Our Trip To St. Thomas. Traveling “With” Autism

Our Spring break vacation was a really special one. We traveled to St Thomas USVI, the Island I grew up from ages 3-15. It was the first time I was going back and would be sharing the Island with my kids and husband. In addition, friends I have not seen in years would be there to help me get reacquainted with the place that use to be home.

In my research, I wanted to find a hotel that would afford our family space. More than one bathroom is key. We like to have room and being able to feel like we have some of the essentials of “home” are key for our son, who has Autism.

We decided on Secret Harbor beach resort, it was a small hotel, with all accommodations of a larger one: dining choices, wifi, room cleaning, pool , beach and gym. The advantage was that it was an apartment style room. We had a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a sitting area plus 2 bedrooms. It was PERFECT! No one felt cramped , the rooms were cozy and clean, decorated with a real beach charm. We could have breakfast in our room, our son could have down time in the living room and 2 could shower at a time ! We stocked up on essentials at the local supermarket which was another great plus when the kids wanted a snack or to make a quick bite. They are located on the East End of the island, a 5 minute ride to the Ferry to go to St John for the day.

Secret Harbor is just that, a beautiful , pristine beach, with sparkly blue waters, pelicans and palm trees-all nestled into a secret cove that you feel is your own private beach. The water is calm and it is a family friendly resort. Kids of all ages were there. The resort is a quaint and boutique style and we felt like a part of a family. The staff are singing while bringing you beach chairs, laughing while serving lunch and offering the favorite local spots when you want to explore . Again, I found the resort very helpful with a few special requests we had for our son from the dining area. They weren’t phased by our requests and made it all feel AOK!

We spent one entire day doing nothing but enjoying the property, Snorkeling, shelling and swimming all morning. Resting on the built in float in the ocean, was another favorite. Lunch on the ocean with steel drums and a walk to the pool to watch the sunset. It was all perfect.

Being in s resort like this with kids is great, the easy access to the room allows them to go back and forth with no difficulty.

Kevin, the general manger, couldn’t have been more hands on. Always accessible and smiling as he walked the grounds checking to see how everyone was doing.

We rented a car to explore and took the kids all over. They saw where I lived, the school I went to, the beaches I had field trips at and the town I shopped in. As much as it changed, is as much as it stayed the same.

The locals were happy to have the tourism, we loved the local hangouts our friends took us to and the weather was perfect.

I can see why my parents moved there and I feel lucky to have had the years I did growing up there. I cannot wait to go back.

Traveling with kids can be a challenge, a child with special needs can bring a little more to the table but Secret Harbor, for our family, was the perfect destination to enjoy the beauty of the Island and have the comforts of home. Until next time…

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