Cozumel

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Walter Hiott Cozumel

Picture a beautiful Caribbean beach with white sand and clear, turquoise-blue water. A little ways out in the water snorkelers bob up and down, the tips of their snorkels still visible even when the undulations of the waves obstruct your view of the swimmers. Boats are anchored off the coast, and periodically a divers jump off, swims back, and dive off again. You watch all of this from your grass covered cabana. This place perfectly combines both fun and relaxation. It is called Cozumel.

Located just off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel is relatively undeveloped. Therefore, the environment is very natural, both on the island and in the seas surrounding it, and lends itself to beautiful scenery, and world class snorkelling and scuba diving among the spectacular coral reef systems. Unsurprisingly, Cozumel’s economy is largely based on tourism.

If you do wind up scuba diving in Cozumel, you will be swimming among the Mesoamerican Reef, which is the largest reef system in America. When you scuba dive or snorkel in Cozumel, you have the chance to see hundreds of species of fish, turtles, and other forms of aquatic life. You may even encounter a toadfish, which does not exist anywhere else in the world.

Other caribbean islands have been featured on this page, and each has its own flavor and culture. One of the nice things about island hopping is that, while the entire time you are amidst beautiful caribbean scenery, you get to experience the different flare of the islands, and what each specific one has to offer.

Greenville, SC

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walter-hiott-downtown_greenville

In recent years, Greenville has really become a hot destination city, and if you visit, it will be no surprise that this is the case. It has two qualities that you don’t usually find in the same place – it’s both under the radar and teeming with activity. It’s casual and still fun.

Along the tree-lined Main Street, there are several nice hotels, from big and name-brand to more quaint and personal, and mostly at pretty reasonable prices. It’s also lined with boutique stores, and plenty of excellent restaurants that even the foodies in your group will find difficult to criticize. One such restaurant is the Tupelo Honey Cafe. Though it does have locations around the country it doesn’t come off as a chain in any way. It’s good old southern cooking that even a lifelong Southerner will love.

In addition to the southern charm and cool atmosphere, Greenville offers visitors stunning natural beauty. It’s nice to add a hike or an outdoor excursion of some sort to any trip, and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains offer plenty of opportunity for this. You can trek, or if you stuffed yourself too much at Tupelo Honey Cafe the night before you can drive, to beautifully scenic vistas. You actually don’t need to stray too far away from the city for nice natural scenery. It’s the sort of place that incorporates the natural landscape into the design of the city, with brooks and rivers running right through it.

Greenville is definitely worth the visit if you haven’t been. If you have, there’s probably no need to tell you it’s worth another trip.

Eleuthera

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walter hiott eleuthera

Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas that offers all of the relaxation, serenity, and beauty typically associated with this archipelago country. The name “Eleuthera” is derived from the Greek word meaning free, and when you go there and feel the stresses from everyday life melt away – once you finally get through the seemingly impossibly tiny airport and an inevitable issue with a rental car transaction – you’ll probably come to feel that the name is an apt description of how you feel during your stay.

In addition to the scenic beauty of its choral reefs and crystal clear water, Eleuthera is one of the only places in the world with pink sand beaches, a really interesting sight for most people who are used to, well, sand colored sand. Lending an additional air of wonder to an island already full of it, the pink hue of the sand on some of the beaches is caused by thousands or millions of broken coral pieces, shells, and calcium carbonate left behind by tiny marine creatures with red and pink shells that live in the coral reefs that surround the beach.

One really interesting institution on Eleuthera is The Island School, where high school students from around the world can go for a semester to learn about how to be green, how to snorkel, and most importantly how to be engaged global citizens. With the campus and the surrounding ocean as their laboratories, The Island School partners with a world class science research facility to explore Eleuthera both culturally and environmentally. If a short vacation in Eleuthera is amazing, imagine how lucky the students who attend this school are to spend a whole semester or summer there, and to learn more thoroughly about its ecology and culture.

Jamaica

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walter hiott jamaica

Jamaica is widely regarded as an island paradise and optimal Caribbean vacation location, which it is. But the clear turquoise water and white sandy beaches that are usually called to mind are only a small part of what the island has to offer. Like most islands in the Caribbean, there is also lush vegetation, mountain ranges for hiking, and rare and interesting natural phenomena. Days could be spent exploring the island, though if a relaxing week on the beach is more your speed, there is abundant opportunity for that too.

