CONCHS KUNAS AND BSD

NEW HORIZONS

Okay, Team VFH is serious now with the traveling. Janet has retired and my work has been thankfully sporadic. Life is good, but our time in this Garden of Eden is measured, and so your humble sojourners are going full monty with the destinations. New horizons are in the works and though we will continue to seek out the jewels amid the mundane, the world is waiting and in 2019 we plan to see a fair amount of what she offers.

HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS?

Truthfully, I don’t know. Hopefully the ghetto stock market (lottery) will help, but if not that whole adage about spending your children’s inheritance is ringing true. (I keep dropping hints that they should call more often…). I realize this may seem to be hedging on vindictive, but truthfully the sea change attitude of enjoying my life now, because the future is unwritten, has been a healthy dose of living for me. Too long for too many years I’ve plowed through work and Saturdays and Sundays were just two more opportunities to earn. I earned and earned, afraid an indeterminate future would not take care of me and my family. 

Now, in hindsight, I realize how we all suffered from my devotion to labor, but the past is gone and I must abide by the tenet taught well by my wife Janet, that life is good, but is fleeting and the Garden of Eden awaits us.

I’LL SIT HERE IN THE DARK

There’s a joke: “How many Jewish Grandmothers does it take to change a lightbulb?” The answer: “Don’t worry, I’ll sit here in the dark.”

Okay, I don’t mean to simply wave off my family. I have struggled mightily with how to atone for my imbalance over the years. I can continue to guilt myself and beat my chest and bawl. I can attempt to guilt my children and become a nuisance and show up on their doorsteps and constantly hover. I can sit in the dark and wait, to no avail.  

Or, behind door number three, there is the road. It’s a big world out there you know, and in the words of Dedalus, a character in my second novel, “The Music Made Me Cry”, “someone’s got to see it.” As they have the right to live their life, so do I.

SPENDING THE INHERITANCE

  

“KEYS” TO SUCCESS

Team VFH has resolved to travel somewhere every couple of months and we’re not talking about trundling over to the mall. In this still young 2019 we have planned three major trips: carousing in Key West, sailing in Croatia, and lounging in the Bahamas.

1) GOD’S WAITING ROOM

In February, Team VFH will call the Florida Keys home for a few weeks. We fly to Miami, rent a car and drive to Looe Key Preservation Center to either dive or snorkel for a few days. Nearby is the incredible Bahia Honda State Park, considered one of the best beaches in the country, and on Big Pine Key, The No Name Pub.

LOOE KEY

 BAHIA HONDA STATE PARK

NO NAME PUB

After a few days we will stay in the Conch Republic, Key West and enjoy the revelry down there for a week. We've both been there before and though we're not sure what will greet us on this wacky island, I'm sure there will plenty for us to squint at.

One side trip I had always wanted to go on was to the Dry Tortugas National Park a 70 mile ferry ride out into the Gulf of Mexico, to see Fort Jefferson. DRY TORTUGAS

 

FORT JEFFERSON

We’ll be in the Key West area for about a week. On our return we will stay a few days in Marathon key.

2) BUCKET LISTS AND DEAR FRIENDS

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way I worked the Sarajevo Winter Olympics for ABC and since then I have often wished to return. I still have dear friends there and I suffered greatly when the former Yugoslavia was wracked with extreme violence when the republic broke apart after Communism fell. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was crippled by the longest siege in history. When I visited Sarajevo, I was impressed by the myriad of peoples living cohesively. Sarajevo was renown for all the Muslims, Catholics and Jews living together in peace. The war changed all that. One fellow I worked with at the IBC (International Broadcast Center) fled Bosnia before the siege and settled his family in Zagreb, Croatia. Over the years we've kept in touch through social media and last summer he invited us out to visit. We’ll be out there in July.

 GEMS OF THE ADRIATIC

DALMATION ISLANDS, CROATIA

We will fly in and out of Dubrovnik and stay with Mr. Z and his clan in his villa in Trpanj, but before that Janet and I are sailing through the Dalmation islands for 7 days. We depart from Dubrovnik and visit islands like Korcula, where it is said Marco Polo was born, and Hvar. The trip ends in Split. We explore that area for a day or two before taking a ferry back to Trpanj. We won’t be traveling in-land to see Sarajevo, but I’ll bet my bottom Kuna there’ll be a lot of hugs and much pivo swilling. I have always wanted to sail through these beautiful islands and so here we go!

