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The Royal West Indies Resort @ Turks

Posted on August 23, 2017

At this point it’s no secret, my family loves the Caribbean! Almost all of our vacations consist of visiting a beautiful beach, on a beautiful island, surrounded by that beautiful blue water. I have wanted to visit Turks and Caicos for years now, but I was waiting for Nate to get a little older so he could enjoy some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean. We finally decided we would plan our trip, and we’d just have to go again once Nate learned to swim. Little did we know…Nate actually learned to swim AND hold his breath under water, the week right before our trip. Perfect timing Nate! We partnered up with the Royal West Indies to share our first Turks & Caicos experience, while staying at their beautiful resort. The resort is only 15 minutes from the airport, which is perfect, since it’ a 4 hour plane ride from NY, and we didn’t want to spend any more time in a car. Although! We did stop at the island’s very popular, Sweet T’s, fried chicken spot on the way to the resort. When I tell you the chicken was good, I mean it was good! It’s one of the local’s fave spots, so make sure you stop by after you land! It’s been awhile since we stayed at a bigger resort, and the grounds at the Royal West Indies were just beautiful…they had the best landscaping and picturesque gardens. It was a great blend of green trees, cactus, palms, and colorful flowers. It was the perfect scenery for all of my photos 🙂 They had 3 pools: a huge pool, with an adorable kiddie pool attached (Nate’s fave!) and a bridge crossing over it to take you to their Pelican Bay Restaurant, and then 2 smaller sized pools in the quiet area – for those of your traveling kid-free and looking for a quieter scene. There was also a hot tub in the quiet area, and it was perfect for the wifie and I to get some mommy & daddy time, after Nate was in bed. My mother-in-law came on the trip with us, so it’s nice when my wife and I can get some adult time in. 🙂 The fact that the main pool had an attached shallow kid’s section for Nate and an underwater bench along most of the pool made Nate absolutely love it and helped him get the confidence to really expand his swimming skills. Now don’t be scared off! The resort is kid-friendly, but there was definitely not an abundance of them. During our time there I think I only saw 1 other kid in the pool. The craziest kid there was probably Nate (LOL). The pool was a stone throw away from the bar, which was perfect for us to grab our pina coladas and a bite to eat, because Nate literally never wanted to get out of the pool. The restaurant has some great choices and variety, but my favorite was the breakfast dish of grits and beef hash. I was told this dish is what the locals eat and it was soooo good. I actually ate it every morning. I’m a huge fan of grits and if it’s on the menu I’m ordering it. The pool-side bar also had happy hour from 5-7 so we always made sure we were in the pool at that time (LOL). I honestly can’t tell you how many pina coladas I drank, but they don’t get any better than how they make them here. Great, now I’m craving one right now! All of the pools are open 24hrs…which we all loved. Night life for us is pretty mellow these days, so it’s fun to be able to make a cocktail and head to the pool late at night with Nate, to extend our night and really maximize our vacay days. The room was a pretty standard size and included a bed (or 2), flat screen TV, and a small kitchenette with the basics, like a mini fridge and coffee maker. Our room had a balcony with a partial view of the ocean and pool and it was nice waking up and seeing both. The resort had bicycle’s you could use, as well as mini catamarans. The beach was of course beautiful. They had chairs and umbrellas you could use and it was only a very short and pretty walk from the pool. Though there wasn’t any reefs directly in front of the hotel beach, you can take a 15 minute walk down the beach to a small and very cool reef where we were able to snorkel from the shore. On the way, you can stop by Flamingo Cafe and grab a bite and cocktail right on Grace Bay Beach. We didn’t get to go scuba diving on this trip, but we definitely will on our next trip back – which hopefully will be soon! We did take a snorkeling excursion with Caicos Adventures. We stopped at 3 different reefs and I was blown away by the reef and variety & abundance of sea life. I never seen so many different types of coral. We saw so many different fish, lobster, and even some eels. Do however, beware of drinking too much of the complimentary rum punch like I did, because you are guaranteed to need a nap after (LOL). I think me and a fellow snorkeler must have drank a gallon! If you don’t feel like shelling out the $115 pp to take an excursion you can easily take a ride to one of the many snorkel spots off the shore. We went to the Coral Gardens Reef, which was literally 20 ft right off the beach. We went 3ft in and immediately almost stepped on a sting ray. This reef was perfect for Nate to get a first taste of snorkeling. I could not believe how good he did! He didn’t use a snorkel but he would hold on to me and swim around holding his breath underwater for about 20 seconds, and would just keep on pointing out all the fish he saw. The whole trip he kept saying he wanted to see a turtle and we finally were snorkeling around the reef and came up to 2 huge turtles lying on the ocean floor. He got to watch them swim up and take a breath above the water, and they were only about 3 feet away from us, so we all got a great close-up view! Snorkeling with Nate will truly be an unforgettable memory. I have never had so much fun and been more proud of my little man. Between the pool, the beach, snorkeling, and all of the pina coladas and rum punch, you really work up an appetite. There were so many restaurants to eat at but my favorite 2 would definitely have to be Cocovan and Mango Reef. Cocovan was a cool air-stream converted into a taco truck. They had the best tacos I have ever eaten! The Korean Beef and the Duck were my favorite. Oh and did I mention they have churros and ice cream for dessert. Sooooo amazingly yummy. Mango Reef was right by the water and was lit up with all these neon lights. They even had some neon lights in the water. The ambiance really made it feel like you were on vacation! As I’m writing this, it’s making me want to go back already. We all had an amazing time at the beautiful Royal West Indies. I know every vacation is going to be one for the books, but this one had a few firsts for Nate, so I’m always going to remember that this was the one where he really learned to swim and finally got to experience the magical sea turtles with his mommy and daddy. Thank you Royal West Indies for such an amazing trip! If anyone is looking to visit Turks & Caicos, definitely check this resort out. It was in the perfect location, had gorgeous grounds, really fun pools, is right on Grace Bay Beach, and has the best pina coladas! 🙂 We will definitely be back!

