What's New On Grand Turk

     My husband and I are planning our annual fall trip to Grand Turk.  I'm anxious to be back and I am looking to forward to seeing what is new.  We haven't been back to Grand Turk for a year and in that year I have found a few new items to put on my list of things to try:

     First - A new label of beer is being brewed right on Grand Turk.  Dennis and Peggy Maynes are now brewing hard ginger beer on island called the "Islander".   The beer is made from the following; dominican republic sugar, florida lemons and ginger from china.  From what I hear Dennis and Peggy have set up shop right in the middle of Cockburn Town.

     Ginger Beer has been a favorite non-alcoholic beverage in the islands but this new hard ginger beer adds a new twist.  Drink it in a chilled glass with a twist of lemon or try one of these mixed cocktails;  The Moscow Mule (Vodka and Islander Ginger Beer) or a Dark and Stormy (Gosling's Black Seal Rum and Islander Ginger Beer).  Be adventurous and try out a creation of your own.

     Second - I'm anxious to try my luck at the newly built, 5000 square foot casino, named the Santa Maria Gaming Saloon.  Built in the style of a ship and reminiscent of Christopher Columbus' landfall of the Americas, following a local belief that Grand Turk is the true place of landfall.  The casino is located at the White Sands Beach Resort and next to the cruise ship terminal. 

     With it's 100+ slot machines, as well as multiplayer state-of-the-art poker, roulette and black jack tables, there is certainly plenty to do to keep you occupied.   Entertainment with live bands is offered on the upper deck bars and lounges, where you can enjoy a drink along with the island sounds while you take in the the wonderful views and breezes.

     Finally I am hoping to discover new restaurants.  There seems to be a new restaurant that has popped up when ever I have return to the island, it's always fun to try the new fare.  In the past the Turks Head Mansion (formally the Turks Head Inn) was open for dinner and was always a quaint and favorite place to dine.  It has been several years since it has been open to the public.  I don't know if it has opened it's doors again but I am hoping it has.  I'm sure there will be some new restaurant to try.  I'll keep you posted.

Traveling with children

First I would like to say that my husband and I have traveled for many years with my 4 children from the time they were babies.  Now we travel with 4 grown children one son-in-law and 2 grandchildren.   I truly enjoy our family vacations as chaotic as they can be at times.  When I was a parent of young children I would opt for a vacation with children, as tough as it may be with schedules etc, to no vacation at all.  For me getting out and away from the cold weather and having a break from the same routine day after day, was important.  That said, there is a lot of work preparing for a vacation with children and being prepared is key to a pleasurable break.  You can actually enjoy your vacation with children, my best advice, expect the worst and you will probably be pleasantly surprised.  I found when I dreamed of a peaceful getaway, I was in trouble.  Let's face it, life with children is never peaceful at home or away.  That doesn't mean it won't be enjoyable, it simply means you won't be on your second honeymoon.

When my oldest child was 6 months old we decided to take our first vacation with child.  My husband and I didn't make this maiden voyage alone, thankfully our two friends Ron and Gail accompanied us.  Out of pure ignorance, not understanding how the long flights would effect us,  we decided on the lush Hawaiian archipelago.  It sounded wonderful to me 10 days away from the winter, in the tropics.  I was ready to get out of the house but not yet ready to leave my 6 month old baby behind.  So we mounted up our horses and headed for Logan Airport.    You would think we were going away for months when we were checking in, with the number of bags and paraphernalia we had.  Disposable diapers took up a hefty share of the luggage, in addition to  a fold up seat that hung on the table for our meals, a car seat, a stroller and several good sized bags for clothing, babies, you know, go through quantities of clothing.  Thank God we had our 2 friends to help us cart everything around.   Once everything was checked in we were unburdened, only the necessities remained,  a stroller and a well packed diaper bag, I hoped.

