Globe Corner Blogs

National Geographic Trails Illustrated St. John Island

A guest post by Lorie K., winner of the Funny Family Vacation Story Contest

There are two ways to experience the Caribbean: The first is to enjoy a resort vacation with Mai Tais on the beach, massages, and fabulous meals while watching the sunset; the other is the way my family decided to do it – camping during monsoon season. After getting through the embarrassment of running through Laguardia Airport on Christmas Day to catch our plane with tents, sleeping bags, and coolers wrapped with duct tape in tow, I thought the worst of going camping on St. John island was over. I had visions of snorkeling, beach combing, relaxing with my parents and sisters after a harrowing first semester at law school, and possibly meeting a cute boy… oh, the folly of dreams! Instead, I found myself sleeping on the ground in a constant puddle due to sudden rain outbursts, slathering myself with aloe to relieve the sunburn, and trying to digest food cooked over a Bunsen burner. And no cute boys would deem to approach me on the beach with my dad lurking nearby in his black knee-high socks!
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Photo by Kate

A number of times on our vacation last month in Turks and Caicos, we looked around the beach, and saw no one. Really, no one. Just some crabs, and some birds, but that’s it.

We embarked on this vacation with Thoreauesque goals: not so much transcendentalism or  civil disobedience, but just to get the heck away from people. We hardly had to try; even on the main island of Providenciales, all we had to do was avoid Grace Bay, and we found deserted stretches of white sand and strangely blue waters.

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We opted not to stay in Grace Bay, the main resort area with some of the most beautiful beaches on the island, but instead followed our solitary path out to Northwest Point, part of Provo known for the diving and the Marine National Park. There are only two resorts at this end of the island: the super-swank Amanyara and the very mellow, laid-back Northwest Point Resort (where we stayed). At either place, the beaches are empty and great for walking or some low-key snorkeling.

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A fresh copy of Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao arrived today, newly emblazoned with a shiny gold sticker identifying it as 2008′s Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. And, let me tell you, if ever a book deserved a gold sticker, it is this one. Continue Reading »