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Caribbean: Grenada, St.
George, Family Vacation Ideas.  Dubbed
"The Spice of the Caribbean" where the sounds of young laughter attest to a
family friendly atmosphere, days are filled with plenty of options.
Go shell walking. With more than 40
excellent shell-strewn beaches on Grenada alone, and more of them on the sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, it’s easy to fall prey to a case of the on-shore
bends. The Caribbean deposits a great variety of shells on the white and black sands, and
youngsters can gather plenty of treasures for the taking, including lovely conch shells
near the main pier on tiny Petite Martinique. A wire brush or steel pad can restore the
exterior to "mint" condition (a science project in the
making.)
View a wreck.
It’s also clear as A, B,
Sea that the clear waters surrounding Grenada offer awesome snorkeling possibilities as
well. Many of the hotels furnish equipment and also have dive operators to teach
snorkeling or SCUBA skills. Grenada is, in fact, acknowledged to have some of the finest
diving in the entire Caribbean with sites easily and quickly reached. The Bianca C, at 600
feet in length, is the region’s biggest shipwreck (this is the angle to entice a teen
to cooperate.)
Find
the Arawaks.
 The museum in Grenada or the one on neighboring Carriacou
provide a sense of place.
Fascinating exhibits cover subjects including the life and times of the Arawak and Carib
Indians, struggles over island control by the French and British as well as the
boat-building industry that still thrives today. When it comes to Arawak it means fighting
and captives. Some say cannibals but kids love this stuff.
Visit a fort. Visit the battlements of Fort
George with its commanding view of Grenada’s capital city and environs (Fort
Frederick is at an even higher elevation) and there is even more mention of skirmishes.
The simple feel of the sturdy old cannon is enough to inspire visions of invading ships
down below in the horseshoe-shaped harbor. Nowadays it’s the sight of the many huge
cruise ships regularly making the destination a port of call. Guides are on hand to hold
kids spellbound with the destination’s colorful history while cool breezes sweep the
heights.
Splash under a
waterfall. And what child is not
fascinated by cascading waterfalls? Concord Falls is just one spot for such a spectacle,
and if taking the plunge at falls that plunge some 65 feet sounds inviting, swimming at
the base of this sightseeing attraction will be both exciting and refreshing. The
natural splendor of Grenada (and its sister islands) will keep the whole family
captivated. The rain forest surrounding Grand Etang Lake (located in an old crater some
1,700 feet above sea level), for example, offers some excellent hiking trails,
extraordinary scenery, and the prospect of perhaps seeing a Mona monkey or two in the wild.
Smell the
spices. Spice is synonymous with Grenada (the country is the largest producer of nutmeg in
the Western Hemisphere) and youngsters are sure to get a kick out of hearing lecturers
putting more than their "two scents" in at the Dougaldston Nutmeg Processing
Station just outside of Gouyave on the island’s west coast. There are explanations
about many of the spices, plus the delights of touching and the smelling of such aromatic
spices as nutmeg, cinnamon , cloves, saffron, bay leaves and ginger, to name a few.
Sleeping Places
Rex Grenadian. Several of the hotels feature
programs especially for vacationing children. The free "Kids Club" at the Rex
Grenadian involves arts and crafts, field trips, painting, limbo dancing, treasure
hunts and parties for youngsters 4 to 12 years of age.
Blue Horizons
Cottage Hotel. Complimentary baby-sitting is offered for two hours per
day for three days on a seven-night stay, and parents receive a 50 percent discount
on a second room with a connecting door for children 12 years old or
younger.
Children younger than 18 years of age stay free when sharing deluxe accommodations with paying
parents (maximum of two children per room) and youngsters younger than 12
years of age eat free from
a children’s menu with parents using the Modified American or Continental
meal plans.
For more information about
Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique try or
1(212) 687-9554, 1-800-927-9554 or http://www.grenada.org
Editor’s Note:
For older children music is the thing. Grenada has
an option to consider. Each May Spice Jazz Festival provides a constellation of stars from the music world.
Typically a free "Jazz Roots"
concert featuring a musical exploration of jazz from African origins to
today’s Caribbean sounds is offered in Grenada’s west coast fishing
village of Gouyave. Grenada’s sister island of
Carriacou often has its own festivities showcasing the island’s cultural legacies, including its music. Spice Jazz
Festival offices in Grenada at 1-(473) 444-5556.
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