Little Palm Island

I don't normally make a separate blog entry for a "place", but when it comes to Little Palm Island, it's anything but normal.

Having stayed here before with our boat, we knew that the docks are exposed to open water, an active channel, and plenty of wind from everywhere except from the south. It not only makes for some tricky docking, it tends to be a bit unpleasant for sleeping on board. So this time, we really went crazy and stayed on land in one of their small, but elegant, thatched roof huts.

Canopy bed, claw foot tub, outdoor shower, our own jacuzzi, private fire pit on the beach and of course, the requisite hammock strung between two palm trees.

And while Little Palm Island has its own lovely beach, tropical pool, and world class spa, the real gem of the place is the restaurant, simply called, the Dining Room. Listed in Zagats as one of the top 5 hotel restaurants in the United States, the flavors, textures and visual appeal of the food is beyond description. And the location on the beach (and I do mean ON the beach), makes for glorious sunsets while enjoying your favorite cocktail.

Firecracker Grouper over asparagus puree

Diver Sea Scallops in a citrus butter cream sauce

Yes, Little Palm Island is expensive, but then, most things that are over-the-top amazing, normally are. I don't know when we will come back again, but I can assure you we will visit often in our dreams for a long time to come.