Travel Diaries: Brice's 40th Birthday in St. Lucia
- Brooke
- Apr 15
- 5 min read
A Tropical Getaway to Remember
Brice has always dreamed of owning a matching luggage set—like, really nice luggage. So when his 40th birthday started creeping up, I knew exactly what to get him. But then I thought: what good is luxury luggage if you’re not going anywhere special? That’s when the idea for a birthday trip to St. Lucia was born. New luggage + tropical paradise = the perfect milestone celebration.
Of course, getting there was a journey in itself. I didn’t think we were going to make it at all. I was stuck in Houston on a work trip, delayed getting home, and finally rolled into our house around 11 p.m.—just enough time to toss some clothes into a bag and grab a quick nap before heading back to the airport at 3:30 am for our 5 am flight.
We flew from Nashville to Miami first, booked so last minute we couldn’t even sit together (but honestly, we were just relieved to be en route). Then came a delay in Miami. Once we finally boarded—again, not seated together—we sat on the tarmac for two more hours. But when we finally touched down in St. Lucia… it was worth it.
The two-hour drive from the airport to the resort was a whole experience: winding mountain roads through the rainforest, the bustling capital city, and vibrant neighborhoods that felt like a Caribbean block party. At long last, we pulled up to Sandals Grande St. Lucian, perched on the northern tip of the island, nestled between the calm Caribbean Sea and the rolling Atlantic Ocean.
OUR STAY
We checked into our ocean view room on the club level, which came with access to a club room stocked with snacks, coffee, and drinks (not a huge perk when you’re at an all-inclusive, but we took advantage anyway). From there, it was vacation mode: activated.
The room was nice with high ceilings and a ceiling fan, which is important for me because I’m always hot when I’m sleeping. While the bathroom was on the smaller side, the shower was a walk-in and large. We had a gorgeous view of the Caribbean ocean from our balcony, but tons of privacy so we didn’t feel like our neighbors were looking in on us the whole time.
We picked this resort because we love all-inclusives. No stress, no planning, no Googling best restaurants nearby—it’s just show up, relax, and eat everything.
And eat we did.
For Brice’s birthday, they laid out all his presents and cards I'd left in the room, brought him a special cake with candles and a lighter for me, brought champagne and made sure he felt special on his big day.
At the beach, we had waiters and waitresses that would come by and check on us continuously whether we needed cold bottles of water, frozen drinks from the bar, or food from the restaurants. We were never in need of anything during our stay.
One of Brice‘s favorite things was taking a slice of bread from the morning breakfast buffet and we would break it into little pieces and watch the fish fight for it in the ocean. His other favorite thing: the SMILES of the St. Lucian people.
Whether maintaining the landscaping, serving drinks at the pool bar, bringing room service to the room, or spreading towels on the chairs at the beach in the morning, the generous attitudes of the St. Lucian people was obvious in their smiles. They truly lit up the room.
And while we’ve stayed at other all-inclusive resorts, this is one of the few we've experienced that the workers didn’t lurk around waiting for tips. Sandals policy is that tips are included in the price you pay upfront, so they are strictly prohibited (except for butler service and spa services). It was truly refreshing not to have to think about that additional step and know that the workers were compensated on the front end by Sandals directly.
DINNERS
Night 1: We kicked things off at Soy, the onsite sushi spot. Light, fresh, and a great welcome meal.
Soy at Sandals Grande St. Lucian - Photo courtesy of Sandals Grande St. Lucian
Night 2: Dinner at Bombay, the Indian restaurant, gave us rich curries and warm naan that totally hit the spot.
Bombay at Sandals Grande St. Lucian - Photo courtesy of Sandals Grande St. Lucian
Night 3: Kimonos brought the hibachi experience, complete with theatrical chefs and lots of laughs.
Kimonos at Sandals Grande St. Lucian - Photo courtesy of Sandals Grande St. Lucian
Night 4 (Brice’s actual birthday): We celebrated with an epic steak dinner at Gordon’s right on the pier—hands down, the perfect birthday dinner for the man of the hour.
Gordons at Sandals Grande St. Lucian - Photo courtesy of Sandals Grande St. Lucian
BREAKFAST
Most mornings, we grabbed breakfast at the Bayside buffet. Our routine: omelets made to order. Brice’s go-to? Bacon, ham, and cheese. Mine? Spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and ham. (Brice still refuses to believe vegetables belong in eggs.)
One morning we mixed it up and had breakfast at the French restaurant, Toscanini's, sitting on the patio under the trees. We were entertained by a tiny kitten trying—and failing—to sneak up on its momma’s tail. Cutest show of the trip.
Days were spent soaking up the sun on the beach under those classic grass umbrellas.
The clear water of St. Lucia was absolutely unreal.
LUNCH
Brice discovered his new favorite cocktail, the BBC—a frozen blend of banana, Bailey’s, and coconut. Basically a boozy smoothie.
We’d snack throughout the day without ever needing to leave the beach:
Pizza from Dino’s by the pool.
Jerk chicken right off the grill at The Jerk Shack.
Blackened fish from The Mariner, eaten under an umbrella with the ocean breeze in our faces.
Let’s just say: we never went hungry.
Making Memories in St. Lucia
Celebrating this guy is easy - Thank you St. Lucia for the sweet memories!
The entire trip was filled with laughter, sunshine, great food, and total relaxation. It was everything we hoped for and more—a tropical celebration of Brice and his 40 amazing years. We feel so lucky to have had this little slice of paradise together.
Oh, and the fun isn’t over yet… We’ve got another tropical vacation coming up next month! Any guesses where? Here’s a hint: it’s in the Caribbean, too.
Stay tuned!
Ready for the next adventure,
Absolutely loved Brice's 40th in St. Lucia—what a stunning island! If you're planning a trip to Sri Lanka, consider staying in Kiribathgoda. It's a peaceful suburb just 12 km from Colombo, offering a quieter atmosphere with easy access to the city. You can check out more about it here: https://hotelin.com/hotels/Sri-Lanka/Gampaha-District/Kiribathgoda. It's a great base for exploring nearby attractions like the Kelani Temple and Gampaha Botanical Garden.