A Trip Fit For a Queen: PART II

Heard the news? Queen Elizabeth is coming to Bermuda next week for a two-day visit. Considering she hasn’t been here since 1994, I figured I’d do Her Royal Highness a favor and put together an itinerary fit for a queen. In case you missed yesterday’s installment of Bermuda Shorts, I recommended Lizzie head to the historic town of St. George’s on day one then end up with a romantic dinner with the Duke of Edinburgh at Fourways Inn and a suite at Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa. Well I hope you get a good night’s sleep Queen Liz, because I’ve got a full day slated for you when you wake up. Here’s what you should do on day two: Eat breakfast at the hotel. Your water view balcony is the perfect spot to enjoy tea and crumpets before you hail a cab for the west end. Yep, you’re headed to Dockyard, home of the mega cruise ship piers and more interestingly, the Maritime Museum. (Pssst, you’ve got cash on you, right? Because you’ll probably owe something like fifty bucks by the time you get there. I know, I know, Bermuda’s expensive! But maybe you can get a discount since your face is on the money). When you arrive, tour the Commissioner’s House—built in the 1820’s, it was once the home of the civilian commissioner of Dockyard and is now a soaring museum devoted to the history of the island. Don’t miss the mural depicting 400 years of life in Bermuda, which reportedly took artist Graham Foster four years to paint. When you’re done hop a pink bus to Horseshoe Bay (thanks for the suggestion @AEEvans!). After all, you can’t leave Bermuda without exploring one of our pristine pink sand beaches and considering it’s shoulder season, there’s a good chance Horseshoe won’t be inundated with day-tripping cruise ship passengers. I’m betting you’ll be hungry by now so follow South Shore road until you reach Henry VIII, an English pub that serves one of the best bowls of Bermuda fish chowder in Southampton. When you’re done hop a bus to the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art in Paget Parish. You’re just in time to catch the final month of We Are Sailing, its stunning exhibition that explores Bermuda’s connection with the sea. Time for a royal snack? Tuck in for afternoon tea at Heritage Court in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess where you’ll enjoy scones, finger sandwiches and a pot of Earl Grey. You’ll be fairly close to town so when you’re done take a walk along picturesque Front Street—buy some Cuban cigars for the Duke, a designer handbag for Camilla, rugbys for Princes William and Henry—go ahead, knock yourself out. As for dinner I’ll leave that up to you, but it’d be a shame to leave town without trying a succulent spiny lobster and for that I’d recommend a table at Port O Call. Got all that Queen? I hope you have a great stay in Bermuda, but just watch out for those dark n' stormys—they have a way of sneakin' up on you.