The Blue Mountains, which include the highest point on the island – Blue Mountain Peak at an elevation of 7402 feet – are a major attraction in their own right, made even more attractive by all that the rest of the island has to offer. There are plenty of excellent places to hike in the world, but few in such close proximity to such world class beaches. Hiking on the Blue Mountains is notable for the wonderful views and scenery, and if you are driven enough to wake up at 2 in the morning, you’ll have the opportunity to see one of the most beautiful sunsets at the peak anywhere in the world. Then you can make your way down the mountain and rest your tired bones on the Jamaican beach. Few days of your life could rival that one.

Dunn’s River Falls is another excellent attraction, both because it is a unique geological formation and because you can have a lot of fun visiting. There is a guided trek up the Falls, and you need to stay very focused during it, but it is really fun and you might find that you have a certain sense of accomplishment afterwards.

Jamaica is an often mentioned, almost cliche Caribbean destination, and there are definitely islands that are a bit less touristy, but a trip here once is well worth it, and you might find that you have so much fun that you’ll want to return.

The Grand Canyon

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walter hiott grand-canyon-rim

The Grand Canyon is truly a wonder. It absolutely deserves its place on the list of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. There is a classic American myth that the canyon was made when Paul Bunyan absent-mindedly dragged his ax behind him. While a fun little story, the real way the Grand Canyon was made – being carved by the Colorado River over thousands of years – is just as fascinating.

This is truly one of the most scenically beautiful places on the planet, which explains why, without too much by way of major additional attractions, it remains such a popular tourist destination. Actually, if there were such attractions, it would completely detract from the experience and the beauty. One of the highlights of a trip there, if you have the opportunity, is a flight over the Canyon. Flying in a small plane gives just the right perspective to enjoy this natural wonder – on foot you may lose site of how huge it is, and while flying over in a commercial flight you miss all the details. In a small plane you get a sense of both.

That is not to disparage a hike through the Grand Canyon. This is another terrific experience that you should definitely participate in if you visit. It can get hot and tiresome, so make sure to bring plenty of water, and certain passages seems so steep and narrow you can’t believe they bring tourists on them, but it is an experience you will not forget. There are, of course, different hikes for people of varying levels of ability and comfortability with heights. Even a simple walk around the rim is incredible.

As mentioned before on this site, trips to National Parks prove to be some of the most enjoyable vacations you can take. Grand Canyon National Park is chief among these parks, and if you have never vacationed to a National Park, this is maybe the best place to start.

Myrtle Beach

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Walter Hiott beach_sc

South Carolina has several great beaches, both for day and weekend trips for those who live in the state, and for longer trips for those from around the country and abroad. On my Charleston blog, I’ve already written about one such beach/island getaway: Seabrook Island. Myrtle beach is also a terrific beach that people from all over travel to. Fortunately for Charlestonians, Myrtle Beach is only about a 2 hour drive away, thus making it a potential day trip, but if you travel there, do yourself a favor and stay for longer than that.

Myrtle Beach is like one of those ideal beach towns from a summer movie, and the days there follow a certain very calm and relaxing, but still fun and enjoyable pattern. In addition to the beach, there are plenty of little activities that are fun for everyone in the family. For example, this area has an inordinately high density of Putt Putt golf courses. As a parent, you will be grateful for this if you travel there with small children, because not only does this provide a fun activity to always fall back on, but it also never gets repetitive since there are so many. The Skywheel is also a great addition, and offers a great view of the water, beach, and boardwalk.

I also recommend taking in the “Pirate’s Voyage” Dinner and Show while at Myrtle Beach if you have the chance. A lot of these dinner theater type shows can be a little hokey, and I’m not going to say this isn’t, but somehow it fits the atmosphere of the town well, and it winds up being a very fun and entertaining show. Again, this is good for the whole family, but also enjoyable for anyone.

So this is just another one of the many great beaches and beach towns in South Carolina, but also one that is particularly worth visiting.