Family Style Travel

Caribbean Club 2017

Posted on June 13, 2017

The Caribbean Club at Grand Cayman will always have a special place in my heart. I have had so many special memories here. Not to mention, it is one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in. I thought I was dreaming when they said they would have my family and I back. This time, we knew we wanted to stay a little more low-key and spend more time at 7 Mile Beach at the hotel. We still explored, we just didn’t do as many excursions as our first trip. The room this time around was just as beautiful as the first time. As soon as you open the door, the big open space just make it feel amazing and luxurious. It had 3 large bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The master bedroom had a king bed, a huge master bath with a jacuzzi tub, twin sinks and a stand up shower, and then sliding glass doors leading out to the oversized balcony with amazing views of those Caribbean blues. The second bedroom had a queen bed and another huge bathroom. The third bedroom had 2 twin beds and a shared bathroom that you could access from the hallway as well. Each room also has tons of closet space. It’s so nice when there is actually room and you don’t have to live out of a suitcase the entire vacation! The kitchen and living room were so spacious. It’s an open concept area complete with a full kitchen, a breakfast bar and stools, a dining table, full couch and chair, and of course 2 large sliding glass doors leading out to the amazing balcony. There was a washer and drier off of the kitchen as well. I was pretty much ready to move in! On to the balcony…it’s just amazing. It’s such a big space for a balcony, with room for a dining table, 3 lounge chairs, and some extra cushiony outdoor seating. We were out there every morning, every evening and just about anytime we popped into the room for something. You can’t help but wander out there any chance you can get to experience the view of the pool, 7 Mile Beach and the never-ending sea of the most beautiful blue ever. Most of our days were spent on the beach under one of their cabana huts sipping on the pina-colodas from Luca, their in-house restaurant. We also spent the other part of our days taking out one of their paddle-boards and enjoying their world-class snorkeling about 100 yards out. We love that you can see things like turtles and cuttlefish literally 10 feet off-shore! This has been the only island we’ve ever experienced anything like this so close to shore! And, since Nate doesn’t know how to snorkel yet, it’s really cool when he gets to see a turtle come up to the water surface for air. He was so excited to see the little guy pop his head up – it was adorable. My wife and I also went scuba diving at Eden Rock, which is about a 15 minute drive from the hotel. It’s actually our favorite place to snorkel! We love being able to rent the gear and just jump right in the water and make our way out to the reef alone. This year, we saw our first shark! It was actually really scary even though it was a small shark (LOL). It wanted nothing to do with us, but it was just a reminder that they are out there somewhere, and it has always been my greatest fear to come across one. Well I did, and I made it (haha). We also took a venture across the island to the Cayman Crystal Caves. Despite the fact that it’s an hour drive, it was a really nice time. Nathan was soooo into it! We were surprised at how well he listened and behaved and was intrigued by all there was to see. We got to see bats, a few different caves, and an amazing underground water pool, surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites – it was a total Goonies experience! On another day, we also experienced their Carnival parade go right past the hotel. I found out the hard way, but you might not want to take your kid to see it (LOL). It was all harmless, but there was some serious grinding, with a lack of clothing, that might not be kid appropriate! (LOL) It was an experience though! With that said, if you visit and don’t have kids with you, go get some glitter and head down and join the fun because it looked like a blast. We usually spend at least 2 nights at Camana Bay. This is a little area with cute shops, great restaurants and fun water fountains for the kids to play in (I joined in with Nate this time), and it’s a perfect way to end your evening. We always end our vacation with a long day at the beach right in front of the Caribbean Club, and having dinner at our favorite restaurant, Luca. The food is absolutely amazing and the staff is always so welcoming and friendly – I can’t say it enough how friendly they were to my family and I. It’s a romantic little atmosphere at the base of the hotel where you can either dine inside or out. We always choose out, because how can you not with the crazy warm weather and gorgeous views! It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been home and we’re honestly already to go back. The Caribbean Club is amazing. The staff, the rooms, the views, the restaurant, the beach…everything is just breathtaking. My son is already asking me ‘When are we going back to Grand Cayman again?’ I don’t know what it is about this place in particular but when I think about both of my trips here with my family, I get all nostalgic and could literally just keep coming back ever year! We LOVE you Caribbean Club, and thank you again for having us! We hope to be back again next year (if not sooner), LOL. If you’re planning on vacationing in Grand Cayman, definitely consider this place. I can’t say it enough, how much we LOVE it here and all the unforgettable memories you will have!