CROATIAN BEER

 

CROATIAN KUNA

IT'S BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS

We enjoyed our honeymoon at the Antigua Sandals enough to give this adults-only, couples-only, all-inclusive luxury resort company another swing. This time we’re off to their Royal Bahamian resort in Nassau in late November of this year. We were able to save a couple of BSDs (Bahamian Dollars) because we booked the trip very early, almost upon our return last month. 

SANDALS ROYAL BAHAMIAN

BAHAMAS DOLLAR

                                             

It may seem a bit anti-climactic to be lounging about instead of exploring new horizons, but this particular resort boasts their own private island to go along with the pampering that Sandals offers.

Thanks for reading. Keep checking back for updates on these and other trips that crop up.

Oh I realize I've mentioned my book in a shameless plug earlier. Here's where you can buy it:  THE MUSIC MADE ME CRY by Greg Dunaj

MIDNIGHT?

DAY DRINKING

Saddled with an impending New Year’s Eve with no appreciable plans, Team VFH pondered its choices. We could stay at home with a nice meal, etc. NYE is amateur night for non-drinkers after all, and this would be a safe way to greet the new year. 

LONGWOOD GARDENS

We considered going to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. It is a beautiful place with seasonal displays of plants and prancing waters, an organ recital, roving Christmas carolers and something called Polkadelphia. Yeah, you’re thinking fair reader that we were fools to not Polka our way into the new year, but we feared the excitement would be too much for our aged selves. We had been to Longwood Gardens before and it’s a great place to visit, but not this time.

LONGWOOD GARDENS  

Well, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve passes swiftly and Team VFH had to act quickly. Can you guess what your favorite cheapskates did to save the holiday? Why, we inspired our friends in Milford, Delaware to invite us down. They were planning a quiet night, but when we invited ourselves down it spurred them into planning a pub crawl that started at 2 in the afternoon. 

DAY DRINKING + NEW YEAR’S = MIDNIGHT MISSED

Our Delaware friends are good and dear and this wasn’t the first time we traveled there to celebrate NYE and it was not the first time we went on a mid-afternoon pub crawl. In the past, they’ve ended badly. Prices are a bit cheaper in Delaware with no sales tax, and, when we go out early, we also hit happy hours. It’s hard not to order a second round of Patron Tequila shots when 6 of them costs $18 and when Victory Beer’s Golden Monkey Triple (9.5% ABV) comes in a full pint glass for $5, you don’t hit the wall… the wall hits you.

...don't be this guy....

I don’t like drinking to excess and waking to an unfortunate face tattoo, so, this year I offered my services as the designated driver. By the way, the police in Delaware are especially spirited in keeping their little world safe, so ALWAYS include a designated driver in every one of your pub crawls. Usually we just trundle a mile or so into Milford, but this day we decided to start the escapades 20 miles down the road in Lewes.

THE FIRST DRINK IN THE FIRST TOWN IN THE FIRST STATE

There was a time when you could buy a home in Lewes, the “First Town in the First State”, for next to nothing, but now those once dilapidated properties are highly sought after, and way out of our budget. It’s a great summer destination though with Cape Henlopen stretching out into the Atlantic. The Delaware River splashes into the ocean here and there’s a distinct difference between the ocean and much calmer bay beaches.

Over the years we’ve enjoyed traveling to Lewes for food and drink. Places like Striper Bites Bistro, The Wheelhouse, and Agave on picturesque Second Street are favorites. On The Rocks at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal just before Cape Henlopen State Park is a surprisingly great place for food and drink during the summer. It’s affectionately called the “Ferry” bar by our little group, and no, we don’t swing that way, but it is a great place to watch the ferries ply the waters of the Delaware Bay on their way to New Jersey.

