BY SCOTT — Kerry and I stepped somewhat tentatively into our first-ever overseas excursion together, but we both had brand-new passports in October 2012 and were determined to use them. We were ready to head just about anywhere, as long as it was somewhere we’d never been before. We chose an all-inclusive Sandals resort on the northern tip of the relatively tiny Caribbean island of St. Lucia … and we’ve been trying to top that first trip ever since.

Part of the Lesser Antilles, St. Lucia is only 27 miles by 14 miles. The island was first claimed by the French, in 1643. It was acquired by the British in 1778 and remains a commonwealth territory today.

Like all Sandals resorts, the Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort caters to couples. (In fact, we watched one couple get married right on the beach.) We had heard and read both good and bad points about all-inclusives before we booked our trip, and we’ve had some so-so experiences at pre-paid resorts since St. Lucia, but without a doubt the folks at the Sandals Halcyon have their seagulls in a row.

When we landed at Hewanorra International Airport on the southern tip of the island, there was an air-conditioned Sandals van, an attentive driver and free rum punch by the pitcher waiting for us on the other side of customs. The 90-minute ride to the resort was longer than expected, but it became part of the experience. We got to know our fellow guests (mostly British) and enjoyed the views of the mountainous rain forest that dominates the center of the island.

Our beachfront “Club Level” villa was the least expensive option at the resort, though still more like a cottage than a hotel room. 

We had total privacy, luxurious furnishings and a balcony overlooking a beautiful tropical garden that ended only a few steps from the slowly rolling waves of Choc Bay. The entire area was scattered with massive shade trees, eye-catching flowers and vines, fire pits and pillow-lined cabana beds. The frogs native to the island sang us to sleep every night.

We spent a lot of our time in our bathing suits in the resort’s mostly wall-free common area, which contained a full-service, indoor-outdoor bar with pool tables. Only a few yards away was the tile-lined pool, complete with swim-up bar and some of the friendliest attendants I’ve ever met anywhere. (The drinks were appropriately stiff and the beer was always cold.) Only a few steps off to one side was the Bayside Restaurant, a spacious, indoor-outdoor buffet. The food — breakfast, lunch and dinner — was fantastic, regardless of which of the resort’s six dining options we chose. And keep in mind, with the all-inclusive option everything was already paid for.  All we had to do was grab a seat and place our order.

The white sand beaches were, as advertised, “unspoiled and tranquil.” At one point, Kerry and a new friend she had made at the bar got pulled around the small bay on an inner tube by a ski boat.

Kerry’s friend and her new husband, a firefighter from Minnesota, have since had their first child, who should be close to one year old, by now.

The highlight of the trip for me was the Piton Sunset Cruise, our only optional activity during the trip. Kerry loves just about anything to do with a boat, so we booked in advance for a couple hundred dollars extra. We took a short van ride back into Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, and boarded a catamaran for the four-hour cruise down the western coast of the island to the Pitons, the island’s signature landscape feature (not to mention that name of the island’s pretty-darned-good locally-brewed lager).

Side-by-side peaks formed millions of years ago when the rupture inside the Earth that formed St. Lucia finally collapsed, the Pitons are volcanic spires jutting over 2,400 feet almost straight up out of the Caribbean. As we snorkeled in the waters lapping against Gros Piton (as opposed to the slightly shorter Petit Piton), we could see the base continue nearly straight down all the way to the ocean floor 75 feet below. The crystal-clear water was filled with coral reef, mussels, sponges, turtles and dozens of species of fin fish. It was a sight I’ll never forget.

Kerry and I have taken a couple of all-inclusive trips since our first to St. Lucia. As it was our first trip, we honestly had no real idea what we were doing or how to select from all the options that were available to us. 

We could have spent a day in Castries on a duty-free shopping trip near the cruise ship terminal, or toured the city’s historical sites, museums and cathedral. There is hiking, scuba diving and fishing, as well.

We’ve learned a lot about traveling since our trip to St. Lucia. But as it pertains to all-inclusives, our trip to St. Lucia remains the yardstick by which we measure all others. If you’ve got someone special in your life who you’d like to spend time with on a romantic, exclusive, private island paradise, I highly recommend the Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort.

We made a few friends on that trip that we still stay in touch with on social media. We also had the time of our lives and definitely caught the travel bug. As you can see from all the work we have put into “A Wayfarer’s Journal” so far, we hope there is no cure for our affliction.