Stock Up or Buy in T&C?
 

Hi all,

We're headed to T&C next week with a 3 and 1 year old. We're hoping to pack with us as much "household stuff" as we can to avoid buying everything new at IGA. Yes, that includes some food and water toys, etc.

Would it be wise to bring a Brita Filter with us (we're staying at a resort) and filter the resort tap water or just buy bottled water there?

Any other suggestions?

it is easy to buy a case of water at the IGA and the bottles are really convenient to freeze overnight and take to the beach/pool. i've never thought to bring a brita. tap water on provo is generally ok to drink.
we stay in rental houses and bring a full sized cooler plus stuff in our suitcases like pb&j, coffee/tea, tuna, maybe cereal for your kids.
if you need extra water toys look at the DO-IT center on the main highway.
re other suggestions: rent a car for a day at least. drive to the chalk sound area. see map: http://www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com/map.htm
go out the south dock road (near airport). the big open water on the map is called chalk sound and it is the most amazing tourquoise color. across from the refinery turn right onto chalk sound drive. maybe a mile? up on the left you'll see a turn into ocean point villas. turn in and park just before the opv signs on small stone walls. you'll see where there used to be a short road to the beach now blocked by boulders. walk down. this is taylor bay beach & it is shallow (less than thigh high) for a football field out. the sand on this beach is the softest i've ever felt. no waves, great fun and safe for little ones. no services here, so bring water and snacks. also no shade so bring umbrella or hats or something...
out to eat with kids: tiki hut has boats to look at and gulls hand nearby looking for drops/treats. hemingways is right on the beach and is used to kids.
i'm jealous you are going to my favorite island.

As Virginia stated, the tap water is safe to drink, but IMO it (especially when it was not very cold/iced or flavored with lemon) has a funny smell/taste, kind of sulfur-like, similar to the water in some parts of Florida). I'm not sure if the Brita filter would be effective in neutralizing the smell/taste or not. Also, bottled water is pretty reasonably priced in Provo.

Before leaving home, I also froze a few smaller bottles of water and used these to keep a couple of perishable things cold while traveling. This also provided me with some drinking water upon arrival so I didn't have to go to IGA first thing. I then purchased gallons of water and re-used my small bottles for portable water (refrigerated or frozen) during the trip.

Definitely bring lighter weight non-perishable food items (e.g., snack foods, breakfast/granola bars, etc.), as these items tend to be a lot more expensive in Provo, and if you are picky about brands, you might not find exactly what you want there.

For water toys, you might want to check with your resort to see if they have any available before bringing them from home or buying them there.

Thank you for your responses. Yes, I plan to pack things like Cheerios, granola bars, oatmeal, etc. My son is INCREDIBLY picky so that's always a challenge wherever we go. We decided to just rent a car for the entire week. Even though we probably won't need it, it ends up somewhat being worth it after you factor in airport transfers, car seat rentals, etc. This way we have the flexibility to toodle around the small island.

I'm already convinced it's not going to be a "vacation" for me and my husband, but at least we'll feel the sand b/w our toes as we run after our kids :)

as you're going to have the car all week - take a ride out the blue hills road towards northwest point resort. if you like conch you'll pass 'da conch shack' (cool because they go into the water, get your conch and cook it for you), after that there are some bright buildings with little shops, then several miles of what provo looked like before developement. you can take a quick dip at northwest's beach. normally i'd say get a 4-wheel for one day and go out to malcolm road beach to snorkel, but with your kids still small i'm thinking the hour long drive on rough roads to a beautiful beach with great snorkeling but NO shade and no services might not be a good choice.
you could ride out to leeward. if you can find your way onto that end of grace bay beach it's really nice and quiet as it's a residential area. there are a couple dive shops at the marina and a restaurant or 2.

We have a saying in our state that goes something like this.
"The guy comes to our state wearing a pair of bib overalls and carrying a $50 bill and after a week here he leaves never having changed either."

Spend your money in the local economy. The people there will appreciate you more for it.

I travel to the Caribbean very often with my toddler, including TCI and I try to bring as little as possible with me. Some places I have not been able to find Goldfish crackers so I normally bring a bag or two, but if there is not something your kids have to have then I would pack light. Since you will have a car too. IGA will have a ton of brands that you would normally use at home.

We are headed back to Provo in about a month and I plan on bringing nothing with me that is not a bathing suit or other article of clothing. :)

Depending on what resort you are staying at they may have sand toys, etc. email the concierge and ask.

Have fun!

And I also agree with supporting the local economy wherever you go as much as possible. Depending on where you live in the states you may not find the prices to be much higher. Prices are never too high to make me pack heavier than I have to :)

Most airlines now, including USAirways, are no charging $25 per extra bag you have to check in-so you may want to weight that into your planning-IGA has tons of brands, cherios, etc, that you can find commonly in the States, Canada, and England.

i too believe in supporting the local economy. the milk for the cereal will need to be purchased as will the mayo to make tuna salad, etc. as i mentioned we stay in villas so do lots of shopping. we try to find local bakeries and fish mongers (is that what they're called?)we visit the local liqour store - ahem possibly more than once. we use rental cars and always find a local company. we use the laundrimat. we use local tour companies. we buy gas for the car. and i always try to things to buy made by locals. on provo there are a couple art marts along the road. not all local art but shops are owned by belongers.
kimandmarc should take whatever makes them happy.

I second blamona's comment. That's the first thing I thought of. Limit what you carry on the plane. That IGA has a wide variety.

Most resorts have water toys, etc. Ask at checkin.

The water in Provo is safe to drink. Just refill your water bottles.

Make sure you put all your food in the frig at night because there are little ants.

Have fun. T&C is really nice!


Peace, Greenie