Family Style Travel

Twinning in Old Navy

Posted on June 12, 2017

I remember my very first game at Shea Stadium. My Grandfather took myself, my sister, and the rest of my cousins and we sat in the bleachers. We were allowed one large popcorn and one large soda to share among all of us. As a father, one of the coolest things for me is to be able to take an experience I had as a child and give my son that same experience but make it even better by letting him enjoy all the extras that I didn’t get to experience. We were lucky enough to have Old Navy help me achieve this incredible night. Nathan’s first game was spent in the Porsche Suite at Citi Field. We got to meet Dave Annabel from the T.V. show Brothers and Sisters and even got to meet Mr. Met himself. We ate everything: hotdogs, hamburgers, peanuts, cotton candy and even cookie dough! We got there early enough to get close to the field and watch both teams warm up before the game. I can’t believe how nice Citi Field is! There’s so many other activities and sections that you can enjoy outside of watching the game! Nathan got some practice hitting in the batting cages and he killed it! (see video below from our Instagram story – had to share, so proud!) At the end of the game they had an amazing fireworks show. Nathan was so excited for it and he loved it. Overall, I was actually surprised at how into the game Nate was. I knew he would watch the game for a few innings but I definitely didn’t think he’d last until the end. He was so well behaved, watched the entire game, and surprisingly, was really into it! It doesn’t get much cooler than that! Oh wait, it does – we got to wear matching Old Navy Getaway Shirts (mens | toddler) to the game, that were the perfect colors to coordinate with our Mets hat and the rest of the Mets fans. To say that these shirts were a hit would be an understatement. Everywhere we ventured around the stadium, we were constantly getting compliments as to how cute we looked matching, and what bright and fun colors our shirts were. I paired my shirt with these really cool stain-resistant Old Navy Stay-White Jeans (perfect for stadium eating behavior) and Nathan paired his with Old Navy Skinny Jeans and a pair of Old Navy Printed Canvas Slip-Ons (style no longer available online) with these fun graphics all over them – including a hotdog! (perfect for the game). I seriously love when we get to match! I used to think we would look and feel cheesy (LOL) but I think when the clothes feel and look good, it just works. As you may already know, my wife is my photographer so she’s always behind the camera, but she was also rocking an Old Navy top and bottom. She went with their Relaxed Off-the-Shoulder Top and a pair of their Mid-Rise Rockstar Destructed Skinny Jeans. This was my wife’s first time wearing Old Navy jeans and she absolutely loved the fit of them! Thank you again Old Navy for such a fun night and allowing us to share it all with your amazing IG followers! (this post is sponsored by Old Navy, however, all opinions expressed are my own.)

