Today we completed our 16 hour travel marathon during which we took the longest flight within the Continental US (Seattle to Miami) throughout the evening hours and into the early morning of Sunday. Our flight was moderately turbulent due to the major storms which were making their way across the Midwest and Southeast but other than that our flight was uneventful. In spite of the tough weather we arrived 40 minutes early. Upon arriving in Miami we had a four layover which gave us time to stretch, eat breakfast and relax before the next flight to our island getaway.

Anguilla, which we learned is pronounced ang·gwi·luh, is not a major tourist destination seeing as there are only three flights a day to the island from locations outside the Caribbean (there are 15 flights per day total). While Anguilla does not boast the most tourists out of the numerous Caribbean destinations, it does support a significant number of high profile vacationers as it is a place where the rich and famous can escape the paparazzi. There were at least a dozen high-end private jets occupying the small airport when we arrived. This looks to be changing however as the island nation is currently modernizing and expanding their airport to accommodate more flights and wide body aircraft (the plans were posted in the airport) – something the locals are quite excited about. Within the next two years it appears Anguilla is looking to establish their island nation as a well known tourist destination. If you are looking to travel here as a ‘hidden gem’ destination, it is best to do so sooner rather than later!

We are very happy to be visiting before the airport upgrades are complete and the tourist boom to follow takes place. Today we picked up our rental car from the airport and took the scenic route (thanks to a couple wrong turns) to our accommodations. In Anguilla, as with other British overseas territories, everyone drives on the left side of the road. What is interesting is that they primarily drive American made cars so the steering wheel is on the left (unlike in the UK where it is on the right). This takes some getting used to but Jay has had lots of practice driving on the left in both the UK and Turks and Caicos (another British overseas territory).

After checking into our condo (which has stunning views of the beach and ocean), we made our way to the local grocery store to pickup breakfast, lunch and snack items for the next couple of days. Visiting foreign grocery stores is a favorite activity of ours as it allows us to better familiarize ourselves with the local culture. The condo includes a microwave and range/oven so we plan to cook several homemade meals while we are here. Surprising to us, the store was very similar to a US grocery store with mostly recognizable brands mixed in amongst the local veggies, fruit, meats and seafood. They even had football shaped balloons hanging from the ceiling.

After returning from the store we enjoyed the last couple of hours of sunlight on the beach while imbibing the complimentary rum drink provided by the condo complex. Not a bad way to unwind following a long day of travel! We concluded our evening by enjoying an amazing dinner at a nearby restaurant. We enjoyed several unique items, such as goat potstickers and fresh caught mahi mahi, all of which was amazing. Goat is a staple cuisine here in Anguilla, as is their national dish of rice and peas.

Tomorrow will be a day of relaxation, exploring our beach – Mead’s Bay – and planning for future excursions (exploring the rest of Anguilla, venturing over to St. Martin and exploring a nearby sandbar which supports a full restaurant and bar).