That, my friends is the beach along Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, and it's pretty close to heaven.
The cool breezes, the dry air, the warm, crystal-clear gentle waters... it doesn't look real, but it is. As I said to my husband when we walked out on to the beach on our first day there, "It's like we've walked into a screensaver."
What brought us to this beautiful Caribbean paradise? Well, Over the summer, my guy and I needed to use up some airline credits. In the July heat, we decided it would be fun to book a winter getaway to enjoy in February. Little did we know that it was going to be one of the most brutal winters in history.
After a little research, we decided on Turks and Caicos, which isn't quite as developed as its neighbor, the Bahamas, but is upscale, safe, and very low-key.
Fortunately for us, after almost getting snowed in by a blizzard at Newark airport, we arrived in Providenciales, TCI's largest island, and headed to Avis for our rental car. The friendly ladies who worked there ended up giving us one of the best recommendations we got that week. It always pays to ask a local!
Because Dave and I like to eat many of our meals at home when we travel, we rented a place with a kitchen and patio equipped with a grill. That grill got a lot of use! From hamburgers and hot dogs, to grilled local spiny lobsters and red snapper, we grilled at least once a day.
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| This red snapper was caught for us by the owner of the little place where we stayed. Such a nice guy! |
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This little guy probably doesn't agree.
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| A delicious spiny lobster tail we got at IGA. Dave brushed it with melted butter, lemon, and garlic and grilled it to perfection. |
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| It was a fitting end to the best vacation ever! |
Dave happens to be a great griller, so I got a nice break from the kitchen! But, even though we did a fair amount of cooking at home, we still took time to explore the local dining scene and developed quite the taste for a few of TCI specialties, particularly cracked conch and peas and rice.
Here were a few highlights from our trip:
The Thursday Night Fish Fry in The Bight Children's Park
Sure, it's a little touristy, but this weekly event is a fun way to sample a number of Provo's most popular restaurants at once. I had a fabulous cracked conch--cooked fresh to order--from Froggie's on Da Bay and Dave got some Lobster Fried Rice from another spot. For under $15, we ate pretty darn well... which for Provo's pricey standards, it a steal.
Boogaloo's
As I mentioned, when we went to pick up our rental car, we asked the ladies working at Avis where they like to go in Turks and Caicos. "Boogaloo's," they both replied. Well, we took their suggestion and immediately understood why. Although the place is a bit off the beaten path, it's well worth the trip. It's the best beach restaurant and bar anywhere! You sit under a canopy of trees and stare out at the amazing blue ocean. You can even walk out and watch them prepare conch just pulled off the boat. The food is fantastic, the vibe is great, and on Saturday nights, they have live music and dancing. Lots of locals go there, and for good reason. We went twice!
Sauteed red snapper with peas and rice and macaroni and cheese.
A delicious (virgin) island punch for me!
Somewhere on Da Beach. A cool restaurant and bar right on Grace Bay Beach that serves mostly Mexican food. They make delicious virgin Piña Coladas and the food is yummy, albeit expensive. Try the fried fish sandwich!
Graceway IGA. Okay, technically, this is a very nice grocery store, but we went there a TON and they sell fresh doughnuts every morning. Who can resist warm fresh doughnuts that you can take back to your place and eat while looking out at the ocean?
I can't say enough good things about this wonderful little island. We can't wait to go back!
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