Family Travel

Cactus & Canyons

Posted on April 6, 2017

My grandparents have been living in Arizona for 25 years and have been trying to get me to visit for about 20 of them. I actually did visit the state once before but it was so long ago I don’t remember any of it. Now that my son is getting bigger and they’re only getting older I wanted to bring him to visit them. My wife and I had never actually seen the Grand Canyon or any of the amazing wonders in Arizona, so we packed up our super cool Herschel Supply Camo Luggage and headed out west. The first day we were there we just explored the neighborhood (Sun City West). It’s actually an uber cool retirement community. I mean they had about 5 golf courses, 2 mini golf courses, tennis, swimming pools, pickle ball…you name it they had it! And, you just hop in a golf cart and just boogie around town! On the second day out there we wanted to start marking off some of the places we had on our list. Wildlife World Zoo was one of them. We all went and got to feed the giraffes and see an array of other beautiful animals. One of the cool features of this zoo is that it had an aquarium in it as well. We love aquariums. They also had a skyride, roller coaster, freefall ride and a bunch of other fun rides. Nathan is still too small for most of the rides, so we just took him on the “ski lift” as he called it. The next day we decided to head to the Grand Canyon. Since the whole point of going to Arizona was to see the GG’s (Great Grandparents) we asked them to come along everywhere we went. Which for the most part was really cool. We found out the one hiccup would be that my Grand Father wanted to be a Nascar 500 driver in his previous life so we had to constantly be asking him to slow down (LOL). We didn’t really have as much time as I would of liked at the Grand Canyon. We stopped at the visitor center, walked around a little taking in the gorgeous view and then we headed over to the Watchtower. I thought the tower was a little better of a view. Plus, you got to walk up a couple flights of stairs to the top floor, which was definitely more fun for Nate. The next time I go to the Canyon I would love to make it a point to have a little more time for hiking and maybe take a helicopter and/or a jeep tour. I would’ve loved to have gone to the north side to walk on the observatory deck, but we just didn’t have time this trip. After the tower we drove another 2.5 hours to Page, AZ. We stayed over and then the next morning we took a tour of Antelope Canyon. Since Antelope Canyon is on an Indian reservation you can only see it by tour. You take a 15 minute jeep ride (where everybody is sitting in the back of an open jeep) until you arrive at the canyon. You can tell right when you get there it’s going to be a really cool. I liked the feeling of being inside of it, just surrounded by the beautiful red rock formations. The guide was helpful to show you all the cool angles and how to point your camera just right to get all of the beautiful rock colors. Unfortunately, depending on the time of year, you don’t always get some of the famous light beams you see in pictures, but it’s still hard not to get amazing shots in this place. Just gorgeous and unreal. After the tour, which lasted about an hour, we drove to Horseshoe Bend. From the parking area it’s about a 7 minute hike to the ridge. For those who have kids, be warned that there is no guard or fence at this location. There are people literally hanging off the cliff just to get that perfect photo. I consider myself fairly brave but I would not dare to venture to some of the spots these people were going to get their shot…nuts! I think this view was actually my favorite from this trip. At this point Nate was starting to get a little restless, so we climbed some rocks (which made mommy a little nervous and unhappy…LOL). I felt a little bad since I thought we’d be doing more hiking and climbing on this trip, so we made it a point to explore around the area, since Nate just loves to explore. From Sun City West and from location to location it was a lot of driving for all of us, especially for Nate, but he was a real trooper in the car for hours. On the way back we stopped in Sedona for dinner. The town has a breathtaking view and a picturesque town with a lot of cool shops. We definitely plan on staying there a little longer on our next trip! Overall Arizona was absolutely gorgeous. From the perfectly manicured properties to the palm trees and cacti that we were all obsessing over, the state is beautiful. I never understood why my grandparents chose to retire out there…as I always thought I’d need to be on one of the coasts, but after visiting, I really think I’d also consider retiring out there. There’s so much to do and they are in driving distance of so many sights in the surrounding states. I’m happy we finally made it out there to visit and can check off Arizona and the Grand Canyon off the bucket list!

