A Trip to the Beach

by Melinda Blanchard, Robert Blanchard

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It's about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise -- and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It's a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of people who live and work on a sliver of beauty set in the Caribbean Sea. It's about the maddening, exhausting, outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life -- and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.
The story begins when Bob and Melinda Blanchard sell their successful Vermont food business and decide, perhaps impulsively, to get away from it all. Why not open a beach bar and grill on Anguilla, their favorite Caribbean island? One thing leads to another and the little grill turns into an enchanting restaurant that quickly draws four-star reviews and a celebrity-studded clientele eager for Melinda's delectable cooking. Amid the frenetic pace of the Christmas "high season," the Blanchards and their kitchen staff -- Clinton and Ozzie, the dancing sous-chefs; Shabby, the master lobster-wrangler; Bug, the dish-washing comedian -- come together like a crack drill team. And even in the midst of hilarious pandemonium, there are moments of bliss.
As the Blanchards learn to adapt to island time, they become ever more deeply attached to the quirky rhythms and customs of their new home. Until disaster strikes: Hurricane Luis, a category-4 storm with two-hundred-mile-an-hour gusts, devastates Anguilla. Bob and Melinda survey the wreckage of their beloved restaurant and wonder whether leaving Anguilla, with its innumerable challenges, would be any easier than walking out on each other. Affectionate, seductive, and very funny, A Trip to the Beach is a love letter to a place that becomes both home and escape.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Food, Biography, Adventure, Cooking

ebook

First published October 10, 2000

Reviews

[Yoonmee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seem to be one of a few that didn't give this book high ratings. Why the low rating? A few reasons: the book is poorly written for starters. It's a slow read and, to be brutally honest, not all that engaging once you get past the first chapter or so. It's the memoir of a self absorbed couple who decide to move to Anguilla to open up a restaurant. The adventures of an affluent white couple in a third world country! Oh the stories they could tell about those nutty natives and all the crazy things they do! Give me a break. The book also collapses something like ten years into what appears to be one year in the life of the restaurant. The author does make it clear in the beginning that she did this for the sake of a good story, but, b/c of this editing choice, I didn't feel like I got the whole story of their life in Anguilla. My mother saw me reading this book and wanted to read it after me. I told her not to waste her time. Don't waste yours.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part one is a whirlwind and exhausting move to Anguilla along with building, stocking and staffing the beach restaurant. An expensive and tedious process undertaken on Island Time. Part two is an endless and tedious day-in-the-life (more like year) of being a restaurateur. This section was endless and repetitive though some of the staffs antics were rather amusing. Part three involved a disaster and a rebuild. All in all, a well-written book that read more like fiction than non fiction. I'm glad I read it since it totally turned me off of moving to an island and opening a restaurant.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels like a long time since I read a really good travel book. Or maybe it's just that it's the end of February and reading about a warm, sunny island felt like such a relief. Whatever the reason, I loved this story of a Vermont couple who move to Anguilla to open a restaurant and make a life for themselves there.

This is the kind of travel book I like best, the ones where the writers have done more than just vacation in their chosen spot - they have lived there and because of that they can give the reader a much richer experience. They immerse us in the culture, let us get to know some of the locals and see a bit of what their lives are like, and show us both how great and how difficult operating a business in this paradise can be. It's so much more than "a trip to the beach".

The Blanchards tell their story beautifully. I was completely absorbed. They put me right there on the island of Anguilla feeling the hot Caribbean breeze on my skin and breathing the salt air. I laughed with them over the cultural idiosyncrasies that sometimes tripped them up, shared their frustrations with the legal hassles and the laid back island attitude toward time, and grieved with them when they were victims of that enemy of tropical existence - the hurricane.

While telling their story the authours share some of their recipes in the book, including Grilled Tuna With Coconut Rice Cakes, Gazpacho, Cornbread, Crisp Tai Snapper and Banana Bread, a mix of Island and Vermont staples. They know food. Melinda Blanchard grew up cooking and perfecting her own recipes, and together they run, in addition to their highly rated restaurant, a successful business selling gourmet dressings and sauces.

