After leaving Hopetown, we visited a few favorite anchorages before turning north again. We ended up back at Treasure Cay on March 30th. Here we planned to wait for an opportunity to go "around the Whale" and then spend a little time in the Northern Abacos before heading home.We decided to rent a car in order to explore the parts of Great Abaco Island that are not easily accessible by boat.
At nine o’clock sharp, we arrived at the Treasure Cay Beauty Shop that doubles as a rental car outlet. The clerk was happy to learn that Peter was familiar with right-hand drive, since that was apparently the car of choice for the day.
One long two-lane highway, completed in the 90's, runs the length Great Abaco. The island is nearly 100 miles long. A number of settlements are scattered both north and south of the main city of Marsh Harbor. Since we were familiar with the northern third of the island, we drove south.
Our first stop was a rickety fire tower which gave us an awesome view of Abaco from shore to shore.
To the west were The Marls, an area of shallow water with many tiny rocky cays.
To the east we could see the miles of pine forest stretching to the Sea of Abaco.
Further south we came to Crossing Rocks. Once a fishing community perched on a wildly beautiful beach, it was destroyed by Hurricane Floyd.
Only about three buildings were left standing. The government of the Bahamas relocated the town about a mile inland.
We continued our trip south to the end if the Highway, the extreme southwestern point of the island. We arrived at the friendly fishing village of Sandy Point just in time for lunch.
We had a wonderful lobster lunch on the porch of Nancy's Seaside Inn Restaurant and Bar.
Peter had a hard time not sharing his lobster with a village cat who, understandably had made the Restaurant his home!
Back on the highway northbound, we encountered a bit of traffic. This potcake was on his way somewhere and chose to take the highway!
For a little more on our travels on Great Abaco, see the next entry!
