"No vacation goes unpunished." ~ Karl Hakkarainen

Christmas day we left for a week long vacation to Turks and Caicos.  With work and all of the holiday hooplah, I had a really rough week in preparation for the trip.  By the time Christmas rolled around I was definitely ready to relax.  We stayed in Villa Oceanus with my entire family - mom, dad, sister and her husband, brother and his girlfriend, and my baby sister. 

[view from our deck - Turtle Cove bay]

B's parents and his little brother also came along, staying a few miles down the road at Point Grace Resort.  It was my family's first vacation quite some time, and our first joint family vacation.  While there were a few bumps in the road we had an amazing time.

[play cards on the deck, a favorite pasttime]

 [my mom and B's mom securing the tennis courts for a family round-robin]

[dad and I at the Muskanoo street festival]

Staying in a villa we were lucky enough to be able to eat in for most breakfasts and lunches, and even a couple of great dinners.  One night in particular, after a day of fishing on a private boat charted through Silver Deep, B marinated and grilled the day's catch and we had fish tacos, corn salsa, and guacamole. 

As for our meals out, Da Conch Shack was a definite highlight.  The ambiance is great, open air and right on the ocean, and the rum punch and conch can't be beat.  I had the cracked conch (basically the best fried calamari you've ever had) but the big seller was the conch combo - which is cracked conch and conch fritters (essentially conch hush puppies).

B and I also had a great meal solo at Anacaona.  The place is absolutely amazing - right on the water, under sweeping white sheets, coconut trees, and twinkling lights.  We had a delicious sav blanc, and both of our starters - a simple salad with honey vinaigrette and a ceviche - were amazing.  For dinner I had the conch sampler.

[starting on the left: cracked conch, followed by conch chowder, conch fritter, and conch ceviche]

Yum yum yum and yum... but I liked the chowder the most. 

We ended the night by skipping dessert and opting for a rum taste (B) and a Kahlua and coffee (me).

While Anacaona was great, the absolute best meal out we had in Turks was on New Years Eve at Coyaba.  We were seated in a lovely private "room" (I put room in quotes because it was open air and the walls were trees and bamboo dividers).

[our table]

[Happy New Years B!!]

After a gazpacho amuse bouche I started with the wedge salad - almond slices, tomato, bacon, blue cheese, and blue cheese dressing over iceberg lettuce - and B had the scallop ceviche.

[my baby sis enjoying the gazpacho - love her headpiece]

[wedge - yum]

[scallops - triple yum]

In between courses we were served a tasty little sorbet.

[a little shot glass of joy to your tastebuds]

For dinner I had the lobster burger (they announced a spicy tuna roll on the special menu but when I went to order it they were out -- very confusing), and B the red snapper special.

I didn't try B's snapper but he finished every bite so I'm guessing it was great.  As for my lobster burger, it was outstanding.  Nearly everyone tried a bite, and nearly everyone who tried a bite asked for seconds.  When paired with truffle french fries I had basically died and gone to food heaven.

After dinner we went to a nearby bar to ring in the New Year and catch a piece of the Junkanoo parade.

New Years day we headed home but it was a great way to sign off 2011.  Bring it on 2012!!