a jungle in here, isn't it?

 

 

It didn't take long before we found this amazing pond.

 

 

The water was super clear and if you look carefully, you might even be able to see fish close to the bottom of the photo.

 

The kids really wanted to swim here, but there was no easy way to enter, and we thought, once they got in, how could they easily get out? We nixed that idea. Then we found out later that it is illegal to swim in this particular pond/area, so it's just as well...although it looked so inviting.

 

It wasn't too much further that we found a cave

 

...and it was then that I realized that I had left the flashlights we had packed back on the ship. So annoyed with myself.

 

Here is the best shot I got.

 

We didn't even want to try to venture inside, since I had read it was dark and you could easily get lost. Some caves have pools and people can swim. Given that we didn't have the flashlights, we didn't even mention this to the kids.

 

Just a little reminder that we weren't the only ones who've visited.

 

I will mention that we actually did walk along with another couple for a short bit. We also spied a few people exiting when we were starting out, so chances are you'll see others while visiting here, if you opt to come.

[lolavix]

 

 

 

 

 

Bigger so you can see the friend DS1 found.

 

A few more critters:

I had forgotten we went back and I got this shot of the fish in that pond.

 

 

So lush and green

[lolavix]

And last but not least:

 

By now, we had finished touring the jungle. The kids were ready to move on to the beach. We were thinking that we'd walk back up the driveway and wait at the bus stop, because the bus would take us on to St. George's, but DH wound up talking to a gentleman who was with a mechanic working on a van. Turns out that he's the father of Ashley, of the Hidden Gems of Bermuda tour, and he gave us a little bit more information about the immediate area and offered to take us up the road so we didn't have to wait for the bus on a very narrow street.

 

We had him drop us off at an area that was a back entrance to the caves. We didn't go to the caves, but we did find a few rocks to sit upon and eat our lunch. We brought those pre-packaged Hormel kits which I posted about in Day 3, which were more like snacks, but that was OK, because we were adjacent to

 

 

Shall we go inside? It was just opening for business when we were ready for dessert.

 

 

The ice cream was delicious! I ordered Bailey's flavor. I figure, when in Rome...

 

 

This is a small size (I think. There was a child's size and then I got the next size up, which I think was called "small". I will say that the child's size isn't that much smaller than this.) Child's size was $2.90 or $2.95 and the size in the photo was $4.25. With $2 waters for each of us thrown in, the visit to Bailey's came in around $26, which I don't think is too far off for what we'd have paid at home with waters and ice cream.

 

Not the greatest photo, but it shows the sherbet colored inside walls, which match the outside.

 

Across the street, you'll find the Swizzle Inn, so you could eat there and then have dessert at Bailey's.

 

 

Not only can you see the Swizzle Inn, but you can see the driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Even on foot, I never really got used to that, so I'm glad I didn't try a moped.

 

The bus stop was right across the street, so we finished up and waited for the next bus to take us to St. George's. Our day had only just begun...

[pathubia]

We went to that Swizzle Inn in May, going to try the new one in October!!

 

Loving your pictures, thank you!!

[Weluv2cruise2007]

I'm s enjoying your review...although I burned past all the dailies because I don't want to ruin the surprise! We sail on Friday...can't wait!!

[lolavix]

Pathubia--We didn't make it to either Swizzle Inn...next time! I did see the other one as we road the #7 bus from Hamilton to the beach.

Weluv2cruise2007--I don't blame you! You are going to have a blast!!

[lolavix]

We waited a few minutes for the bus and either #10 or #11 came by and we were off. It took about 20 minutes or so to get to St. George's. We didn't disembark in the main town, but the driver took us by a bus depot and dropped us off at the top of a road when we mentioned we wanted Tobacco Bay. We weren't the only ones who rode past the town, but this surprised me a bit because I know from the ferry, you walk though part of the town to walk to Tobacco Bay and we were well past the main town.

 

Turns out we hit Gates Bay/Fort St. Catherine/Fort St. Catherine Beach first, and it was very difficult to pass this view by

so we decided to stay. Not to mention, there was shade and it was pretty bright and strong in the sun. And the beach was pretty empty, which was super appealing. The walk from where we were dropped off by the bus driver to Gates Bay was about 15 minutes, but again, we had three kids and a bunch of stuff to lug with us.

 

 

The fort is difficult to miss. The folks playing volleyball look like they're having fun.

 

 

That blue just stretches out forever...

 

We all spent a lot of time in the water. This beach is on the other side of the fort from Tobacco Bay, so the snorkeling was similar to what you'd find there.

