On Grand Bahama Island, the “F” word is Frances. Hurricane Frances tore through this island of sixty thousand residents late last August destroying many of their homes before her evil cousin Jeanne finished off the damage. Since the disaster, the optimistic and courageous Bahamians have been rebuilding their island brick by brick.

We flew into Freeport with the understanding that this was an island working hard to overcome the effects of Mother Nature. After a twenty-five mile drive, we arrived at Old Bahama Bay, one hundred fifty acres of oceanfront property in Grand Bahama Island’s West End. The force of the hurricanes affected eighty percent of the area’s population, devastating their homes and property. But the Old Bahama Bay resort, sustaining far less damage than other parts of the West End, offered food, shelter, a community relief fund, and outstretched arms to the locals.

Steeped in legends, the West End of Grand Bahama Island has a rich history of bootleggers (Al Capone was a notorious frequent visitor), pirates, and bone fishermen. While the harbor allowed for easy trafficking of whiskey, gold was aplenty on this once Spanish-then French-now British Commonwealth. Bonefish Folley, a living legend on the West End, is known for taking Richard Nixon and other notable fishermen out on the seas in search of catching the elusive bonefish. United States Ambassador to the Bahamas, John Rood is also a close friend of Bonefish. Don’t miss visiting Miss Anne’s Shell Shop. There the shelves are lined with gleaming conch shells, looking like jewels. Miss Anne’s contagious smile and fabulous display of reasonably priced shells makes it a must-see stop on your way to the resort.

Old Bahama Bay is located on the site of the former Jack Tar Hotel, which was popular in the 1950’s. Old Bahama Bay was named a “hot spot” by Conde Nast Traveler in 2002, even while undergoing new development. Simply stated, it is casual elegance at its best. With the feeling of an exclusive club, the intimacy at Old Bahama Bay lends itself to a romantic getaway, destination wedding, small business conference, or, low-key, high-quality family time.

We stayed on the beach in the top floor of a two-story cottage with jaw dropping ocean views and a terrace that ran the length of the place. Each bungalow is named after a flower or plant and a garden of that variety is planted outside. The flora range from oleander to bougainvillea and are truly spectacular. The room interiors are equally impressive—with attention to every detail from the Kohler faucets to the Frette towels--and are the finest in home décor. The granite kitchen and marble bathrooms were completely state of the art and frankly, we would have been perfectly content if we never left the room. We could stargaze up to the beautiful Bahamian sky, or over to the next unit, owned by John Travolta. But there was too much to do at Old Bahama Bay to remain indoors.

We loved walking up and down to docks admiring the boats in the marina. Since it is located just fifty-six miles off the coast of Florida, it is a port of entry and a popular destination for boaters from all over. With seventy-two slips available, we spotted sailing vessels from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. If smaller boats are to your liking, Old Bahama Bay has fishing boats, sunfish, and kayaks for resort guests. For more serious kayakers, take a ride to nearby Lucaya National Park for a journey through the mangroves. We swam, snorkeled, rode bicycles, fished and walked along the white sandy beach. There is a modern exercise room, and tennis courts--and future plans include championship golf course, casino, and spa.

We loved eating outdoors at the Straw Bar, which is directly on the beach. It’s great for lunch, drinks, or light snacks, and they put on special barbeques with local entertainment. Don’t miss the weekly Bahamian event, Junkanoo, featuring local food, costumes, and customs. Over at the Dockside Grille, we had johnnycakes for breakfast (local Bahamian bread), and fresh pan-fried snapper for dinner. The menu has authentic native dishes and wonderful Bahamian hospitality. For fancier fare, there’s Aqua with its menu of classic Bahamian specialties as well as international dishes. There is an emphasis on the catch of the day and tableside cooking.

Bahamian hospitality is unlike anyplace else. The people of the West End are warm, well mannered, and caring. By the time we said goodbye, we felt like we were leaving part of the family behind. We look forward to going back again soon.










































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