If You Like Pina Coladas

"If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain...." Well then, you would have adored our vacation last week because we managed to do a little bit of both--although thankfully, (many) more pina coladas than rain. Tropical storm Danny tried to make himself a third wheel on our trip to the Bahamas, but he was no match for us and we enjoyed a fantastic six days on Paradise Island.

When we arrived on Monday, we were greeted by a pretty steady rain storm, which thankfully died down just as we reached our hotel. We've managed to make it to the Atlantis resort every summer for the last few years, and we love it there so much that it feels like home away from home to us whenever we get the chance to steal away there (if only). Other than Clemson, South Carolina, it's my favorite place to be.

We went straight for the Bahamian food on our first night's dinner and enjoyed conch fritters, spicy conch salad, and then went in search of a cocktail. The bar menu said the cocktails come in two sizes: regular and "Gussie Mae"--that's island talk for large. If you know us at all, you have zero doubt which size we chose...team Stancil's general motto is that more is more is more, after all. We have actually ordered Gussie Mae size drinks in the past and they were about the size of two regular cocktails. This time, however, they were bigger than the size of our heads and so heavy it took two hands to carry them, I almost died when I walked over to the bar and saw these behemoth mojitos waiting on us--the amount of mint alone looked like a salad!

These were more than drinks, they were a conversation piece. Every single person who passed by had to comment, inquire, and a few even wanted pictures. And at $18 each, believe me when I say these drinks were the best deal at the entire resort. 

Does this mojito make me look thirsty?

And of course, we finished the entire things. Hey, we're no quitters.

We dodged another bout of rain Tuesday morning and spent a gorgeous afternoon out by the pool before heading to one of our favorite Italian restaurants for dinner. My hubby may or may not have eaten himself into oblivion, causing us to call it an early carb-fueled night.

Sunset selfie.

We always take a taxi into downtown Nassau and have breakfast and wander through all the shops there. There isn't much to buy unless you're in the market for 3 t-shirts for $20 or a woven straw bag with "Bahamas" stitched on the side, but it's fun to get off the resort property and see how the downtown has changed since our last visit. There were five cruise ships in port during our stay, so Nassau was full of hustle and bustle and Carnival cruisers. 

We relaxed for a couple of more days out the pool, bought some rum drinks made in real coconuts on the beach--we are never ones to pass up on a gimmick, enjoyed the crystal clear water, and even rode a few water slides. We had a low key pizza dinner out at the marina (which is the closest to dining on a yacht I'll probably get), walked through the world's largest open air saltwater aquarium, and bellied up to the buffet at another one of our favorite eateries at Atlantis. The only problem with the vacation was that it seemed like it went by way too fast. As usual, I wished for just one more day. And maybe a day or two after that....

Meanwhile, back in Charlotte, someone else was not enjoying their r & r nearly as much.

We wrapped up our trip with dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. If you've never been, let me recommend the goat cheese fundido, ancho pork tenderloin, sweet potato tamale, and well, pretty much any and everything else. It's a great spot to save for the end of vacation so you can eat like it's your last meal without the dreaded thought of having to put on a swimsuit the next day. After dinner, we even managed to make a little profit--$50--on a slot machine, That probably paid for the tax on our dinner!

Big smiles outside Bobby Flay's restaurant.

Our Bahamas vacation was last week. This week, I've had plenty of dirty laundry and zero food in our house, which means I've had plenty of fun washing, folding, and Walmart grocery shopping. When it's over, it really is over, folks. I'm holding on by wearing my "It's Better In The Bahamas" shirt to walk the dog and reminiscing over the pictures from time to time. We're already counting down until next year, but in the meantime, we will just have to make due with football season. Be still my Clemson-loving heart.

Good-bye, summer! Hello, fall! And see you as soon as I can get back, Bahamas!