When you live in the islands you can’t help but look on the bright side.
If you can’t live well in the islands, you aren’t trying hard enough. Thanks to Lydia Williams (pictured with her daughter Jenna) and her team at the Market in Baker’s Bay, you hardly have to try at all. Best conch fritters on the island, they’ve got ‘em. Fresh and fruity tropical drinks, they’ve got those, too. And so does the nearby Conch Shack, which named one of its signature cocktails, The Lydia, in her honor. Made with tequila, lemonade and a splash of OJ, it’s sweet and refreshing…just like Lydia herself.
Tagged as:
bahamas,
bakers bay,
jenna and lydia williams,
vineyard vines
Some people are content with service and a smile. We prefer service with fresh-caught lobsters and a couple bottles of rum.
As food & bev director at Baker’s Bay, Mark Hussey, or “Hussey” to everyone he meets, goes to great lengths (and depths) to ensure his guests are comfortable and having fun at all times. From fine dining to beachside sipping, Mark has all the bases covered, but we’re most impressed by his latest kitchen concept, Bunker’s Bar, where the 19th hole is literally steps from the 18th green. It’s housed in an oversized tent, complete with its own sand-covered floor for a smooth spikes-to-flops transition. It’s just the kind of place a couple of guys like us could spend a whole lot of time, designed by a guy who must have had that in mind all along.
Tagged as:
bahamas,
bakers bay,
food,
mark hussey,
vineyard vines
Home is where the heart (and some of the best golf in the world) is.
It’s hard to tell, but Peter and Amanda Whalen aren’t originally from the islands; in fact, far from them. The two first met in high school in the frozen tundra of Buffalo, NY. Peter went to college in Florida, Amanda in Arizona, but together they eventually found a way to do what they love with the people they love in a place that’s not so bad itself.
Today, they are husband and wife and Peter is the head pro at a golf course that features its own import—a grass that’s designed exclusively for hitting the links barefoot! It’s one more way they make people feel right at home. Only in the Bahamas.
Tagged as:
bahamas,
golfing,
peter and amanda whalen,
vineyard vines
When you make your living with your toes in the sand, you tend to work hard and play harder.
Out on OP Beach you can be sure of two things: the sun will be shining, the water will be glistening and you won’t have a care in the world. OK, that was three things, but the last one is where Jerome Smith, Dillon Roberts and all around aqua man, Willis Levarity come in. From sunrise soccer matches to bonfire beach parties, these three use their bare feet and relaxed state of mind to show the island’s many white-sand beachgoers how to have a good time. All they have to do is make sure everyone else is having as much fun as they are. Turns out, they lead by example.
Tagged as:
bahamas,
beach,
outdoor pursuits,
sand,
spring,
vineyard vines
When in the Bahamas, do as the Bahamians do.
Throughout our travels, we’ve found the best way to experience a faraway place is to stick with the locals. If you find yourself under the care of Celine Albury, Assistant Member Services Director at Baker’s Bay and an Abaco native through and through, you’ll be in bare feet and good hands.
It’s Celine’s job to know the best islands for hopping and lobster spots for diving, so when she said she was heading to one of her favorite watering holes, Grabbers, to meet up with her boyfriend Tito, we decided to tag along. A couple of frozen drinks and a few games of bocce later, you could have sworn we were islanders ourselves. Guess that’s what happens when you have the right guide.
Hey Celine …we got next game!
Tagged as:
abaco,
bahamas,
celine albury,
games,
grabbers,
vineyard vines
Finding the right place can turn your whole world upside down.
When you work in sales, it helps to have a decent product. You could say Connecticut native Craig Klinger has that luxury…and then some. Craig is responsible for introducing people to the pleasures of the Abaco lifestyle at Baker’s Bay…not exactly what you’d call a tough sell.
When we asked Craig what he had in mind for his photo shoot, we had high expectations, but he took it up a notch…literally, all the way to the top of the resort’s 74 foot Lyman Morse, dubbed Discovery. Bahamians try not to take themselves too seriously, but the back flip Craig pulled off the back of this dream boat probably already told you that. We gave it a 9.0.
Tagged as:
abaco,
bahamas,
craig klinger,
lyman morse,
vineyard vines
If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life…or so we’ve heard.
Vaughn Cochran has lived a life worth living. He’s one of those people who have made a career doing things that don’t sound like jobs at all, like fishing. In fact, Vaughn is one of the most well-respected flats fishermen we know. He started guiding in Key West in the early seventies … which led to his next gig, music. Vaughn was one of the original members of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band (maybe you’ve heard of them). All of which gave him inspiration for his latest passion, painting. Vaughn has opened galleries in St. Augustine, where he grew up, and in Jacksonville, but he recently brought his talents to warmer waters, opening Black Fly Lodge, an outfitter and art gallery hybrid on Abaco’s Big Island (or what the locals call the mainland).
Vaughn makes everything he does look easy, but we made him sweat a little when we were around by heading deep into Marsh Harbour to his under-the-radar fishing spot. He even gave us a brush-up on casting the perfect fly line. All in a day’s “work.”
A guy like Vaughn is someone you want to have ties to (for the stories alone), so we decided to make some of our own with him and are pleased to introduce our new Black Fly Collection, coming
this spring!
Tagged as:
abacos,
bahamas,
fishing,
jimmy buffett,
vaughn cochran,
vineyard vines
The family that paddles together stays together.
When Sarah’s not tending to island appetites over at Pineapples Restaurant, her famous ocean-side institution, she oversees waterfront operations of a different sort as Director of Outdoor Pursuits, which might as well be Chief Fun Officer as far as we’re concerned. From paddleboarding to sailing to offshore trampolining (yep, offshore trampolining), whatever floats your boat, Sarah can make it happen.
And if she can’t, her second in command—seven-year-old son Ethan—can. We’ve caught him demonstrating his latest beach break-dancing moves on shore, but most days you can usually spot him maneuvering the swells on a paddleboard right alongside his mom. How’s that for a spending a little quality time together?
Tagged as:
abaco,
bahamas,
paddleboard,
pineapples,
spring,
vineyard vines
In some professions, being a drifter is a good thing.
Jesse Golon, founder of Abaco Paddleboard, has, in our opinion, the best (standup) job you could ever have. A tour guide, entrepreneur and all-around Abacos ambassador, Jesse discovered the islands best-kept secret, its surf, back in the ’80s, and eventually bought his own slice of paradise. Now he calls the Abacos and its pristine waters home.
Jesse’s passion for life and the water comes through in the clean lines of every paddleboard he turns out and in the way he approaches each surf break and business pursuit. As Jesse might say, board meetings happen all the time in the islands…they just require a different kind of suit.
Tagged as:
abaco paddleboard,
bahamas,
island,
jesse golon,
spring,
vineyard vines
If you’ve received the vineyard vines catalog or read the VV blog at any point over the last couple of years, you most likely have seen the face of sailing legend and National Sailing Center and Hall of Fame (NSHOF) Board Member Gary Jobson. Gary is featured here during a 5 am morning sail on the Bull and Bear, NSHOF’s famous sandbaggers used to conduct their free and educational summer sails out of Annapolis Harbor. Through outings on the Bull and Bear, soon to be launched online classroom experiences, and annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, NSHOF is honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to American sailing, teaching math, science and American history, inspiring and encouraging sailing development and providing a landmark for sailing enthusiasts. Look for future VV and NSHOF partnership events in your local community soon!
Tagged as:
bull and bear,
gary jobson,
national sailing hall of fame,
sailing,
vineyard vines
