There Goes Somebody's Miracle...

You know, I'm praying for it.

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Explore

  • All Reviews
  • Movies
  • Books
  • @ Third Coast Review
  • Film Work

Connect

Travel · August 4, 2017

The Friendliest Island in the Atlantic

When I made the decision to go into business for myself, my mom was not only my biggest cheerleader but also my first client. Her own small business, STEPS for Kids, Inc, was in need of some direction on marketing and business development. So one day in March, we met for lunch at Panera to dig into how I might be able to help.

To my surprise and delight, our work meeting went well and my insights and recommendations proved to be helpful enough that I’m still working with her today on social media and email marketing. It’s been a win/win arrangement, as I’ve got the client work to keep busy with and she’s able to move these efforts off her own plate so she can focus on the work of growing the business.

I think it was at that first lunch that she mentioned that she’d been booked to present at a conference in Bermuda in late July. It would be her first trip abroad with the wildly successful class she’s been teaching and touring with for over a year now. I immediately insisted she extend her flights and take a few days to enjoy the beach while she was there. How could you not?!

Not long after mentioning the trip, she messaged me one morning to ask if I might be interested in joining her. YES is be my answer! And with that, we set to booking flights and lodging and learning as much as we could about what to do in Bermuda (which, honestly, I had to look up on a map…).

We booked a room at Greenbank Guest House, a quaint group of private cottages across the harbor from Hamilton, the island’s biggest city. Just down the street from a ferry stop, we had quick access to the rest of the island via public transit – the island’s ferry and bus system is not only affordable, but very easy to navigate. Cars aren’t available to rent, and we opted not to embarrass ourselves on the scooters everyone seems to favor.

Our flight, connected through Miami, arrived at about 9pm; we were treated to a breathtaking view of the island at sunset as we approached for landing. Once on the ground, customs was a smooth check-in and we headed outside the small airport. The woman who’d arranged the conference offered to meet us, and as we waiting no fewer than three different airport attendants checked on us, one even offering to call her on our behalf. This was our first glimpse into the warm and welcoming nature of Bermudians, an island-wide characteristic we’d see exemplified again and again in our five days there.

A post shared by Lisa Trifone (@lisabeesa) on Jul 29, 2017 at 4:43am PDT

In the daylight the next day, we took our time getting going, enjoying the view of the water from our cottage and getting our bearings. Bermuda is just two hours ahead of Chicago, sitting in the Atlantic directly west of the Carolinas, and though their economy is tied to the US dollar, it remains a British territory. Exploring Hamilton that morning, we found brunch at a restaurant on Front Street and spent time wandering the city center.

We found our way to Fort Hamilton, then eventually the Bermuda Botanical Garden. Despite the heat, we wandered the beautiful (and very quiet!) grounds for a bit, even bumping into a local in the gift shop who gave us a friendly primer on the island’s history. That evening, we enjoyed our first round of island drinks (Rum Swizzle for me, Pina Colada for mom) with a view at 1609, a posh outdoor spot attached to the Hamilton Princess hotel. Afterwards, we indulged in a classic pub dinner at The Hog Penny, and yes, I ordered the fish & chips.

On Saturday, my mom had her conference to present, so I was on my own for a bit. I took the opportunity to explore one of the beaches on the island’s south shore. A ferry to Hamilton and then a bus back to the south shore found me at Elbow Beach, where I lay out for a bit at midday until the heat became too much. I was baking under the bright sun, but it didn’t stop me from appreciating the gorgeous view I had essentially to myself. Between two resorts, there’s a public section of Elbow Beach that was much quieter than I expected. Where are all the tourists?

A post shared by Lisa Trifone (@lisabeesa) on Jul 29, 2017 at 10:18am PDT

I stopped for lunch next to the waves, then walked to the bus station to make my way back to the guest house to wait for my mom to return from her day. When she did, we made our way back into Hamilton for dinner at Lobster Pot, where we split a bowl of Bermuda’s famous fish chowder (it was delicious!) and enjoyed heaping plates of fresh seafood.

By Sunday, we were both ready to ramp our exploring into high gear, expanding beyond the city limits of Hamilton. So we took a ferry over to the west end of the island in order to explore the Royal Navy Dockyard, where all the cruise ships dock. (Here, apparently, is where all of Bermuda’s tourists are hiding!) The area boasts shopping and excursions, as well as Bermuda’s National Museum. Both of us were quite fascinated by the settlement and slavery history of the island as we explored the Commissioner’s House, and most impressed by the views from its perch above the docks.

We settled into the pub in town, the Frog & Onion, for lunch and it was a total treat complete with live music and local beer. I decided then and there that my own souvenir from the trip would be a Frog & Onion pilsner glass (which, wonder of wonders, made it home in one piece!). After a bit more wandering, we took a bus all the way down the west side of the island (which really only took about 30 minutes) to Horseshoe Bay, the most popular beach.

Since it was Sunday and our public transit options were limited, we unfortunately didn’t have as much time to explore the beach as we would’ve liked, and I still feel bad that we cut that time short just to make the last bus. But we got the chance to put our feet in the ocean, and I even convinced my mom to wade out to a rock not far from shore for an impromptu photo shoot. That night, we went grocery shopping and enjoyed a home cooked meal in our cottage (easily the cheapest meal of the trip, as the whole island is pricey!).

