This blog post is complete and utter nonsense. That’s right, it’s all in celebration of the new Alice in Wonderland film, which opens in theaters today. After chatting with Jan Friedman, founder of eccentricamerica.com, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of oddball attractions in the US. Better yet, most of them are clustered in Florida and California.
As a newbie in any destination, essentially, I’m searching for something highly unusual, something I can’t do at home. Something so refreshing different that it renews my sense of being and quells my familiar frenetic pace. In Grand Cayman, I found it on day three. On a sandbar. Forty-five minutes from shore. A sunny afternoon with fantastically calm waters, the timing was perfect.
From George Town, hop in the car and head for the North end of this charming Caribbean island. About 45 minutes from the waterfront capital, past open-air restaurants, pastel homes with roosters roaming about and the famous Blue Iguana Reserve (the only place in the world to spot the endangered reptiles), is Rum Point. This mellow hideaway boasts flat, friendly waters, an eclectic mix of locals, and rum.
Throughout your stay on this welcoming island, you will, no doubt, hear the sounds of Bob Marley, but don’t be surprised to also catch an earful of country music in cafes and restaurants. Many islanders are fans of the twangy tunes because one of the first stations they could tune in was country. Don’t get me wrong, they adore jazz just as much. Not coincidentally, Grand Cayman hosts Jazz Fest each December.
He’s jammed with the Beastie Boys and watched in awe as crowds welcomed Richard Gere on several occasions. Judging by the caliber of his celebrity encounters, you’d think he was an A-lister himself. Far from it. He is a Tibetan monk. And he did not ask to meet any of these mega stars. In fact, he had no idea who they were prior to each encounter. Unlike movie stars and musicians, his life is one of purposeful humility and simplicity.
