Looking back at three decades of Aruba vacations at Boardwalk Hotel

When asked about their very first stay at Boardwalk the couple shares “it was a very rustic place back then, lots of dark wood in the casitas and bright, colorful artwork on the walls. The garden was wild, literally. We felt like staying in an untouched wilderness which definitely had its charm but also meant dealing with lots of living creatures. There were chickens running around everywhere, tons of iguanas, and I even found a scorpion in my towel at some point. We were young and windsurfing all day, so the animals and the wilderness didn’t bother us, it added to the authentic Caribbean experience.

The couple chose Aruba for its windsurfing conditions, and Boardwalk for its location within walking distance to the best windsurfing beach in Aruba, Fisherman’s Huts. “We loved the lush property, the private casitas and truly enjoyed our walk each morning across the street to the beach. We filled the cooler that the hotel provided with drinks, snacks and a lunch-to-go and would bring that with us to the Huts. Then we surfed all morning, non-stop, followed by lunch on the beach and then we’d continue for hours and hours of windsurfing in the afternoon. We had one priority back then, and that was to surf all day, every day.”

Years went by and the Hucks’ kept returning to Aruba and to Boardwalk, always requesting casita 4. They did not come back every year, as airlift to Aruba from their home in Woodstock, Vermont was a bit of a struggle, plus the vacation budget was tight with an expanding, young family. But sure enough, every two to three years they would find themselves back at Boardwalk and windsurfing the day away. Around 2005 the couple started returning every year, like clockwork and Boardwalk remained their only place to stay. And then, in 2011, the couple invited their two sons, daughter and two daughters-in-law to Aruba for a surprise vacation to celebrate Karl and Robyn’s 30th wedding anniversary. “This is a funny story, as we sent our kids an email with a dinner reservation at The Flying Fishbone and a save the date. Apparently, none of them registered where this restaurant was located, as only later-on they realized that to attend the dinner, they actually would have to fly to Aruba.”

Things did change when the hotel started the big expansion in 2018 and transformed to a boutique hotel. “At some point the construction got going and they were also demolishing the old lobby. Staying above the lobby in casita 123 became unbearable so we were offered another casita, which we also loved. On our most recent trip to Aruba we discovered a new Boardwalk favorite; the 360 Palapa Lodge. We love the views from the wrap around balcony, they are truly amazing. And the fact that this is another stand-alone casita offering lots of privacy is what appealed to us. Meanwhile the twins were so super generous with their time and attention during the expansion phase, inviting us for personal tours of the construction site, showing us renderings and mood boards to keep us involved in the transformation process to boutique hotel. A very personal approach that we appreciated very much.”

The Hucks’ are now in their sixties, with Karl still surfing when in Aruba, although not as much anymore. “We go for long beach walks, we snorkel and do other things now. We know the island so well by now, it truly feels like home and it makes it so easy for us to navigate and plan our days.” Having celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary in 2023, the couple also shares some marital advise with us when asked what the secret to their successful and long marriage is. “It’s an adventure. We met in a foreign exchange program right after we graduated high school and liked each other, but I was sent to Finland, Karl went to France”, says Robyn. "We ran into each other again when we both attended the University of Vermont, and the rest as they say is history. That we made it work for us has a lot to do with our faith, and with safeguarding private time for just the two of us, like our windsurfing vacations to Aruba. And you also have to keep wondering about your partner, keep getting to know them as you are never done with that process and remain open to changes. When you’ve been together since college like us, you grew up together and share so much. You become a part of each other’s lives in such a deep, meaningful way", shares Robyn.

The couple feels so much at home in Aruba that they also volunteered in the Hi-Winds surfing competition in Aruba; once assisting with the kitesurfing race on Eagle Beach and once at the concessions stand on Fisherman’s Huts. And the Aruba bug did get passed on to the next generation. Although their kids only participated in family vacations to Aruba twice, for their 30th anniversary in 2011 and again in 2022 with all the kids and grandchildren, their daughter recently returned for a vacation in Aruba. “Because Boardwalk changed their policy and is now an adult-only property we could unfortunately not stay at the hotel this time, as we had a seven year old child in our travel party. That was our very first time in almost three decades that we didn’t stay at Boardwalk. We ended up renting a vacation house and loved the experience, but next year, we’ll surely be back at Boardwalk!”