Angela and I recently returned from a trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands (henceforth referred to as TCI for brevity). We weren’t alone in paradise, though, as we were joined by my brother, James, his girlfriend, Mallie, our mother, Constance, and her partner, Paulette.

We took this trip in the midst of our mother facing down challenging health issues. We wanted to make memories that would stay with us for a lifetime and, in that regard, we were quite successful.

While this was a non-typical vacation for us, in that it was much less adventurous than normal, we will forever cherish our time in paradise and I’m certain that everyone will look back fondly on this trip for many years to come.

Bookings

There are a limited number of airlines that fly to TCI with any regularity and each party was coming from a different, quite geographically distributed, origin. With the usual award options off the table, I opted to use American Express Membership Rewards points alongside the Business Platinum 35% Pay with Points rebate on business class bookings. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that Angela and I open-jawed to Austin on the return, which I’ll talk about in a future post.

For our lodging on TCI, I booked the South Bank, an SLH Hotel. This property was particularly appealing for our party because the selection of standard award rooms includes two-bedroom villas. This meant I only had to make two bookings instead of three.

I went back and forth on what car rental strategy to pursue. In the end, I decided to bite the bullet and rent a vehicle that would allow us to drive together everywhere we went. It seemed to me like it would be a lot less hassle than having two cars for the duration of our stay.

Flights

• Angela and Nicholas
  • 70,681 American Express Membership Rewards points per person
    • LAS-MIA on AA J
    • MIA-PLS on AA J
    • PLS-MIA on AA J
    • MIA-AUS on AA J
• Constance and Paulette
  • 92,424 American Express Membership Rewards points per person
    • ORD-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-PLS on AA J
    • PLS-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-ORD on AA J
• James and Mallie
  • 84,104 American Express Membership Rewards points per person
    • SEA-MIA on AA J
    • MIA-PLS on AA J
    • PLS-CLT on AA J
    • CLT-SEA on AA J

Hotels

• One room for one night at the Residence Inn Miami Airport for one 35,000 Points Free Night Certificate plus 6,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• One room for one night at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport for 313.41USD per night paid with Hilton gift cards
• Two rooms for five nights at the South Bank, an SLH Hotel for 130,000 Hilton Honors Points per night with fifth night free

Transportation

• Round-trip transfer from Gary, IN to O’Hare Airport by Ride NWI for 340.22USD
• Five-day rental of a Nissan Elgrand minivan from Hertz for 726.75USD

February 22, 2025

To avoid an overnight flight, Angela and I flew to Miami the day before we headed to TCI. After dropping Fitz off at boarding, we arrived at the airport about two hours before our flight and checked our bags. While we don’t usually check bags for such a short trip, we were bringing a lot of gear and board games that we couldn’t fit in our carry-on suitcases.

After clearing security, which took way longer than normal, we headed to the new Capital One Lounge at LAS. Our visit was a delight. The hot food was delicious with a variety of small bites suitable for every taste. The grab-and-go food at the front was a real lifesaver for later in the day. When we left, we took a few sandwiches, some muesli, and a half-dozen chocolate chip cookies.

Our flight to Miami was pleasant with a joyful flight attendant who told us that he wished every passenger was like us. We both decided to skip the entree on our flight but ate the provided salad and dessert.

When we arrived in Miami, we collected our bags and then located the shuttle to take us to our hotel. There were luggage racks on the shuttle, but the driver insisted on everyone putting their suitcases in the hold. While I attempted to do so, Angela hopped on board to make sure we had seats. After helping one person, the driver suddenly exclaimed that the shuttle was full and left a group of us waiting on the curb wondering what had just happened.

I waited for the next shuttle, but that simply passed by without stopping. The third shuttle stopped, and I was tired of hanging around. I walked to the cargo hold, stepped in front of everyone else, and deposited my luggage before boarding.

Angela reported to me that the hotel looked like the scene of a horror movie when she first walked in and that it smelled strongly of must. A great start to the vacation, for sure. To be fair, the room was a little nicer once at least one light was turned on.

