As Caribbean holidays go, it was rather unorthodox.

The visitor came neither by plane nor by boat.

And he certainly didn’t swim here.

This most-famous-of-Caribbean-holidays started with a splash.  A big one.

The day John Glenn fell from the sky …

… and right into our history books.

It was February 1962, in the middle of yet another perfect afternoon, when the Turks and Caicos Islands played host to the splashdown heard round the world.

Glenn had just become the first American to orbit the globe when he made a dramatic plunge into the sea off Grand Turk Island in his Friendship 7 Capsule.  He was greeted onshore by a throng of residents eager to bear witness to history – their own and the world’s.  One of the most exciting events ever on Turks and Caicos, it is still recalled with exhilaration and pride by many Islanders.

Yes, we remember.

And now, as the fiftieth anniversary approaches, that storied event has been commemorated with a permanent memorial at the Grand Turk Cruise Center.

“Splashdown Grand Turk” is a 3,500-square-foot attraction celebrating Glenn’s seminal spaceflight and its place in the history of these Islands.  The attraction features a replica of the Friendship 7 Capsule, a display delineating the accomplishments of the NASA space program, and the dramatic story behind the 20th-century space race.

It is fascinating … and permanent.  It will be here forever to captivate and enlighten both Islanders and visitors alike.

It serves, too, as a reminder that Turks and Caicos vacations aren’t just about fun in the sun and pleasure by the pool.

Turks and Caicos vacations also offer some stirring cultural opportunities, and our chapter in the space story is just one of them.

The lush, laid-back life here on the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a seasonal enterprise.

It goes on year round.

Not everyone knows that, however.  Many who live in cold northern climes, suffering through the frigid rigors of snow and ice, see this island paradise as a winter getaway only.  It is so much more than that.

Spring and summer sizzle with fun and festivals and events of all kinds, and this year an old favorite is coming back in all its former glory.

Provo Day, a traditional grassroots festival that was once the highlight of the summer social calendar, is making its much-anticipated return in July.  Also being reincarnated at this year’s Provo Day is the Miss Turks and Caicos beauty pageant.  Named in honor of the island of Providenciales, Provo Day started as a modest beauty pageant in the early 1970s and slowly blossomed over the years to include a fashion show, a float parade, boat races, and live music.

And Provo Day is just one of the many exciting fetes that spice up the wind-kissed summer days and sultry summer nights on Grace Bay Beach.  There is an endless roster of fun things to do and happenings to attend down here on Turks in the so-called “off” season.

It is so on.

And of course, as always, when you’re planning a stay here on Provo, there is no better choice than the premier Turks and Caicos resort, the Gansevoort Turks + Caicos.

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall … all you’ve got to do is call.

We’ll be here.

Most of our guests come for a week or even longer.  The pleasure of this place just makes you want to stick around for as long as you can.  But the frenetic pace of the 21^st-century world doesn’t always allow for extended chunks of leisure time.  Sometimes you can only spare a few days  … perhaps just a weekend.

No problem.  The Gansevoort Turks + Caicos has just what you need.  Our three-night Big Blue package includes airport transfers, a breakfast buffet, and scuba diving.  We’ll give you a weekend on Grace Bay Beach you’ll not soon forget.  But don’t take our word for it.   The wise folks at the New York Times were recently singing our weekend praises in their Travel Section:

(Read the Times article here.)

What would you do with your weekend with us?  Relax and read, soak up the sun, sit by the infinity pool with a tall, cool drink, walk the water’s edge, hike off the beaten path, or enjoy some of the world-renowned Turks and Caicos diving or Turks and Caicos snorkeling?

Come find your answer at the Gansevoort, the premier Turks and Caicos resort.

Welcome to the premiere blog post from the premiere Turks and Caicos resort.  We greet you on yet another perfect day here on Providenciales Island.  The temperature is 84 degrees and the cool trade wind breezes blow softly in off the turquoise water and over the fine white sand of Grace Bay Beach.

Lounging by the 7,000-square-foot infinity pool, the feeling is one of peace and serenity.  The prevailing sounds are the ocean nudging gently against the shore and the ice tinkling softly in our drinks.  Life at the Gansevoort Turks + Caicos Resort today is very good indeed.  As it was yesterday … and will be tomorrow … and all the days to come after that.

We urge you to come join us.  At the resort itself, and online at this blog.  We will be using this space to keep you up to date on all the exciting things happening at the Gansevoort Turks + Caicos Resort, as well as providing you with plenty of information about the Turks and Caicos Islands themselves.  The secret is out on this little corner of paradise set among the warm waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  Turks and Caicos is quite simply heaven on earth.

And the Gansevoort Turks + Caicos Resort is heaven’s best place to stay.

Welcome.

JetBlue Airways has confirmed that it will commence flights to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands from New York and Boston, starting February, 2011.

Click Here to Read the Article.