This summer I dove into the short stories of John Cheever, the New Yorker writer who captured the culture of New York City and its suburbs in the 1930s through 1960s. Men wear hats, wives light candles at dinner, and Bermuda is the most prestigious destination anyone could aspire to. People are planning their trips....recalling their honeymoons....or realizing it is a dream that will never come true.
Today Bermuda is just as charming, with with a decidedly English flavor, and easier than ever to go. A flight from New York or Newark takes just an hour and a half. Right now is peak season, with the full social whirl and best weather, but even in February, when I went, it was mostly in the '60s and strangely beautiful. An archipelago of 181 islands, islets and rocks, Bermuda sounds small at just 21 square miles. But that's large enough for seven championship golf courses and some excellent spas.