When I exited the shuttle at the hotel, the driver wouldn’t let me grab my own luggage and then hassled me for a tip. I told him that I couldn’t tip because I was left behind by two shuttles and my wife had all the cash, but he still seemed disappointed.

When I arrived in the room, Angela and I decided to eat our Capital One sandwiches and cookies before heading to bed. Truth be told, the hotel wasn’t bad once Angela turned some lights on and started up the air conditioning to circulate the air. It was certainly OK for a single night airport stay.

February 23

I woke up to a text from Paulette that our mother was having some difficulty boarding her flight with her portable oxygen concentrator. I learned that there are specific FAA rules concerning the device that I was unaware of. Luckily, Paulette was able to smooth everything out and the pair of them made it out of Chicago successfully.

At this point, James and Mallie arrived fresh from their overnight flight out of Seattle. They met us at our hotel and joined us for breakfast. The spread was ok, although the scrambled eggs were some of the worst I’ve ever tasted. We departed for the airport shortly after breakfast.

The check-in lines were long and moved quite slowly, so James and Mallie headed through security while Angela and I waited an eternity to hand our bags off. Luckily, the TSA preCheck line was short and we were able to arrive at our gate twenty minutes before boarding.

After all of the passengers embarked, the plane taxied out to the runway and, before taking off, was notified of a stop order from Providenciales International Airport. Air traffic control in TCI were asking planes to delay takeoff due to congestion caused by previously rescheduled itineraries. Unfortunately, our pilots’ duty period timed out during the delay and we had to return to the gate to await another crew. While this was all happening, I was frantically texting my mother and Paulette giving them instructions on what to do when they arrived before us.

We departed after a seventy-minute delay and landed in Providenciales an hour-and-a-half later. After collecting our luggage, we walked to the rental car area and took a shuttle to the Hertz location. There, we collected Heinz the Hearse (named as such because of its shape and license plate reading 05757). We were, luckily, given a right-hand-drive car for the left-hand-traffic country. Unfortunately, all the controls and audio prompts were in Japanese, and we couldn’t figure out how to change it. Even in the rental parking lot, you could see how beautiful the trip was going to be.

The drive to the resort took less than thirty minutes. This was my first extended driving in a left-hand-traffic country as Angela has previously handled transportation duties in Australia, New Zealand, and Seychelles. She is much too cool to drive a minivan, though, so I gladly did my part. For me, the most difficult thing was the size of our vehicle on TCI compared to what we have at home.

We parked at the entryway to South Bank and were warmly greeted by Tarneisha before being offered some fruit cocktails (and fruit punch for my teetotaling self). After a short tour of the property, we were deposited at our villa. Our car had already been parked in the driveway and our luggage unloaded. The two-bedroom villa at South Bank is a real winner. There is plenty of room to spread out and the bedrooms and kitchen are nicely appointed. Angela and I also liked the rooftop deck a lot. The bathrooms, unfortunately, take their cues from other luxury properties we’ve stayed at in that there was no effort made to design something that keeps water inside the shower.

The hotel was kind enough to provide my mother with a small flower arrangement and put a welcome amenity of sparkling wine and macarons in each room.

After a much-needed refresh, we all headed to dinner at Lua, the upscale restaurant at South Bank. The meal wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either. In fact, I’d say that the hotel’s restaurant provided us with my least favorite dining experience of the trip. The beef tartare was oddly seared and my and Mallie’s bluefin tuna were overcooked.

Regardless, dinner was full of laughs, and it was so nice to finally see everyone together after half-a-year of planning.

February 24

South Bank provides a drip coffee maker and grounds alongside a Nespresso machine. Our routine every morning was for Angela and me to have a cup of coffee together before I wandered over and joined my mother and Paulette for my second cup. After our morning caffeine, we would all head to breakfast.

The walk to breakfast passed by both the marina and lagoon areas of the resort, which are undeniably beautiful.

