US Airways - February 2014 - (Page 48)

Eleuthera is home to beautiful understated resorts and inns, or visitors can rent beachside homes and cottages. And if you can't go completely off the grid, there's Wi-Fi and cell phone reception. The island is basically one big sandbar surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean on the other, with long stretches of powdered sugar beaches on both coasts. For this visit, my husband and I rent a private home on Pau Pau Bay near Governor's Harbour. Located Little Abaco midway down the island, this is the ideal launch point to explore the northern or southern part of Eleuthera. The Grand Green home sits on a private expanse of Bahama Turtle Island beach with stunning water Cay views from the deck. As soon Great Abaco as we arrive, we change into swimsuits and run Harbour Andros into the velvettyIsland smooth sea. Later, we sip a Bahamian Eleuthera Kalik beer and New Providence watch the sun Island set over the four small Great cays. Abaco Clockwise from above: Anglican church in Tarpum Bay, conch stand, and horseback riding in front of Tippy's restaurant BA HA M A IS LA Great Exuma Island Little ND GETTING THERE San Salvador Rum Cay S US Airways offers yearExuma round daily ﬂights to Nassau's Lynden Pindling International Long Airport, where you can connect Island to Eleuthera through Bahamasair, Pineapple Air, or Southern Air Charter; and ﬂy into North Eleuthera, Governor's Harbour, or Rock Sound. Or you can take a Crooked two-hour ferry from Nassau to Eleuthera. Island 48 FEBRUARY 2014 usairwaysmag.com A car is a must here, unless you plan on staying on the beach your entire vacation. There are many informal ways to rent a car, and it's best to get a four-wheel-drive for off-road exploring. Queen's Highway, the main road that runs the length of the island, is a bumpy but scenic ride through the landscape of graceful kamalame trees and pigeon plum trees. On any given day, you can drive for 30 minutes and hardly see any cars. Miles of lush coral reefs make Eleuthera a snorkeler's paradise. We love Paradise Beach near Gregory Town, about 25 miles north of Governor's Harbour. This barrier reef system teems with life, and we spend hours on a tropical buzz, swimming alongside huge parrot ﬁsh and other bright species. Our other favorite activity is kayaking in the clear, shallow water off the beaches and rocky bluffs. The secluded area of Half Sound Bay, just off of Winding Bay and about 20 miles south of Governor's Harbour, offers a particularly dramatic setting: magniﬁcent, gin-clear waters, a canopy of mangroves, and shores lined with black rocks and hundreds of huge conch shells. On days we feel like staying on land, there are plenty of natural wonders to experience. Top on our list this visit is the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, just south of Governor's Harbour. This 25-acre national park was developed by New Yorker Shelby White in honor of her late husband, Leon Levy. The preserve showcases the rich plant life found in the Bahamas and includes a research center for traditional bush medicine. Preserve manager Mark Daniels is an amiable, informative guide as he leads us past a display of medicinal bush teas. We trek a little more than a mile of dense paths through a towering mangrove forest, past more than 100 species of wonderfully named medicinal plants, including boar hog bush, http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - February 2014

Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Diversions: Public Markets
Diversions: Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale
Diversions: The Philadelphia Mint
Connections
Style Spotlight: Cruise Control
Adventure: Skiing Salt Lake City
Adventure: Arizona Wet & Wild
Gear Up: Workout Tools
US Airways: History of African Americans in Aviation
Travel Feature: Eleuthera in the Bahamas
Great Tastes: Phoenix Dining
University of California at San Diego
Celebrate Black History Month: HBCUs
Best of Health: Desert Institute for Spine Care
Best of Health: Miami Beach Foot & Ankle Surgery
Visit Tri-Valley, California
Must Read: I'll Take You There by Greg Kot
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Giving: The Hope Takes Flight Campaign
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - February 2014