IRISH EYES, LEWES

IRISH EYES PUB

Agave, though they make the best margaritas that have ever passed these lips, was closed. I was glad for this; I would have lost my designated driver status right there. Our only stop on this pub crawl in Lewes was at Irish Eyes, situated on the marina overlooking the Lewes and Rehobeth Canal. We drove the 20 miles down there to meet up with a number of other friends and as we drank and ate appetizers at Irish Eyes, the boats moored along the canal nodded approvingly. The place is big and airy with a wall of windows that open for the summer breezes. The staff is attentive and friendly. Irish Eyes is a good, reasonably priced gin mill. I always like going there.

IRISH EYES

SMALL TOWN WITH A CREATIVE SPIRIT 

When our friends moved to Milford, Delaware over a decade ago they were aglow about the possibilities of this quiet little town. One of Delaware's Quaint Villages, this former shipbuilding hub on the Mispillion River has witnessed many of our pub crawl escapades. Sadly, our friends are moving away from this little town to be closer to the shore. We always look forward to coming to Milford, for the company and the partying, although we've never explored further than that. On the surface an outsider may think the glitz and charm our friends sought in Milford long ago had kept driving down Route 1, but the friendliness of the citizens and the many great places to alight in town make Milford a great place to visit.
MILFORD DELAWARE 

Favored places to go in the past have been:
Mispillion RIver Brewing
Located in an industrial park across Route 113. They have a great array beers served in neat airy pub with the brewing kettles behind a glass wall behind the taps. They fill growlers and sell cans as well. No food, but sometimes there’s a food truck outside. Their beers are great, but in 2014 their bathrooms were awarded a gold medal for the best commodes on the Delmarva peninsula. 
They call it Slower Lower Delaware with good reason.

MISPILLION RIVER BREWING

Abbott's Grill
Nice selection of beers great food prices and happy hour specials that are worth the trip to the shopping mall.

ABBOTT'S GRILL, MILFORD, DE

Longshots Sports Bar & Billiards 
Big sports bar…. Almost too big. Golden Monkey, my friend and my enemy, is served here in full pints for a great price. They have indoor cornhole situated dangerously close to the front windows!

Arenas 

A fancy sports bar with memorabilia decorating the walls. They have a fantastic array of beers as well. Great food, and there’s an outdoor deck on the Mispillion with a fire pit.

ARENAS MILFORD

LA HACIENDA

Didn't get to these places this time, but on this pub crawl though we went to someplace new.
La Hacienda 
This small Mexican restaurant chain is fairly new to Milford, but has been popular with our friends since it opened. Located in a dreary strip mall next to a Tractor Supply Company store it didn't look promising, but inside it was warm and inviting and cheap. We each got Margaritas and the bill came to $15. Happy Hour prices, yes, but still very cheap. (I had one.) We weren't eating but their menu looked fantastic. They make their own mole sauce and proudly offered us a taste. The recipe is a closely guarded secret. The proprietor's mother makes it and she will not share all the ingredients with him. They have a fantastic array of tequilas and mezcals. This was a true gem and we will be back to eat at La Hacienda someday.   
LA HACIENDA MILFORD

MILFORD TAVERN

The Milford Tavern                  

Our next stop was an unassuming neighborhood bar on Walnut Street. We always try to make it here on one of these pub crawls. The long-time owners recently sold the place after 35 years and moved to Florida, but the new owners were just as friendly and happy to see us pile in. They serve drinks in mason jars, but their beer list is pedestrian. Still on designated driver duty, I nursed a PBR for the entire time there.

Our last stop:

PARK PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

Everything in Milford hedges on derelict and the Park Place Restaurant and Lounge on the Mispillion River looks like an uninviting dive bar at first, but we’ve been here several times and really enjoy it. The big red square building right on the Mispillion River was built in the late 1800’s and was first a cannery then a warehouse for a grain and supply company until that establishment moved in the 1960’s. The floors are rough hewn wood and a back door opens onto the Mispillion River. The building sat vacant and in disrepair until it was renovated in the early 1980’s, but you don’t need all this information to enjoy yourself. A convivial group is always there. They have pool tables, a dart board and shuffleboard, and a stage and dance floor. The beer list could use a little work, but they had Patron tequila! We’ve never had food there, but typical bar food is on the menu.

