I’ve never been much of a gambler — on sporting events, in card games with friends, in popular casinos, or in life itself. I’ve been to Reno. I’ve been to Tahoe. I’ve even been to Vegas. Those gaming venues pale in comparison to the world-class casino I experienced on Paradise Island in the Bahamas in the mid-1970s. 

The casino, which was linked to the Lowe’s Paradise Island Hotel and the Britannia Beach Hotel by indoor pedestrian walkways, offered a variety of gaming options. My partner in crime, Dan Pasini, and I were never tempted to risk our meager paychecks on the gaming tables. As full-time teachers at St. Augustine’s College in Nassau, we were issued work permits, which prohibited us from gambling in the casino. 

Occasionally, Dan and I would venture across the Paradise Island Bridge to enjoy the excitement of tourists from around the world wagering staggering sums of money playing craps, roulette, and baccarat. It appeared that more moderate sums were wagered on the black jack tables. I was astounded to realize that many gamblers were betting more money on one roll of the dice than I was earning each month.

Although we did not gamble, we enjoyed walking around the casino and watching the tourists being tourists. We also found a restaurant, in the pedestrian walkway to the Britannia Beach Hotel, which we could actually afford. For a reasonable amount of cash, we could enjoy a bowl of conch chowder, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a glass of iced tea. We were grateful for that opportunity.

One Thursday night in the fall, we wandered down to the lobby of the Britannia Beach Hotel after dinner. Much to our surprise, there was a television in the lobby. Even more surprising to us was that Streets of San Francisco was being aired. I don’t think either of us was really homesick, but we made it a point to visit Paradise Island quite regularly on Thursday evenings throughout the academic year. On most nights, Dan and I were the only two watching TV.

I recall being grateful for the opportunity to see so many familiar sites around The City. Given that San Francisco is quite small (only 49 square miles), Dan and I were familiar with just about every neighborhood used to film the various episodes of the crime drama. I think our Thursday night visits to the Britannia Beach Hotel made it a little easier for two 20-year-olds living so far from home for the first time. 

Today, the two hotels and the adjacent casino have been replaced by the high-end Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino. I took a brief tour of the complex with one of my Bahamian friends in June 2006. While it was impressive, for sure, I missed the simplicity of the venue I’d come to know thirty years earlier. I also missed the familiarity I’d hoped to experience in my return to Nassau.

“Any change, even a change for the better,
is always accomplished by discomfort.”
Arnold Bennett