Those Were The Days

When you pass through the cut, literally a man-made cut through a rock cliff, and into the harbor, you get the feeling; Great Harbour Cay is going to be interesting and at one time was a pretty spectacular resort.

It's still a fine marina and the locals are some of the nicest, most accommodating folks, we've met in the Bahamas or anywhere for that matter.

If you spend a little time in Great Harbour you'll soon see and come to know it's history. It has quite a past.

In the beginning, famous and some say the infamous, including Hollywood celebrities, came to play in this idyllic environment. Cary Grant danced the night away in the clubhouse. Brigitte Bardot graced the beaches with her beauty. Jack Nicklaus had a house on a hilltop along the back nine. Earl Blackwell, author of the celebrity best dressed list, enjoyed a home on the island. Great Harbour Cay was popular with the socially elite Rockefeller clan, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ingrid Bergman and Hugh O’Brian were regular visitors. 

Elizabeth Taylor and entourage (I'm told)

Slim Aarons Photographs
(Still for sale here)

          Great Harbour Cay, Bahamas

                       March 1973.

Mel was Googling around last night and found the official website with the island's history laid out nicely. http://www.greatharbourcay.com/WebPages/history.htm
And, this blog was mentioned on Great Harbour Cay's Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Harbour-Cay-Life/538138552897749

Check out the architecture, Atomic Age/Mid Century, from those days we looked forward, when we thought the future was our future.  

Unfortunately, while golf carting around the island we passed by this hotel and it's a complete ruin. Later that evening, hanging with a gathering of folks at the marina, a fellow told me he had explored the hotel earlier in the day... said, even in it's present condition you can still make out the opulence that was once there. It will probably never be restored, but if it was... The bones are still there.
Maybe we'll get some pictures before we move on.

This last pic is a page from an old brochure that says it all in one word.

I bet it was.

And, it's still cool, just not as groovy as it once was. — You dig?

More on Great Harbour Cay >> Here http://istaboawaypoints.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-birds-eye-view.html


Adios,

Istaboa