Other Island Castles

Few places we’ve visited have felt as magical as Costa Rica. Terri and I spent nearly three unforgettable weeks traveling the country in 2024, exploring beaches, jungles, and hidden coastal roads along the Pacific. During that trip I built several sandcastles, but this one near Tamarindo remains one of my favorites.

The day was blazing hot, and I even smashed my head on a low-hanging air-conditioning unit at our hotel hard enough to nearly end the adventure before it began. But I pushed on and spent the day creating this castle on a quiet hidden beach just south of town.

Of all the castles I’ve built over the years, this one still brings me back to the beauty, warmth, and unforgettable spirit of that special place called Costa Rica.

Another unforgettable place Terri and I explored was the Virgin Island of St. Croix, where we spent nearly a month enjoying the beauty and rhythm of island life. We stayed in the historic town of Christiansted, though the nearby beaches didn’t offer the kind of sand needed for serious sculpting.

Eventually, we discovered a long beach on the west side of the island that looked promising enough to attempt at least one castle. The sand was rocky and far from ideal, but by the end of the day a beautiful sand kingdom had emerged from the shoreline.

What made the experience truly special was a local birthday party taking place nearby. A young girl named Maria became completely captivated by the castle, and before long all the girls joined in, helping dig, shape, and expand the magical city in the sand. It may not have been the main gift for Maria’s 11th birthday, but it certainly became one of the most memorable parts of the day.

I’ve been fortunate to visit the Dominican Republic a number of times as part of a corporate retreat hosted yearly by my good friends Wolfgang and Ingrid Schroder of Napoleon Hearth Products in Barrie, Canada. Each year they invited a select group of top-producing distributors from across North America, and I was honored to be among them.

The beaches there held some of the finest sand I’ve ever worked with — soft, rich, perfectly textured, and unbelievably strong for sculpting. During those trips I built nearly half a dozen sandcastles along the shoreline, each one shaped by the warm Caribbean air and unforgettable surroundings.

Though I only have a handful of photos remaining from those amazing days, the memories have never faded. Below are a few glimpses from those special times in the Dominican Republic.