We enjoyed a family holiday in the Bahamas, a gift to ourselves from which our family benefitted. Christina, Dan, Anna, and the twins spent Christmas with us in a house we rented on the north shore of Grand Bahama, west of Nassau. Travelling with 2 toddlers was not as traumatic as you might think, for either us or the babies. Especially if the parents are confident and well prepared, which they were. Having 5 adults to share duties helped. We flew with Dan, Anna and the twins from Philly to Nassau, Christina joining us later that day. The flight was smooth, made all better for the empty seats next to us allowing parents and babies to stretch out. The reserved rental van was non-existent at the airport so we hailed a cab to the house. The drive was short (15 min?) and the rental manager/owner greeted us and also had a connection to a local car/van rental agency, saving the day! The next 8 days were spent following two toddlers’ schedules which made for a perfectly relaxing vacation: early breakfast, arrive to that day’s beach (several within 15 min drive) before 9am, play in sand, surf, or walk for 2 hours, return to house for lunch and nap (babies) or lounge by the pool overlooking the ocean and nap (adults). Then, another afternoon beach visit or other activity (playground, restaurant lunch, ice cream treat, or nature park) before early dinner out or at the house, a little lounging, reading, or tv, then lights out (for everyone!) by 8 or 9pm. Perfect. Vacation. The flight home was uneventful and ‘easy’ (reminder: babies). Again, we were lucky to have empty seats to spread out to. We returned to the US on Dec. 31, then celebrated New Year’s Eve by going to bed shortly after the girls. Happy New Year to all!
Bahama beaches visited: Jaws Beach, quiet, out of the way, western side of the island so a little less choppy on windy days. A whole episode of “Below Deck” in real life played out here as the crew for the support ship to Bill Gates’ yacht set up tents and tables on the otherwise empty beach. Sandyport Beach, walkable from our rental and fairly quiet. Good for afternoon visits because the beach bar was close by. Winton Beach, across the island on the southern side so a bit of a drive; the sand area was narrow with some garbage/glass but the water was calm and shallow for 50 yards out. Goodman Beach, closer to downtown Nassau so comparatively busy. Also has a playground which the girls loved (teeter-totters: perfect for twins if only they would sit across from each other). And finally, Love Beach, possibly our favorite, with tidal pools, some snorkeling opportunities, a quiet, walkable beach with soft sand, and free access if parked across the road in the abandoned lot with access through the hermit crab forest. Also, great plane watching as it was under the incoming morning flight path.
Restaurants visited: The Captain’s Table for Christmas Eve dinner at Lyford Cay. Yellowbell for Christmas Morning brunch. Nearby Blue Sail for dinner and for the beach bar. Mi and B’s for lunch, in Sandyport. New Orleans Bistro for lunch. Curly’s at the Fish Fry food ‘stalls’ for fried anything, and nearby Sonia’s for amazing jerk chicken, pork, ribs or curry. Solemar for excellent fish dinner, cocktails, and great ocean view. Also, the line at the Wendy’s drive-through was about 30 cars long so it must be something special.
We spent about 5 min investigating the Straw Market, where cruisers are besieged by vendors hawking tee shirts, straw bags, and all manner of useless souvenirs. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough. We visited Ardastra Gardens, a wildlife rehab sanctuary with beautifully colored birds, monkeys, and a flamingo ‘show’! I loved it!
After the holidays, the 2026 travel plans commenced:
POV: if some wonderful friends invite you to their newly built villa in Costa Rica, go. We did, and loved it.
Former neighbors of ours invited us and another couple, our travel friends Steve and Andrea, to visit. Our gracious hosts had each of our 3 days planned to show off the beauty of Costa Rica. After an uneventful flight we hired a driver to take us west and south to Ballena, typically a 3.5 hour drive (4.5 that day). On the long drive from the airport we were able to enjoy the jungle covered mountains and coastal views. We arrived in time for a wonderful tuna tartare and red snapper dinner served outside on the deck of the amazing villa our friends had built. About a mile from the beach and up a steep road, the villa had outstanding views of the ocean and equally outstanding architectural and interior design. Gardens and jungle surrounded the house and the next morning we awoke to toucans sitting in the tree directly out front. After an early morning swim in their infinity pool, we sat and bird watched until it was time to walk the beach followed by breakfast. More relaxed time drinking up the views, and another beach walk at the nearby Parque Nacional Ballena and a quick local brewery visit preceded siesta. Cocktails were imbibed on the beach to view the sunset, followed by a delicious dinner at Citrus. Red snapper again, for me, and so good!
Day 2, we rose early and headed south to Sierpe, past former banana plantations, now palm tree plantations. Here we boarded a boat for a nature watching cruise on a river in the Terraba Sierpe National Wetlands. Greg thoroughly enjoyed photographing the many birds, monkeys, a tree boa (yikes), and some owls nesting under a bridge. It wasn’t too hot and we had a canopy on the boat. There were no bugs, so altogether this was an enjoyable morning tour. With a picnic breakfast! On our return we made a quick stop at a local museum to see the unusual pre-Columbian carved stones, spherical and phallic in shape. These stones were discovered when the plantations were developed, their purpose unknown, though perhaps it was spiritual, astrological, or even just decorative. We lunched at a rustic spa lodge, with spectacular ocean views. After that day’s siesta, we went to a nearby beach music venue, PuraVidaVille at Playa Nickell, enjoying some live bluegrass music while enjoying our BYOB and sunset from the beach. Dinner that night was at Seba’s, recently mentioned in the NYT. How interesting to find these gastronomic gems tucked away in the jungle hills!
On our last day Andrea and I walked the steep hill that led to our villa. It seemed a challenge worth attempting. Apparently it wasn’t as steep as we thought because we completely missed the driveway and kept walking uphill, immersed in conversation. Exercise completed, we returned to the beach for another morning walk and also, an ocean swim! We then headed out to a local waterfall. I was interested in swimming behind the waterfall and with a heave-ho from Greg I was able to get past the current and into the ‘cave’. Which I hated. Pelted with falling water and waves, and having to tread water, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Very unromantic from the inside and a little frightening, much more beautiful to observe from the outside. Surviving that, we headed to a rustic beach bar, where the plastic chairs barely held up with cracked legs and benches threatened to collapse with any weight, possibly releasing splinters and maybe a little tetanus. It was delightful! Fishing boats unloaded their catch while hungry birds thronged, the beers (Imperial, of course) were tasty, and the wild dogs were friendly. We chilled a while, then headed home for another amazing sunset while lounging poolside. Dinner was prepared by our hosts, tomahawk steaks, veggies, and wine, preceded by cocktails and tequila shots; immediately followed by a collapse into bed before our journey home the following day. What an amazing visit and a really great start to the New Year! Muchos gracias, dear Amigos!
My new reality 