Bermuda
October in Boston means Fall has asserted itself and winter is not-so-quietly-waiting in the wings (that's just a very slight exaggeration). Along with my friends, Pancho and Ryan, I escaped the gloomy and truncating days of New England for the high socks and endless summer of Bermuda.
Why high socks? Because Bermuda is hot and because it was colonized by pasty Brits whose bodies were unaccustomed to sun or heat. In the late 1800's they took to cutting their pant legs off, to stay cool, and a fashion trend was born. Wearing the 'Bermuda rig', as it's called, has been ubiquitous among Bermudians since the 1920's.
We stayed at an airbnb in St. George, a part of the island that, until recently, had a great deal of cruise ship activity. The Great Recession put a damper on the cruise tourism, but the local charm seems to remain. Picturesque white roofed houses and gorgeous dingy-filled coves abound. Getting around the island is done by taxi, rented scooters/bikes, or by bus. The Bermudian government does not allow car rentals on the tiny island, which is probably for the best. The roads are incredibly narrow, winding, and frequented by huge blue and pink shuttle buses that take you wherever you would want to go. The buses are cheap and the motion sickness they provide comes gratis.
Any place that has to import the majority of it's goods is going to be expensive and Berumda is no different. Drinks, food, and most other supermarket items cost more that you would expect but most of the activites the island offers are free, so some fiscal balance is provided. We used the buses to tour the island, hitting all the old forts and gorgous beaches, cliff jumping in the Blue Hole Park, and sampling as many Rum Swizzles as we could get our hands on.
Bermuda is a quick two hour flight from Boston and with it's unique blend of British dandiness and tropical charm, it's a great destiation for a winter escape.
