Beautiful Jamaica

While discussing travel with another couple, my wife and I heard about a holy grail all inclusive resort in Jamaica called the Franklyn D Resort and Spa. Ir is located on Runaway Bay within easy driving distance to shopping in Ocho Rios. Like many all inclusive it has pools, toys, beaches, and restaurants that as guests you are able to frequent. Unlike some other all inclusive resorts, it has some very attractive amenities that as a father and a person with a mobility issue I plan to take advantage of.

 Let me start by saying that this is not a giant faceless monolithic resort like a Club Med or Sandals resort. This is a smaller boutique resort, that specializes in families who may or may not have mobility issues or other special needs. I am not saying that this is a "special" resort, it just acknowledges that there are families who may have issues that they will need help with on vacation.

As a person who may need this type of assistance I appreciate it. 

The Franklyn D has just 80 guest rooms that I have been assured are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Most have a full or partial ocean view and are right on the beach. They have many accessible walking paths and one lovely dock/pier that goes over the water. Believe me this pier is what hooked my attention initially.

What reeled me in (to continue the fishing metaphore) was that included in the price or the room you not only got to eat, drink (including alcohol), and play with their beach toys, but the price include a vacation nanny from 9:30-4:45. I love my son but past vacations have shown that he quickly tires of his parents if we are all he is hanging around with for several days. These wonderful nannies show up to your room and are as hands on with your children as you want them to be. Want to have a kid free lunch while your little one rides the water slide? Done. Kid wants to go to the beach and play with his new friends while you ger a message or read your book? Done! We have looked at other all inclusives and  have not found a program similiar to this one (but believe me we are still looking).

True, I have not been to this resort (YET!!), but with all the research my wife and I have done (so far). AND the quick replys to my Facebook posted questions my wife and I are seriously considering on visiting them in 2014 (if not sooner).

Heaven on the beach!

It has been a solid week since we returned from our trip to Orcas Island and I must tell you I was a fabulous trip. The weather we perfect and sunny allowing for spectacular sunsets and starry sky's over the fire pit. Beach Haven is a wonderfully secluded gem that has had a loyal following for over 70 years. Families have literally been booking trips out to this rustic resort for decades, and I myself can say I my family will be joining those ranks (we booked for next year on our last day so we can say we will be back). While I have nothing but a glowing feeling toward this place I will say it is not for everyone. If you are addicted to your cellphone and the Internet, I am sorry to say it may not be for you (although you might just like to be unplugged from the web). Cell phone reception is spotty and most Internet providers do not have a data plan for out here. Also there are no televisions, you can bring one but I guarantee you you won't watch it. W

hat it lacks in cell reception it makes up for in the sheer tranquility of the area. So you can't play on Facebook. You can have a conversation with people over a fire pit, or game board.

Lets get to some specifics about the resort and the area. The accommodations we stayed in was the lodge (although they have a larger cabin that is accessible and sleeps 10). This was like renting a small house, there was three beds many couches and several tables that were tall enough to get your legs under if you are in a wheelchair. The doors were wide enough to get my 30 inch wheel through and there is a ramp entry way in the cabin that takes you into the kitchen via a covered porch. The cabin has an open floor plan and hardwood floors as is usual in a cabin built int he 40's were spacious and very accessible even thought the buildings are back to the 40s.

The staff are amazing, helpful, friendly, and what you want to find in a resort. Every question or suggestion for easy improvements were met with a warm smile and open minded curiosity. They went out of their way when I was trying to get specifics about the cabin measurements, and I continue to get great service from them even now when I had to call about a question I had. Best service I have ever had at a resort. They told us about a few places on island that we could get food, some places of interest that would be accessible with a little work from me and my family (adventurous is what they called it, and they were right). They even let us in on some local secrets (which I won't share because I don't want to be shunned).