Now, imagine a 6 hour flight from Boston to San Francisco with a 6 month old baby.   Thankfully the reservation clerk at the airline suggest we book the bulkhead seats.  In those days they had small bassinets that hung on the wall in front of these seat,  making it possible to lay her down to nap for part of the trip, which was a real blessing.  We stayed over night in San Francisco and departed early the next morning on another 5 1/2 hour flight to Honolulu.    Everything went pretty seamless with the exception of carting around all the baby necessities.  We had a wonderful 10 day vacation, saw 2 islands and once again departed for our long and grueling plane rides home, less the bags of diapers.  I have to say we were really lucky, our daughter appeared to be a wonderful little traveler, but that is not always the case when you travel with children.  

The next time we decided to venture out on a vacation with child, however, it was going to be someplace closer with plane rides approximately 3 hours or less.  12 months later we were on a flight to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, with our same 2 friends, our 18 month old and this time a babysitter, something I highly recommend if your budget allows. (More on this later.) With past experience at hand we had booked a 3 hour flight to Fort Lauderdale, FL with an over night and then a 1 1/2 hour flight to Grand Turk.  Much better.  We had a wonderful restful vacation.

VACATIONING TIPS

Vacation Rental vs. Hotel - Once we landed at our destination we would settled in.  If you are traveling with babies or toddlers, I would recommend a vacation rental over a hotel.  LIfe is so much easier when you have everything you need at your fingers, which most often revolves around food.   Having a vacation rental is great for the family, being in a fully furnished home or apartment, you can cook in at the time you need.  Evenings can be more enjoyable too depending on the vacation rental spot, you can sit on your patio or balcony with a glass of wine or a Margarita and watch the sunset or watch a movie on TV while your child/children sleep in a quiet separate room.

Dining Out - We would try to dine out as early as possible but, especially in the Caribbean, dinners start late, we found it difficult to eat earlier than 7:00 so we would feed the children about 5:00 and then take them out with us to dinner where they can still nibble from our plates or have some dessert.  The stroller comes in handy as they became tired.  We would plop them in and rock them to sleep and then finish our dinner in peace.  If you have more than one small child this may not work well for you and you may opt for cooking dinner at your rental.  At some destinations you can get take out dinners or arrange for a local person to come in and cook for you.

With babysitter - If you can afford the additional airfare traveling with a babysitter can be the perfect solution to making it a restful vacation too.  Often teenagers are happy to travel to wonderful destinations as a baby sitter simply for the airfare and lodging provided.  You just have to be clear in advance what your expectations are as well as hearing what theirs may be.  We would always make sure the babysitter had the opportunity to dine out with us a few times and do a little sight seeing with us too.  They would have time during the day to beach bathe and we would have a few minutes in the evening to dine.  I recommend tipping the sitter at the end of the vacation too.

Packing


I always pack more than less when going out of the country because you don't know if the items you need will be readily available.  I'm a firm believer in Murphy's Law  "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".  If you plan for Murphy's Law when you pack you are always prepared, some items may never get used the, being prepared saves you from some very stressful situations.

It's worth it a check with your accommodations to see if they have a washing machine and dryer.  If they do, you can pack less, just don't forget the powdered detergent. When you begin packing be sure to mix everyones clothes up.  If any of the luggage gets lost - which has happened to us - Everyone still has something to wear.  I also recommend that each person bring an outfit in their carry-on (Underwear, a clean top, a T shirt to sleep in and a tooth brush, if you are heading to a warm climate you might add a pair of shorts and a swimsuit.)

Below is a list of necessities and helpful items to pack or bring on your trip:

