Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

There were elevators and stairs conveniently located through the resort, so we were easily able to get to and from our room. Our girls were located about three rooms down the hall from us which was important to us. The backup generator works as we found out one evening when the electricity went out. The resort staff had things well under control and the power was quickly restored.

The tile floor in the rooms was a bit slick with all the moisture and each of us fell at least once. We put towels down on the floor to keep them wiped up and dry.

The resort itself was very clean with employees ready and willing to help with anything. They were walking around in coats and long pants, assuring us that "tomorrow there will be sun".

This resort is an all-inclusive for adults. All meals and drinks were included in the price. This worked well for our family as our girls were interested in different activities (the discotheque was pretty popular) on certain days and could schedule their meals to best suit them.

The outdoor activities would have been lots of fun, except there was too much wind and rain our five days there. The resort staff did offer other activities and console all their guests.

We enjoyed our stay there and would consider returning, except checking the weather reports before making our reservations!

The dimmed lights encouraged a romantic atmosphere and mood, supported by the crisp white tablecloths and drippy candles. That ambiance slipped by us as we were dining with a large group of people that we had met in the hot tub at this resort. We each had separate reservations, yet the hostess graciously pushed tables together for our group. We enjoyed the camaraderie of our new friendships, continuing the discussions from earlier that afternoon with all of us hoping the sun would shine the next day.

The server continued to replenish the basket of bread at our table while our meals were being prepared. Hungry, I kept eating and eating the bread. Although our dinner was served in a reasonable amount of time, I could not stay away from the bread. I ate too much and was unable to finish eating my daughter’s lasagna.

I ordered the ravioli and my wife had seafood pasta, keeping to her resolution to eat seafood whenever possible (Kansas just doesn’t have the seafood options!!!). One of my daughters selected lasagna and the other daughter had spaghetti and meatballs. The food was good, not overly exceptional. The food portions were large and I was the only person in my family that could finish their meal.

We enjoyed eating here and I would recommend selecting this as an option for at least one night while you stay at this resort. I’m not certain that I would choose this restaurant if I were staying at another restaurant or hotel on the island.

Each group constructs elaborate costumes made of crepe paper glued to cardboard, making headdresses, shoulder pieces and skirts. As many as 500 to a thousand people participate in a group, all dressed in the group theme, dancing rhythmically to an accompaniment of cowbells, drums and whistles. They are recalling the joyous celebration of freedom.

Busses run across the island transporting people to and from the event. The resort employees told us to catch a bus around 10pm in order to get a good position at the parade. I was also repeatedly cautioned about the lively crowd and promised that I would be careful. Some of the resort guests would not attend the event, concerned with their safety after hearing these warnings.

We found a spot for viewing the parade, but my anxiety level was too high. At this particular area, all I could smell was pot. I monitored my daughters for their awareness and they too noticed this aroma. We had one of those interesting moments. I knew they recognized the smell of pot and they knew I knew. But neither one of us wanted to ask the other because of the inevitable question – how did they learn about this scent? I’m quite certain the drug awareness instructors at the school didn’t light up a joint and teach them about this fragrance…. We tried to reposition ourselves to a different area, but the pot smell lingered.

Soon I was solely consumed with a single thought – the safety of my family. I had been warned to keep one hand on each daughter and one ear out for possible trouble. Others told me to be "on guard" at all times due to the excessive partying. Suddenly my arms were not long enough to pull my family close as to protect the three people I love the most. I lost the enjoyment of this local event and felt an imperative need to leave. Disregarding my family’s protests, we left the parade taking a bus back to the resort.

In retrospect, I overreacted. If I had the opportunity to do things over, I would do the following:

• Continue to pay attention to safety concerns. Safely issues can occur at any time, in any place, at any event. We’ve now heard similar warnings for other places and events.
• Go with more people. We declined the offer to join a group of people from the resort; however, there is safety in numbers.
• Improve my information filtering, listening to people who know rather than people spewing off unnecessary worries.
• Stayed for this beautiful event

I would encourage any traveler to participate in the local celebrations. Once an opportunity is missed, it may never return.

We finally landed at Nassau airport, passing through the gray clouds and watching as the rain dropped down on the runway. My pants were soaked as we dashed from the airplane to the airport building. I had only brought this one pair, planning to wear them to Christmas service and on the trip back home again. "I’ll hang them up to dry when we get to the resort," my wife reassured me.

We found the resort bus to drive us to Breezes. We had decided not to get a car due to the cost (about $80 a day) and Nassau already offered excellent bus transportation. The busses are called "jitneys" and they run from about 6am to late at night. Taxi fares were not overwhelming with a 10 minute ride from the airport to Cable Beach costing about $12.00. I think the longer ride from the airport to downtown Nassau was about $18.00. The bus driver maneuvered the slick roadways, reassuring us that "tomorrow will be sunny". We decided to not let the weather bother us. We would use this initial day to get acquainted with our surroundings, the scheduled options at the resort and be ready for a day of swimming the next day.

