The devastation to the Caribbean this hurricane season has been horrific to say the least. In addition to the heartbreaking cost in human lives, repairing structural damage will continue to be monumental challenge in many destinations like Puerto Rico for a long time to come. Of course we can help however we can with donations to the Red Cross and many other worthwhile aid organizations. We can also make a difference through our travels. Tourism is vital to the economy of so many of the countries of the Caribbean and as hotels reopen they will certainly welcome you with open arms.
Many of the places hardest hit won’t be ready to accept visitors during their normal peak season this winter, but others are already gearing up for tourists. Have questions about someplace you planned to go or need info about a place you’d like to visit? Send us a message here and we will be happy to investigate.
Visit Barbados For A Bit Of American History
One of the islands that might be suffering from a case of mistaken identity at the moment is the stunningly beautiful island of Barbados. Lots of people are confusing it with the tiny island of Barbuda, which was all but leveled during Hurricane Irma.
Barbados on the other hand has not been hit by a hurricane since 1955 because it is largely out of the region normally affected by such storms. It’s an amazing place for festivals, great beaches, culture and the most delicious seafood you’ve ever tasted. You can even learn to play polo or swim with sea turtles here.
The English-speaking island claims bragging rights as the birthplace of Rhianna, but you might not know that an even bigger celebrity once visited its pristine shoreline. Bigger than Rhianna? Impossible you say?
Back in the 18th Century George Washington would have been a bigger rock star than Jay-Z and Beyonce—combined! And in a strange way if it wasn’t for Barbados he may never have had the chance to become the father of our country at all.
Long before he was a household name George visited the island in 1751 at the age of 19 to see his ailing brother Lawrence. It was the first and last time he visited a country outside the United States.
Young George Washington
Lawrence Washington
The older half-brother of the future President was a soldier and Virginia landowner too but when he contracted tuberculosis it was believed the warmer Caribbean climate would repair his health problems. It didn’t and he later sadly died at George’s home of Mount Vernon. While in Barbados George Washington also contracted smallpox. Often deadly, he recovered with several noticiable scars. Once he survived the bout however, it meant that he was immune to the disease that caused so many of his troops to die during the American Revolutionary War.
It would be a little weird to thank Barbados for small pox but if Washington hadn’t been afflicted during his visit there its likely he would have contracted it on the battlefield. The outcome of the Revolutionary War and the history of the United States could have been forever changed.
The George Washington House in Bridgetown
When you visit Barbados take a break from the fun and sun to visit the George Washington House which is now designated as a UNESCO protected property within the World Heritage Site in the capital of Bridgetown.
On display are many of the medical artifacts that would have been used at the time and the plantation style home also offers an interesting look at what life was like on the island 250 years ago.
Passport and Ticket 
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