Some concerns. If you are in a wheelchair the beach will be very difficult for you to navigate. It is a steep and pebble filled north west beach that isn't kind to the small casters of a standard chair. As always if you want to do it you can access the beach from an area near the larger cabin. I myself was perfectly happy sitting on the large deck (approximately 20 feet from the water) or hanging by the fire pit (same distance) star gazing. As my son discovered this wasn't Hawaii and the water here is cold. There are plenty of hard packed roads that go into the natural setting of the resort so you don't feel like you are missing anything. The town of Eastsound is an older town and do their best to give the disabled the ability to move around within reason. There are areas with no side walks so you may have to use the road.

 

Orcas Island offers a multitude of beauty to see, you just have to research it a little and you can probably find something you will want to do. I personally cannot wait to get back to the cabin onthe beach and roast some more hot dogs over the fire.

Where to vacation next?

There are so many places that I would like to take my family on vacation I just do not know how to narrow them down. My wife is graduating next year with her masters degree and i really want to take her on a special vacation that will also be fun for my son. Here are some of the places we are discussing.

5. San Diego, California Pros: Sun, Beaches, Zoo and aquarium, Legoland, Comic Con (during summer) Con: not really relaxing, can be an expensive place, no place where we can drop the kid off.

4. Yellowstone National Park Pros: beautiful natural surroundings, sty in a lodge, plenty of space for kid to run around, peaceful and relaxing. Cons: can be expensive, we would have to drive to see places, no place where we can drop the kid off.

3. West coast cruise Pros: Be pampered and only have to unpack once, get to see more than one destination, Kids clubs, almost everything is inclusive. Cons: limited number of places to sail to (Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, up the coast (transition cruise)

2.Sanibel Island, Florida Pros: relaxing, warm, kid friendly Cons: long flight, can be expensive, no place where we can drop the kid off.

1. Bahamian or Caribbean cruise: Or maybe both. We decided to book a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line that departs from New York and visits Nassau, Bahamas fir two days then their own private Bahamanian island, Afterwards it loops over to Port Canaveral for some theme park fun, or beach combing, and back to New York. The itinerary really spoke to us as we are on a mission to take my son to every state in the U.S. before he is 18 years old (at the ripe old age of three he has already been to Washington, California, Hawaii), and this will knock two more off the list.

I am so excited about our next big adventure! I will make sure that I post more information as I find it. As always happy travels!

Travel Bug Bites (future destinations for family (or not) vacations)

Everybody does a bit better when they have a trip in their future. I know I always deal with a grumpy person just a bit better when I am going somewhere warm. Since discovering Vacation Rentals By Owner (or VBRO as it is known) trip taking has opened up a bit more for me and my family. We have literally rented a 3 bedroom wheelchair accessible home for less (per night) than we would have paid for a single hotel room or suite. With this in mind my wife loves to scour the internet for cool places and see if they might have an accessible rental (or enough for our needs). She has come across some real cool places that we add to our list of spots to visit in the future.

One such find was Sanibel Island, Florida. Located off the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico this area is rated high on our want to visit meter. There are plenty of wheelchair accessible houses and condos that can be rented for a reasonable rate. There are plenty of beaches perfect for frolicking, snoozing, swimming, or what they are known for sea shell hunting, and other activities. From what information we have gathered it is a very family friendly island that according to several sites "you won't need your car" on. Along with the beaches the island offers miles of bike paths perfect for a certain hand-cycler and his family. There are shops, and restaurants, and plenty for you to go tourist on. From what we have been able to see this is not Daytona Beach or Panama City. Not much of a Jell-O shot kind of a place. But that kind of speaks to me and I cannot wait to go.

