BERMUDA"S CHARMS

                                           A Great Destination

     Bermuda is a great cruise destination, although it can easily be reached by plane. A ship provides your accommodations and meals,which on the island can be expensive---no fast food on every street corner! To avoid overwhelming the island with thousands of tourists all at once the number of ships allowed into port at any one time is limited/regulated.

      I'm not much of a big cruise ship advocate. Finding six large cruise ships in port at the same time and everything so crowded you can hardly move is most annoying. Having said that, there are a couple destinations where a cruise is most advantageous---Bermuda and Alaska being among them. Bermuda’s size and isolation has forged a continuity of place and tradition. Parliament was established in 1620. The Bermudians love pomp and circumstance, British tradition, and Bermudian history.

      Pastel colored houses with white roofs along the blush-colored pink beaches and its infamous pink Princess Hotel make Hamilton a picturesque capitol, albeit small town. Bermuda shorts-clad business men are a common sight, as well as shorts-clad policemen. It's the knee-high socks that make the outfit. Personally I like that dress code, especially now that so many places have abandoned their traditional/native dress in favor of western wear.

     Forget renting a car on the 21 square mile archipelago. Traffic has been a problem for decades and car ownership is regulated. Renting a motor bike is your only choice. Hamilton is easily walkable and pubic buses are easy to hop on to get you to your destination.

     The surrounding reefs were treacherous and although Jaun de Bermudez was an accidental arrival in the 1500s the island was not settled until 1684 when Britain claimed it as its first legal offshore colony. In 1995 the residents voted against independence and to keep the Queen as its figurehead leader.

     Its numerous days of sunshine and a warm sub-tropical climate, make the island warm most of the year with December to March being the coolest. Besides the many water activities to keep you busy, Bermuda if full of history and has many other places of interest to visit. Historic St George is a UNESCO site. St. Peter's, the oldest Anglican church still in use in the hemisphere is worth a visit as is Fort Saint Catherine or the Royal Dock Yard. Rent a bike and ride along the Bermuda Railway Trail, or ride the bus to Gibbs Lighthouse (1846) and enjoy the view from the top or stroll the Botanical Gardens. And there is always shopping.

      The picturesque Moongates are one of my favorite things to see as I know of no other like them anywhere. The history of the steel drum is interesting and there is plenty of music and nightlife for everyone. Bermuda is a great vacation destination!