• Stroller - For children under 4 especially if you plan to do a lot of walking.  Children tire easily and a stroller can make your life so much easier.  I purchased a simple umbrella stroller to travel with, being light weight and pretty compact I found it easier to deal with.  Be sure the one you choose can recline and has a netted compartment for items like diapers, bottles or sippy cups, sweathers and blankets.  Strollers come in handy as an extra seat if the restaurant does not have high chairs.  (We found when we would travel to small islands in the Caribbean the restaurants frequently did not have high chairs so we would feed them in the stroller)  When you are on vacation small children tire out early and often fall to sleep during dinner.  If you can rock them to sleep in a stroller, you can dine in peace.
• Car Seat - If you will be renting a car on the other end or have booked a seat for your child a car seat may be helpful but remember it is another item to cart around.  Car rentals often have car seats if you request it in advance.  
• Pack "N" Play - Check with your accommodations  to see if they have a crib available, if they do not a Pack "N" Plays work beautifully be sure to bring a pad and sheets for the bed, you can use the blanket you carry-on to cover them.
• Disposable Diapers - Figure on bringing enough diapers for the amount you use per day and then add a couple more diapers for each day to that figure.  Example:  If your child uses 6 diapers per day put in 8 per day.  If you are traveling to a destination where you know you can get disposable diapers easily you can do with a lot less diapers and plan to purchase as you need.  Be sure to put some in each of your bags (see note in packing).
• Clothing - always be prepared for at least 1 outfit of the opposite weather - you never know. For instance if you are heading to warm weather be sure to bring a jacket and long pants and a warm sleeper, just in case.  Or if you are heading where it is supposed to be cooler - bring a T-shirt and shorts, I have seen the weather not cooperate on several trips.   Sometimes in the warmer climates  the evenings can be cooler than expected and a light jacket comes in handy.
• Thermometer
• Children's Tylenol 
• Benadryl for stuffy noses - may be helpful for the plane ride and congestion.
• Any frequently used medications or salves
• Diaper bag - For children under 3 that are not toilet trained, or if your child is newly toilet trained.  Reverting back to diapers just for the airport and plane won't make them regress but it will take a lot of stress and worry off you.  Items for the diaper bag:

1. Disposable Diapers - Bring double what you think you may need.
2. Wipes - I would bring the whole big package of wipes.  Now they make plastic refills that have a self seal top so you don't have to pack the big plastic box.  You may want to bring 2 packages of wipes because you will use them for all sorts of clean-ups from quick wash-ups and sticky fingers to diaper changes.  Again this would depend on where you are going and access to the items.
3. Bottles - 1 to 2 - filled with water.  I would bring powdered milk or formula and mix up what I needed and you can also purchase little pouches of juice to mix in with the water as well.
4. Pacifier
5. Change of clothes
6. Earplanes (These help with the pressure in the ear at take off and landing).
7. Benadryl
8. Baby food, finger food and snacks - bring plenty and try to bring different things like, raisins, cherrios, goldfish, pretzels, graham crackers, sliced or pieces of fruit or veggies - Take a walk around the grocery store to find items that your child doesn't get often.
9. The child's cuttle toy
10. A baby blanket from their bed to make there sleeping time is less stressful.  Just the scent of home can help the child settle in better.
11. Plastic grocery bags -  I would bring 4-5 of these tightly rolled and tucked away for dirty diapers and soiled clothes.  They come in handy for a lot of things.
12. Toys and if traveling with toddlers - coloring items  - Aim for small items but a good variety to keep them occupied.

On The Plane

Kids never do as you wish them to do on planes.  They won't sleep if they need to, they seem to cry louder and longer than usual and they have short attention spans - so the endless walking up and down the isle.  We found as long as the plane ride was under or about 3 hours,  it was doable.  If  we were fortunate the child would sleep for most of the ride.  If they didn't sleep we knew we could keep them occupied for that amount of time with people, toys and most importantly FOOD.  People on planes seem to be amiable to children as long as they aren't constantly screaming or crying.  Often there would be a grandmother in a nearby seat that would play peek-a-boo or talk to the child, helping with the  entertainment.   These passengers should earn some kind of award, bringing a moments peace to weary parents.

A well packed diaper bag with lots of food, bottle, both water and milk, formula or juice, lots of snacks, a pacifier (if your child takes one), their special sleeping toy and blanket are essential for baby happiness.  I also recommend taking an excess of diapers on the plane, you don't want to be caught short handed.  I always packed several plastic grocery bags, these are easy to roll up into tiny balls that don't take up much room and they come in real handy for dirty diapers or soiled clothing even making noise to entertain the baby.

