Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Vacation, Conclusion: Grand Turk, Sea Day, Miami (Days 6-8)

Beach View Grand Turk is not a very large island.  Really, it’s not that impressive, either, unless you’re able to snorkel or dive.  The beaches, although very pretty, are very coarse and rocky.  Still, one can’t complain while on vacation.

The Glory arrived about an hour late.  Shopping was first on the itinerary, as the shopping district is quite small.  A few deals and bargains later, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville served an expensive—but nourishing—lunch.  Conch was sampled for the first time, and it tasted almost exactly like clams from Long John Silvers.

Next came the beach.  An hour or so navigating through the stony sea bottom, watching the fish swarm around feet.  Cheerios attract them, and larger swarms form.  All are quick and small, like little blue and silver streaks of light through the water.  Then came the beach lounging, coupled with reading and talking.

The time spent on Grand Turk amounted to just over a handful of hours.  Still, it was nice to see the island.

***

Right Before I Turn into Superman The following day tea time was observed in the afternoon.  A variety of teas were offered, along with a large choice of desserts.  Lunch on the main buffet was chocolate themed.  There were scores of different chocolate pies, cakes, drinks, fruits, ice creams, etc.  Quite a sweet and tasty lunch.  Later in the day a galley tour took place, giving the passengers a glimpse at what goes on inside the kitchen and just how much food is needed to provide for the ship for a week.  The numbers are astounding.  Finally, the day ended with a show that displayed the karaoke talents of some fellow passengers, which was quite fun and enjoyable.

***

Sunday, 5/16/2010, and the Glory is back in Miami.  Going through customs and getting back to the vehicle is much easier this time around.  The car is loaded and the long drive back home begins around ten in the morning.  Driving through the day is much easier than starting at night.  Florida, sadly, still takes a very long time to drive through.  A bargain bookstore in Georgia advertises very cheap books ($2.99 or less), and that claim was investigated.  Indeed, deals were found.  And, several hours later, several pit stops later, two novels later and five pounds heavier, Stewartland came into view, bringing an end to the Vacation.

6 comments:

Crystal said...

I've been to Margaritaville in Key West. They served me the worst Margarita I've ever had. And I agree, the food was way overpriced, but pretty good.

I LOVE conch!!! Especially Conch Fritters :)

Yay for the cheap bookstore!!

Thanks for sharing the pics! I love the water. So blue!

logankstewart said...

@Crystal: I'm with you on the bad margarita experience. Mine was rather disgusting, even though it was supposed to be "perfect." Blah.

Yep, blue water was the primary purpose of the cruise, and I am happy to report that the purpose was met.

David Wagner said...

Sounds like kind of a fizzle at the end there. Bummer. But hey, bargain books make everything better! You have a year or two to recover, then plan the next one... you're thinking Alaska next, right? :D

logankstewart said...

Aye, a bit of a fizzle, but still a vacation, and still fun. I'm thinking of an Alaskan cruise for one day in the future. I'd love to do it, but the darned plane tickets are too high!

Unknown said...

What great pictures from each of your vacation posts... I do want to visit the islands... some day.

The question from the skin care expert is... did you get sunburned? The other question is - which I am quite sure I know the answer - did you give key lime pie another go?
:)

logankstewart said...

@Shellie: Glad you liked the photos; every island was uniquely beautiful and I highly recommend a trip there one day.

As for burning... I'm a redheaded, freckled, pale-skinned boy. I actually was expecting to be blood red from sunburn, but fortunately Keisha had me some ultra-strong SPF lotion. Still no key lime pie for me.