On our trip to Long Island in 2019 we had intended to visit the Columbus monument at Cape Santa Maria on Long Island but came up short on time so it was a natural to make it a priority on this trip. In 2019 we had a rental car but no such luxury this time, so as we often do, we struck out on foot. The distance was only a mile or two but we first had to get to the road. We took our dinghy into Hoosie Bay (only one letter of from Hoosier as Harry noticed) and from there bushwhacked through to the road. We got lucky in that someone had been clearing a parcel by hand and replanting lovely palm trees and other small bushes. Once we found this clearing, the path to the road was clear. First a dirt / rock road that then met up with the Queens Highway that runs from the north to the south of Long Island. The total time on foot was about an hour.
We had been told to not expect to find any others there, and this was the case. We walked up the steps to the monument used as a memorial to the Lucayan people and to mark the landing of Christopher Columbus in October of 1492. The reward was stunning views the ocean and barrier reefs, all providing a range of beautiful blue colors. We enjoyed lunch in the shade of the monument then walked down to a nearby beach. We decided not to swim but found a large Casaurina tree that provided us with some shade to enjoy a book and relax. As we were settling in another couple we had seen arrive by car earlier showed up at the small beach. They had ties to Boston and had formerly owned a sailboat in Annapolis. After chatting with them, they said they were off for a little fly fishing but if we wanted a ride back with them they would be happy to oblige when they returned in an hour. This was too good to pass up. While they couldn't get us back to our dighy because of the dirt / rock road, the ride down the Queens Highway did cut our walk back in half so it was very welcome.
We found the path to the dinghy and headed back to Juno. When we started our journey in the morning there were only three boats in the bay, now there were 16. This was not too much of a surprise as we knew that many of the boats that we were with in Thompsons Bay were planning to head here. Back at Juno, we had a quick refreshment and went for a swim where we took the opportunity to clean a bit of growth off of Juno’s bottom as well as snorkel and investigate the area around the boat. After that we headed back to the resort for another Happy Hour where we met many of the sailors that had arrived today. Before sunset we headed back to Juno for a dinner of Shashuka, and afterwards a bit of stargazing from Juno's bow and making plans for tomorrow's trip to Conception Island.
No comments:
Post a Comment