It was inevitable when we were ready to depart for our trip, someone would have a cold.  I found Benadryl to be helpful with the stuffy head at take off and landing.  I would give the child the appropriate dose about 1/2 hour before take off.  When the plane begins to taxi down the runway then it's time to put one of the bottles into use.  I recommend bottles over sippy cups because the sucking action actually helps alleviate the pressure at take off and landing.  Try to encourage your child to take the bottle and continue sucking.  If you are a nursing mother even better, this would be the time to begin nursing. But if the child is under 3, and not nursing, a bottle is great.  With older children chewing gum works really well to help with the pressure.   I discovered a neat little item called Earplanes.  These are small plastic plugs that regulate air pressure, you put them into your child's ear for takeoff and landing.  The package states they are only good for 1 time use on the box so be sure to bring 2 sets or more depending on the number of flights. I found them to be helpful with the pressure, not 100% but an improvement over none.

Just because you have small children, it does not mean you can not go on vacation.  You simply have to plan well, have a sense of humor and pack well.  If you can bring a sitter, you will have a wonderful break.   If a full time baby sitter isn't in your budget ask whom ever is your contact at your accommodation about hiring a baby sitter, they may be able to recommend someone responsible to you for a night out or even a lunch.  It's nice to to have a change of scenery even if it isn't a break from parenthood.  The days where you and your husband can get away alone will come.

Turks and Caicos Potcakes - Doggie Update

     For years we have traveled to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands and every time a local dog would find us and follow us around.  We grew to adore the little darlings.  Over the last few years Crabtree Apartments was adopted by 3 little homeless dogs who found that the guests at Crabtree appreciated their company.

     These charming four legged creatures have come to be known as Potcakes throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamas, a name given to the local dogs because the islanders would feed them the caked on remains of their pots.

     So many of our guests have commented on the 3 lovable companions that greet them upon arrival and have kept them company as they walk the beach or down town to dinner each night, I thought I would give you a quick update.  These 3 lovable dogs are strays that have been cared for and watched over by the island residents and many of our guests.  My favorite is a black lab mix pictured in my February 2011 post "Birds, Dogs and Relaxation".  She is a gentle thing, when I first met her my heart went out to her.  She had this huge tumor on her jowl that made it difficult to eat, her two enthusiastic mates would often gobble up the treats we offered, so we would feed her in a spot away from the others, often by hand.  Her 2 friends were also sweet animals that would happily trot along beside us as we walked the beach.  We became attached to the trio and gave them all names, Nigel - a springy short haired brown dog with huge ears that stuck up oddly, Marie a small to medium sized dog with perhaps a little shepherd in her bloodline, she loves to be scratched and Lumpy - named for the enormous lump on her jowl.   Every guest that has grown to love them have named them various names and we have discovered that they are known to the island residents with yet another set of names.

     I thought that some of our guest may like to have an update on our 3 friends.    Nigel a young male, pictured in the far right side of the 3 dogs pictured above, was adopted and now lives in Canada, I believe.

     Lumpy (her local name is Susie) the black dog still visits our guests at Crabtree, she sustained an injury to her tumor causing the tumor to drain, she was very sick and we thought we might lose her.  She was put on antibiotics and thankfully recovered however her tumor is cancerous and I don't know how long we will enjoy her company.   She is getting older but hopefully will be around for a little while longer.  Lumpy has been a sweet friend and companion.

     Marie the brown dog on the right of the above picture, still trots around town visiting all her friends.  She happily chases the waves and takes care of her friend Lumpy - ie Susie.  They now have a new friend and so once again we have a friendly trio to walk with us to dinner each night.  They are good company for those that are dog lovers and seem to know the dog loving guests and move on to visit others along the beach when we have no guests or the guests aren't the dog loving kind.

     There is now an ASPCA on Grand Turk island, in a little shop down on Duke St.  The woman who runs it, I'm sorry to say I have forgotten her name, is wonderful to all the dogs.  She has helped facilitate several adoptions and cares for so many of the stray dogs as well as having instituted a spay and neutering program.   If you are visiting the Turks and Caicos and willing to help one of the Potcakes make their way home to the USA, drop in as let them know.  The Turks and Caicos TCSPCA is always looking for volunteers to bring the adopted pets home to their new owners on their flights back to the States.  If you are interested in adopting a Potcake or are interested in the Grand Turk TCSPCA check out their Grand Turk TCSPCA Facebook Page   BEWARE - You may fall in love!