We are expecting another 12-15 inches of snow in Connecticut today so let’s shift our attention somewhere beachy and beautiful: the Bahamas! I got to explore the Abacos with Vineyard Vines and The Moorings last week with my friends Carly, Kelly, and Sean and I have so many fun memories and pictures to share. And the best part is you can enter to win a similar trip at the end of this post!
my dress // Carly’s dress // Kelly’s dress
This was my first time sleeping on a boat (besides a cruise ship which is a totally different experience!) and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the main deck was surprisingly spacious and our bedrooms and bathrooms (four total!) were cozy but perfectly adequate. Honestly we spent very little time on the boat during the day except for a few marathon photo editing sessions with the doors open to the ocean breeze… can you tell I’m already ready to go back?
The best part about traveling with The Moorings was how completely flexible our itinerary was. We had a loose game plan going into the trip of a few spots we wanted to check out, but we could change course on any given day or move the boat to a different dock on the island. Our skipper had lots of restaurant recommendations for each island but other than that we would just go off on our own and explore!
my cover-up // Carly’s bikini top // Carly’s shorts // Kelly’s cover-up // Kelly’s tote bag
one-piece swimsuits // bikini top and bottoms
We all flew into Marsh Harbour on Monday night and slept on the boat at the marina there before setting sail on Tuesday morning. Our first stop was Hope Town in Elbow Cay, where we had breakfast at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge and spent the morning at the beach. You guys… the water in the Bahamas just never gets old to me. The ocean is crystal clear with stripes of turquoise and cobalt blue and even during a “cold front” it was practically the temperature of bath water. This water baby was in heaven!
Carly’s top // my top // Kelly’s top // Kelly’s denim jacket // white jeans
On Tuesday night we had dinner at Firefly, which several of you had recommended on Instagram. We arrived to the most exquisite sunset (and some very strong cocktails). Highly recommend!
baseball cap // bikini top and bottoms from Vineyard Vines summer collection (coming soon!)
my baseball cap // my bikini top and shorts from Vineyard Vines summer collection (coming soon!) // Carly’s Shep shirt // Kelly’s baseball cap // Kelly’s pullover // Kelly’s tote bag
On Wednesday, we made our way to Green Turtle Cay. This island was definitely a little sleepier than Elbow Cay, but we had an excellent brunch at Turtle Crawl Café (seriously my mouth is watering thinking about their perfectly garlic-y toast) and rented a golf cart so we could scoot around to different beaches. Sadly we didn’t see any turtles at Coco Beach, but we couldn’t resist a quick dip regardless!
my dress // Carly’s dress // Kelly’s denim jacket // Kelly’s pants
That night we had dinner at the Green Turtle Club, which is rather unassuming from the outside but has a really cool old school vibe inside. The interior of the Dollar Bar with all its nautical flags reminded me a little of a tiny restaurant called Rory’s in my hometown (my dog’s namesake and home of the best cobb salad in the world…) and enjoy cocktails and conch fritters while the sun set. Also I think three of the four of us ordered the lobster and artichoke ravioli and it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. I’m not usually drawn to the food in the Caribbean but I have to say we ate very well on this trip!
Carly’s bikini top and bottoms // my bikini top and bottoms // Kelly’s bikini top and bottoms
my bikini top and bottoms // Kelly’s bikini top and bottoms
bikini top and bottoms
my bikini top and bottoms // Carly’s bikini top and bottoms // Kelly’s bikini top and bottoms
Thursday was by far my favorite day of the trip. We started by sailing to Noname Cay to feed the island’s wild pigs and oh my goodness, the baby piglets were so cute I wanted to smuggle one home to give Rory a brother. They ate apple slices right out of our hands and I easily could have stayed and played with them all day. We capped off the morning adventure with a jump off the front of the boat because I mean, how could we not?!
my bikini top and bottoms // Carly’s bikini top and bottoms // Kelly’s bikini top and bottoms
my bikini top and bottoms // Carly’s bikini top and bottoms // Kelly’s bikini top and bottoms
That afternoon we took the dinghy ashore to Baker’s Bay to meet Ian Murray, the cofounder of Vineyard Vines, for a tour of his insanely gorgeous home and a golf cart cruise around the members-only community. The island was absolutely pristine and yet totally laid-back, with people playing golf barefoot and “comfort stations” set up with free candy for kids and cocktails for adults. The list of residents reads like a who’s who of actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs… and it’s easy to see why they all choose to vacation here!
my dress // Kelly’s dress // Carly’s dress
We had lunch at Nipper’s on nearby Great Guana Cay before meeting up with Ian and his wife for sunset cocktails at Grabber’s. We also got to meet Justin Thomas and Tom Lovelady — I don’t follow golf myself but my husband, dad, and brothers were pretty jealous! The restaurant had live music, a signature rum drink appropriately named the Grabber (let’s just say one is plenty), and was the perfect spot to celebrate on our last night before heading home.
Many thanks to Vineyard Vines and The Moorings for having us and to Sean for all the beautiful photos (and his sailing expertise, which definitely came in handy as well!). You learn a lot about people on a four-night boat trip and I honestly couldn’t have asked for better company than Carly, Kelly, and Sean. We had a lot of laughs and I can’t wait to reunite with everyone next time Kelly is on the east coast! Be sure to enter for your own trip to the Abacos here… crossing my fingers one of you will be the lucky winner!
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