Pearl Island, Bahamas

We had to be up and off the boat really early on Monday morning for our excursion to Pearl Island. We went to Atlantis on our last trip to the Bahamas so we thought it'd be fun to just do a beach tour this time. We all loaded up on a small boat (EVERY boat for the history of ever will feel small after being on the Allure!) with our captain, Captain Morgan (yep, his real name) and headed out to the little island.

That's Atlantis! Seeing it made me wish we were going back. Interesting tidbit: see that bridge from one building to the other? That's called the Bridge Suite, or Michael Jackson suite. It costs $25,000 a night with a 7 night minimum and is booked for the next 3 years. You can see some inside views of it here. 

My first impression of the beach was, blah. There just didn't seem to be much to it and I didn't know how the kids were going to fare. I was so wrong! It was an amazing experience on a very non crowded beach with gorgeous water and soft sand. There were lots of little hermit crabs moving about and the shades of water ranged from pale aquamarine to a rich navy blue. It was heavenly.

There were a few floating mats as well as a trampoline for us to climb use. They were mostly used to see who could push who off first but on occasion they were used to rest.

We also put the kayaks and paddle boards to good use. I didn't kayak that day and I really regret it!

Harper loved exploring the rocks, (although they did come and ask him to get down because it was dangerous) snails and hermit crabs. He sat and watched the snails and crabs for the longest time. That's my sister up on the rocks with him...bad influence! 

My sister and my daughters. Love them so, so much!

My baby boy. Soaking up that gorgeous sunlight and filling up his tank with happiness. He is a true nature lover. Curious about every thing and possibility. 

My dad sporting the GoPro. This is so him, too. The smile, the open arms. 

My mom. She never learned to swim but she sure does love the water!

My brother, Kyle.  

Zoe, looking like an ad for the perfect vacation! 

As much as Dakota enjoyed searching for and finding seashells she was adamant that we leave them all where we found them. She is a firm believer in "leave no trace" at the tender age of 6. I hope she is always as passionate about taking care of our planet.

Mema. This woman LOVES the beach! 

Me with the two little squirts. I asked Tony to get a picture of us together and although my double chin game is strong in this photo, I still love it! We're playing and laughing and having a genuinely good time. Double chins and all. 

Tony. He and I had another rough morning that day because he was up at the crack of dawn (didn't sleep well) and woke everyone up, but you can really only be mad at someone for so long when you're surrounded by so much beauty and peace. Also, I love him, so forgiving him is a given. 

Landon, the goofball. You'd be surprised how awesome things can be when you aren't tethered to your phone! And no, that isn't directed only at Landon, but a reminder to all of us to look up and take notice to the people around us. Especially the one's we love. I love that the two dads have Go Pro's on their heads! Haha!

Brandon, enjoying this adventure with us. This was his first cruise and he sure was having a good time in the kayaks and on the paddle boards!

There was a lighthouse on the island and we all decided to walk up to the top of it. The views from up there were pretty amazing!

 When we came back from our self guided lighthouse tour we ate lunch that was provided as part of our excursion. There was chicken, fish and some rice w/ peas. They also provided water or tea. My sister and I were eating together and both had bits of the chicken stuck in our teeth. Luckily she had some floss in her bag and we laughed about how if someone asked what we were doing we'd have to tell them we were sitting in the Bahamas flossing our teeth! :) 

Pearl Island was an amazing day and one I know we'll all cherish for a long time. If I had to rate this from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I'd give it a 10.