After checking into the resort, we walked around the facility. Many of the employees were wearing coats and rubbing their hands to stay warm. We had already changed into shorts. The 65 degree weather felt wonderful to us after leaving frigid temperatures in Kansas. Several people questioned us with worry, wondering if we were warm. Please stay dry and warm, they cautioned. We would, we assured them. After all, tomorrow will be warm and sunny.

We walked out to the beach and the ocean. The water was cold and rough, with not a boat or water vehicle in site. No one was on the beach or in the water. It would be different tomorrow. The beach will be packed with people.

Walking back into the resort building, we moseyed over to the indoor recreational room. I passed the group of ping pong tables, pool tables and a foosball table, into a game room. Boxes of board games were stacked on bookshelves and one table was covered with a game of Risk. A note sat on top of the game asking "do not disturb". The game of Risk can take nearly forever to play and this particular grouping of armies reflected a long running game. I hoped that the game was only from a marathon session today and not over a period of days. I was afraid to ask anyone how long it had been raining here…

We ate at the buffet dinner and participated in the evening’s entertainment. As we left the central area, returning to our rooms, a resort employee stated cheerfully, "Tomorrow there will be sun!"

With each bite of food I glanced outside looking for any possible break in the wall of rain clouds. I ate as slow as possible hoping that the rain would cease by the end of our meal. No such luck. I moseyed outside to investigate the possibilities of a sunny day. Signs greeted me stating that all the boating and ocean activities had been cancelled due to the weather and high winds. I found small craft warnings to keep the boats out of the ocean. I think our family was limited to other activities for the day.

We started with a session in the exercise room. My wife and daughters overextended their caloric intake (according to them) with the food from the buffet so willingly agreed to an aerobic opportunity. Everyone declined the outdoor ice skating rink as our goal was to stay away from the ice and cold. Honestly, I was surprised at the availability of an ice rink, especially in this hot weather resort environment. I can’t imagine the cost of maintaining the ice when the temperature was higher.

The game room included multiple pool tables and ping pong tables. My girls listened attentively as I showed them billiards techniques; although my wife believes their interest was purely their desire to avoid boredom. We played game after game until they mastered some of the tips and tricks. We included numerous ping-pong games after turning over the pool tables to other resort guests. My wife played table tennis while growing up and retained her competitive nature with the game(she could not let her younger siblings beat her so she plays aggressively). The girls quickly decided that they would rather be a doubles partner with their mother instead of playing with me against their mom. We finally decided to have the two girls double against me for a series of enjoyable games.

When asked, I informed the girls that this was a foosball table, an exciting game that I recall from my college days. I noticed their "yeah right" looks and rolling of their eyes when I tried to explain the theory and strategy of playing. They did not want me to participate, believing I would be too competitive for them. I offered to work the side with the broken handle as a handicap. The four of us played this historical game for quite some time until my wrist was sore from dealing with the broken equipment.

When the girls wandered off on their own, my wife and I pulled Checkers, Chess, and other games down from the board room and relaxed on the couches. We slowly played these board games, sipping on rum drinks and talking. Much of our conversation at home references work schedules, home schedules, who is driving which daughter to what event, and I really enjoyed this calm time with my wife. I must have been too melancholy or had a bit too much rum. She killed me at Checkers.

That night the rain let up to a soft drizzle, so we walked over to the casino. Our youngest daughter was not officially old enough to gamble, but we decided to take that risk. If she was accompanied by us, hopefully no one would ask for her ID. Gambling on Christmas Eve almost felt sacrilegious, but we had completed all the resort indoor activities we could find.

When we returned from our gambling adventure the hotel employees promised that "tomorrow there will be sun".

Sunshine woke us on Christmas morning. My girls indirectly suggested that maybe we skip the service in town and just watch one on television (Vatican Mass is played throughout Christmas day.). After all these cloudy days, they wanted to sit in the sun. No deal, we flagged down a taxi and went to Mass.

The church is in downtown Nassau and just one block off the bus stop. As we pulled up to the church, all the parking lots surrounding it were full, but there were not any people outside. We quickly walked up to the door and noticed that service had already begun. We were given the wrong time. An usher noticed our forlorn looks and stepped outside. He confirmed the misunderstanding on the starting time and shared that this was the last service for the day. I asked him if we could discretely be seated in the church to at least participate in the remainder of the service. He walked us to the back side of the church and let us in that door.

A sectioned off part of the church had been opened and only 20 to 25 people were seated here. We quietly slid into a pew and joined in the holiday service. The singing was fabulous. The well practiced choir sang every verse of each song, with enthusiasm, swaying and hand-clapping. People in the church joined in. A lady directly in front of us moved out into the aisle and danced to the beat of the music. The spiritual lift of this ceremony was great!

After the service, we walked down the hill to the bus stop. Within a few minutes the bus arrived, taking us back to the resort. By then a section of dark clouds started to roll-in. We dashed back to our rooms, changing to our swimsuits in hopes to get some of the remaining time in the sun.

We circled the perimeter of the shopping mall several times seeking the bus stop for downtown Nassau. My wife finally obtained assistance from two young ladies who were manning a gift wrapping table. The bus stop was at the far end of mall at an unmarked door. I don’t think I could find it again. The jitney stopped many times between the mall and downtown, driving through parts of the island we had not seen. As people climbed on the crowded bus, they reached for "jump seats" that provided temporary seating in the aisle. After arriving at their stop, they could flip the seat closed and open the aisle for other passengers.

