Touching down at Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport on July 1st for a five-night getaway, a thought crossed my mind, “is it unpatriotic to spend Independence Day in a British Overseas Territory?” But, in a cab bound for the St. Regis Bermuda Resort, all those guilty, treasonous feelings were gone.
There is no doubting the beauty of Bermuda and the St. Regis hotel’s property. We took it all in as we strolled the lobby and the attached balcony that overlooks the hotel’s two pools and the beach just beyond. We had been given glasses of prosecco to enjoy while we waited to check in. All seemed well. We were on our second glass of prosecco when we were invited to a check-in desk and informed our room wasn’t quite ready. Our bags were already with the bellmen, leaving us in an unfortunate spot. We couldn’t take a dip in the pool or at the beach because all our swimwear was in those bags. Not holding swimwear out was poor planning on our part because, even after our room was ready, getting our bags delivered was somewhat of a struggle for us and others we heard during our stay. Eventually, our bags were delivered to our ocean view room, and we were off to the water.
Morning at the St. Regis adult pool.
For the next four days we fell into a pattern. Each day started by marking our chairs at the pool with a book and beach bag. Then came a walk to St. George for breakfast or having an early lunch at Lina, the on-property restaurant that transforms into BLT Steak at night. Long afternoons at the adults only pool or on the beach preceded a cab trip back to St. George for dinner.
As each afternoon wore on, more guests opted for drinks at the adults only pool and the one upmanship of couples comparing babymoons past and present, summer camps, jobs, and the best New York City suburbs. Luckily, the beach was just steps away for when we needed a break from the these loud debates. In the evenings, the crowds thinned and the pool quieted down.
The location of the St. Regis at Gates Bay is somewhat surprising given the bay’s historical significance. Gates Bay is where the surviving crew and passengers of the ship Sea Venture came ashore after the ship grounded on a nearby reef in 1609. The ship was bound for Jamestown, Virginia. Among its passengers was Sir Thomas Gates, Governor Designate of Virginia. Upon seeing the bay, Gates named it after himself. The 150 survivors of the wreck spent nine months building two ships that allowed them to continue the journey to Jamestown. A few stayed behind and England’s claim to Bermuda was established. A small memorial to those on the Sea Venture is located on a hill a quarter mile south of the St. Regis on Barry Road.
Just off the St. Regis property to the north is Fort Saint Catherine. The fort, originally built of wood in 1612 and rebuilt of stone in 1614, stayed in service until the end of World War II in 1945. During its 333 years of service, the structure was rebuilt five times and was one of several fortifications that protected the northern tip of Bermuda. For those interested in history and a break from the sun, admission to the fort is $7. And, it certainly gives some regal views of the hotel.
The view of the St. Regis and Gates Bay from Fort St. Catherine.
About a mile over Government Hill – and it is hilly - from the St. Regis is the Town of St. George. The town was founded in 1612 and was the capital of Bermuda until 1815. Numerous historical buildings survive in the town, including the town hall and several churches dating back to the 1600s and 1700s. A park on the water has re-creations of stocks and a pillory. Signs explaining the various punishments used during Bermuda’s colonial times, including wench dunking, are part of the display. Wench dunking re-enactments took place at the park until 2022, when most involved agreed the re-enactments were neither historically accurate nor presented in the proper context.
The Stella Mara Parish in St. George, one of the numerous historical buildings that survive in the town.
With numerous high-end steakhouses at home, we decided to bypass the BLT Steak location at the hotel. Instead, we opted to have our dinners at two local restaurants in St. George, Wahoo’s Bistro and The Wharf. The food at both restaurants was very good, but the service and atmosphere at Wahoo’s was the better of the two. Our two dinners at Wahoo’s included appetizers of fish chowder, wahoo nuggets, and wahoo pate. Our main courses included a wahoo catch of the day, fish tacos, and a special listed as rockfish BBQ ribs. The rockfish ribs were actually strips of rockfish, lightly coated with a tangy BBQ sauce and served with a sweet chutney on the side. As strange as it sounds, the dish was quite good. Our dinner at The Wharf featured appetizers of grilled octopus and fish chowder, entrees of rockfish and chicken tikka masa, and a bottle of Serbian pinot grigio.
Two mornings, we walked to Temptations, a small café in St. George, for breakfast. The highlight dish there was eggs served over savory and filling fishcakes. Those breakfasts provided plenty of energy for the walks back over the hill to the St. Regis. Two other businesses of note in St. George are Somers Supermarket and Churchill’s Fine Wines & Spirits. Between the two, we were able to stock up on snacks and the ingredients to make our own in-room cocktails.
Back at the St. Regis, we found the best entertainment for our Independence Day getaway was provided by Mother Nature and the French. Yes, the French. On the night of the 4th, Mother Nature treated us to a large, near full moonrise over the Atlantic as we relaxed in the pool. Late the next afternoon, we were back in the pool when Michele noticed a contrail rising from the ocean, higher and higher straight up into the sky. We assumed it was a rocket launch of some type. Maybe even one indicating the start of World War III, because we were watching it while facing away from the U.S. coast. (No one else in the pool noticed the threat because the battle of NYC suburbs was being fought…again.) A quick internet search later informed us we had witnessed the launch of a French rocket taking satellites into orbit from French Guiana, not the start of World War III.
Snorklers at Tobacco Bay.
And, all those guilty, treasonous feelings I was having July 1st? They were erased for good on July 5th when we visited historic Tobacco Bay, just a few hundred yards from the St. Regis. In 1775, Bermudans sympathetic to the American revolutionary cause stole British gunpowder stored in St. George. The gunpowder was taken to Tobacco Bay where it was loaded onto ships and sent to colonists fighting the British in America. We celebrated discovering this small piece of U.S. history with drinks and lunch at the bar at Tobacco Bay, and a swim with the colorful fish that called bay’s calm water home. And, if you find yourself there, do the same…and try the deep-fried wahoo nuggets. They’re delicious. Now, where can you get wahoo in the D.C. area?
The dusk view of Coots Pond, just a few hundred feet away from the St. Regis entrance.