Reviews Style Travel

Head to Toe TOPO

Posted on March 13, 2017

This summer I told myself I’m going to do as many outdoor activities as possible. Since Nate loves hiking and my parents are also avid hikers, we will definitely be doing our fare share of hiking. I took our trip to Arizona as an opportunity to start picking up some outdoor gear, and Topo Designs was at the top of my list. I love their artistic view on outdoor gear and how they don’t shy away from using bright colors, even if its just a subtle detail. The Puffer Cardigan is now one of the most unique pieces in my wardrobe. The nylon material almost gives it a leather jacket vibe. I honestly feel like it looks like I’m wearing a leather jacket but it’s so comfortable you almost don’t feel like your wearing a jacket at all! I also like the fact that the inside of the jacket is a vibrant yellow…when the wind blows you get that peek of the color pop. It was the perfect jacket to bring on my trip. While in Arizona the weather was pretty sporadic. It was actually ranging from about 80 degrees where we were staying, to 35 degrees at the canyon – crazy difference in just a 3 hour drive! I wasn’t sure if I should bring shorts, pants, a jacket or what. So I brought their Mountain Shorts in case it was hot and Puffer Jacket in case I got cold. It’s light enough to wear under another jacket if it was really needed, or if I got hot I could roll it up and put it in my pack. I’m seriously obsessed with this jacket! It was a little chilly but once I started moving around I was glad I was wearing shorts. The shorts are the perfect length and have a slim fit. Also, I like the little bit of color that the red belt adds. To go with the red detail in the belt I paired the fit with their red Nylon Camp Hat. Most of the hats I own are 5 Panel. Since I have a small head, it seems to be the style that fits me the best. For the pack I knew I wasn’t actually gong to be doing any long distance hiking so I went with the smaller Rover Pack. To to be honest, I didn’t do much hiking at all. It was more site seeing. But, I still needed somewhere to keep some water and snacks since we were going to be out all day, and it was perfect for what I needed it for. This summer when we actually start taking some longer treks I will probably upgrade to the Klettersack. Topo Designs won me over as a fan with their quality and product designs, and it’s always a bonus when all of the items are made in the USA!

Reviews Style Travel

CLASSICS REIMAGINED WITH @GHBASS

Posted on January 6, 2017

As you already know I’m a big fan of G.H.Bass and have gotten to work with them quite a few times now! I was excited to be a part of their Classics Reimagined campaign to showcase how I would go about styling some of their shoe styles. Click Here to see the feature on their site!

Style Travel

G.H. BASS MAINE TRIP (LOOK 7 )

Posted on October 25, 2016

When Styling the GH Bass Ranger Moc II Lyndon Hi Bison Boot (in Medium Brown), I wanted to go with a denim rugged look. I wore this mostly denim look, pairing these awesome polo carpenter jeans with this G-Star denim jacket. To try and edge it up I wore an olive turtle neck….which are currently two of my faves: the color olive and turtlenecks! (need more) These boots are different than most because they come right out of the box with that comfortable broken-in feel. The leather is sooooo soft, and the rigid sole adds to the softness that you feel when you’re walking…by far the most comfortable boot I EVER wore! I also love the texture of the leather. I might be in love with these 🙂