5 Fave Friday Dream Vacations

  

Ok this week’s 5 fave Friday list is……favorite places that I dream about going. We all have those moments when we stare out the window and just want to transport to someplace else. Here is my list:

5.) Greece. I am a huge history buff and going somewhere that is steeped in history and the setting for such great mythological stories just gets my juices going. I also LOVE Greek food. Gyros, pasta, lamb, olives MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. The only thing I don’t much care for is ouzo (I just don’t like l the black licorice taste). I feel kind of bad because I really kind of mash up the Mediterranean countries but if pressed to pick one to visit it would probably be that one. Sadly at the time of this blog post they are in the midst of a huge economic crisis. Then again so is the rest of the globe, pass the spanakopita.

Yep they land right over a beach

4.) Sint/Saint Maartin/Martin. This island in the eastern Caribbean has both Dutch and French influences because both countries have shared the island for a long time. It is pretty, white beaches look like someone sprinkled baby powder by the water and, again, it just feels like they have great history. Only one problem was I visited on a cruise ship so there was just a wave of tourists that flooded the town. Also check out the rum and guavaberry liquor distilleries. They give out fruity tasting samples.

3.) Vietnam. This place has always seemed so very exotic and a truly ancient place where it wouldn’t be out of the norm to see Indiana Jones step out of a Pho restaurant. A blend of Asian and French melted together to create a culture uniquely their own. A few years ago I had heard that there was a tour company that started up there for accessible travels through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (complete with modified scooters capable of taking on a wheelchair. Sounds amazingly cool.

2.) Australia. Who doesn’t dream about going there? It has what can be best described as an old wests feel when you venture out to the outback. Some great natural monuments (Uluru, and the Great Barrier Reef) that  lay inside or just off the coast. Very cool architecture in the city and a great vibe as most of their cities have modernized for past Olympic Games, and other international events. It seems like a different world from where I live.

1.) Hawaii. This is a jewel in the Pacific. The different islands offer just about everything you can think of in activities. There are literally miles and miles of sandy warm beaches. Hiking, star gazing, sailing, snorkeling and scuba diving, clubbing, shopping, farmers markets, and food. You can be a tourist and visit Pearl Harbor to pay your respects. You can go to Kauai and get away from the massive sprawl of Honolulu. You can even see an active volcano eject molten rock, or go experience a luau. In short this is the place I would like to be most of the time.

Honorable mention:

*Panama Canal. One of the biggest modern marvels of the world. How could you not want to see a river/lake complex that cuts across the land and goes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?

Beaches

Kite Surfer at Anini Beach

I know that there are a lot of you who think a beach is a beach. I am here to tell you that isn't the case at all. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and what passes for beaches here are rocky, brown, and slimy. Still very pretty but very unlike what you will find in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and Hawaii.

Even in Hawaii you find subsets of beaches. There was Anini beach with a packet grass field leading to sand that was slightly rough and filled with remains of coral, Tunnels beach which had softer beige sand and good snorkeling, and Lydgate which, outside of its lava rock created pool, is to rough to swim, and finally Poipu Beach which has the reddish sand I think about when I dream of Kauai.

Poipu is a very popular beach becasue it is sunny almost all the time. It has a very mild current and surf because of the reef located just off shore. It also has, what made it my sons favorite beach, a playground. This is a family friendly beach, you are not going to see many beach bunnies wearing dental floss.That would be Waikiki. We traveled through the tree tunnel many times on our trip. Picked up a sandwich and made a picnic of it. My wife would play in the surf and when he wanted to slide I would be there with him.

Now I will tell you that Poipu beach was great but it wasn't my  favorite. I loved Anini beach. It was easy parking and getting all of our stuff to the sand was easy (see above mention of grass field), there was lots of shade for my very sensitive skinned wife, and lots of stuff for me to photograph ( I love to take pictures, and will post many here). It was also level which was nice for setting up a pop up tent for changing into the swim suits. It wasn't overcrowded, which is nice sometimes you want to be away from people
 Also even though I am not interested you can get a permit to camp right there (I saw many an REI tent in the field).

Poipu beach at sunset

The lesson you should take away from this is, travel a ton and see how many beach types you can find. Then let me know about them. By the way don't tell anyone about Anini beach (its our secret).