July 19, 2009
Windswept

Mom’s Comments:

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Spanish Wells/Russell Island to be exact. We stayed at Lucinda’s Windswept and loved every minute! The house is wonderful in every way we could have imagined for a family vacation. Lucinda is a great hostess and so are Darin and Becky and their great kids. We gathered fresh coconut from the yard to eat, had freshly picked mangoes from generous friends, were mesmerized by the gorgeous sea view from the kitchen window, and French doors in the master, snorkeled, kayaked and fished right off the concrete deck and gathered our own conch for homemade conch chowder and fritters. We also rented a boat so were able to snorkel Devil’s Backbone, visit neighboring beaches and even snorkel around a shipwreck off of Egg Island. The waters around these islands are the prettiest I’ve ever seen even though I’ve been to Hawaii and Mexico! We absolutely loved the family friendly atmosphere here. The kids loved that we drove the golf cart on the left side of the road, the fishing, snorkeling and catching the stunning blue lizards! Mom loved seeing the beautiful colored fishies, the birds unique to the Bahamas and watching the various colors of the sea change with the changing depths. Hubby and son even hooked and almost brought to shore a 4’ tarpon! As I said this is a PERFECT family friendly vacation for people who love the outdoors or even lounging around a luxury home with stunning views with a book and cooking in a kitchen with a view. This is not a partying kind of place, which we loved!!! Our nightlife involved either retiring early for an early start to see the sunrise or falling asleep in front of Blue Planet videos or a family movie in the mini-theatre downstairs. J Restaurants are expensive but we did splurge on Eagle’s Landing (I had the turtle snacker and LOVED it!) one night and the kids had freshly made Coconut ice cream at the local ice cream stand in town. Food is expensive as are groceries, but you can manage on PB&J on Kathy's freshly made Johnny Cakes and some fresh coconut or mango on the side for lunch and fresh catch for dinner. Get some potatoes and pasta for side dishes! Teen Planet has pizza and we wished we had tried that! The frozen pizza packs for $12 at Food Fair are GREAT for a night when you didn’t catch any fish. We'd love to give you any tips if you’d like to write to us, just be sure to put Windswept in the subject line or we may spam it. tswills@yahoo.com

Dad’s Views:

What a fantastic vacation!! Windswept was the perfect home base for our adventure to the Eastern Caribbean. Darrin, Becky, Andre, and Porter Sands, owner Lucinda Pinder, and island home owners Vic and Betsy made our 11 days on Russell Island an experience of a lifetime for our family of five.
As predicted, Lucinda’s two story villa “Windswept” on the south shore of Russell Island proved to be the best possible location for a family on a first time visit to the outer Bahamas islands. Modern, well appointed, with breathtaking views, beautiful sunrises, fishing, kayaking, and swimming right off the back porch, and high speed wireless internet to keep you connected (if you want to be), left nothing to be desired.
Darrin’s brother Andre rented us his 22’ pursuit fishing boat for the week, and we were never without fresh catch, as a result. Darrin’s father Porter introduced me to the area with a get-acquainted run through Spanish Wells harbor, and to the north of Sewell’s Point along Devil’s Backbone.
The prevailing weather is sunny most of the time, even when passing showers loom from the northwest or push up from the southeast. After a few days, it became easy to read the patterns and plan our days, and our boating excursions to enjoy the tranquil blue waters of the outer Bahamas.
Brilliant summer mornings gave way to afternoon showers about two or three days a week. With so little land, and such vast seas not yet warmed in early summer, these storms do not loom as large or stay as long as summer storms in our native Florida. In fact, lightening was hardly even a concern as the rains passed or dissipated before causing an issue. Winds are generally from the south, causing the rocky southern shoreline of Russell Island to seem inhospitable on some mornings, but don’t be fooled. At the same moment the sheltered beaches of the north shore are placid and serene. Even the windiest days, gave way to breathtakingly calm waters all around the island by evening.
To the west, if at all possible, don’t miss the reefs and the huge shallow wreck off Little Egg Island. This is about 8 miles by boat, and can be a bit rough in the wind if beating to windward. But as I’ve said, you’re guaranteed a serene trip home as the winds subside. Lots of marine life, including healthy schools of barracuda and a few shark love the reefs too, so spear fish cautiously.

The Wills Family
Melbourne, FL