Breakfast was included without additional charge for all of us as part of our stay. We could order as much as we wanted, which James and I took full advantage of. Everything was uniformly delicious, and we were even offered takeaway boxes for uneaten pastries that we could snack on later in the day. My favorite employee at the entire resort was Joey, one of the breakfast servers. He was unfailingly kind and happy. He made us all feel welcomed every day, even when he was waiting other tables.

After breakfast, we headed to the grocery store to pick up some light provisions for our stay. This visit was when I realized that everything on TCI was expensive, not just dining out at high-end resorts. The prices were eye-watering. I was prepared for a pronounced markup but was surprised by just how much everything cost. It was neat to see locally caught conch in the refrigerated cases, though.

Leaving the grocery store, we returned to the resort. We collectively spent a couple of hours at the pool. The weather was perfect and the surroundings were comfortable.

Afterwards, Angela and James headed to the gym while I went for a run around the resort. I met up with them after my jog and lifted a few weights.

After her workout, Angela headed up to our villa’s top deck to do yoga. Ten minutes later, she yelled frantically for me to join her. When I reached the deck, I was lucky enough to see the sea turtle she had spotted in the marina. It repeatedly surfaced before diving down again.

I called to book my mother a massage for the following day before we all headed to Coco Van for dinner. Coco Van is a permanent food truck housed in an Airstream trailer with a menu consisting mostly of comfort foods. We ordered a little bit of everything, including burgers, onion rings, steak tacos, fish tacos, Brussels sprouts, fried macaroni and cheese balls, and vegetables.

Angela and Mallie grabbed our party a table while James and I placed our order. While expensive for a food truck, this was the cheapest meal we ate on the entire trip. That didn’t stop it from being absolutely delicious, though, and I highly recommend a visit if you make it to TCI.

After dinner, we returned to our villas and played an intense game of Cranium. While Angela and I won, James and Mallie put up a good fight and were much closer to beating us than I expected.

After the game, we all headed to bed for some much needed rest.

February 25

After breakfast, we hung out in our villas for a bit before I escorted our mother to her massage. The spa staff at South Bank were wonderful and attentive to their client’s specific needs. While our mother enjoyed her massage, Angela, James, and I kayaked in the lagoon while Mallie and Paulette observed safely from a waterside deck.

I left the rest of our gang at the lagoon and picked up our mother from the spa. We returned to her room where we spent an hour chatting before being joined by the rest of the family.

In the mid-afternoon, Angela and I hit the gym. It is surprisingly well-appointed for an island resort, with a full squat rack, Olympic weights, and a hefty set of dumbbells. This is all in addition to the typical cardio equipment you tend to see.

After our workout, Angela and I headed to Long Bay Beach via the resort’s beach access. Climbing up the steep stairs and ramp, we quickly decided it wasn’t a good fit for my mother, and discarded a visit as a possible activity.

We returned to the villa to have an afternoon snack and take a shower before we headed to dinner at Vita at Rock House, one of the best-reviewed restaurants on the island.

We parked at the resort and, thankfully, a golf cart picked us up to take us to the restaurant’s entrance. It would have been a long walk for our mother, otherwise, and the transport service was something I was very thankful for.

Our meal was absolutely delicious. We ordered tuna tartare, burrata, and octopus carpaccio to start. For our entrees, we had lemon spaghetti with asparagus, wagyu short rib rigatoni, eggplant steak, local snapper, and lemon spaghetti with lobster. For dessert, we split the chocolate nemesis while our mother ordered tiramisu to take back to her villa.

The food and service were all exceptional. I wholeheartedly believe that Vita deserves its reputation.

February 26

After another delightful breakfast, I brought our mother back to her room only to find that the first floor was completely flooded. The maintenance person didn’t have much to say, so our mother and Paulette came and hung out in our villa until we could get some more information. After about an hour, I received a call informing me that the property was going to move them to a new villa. Paulette packed up their stuff and instructed the staff members on what needed to be moved over.