PARK PLACE MILFORD, DE

PARK PLACE ON THE MISPILLION

ONE LITTLE INDIAN....

The good part about day drinking is that you can get home before all the “amateurs” come out. Our intent was to get back to the house for some food and more drinking and avoid all the mess that comes with venturing out on NYE. The sad part about day drinking is that some “seasoned” veterans (you know who you are Jill) pass out long before the stroke of midnight leaving this humble scribe, this noble designated driver, this all around good guy, being the last man standing.

Happy New Year everyone. I know this is a bit late…oops

“F” BOMB / SHELF LIFE

HAPPY NEW YEAR

As your stingy sojourners enter this new year with a steady resolve to save money and still travel well, we also are taking the time to consider self-improvement. Resolutions made today usually falter somewhere between now and tomorrow, but to consider self-improvement is always a noble endeavor no matter how fleeting.

Goals have been set and we’ll see how long we’ll endure. I have to admit they are weighty.

Janet’s goal is to be less dependent on the “F” bomb. This is no small quest as she began our relationship so very long ago with a drop of the “F” Bomb that questioned the use of Christmas-like wreaths in a restaurant.

We met in late March.

 

Yeah...a wreath like that one

Those with an intimate knowledge of the whys and wherefores of my lovely bride know this was to weed out those unsavory types that may be too prim and proper for her tastes. Janet can cuss like a drunken sailor so we’ll see… or hear.

My personal endeavor is to forget. What matters of the muck and mire of perceived trespasses? What seemed so important today really isn’t and given that we all have a shelf life, an expiration date, why beat our chests over something that won’t matter in the long run; God willing? Life is good, life is short. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, but today is important. Use your time wisely.

Remember whether you travel near or far, travel well.

Love,

Greg, and that “f”ing wife of mine, Janet

SHOPPING SPREE

ST JOHN’S ANTIGUA       

I finally got a glimpse of Antigua on our final day. We had traveled to this lesser Antilles island for the all-inclusive, adults only, couples only Sandals Grande Antigua for a casual week of lolling about the resort. Our only getaways “off campus” were the scuba diving which did take a good portion of many mornings and a number of afternoons. Early on we opted for the diving and decided against sight-seeing around the island. Available excursions though included zip lining through the forest, horse riding along the beach and 4x4 tours around the island, all at an additional cost. With the diving taking a large part of our days we would have spent little time comparatively at the resort if we did explore, leaving us less time to drink free rum drinks!

Flag of Antigua & Barbuda

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

The final full day though Janet went on a morning dive of a depth for which I was not yet certified and I could not go. I actually was fine with this and caught a ride into St. John’s the capital of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda for a quick run around shopping spree and to get the feeling of the island off the resort.

  

CANE vs BEACH

In the 1950’s the once thriving sugar cane industry on Antigua, dating back to the 1600’s was foundering, but the economy soon became tied to tourism. During the plantation days of sugar cane all commerce was inland and the two ports of the island, St. John’s and Falmouth, were heavily fortified by the British to protect their interests from the French and marauding Caribbean pirates. When Antigua and Barbuda gained their independence from the United Kingdom in the early 80’s the move towards tourism was already in full swing.

Everything is now along the gleaming coast. That’s where all the new roads, marinas, villas and buildings are located. Venture away from the bustle of the touristed white sands and coral reefs and the interior is quiet, the roads devolve to rutted tracks. If so inclined, one can tour the relics of once proud plantations like Betty’s Hope, the first large-scale sugar cane plantation on Antigua. Started around 1650 Betty’s Hope first used wind mills to extract sugar cane juice and eventually moving to steam engines.

BETTY'S HOPE SUGAR PLANTATION

If so inclined, one can venture to the only clothing optional beach on Antigua, Hawksbill Bay, just a short ride from the harbor at St. John’s, the main port of entry today on the island.

If so inclined, one can take a Segway tour along some beach or ride horses. I had half a day so I went shopping.

