Activities & Adventure

Quite often when we travel as a family we have a well researched, planned activity scheduled at some point during the week. Like when we went to the Bahamas we paid to splash around and kiss dolphins. I would be wrong if I called it "swim with the dolphins." That would make it seem much more glamourous. This was a controlled encounter with dolphins, perfect for young kids. That was in the Bahamas and we loved it, and of course, we paid for the overpriced tourist photos.

When we went to Maui, I organized a private surf lesson for our family. It was my Christmas gift to everyone. That was a blast. We all rode the waves and thought we were rockstars. Again, I bought the touristy photos. But doesn't my boy look like he was born to surf? Takes after his mama!

We have had the character breakfasts at Disney World and panned for gold in Alaska. When we were planning a the trip to the Turks and Caicos I was really tired. I was out of planning energy. I could hardly lift a finger to research any more beyond studying our resort. I thought, perhaps, I would consider planning an excursion once we arrived on the island. 

Instead of pushing for another adventure or splurging on a once-in-a-lifetime activity we all agreed to just chill. And holy heaven that was nice! No praying for good weather on our whale watching or rushing to catch a charter just to stand in line. No $200 photo package to purchase. Instead we simply walked on the beach, played on the beach, swam in the pool and generally just lounged around like lizards. Lounge lizards! And we all loved it. 

I'll admit, there were times before the trip that I worried the kids would be bored. When we arrived I worried that they were going to be expecting something magical... another one of mom's fun travel surprises. But rather, they surprised me. They went all old school.... sandcastles, imagination activities, physical fun (swimming/running/jumping/diving/walks) mixed in with some cards, some reading and a couple ipod games. Oh, and "Jimmy" aka Mr. Crabs, the hermit crab they found. He was 3 hours of fun for sure! They kept building him new fortresses and making sandcastles to contain him. They had fun.... without me ever having to plan it, pay for it, or buy the photo package. Ahhhh. Score one for true relaxation! 

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I've finally joined Twitter. I basically plan to use it to tweet travel tips, and bargains that I spy. If you are at all interested, please follow me.   @cdntripseeker    But be prepared for a few tweets about hockey. I'm a hard core hockey fan. And I likely will gush about my new favourite tv show Dallas, from time to time. JR Ewing is mixin' it up again and you won't want to miss that new John Ross.   Hey, maybe I should plan a trip to the Lonestar state?  

Not a meat & potatoes kinda place

The Turks and Caicos are not what I would call  meat and potatoes islands. In fact, being that it is so small, there is very limited agricultural production on the islands. It really makes you feel rich in North America for our vast landscapes, fertile soil and ability to raise our own cattle (etc) and grow our own vegetables in the kinds of quantities that can feed the masses.

It also justifies why the grocery store prices are a little crazy for some things. Tetra packs of juice in the one litre were around $6-7 depending on the brand. A 24 of Coke was $17. Red peppers were $7 per pound (current Canadian price is about $3 per pound) and Campbell's Soup cans were just under $3. Peaches were listed at $5 per pound, while coconuts were a mere $1.  Prices were reflective of the import/shipping costs to bring them to the island it seemed.

However, things like milk, cheese, chicken and fish were typical Canadian Safeway-type store prices. So, you just needed to be aware, be selective and adjust your expectations for meals to stay on a reasonable budget.

Restaurant meals were similarly priced and reflective of the cost of goods. A modest lunch for two adults and 2 children at a beachside cafe was typically around $75.

We did plan for, and thoroughly enjoy, a dinner out at a 4star restaurant once during the trip. We were aware and embraced the regional cuisine. The Jerk spices, fruit salsas and seasoned rice accompaniments were absolutely delicious. Pictured below was my meal of snapper, which was the catch of the day.

Pictured below was a salmon salad. It was diced tomato, smoked salmon and spinach with a balsamic reduction and a regional cheese layer. Great taste and lovely presentation.