Family Style Travel

A WEEKEND IN BOSTON

Posted on October 11, 2016

As much as my family and I would love to go to the Caribbean every weekend LOL, we realize that’s not possible, so we like to take Nate on little road trips, visiting the surrounding states and exploring areas we’ve never been to before. When we got the opportunity to stay at The Revere Hotel in Boston we were super excited! We actually had plans to visit Boston previously, but never actually made the move and went. We have always heard so much about the city and how beautiful and clean it is. It’s definitely different than NYC but great and a little quaint in its own way. We started our trip, as we always try to do when we visit a new city, and headed straight to where Nate can go nuts and have fun – the Boston Children’s Museum. As anyone with a toddler knows sometimes you just have to bribe your kid 🙂 We know that Nate doesn’t always want to shop and eat his way through a city like we want to, (LOL) so letting him have his fun first is always the plan! The Museum is right on the water and across the bay from the very cool looking Boston Tea Party Museum. Right when you enter the museum you’re greeted with a huge 3-story climbing jungle gym. It was pretty cool in the fact that it almost looked like a giant piece of artwork – so the fact that kids could actually climb in it all the way to the top was pretty amazing. Nate could’ve spent all day in there! On one of the floors they had these very cool water tables where kids can learn about the flow of water and play with boats. There are too many stations to list them all, but it’s definitely very interactive and hands-on while incorporating both learning and fun. Nate is still talking about how he wants to go back! After the museum and all that running around and learning, there was really only one place to go and that was Kane’s Donuts. I might be somewhat of a donut junkie because I always Google famous donut shops in the area wherever I’m headed! The Cookies and Cream donut was my family’s favorite! We then finally made our way to The Revere Hotel. It was in a great location and the lobby had some really cool musical artifacts, including a signed B.B. King guitar! Once we got to the room Nate and I did what we always do when we first arrive at a hotel…we jump on the beds and attack mommy with tickles LOL (No mommies were hurt during this) We had a nice balcony with a cool skyline view from our room and could see the rooftop lounge right below. It looked amazing, but unfortunately we had the rainiest of weekends and didn’t get to utilize it. The hotel is actually also going under some renovations and updates so we didnt’ get to see the indoor swimming pool, but doubt we would’ve had time for swimming anyways, as we were constantly on the move all weekend! Aside for all the food and shopping we did, we wanted to make one of the evenings there a little different, so we decided to take Nate to Blue Man Group. I actually took my wife to see this on our very first date together, so it was a little nostalgic for us, now taking Nathan to it for his very first show. He loved it! A week after we got home we caught him trying to throw mini muffins in his mouth, and then realized he had seen it at blue man group with marshmallows LOL Our last day in Boston we enjoyed an amazing chocolate bar & brunch and finally did some of the historic exploring. We walked the Freedom Trail, saw some of the famous burial grounds, and squeezed in a little park time even though it was still drizzling. Surprisingly, Nathan actually enjoyed himself and asked more questions than you would think a 4 year old would about history LOL. Overall Boston was a great little weekend adventure and the The Revere Hotel was a beautiful hotel to stay at. The staff was also very welcoming and gave my son a little stuffed lobster with ‘Boston’ written on it, right when we arrived. He officially named his lobster Boston, just like he named his turtle Cayman (for Grand Cayman)…unique Nate haha. We’re already anxious for the next adventure that comes our way. Stay tuned!

Family Style Travel

G.H. BASS MAINE TRIP (LOOK 6)

Posted on September 26, 2016

The Quail Hunter High Lace Boot is my favorite boot from the G.H. Bass collection and is actually a new style they added this year. I really like the rugged work boot style and the fact that they didn’t make the boot too chunky. I’m a sucker for high boots and the rubber lug sole makes it easy to take them off road. These also come in 3 different colors: whiskey (which is what I’m wearing here), black (which you better believe I’ll be wearing before fall begins), and mahogany. I wore a slim fit kaki pant that came to just about the top of the boot and layered a gray H&M turtle neck with a Levis denim and a blue Ralph Lauren jacket. I like trying to dress up a work boot, more than you would normally do, all while still keeping it casual if that makes sense LOL. I kept the outfit fitted and classic to keep the look clean, to contrast the ruggedness of the boots. These boots were perfect for exploring and chasing Nate all around the rocks on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine 🙂