With that minor fiasco out of the way, I went for a run before joining our mother, Mallie, and Paulette at the pool for a few hours. Angela and James joined us later after they were done lifting weights.

In the mid-afternoon, Angela and I headed to the property’s basketball court to shoot some hoops. James and Mallie joined us about fifteen minutes later and we played a game of horse. James informed us all of the appropriate rules and, according to the International Horse League ruleset, Angela ended up winning.

We returned to our villa where we hung out with our mother and Paulette on our villa’s patio before heading to dinner at Lua Bar. After the general disappointment of our first night’s dining experience at Lua, I was floored by how delicious the pizzas and drinks were at the bar.

February 27

We enjoyed a late and leisurely breakfast before heading to the pool. While our group roasted in the sun, James and I played catch in the parking lot for a while. He was generous enough to bring his real leather football all the way from Seattle and it was nice to throw around the pigskin for a while.

When our mother headed inside to relax, Angela, James, Mallie, and I walked to the lagoon to paddle board. I thought it would be a bit more challenging than it was, to be quite honest, but I still had a lot of fun circling the lagoon. James and I decided to race and he absolutely destroyed me (although, in my defense, my paddle would not stay extended and didn’t have a reliable handle).

While we enjoyed the lagoon, our mother and Paulette hung out around their villa and the pool, enjoying their last full day in paradise.

For dinner, we went to Omar’s Beach Hut for a taste of the local cuisine next to the sea. For appetizers, we ordered conch prepared several different ways. For our entrees, we ordered jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, macaroni and cheese, and curried vegetables. One of my favorite moments of this trip was when I ordered the goat curry and the waitress cocked her head at me and gave me a look like “is this white boy actually ordering goat curry?” She then essentially said it out loud to make sure I was getting the sentiment.

After dinner, we took the time to grab a few pictures, including our only true family picture of the trip.

We walked our mother out onto the beach and into the sea so she could feel the sand between her toes and the gentle lapping of waves around her legs.

After our impromptu photo shoot in the water, James made sure to tell all the beach dogs how good they were.

After returning to our villa, Angela and James worked on getting the sand out of our vehicle while I took care of some work. Later in the evening, we gathered together to play board games. Mallie won King of Tokyo and Angela won Exploding kittens before we called it a night.

February 28

After an early breakfast, we all loaded into Heinz and Angela and I dropped our mother, James, Mallie, and Paulette off at the airport for their morning flight.

Angela and I returned to the villa to pack and relax a bit before checking out and returning our rental car. We had to wait for the second shuttle to the airport but still arrived much earlier than was probably necessary. After checking our bags and clearing security and immigration, we found a pleasantly air-conditioned spot on the second floor to await our flight.

Our flight to Miami departed on-time and was as pleasant as any other short jump. When we arrived in Miami, we cleared immigration, collected our bags, exited customs, and returned to the check-in counter to recheck our luggage. The conveyor system for the standard recheck process was down, so it was a very confusing mess.

We cleared security and stopped at the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Terminal D. It was extremely crowded and overwhelmingly mediocre in terms of the food offerings. Since we had a long layover, we decided to leave and get an actual meal elsewhere in the airport. After stopping at Shula’s and being unimpressed by the menu, we ended up at The Counter for some surprisingly tasty burgers.

With some time to kill, we explored the art exhibits on display before heading to Starbucks and grabbing some coffee in advance of our flight. After being unceremoniously kicked out of the seating area, we wandered to our gate to wait for our flight to board.

We boarded on time, but our flight departed forty-five minutes late and we ended up landing in Austin at 0100 on March 1, bringing to an end our trip to TCI and starting our short trip to Austin.

I am so glad that we turned this trip from a possibility into an actuality. Spending a few relaxing days in paradise with family was quite pleasant and we made memories that we’ll hold with us forever. As an added bonus, it was great to finally meet Mallie, get to know her, and welcome her into our family.