 

Above and

below!

 

Close by, there are tons of little fish (upper right corner).

[lolavix]

Another above

and below

 

 

and both together

 

 

Note that we all have T-shirts on today. Too much sun the day before!

 

 

 

My DH took the older two kids over to snorkel near the fort. DS2 is still getting the hang of snorkeling, so he stayed behind with me to practice and play in the water.

 

Brain coral

[lolavix]

Some additional snorkeling photos. These are OK, considering we could no longer view the photos we had taken or adjust the settings on the camera. I am thankful that DH got these at all.

 

 

 

 

The above fish looks like he's smiling.

 

 

We stayed at this beach for about 2 hours. We then wanted to go check out Tobacco Bay, so we asked directions and headed out.

[lolavix]

The path to Tobacco Bay sent us over a grassy hill for a bit, but eventually we met up with the road again.

 

As we approached, we saw these:

 

They reminded me of the turrets of castles.

 

 

 

 

When we finally reached Tobacco Bay, it was around 3:30. It was super crowded and there was really no place to sit. We were pretty hot and grumpy by then, that we just gave up. I had read that recently, Tobacco Bay had become a bit more commercial, and that seemed to be the case. We decided to change back into our clothes, get some water, and head back to St. George's. We had heard that the walk was about 10-15 minutes, but I know that these times were underestimates, given the level of our tiredness and the fact that we had kids with us.

 

We did notice that there were many locals approaching tourists and offering rides to the ferry for fairly low prices. I started viewing these folks as a type of independent shuttle service, and we took one up on his offer. For $7, we got a ride back to town and were grateful for that.

 

The only regret I had is that we didn't get to walk by the Unfinished Church. We didn't even drive by it, since our newly appointed guide thought he was being helpful by taking us back the way we came, by Gates Bay and Fort St. Catherine. He didn't realize that we had already been there, and while it was nice to see the beach one last time, this route did not take us by the Unfinished Church the way the more direct route would have. We probably could have done it once we got back to St. George's, but part of me was just too hot and tired.

 

So, next time...

 

I did get a few shots while in St. George's. We had about an 75 minutes to kill before the ferry departed.

 

 

The Town Hall--I had the Hamilton Town Hall earlier in this review, and now we have that of St. George's.

 

Although we didn't see the Unfinished Church, we did see

the oldest church in the Western Hemisphere. We were too late to go in, but we were able to walk around.

 

[lolavix]

 

The kids and I walked around the back and we came across what looked like a very old cemetery.

 

 

 

 

I thought this tree was really interesting, with the flowers growing out of it.

 

 

[lolavix]

We finished our mini-tour and started the short walk to the ferry.

 

I thought this was fun:

 

This is right next to the Ferry dock, if you'd like to visit and have more time than we did.

 

We were about 45 minutes or so early for the ferry. We made our way into the terminal and found seats, even though it was starting to fill up quickly. The 5:30 ferry is the last one back to the Dockyard on Monday, so you want to be sure to make it, or it would be a long bus ride or expensive taxi ride back to the Dawn.

 

Throwing this in here for reference:

 

We were entertained by this gentleman and his saxophone.

 

He specialized in 80s songs.

 

Eventually, the ferry arrived and we jumped up to get in line. There were several hundred people in line, and we all fit with seats to spare. This was a larger ferry than the one to Hamilton from the Dockyard.

 

Exactly at 5:30, we were off. We sat at a table downstairs, rather than up on the very windy deck. That didn't stop me from taking a few photos:

 

 

[ClarkBHM]

Great post and pictures!

 

At this time, DH took the camera and went out to get some underwater photos. I can't do this because I don't have a prescription mask, and I'm blind as a bat without glasses so it would be pointless.

 

I wear glasses as well and have had success getting "Speedo Vanquisher Optical Swim Goggles." They are much cheaper than prescription masks/goggles and you don't need a prescription. They work kind of like reading glasses and do wonders for your underwater vision. Ask your eye doctor what magnification you'll need (or check your prescription).

 

Granted, snorkeling with goggles is different than snorkeling with a mask, but I've done it several times in Jamaica and the difference is amazing.

[lolavix]

 

 

DH and I went up to the upper deck for a few minutes and watched the wake.

 

It was super, super windy...to the point where we couldn't really talk to one another because the words were blown out away by the wind. I went back downstairs and he took the kids up for a bit.

 

After about 40 minutes or so, we arrived back at:

 

and we walked back to the Dawn.

