OVERVIEW OF THE ISLAND: Turks and Caicos is just as beautiful as all the pictures of it. Beautiful blue clear water and powder white sand line the beaches. The people of the island are kind and inviting and a pleasure to talk to. It is an easy island to drive on even though they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheels are on the right side of the car. I would definitely suggest getting out of your resort, if only for a day. If you don’t feel comfortable driving, there are tour excursions or private drivers that can bring you around. When we go to an island I like to show the girls its true culture. I don’t want them to walk away thinking life for the people on the island is as perfect as it is in our resorts. I think it’s good for them to see where people live and where they go to school.

CONCH SHACK: I saw this place on the Travel Channel and knew we must go here. It is a beach bar/restaurant that has picnic tables right in the sand. Some of the staff members were selling conch shells and they took the time to teach my girls how to blow into a conch shell to make a horn sound. It was funny watching them and my husband blowing on the shell because it looked like such an easy thing to do and they just couldn’t do it. The main ingredient on the menu was…one guess…yes, conch. They serve it in every possible way: salad, fried, cracked, creole, fritters, curried, and even a coconut conch stew. They do not have much of a kid’s menu except for chicken fingers and fish sticks, so you may want to look at the menu before you go.

CHALK SOUND: This is by far the most beautiful water we’ve ever been in. As you drive over to the sound, it appears in the distance and your jaw drops at how beautiful it is. The water was practically crystal clear and although we brought snorkel equipment we didn’t even take it out of the car because you could see right down to the sand underneath you. The girls searched for shells and did cartwheels on the beach.