As a last bit of enticement I'll leave you with these few lines from early in the book when they had made the decision to move and were sitting on the beach making plans for the restaurant:

"We had trouble paying attention in Anguilla. Unencumbered by walls, our blue beach umbrella created a delightfully distracting office. We forced ourselves to concentrate - to work in a spot where the rest of the world comes to play. We sketched floor plans, our toes wriggling deeper into the sand as each new idea struck. Fat lizards puttered around us, their tails creating intricate patterns in the sand. They snatched tiny bugs with the tips of their long, long tongues - we were hypnotized. Concentrate, we told ourselves, concentrate."

I most definitely recommend "A Trip To The Beach". I finished it a week or so ago and already I'm eager to read it again. It would be the perfect I'm-tired-of-winter book to soak up every year. If I can wait that long.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so while I was pleasantly surprised by how this turned out to be sort of a foodie/travel book, it still wasn't the best account out there. It had many strengths to it, but in all, just wasn't as interesting as it could have been.

Melinda and Robert Blanchard, after selling their business at far below what they should have, decided they want to live on the island of Anguilla. Not as well known to the tourists, but still with a thriving tourist economy, they decide they will open a restaurant on the beach and make their living that way. The only problem is that things are very very expensive in Anguilla and bringing things in from the outside even more expensive. And running a restaurant is tough enough when you can get everything easily. The easy peaceful life they were looking for quickly evolves into something a little more fast paced and difficult.

I found Melinda a somewhat ok narrator. She focuses on the hardships more than the pleasures of island living and even insults her husband by calling him an optimist like its a bad thing. I guess I just didn't like the negativity. Her husband seems like he'd be the more enjoyable narrator but he doesn't really write this book despite his name being on the cover. She does describe the island people fairly, but I would have liked to hear a lot more about them.

Most of this book, as opposed to being about the island and the people, was more about the running of a restaurant. And while I enjoy books about food immensely, that wasn't what I expected going into this novel. Although I was happy that she included several recipes for different foods. But the food they did cook wasn't really island food per say. It was more fancy stuff as they opened a fancy restaurant. I guess thats what happens when you're in a tourist area though. To be honest, the food places they visited sounded more appealing to me than their restaurant.

An ok travel book with food elements thrown in. Not my favorite of the travel books I've read but not the worst either.

A Trip to the Beach
Copyright 2000
296 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This explains why meals/accomodations on some Carribean Islands can be so expensive.
The first half of this book is fun and interesting to anyone who has ever visited Anguilla. A middle-aged Norwich Vermont couple relocate to Anguilla and open a restaurant. It is still in business, and is called Blanchards. Import duties, taxes, delays, weather, and the relaxed approach to life by Anguillans contribute to stress equal to that of any restaurant opening in NYC.
The second half drags a bit, then Hurrican Luis hits with full force and destroys everything in its wake, including the restaurant. Everything is under water and rock. The community all pulls together with the loyalty and hard work the Anguillans are so known for....and with the Blanchards continued commitment...the restaurant rises from the ruin.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading reviews for this book saying it moved very slow and didn't grab attention, I didn't have high hopes. But after reading this, I couldn't disagree with those reviews more! The story of the Blanchards was rather interesting. I admire their dedication to live out their dream. It had to have been terrifying leaving all they knew so they could live in paradise. Sometimes I tried to picture myself doing what they were doing and I almost could see it. But I think Anguilla might be a little too detached from technology for my liking. But the whole idea is rather enticing. And I could not put the book down for the entirety of part three. Reading about the hurricane and worrying about the safety of all the people they knew and loved made my heart race. Wonderful book.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Not the most well-written book, but a good non-fiction account of following your dreams. I finally got to visit "Blanchard's" (the restaurant the authors opened on the island of Anguilla) a few weeks ago. It is now a world-renowned restaurant. The food was delicious and the atmosphere and location out of this world. I highly recommend the book, and the restaurant even more! If you ever make it to Anguilla, Blanchards is a MUST!

[Shaggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful little book! Having just visited anguilla for the first time, I loved it.
4.35 *.

[Unironically Unhelpful Book-Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most "slice of life" stories, this book has no plot. Well, except for the last chapter. But you have to be on island time to make it that far. I guess that's life

[Annalise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, easy book that gave a general idea of life in Anguilla - the sights, the sounds, etc. I couldn't help but wonder how much money Melinda and Bob Blanchard had, to pull off their move to Anguilla, the movement of all of their possessions, and the opening of their restaurant. And, of course, their lunches at all the expensive Anguilla hotels.

Ah well. The book is a nice bit of fluff, easy to pick up or put down at any point. Nothing mind blowing, but generally pleasant. And the recipes look quite nice to try...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dream - to live at the beach!

How one couple can find the courage to give up everything they have to go live at the beach is beyond me. Wish I had the guts to make such a bold move. The island sounded beautiful (already checking it out for a future vacation destination), and I really just wanted some rum punch and fresh seafood as I read the book. A perfect book for starting summer vacation!

One can always dream.....

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable walk through the excitement and difficulties that come along with leaving it all behind to open a restaurant on the beautiful island of Anguilla. This memoir introduces a variety of friendly and likable characters and leaves the reader with a strong desire to pick up and head off on their on island adventure. I enjoyed this read from start to finish.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS REALLY GOOD!!!!!! I have read it at least ten times!! Its about a couple who decides to move to a small island called Anguilla and open a small resturant. Some small. It gets to be very popular, and they are very successful.Until disaster strikes. Hurricane Luis comes along and they have to fight. I'll let you find out if they survive (and the resturant) or not.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a sophisticated read but I did enjoy escaping the Northeast for a few days to build and run a restaurant in Anguilla. There are a handful of recipes here which I have bookmarked -- of particular note is the Banana Cabana drink which is a blender drink including coconut rum, Bailey's, ice and bananas!

[Glynis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good read! I don't normally like non-fiction, but this came highly recommended. I really enjoyed the author's way of telling her story, and I felt a part of the whole adventure.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read after visiting Anguilla. Being able to picture the different locations mentioned in the book made it special. Now I need to return to the island to visit this restaurant Blanchards.
Enjoyable vacation read.

[Julian Lees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming.

[Tim Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as it pains me to say this, I'm pretty sure my relocation from sailboat to rural South Carolina ("from beaches to peaches") wasn't nearly as convoluted as what Robert and Melinda Blanchard experienced leaving behind their Vermont B&B to move to the Caribbean island of Anguilla (rhymes with "vanilla") and open a restaurant.

Drag your beach chair down to the hard wet sand and read A Trip To The Beach.

It's a true and fun-to-read story describing the emotional, physical, spiritual, financial and logistical Chutes & Ladders realities not only relocating to a new country but an island one at that. And by island, I mean true island where, unlike unlike my so-called "island surrounded by cows" at Pineapple Hill, you don't arrive as easily on going out for ice cream.

A tad over 1600 miles from where I am now, Jonesville, South Carolina, and beyond Puerto Rico and the Virginia Islands, Anguilla is a British territory encompassing about 50 square miles including spits and cays.

Visiting is a lot easier than staying full-time.

There's lots of moving parts involved in living there: unusual levies, fees, taxes and "implied gratuities" (i.e., bribes) to navigate. You have to work the political channels and systems, such as they might be. You can't just putt-putt into the dock and tie up until you've eaten and drank more than you meant to and then untie and putt-putt away—hauling up your sails and putting that place behind you with an aspirin and unsteady smile.

When I’m making a trip to Lowes, I often think about the Blanchard and all that was that time they simply wanted a 99-cent vacuum cleaner belt sent from Miami.

There's no hiding the happy ending. The restaurant they created has been hailed among the best in the Caribbean.

Planning a trip to the beach? Take A Trip to the Beach when you go.

[Yuliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is quite interesting - it's about a middle-aged American couple opening up a restaurant on Anguilla, a tropical island-state in the Caribbean. The Blanchards obviously had quite a lot of money to pull this off, presumably from the sale of their business in the US. After realizing that their original idea of opening up a beach bar and taking it easy wouldn't work, simply due to the cost of rent, they instead poured their savings into opening a very expensive, fancy restaurant for well-heeled tourists. No local could ever afford to eat there.

At first, I wanted to scoff at the privilege of monied Americans, but then I looked up Blanchard's on the Internet and it gave me pause. The restaurant is still thriving under the same owners, 20+ years later, and even now their staff includes some of the same people mentioned in the book, as well as numerous family members of their Anguilan friends and neighbours. So it seems that they are well-integrated with the locals and their business is benefitting the island economy.

One thing I learned from this book is that opening a business on a tropical island is no joke. Everything is expensive and in short supply, and there are a number of obstacles, some completely unexpected and outrageous, that you have to overcome to be able to do this. It's a very labor-intensive process that doesn't go along with the idea of a leisurely life in the tropics.

I would also be very interested to read about the Blanchard's life before coming to Anguilla, namely, how they started their specialty food company in their house in Vermont with just $4,000 (as briefly mentioned in the book).

[Cherryls Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that this is a true story made it a ‘must read’ for me – being the beach and tropics lover that I am. Whilst in London, daydreaming about being in the sun, I was convinced that this book would take me away to the caribbean and under a lovely palm tree while I count the days to my next sunny getaway.

Bob and Mel decide to escape to Anguilla, set up a business and live happily ever after in paradise, where ‘stress’ is not a word in the island’s vocabulary. They become part of the local community and decide there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

“at 30mph I could see the sights: a roadside stand with coconuts for sale, a woman peddling pomegranates on a table in her yard, an old man getting a haircut on his front porch.”

“Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?” Good question!!

“the colour of the water looked like a painter’s palette – blues and greens mingled with white where the waves broke over the coral reefs or hit the shore”

“Island time. It slowed our heartbeats and eased our blood pressure”

The book is focused quite a lot on Bob and Mel’s restaurant and getting that up and running with all the day to day happenings surrounding it.

Not sure I’d describe any caribbean island as a ‘third world country’ though – as the authors did.

Anyway, this would make a great holiday read if you’re looking for something easy going and in the vein of holidays/vacations.

[Pete Dematteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

every single movement had to be done as slowly as possible or else. i have a cabin in haiti and the folk will rush with or without any prompt when monetary enhancement is involved, minus the insolence and patronizing attitudes towards outsiders and the snail-paced service that i detected. the couple were gluttons for punishment. i wondered whether they were trying to prove something to the world, as is an occupational hazard with expats. the expense and time consumption of performing the simplest of tasks made every movement a nightmarish ordeal, just like new york city, but at least the pace was nice and slow. had they been in haiti, mexico, or guatemala, and had spoken the native tongues there, they would have been better off. i cannot imagine the utter monotony of living on a quasi-remote island with liquor so readily available. nonetheless, the book provided many precious moments of reading and i commend the couple for their sticktoitiveness, but was envious at how obviously affluent they were. during the last part of the book, it grew redundant as far as ship building and ship racing were concerned conveyed the fierce and omni-present provincialism of anguila's inhabitants, unlike the haitian folks or latin americans, who don't spend so much time voicing their opinions and arguing.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

“How can two such different worlds be so connected? How can this balmy blue-green water be part of the same icy ocean an that crashes against the Maine coast?”

As a native Vermonter and thalassophile, I couldn’t wait to read this account of a Vermont couple’s move to Anguilla and their struggles to build, stock and run a business as well as integrate into a new community. Clearly the Blanchards had money to start with which certainly facilitated the material aspect of life. What I found most interesting were the people, Anguillan lifestyle and customs for truly without the assistance of their new neighbors and community, the Blanchards would not have been successful in any way. A reminder that we are all significant and interdependent and especially to my fellow Americans, to stay humble when traveling and experiencing different cultures.
Overall this was an enjoyable though not super well written story that has me dreaming of my next vacation.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of true life stories but this was so easy to read & so much fun.

