Before Hayes was born, we traveled constantly — nearly every month for an entire year during our “12 trips in 12 months” project and frequently before and after that. We slowed down a bit around the time Hayes arrived, taking just a few short trips in his first six months to visit family in New York and Jacksonville. Now that we’re finding our footing with parenting, travel has definitely moved back up the list.
We kicked things off with a trip to Turks and Caicos on Providenciales with our closest friends — Ashley, Kelly, and Lexy — plus their husbands and kids. Thirteen people in total: five children and eight adults. We stayed at the family-friendly, all-inclusive Beaches Turks and Caicos and enjoyed a relaxing, occasionally chaotic vacation full of sun, sand, and memories. Below I’m sharing the highlights, practical notes, and plenty of photos.
Tropical vacations are among my favorite getaways. Put me on a white-sand beach with a tropical cocktail and I’m happy. This trip was especially meaningful: our first true vacation since Hayes was born and his first time experiencing the ocean and a pool. I’ve visited Turks before, but only Grand Turk; this visit was to Providenciales on the island’s north shore.
The beaches in Providenciales are stunning — fine white sand and clear turquoise water. Beaches Turks and Caicos sits directly on the shore and has extensive oceanfront property spread across four distinct village areas, so there’s a lot of beachfront to explore. The golden hour there is incredible; photos don’t quite do it justice.
Off-property, Shore Club beach in the Long Bay area is another gorgeous stretch that you can see on the ATV four-wheeling excursion offered through Island Routes (additional fee). The guys went on this trip and came back with amazing photos and videos — next time I definitely want to join them.
What’s staying at an all-inclusive like?
For me, an all-inclusive stay removes a lot of stress. With the majority of costs covered — meals, drinks, many activities — you can relax without worrying about tallying up expenses each night. That peace of mind is particularly valuable when traveling with a large group; splitting tabs and tracking who owes what after a long stay can be a real headache. Based on our experience, an all-inclusive is one of the easiest ways to travel together smoothly.
Beaches Turks and Caicos also offers a wide range of dining options — 21 restaurants across the property with diverse cuisines from tacos and pizza to Mediterranean and Indian. Favorites for us included Neptunes, Sky, and Barefoot by the Sea. For casual treats, Cafe de Paris served great iced coffee and pastries, the Mr. Mac truck by the kids’ waterpark served comfort food like mac and cheese, and Curls and Swirls had delicious ice cream (try the coconut).
We stayed in the Key West village, which has a relaxed, beachy feel. Our one-bedroom Key West suite had a full kitchen, stackable washer and dryer (very handy with a baby), a king bed plus a twin daybed with a trundle, and a large patio with outdoor seating. With a baby, that extra space became essential for naps, bottle prep, and giving adults a little room to regroup in the evenings.
Activities
If you’re like me, lounging by a pool or floating in the ocean is vacation perfection. Still, we took advantage of a few resort activities. One of my favorites was a “drift away” massage for the girls at the Red Lane Spa, followed by time in a plunge pool — a simple luxury that felt fantastic. Spa treatments and quiet time with friends were among the trip’s best moments.
Beaches is designed for families, so there’s no shortage of kid-friendly options: a waterpark, kids’ camp (included), and plenty of Sesame Street activities where children can meet characters. For an extra fee, you can hire a babysitter to watch the kids in your room — we used this service for a few hours so the adults could enjoy time together without juggling watch duty. Those quiet hours felt like a welcome reset.
Mostly, our group spent time together hopping between pools and restaurants. The older kids played together so well, and we often pushed Hayes around in his Doona (a car seat that converts to a compact stroller) around the village paths. He loved being passed around and held by the kids. It’s amazing how quickly babies grow — in the weeks after the trip Hayes started sitting up unaided and trying new foods.
Traveling with a baby has its learning curve, but having a comfortable suite, easy access to food, and built-in childcare options made this trip feel manageable and genuinely restorative. It was our first meaningful family vacation since Hayes was born and a memory we’ll always treasure.
Questions about all-inclusive resorts or Turks and Caicos? Leave them in the comments and I’ll respond.
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This post was created in partnership with Beaches Turks and Caicos. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper and Stitch running.