Capt. David Bacon wearing a black shirt and his signature black hat admires a conch shell he picked up, then put back down on beach at Turks & Caicos Islands. (Courtesy photo)
Capt. David Bacon admires a conch shell he picked up, then put back down on the beach at Turks & Caicos Islands.(Courtesy photo)

I rushed into my office the moment I returned from an adventure, to tap out this story. I’m pretty sure I still have fine grains of white sand in my mustache, between my toes and who knows where else, from Turks & Caicos Islands.

Some of my work is as a Boating Safety and Compliance consultant, and among my duties is serving as an expert witness for court cases involving boats, marinas, etc. That is what brought about this trip to the balmy islands.

This was a work trip, and I spent two days in court wearing a suit. I even took off my hat while in the court room (quite a shock, I know).

My court work went exceptionally well, and I received one of the greatest professional compliments of my entire career. That felt nice.

The work was paced out so there was time available to dig my toes into the fine white sand of their beaches and reflect on island life where there are no fast-food chain restaurants.

Driving a rental car on the left side of the street took some getting used to, especially in the roundabouts where my brain was objecting louder than the attorneys in the courtroom.

The airline flights ran on time and with no cancellations, so my compliments to American Airlines. Even the food was tasty.

Once on the Islands I found restaurants (Embers was my favorite) where I enjoyed yummy fresh local fish dinners including yellowfin tuna and blackened snapper.

During my off time, roaming the island and walking the beaches, my highlight was finding a large conch shell lying on the beach. I picked it up, snapped a couple of pics and put it right back on the beach for others to enjoy.

Conch is common there and found on restaurant menus and in grocery stores.

The islands have their share of big multi-story tourist resorts; I veered away from those by personal preference. My favorite places were open areas near the west end of the Island and the locals area along Blue Hills Road, where very little touristy stuff is located.

I thought of my readers while on the island. I wished you could all fit in my suitcase, so you could share the experience. Writing this brief story with a couple of pics is my only way to share.

Capt. David Bacon is a boating safety consultant and expert witness, with a background in high-tech industries and charter boat ownership and operation. He teaches classes for Santa Barbara City College and, with a lifelong interest in wildlife, writes outdoors columns for Noozhawk and other publications. The opinions expressed are his own.