The Great Smoky Mountains

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Walter HiottAs I’ve mentioned, the greatest family vacations don’t always involve sandy beaches, luxurious hotels, and historic cities. As pleasant as these types of trips always are, some of the most enjoyable vacation experiences involve getting out into the Great Outdoors, being a little bit active, and seeing some natural beauty. The National Parks provide a great opportunity for this. One of my favorites is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I’m not alone, by the way. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited of all National Parks in America with over 9 million visits per year.

Because we have family in the area, we have spent a considerable amount of time in the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure areas of North Carolina. These happen to be great departure points for day trips into the mountains. If you are just interested in a casual excursion, your best option is a hike. With hundreds of trails, hikes in the Smokies never become repetitive, and even if you find a trail you like and hike it over and over again, the scenic beauty will be enough to keep it from feeling redundant. There is also zip lining and rafting if you want to get involved in something a bit more exciting than a hike. Smoky Mountain is also the home of a natural water slide – Sliding Rock.

If you are in nearby Asheville, NC, you might want to spend some time at the Grove Park Inn. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Grove Park Inn is over a century old, features breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has hosted many notable people, including US Presidents (sorry to sound too much like a travel brochure, but it’s all true).

So, a trip to the Great Smoky mountains actually can be the best of both types of vacations I have mentioned here – at the Grove Park Inn you can luxuriously experience history while going into the Great Outdoors.

New Orleans

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Walter HiottNew Orleans is one of those amazing cities with it’s own personality and culture.  While it is an old American city, in a way it is its own little world.  The music, food, and general atmosphere in New Orleans make it completely unique.

The thing you can’t mention New Orleans without thinking about is the music.  It is known for its jazz and the many notable and world renowned musicians it has spawned, including Louis Armstrong, Dr. John, and the Neville Brothers among many, many others.  The thing about Jazz in new Orleans is that it, like so many other things in the city, has its own unique flare.  The Jazz at Snug Harbor is highly recommended.  Because of its unique location and history, New Orleans music is infused with the the greatest aspects of American, Caribbean, and Cajun culture.

The food in New Orleans shares similar influences with the music, and draws from both America and Cajun culture, applying them to products that are available locally, specifically to the wonderful local seafood.  Notable dishes include po-boys, gumbo, and Jambalaya.  It is highly suggested that if you visit New Orleans,  you treat yourself to Commanders Palace, where both the food and the service by the wait staff is a work of art.

Another little gem in the city is the Audubon Aquarium.  They often have new aquatic exhibits, of course in addition to their standard ones which are excellent.  And when you leave, you can spend an hour or so walking along the Mississippi River, because the aquarium is located directly by it.  This can be a wonderful experience if your only interaction with The Mississippi has been through reading Mark Twain novels.

Though I mentioned earlier that New Orleans is it’s own little world and utterly unique, there is somehow a comforting familiarity about the place.  There are certain areas there where you’d swear you were in Charleston.

St. John and St. Thomas

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Walter HiottSt. John and St. Thomas are two incredibly beautiful islands to visit, and, if you are visiting from the United States, very accessible, since they are part of the US Virgin Islands.  Few people know that staying in St. John is like – or actually is – staying in a National Park.  And it is fortunate for anyone who has visited this wonderful place that the island has been so well preserved.  The natural vegetation, the white sand beaches, and the crystal clear water are quite breathtaking.

The snorkeling here, as it is in most islands of the Caribbean, is excellent.  But what is particularly charming about snorkeling in this district is that if you swim across a certain channel in St. Thomas, you will reach a certain island known for its turtles.  This area of St. Thomas is aptly titled “Turtle Cove.”

If you can spend the time to have an extended stay in St. John and St. Thomas, it is a great idea to rent a car and explore the islands.  If you don’t live in a location like this, as the majority of people don’t, it can be quite interesting to spend some time soaking in the local culture.  Being, as mentioned before, part of the United States, it is really easy to become acquainted with people since there is no language barrier.  You may hear several languages spoken in St. John and St. Thomas, including French Creole and Spanish, but just about everybody speaks English also.  If you have the opportunity, head East towards Coral Bay and visit what is perhaps one of the coolest hangouts on Earth: Skinny Legs.  The catch phrase of Skinny Legs is one that sums up the attitude of St. John and St. Thomas very well – “A Pretty OK Place.”

As with so many vacations, I think most people who visit St. John and St. Thomas will find that a trip of any length, even a pretty long stay, won’t seem long enough.