ST. JOHN'S ANTIGUA 

CRUISE SHIPS
ST JOHN'S

FLEET’S IN!

St. John’s is really just a mile or two from Sandals, but I got a mini-van arranged through the resort. If I were really, really, cheap, I could have walked it, but the $15 USD seemed worth it. The van left the resort around 10 am and was to return by 12:30, so it was just a quick trip into the port area. I shared the ride with a young couple from Texas. It was their second trip in two years to this same Sandals. They headed straight to the casino while I melted into the tumult of the colorful Heritage Quay. Two massive cruise ships were docked in the port and her patrons had spilled out into the duty-free shopping area. Local men with placards offering taxi rides waited for a willing nod. Some Antiguans tried to steer people into restaurants and shops, but it was very understated, despite the commotion.  Cops were everywhere. Antigua is generally considered a safe place, but the police presence was still greatly appreciated.

There were a fair amount of little shops and kiosks offering everything from sundries, liquor, trinkets and clothing. I headed for a cigar shop. I asked a cop where the tobacconist was and he walked me up the stairs of the little mall and straight to the door.

SUCCESS! BOOKS!

KEEPING A TRADITION

In my travels for work I often sought out children's books from the country I was visiting, giving my kids a glimpse of this vast world that lies beyond their little town. While waiting for the bus I spoke with a Sandals staff member about a young author from Antigua, Deshawn J. Browne, who had written a book at 12 and that book, “The Little Rude Boys/Girls”, was now a movie, opening after we returned home. The book is about a mischievous boy being raised by his grandmother.  I had to keep my little tradition going for the grandchildren. Apart from the t-shirts for our grandchildren, I looked for that book but to no avail. I had to settle for a few books about talking parrots and pirates who were softies also written by Antiguans.

12 YEAR OLD ANTIGUA AUTHOR

BONGO BUCKS

Janet calls the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, the currency used throughout the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Bongo Bucks.  Perhaps it’s because an EC$ is worth .37 cents to the USD. Colorful bills with Queen Elizabeth II dodging fish and turtles come out of the atm’s at the banks in town. I had no American dollars and had to withdraw money. Thinking $60 was enough I quickly learned from my first purchase, a colorful children’s book on Antiguan history wasn’t nearly enough. The book was $66 Bongos… They waved the 6 EC$. I found that a lot if I paid with the Eastern Caribbean Dollar; if it’s close enough to the posted price the proprietors waved the balance.

The independent states that use the EC$ are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Genada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Two other British overseas territories, Anguilla and Montserrat also use the Eastern Caribbean dollar.

BTW the shops at in St. John’s will gleefully take U.S. Dollars as well as Bongo Bucks.

AQUAMAN

UNDER THE SEA

The first and only time I went scuba diving was 12 years ago while on a Windjammer Barefoot Cruise through the Genadines. This small fleet of majestic wooden sailing ships are long gone, but the memories of that dive are strong. Some lads from Bequia with diving gear met the boat, gave us a quick lesson on how to use the regulator, the breathing apparatus that makes scuba diving so relatively easy compared to snorkeling, and they threw us in the water. We were told to breathe slowly and deeply and relax. It was easy for me even though I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but the water was warm and visibility was forever. Never getting deeper than 20 feet we slowly made our way through the crystal water for about 30 minutes. I was awestruck by the beauty and the freedom I felt as I slowly swam in this new world. I saw a Manta Ray that had buried itself in the sand flit away when I neared it. I saw a little fish look at me astonished when I swam over his hiding spot inside a sponge.

BEQUIA 

WINDJAMMER BAREFOOT
CRUISE

It was joyous and I have to thank Janet for it. She’s a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified OPEN WATER diver, which means she can go very deep. On that trip long ago, she urged me to go out of my comfort zone to try this incredible sport. Reason #17 why she’s a wonderful wife.

PADI 

Sadly, that was the only time we went scuba diving, until our recent trip to the all-inclusive, Adults only, couples only, Sandals Grande Antigua resort. Scuba diving was included in our stay along with all the gear, tanks, a dive boat and a dive master. Along with various other activities like Hobie Cats, snorkeling and paddle boards, the water sports at Sandals was an alluring draw.

