rae519
<font color=6666CC>DIS Veteran<br><font color=CC00
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2002
- Messages
- 5,972
In a word - Nicki's!!!!
The absolute highlight of our Grand Cayman Island experience was riding at Nicki's Beach Rides!!! Truly horseback riding in paradise!
Michael and I were at the Walt Disney Theater waiting for the first tender to take us to the Island. I had been pretty apprehensive about going on a tender - but it's not only easy but way cool!!! I loved it!!!
Disney has a sheltered tent area with nice cold drinks for us - so we knew that on the way back we'd be like little camels soaking up the water!!!
Did a bit of shopping in the malls - there is a neat fish tank where they will feed nurse sharks - it's free and the stores inside are pretty nice. I got a few souveniers before we met Nicki for our ride.
Nicki - what can I tell you about this wonderful horsewoman?! Well, first, she's beautiful! A young woman with a great attitude and personality! Stopped at a local gas station so we could get reasonable prices drinks, etc. before going to the stable.
She provided a great history of the island and told us about the different flowers, trees, etc. of Grand Cayman. The gal could be a tour guide with her native knowledge and outgoing personality!
As horse owners, we were thrilled to see that Nicki had beautiful, healthy and large horses for us to ride! Michael and I could not believe how well kept the stable was and how gentle the horses were.
After saddling up, we went a short distance to the beach area and were completely overtaken with the beauty of the area. In the distance we could see Captain Marvin's snorkel area. Again, Nicki told us about the fish we were seeing, the shells on the beach and often she would stop her horse to remove a glass bottle that had washed up from the surf so that the horses wouldn't step on it and be injured.
We were able to ride as our experience level dictated, which means we did a lot of cantoring!!! It was heaven. The beach has some shade areas and around every turn there was something new to see - either in the water or on the beach itself.
I couldn't believe how this dream I had had since childhood of riding on the beach was coming true - it was an hour and a half of true delight and I didn't ever want it to end.
Well, actually, it didn't!!!!! We seemed to ride forever and of course, Nicki made sure that we had time to stop for photographs! She took some great pictures of us that will always be our favorites!!
So heaven has to have horses to ride on the beach....
Okay, next we got back to the stable and Nicki took us for some "fresh coconut milk"!!! Her schoolhood friend Marlin (who has a store on the way to the Turtle Farm) is absolutely the most fantastic islander we have ever met!!! He climbs the coconut trees and actually gets the coconuts down so tourists can taste the fresh water and meat! Coconut water is quite good! There was about 16-18 ounces of water in my coconut - enough for both Michael and I to enjoy and quench any lingering thirst!
Then Marlin opened up the coconut and Nicki showed us how to get the "meat" out - well, fresh coconut meat is fabulous! Plyable and delicious!!!
From Marlin's home we were able to see across the bay to Georgetown and the Magic - he has a great location and I do envy him his lifestyle being an "island man"!!! Almost as much as I did Nicki for her's with the beach as her office and horses as her employees!!!!!!
We got a beautiful HUGE conch shell from Marlin and said our goodbyes. It was hard to know that our time with Nicki was coming to an end. She's the kind of person you want to hang with and become friends with! Always a smile and kind word about everyone - you just don't meet people like that!!!!! And it's not just because we are tourists - she's that special!
Okay, so the riding for both of us was $120.00 - the best bargain at Grand Cayman!!!! This is a non-Disney excursion.
For reservations, you can either e-mail her or call her
Nicole Eldemire (Nicki's Beach Rides)
(Nicki - nikiride@candw.ky)
(345) 945-5839 (home)
(345) 916-3530 (cellular)
Make sure you get your reservations in early. Last year we had confirmed by credit card but Hurricane Lili diverted us - Nicki knew we couldn't get there so this year we felt safe making reservations again with her. You can pay by cash but you do need a credit card for a reservation.
Goodbye's made to Nicki and a reservation for our October cruise was made - hey, do you really think Michael and I wouldn't be back at her place riding after reading my report?!!!!!!!!!!
Great to get the water at the Disney tender area - I never thought I could down so much ice cold water as I did but the humidity and heat were as strong as the sun that burned my face....I forgot to put sunscreen on my face....OBVIOUSLY I won't make that mistake again!!!
Back on the ship - tired but so very happy. Had a great lunch with Carole and Denny and another couple. I really enjoyed their company and wished we could have had more time with them!
Hadn't seen Jackie and William since the "meet and greet" - was getting a bit worried when we found out that she had a migrane and then we all felt so sorry for her. What a great couple they are! Next time, they party with us "all night long"!!!!!!!
Went to see "Who wants to be a Mouseketeer" - one of the contestants was Natalie from Indianapolis - my future DIL is a Natalie from Indianapolis....but it wasn't her. Still and all though...it was a shock to hear that!!!
The young man in front of us went up and did rather well - considering the question that stumped him was how many original Mouseketeers were there? Answers...6, 12, 18, 24.
Do you know?
Answer at the bottom.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun and then the night became even better because we went back to Dueling Pianos!!!! A great meal then back to Dueling Pianos for the adult show....
