During the second week of July, my wife, 9-month-old son, and I took a trip to Grand Cayman Island. Rather than do a separate hotel review, I will combine everything into one post since there are a few relevant details that many of you may benefit from. We chose Grand Cayman Island for a few reasons. First of all, it’s about a 3.5-hour flight from Chicago, and that’s approximately the maximum time my son will be confined to an airline cabin before he really starts getting restless. When he was five months old, we took him on an 8-hour flight to Hawaii, and he was perfectly fine. Once he hit the 7-month mark, even a 2-hour flight wasn’t easy. So, with those considerations in mind, Europe, Asia, and Hawaii were out of the question. The second reason we chose Grand Cayman is that its beaches have been spared from the seaweed problem (sargassum) that has plagued destinations such as Cancun, Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Florida. Most of these destinations do their best to remove it every morning, but despite their efforts, it’s still noticeable. The third reason we chose Grand Cayman is that it is infant/toddler/kid-friendly.

Booking

For this trip, I found saver-level award tickets (tickets that require the least number of miles for a given route) on American Airlines for 30k miles per person round trip. Since my son is a lap infant, his ticket was free. The cash price for a round-trip flight from Chicago to Grand Cayman was $455 per person. Redeeming 60k miles for $910 worth of airfare was a decent redemption.

Owen Roberts International Airport does not have jet bridges, so you must walk down the stairs and onto the tarmac before entering the terminal. The minute you land, you’re greeted by a musical band playing local music. It’s a perfect way to get the vacation vibes going.

Sunshine Suites Resort

We stayed in a boutique hotel called Sunshine Suites Resort. It’s a 3.5-star hotel that is clean, comfortable, and very reasonably priced (usually between $140-$180/night). I saw its 4.5-star rating on Trip Advisor, with over 2,000 reviews, which was good enough for me. If you need luxury accommodations with an ocean view, this hotel is not for you. The main reason I booked this hotel is we got to use all the amenities of the 5-star Westin Hotel, which is a 5-minute walk down the street. Their pool, beach, beach towels, lounge chairs, gym, and access to its restaurants and bars are all included in the mandatory $35/day resort fee. The nightly price of the Westin was 3x the price of the Sunshine Suites. Since we would be out at the beach for most of the day anyway, we needed a comfortable place to sleep, shower, and get dressed. Sunshine Suites provided all that and more, including complimentary breakfast. You can click on the video below to get an idea of the rooms and the property. FYI, if you don’t want to walk to the Westin, you can go to the front desk at Sunshine Suites and request a driver to drop you off in their golf cart. It works the same way if you want to return from the Westin. Just let the front desk at the Westin know in that case.

SunshineSuitesNight — *Sunshine Suites at night*

SunshinePool — *The pool at Sunshine Suites at night*

The breakfast offerings were decent. There was a nice variety of pastries, pancakes, cereal, parfait, boiled eggs, toast, oatmeal, bananas, muffins, coffee, tea, orange juice, and apple juice. Sunshine Suites also had a restaurant called Sunshine Grill, which served lunch and dinner. This is not complimentary and does not come as part of an “all-inclusive” package. The fish tacos they served were delicious. I would have fish tacos if I could return and have one meal in Grand Cayman.

The Westin Hotel

Since we had access to all the amenities of the Westin, we would have breakfast and make our way there for most of the day.

WestinEntrance — *If you don’t want to walk here from Sunshine Suites, go to the front desk and request to be dropped off via a golf cart. This was a very convenient way to move around with our son.*

WestinGCpool — *The pool and swim-up bar at the Westin*

WestinBack — *View of The Westin from the beach area*

WestinPools — *The pool has a pedestrian bridge that crosses over to the beach. You can swim underneath to get to either side.*

ZaynMePool — *First pool experience for Zayn*

Seven Mile Beach

Once you cross over the pool to the beach area, you will be greeted by Westin employees who direct you to lounge chairs and open the umbrellas if you choose to have them open. Towels are available to the right of the pool and must be checked out with your last name and room number of the property you’re staying at. Seven Mile Beach is simply amazing. I would rank it right behind the Maldives for water clarity among all the beaches I have visited. There is no seaweed or litter; it’s perfectly maintained, and the waves are calm for water activities.

Seven Mile Beach’s water clarity makes it perfect for snorkeling, so bring an underwater camera and snorkeling gear. You can also rent the gear from the hotel. Seven Mile Beach faces west, and if the horizon is clear, you will be treated to some spectacular sunsets. Even if the horizon isn’t 100% clear, the sun reflecting off the clouds will make for a beautiful and colorful sky.

If you’re reading this, a point of interest that might be worth visiting is Stingray City. It wasn’t age-appropriate for a 9-month-old, but if you have kids who are a bit older or you want to experience swimming with stingrays, it’s only a 10-minute drive away. Keep in mind that when driving in the Cayman Islands, you drive on the left side of the road as it is a British territory.

Some of you have asked if the food, water, and snacks are expensive, and for the most part, they are costly. If you purchase from the hotel or even convenience stores right next to the hotel, it will cost you three to four times what you are used to paying for bottled water. I asked a local where I could purchase a case of water, and he directed me to a large wholesale club called ‘Cost U Less,’ which was just a 7-minute walk away. If you’re familiar with BJ’s Wholesale Club on the East Coast, this was their sister store. It even had the Wellsley Farms brand, the store label for BJ’s. You don’t need a membership, and while the prices aren’t U.S. wholesale club prices, they are far cheaper than any other place you will find on the island. If you’re staying at an Airbnb and decide to cook rather than eat out, this is a perfect place to shop for your ingredients since they also carry fresh produce, seafood, and meat.