We carefully dismounted the bus at the downtown exit. The continuous rains filled the streets, leaving large puddles along the sidewalks. The bus stopped mid-puddle causing us to jump from the bus to the sidewalk in order to stay dry. Many of the downtown shops were closed due Boxing Day and to the Junkanoo celebration the previous night. We walked a full block before finding an open establishment. The girls dashed into the store, excited to see displays of beautiful jewelry. As part of their Christmas present that year, I had promised them a birthstone ring from Nassau and they were ready for me to uphold my commitment. In retrospect I should have investigated jewelry prices before this vacation to better barter final cost. I don’t know how much of a bargain I received, yet I know my girls love their gifts.

Further down the street we found a store selling perfume. My wife and daughters quickly recognized the great savings and decided to purchase their favorite fragrances. They called out, asking for my opinion on some of the other perfumes. They squirted the mist just inches from my nose, trying not to douse me with feminine smells. After several "tests", I had to step outside to regain my sense of smell.

We crossed the street to the Straw Market. Similar to the other merchants, many of the booths were empty due to Boxing Day. The girls discovered that they could do better shopping together. One daughter would barter with the merchant, getting the price to an acceptable amount. Then the other daughter would also ask to buy the item and ask for a lesser price if merchant sold them two. I think the bartering was mutually beneficial. The girls believe they received a good price and I’m certain the merchants kept a fair profit. When the girls showed me their newly acquired sarongs, I noticed a small tag sewed in the hem. "Made in USA," it stated. I don’t think I’ll tell the girls.

Once we arrived downtown, I kept a close watch on my family. People stepped out from doorways and from behind walls to approach me. "Hey man, want to buy some real s**t?" they asked. I had no interest in buying drugs, legal or illegal, and turned them down time after time. Fortunately, my wife and daughters were never approached nor bothered. I still hovered over them protectively.

After completing all our shopping, we strolled over to the downtown beaches to get some pictures and see what other activity might be happening. Many restaurants and other businesses were also closed for Boxing Day. We found the bus that stopped by our hotel and returned in time for the evening buffet dinner.

With the lack of wind and cold, we were ready to use some of the outdoor hotel facilities. We waited for the rock climbing and trapeze to open, but the workers failed to show. I inquired with the activities director and she promised to have someone working outside shortly. True to her word, two young men arrived, dumping their bags of equipment and belts in the area next to the pool. They both appeared half asleep and slightly hung-over. I suspect they partied hearty the last few days.

Several of us hopped out of the hot tub and signed up for the rock climbing. I strapped on the various belts and approached the wall. I consider myself in excellent physical condition, but could only manage a climb halfway up the wall. One worker tried to guide me from one rock hold to the next, shouting up his instructions. I managed to climb a bit further with his directions, yet did not make it to the top. I suspect these last few days of relaxing in the hot tub and drinking may have impacted my abilities!

A few young ladies, including one of my daughters, asked to try the trapeze. The worker firmly stated that anyone who has been drinking alcohol cannot be on the trapeze. My daughter’s face filled with disappointment as she had had a drink with her lunch. The other young women were also backing away from this opportunity with sadness. The worker clarified his statement: as long as they were not as drunk as he was, they could fly on the trapeze. The girls ran back to the trapeze, lining up for their turns. As a parent, I was not overly thrilled with his statement, concerned for the safety of the girls. If he had been drinking and was holding on to the safety belts, how safe were the girls?

Dark clouds rolled in by the time my daughter reached the front of the queue. Winds were blowing and the temperature dropped. My daughter slipped on a sweatshirt over her swimsuit and was strapped into the belts. With all the years of gymnastic lessons, she easily flipped herself up to the net and followed their directions up the ladder to the swing. She jumped off the platform, hanging from the swing. Pulling her knees up on the bar, she dropped her hands and swung upside-down. She pumped her body, reaching for the other swing, but the winds kept it out of reach. After these failed attempts, she released her knees from the bar and flipped to a soft landing on the net. I watched the two workers the entire time she was in the air. The one holding her belt looked as if he would be sick any minute and I stood poised and ready to grab the belt in case he let go. I was quite relieved when she landed and rolled off the safety net to the ground.

We dashed back into the hot tub to warm up from the cold. The wind increased, blasting us with cold and pellets of sand. The resort employees turned lawn chairs on their sides and covered them with towels in a make-shift wind block around the perimeter of the hot tub. The outdoor grill and bar closed so those of us in the hot tub took turns getting out and running for drink refills. The nozzles for rum foo-foo drinks faced the outside of the bar requiring the water soaked volunteer to stand in the cold and wind while filling a tray. The volunteer walked carefully back to the hot tub, trying not to spill the tray while hurrying back to the needed warmth. We welcomed back the volunteer, shifting our places in the hot tub, offering them the warm spot by the water jets. The temperature continued to drop and the winds increased, but we stayed warm (and somewhat tipsy) in the hot tub.