You always hear about the Carribean, see the commercials with the guy on the beach, under a palm tree with some sort of drink with a little umbrella in it. We had a little extra cash from selling a vehicle that I no longer needed, so I looked around on the web and found some good packages on Travelocity.
Hawaii is too expensive, and it's amazing how reasonable prices are for the tropics after the beginning of hurricane season.

A fast drive to DFW where we almost missed our flight, a nice flight to Miami with a 2 hour layover and then the 30 minute rubber band plane ride to Grand Bahama International airport. A small building with three terminals, which is really just three doors a few feet from each other, all leading out to the back of the building.

We stayed at the Pelican Bay in Port Lucaya, a beautiful four star that was literally feet from everything you want in Grand Bahama. Pelican Bay at Lucaya is a 90-room and 96 luxury one-bedroom suite boutique hotel, where Caribbean charm blends with Western European service, located on a marina, just a few hundred yards from a white sandy beach.
The staff was only so-so at best, but on the island, location is everything.

Spent a lot of time walking around the marina and the outdoor market. After the hurricane last year many of the merchants in the international bazaar relocated to the Port Lucaya Marketplace. Most of the islands overpriced restaurants are in the marketplace as well.

Breakfast every morning by the water at Neptune's Pool Bar at the hotel. Feeding bread crumbs to the fish.

First big event, swimming with the dolphins. Interactive experience with trained dolphins under the supervision of trained staff in the protected waters and natural environment of The Dolphin Experience Lagoon. It was very cool.

Our first venture to the beach didn't turn out very well. When we arrived I spotted a water spout several hundred yards out, and watched, along with other beach goers and people on jet ski's, as it came all the way up to the beach. It wasn't large enough to cause any damage but was still unnerving to watch. Torrential rains followed several minutes later and beach time was done for the day. We got our beach time, (and my sunburn), the next day.

Going snorkeling for the first time, our biggest fear is that everyone else will be young and experienced and we'll look foolish. As it turned out, there was a couple and 4 girls, all beginners, all young, all hot. Going snorkeling couldn't have turned out better. It was also very cool, about 10 foot over the edge of the coral reef. Amazing color and beauty. We have to do that again sometime. We were with Captain Brian and boatswain Wayne.

Friday, took an island tour to see Freeport and some of Grand Bahama besides Port Lucaya. Our tour guide gave a history of the island and took us to the duty free liquor store, showed us millionaires row, (summer homes of rich Americans), and took us to the International Bazaar in Freeport.

Many of the merchants here at the International Bazaar never reopened after a hurricane hit in 2005. The tallest building on the island, a hotel/casino, had heavy storm damage and then was gutted by fire from the fourth floor up.

What was once a colorful, picturesque, outdoor market filled with the hustle and bustle of tourists is now largely deserted. Weathered, dilapidated buildings and very little activity. It reminds me a little of present day New Orleans, very sad.

Back to Port Lucaya where the island is fun and colorful and geared to tourists. We had our last meal at Le Med and then headed back to our room. We needed to rise early Saturday for the 3 hour hassle of getting past Bahaman customs and airport security for the 30 minute hop back to Miami. Besides, it was starting to rain again.