By Grant Olsen

PROVO — Pop quiz: Where is Turks and Caicos?

When my wife first talked about a family trip to the island nation several years ago, I definitely had to consult a map (I thought it was near Barbados). Some of our friends, upon hearing about our recent trip there, seemed to think it was in the South Pacific.

Turns out, Turks and Caicos isn't too far from Utah — just a direct flight to Miami and another 90 minutes southeast, past the Bahamas, and you're there. The airport is on Providenciales (known locally as Provo), which is the archipelago's third-largest island.

Provo turned out to be the perfect hub for our family vacation, thanks to its numerous grocery stores and medical clinics. And the day-to-day details are convenient because they use the U.S. dollar, the plugs and voltages are American-style and English is the official language. The one quirk for us is that it is a British Overseas Territory, thus, driving is on the left side of the road.

Here are six activities that made our trip to Provo especially memorable:

Multiple beaches

Grace Bay beach is one of the world's best, so it's no wonder it's the focal point of many vacations. The white sand is unbelievably soft and the turquoise water seems to glow in the sunlight.

But you'll be shortchanging yourself if you don't experience some of the island's other beaches. For example, if the wind kicks up at Grace Bay, you'll find sheltered bliss in Sapodilla Bay and Taylor Bay. Our toddler, who is usually afraid of ocean waves, could actually walk out 20 yards or so and still be only knee-deep in the water there. With the calm water, these bays actually feel more like swimming pools.

Local cuisine

Turks and Caicos is seafood heaven. You'll find fresh fish and lobster, but the main attraction is often conch. My favorite conch dish was ceviche, but it can also be fried, grilled, steamed or eaten raw.

The best ocean-to-table experience is Bugaloo's Conch Crawl, where you can watch them harvest conch from the water right in front of the restaurant.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50984251/6-unforgettable-things-to-do-in-turks-and-caicos