Hunting Travel Memories At The Atlantis

Travel releases “the huntress who is free. Free to go, free to return home bringing memories to lay on the hearth.” Frances Mayes, A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveler.

I don’t believe that you need to travel far from home to hunt down memories. We’ve scored quite a few on recent staycations.

Even when you do travel far, it can be a challenge to discover the unique qualities of your destination, to return with memories that you can’t find at home.

For example, at the Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, it’s difficult to learn much about the island culture within the land-locked cruise ship atmosphere.

The “lost world of Atlantis” marketing concept draws in families to the water park, while the public relations machine brings in celebrities, and the celebrity-seekers.

Good Times

Don’t get me wrong. Those water rides are a blast, even if you have to wait on long lines for the brief bursts of excitement.

Anyone can enjoy the tube ride through a transparent tunnel within the shark aquarium. Very cool!

And, almost everyone will enjoy the “lazy river” tube ride through the rapids. We easily spent hours in this mode.

For thrill-seekers, nothing tops the Leap Of Faith – a nearly vertical slide through the shark tanks.

So, yes, we have lots of pleasant memories from the Bahamas. In addition to the thrilling water park rides, we also have wonderful memories from our friend’s wedding and the friends & family reunion.

It was even possible to discover a bit of the uniquely Bahamian through several off-site excursions to explore its art, history, cuisine, and outdoor adventures.

Resort Travel

So, what’s not to like about the Atlantis resort? Maybe it’s just me, but I have a problem with the whole premise of a resort:

Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company. Such a self-contained resort attempts to provide for most of a vacationer’s wants while remaining on the premises, such as food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping. Wikipedia.

To me, resorts are similar to gated communities where you shut out the real world in an attempt to create a utopian world. At Atlantis, the real Bahamas has been shut out so tourists can enjoy a fantastical creation with sanitized local elements.

At Atlantis’ exorbitant resort restaurants you can sample some of the local foods, but only those that have passed the blandness test. For breakfast, you won’t find the typical Bahamian fare – ‘boil’ fish accompanied by plain grits or johnnycake.

On weekends, you can dance in a Junkanoo festival at the Atlantis Marina. You’ll find a mocko jumbie and a group of dancers attempting to encourage the tourists to dance.

Now, I’ve never been to another Bahamian Junkanoo, but I’m certain this one bears very little resemblance to the real thing. I bet that true-true Bahamians love to dance, and they don’t need prodding and alcohol to loosen inhibitions.

Gratuities Included

The other downside of this kind of resort travel is the cost, and the relentless marketing. Almost everything prompts an additional fee, and a sizeable gratuity.

The facilities seem to be hawking their wares to the marina’s yacht owners who parade “their nubile companions through shops that sell only about ten items, size zero, all priced to impress.” Frances Mayes, A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveler.

Not only do you have bland but exorbitant meals, you must be constantly on guard from additional expenses for day-trips, Dolphin Encounters, Tween Clubs, Game Rooms, Pottery Studio, Atlantis PALS (build a plush), or the Atlantis Speedway (build a RC car.)

Most of those, at least, are avoidable. What you can’t avoid is trekking through the cigar-smoke laden casino to get from one end of the Atlantis resort to the other. Even the tots get to observe battle-worn travelers proving the old maxim that the house always wins.

When not observing the gamblers, the kids can be on the lookout for celebrities, and the celebrity-seekers.

During our vacation, members of our party bragged about encounters with Jewel and a One Tree Hill star. Gossips said that passage between the towers had been closed to provide privacy for Michael Jackson and his sons, who were rumored to be staying in the bridge apartments. And, impressionable Tween girls and old geezers were busy collecting Miss Teen USA autographs, even paying to attend autograph-signing functions.

Okay, that’s the one that totally slays me. The Miss Teen USA pageant, taking place in The Bahamas. Why did we need a passport?

Bahamas Travel Series:

A Jewel Of A Wedding At The Atlantis – This wasn’t a celebrity wedding, but it was just as special.

Mom, I Hope You Dance – Sure, I danced at Atlantis’ weekly Junkanoo Festival.

Flavors Of The Bahamas – A little culture shock and conch with our daiquiris.

Into The Sea – The right incentive will propel a child anywhere, from swimming with dolphins to scuba diving.

First Scuba Dive – Sharing our passions with our kids.

Local Arts and Crafts At The Straw Market – Are they really local crafts? Does it matter?

Lest We Forget: Our Story In The Bahamas – A glimpse into the complex history of how enslaved people have shaped our world.

Conch Row: On The Other Side Of The Bridge – It’s a bridge, and a world, apart from the Atlantis; but this is where you’ll find the true-true Bahamian.

Feeding The Tropical Wildlife – Feed the hermit crabs, iguanas, lizards, and sharks. Not the tourists!

More photos from the Bahamas on Flickr.

Book Resources:

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Tagged as: Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas, Bahamian, Dolphin Encounters, Junkanoo, Resort