Ultimately, I came to know the Turks as a "fish and rice" kinda place, rather than meat and potatoes. The food was certainly delicious and memorable. I'm sorry I don't have more photos... the fish tacos, the fish burgers and the fresh catch salad were also winners!

Why the Turks and Caicos?

Several years ago I saw a documentary on how the Turks and Caicos islands were looking to leave British rule and were lobbying/considering becoming a part of Canada. It was there on television I first saw the beauty of their beaches and heard about this place.

Then the two biggest players in the Canadian Airline industry started travelling there regularly. With Westjet and Air Canada introducing their vacation packages, the location became less exotic and more "domestic". With more regular flights, the tourism industry grew and the availability of flights increased and prices came down. But not that much. It's still one of the more expensive Caribbean destinations.

I have travelled to the Bahamas and I feel quite strongly that I am most happy and blissful in the Bahamas. Though I still seek adventure, I wanted to try something/somewhere similar to the Bahamas. And since the Turks are very nearby.... a mere 30 minutes by plane further than the Bahamas, with similar climate and culture, it seemed a safe bet.

Safe it was! No armed guards at the resort, no warnings from the Canadian consulate. The locals speak English and the common currency is the US dollar.

It is a very small island/series of islands.  That in itself presents a unique situation agriculturally speaking and some unique shopping experiences. More to come .....

Air Travel with Kids

So this fabulous, trip of a life-time (that I had been eyeballing for about 5 years) finally came into focus this Spring. I have been watching and hoping that the Turks and Caicos islands would fall into our budget range for a very long time. Then, Air Canada offered it on a "Kids Stay, Play & Fly for Free" sale.

What? Kids fly free? Yipee! Frankly I'd never really seen a kids fly free promotion that was legit. "Stay and Play" free - well, frankly that's a given. It is, in my opinion, that your kids stay free at any hotel. So I crunched the numbers and it was about 40% less for a family of four that the typical price. 40% off!! Wow. I then gave it a really good look.

Air Canada Vacations was offering this package at a few select 3 and 4 star resorts. In fact the resorts were of higher grade that I had been watching or potentially budgeting for. So the resort that we chose, in consultation with my favourite CAA travel agent, was the Ocean Club.

In the Turks and Caicos the Ocean Club operates two resorts (Ocean Club & Ocean Club West) on the same stretch of beach about 1 mile apart. The suites are condo-style units with complete kitchens and even in-suite washer and dryer. The feature we liked best was the screened in balcony which was big enough for a dining table and lounge chairs. Our suite overlooked the pool. It was perfect!

The resort was very clean, very safe and was in a superb location on the beach. Grace Bay beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches on earth and I absolutely agree. Within a simple 5 minute walk we had access to 2 great pools, a perfect stretch of oceanfront beach, tennis courts, 2 restaurants and a golf course and a convenience store. Easy proximity to everything for us and the kids.

More on the resort in another chapter. But I briefly want to touch on Air Canada's shortcoming in this promotion.  Our first flight was delayed 4 hours on account of mechanical difficulties. This couldn't be helped and it wasn't a big deal. The only issue was that I had 2 very worried kids who were very anxious that we were going to miss our connecting flight. I was pleased with the A/C counter agent who helped me explain to the boys that even if we missed our connection, A/C would still get us there the next day, for sure.

The issue I had was simply that Air Canada did not anticipate or prepare in any thoughtful way (that I could see) for having a a plane-load of children on 4 hour flights (to & from Toronto to the Turks).

I had to believe that this was a higher than normal number of kids and it was in direct proportion to their (fabulous!) kids fly free promotion. (.... Incidentally, there was no "catch" or "shell game" to this promotion. All I paid was $95 in taxes per child.  And the adult fare was not doubled, in case that's what you were thinking. ) The Flight Attendants were composed and courteous as always, but certainly paid no special mind to the children on board.

