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Playing it Cool in the Turks & Caicos
by NANCY HELLMRICH
A workaholic who runs her own marketing firm out of New York, Deb is the type whose family has to convince, cajole, and drag her away for a vacation. When they succeed, it’s never about sleeping-in and afternoon naps. It’s about burning off pent up energy. Naturally, that means jetting off to what some consider the #1 beach in the world, Grace Bay Beach in Turks & Caicos. “The Turks are easy. In a little over three hours, we’re on the sand.” Deb, Jenny, and daughter Charlotte like it so much, they’ve made the trip a semi-regular escape.
“He was dressed all in black, headband, eyeliner ... he looked like he just stepped out of 30 degree weather. Meanwhile Patti had on a pretty summer dress.” The famous rocker had recently released his memoir, Life, and Hansen had just come forward about her battle with cancer, so Deb and Jenny played it cool. “We just treated them like normal people who wanted to enjoy a nice evening.”
On their first visit, they stayed at the COMO Parrot Cay, where Deb, a former marathoner, relished the morning runs. “The COMO has private trails that wind through the low brush and palms, onto the beach, and then back in again. I never see another soul there.”
Recently, the trio returned for a visit to The Shore Club, a sister resort to The Palms, where they have also stayed. It was Jenny’s birthday so they hired a private driver, reveled at a local Fish Fry, dined beneath swaying palms at Coco Bistro Restaurant, and spent their days jet skiing, wind surfing, sailing, and snorkeling.
Parrot Cay is so private it attracts top celebrities, many of whom own villas there, including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, and Keith Richards. As it happened, one evening while Deb and Jenny were enjoying sunset cocktails, the Rolling Stone strolled in with his wife, Patti Hansen.
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The trade winds at Long Bay, on the Turks & Caicos’ south side, attract kite surfers from all over the world.
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The reef there is like a break, with rougher water on the outside, so they tethered themselves to the boat. "I was really worried about Charlotte," recalls Deb, "I kept thinking, 'What are we doing out here?' Of course it was perfectly safe and Charlotte had
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the time of her life."
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