Turks & Caicos

 

We flew to Turks & Caicos for Spring Break this year, and it was the kids' first all-inclusive land vacation.  We stayed at Beaches Resort, and lived our best island lives soaking in the crystal clear water and pristine sand.

The forecast showed rain on our departure and arrival dates, but the rest of the week looked clear.  We had booked a direct flight from Charlotte and were delayed taking off due to the storm, but we were on island time, which meant no worries!

When we arrived in Providenciales, the flight attendant explained that it was a tiny island airport with no jet bridges leading into the terminal.  Passengers were instructed to disembark from the plane via staircases and walk along the runway to enter the airport.  Unfortunately, it was raining... and not just a little sprinkle, but pouring (which resulted in flash flooding on the island roads leading to our resort).  So we made a run for it, and were completely, utterly soaked to the bone by the time we reached the terminal entrance.  We commented that we haven't been this wet since our trip to Hawaii!  The Winterhoffs are magnets for tropical storms apparently:

Waiting in line for customs, still smiling!

These photos give you an idea of our rain-soaked walk and were taken on the day that we left... (yes, the skies opened again right before we boarded the plane to fly home).  Thankfully, our time at the resort was filled with nothing but blue skies and the weather was perfect!

Our shuttle picked us up at the airport and drove us straight to our resort, where we changed into dry clothes, had dinner, and enjoyed the nightlife.  Each evening, there was an outdoor show in an amphitheater and several areas of live music.  L&L became expert at ordering mocktails at the bar, and Leah's favorite was a "Miami Vice" (1/2 strawberry daquiri and 1/2 pina colada):

We spent our first morning at the water park, which had a lazy river, water slides, and a surf simulator:

Surfer Leah! 

In the afternoon, we borrowed snorkel equipment and snorkeled at a nearby reef.  We saw lots of colorful fish and this was a fun experience for all of us:

The resort is made up of 4 villages, and each has its own atmosphere and feel.  We stayed in the French Village (which is modeled after Versailles), and one of our favorite things there was the pastry & coffee shop.  There were lawn games set up in each village, and these photos of us playing Connect 4 show the architecture in the French Village:

The Caribbean Village had a laid back vibe and was right on the ocean.  It felt tropical and beachy, and we played several games of lawn chess in this village:

The Key West Village was my favorite.  We had breakfast in a rooftop restaurant there one morning and this was our view:

Key West seemed quieter than other areas, and was charming and quaint.  We enjoyed live music by the fire pit here several nights:

Key West Village.

The Italian Village contained our favorite outdoor bar and seating area, as well as shops and several of our top-rated restaurants:

Early morning view of Italian Village from the pier.

Each morning, Mark and I got in line at 7:00 a.m. to sign up for water activities/sports for the following day.  These spots fill quickly and we wanted to ensure that we were registered.  Beaches offers glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling excursions, aqua trikes, sailing, and kayaks.  However, red flags remained on the beach all week (meaning that the water was too choppy/visibility was limited) and all activities were cancelled.  We didn't find out until 9:00 a.m. daily if the flag would change, so we were hopeful each day.  Leah is our adventure seeker and was the most disappointed, but we quickly pivoted and there was plenty to keep us entertained on land.  With 10 pools and miles of beach access, we were very happy to hang out and relax at our resort:

Water Sports area.

Pool Swim Up Bar 

Shaded Clamshells on the beach.

Island Drinks all day, every day.

Shuffleboard for the win!

We spied some native species who call the island home and the best weather station:

These cute little lizards were everywhere!

One of the most fun parts of this vacation was dining at the 21 restaurants on the property.  Luke is our foodie, and he always enjoys many types of cuisine.  Leah, who is usually our picky eater, shocked us by trying so many new things on this trip, including octopus!  

We dined alfresco for every meal (with the exception of one late night hibachi dinner) and enjoyed gorgeous views and lots of yummy food:

Jerk Food Truck! 

Bombay Indian Restaurant- served Family Style.

Sushi Night (Luke had eel sashimi and loved it!)

My favorite day was spent in this ocean-front cabana.  We read books, took naps, carried out lunch, and had more mocktails (of course!).  It felt like we had our own private beach and it was such a luxurious treat to relax in this beautiful place:

Our resort offered a sunset complimentary photo session, so we dressed up one evening and took some family pics before meeting our photographer on the beach:

We were able to review the professional photos the next day and ordered several:

Leah, Mark, and I also played pickleball a couple of mornings while Luke elected to sleep in.  We're currently taking a weekly pickleball class at home in NC, and it was fun to play on vacation:

The resort was beautifully landscaped with luscious tropical vegetation and colorful plants everywhere.  I was given this bouquet of flowers on our last morning, and it was such a lovely gesture to conclude our Spring Break:

We loved you, T&C!  Thanks for the memories!