[doug and jane]

The decision to go to either Bimini or elsewhere first depends on your other planned destinations in the Bahamas. Neither Bimini nor Freeport are normally considered cruising areas unless you''re really on a time constraint.
So if you want to go to the Abacos, I would suggest you ride the stream north and clear in at West End, Grand Bahama (not Freeport). However, if you intend to skip the Abacos and go to Nassau and the Exumas (another popular route) then by all means go to Bimini first.