FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 28, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 55
A vacation we almost missed
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
urks and Caicos is in a row
of tiny islands tucked in
the Caribbean Sea, south
of Miami and just to the west
of Jamaica. It’s said to have the
most beautiful turquoise waters
and softest sand in that area.
But we almost didn’t get there.
On a cold morning at the crack
of dawn, we were
dressed to take th
to begin our vaca
ney.
I always de
on others to do
traveling plans.
choose the dat
and, this time,
let my daughter
Elizabeth handle
the reservation
details.
Our passports
were valid; only
days before, a
family friend
found her husband’s
passpor
was expired an
had to cancel h
trip.
We knew our
and Caicos rese
was confirmed a
but we were un
hadn’t gotten an
Delta flight.
Nonetheless, we were dropped
off at the airport and thought we
were on our way — only to be
told by the attendant outside that
he didn’t see our names on the
flight manifest.
After shoving and rolling our
bags to the main desk, we had a
warm friendly attendant search
the flight we were going on, but
he still didn’t see our names. He
called the manager and the manager’s
manager, and sadly, the
end result was that flight was
sold out and our seats were not
valid. We could not get on the
plane.
It turned out we were scammed
by an airline site. They charged
my credit card but never put the
reservation into the Delta system.
We only had a flight number
sent to us. Beware calling for
flight reservations and not getting
a confirmation email!
My darling Jonah, who was
going to celebrate his 10th birthday
at Beaches, start to cry, and
Addy, his 7 year old sister, had
tears rolling down
too.
The Delta a
dant suggested we
on the AirTrain
the JetBlue termi
nal since they had
a flight an hour
later.
But we intrepidly
marched off,
with me telling
the forlorn children,
“Have no
fear, your grandmama
is here.”
With a smile on m
face, to keep ever
one calm, we made
way to the JetBlue
nal. For all the yea
about the AirTrain
its power seamless y taking us
from Delta to JetBlue. Luckily
Turks and Caicos is famous for its turquoise blue waters
d good walking
es from where the
in dropped us off.
Rushing to the
etBlue Help
we found an
attendant
calmly p
the keys o
computer
confirm
there were
seats avai
able — bu
t $900
ch. I said,
o it,” and
grandchilwere
in
s this time
of joy in
eyes.
, the best
thanks was Jonah’s, as he
said, “Grandma, you don’t
have to pay me for the res
of the year picking up and bringing
you the newspapers each day
into the kitchen. It’s my gift to
you!”
I gave him the
biggest hug I had
in me.
So after sitting in
my window seat for
he 3 1/2 hour flight, I
s thrilled as we landnd
I got a glimpse of
led turquoise waters.
e met by a Beaches
us to our sprawling
includes 21 restaurants
with cuisines from around
d.
e hotel is dividinto
5 “villages,”
with each having
an architectural
theme and
its own pool,
restaurants and
shops.
We were in
he French vilge
with garden
ws and a pool
eatured a swim
nce all the food
cluded, I had my
fair share of Bloody Marys just
spicy enough, and a local beer
with my lunch.
Dinner was spent with the
kids, but one night, they decided
to take advantage of the Kids
Club evening activity and dinner.
Beaches has an adults-only
restaurant Sapodillas that
offered a “clubby” experience
with forest green walls, starched
white table clothes adorned with
a white rose and candlelight.
and I selected the
n/lobster tail duo and
hted. It was cooked to
uest tender and juicy
e lobster slipped easit
of its shell. A perfect
al while the kids ate at
e Kids Club.
Being an ocean lover,
spent a day at the
beach tucked under
umbrellas and enjoying
drinks brought
to my lounge chair.
It would have been
perfect but getting
out of the rise in
the sand landed me
on my tush and was
grateful an employe
was nearby who
elped lift me from the
nd. Nothing is per-
.
ut the kids were at the
0 sq. ft. water park,
down the multiple
ides that scared me
dored. I did see them
took a tube around
ver, a circular waterway
with water that was calm
enough for me. The kids adored
the waterfalls I avoided, but they
reveled in.
Jonah, who happily celebrated
his birthday at Kimonos around
the hibachi table, was feted by
the most engaging entertaining
singing chef. They presented
him with a birthday cake and
everyone around the chef ’s table
serenaded him with the Happy
Birthday song. A great ending to
his first double-digit birthday —
10 years old and a loving, smart
person who I’m lucky enough to
have living with me.
tweet me @vschneps
ETS
m
ning all packed and
he ride to JFK
ation jourepend
my
I
es
I
r
-
rt
nd
her
Turks
ervation
at Beaches
easy that we
email for our
I had
shoe
trai
Jew
a
at
eac
“Do
my g
dren
my arms
with tears
their beautiful
But for me,
Jon
the world
The
ed i
w
i
th
lag
view
that fe
up bar. Sin
and drink is inc
fair share of Blo
p Desk,
n angel
who
pushed
on her
to
that
e 4
ilut
0
t
st
Elizabeth
filet mignon
were deligh
our requ
and th
ly out
mea
the
I
b
g
e
he
san
fect
Bu
45,000
sliding
height sli
but they ad
later and t
the lazy riv
h
n her cheeks
attene
go
to
-
”
my
rye
our
termiars
I wrote
n, I finally felt
sly taking m
th
was
ed an
the fabl
We wer
van to take
hotel that
Getting ready to snorkel in the
Atlantic Ocean
Elmo tucked Addy and
Jonah into bed
The pool at Beaches resort
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