Museums—The island's colorful heritage at the Barbados Museum; vintage cars at the Mallalieu Motor Collection at Pavilion Court; colonial history at Sunbury Plantation House & Museum; the museum within the Barbados Marine Reserve at Folkestone; the history of sugar-making in Barbados at the Sir Frank Hutson Sugar Machinery Museum and sugar factory; the Nidhe Israel Museum of the island's Jewish heritage; George Washington House at the Garrison; Arlington House in Speightstown; Springvale Eco-Heritage Museum in the scenic Scotland District; the Concorde Experience next to the airport; the museum at St. Nicholas Abbey.

Memorable Meals—Sunday lunch in sea-sprayed Bathsheba at a choice of restaurants; Bajan dishes in a lush garden setting at Brown Sugar; dramatic upscale dining at The Cliff.

Late Night—Two happy hours and nightly music at the Ship Inn; beach parties at Harbour Lights on Bay Street; a tropical dinner show at the Plantation Restaurant & Garden Theatre; dancing at McBrides Pub in St. Lawrence Gap; anywhere in Oistins on the weekends; Lexy Piano Bar in Holetown.

Walks—Free nature walks with the Barbados National Trust on Sunday; guided hikes along the Arbib Heritage and Nature Trail; exploring the streets of historic downtown Bridgetown; bird-watching in the aviaries and along the boardwalk-style nature trail at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary; tranquil, green Welchman Hall Gully.

Especially for Kids—Feeding green monkeys and other local wildlife at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve; Ocean Park; the Concorde Experience next to the airport.

The first labor force was white, consisting mostly of indentured servants and political prisoners who had been "Barbadosed." As the more labor-intensive sugar evolved into the primary crop, the British colony's vast plantations were increasingly worked by African slaves. Most Bajans are descendants of those workers. In the 1800s, slave uprisings and changes in world markets brought an end to slavery, and the prosperous industry slid into serious financial decline. Many plantations were destroyed in a series of destructive fires and hurricanes, as well. Today, only a handful of plantations predate the great hurricane of 1831.

Barbados gained independence in 1966, becoming a self-governing member of the British Commonwealth. The island celebrated 350 consecutive years of parliamentary government in 1989. The country's growing pride in indigenous—rather than British—history was demonstrated in April 1999, when the government voted to change the name of Trafalgar Square to National Heroes Square. Over the centuries, the economy has changed from agriculture to tourism, with international business running a close second as a foreign exchange earner.

Travelers seeking an orderly Caribbean holiday with a slight British flavor will like Barbados. So will those whose curiosity is active; Barbados boasts plenty of well-interpreted sites focusing on its rich historic and natural heritage. With a stable democratic government and a strong middle class, Barbados does not upset its guests with rampant poverty, social unrest or racial hostility. Statistics show that a good percentage of travelers are repeat visitors.

There's a 1,000-year-old baobab tree growing on the grounds of the Queen's Park House in Bridgetown. The tree is something of a mystery because baobabs are native to Africa, and this one predates the arrival of settlers from east of the Atlantic Ocean. Nobody knows how it got there.

Barbados' green monkeys were brought from West Africa more than 300 years ago, and in that time have developed different "speech" patterns—perhaps a Bajan accent. Monkeys can often be seen in the early mornings and late afternoons, even in residential areas. Though cute, monkeys are a nuisance to farmers.

Barbados has high levels of education, income and life expectancy. Bajans frequently live to 100 years old.

Tea means many things in Barbados. Tradtional British tea is usually taken with milk and sugar and in the afternoon is served with small sandwiches and bakery items, both sweet and savory. Older or less bourgeois Bajans use the term tea to refer to any hot morning beverage, ranging from cocoa to Milo to bush tea made from herbs. Many older Bajans use bush teas medicinally, and some are quite effective.

The mongoose was brought to Barbados to reduce the rat population in canefields. Unfortunately, rats are nocturnal, while mongoose are active in daytime. You might see a mongoose scurrying across a country road. They look like bushy-tailed rats but, like their cousins the ferrets, are actually part of the civet family.

Barbados was named after the ficus barbata, or bearded fig tree.

Barbados is the birthplace of rum and, arguably, the grapefruit.

Barbados is the only place outside colonial America that George Washington ever visited. A young man at the time, he was impressed by Barbados' fortifications, uppity government and advanced agricultural methods. His lifelong love of theater also originated there. More importantly, he contracted and was cured of smallpox in Barbados, rendering him immune when others were succumbing during the American Revolution.