Concluding Thoughts

We had a great time at Grand Cayman Island, and the service and hospitality at the Sunshine Suites and Westin were top-notch. I’ve never seen two hotels so well coordinated when transporting passengers between the two properties and accommodating each other’s guests at their respective restaurants. If there is one other essential tip you take from this, BRING MOSQUITO REPELLANT and bathe yourself in it. They are relentless, and if any parts of your body don’t have the repellant touching it, they will find it, guaranteed. As always, thanks for reading.

TakeOffGC — *Rum Point, Grand Cayman Island, as seen from the ascent on American Airlines.*

Travel Itinerary: Three Days in Washington D.C.

If you’re looking for a place to travel with kids and want to choose a place where multiple attractions are close in proximity, D.C. is that place. The best part about D.C. is that most of those sites are free, which large families will truly appreciate. My wife and I traveled here with our 7-month-old, finding places that suited all of us. You can walk to the various tourist sites if you’re staying downtown or anywhere near the U.S. Capitol. If you’re staying outside the city and are driving in, I recommend using an app such as Park Whiz or Spot Hero and parking at a nearby garage for the duration of the day. Metered parking is also available, but they have two or three-hour limits.

Day One- National Mall Area

Our first stop was the Washington Monument. It’s the tallest building in D.C. and a great starting point or meetup point because you can’t miss it. The immediate area surrounding the monument was fenced off since it was getting a facelift. Nonetheless, it’s an iconic structure, and the field surrounding the monument is perfect for a picnic or flying kites.

Continuing our path, our second stop was the World War II Memorial, a short walk to the west. The Memorial itself was excellent, but the highlight of our time here was the presence of WWII veterans.

WWIImemorial — *World War II Memorial Fountain with The Washington Monument in the background*

Before coming here, I had only seen 2 or 3 WWII vets. Seeing an entire group of men and women serving our country decades ago was cool. Thank you again for your service! After spending about 25 minutes here, we continued to the Lincoln Memorial.

LincolnMemorialFront — *Front of the Lincoln Memorial*

The Lincoln Memorial is very popular, and you will find people here even past midnight when the Lincoln statue is illuminated. As you enter, the first floor has information on the Civil War and its impact on the country. The second floor is where the statue of Lincoln is situated. They have elevators if you cannot climb the stairs or have a stroller.

When you climb the stairs and look towards the east (the path we came from), you get a fantastic view of the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

After spending 40-45 minutes here, we walked to the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial.

The MLK Memorial is next to the Tidal Basin, and you must walk south of Independence Avenue. The next stops were the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

JeffersonMemorial2 — *Front entrance to the Jefferson Memorial*

The Jefferson Memorial is a beautiful building influenced by the Pantheon of Rome. It’s the place to be if you’re in D.C. in early April when the cherry blossoms are full. The map below shows our path from the Washington Monument to the Jefferson Memorial. I’d budget around 3 hours if you really want to experience all the monuments and take pictures.

By the time we were done seeing all the memorials, it was time to get my restless 7-month-old son to the hotel so he could take his usual nap. After dinner, we walked to the South Lawn of the White House at night to take pictures.

No matter who is in office, the White House is just a beautiful building. I prefer the night view as the dark backdrop has a certain elegance. Once we were finished taking pictures here, our first day was in the books.

Day Two – Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Lincoln Memorial at Night

Mother Nature did not want to cooperate with us on our second day in D.C. We had to deal with rain and thunderstorms, which took most of the outdoor attractions out of the picture. Fortunately, D.C. has a lot of excellent indoor attractions, so we took advantage of this and visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. There are some fascinating exhibits at this museum, and it’s also an interactive museum with hands-on activities that kids will enjoy.

Smithsonian4 — The aquarium at the coral reef exhibit was a favorite among many infants and kids, my son included.

Smithsonian5 — *The famous Hope Diamond*

If you want to see everything comfortably, budget at least 1.5 hours for the Smithsonian. After dinner, the rain mostly stopped, and many people recommended walking to the Lincoln Memorial at night. The Washington Monument reflects off the pool, making for a fantastic picture.

LincolnNight — The statue at night looks really cool.

Day Three: Capitol Hill and Smithsonian Zoo

In the early afternoon, we made the 15-minute walk to the Capitol Building. It was a picture-perfect day with no clouds in sight.

NationalMallcapitolview — View of the National Mall from the Capitol

Unlike all the other sites we had visited in D.C., the Smithsonian Zoo was a 12-15 minute drive from our hotel downtown. Like all the sites we had visited thus far, this one was also free of charge. And for a free zoo, it really had a lot to offer.

We saw lions, tigers, cheetahs, gorillas, giraffes, elephants, and other animals. This place is perfect for kids and offers something for people of all ages.

Other Places of Interest to Consider

Since we were here for three days with a seven-month-old, seeing everything we wanted in that short window would be impossible. If you are going to D.C., consider visiting the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and the Sackler Gallery. The National Museum of Archives is home to the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The Emancipation Proclamation. All these attractions are free, and if you are interested, you can make a small donation when you enter or exit. D.C. is a beautiful city with no shortage of things to do and places to see. It’s a very walkable city and a great place for budget travelers who experience world-class attractions at no cost.