{"id":9138,"date":"2018-01-26T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T14:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=9138"},"modified":"2018-01-25T20:18:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-26T01:18:54","slug":"the-island-of-pioneers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=9138","title":{"rendered":"The Island of Pioneers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2018 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Christopher Columbus visited.\u00a0 So did John Glenn.\u00a0 Why not Carnival?<\/p>\n

Grand Turk, the capital island of the Turks and Caicos is now home to a state of the art luxury cruise ship center opened by Carnival in 2006 and frequented by several cruise lines.<\/p>\n

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The thirteen acre complex is located at the southern end of Governor’s Beach, the best beach on the island and offers a variety of shops, restaurants, a large pool, cabanas and the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean.\u00a0 The 3,000 foot pier can accommodate two ships each day and serves as a launch point for shore excursions. Shuttles, taxi, rental cars and scooters are available for those who wish to venture out onto the island on their own.<\/p>\n

Grand Turk has the second largest population of the Turks and Caicos and the main city of the island is the historical Cockburn Town, filled with colonial style buildings and ruins.\u00a0 The Turks and Caicos National Museum is one of the highlights of the island along with the lighthouse and popular activities such as diving and whale watching.<\/p>\n

Having visited Providenciales a few years ago, we knew what amazing beaches were to be found in the Turks and Caicos and decided that our Christmas Day was going to be a relaxing one, enjoying the sun with our toes in the sand and a drink in our hand.<\/p>\n

Once we made our way down the lengthy pier, through the duty free shops and past Margaritaville, we began to search for a good spot to set up camp.\u00a0 Since my son had been here during the summer, he said that the chairs on the last rows were free, but the ones immediately in the front on the water were for rent.\u00a0 We decided that since it was Christmas Day, we wanted to be able to look at the beautiful, turquoise water instead of other people and paid $5 per chair and umbrellas.\u00a0 (Since the trip, I have been reading about scams involving locals on the beach and now I am not sure if these chairs should have been free as well.\u00a0 In the future, I would check with Carnival before disembarking on Grand Turk).<\/p>\n

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The waters on this beach were pristine and my sons enjoyed snorkeling and swimming throughout the day.\u00a0 After some time, I decided to walk around and get a feel for the property.<\/p>\n

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In 1492, Christopher Columbus is reputed to have made landfall on his initial voyage to the New World.\u00a0 Almost 500 years later, U.S. astronaut, John Glenn, splashed down near Grand Turk, after becoming the first American to orbit the earth during the 1962 Mercury Space Mission.\u00a0 The cruise ship center showcases a memorial to John Glenn and the historic event featuring a statue, replica of the Friendship Seven space capsule and placarded information.<\/p>\n

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As I walked to the southern end of the beach, tourists were building amazing sand sculptures in the shape of a turtle and an alligator.\u00a0 A little farther, I stopped to admire the statue of a breaching humpback whale, which highlights one of the prodigious events visitors can enjoy each season, from January to April.<\/p>\n

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Finally, making my way back to my waiting lounge chair, I took a few minutes to visit the craft market.\u00a0 Necklaces, carvings, paintings, shells and various other items were offered for sale.<\/p>\n

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Rejoining my family, we hung out on the beach for a bit longer before heading over to the Margaritaville pool.\u00a0 Guests swam and danced to the music while enjoying cold buckets of beer, margaritas and snacks.\u00a0 Many also took their turns on the Flowrider, surfing and body boarding on the jetted water, while others looked on hoping for a wipeout!<\/p>\n

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Before long, departure time was approaching and while I hated to leave this idyllic island, I really didn’t want to have to run down the long dock to the boat at the last minute and miss its departure.<\/p>\n

As we stood on the upper deck, we waved goodbye to Grand Turk as we sailed away into the sunset.<\/p>\n

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For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Grand Turk<\/strong><\/p>\n