Turks and Caicos // Ten Year Anniversary Trip

About a month ago, Jordan and I boarded a plane with only one carry-on each,  we had no stroller to disassemble at the bottom of the jetway, and we weren't looking for four seats all together.  Instead, we were looking for our assigned first-class seats, on our way to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.  We were travelingKID FREE on our way to our ten year anniversary trip!

Thanks to a fantastic Nana, Papaw and Great Aunt Alice,  Jordan and I have taken many trips, just the two of us.  However, we haven't been back to the beach, just the two of us, in ten years - since our honeymoon at Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands.  Because of this, we thought a luxurious, relaxing, and totally pampering beach trip would be the perfect spot to celebrate our ten years of marriage.  We were right - this place was amazing!  We started planning a year in advance when we booked our villa.

We wanted a place that was secluded, but still close enough to restaurants, bars and stores.  We found the ideal spot in Waters Edge Villa.

The villa was a one bedroom home with a large kitchen, family room, two bathrooms, a patio with a private pool, and a balcony with a fabulous view. We were in heaven the moment we walked inside, and it got even better when we walked out the backdoor to our own private little stretch of beach.

We ended almost every night on the beach talking and listening to music.  I really couldn't have asked for anything more.

While we spent a lot of time at the villa and on our beach, we definitely ventured out quite a bit.  We were there for 7 nights and I think we got to see quite a bit of what Turks and Caicos has to offer.  We rented a car, which I think was truly crucial.  While we were in walking distance to quite a few bars and restaurants, gear rentals and even a casino, having a car gave us the freedom to explore more of the island.

Our first "trip" (it was about 5 miles down the road), was to Taylor Bay.

We read a lot about Taylor Bay in the guest book at our Villa.  Most guests flagged this spot as one of the must sees.

It turned out to be a great recommendation. Taylor Bay is a super serene stretch of beach with water crystal clear water that stays shallow for at least 50 meters out.  Its not the beach to go to for snorkeling, but that wasn't something we were looking for.  Right outside of our villa was Smith Reef and a little further down was Bight Reef, two amazing reefs that we visited quite a bit.  Taylor Bay was the

perfect

place to go to relax and share a beer.  It literally felt like we were on the Corona commercial.

On the way home we stopped for dinner at Las Brisas

This was a beautiful spot, but still felt causal and "beachy" with tables on the sand, and the opportunity to get in and cool off if you felt like it.

We were happy to make it back to our villa to see the sunset.

The next day we headed out on a conch cruise for the day.  We didn't get a ton of photos on the cruise, but we did get a lot of video, which you can see on the video at the bottom of this post.

It was such a fun experience, from getting fresh conch to harvest and eat, to iguana island and some snorkeling.  We had a great day.

Another spot we visited that you would need to get to by car was Da Conch Shack.  This was the quintessential beach bar, and besides the beautiful natural scenery, we were also treated to a celebrity sighting - (Ed Burns and Christy Turlington were having lunch with their family while we were there)!!!

Horseback riding on the beach is another one of those things that you just see in magazines or on the internet, but when I found out it was offered in Turks and Caicos, I

knew

we had to do it.

We headed to Caicos Corral and met up with our horses.  I was assigned to "Freckles", who I later found out was famous, as she was photographed with Sports Illustrated models for their swimsuit edition just weeks before!  Jordan's horse "Angel" was not as famous.  I'm thinking that was due to the fact that she wasn't totally cooperative.  She was super slow and lazy, and basically tried to eat anything and everything whenever we stopped!  It was pretty funny watching Jordan try to control Angel as much as possible - "try" being the key word...

It was seriously

such

a fun time, and one we won't ever forget.  I totally recommend doing this wherever it's available, and if you're in Turks, contact Caicos Corral, they are fantastic.  We were the only people on the tour, and they take photos for you, allow you in the water as much as you want, and just provide a great experience.

That night we headed over to the local area Fish Fry on the beach.

We ended the trip with a dinner at the resort area to celebrate the day we got married.

It was such a beautiful setting for our celebration. The night ended at a bar next to our villa where we watched some March Madness. We found some Wisconsin fans and mourned their loss with them. Later, Jordan and some new found Tar Heel friends celebrated their win.

There were so many relaxing, dinners filled with many laughs, and good food.

I love this man more and more everyday.

He is hands down the best friend I've ever had, and I'm so lucky to get to call him mine.

massages outside

our favorite breakfast spot

Bugaloos - another amazing beach bar

Thanks for this trip baby. Just like you, it means the world to me.  I'm so proud of who we've become together, and for the life that we've made.  I love you.

And a

HUGE

and very special thanks to Nana and Great Aunt Alice.  Y'all are seriously the BEST.  We never could have done this without y'all and I hope you know how much we appreciate all that you do for us!

Until next time Turks and Caicos...