On the return flight, it was nearly 2 hours in and the seat belt sign still had not been turned off. (Light turbulence and I do not question the pilot's judgement - safety first.) It was at this point, my 6 year old turned to me and said, "we are never flying Air Canada again. It's been forever and there are no snacks and no one is helping these little kids." He was right. There were restless kids all around us. Exhausted parents were doing the best they could but washroom breaks and snacks and a change of scenery (or activity) were really required.

But what my son had concluded in his mind, from our 4 flights that week, was that Air Canada didn't care about the kids on the plane. It was a keen observation. And simply all it would have taken to remedy the situation was a few aviation or island themed colouring books, or custom snack packs or a few plastic planes as gifts. It was like we were invited to the party and then treated like furniture.

My son, even at 6, is a ridiculously experienced traveller, having been to several states, including Hawaii by plane, and the Bahamas (x2). He has flown 4 different airlines. done a cruise and a cross country train trip as well. And as his mother, I had toys, granola bars and other travel necessities in my bag, but he was worried about the other kids who were struggling.

I loved the trip, the resort and the promotion. But I do agree with my son's observation. Just a little recognition or special touch would have really made the kids feel important or at least, more comfortable.

Caribbean Adventure

I think I could write 10 pages on our recent trip to the Turks and Caicos islands! It was absolutely gorgeous. The most white, and soft sand beaches. Crystal clear turquoise water. A caring, safe host environment. It was ideal. It was, the ultimate in relaxing beach vacations. BUT, and because this is real life, there is always a BUT. The tourism industry has grown so quickly they have outgrown their airport. Any "island vibe" and love for the peace and relaxation of the Turks was absolutely destroyed in the chaos and over crowding of their airport at departure. In another instalment I will fully discuss the airport issue, but not today.
I am so glad we took our kids to the Turks and Caicos. It's a wonderful island. (series of islands - but we only visited the main area of Provo) I will treasure the memories of my kids' creative stories and their imaginative interactions with the hermit crabs, fish and their resort friends. It was a great experience. And, for me, it was done on a pretty strict budget. We certainly got good value. And I have 800 pictures to prove it!

Vegas again!

Super cheap! From Minot, ND September 10-13. Stay at any awesome resort for $300 per person, air & tax included.   Here's a screenshot with the Paris Hotel. Someday I would love to stay at this resort. Rooms are a little fussy for my decor choices, however, the crepes are amazing! The Bistro is amazing and the location is absolutely perfect.

It's Allegiantair.com

What's your flavour?

What kind of vacation makes your mouth water? Do you like it spicy and adventure filled? Do you like it candy floss sweet? How about a nutty and earthy camping vacation?  I like them all. But to truly relax, I need a pina colada vacation.

As in... bring me 2 pina coladas; I want one for each hand. (Garth Brooks)

I love the beach. I love the sun. I love the breeze. I love turquoise ocean water. I love sea shells. I love the island pace. I love steel drum music.

I don't want to rent a condo and cook meals myself. For goodness sake, I own a restaurant and literally cook for 1000s of people every week. Why would I want to cook on vacation? Heck I could survive a week on pretzels and pina coladas if it meant I didn't have to cook. It wouldn't bother me one bit!

I definitely don't want to bike across the country and experience the dirt in my teeth and sweat on my brow.

I definitely don't want to spend more than 4 consecutive hours in a car with my family. Ever! I've done it. It's hell.

I want to stay in a hotel with amenities. I want the deluxe view. And I want to see palm trees.

Sight seeing.... frankly, I can take it or leave it. While I do love to learn about cultures and climate and industry, I don't really need to see it myself to believe it.  A bed, the ocean, a lounge chair and an umbrella are all I really need to be happy on vacation.  I have learnt, that in all my happy places palm trees are present. My ideal vacation requires palm trees.

Truly, that's the beauty of things. There are as many "flavours" of vacations, as there are individual tastes. If we are lucky enough to find our happy place, and through self-discovery find out what truly  makes our hearts soar, then we are blessed.