As I was not certified and Janet wanted a refresher class, we intended to take a quick on-resort course that for a nominal fee would allow us to dive once a day while at Sandals, but I quickly opted to take a full-blown course that would certify me as a Scuba diver, which would be a lifetime achievement. The dive shop at Sandals was able to look up Janet’s Open Water certification from the eighties which made my decision, although costly at over $400, an easy one to make.

WALKING BEFORE RUNNING

I ran my first marathon with no appreciable training. I was 29 and buoyed by youthful enthusiasm and fueled by adrenalin I finished my first race, the Marine Corps Marathon, in 3:59:30, shouting “I f*cking did it” to the gathered Grunts greeting me in the chute. They hooted and hollered with me! I completed this great task just on sheer will.

                                                                                                          

I also didn’t walk correctly for about a month afterwards.

I eventually got to a PR of 3:35, but after that first race, I respected the enormity of the event and did not take it lightly. I trained properly and never hurt myself again. I learned to listen to my body and press when possible or ease off whenever necessary.

MARINE CORPS MARATHON 

JANET TAKING THE PLUNGE

NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!

I could liken that first dive to my first marathon. Fueled by adrenaline and a natural exuberance I was fearless and enjoyed the time, not realizing any of the inherent dangers that come with diving. When I went for my certification at Sandals Grande Antigua it was a sobering, eye-opening experience. Yes, the training included how to use the regulator, as the lads from Bequia had long ago, but the main course was what to do in various scenarios, like reading hand signals from the dive master, like sharing your regulator with a dive buddy in need, like monitoring your depth and how much available air you have with an SPG, like using a BCD vest in an attempt to achieve neutral buoyancy, like clearing your mask underwater and breathing without it for a while, like making an emergency ascent if you’ve run out of air, like pausing at a safety stop for three minutes while ascending as a prudent move against lung over expansion and decompression sickness.

Oh, my word, my head was spinning throughout. Though it’s a beautiful sport, it comes with a whole lotta rules and listed above is just a small sample of the necessary steps to certification. With running, you just have to make sure your shoes are tied and you drink fluids… and you do have to train.

LIONFISH

If you decide to travel to Sandals Grande Antigua and get certified, ask for my instructor Mr. Ivense George. I can’t afford to travel him around to be my personal dive master, but we will be happy to help you. He was calming and patient whenever I got skittish; this can be a strenuous activity after all. He sought out a Lionfish to show us when I had expressed an interest in seeing this invasive fish. He guided me throughout the process of getting certified as a Scuba Diver and I could not have done it without him. 

DIVE SPOTS SANDALS ANTIGUA

Now the next step is to get Open Water certification so I can dive like Janet to deeper waters.

SANDALS SCUBA

Thanks for reading. Merry Christmas everyone. 
love, Janet and greg

THE BEACH IS JUST THE BEGINNING

HONEYMOONING ON ANTIGUA

How many honeymoons can one couple endure?

You would think that since Team VFH lingered in Florida for a number of days after our September wedding we could and should have considered that glorious time as a honeymoon. I mean, two birds, one stone correct? (sorry PETA)

Ha….. NO…

The wife had other and MUCH better ideas.

Instead we honeymooned at the Sandals Grande Resort in Antigua for a costly but lovely week-long sojourn into decadence. This is not a decadence of debauchery or depravity though, but one of luxury and pampering. Sandals is an all-inclusive, ADULTS ONLY, COUPLES ONLY collection of Caribbean resorts. There are 16 scattered across the islands, and what makes this Jamaican-based company so appealing is its attention to details. Our time at Sandals was relaxed and romantic. From the manicured grounds to the picturesque sands of Dickenson’s Bay, perhaps Antigua’s most beautiful beach. to a spacious room with a full bar replenished daily, this trip had been wonderful way to ease into married life!