 

We arrived and checked back in. The night before, DH had mentioned to me that he had noticed bottles of pink sand which had been confiscated as you are not allowed to take soil (aka sand) back to the US. I noticed the pile myself this evening.

 

Quite the little beach going on here.

 

We wanted to go to the BBQ that was being held by the Oasis pool. However, just when we arrived, rain started and they closed up shop. We wound up at the Garden Cafe, and this is probably the least appetizing meal we had there. Nothing really looked or tasted that good. There was some sort of tilapia, and Mexican entrees with no spices whatsoever. I don't like my Tex Mex particularly spicy, but this was just bland.

 

We ate quickly because we wanted to all go to the 7:30 show. David DaVinci, the illusionist, was performing, and we figured this would be something the kids would enjoy.

 

This is the one show I don't have the marquee poster, so just imagine a photo here.

 

David DaVinci performed with his wife, Jamie Lee. They put on a very good, entertaining show, with a lot of "how'd they do that?" head scratchers. They kept us all enthralled for the entire show.

 

After the show, we dropped the kids off at Splash Academy. We learned that the 6-9 year olds, the group that both our boys were in, were going to dress up like pirates and walk around the ship. We had seen the younger kids dress up like princes and princesses, and we knew we'd want to see it. The parade was going to be very soon, so we walked down to Deck 7 to ready ourselves.

 

Next up--some of the most handsome pirates you'd ever want to see. ;)

[dltvermont]

Just wondering, did you do any post processing of the pictures from the beach by the fort above? The blue sea water is just gorgeous. I never seemed to capture the true colors of the water when we were on our cruise. Just wondering for future reference!!

[pathubia]

I love the beach at St Catherines!! They used to have a snack bar and full service bar there!! Once we took a banana float ride. It was a speed boat pulling a long yellow float with about 15 people sitting on it. It looks so fun from the shore, but it was the ride from HELL!! We were holding on for our lives and the driver of the boat kept trying to dump us off!! It was fun for about 5 minutes, LOL!! :eek:

 

When we took the cruise this past May, we took the 930 ferry to St George and then we took a rickedy old bus to Tobacco Bay, we were lucky it wasnt crowded at all. We were there from about 11 to about 1.

 

Not sure if we will take the ferry there in October, we may just go to Hamilton.

 

This is the best thread ever, thank you so much!!

[lolavix]

The pirate parade traveled the entire seventh floor. I ran alongside it like the paparazzi.

 

DS1 notices me; DS2 is oblivious.

 

Aha, I see my mom now.

 

They continued all the way to the Stardust Theater, where they lined up and sang a few pirate songs, complete with gestures.

 

 

On the way out, I got some piratey grins.

DD was also there, but the older kids didn't play the part. I think they had to go along for the walk since no one was up in Splash Academy.

 

Parents: I will mention that while the professional ship photographers took photos of the princess/prince gathering in the Stardust an earlier evening, none were taken of this or the circus later in the week. If you want pictures of your kids, you need to take them yourself.

 

I then went on a mission--I got off the ship to get photos of the Dawn in the dark. Even with my wide angle lens, I still had to walk quite a bit away to fit her all in.

 

 

I waited for DH to get back to the room with the kids and I tried to get a photo of them on one of our balconies.

 

We were the first deck above the life boats, right above the last lifeboat. You can sort of see a few bodies clumped together. The floor above ours also has the balcony light on. I wanted to get a day time photo, but our last day was hurried and it didn't happen.

 

When I got back to the room, we all decided to get a late dessert. We learned that you don't want to wait for dessert if you see something you like at dinner, because by 9:30, it could be gone. We got a few things to sample and that was that.

[lolavix]

ClarkBHM--I will have to look into them for next time. When we were honeymooning, I wore contacts so snorkeling we did during our trip was no issue, but I don't wear them anymore and didn't really put it together that I'd have a problem until too late. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

dltvermont--I started off the review without any editing/post-processing, but when I started with the beach photos, I realized I needed to do a little bit to do them justice. I don't go too crazy-a little lightening/brightening and adjusting of the color curves and the results seem to match what I remember.

 

pathubia--I wonder what happened to the snack bar, because it looked pretty undeveloped, which made us happy...I think the Tobacco Bay development has been since maybe the end of June or beginning of July. I know I read about it on the Bermuda boards earlier this summer...I needed more time in both Hamilton and St. George's, but we did enjoy our beach time, too...Thank you for your kind words. :)

Edited August 27, 2014 by lolavix