Turks and Caicos

August is very much offseason in North Caicos. Most everything is closed, rendering an already sleepy destination virtually comatose in all the best ways.

It's not Rio Camuy (Puerto Rico) or Grotte Marie Jeanne (Haiti), but the Conch Bar Caves do offer surprising bit of soft adventuring that's 180-degrees from the usual beach 'n chill pursuits so common in TCI.

Sea conditions offshore Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos are generally as calm as they come in the islands, yielding nice, long sessions of ultra-smooth sailing.

In various spots around Providenciales, Turks and Caicos you can find local bands, DJ's, and entertainers putting on largely laid back performances appealing to Belongers and visiting party-goers of all ages.

Inside the Middle Caicos Co-op you'll find all manner of hand-crafted goods – hats, baskets, paintings, bracelets, placemats; all of it celebrating the cultural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It's all great, but the thing that most caught my attention were the model sailboats.

You didn't win our Join The (Ocean) Club Giveaway? Don't fret. Our friends at Ocean Club have an exclusive deal just for UC fans to take advantage of.

Many Grace Bay hotels are synonymous with luxury. Others are all about families or partying. Ocean Club, I thought, must be solely about the beach, right?

Grace Bay is an otherworldly Shangri-La of a beach that exceeds the wildest dreams of all lovers of sun, sand, and sea. And we want you to enjoy all of it!

Grace Bay invites sublime exertion, though there are other great spots around the Turks and Caicos where you can channel your inner Usain Bolt.