How to Unpack
A cautionary tale, + 3 things to love about Harbour Island, Bahamas
We hear a lot about the best ways to pack for a trip — the merits of rolling versus folding, the most life-changing packing cubes — but not nearly enough about how to unpack. [Update: This piece on extreme packing coincidentally published in the Times just today!]
A few months ago, I was on an assignment in the Bahamas for Travel + Leisure, learning about Pin Drop Rum and the teeny tiny island that inspired it. Just off Eleuthera, Harbour Island is a roughly three mile dash of pink sand beaches, pastel houses, and sluggish golf carts with a vibe that a. reminded me of Nantucket, and b. felt several degrees lower than low key. (It was so low key, in fact, that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a somewhat under-the-radar visit soon after mine.)
A stunner. Even though it rained buckets off and on (largely on) from the moment I stepped foot off the ferry from Eleuthera.
As much as I never stop feeling grateful for the perks of this job, I never forget that it’s a job. Which is to say, I was easily able to look on the bright side that despite the rain, Harbour Island is a true pleasure of a place, and also, the unseasonal February storm wasn’t ruining a family vacation. What the storm did do, though, was ruin a suitcase full of clothing and a Briggs & Riley carry on I’ve traveled with for nearly two decades.
Let me explain: One morning, during a break in the rain, I took a short walk around Dunmore Town, the island’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it downtown. And then the break ended and I got drenched. I hung up my clothing but with the rainy weather, nothing fully dried and one single pair of white jeans and a sweater were slightly damp when I packed to go home. While I typically unpack pretty quickly after a trip, this time I did not. (Thrown back into busy schedules with the girls, etc, etc don’t judge me!)
A day or two later when I finally emptied my bag, every single item (including, somehow, the leather makeup case and a laptop sleeve?) smelled like dank old pillows in the closet of a coastal cottage.
It’s been months, and I’ve read everything I could find online, and done everything I could do to get rid of the whiff of mildew: spray with a white vinegar-water solution, then let dry in the sunlight. Soak in some ratio of vinegar to water, I’ve tried all the ratios. It’s come out of some of the clothing, mostly. But I have to burn the white jeans, and I may eventually have to get a new carry on.
I’ve traveled a handful of times since then, and every time, no matter what else is happening when I walk through the door, my bag gets unpacked and its contents go straight into the laundry room. If you have any magic hacks for getting the scent of Bahamian hurricane out of your fabrics, please do tell.
On a sunnier note, though, read on for a few of my favorite things about the wonderful Harbour Island.
1. The seafood
Over a dinner at the Dunmore, a breezy, beachfront hotel that feels like its ripped from the pages of Veranda magazine, one of our hosts said the the claws from the iconic Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami come from Harbour Island. They’re great, but my favorite seafood of the visit was lunch at Queen Conch. There’s an area right off the waterfront restaurant’s dock where they keep the sea snails until someone orders a conch salad, the restaurant’s (and the Island’s) signature ceviche made with peppers and lime juice.
2. The design at the Ocean View Club
Overlooking Pink Sand Beach, the Ocean View Club is run by the same couple behind the Other Side — the glamping haven on Eleuthera — with the same bohemian-polished sensibility. It’s the kind of place that, two days in when you’re barefoot and mixing yourself a rum punch at the honor bar, feels like your own island home. To get a better sense of the Ocean View Club (and its history as a backdrop for high fashion photo shoots featuring the original supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford) read David Amsden’s excellent piece in Conde Nast Traveler.
3. The shopping
On my last morning on Harbour Island, during a brief window of sunshine, I took another walk around Dunmore Town, and stopped by A+A Hidden Treasures, on the outskirts, known for its traditional bags handmade with straw and dried palm leaves. The owner, Alice, learned the painstaking process of drying, stripping, and plaiting the leaves from her own mother, and told me the Bahamian craft is slowly dwindling. But, she said, “I do this because I love it. I love straw and always wanted to make bags like my mom.” I brought home one of her beautiful handmade totes for myself, and one for each of my girls.
This looks beautiful!