Our last full day on the island, we went the other direction and found ourselves in historical St. George’s, the first settlement on the island dating to1612. 1612! We took in the history and scenery, enjoying a dockside lunch at Wahoo’s (which is apparently named after a local type of fish that never fails to make me giggle). But St. George’s is a small town, so by mid-afternoon we’d seen everything there was to see and we headed back toward our guest house, stopping halfway to enjoy a pitcher of Rum Swizzle at The Swizzle Inn, watching the island zip by around us. We got home just in time to literally watch a storm roll in across the water; thankfully, the rain only really came at night, leaving our days dry and sunny, if way too hot.

A post shared by Lisa Trifone (@lisabeesa) on Jul 31, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT

Our flight home was scheduled to depart at 4pm on Tuesday, and after allowing time to get to the airport and through check-in, we decided to stay in that morning and take our time packing and winding down our trip. We slept in, enjoyed the one last breakfast on our patio as we watched a sailing class in the harbor, and then dipped our feet in the water off the guest house’s private dock. Our taxi to the airport arrived right on time, and as easily as we’d arrived, we were back at the airport this time to leave the island we’d come to love.

I’m so grateful my mom offered to have me join her on this trip, and will forever cherish not only the travel memories, which I love collecting, but the time spent with her, too. We haven’t spent that much time together since she drove out to Utah with me in 2012. Sure, there were a few over-tired, tense moments, but all in all we make good travel companions, and I’m sure we’ll be telling the stories of this latest adventure for years to come.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Posted By: Lisa Trifone · In: Travel

Review: STEP
Review(s): Columbus and Menashe

You’ll Also Love

Food, Travel and a Whole ‘Lotta Heart
Directional Shift
Paris Part Trois (The Opera, Macarons and Wandering Paris)

Get on the List

About Photo
Hello! I'm Lisa, and this is—or rather I am—Somebody's Miracle. Explore everything I'm watcing, reading and baking, all my far-flung adventures and ones closer to home. Thanks for reading.

Connect

Get on the List

Subscribe for the latest posts, musings and updates directly in your inbox.

Categories

  • Reviews
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Just This
  • About

Search

From the Archives

May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    

lisabeesa

Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until Two years ago today, I was coming off what - until that point - was the biggest adventure of my life. I bought a home. I turned 40. I spent a month in Paris. I’d hit a new career milestone. Life was every bit what I imagined it could be. 

Then I walked into a first date with a guy I met on the internet and very quickly realized my (our!) best adventure had just begun. 

Two years of getting my goat (and delighting in it), because you love to see me laugh. Two years of not just making dinners but plating them, too, because you know I like a pretty plate. Two years of grand gestures not because you’re big on gestures, but because I am.

I thought I had it all figured out, and I think I would’ve been fine if you’d never walked into my life. But good grief am I glad you did. ❤️
🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄 It's my favorite trad 🎄 Holiday Playlist! 🎄

It's my favorite tradition (of so many!) of the season: my annual holiday playlist. Twenty-four songs. Two hours of tunes.

Sabrina Carpenter and The Kinks. My Morning Jacket and Kacey Musgraves. Ben Folds and Bette Midler and Bad Religion. 

You can listen on Spotify at the link in my bio!

Happy, happy holidays to you and yours. Wishing you a joyful season!
I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint dry I’d watch Pablo Larrain’s version of paint drying, but thankfully his latest biopic of a famous, troubled woman (after JACKIE and SPENCER) is a far more engaging fever dream of passing time and missed opportunities.

MARIA, featuring a performance by Angelina Jolie that vibrates with vulnerability, is not perfect but it is fascinating. 

Now in theaters; on Netflix next month. Full review at the link!
My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out My phone yelled at me this morning that I was out of storage space, so over a couple cups of coffee I went back through this year’s photos and videos to purge what I don’t need on my device. 

Stumbled on this snap Brian took of me over dinner back in…June?…and honestly, I just love it. I love the way he sees me and I love the way I look when I see him. ❤️

Take care of each other. That’s all.
Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I w Eight years ago this week, @justin.f.brady and I went to see @waitressmusical on Broadway, and after the show we were treated to full band karaoke with die-hard fans. 

At the end of the show tunes lovefest, @sarabareilles—who wrote the show’s music and was hosting the karaoke—took to the mic to perform Brave, and it was more cathartic than I think any of us realized in the moment. 

It was the night before the 2016 election and none of us were (looking back now) as worried as we should have been. I had early voted, the wind seemed to be at @hillaryclinton’s back and we were ready for history to be made. 

I’ve thought about (and talked about) that moment a lot in the years since - it’s a great story! But especially today, as we’re on the eve of another monumental Election Day, I am imploring anyone reading this who may still be unsure or may not yet have a plan to be brave and vote for the person who is NOT a convicted criminal, serial sexual assaulter, con-man and dictator-in-waiting. @kamalaharris is the only way forward.

We can get back to debating policy in four years. For now, please vote for humanity, for democracy, for decency and for sanity. I wanna see you be brave.
Signs of life! 👋 I feel like I’ve been in a Signs of life! 👋 

I feel like I’ve been in a fog the last week or so, and it’s going to last at least through Tuesday…but I’m here, I promise!

Got to catch @musictheaterworks’ LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (with the lovely @yersha_la_la_la for company!) and it was delightful. Great production with just a hint of that community theater patina, a bit rough around the edges. (Is it just me or is that S in “Florist” totally upside down?!)

Full review coming soon at @thirdcoastreview!
This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew This one gets a spot on the grid! Congrats to Drew and Jean on a beautiful wedding day and the start of an exciting new chapter. (But really, thanks for such a great reason to wear my new favorite dress! 😉)
I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁 I absolutely love this time of year. 🍂🍁
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Disclosure

Copyright © 2025 There Goes Somebody's Miracle... · Theme by 17th Avenue