Turtle Cove | Turks & Caicos

Happy New Years Eve from the picturesque Magnolia Restaurant + Wine Bar! Above is their uncompromised views over Turtle Cove Marina at dusk. Below is the cavernous wine bar that beckons anyone without toddlers. Mind the photos, we are ever the travel weary family who landed hours earlier and are trying to keep it together at a nice holiday dinner. Camden has already lost two trucks over the balcony and Ryder is draping spaghetti over himself. I look crazy tired in that dirty martini selfie. It's fine. We're fine. Thank goodness for dirty martinis. 

The staff were so kind and thankfully our 5pm reservation had us out of there before we spoiled anyone's new years eve. My sesame crusted rare tuna with soy ginger sauce, jasmine rice + sautéed snow peas (combined with the atmosphere + views) was drive-over-from-your-resort at Grace Bay worthy. From ours at Vista Azul it was a pleasant ten minute stroll down the street.

Mango Reef

Mango Reef was a NIGHT. Maybe we expect too much from our 3 almost 4 year old to behave at a dinner where there's no wifi and the phone can't help entertain him? After playing in the sun all day? These kids are fun but it certainly is a challenge sometimes. My lobster ravioli was heaven sent, a dish that blew me away. Mango Reef Restaurant is located in Turtle Cove Marina and it was packed. A hot spot in this gem of a neighborhood. 

Things turned around the next night at Baci Ristorante. We sat Camden down earlier that day for a little chat about how he should behave at dinner. He did awesome! He was polite! Ryder was pretty tired but managed to hang. Baci serves Italian cuisine on a dockside terrace along Turtle Cove Marina. I can't remember what I ate so it definitely didn't blow me away like Magnolia or Mango Reef but I know it was good. I'm glad we got to check out Baci with well behaved kids. 

Sharkbite Bar + Grill

Sharkbite Bar + Grill is a beloved Turtle Cove hangout perched over the marina waterway (right next to Baci). We ventured here directly from a day on The Bight Beach. Sharkbite was rowdy and fun, the ideal atmosphere to watch football and eat conch fritters. Our waiter kept the local beers flowing while Camden napped in the stroller. Ryder had his nap on the walk to the beach earlier, he was well rested and enjoyed himself! 

Baci and Sharkbite were just down the road from Turks Wave Cafe, our essential morning iced coffee and breakfast spot. The food is good but service is painfully slow (one girl working the counter, one cook). As we waited for our breakfast one day Ryder was fussy so I took him on a walk and we discovered this neighborhood is chock full of private villas and, well, $$$. All the villas are waterfront or close to it so until I explored the roads winding back into the cove I had no idea. Turtle Cove is uniquely residential and I wonder if it is still up and coming in the name of more resorts. Time will tell!

Virgin Gorda | BVI

This Island is spectacular. The third largest of the British Virgin Islands (after Tortolla and Anegada) Virgin Gorda entices with her natural beauty and calm relaxing lifestyle. We spent our days snorkeling at quiet postcard coves like Mahoe Bay and Spring Bay and exploring the granite grotos at Little Trunk Bay and The Baths. One afternoon we took in the views and ate conch fritters and pulled pork at Hog Heaven, then drove over to the North Sound where we took a water taxi from Leverick Bay Marina to Saba Rock for a sunset happy hour. This was my first time traveling to the BVI and I'm really glad we chose VG as our home base. 

Getting There: The ferries from STT --> VG are 90 minutes and run on a limited (once or twice a day) schedule. Speedy's runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays ($70 round trip) and Inter Island Boat Service on Thursday & Sunday ($90 RT). 
Getting Around: Rent a car. Our VRBO host rented us one of hers for $50/day.
If you are staying at a resort it is still worth renting a car - the island has lots of different beaches and unique vantage points worth checking out at your leisure.

Lazy Flamingo

Last Sunday afternoon we ventured out to watch the Patriots game at the Lazy Flamingo. Casual seafood dining at this nautical themed restaurant and bar gives you a true taste of local island eats and atmosphere. The Lazy Flamingo is just down the street from our condo located at 1036 Periwinkle Way.Surrounded by large green shrubs and trees, the establishment is set back from the street but you can't miss the bright pastel pink exterior with ocean blue trim. Walk ways lined with plastic flamingos and nautical ropes guide you inside to a space reminiscent of the lower decks of a ship. I love the vibe inside. Large porthole windows are surrounded by dark wooden walls and ceilings flanked with metal clapboards, heavy nautical rope, tropical themed beer advertisements and marine life accents. Tricia, Dave and myself shared a couple pitchers of beer. We started off with locally brewed Key West Ale and later moved onto our beloved Yuengling. Pitchers ran about $9 on average, which is not a bad deal.While we watched Football and cheered on our boys I snacked on Conch Fritters ($6.99) (pronounced KONK!) just like hush puppies but they're full of queen conch, diced vegetables and served with a side of hot sauce. A generous portion is served warm with a golden brown crispy fried shell, inside a bite of soft chewy bread laced with tangy conch, carrots and celery. The table shared 3 baskets of wings, all $8.99 a pop. We ordered your standard Buffalo Wings, sweet and tart Teriyaki Wings, and my favorite the Teri-Hots. All wings were served with celery and blue cheese. That is a master carving job if I ever saw one! The service here was prompt, waitresses were friendly and the Halloween décor was plentiful.
I definitely recommend hitting up the Lazy Flamingo if you're spending time on Sanibel. The atmosphere, football games, pitchers of beer and conch fritters are reason enough for me!