On holiday in Barbados, Mel & Bob Blanchard visit a beach where an enterprising man charges them $10 each to cook their own burgers! Thinking that they could do something similar, they decide to leave the US & make a new life for themselves in Anguilla. However, they end up with is something far more ambitious than they intended!

Not only do Mel & Bob have to build a restaurant but they soon find out that some supplies aren't as easy to come by as expected & that the relaxed way of life means everything seems to take far longer than it should. With the help of some great characters, (Shabby, Clinton & Bug to name a few) Mel & Bob create their restaurant & soon it's drawing people in from far & wide.....wouldn't mind going there myself!

[JoAnn Plante]

I enjoyed the book very much. Before I read it, I didn't know much about Anguilla. The story is written through the eyes of Melinda, Bob's wife. They decide to start a restaurant there and it gets better as the story goes on.
It is realistic and believable. She also includes some recipes. I find this important to me when I read about the Caribbean. If possible, I like to try some of the recipes and see what they taste like. It brings me back to parts of the novel.
The story ends well, but I'm not giving anything away. It was an easy read with no swear words or gross descriptions. The author captured the speech cadence and culture of the island. By the end of this book, you are experiencing "island time".

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combined 2 of things I like in life, a restaurant and travel. A couple from Vermont who had a successful food business decided to move to the island. They described the process of getting the restaurant opened. Since they had a successful business it surprised me their lack of planning and research to get the restaurant up and running. In spite of that, I still enjoyed their story. The middle of the books gives you history of the island, characters they employ and crazy customers. The book ends as Hurricane Luis destroys the island and their restaurant. They end with determination that it will re-open. Through Google I've found its been open for 28 years. Perfect book for me.

[Elyse Mcnulty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean by Melinda and Robert Blanchard was truly an escape to Anguilla. This is the true story of Mel and Bob deciding to sell their business in Vermont and move to the Island to open a restaurant. Their fantasy of a beach bar and grill seemed idyllic. Learning the ins and outs of how to get things done on “island time” and how to even obtain the materials to open a restaurant was eye opening for them. Along the way, they made wonderful people who wanted to work for them and became their island family.The story has highs and lows but, really takes you on a wonderful virtual trip. I won’t say more as here would be spoilers. Enjoy!

[Ronna Caras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet memoir about moving to a Caribbean island

Enjoyable story about a talented couple who decide to move to Anguila and open a restaurant. It is a quick read. No creative writing or memorable prose. Just a first person story written by the wife. And a few chapters from the husband’s point of view written in third person (not sure how their editor let that incongruency slip through). The people they met and the food they eat all sounded wonderful and made me want to travel to Anguila to experience it.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Island time. It slowed our heartbeats and eased our blood pressure. In this easy-glide rhythm, stress evaporated - things worked themselves out...Here’s to living on island time”

Exhausting to think about their undertaking of moving to an island and building a world-class restaurant from scratch...but nostalgic for a time when I dreamed big and wouldn’t have let that stop me. Not the best written book but still an interesting glimpse of island life and the entrepreneur’s journey...and definitely puts Anguilla on my map...

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very relaxing book. Perfect summer read, perfect beach read. It really did sweep me away to Anguilla for a little bit and it got me researching the island. I enjoyed the Blanchard's story from the beginning to the last page. The descriptions of the island were just charming. And reading about the people was even more so. So if you have some time and some wanderlust, I'd give this book a go.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did this book make me want to move to an island? Absolutely! But the self serving advertisement of their restaurant and accomplishments turned me off. The book paints a picture of island life and the friendships with wonderful low income islanders and then they turn the beat up shack they rent into an over priced 4 star establishment. They speak of hoping Antigua will not be the next cruise ship stop but only rich tourists can afford to go 🤔. Just my humble opinion!