Exploring our world by sea and foot: Long Island beckons after long COVID | Patterson

Holy Cow! It’s finally time. Now after two years, we can pack our bags and grab our traveling shoes. It’s finally time to head out to explore our world.

We soon leave to check out an 80-mile-long somewhat remote island in the Bahamas.

My wife discovered an Airbnb cottage named Tiny's Hurricane Hole - Palms Cottage.  It is located directly on the water.  Apparently, you can walk for miles on the beaches and there are many opportunities to hike and explore.

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This is our first international trek since COVID raised its ugly head and impacted everyone and everything. In March of 2020 we were headed for Israel when everything shut down. During this downtime, I survived COVID and very challenging foot surgery.

Long COVID with aching joints and muscles are still a challenge. But this will not keep me from exploring.

Now it is time to put all of this behind us because we are headed out to explore Long Island. That’s Long Island, Bahamas. A good description is in this excerpt from an article in Men’s Journal by Matthew Jussim:

Often likened to a string of pearls, the Bahamas comprises over 700 islands scattered across 100 square miles of ocean. So, yeah, there’s no shortage of stunning scenery with some amazingly beautiful places to explore across the Bahamas. But if you’re looking for a truly under-the-radar destination where you truly can get away from it all —and enjoy some of the world’s best beaches in the process — you can find it on Long Island.

Long Island is a stark contrast to the main tourist destinations — like Nassau and Paradise Island —  you the chance to see the Bahamas in a more raw, unadulterated form. It has beautiful oceans, sandy beaches, and plenty of activities that can take you out on the water and through the caves, cliffs, and beautiful landmarks on the island.

Reaching Long Island is not very easy. First, we fly into Nassau and then catch a small plane for the hour-long flight to Stella Maris Airport

We are traveling to leave from an out-of-town airport in Orlando. This is because the flights from our hometown are twice the cost with limited arrival options. Fortunately, we found a hotel that offers park and fly, so this is a great alternative.

So, now, the Type A personality starts worrying.  I love people and, in this place, people may be in short supply. We are also remote, so internet and phone service may be spotty. Will this be an opportunity to chill and enjoy being unplugged? Can I do this?

On the positive side, we love the water.

The water is crystal clear, so this is a great chance to explore the underwater part of our planet. This island is also the home of one of the world’s deepest saltwater blue holes which can be found near the coast of Long Island. It is about 660 feet deep. A blue hole is an underwater cavern and sometimes it is also called a sinkhole. This is supposed to be one of the world’s best diving and snorkeling sites.

This is a great big incredible planet, and we are honored to have the opportunity to explore its wonders.

If possible, while there, we will keep you updated on this “out of our box” journey.

So I urge you to grab a family member, or friend and go outside for a walk. Talk about your plans to explore new places in our world. This could even be nearby in your neighborhood or backyard.

Are you in?

Contact Gregg Patterson at greggbpatterson@gmail.com.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Exploring our world: Long Island Bahamas beckons after