BELIZE CITY, Belize- It was just three words, the Great Blue Hole, that stuck in my head. A giant marine sinkhole in the center of Lighthouse Reef, 40 miles off the coast of Belize, the 407-foot-deep hole was such a mystery that ocean scientist Jacques Cousteau led an exploratory expedition to the site in 1971, and filmed the adventure. Which I'd forgotten. Until last summer, that is, when my wife Val and I decided to celebrate the lull in the Corona-virus lockdown with a brief vacation, one we agreed had to be outdoors, on a mountain trail, or alternatively, in the water.

Their bodies were sleek and graceful, the skin soft to the touch, their demeanor welcoming even if a bit skeptical. Still, they were more used to this more than I was. But I spread my arms out as instructed and flapped them in the water.

Large resort hotels. 3-4 cruise ships a day. Beach bars galore. Extensive nightlife. Chain restaurants. High end jewelry and clothing stores. Casino Gambling. Those are just a few of the things you WON'T find on the Caribbean island of Nevis. And all the more reason to go there. And now you can again.

As the brutal heat of summer assaults our lives as if we were a roast in an oven, FAVORITE BEACH DESTINATIONS has been selected for our new T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s poll. Research revealed that the origin of the word “beach” is somewhat ambiguous, ranging from the Old Norse bakki (bank, as of a stream) to the Old English baece (stream) to “beach,” a mutation of “bleach” (as stones are bleached by the sun and water).

So there I was in my white lab coat examining the 40 different vials and trying to determine which combinations to mix to get the best outcome. Admittedly, I wasn’t enacting some important scientific discovery or creating a medical breakthrough but it felt almost that significant. What if I screwed up, made ridiculous choices as to the most effective ingredients and came away with an awful smelling product?

We may be stuck at home, but our minds and memories can take us anywhere in the world. So I would like to take this opportunity and look back at a memorable getaway from a couple years ago. It was a cruise through the Caribbean and an encounter with some of the most beautiful islands in the world.

Heads of state sometimes gather in Port of Spain to jockey for position, with some reaching out and some more antagonistic. Often overlooked is a lesson in personal diplomacy that the entire world might take from the host country, Trinidad and Tobago. The two islands, quite different from each other, form a single country, and have the Caribbean’s most intriguing culture. People who are often at loggerheads elsewhere in the world get along just fine here, thank you very much.

British Airways has used facial-recognition technology to streamline the boarding process for more than 250,000 passengers traveling internationally from US airports. The airline worked closely with US Customs and Border Protection to implement the technology.

The Manor House, which is still in use today, was built in 1653 by the Knights of Malta. The sugar mill, constructed in 1733, now serves as a venue for weddings. Former slave quarters dating back 250 years provide lodging.

See the best places to see fall foliage in New England and read about falling overboard from cruise ships, the perfect length of time to go on vacation, the world's most polluted travel destinations and staying safe on a Caribbean vacation.