Pining for a vacation on a Sunday morning

It's nearing the end of April already and I am in dire need of a break. However, times being what they are, all of my vacation plans for 2009 have been shelved. Poor me, right? Anyhow, I went to dinner with some friends last weekend and we did hammer out a plan for a get away at the end of August. 

One of the perks to living in Florida is our proximity to the Windward Caribbean and The Bahamas. So in an effort to streamline and economize what have been growing into some ambitious (and expensive) vacations, we're going back to The Bahamas. Specifically, the Out Islands of The Bahamas. Depending on where you are, that may sound extravagant, but it's really not. Our target, Cat Island is only 350 miles away. 350 miles to get to another world entirely sounds like a good deal to me.

The Out Islands of The Bahamas are the islands farthest east of the US and they're anchored by the larger islands; Cat Island, Eleuthera and the Exumas. I have been to Cat Island six times in the last couple of years and it is a paradise beyond my ability to describe it. The Out Islands Promotion Board just produced this video extolling the many virtues of this heaven on earth. As an added bonus, I've been to all of the locations in this video and a lot of it was filmed on the very beach where we stay over there. Pay attention to the next to the last scene and you'll see an empty hammock.

Well, here's that same hammock, only it's occupied by my great friend JD. I think it's a sign.