A stroll in the Park

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After Monday’s difficulty getting settled, we were totally ready for our walk in the Park Tuesday, but first we had to find the park HQ to check in. Not necessarily easy when you’ve never been there – where are the signs?

The first “greeter” we came across was the strong, silent type.

Hey, little buddy, can you point us in the direction of the park office?

Look, a sign. Uh-oh. The office is behind us.
Pssst. Lady, it’s the other way.
I bet this guy died looking for the office….
Success!
Okay, the office truly wasn’t that difficult to find. We just had fun with the photos.

We’d been told not to miss the hike to Boo Boo Hill. Not only is it fun to say, but there is, of course, a legend to go with it. Some say it is haunted by souls that went missing in the surrounding reefs and on moonlit nights you can hear the spirits singing in the howling wind.

Cruisers traditionally leave something behind as an offering to Neptune for good sailing and safe passage – a piece of driftwood or a salvaged buoy with the name of their vessel, a special trinket gathered on the way up the hill, etc. On top of the hill, there’s a pile of driftwood from past offerings left by others. Todd left a small rock he found on the beach.

Unbeknownst to us, the trail to Boo Boo Hill (marked by the arrow in the photo below) crosses Banshee Creek.

Notice the shoes, them ain’t water shoes. Guess we’ll be wading across bare-footed.
A trail through the small palms
Honey, don’t stop moving. That’s one of those rock-eating trees
Documenting
the view
which was fantastic!

And here it is, the heap of stuff, I mean, the summit.

Tada! A pile of “offerings”
It’s fun to see whose been here. These folks apparently visit ever year.

Beyond Boo Boo Hill, the trail continues to the Pentek Monument:

In memory of Gregory and Teresa Pentek
Remembering and celebrating their great love
of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
“Memories of Happy Times and Bright and Sunny Days”

To Pentex monument
Quite a memorial, indeed
The other cruisers were right. We like Boo Boo Hill!

From the top, we looked back out over Banshee Creek, to see SaltyMare waiting on a mooring ball.

  • There she is – the small one in the center of the photo, “parked” out on her big-boat mooring behind the bigger boats!
  • Right there where we left her.
    You’ll have to kindly put up with us – it’s always a relief to know that….
Can’t get the “B-a-b-y Shark” song out of my head. Thanks, Dave.

The winds were forecasted to kick up even more, and we were planning to leave in the morning, so we brought the dinghy up top when we returned to the boat. As soon as the dinghy left the water, this guy lazily joined us for a photo op.

He’s probably admiring the shiny stainless. 😉 Stop bragging, Susie, he’s just circling, waiting, ensuring Todd has no fish to catch…

Speaking of Dave and Peggy, they remained in Shroud Cay when we implemented Plan Bravo to seek less-bouncy harbor at Warderick Wells Cay. Both cays are in the large Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, which has no cell service and almost no data service, so we didn’t have the chance to properly bid farewell. Until we meet again, the Olsens wish you Fair Winds and Following Seas, dear friends. Stay upright and safe! 😉

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