VACATIONING NOT TRAVELING

I can only speak for Sandals Antigua, but I had found the experience unexpectedly delightful. I had never considered an all-inclusive resort before, and have never traveled to a foreign land just so I could loll about at the resort, but Janet insisted on it for this honeymoon. It turned out to be a week-long floating whimsical trip. Our only concern while at Sandals Grande Antigua had been where to eat or what to order for room service, and what rum drink to order from the swim-up bar. Yes, this was a vacation, not a traveling adventure, something I’ve never done before, but I got used to this new approach to traveling pretty quickly…by the second drink on the first day.

There are 11 restaurants and 7 bars scattered around Sandals Antigua. Food ranges from sushi to seafood, Caribbean to French to Italian to Tex Mex…and a British pub. The only extra cost to any meal was if we wanted something other than the house wine, but drinks, extra appetizers, even extra entrees are all included.

There are pools everywhere, two with swim-up bars. There are highly prized chaise lounges at the pools and on the beach with some folks showing up super early in the day to “claim” their perch either by the pool or the beach, but we were always able to get a chaise lounge no matter what time we showed up. The brilliant turquoise water of Dickenson’s Bay is as picturesque as it is warm and placid. The sand is a fine soft tan powder. With the tranquil grounds and the catering, and incessant flow of food and drink there was really no reason to explore the island, although there were several off-campus tours available to us; things like 4x4 tours of Antigua, zip-line excursions and a visit to a rum distillery; albeit for an extra cost.

LUXURY, CLUB, BUTLER

Normally I would love to explore a new place, but with the size and the comfort level of Sandals, there was really no reason to leave the campus. There are three levels of accommodations available at all Sandals; Luxury, Club and Butler. All have their merits. Janet briefly considered a Butler, but the cost was exorbitant. The allure of someone taking care of our needs for the day, like scoring us a cabana or a martini, wasn’t that strong. Besides, even at the lowest tier of accommodations, Luxury, there still is an incessant flow of food and liquor. Yeah, at the Luxury level you don’t have a personal butler so you get your steps in by having to pad over to a bar to order yourself a drink. Often times though while we were lounging on the beach or poolside someone from Sandals would, unsolicited, offer to fetch us a drink or a new towel. 

At the Luxury level of accommodations wi-fi is at a nominal cost and there’s no hard liquor available in the room’s refrigerator, just beer and wine.

We got a Club level room, on the ground floor with a walk out balcony. With no ocean view the price was a bit lower, but the convenience of being able to walk out the back way was very pleasant. (We never got the hang of properly locking the patio door.)

At our Club level, we had a concierge service which we barely used, and room service, which we used once. Our mini bar had an array of full bottles of liquors like scotch, vodka, gin and rum, champagne, red and white wine and beer. I drank some beers, and had a sip of rum, just to say I tried it, but we never opened the wine or the champagne which was left for us as part of our honeymoon package. To put a dent in the liquor in our room, we would have had to stay indoors for the entire week. Yeah, I know it’s a honeymoon, but we’re old folks. Anyway, we had free wi-fi, bathrobes and we were invited to a number of Club level events like cocktail parties which we never attended. The staff would call us every once in a while, to ask us if everything was okay….

WHY NOT?

Attention to details is what makes Sandals so appealing. From the champagne greeting on our arrival to the nightly “misting” that combats mosquitos etc., the incessant job of sweeping sand off the walkways, the grooming of the beach and even to the quiet leaf-blowers the staff use on the grounds to the security guards that understatedly guard the property make the whole experience secure.  

‘Why not,’ is the typical response whatever our request, whether it was ordering two appetizers, or a second (or third) helping of sushi, or another lobster tail at dinner or a double shot latte at the Café de Paris or requesting the Don Julio Gold Tequila for my margarita. The economy of Antigua & Barbuda is directly tied to tourism, having shuttered many sugar cane fields and rum distilleries when the country gained independence from England in the eighties, but this is no forced joy in the people. All are friendly and affable, greeting us with wide smiles and a sense of pride in their work. It was truly a joy to be at Sandals Grande Antigua. 

OUR PATIO VIEW AT SANDALS

Overall the Sandals experience was overwhelmingly positive for us, so much so, we have decided to try another Sandals, this time in the Bahamas.  

SANDALS GRANDE ANTIGUA