"Thanksgiving 1996 - The First Visit" Top 5 Page for this destination Barbados by grandmaR

The first visit we made to Barbados was Thanksgiving week of 1996. This intro was written about that first visit. Subsequently, we came twice in 2006 - ten years later, and then once the following year (2007) - by cruise ship. Those visits will be in travelogues.

Bajan colors are blue and yellow and the bunting is in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their independence.

Surfers at Bathsheba (panoramic photo)

We had such a good time in Bermuda on Thanksgiving 1995 (and successfully evaded the question about whose house we would spend Thanksgiving at) that I looked around for another island to spend Thanksgiving of 1996. I settled on Barbados because it looked like a safe place to visit with a lot of interesting places to see. I got a lot of books out of the library including "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk (which helped give my husband the proper attitude for the Caribbean), and the journal written by one of the first white indentured servant settlers. I made reservations for the Edgewater Inn over the internet, and we enjoyed our stay there very much. They were having a surfing competition on Bathsheba beach at the time and some of the surfers stayed at the Edgewater. This photo shows some of the surfers. They are tiny and hard/impossible to see unless you click on the photo. The east coast in general has a lot of rocks and undertow and swimming is not safe in a lot of places. But it is cooler and quieter on the east coast.

We rented a car and drove all over the island - from the Animal Flower Garden caves at the north end to the Barbados Museum, from the sugar mill to Bridgetown. I shopped in Bridgetown and at "The Best of Barbados", we got a Heritage Pass and visited those attractions, we went to a review and had Bajan buffets. We even went snorkeling. I particularly enjoyed seeing the old home movies at one of the old plantation homes.

Unfortunately all the photos I took were print film, and I will have to dig them out and get them digitized in order to post them.

Walking from parking lot to St. Nicholas Abbey

My husband took this picture because he thought the trees were unusual - I'm in the lower left corner.

As nearly as I can figure from the dates on the photos, our schedule was as follows:

Arrive late on the evening of Tuesday 11-26-1996 and check into the hotel (Edgewater in Bathsheba ).

Wednesday 11-27 - Rental car people came to the hotel and gave us our car. Drove down to the Barbados Museum, bought a Heritage Pass and a detailed wall map of Barbados. Had a Bajan lunch buffet at Brown Sugar. Shopped at Cave Shepard and Columbian Emeralds in Bridgetown in the afternoon. Drove up to Cattlewash and had dinner at the Kingsley House

Thursday 11-28 (Thanksgiving Day). Drove north along the coast, visited Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill and then went to St. Nicholas Abbey. Arrived there at the same time as a passel of local school children, fortunately in time for the home movies at 11 oclock (one of the highlights of our trip). Went to the Wildlife Reserve and had lunch, and from there went to Farley Hill. Had a Bajan Buffet at a review that night at "1627 And All That "

Friday 11-29 Went to Andromeda Gardens and the Best of Barbados shop and then went down to the southern end and did some more shopping. Returned via Bathsheba and saw the surfing competition in progress. Had dinner in Bathsheba at the Edgewater hotel

Saturday 11-30 - this was the Bajan Independance 30th anniversary date and it looked as if it was going to rain. Went to Harrison's Cave (missing the rain - it rained while we were underground) and then to Welshman's Hall Gully (free for the anniversary for Bajans and Signal Hill. Ate dinner at the Round House and listened to live music.

Sunday 12-1 Drove around and attempted to find the Sunday walk without success. Had the Sunday Buffet at the hotel. .

Monday 12-2 Drove up to the north end to visit the Animal Flower Caves had lunch there. Then drove down to Folkestone to snorkel. Took a nature walk from the hotel along the shore in the afternoon.

Tuesday 12-3 - drove to the airport, left the car in their lot and took an early flight home.

• Pros:English is spoken, Beautiful island
• Cons:Hard to park in Bridgetown
• In a nutshell:Something for everyone