Packing for three distinct cities is always challenging, but this 12-day trip took a lot more thought as to what was going into my rolling duffle bag. The itinerary started in New York City for two nights, six nights in Bermuda, one more night in New York and then three nights in Charleston, South Carolina.
Arriving in New York Palm Sunday, the bloom had begun with trees budding and tulips popping up in planters along the wide sidewalks of Manhattan. This first leg of the trip was the most exciting as our youngest son, Christopher, had just moved there for a new job with the Warwick Hotel. His apartment building is within sight of the United Nations so I figured it must be the safest place on earth to live (at least that 's what I keep telling myself!). We spent our time together playing tourists, unsuccessfully trying to get on camera during the Today Show taping, and attempting to go to the observation deck of Rockefeller Center, which was sold out. Since our timing was off, we opted for shopping in the men's department of the flagship Macy's store on
Herald Square. The mammoth store was packed with so much merchandise it left me wondering how in the world they would sell it all. Frustration set in when no one was around to even ring up a sale, much less answer a question. Big box retailers wonder why consumes prefer shopping boutiques or even buying on-line. Service!
Christopher arranged for us to see the play Six Degrees of Separation, playing on Broadway, and to eat in some of his favorite restaurants. I always let him order, since food is his business and he knows his business. Saying goodbye to my kid and New York was tough, but it helped to know I would be back in a week, and then there was our next destination—Bermudaaa!
Bermuda is much more than onions, shorts and a triangle. This volcanic island off the coast of North Carolina has the most impressive beaches I have ever seen. As the plane begins its descent, the first thing you notice is the color of the cerulean blue ocean against pink sandy beaches. Scott and I had tried for years to get our good friends from London to meet for a real vacation.
Christina Strawbridge Scott Strawbridge and Robert Briggs |
Since Bermuda is about half way between the UK and Benicia, it seemed to be a perfect rendezvous location. The Higgs booked a quaint hotel outside Hamilton, the capitol city, not far from our hotel. We filled our days taking in the sights, discovering wonderful restaurants and forcing ourselves to relax. This island is pricey—Scott had to be revived a few times after paying the check.
We visited the Royal Naval Shipyard, including the Commissioner's House, dating back to the War of 1812. Bermuda is the oldest British Colony and is considered a British Oversees Territory, which means that the Queen appoints the governor on the advice of the British Government. Bermuda has been used for summit conferences between British Prime Ministers and US Presidents. Churchill-Eisenhower, Kennedy-Macmillan, and Thatcher-H.W. Bush have used the tiny island to discuss Cold War tensions and territory disputes.
On Good Friday, we took a bus (you can not rent a car on the island) to the beach, where Bermudians celebrate the day flying kites. It was an amazing sight to see hundreds of colorful kites over the ocean.
As we boarded the plane back to New York, I couldn't help but think how fortunate I was to experience this special place firsthand with our friends: rich in history, rich in beauty and just plain rich! Scott and his credit card are still recovering.