Family Travel

CARIBBEAN CLUB AT GRAND CAYMAN

Posted on September 15, 2016

For years my wife and I would take a vacation every year to the Caribbean. We were never really the sightseeing type and always want to be occupied doing a water activity or sitting on the beach taking in some rays and drinking cocktails! When my son was born I didn’t think I was going to make it back to an island for at least 10 years. I just didn’t think there would be enough to keep a kid his age occupied (no boardwalk or rides!). However, we missed that clear blue water way too much and couldn’t resist any longer! We decided to take a trip and partner up with the Caribbean Club to make our first family Caribbean trip to Grand Cayman. I have to admit, I was not expecting to fall in love with the island so much! Nor did I realize just how beautiful this resort was going to be. I mean yeah, I looked at the website pics and went on trip advisor, but still I was blown away! I am pretty sure though, that I will never get to stay in a room (actually a full luxury apartment) like that again. The room had 3 full bedrooms: 1 with a King bed, 1 with a Queen bed and 1 with 2 full beds. It had 3 (yes 3) full gorgeous bathrooms (1 for each bedroom) with 1 of them being shared as a communal bathroom. No matter how nice your hotel room is, I usually never want to waste time being in the room on vacation. But, with a suite like this, I found myself so happily relaxed lounging around in between dives, the beach, and pool time. Being that my wife and I are certified scuba divers and love snorkeling, we had always wanted to visit Grand Cayman. One of the things that drew us to the Cayman Islands, besides the obvious crystal clear water, was that a friend of mine had visited once before and told us that there was really good shore diving on the island…so we were excited to try that for the first time! Since we woke up around 4am to head to JFK Airport, we decided the first day on the island we would just hang out at the hotel, order some (lots) of pina colada’s from their on-site restaurant, Luca, and do some snorkeling on the beach. At first we were kind of bummed by the amount of fish we were seeing. We had been to enough islands to know that not every beach you can just jump in and see tons of fish, but we heard so much about shore diving and snorkeling here that we just figured we’d jump in to a giant fish tank! Luckily, we were given a tip by a fellow diver that you if you just swam straight out about 100 yards we would find what we were looking for…and we did! There was huge coral reef with tons of wild life…such as lobsters, turtles, parrot fish and more. We were in heaven! For the second day, we wanted to try and find something that Nate could participate in and hopefully would let him see some fish since he can’t snorkel just yet. Although, I was actually surprised by how much he just loved floating in the ocean. He’s used to the Jersey shore where the water is freezing and you can’t see your own nipples (lol) never mind see fish swimming by your feet. And, he was thrilled by the lack of seaweed! We booked a full day trip with Stingray City Cayman Islands that started with swimming with the stingrays at Stingray City. I have been diving and snorkeling before where I seen a sting ray, but never with so many! With this trip they were everywhere…I mean there was at least 30 swimming between our legs and all around. It does get a little crowded at Stingray City and for Nate the water was a little choppy, but we just held him since the water is only 3 feet deep. The tour guide holds the rays so you can take pictures with them and pet them. My wife, Sarina, and I also snorkeled around, swam, and pet them. It really was amazing! For the next stop we headed to Starfish Point. There wasn’t really much to see here but on the bottom of the ocean floor there were these beautiful starfish. I’m normally a big sissy with touching unknown creatures, but I really wanted to look cool in front of my son (lol) so I dove down about 15 ft and picked up a starfish to show him. I could feel his little suction cups on my hand – it was pretty cool, and my son dug it. Next stop was at coral gardens, but to be honest, I could’ve of skipped this stop. I didn’t really see anything that I couldn’t see snorkeling off the beach at the hotel. We then headed back to land and went to the Cayman Turtle Centre. This turtle farm and the whole trip was really an amazing hands-on experience. Right through the front doors you’re greeted with these HUGE sea turtles. I have never see turtles these big…I mean, when they come up for air its like a whale blowing its blow hole. They also actually have a lagoon where you can swim with a couple of different fish and tons of sea turtles, a giant pool with a pretty cool water slide and a man-made waterfall. One of my favorite moments of the trip was when Nathan and I went in the holding tanks and got to hold the sea turtles in our hands. We were taught (and it actually works) that when you pick them up and they get squirmy, if you rub their neck, they calm down. We bought him a turtle souvenir and he rubbed Cayman’s (his new pet turtle’s name) neck the whole ride back to the hotel. (he’s too cute) The next day we knew it was time to do some diving! Even though we took a refresher course, we both were still nervous to do any deep dives and really just wanted to shore dive. We decided to head to the Eden Rock Diving Center where we rented some scuba gear and jumped right in the ocean. It was such a cool experience and the first time we went diving without a guide. The shop owner showed us a map of the reef to show us where to go once we were underwater. To be honest, my adrenaline was pumping so much I didn’t really remember what he said, so we just explored. We swam with turtles, a barracuda, 5ft fish, and so many other creatures. Normally we go on a boat with other divers so I was a little nervous not having other bodies in the water with us (I’m kinda scared to come across a shark), but I can’t wait to do more shore diving on my next trip – so fun! At night we explored and ate at different restaurants. We felt so safe walking around at night and the location of the Caribbean Club was perfect…right on 7 mile beach! I could probably keep going on and on of just how amazing this trip was, but I’m not sure you’ll read much more (lol)! Overall, a breath-taking suite, in a beautiful hotel, with the nicest staff members, in the Caribbean with my amazing family…it was really a great way to end our summer. Thank you again Caribbean Club for the unbelievable accommodations! You made my son Nathan’s first trip to the Caribbean an unforgettable one. Now, how are we going to match that room on our next family trip?!!! My son will be expecting that! haha Hoping to be back again one day soon!

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