Planning a vacation? Need suggestions? How about South Florida and The Bahamas? They both have beautiful beaches. Isn’t that enticement enough?
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. My husband and father are both from The Bahamas, a country right next door to Florida. For those who are planning a vacation, I usually tell them to go to South Florida. Specifically, they should go to Miami, Florida and The Florida Keys. Then I advise them: “While you’re there since you’re close, you might as well go over to The Bahamas.” It’s a half-hour plane ride. Some people fly over and come back in the same day. Others take a 1-day cruise. I don’t recommend it. Hey! It’s a vacation! Why rush? Of course, if you don’t want to leave the country you could stay in Florida, drive up to Orlando, and visit Disney World. How fun is that?
Here are some interesting and fun facts about Florida and The Bahamas. When you travel, it’s good to know a little bit of history or trivia about the places you will visit. Somehow you appreciate the visit a lot more. At least I think so.
About The Bahamas
Christopher Columbus was an “accidental Bahamian tourist”. He wasn’t really looking for these islands. “Long Island is where Columbus anchored the Santa Maria when he discovered the island in 1492.” (Quote Source) “After the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to the Bahamas and set up a plantation economy.”
This fact makes me laugh and makes me cry. First of all, if you are “enslaved” you don’t really have much of a choice about where you’re “moved”. That’s the part that makes me cry. On the other hand, the part that makes me laugh is … if I am being an eternal optimist no matter what my circumstances, to end up in a country as beautiful as The Bahamas, slave or not, I’d have to say “Well alright!” Sunshine! Pink sand. Turquoise blue waters. Excellent diving and fishing! Hey! It’s not like I was moved to Siberia! Besides. A few decades after that move, slavery was abolished. A couple of centuries later, The Bahamas became an independent nation just like America.
About South Florida
Miami is a hot spot. There’s nothing I could say that a bazillion people have not already said except that I loved growing up in that city. My memories are blessings.
Some have likened the Florida Keys to an “American Bahamas”. I disagree but totally understand why the comparison was made. The Florida Keys and The Bahamas are very much alike. Jerry Wilkinson published a very informative article titled “History Of The Bahamas” where he explains the similarities. Both places were inhabited by indigenous Indians and after the American Revolution, some English loyalists moved to the Keys and settled there.
So what do you think about these vacation suggestions?