Can life get any better?
Rae
(Answer: 24 Mouseketeers)
The absolute highlight of our Grand Cayman Island experience was riding at Nicki's Beach Rides!!! Truly horseback riding in paradise!
Michael and I were at the Walt Disney Theater waiting for the first tender to take us to the Island. I had been pretty apprehensive about going on a tender - but it's not only easy but way cool!!! I loved it!!!
Disney has a sheltered tent area with nice cold drinks for us - so we knew that on the way back we'd be like little camels soaking up the water!!!
Did a bit of shopping in the malls - there is a neat fish tank where they will feed nurse sharks - it's free and the stores inside are pretty nice. I got a few souveniers before we met Nicki for our ride.
Nicki - what can I tell you about this wonderful horsewoman?! Well, first, she's beautiful! A young woman with a great attitude and personality! Stopped at a local gas station so we could get reasonable prices drinks, etc. before going to the stable.
She provided a great history of the island and told us about the different flowers, trees, etc. of Grand Cayman. The gal could be a tour guide with her native knowledge and outgoing personality!
As horse owners, we were thrilled to see that Nicki had beautiful, healthy and large horses for us to ride! Michael and I could not believe how well kept the stable was and how gentle the horses were.
After saddling up, we went a short distance to the beach area and were completely overtaken with the beauty of the area. In the distance we could see Captain Marvin's snorkel area. Again, Nicki told us about the fish we were seeing, the shells on the beach and often she would stop her horse to remove a glass bottle that had washed up from the surf so that the horses wouldn't step on it and be injured.
We were able to ride as our experience level dictated, which means we did a lot of cantoring!!! It was heaven. The beach has some shade areas and around every turn there was something new to see - either in the water or on the beach itself.
I couldn't believe how this dream I had had since childhood of riding on the beach was coming true - it was an hour and a half of true delight and I didn't ever want it to end.
Well, actually, it didn't!!!!! We seemed to ride forever and of course, Nicki made sure that we had time to stop for photographs! She took some great pictures of us that will always be our favorites!!
So heaven has to have horses to ride on the beach....
Okay, next we got back to the stable and Nicki took us for some "fresh coconut milk"!!! Her schoolhood friend Marlin (who has a store on the way to the Turtle Farm) is absolutely the most fantastic islander we have ever met!!! He climbs the coconut trees and actually gets the coconuts down so tourists can taste the fresh water and meat! Coconut water is quite good! There was about 16-18 ounces of water in my coconut - enough for both Michael and I to enjoy and quench any lingering thirst!
Then Marlin opened up the coconut and Nicki showed us how to get the "meat" out - well, fresh coconut meat is fabulous! Plyable and delicious!!!
From Marlin's home we were able to see across the bay to Georgetown and the Magic - he has a great location and I do envy him his lifestyle being an "island man"!!! Almost as much as I did Nicki for her's with the beach as her office and horses as her employees!!!!!!
We got a beautiful HUGE conch shell from Marlin and said our goodbyes. It was hard to know that our time with Nicki was coming to an end. She's the kind of person you want to hang with and become friends with! Always a smile and kind word about everyone - you just don't meet people like that!!!!! And it's not just because we are tourists - she's that special!
Okay, so the riding for both of us was $120.00 - the best bargain at Grand Cayman!!!! This is a non-Disney excursion.
For reservations, you can either e-mail her or call her
Nicole Eldemire (Nicki's Beach Rides)
(Nicki - nikiride@candw.ky)
(345) 945-5839 (home)
(345) 916-3530 (cellular)
Make sure you get your reservations in early. Last year we had confirmed by credit card but Hurricane Lili diverted us - Nicki knew we couldn't get there so this year we felt safe making reservations again with her. You can pay by cash but you do need a credit card for a reservation.
Goodbye's made to Nicki and a reservation for our October cruise was made - hey, do you really think Michael and I wouldn't be back at her place riding after reading my report?!!!!!!!!!!
Great to get the water at the Disney tender area - I never thought I could down so much ice cold water as I did but the humidity and heat were as strong as the sun that burned my face....I forgot to put sunscreen on my face....OBVIOUSLY I won't make that mistake again!!!
Back on the ship - tired but so very happy. Had a great lunch with Carole and Denny and another couple. I really enjoyed their company and wished we could have had more time with them!
Hadn't seen Jackie and William since the "meet and greet" - was getting a bit worried when we found out that she had a migrane and then we all felt so sorry for her. What a great couple they are! Next time, they party with us "all night long"!!!!!!!
Went to see "Who wants to be a Mouseketeer" - one of the contestants was Natalie from Indianapolis - my future DIL is a Natalie from Indianapolis....but it wasn't her. Still and all though...it was a shock to hear that!!!
The young man in front of us went up and did rather well - considering the question that stumped him was how many original Mouseketeers were there? Answers...6, 12, 18, 24.
Do you know?
Answer at the bottom.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun and then the night became even better because we went back to Dueling Pianos!!!! A great meal then back to Dueling Pianos for the adult show....
Can life get any better?
Rae
(Answer: 24 Mouseketeers)
