So, the hubby and I are spending a week in Aruba (no kids this time!) next month. We will be staying on Palm Beach.
We would love suggestions on what to see and do, where do eat, etc, as well as any warnings!
We have never been to Aruba but are seasoned travellers (Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico/Central America).
Thanks for your help!
Look out for good looking Dutch boys with judges for fathers… 
Seriously, sounds like a blast. Have fun!
Snorkelling is great there. Make sure you put lots of sunscreen on your back, though. A trip to the sunken ships is definitely worthwhile, but places nearer the coast have more fish.
Horseback riding: they have little horses that are some variant of paso fino and generally have very nice paces. On the trip we were on through the nature preserve, they trotted the whole time, which was great if you had a horse with a good gait, torture if you didn’t. My brother got a horse with a bad gait and I don’t think we’ll ever get him on a horse again.
ATV riding tours: Visit little towns and ride around in the country. You get goggles and a handkerchief to breathe through, but it still very, very dusty. Good chance of you being absolutely miserable if you wear contacts.
Sunset sail: watch the sun go down, dangle your feet off the boat, eat snacks, throw disliked snacks to the seagulls, drink lots of rum & coke.
Shop: LOTS of jewlery stores. Feel free to bargain for jewelery. The first, second and third price you hear is not the real one. Touristsy stuff is cheaper in town than from the beach-wandering sellers.
Casino: most big hotels have 'em.
Food: you can go into town, or walk up and down the beach and pop into any place that looks interesting. Seafood’s a good choice. Tourist trap places are evident, but not terrible.
Cultural stuff: we saw some churches and a small dance festival (with a girl who looked about 14 in a las-vegas style showgirl outfit). You’d have to see what’s going on while you’re there, though, except for the church which was a part of the bus tour.
There is always a steady breeze there, which makes the heat less oppresive. The scenery is more remiscent of Arizona than what you’d think of as a resort island. I wasn’t too thrilled about the beach (no fish, wind would blow sand), and usually hung out at the pool. Everyone there is happy, there are no beggars, sales people aren’t too pushy, and they’re just thrilled to be a Dutch colony.
I was there a few years ago, and one of the fascinating places we went to was a butterfly ranch, or farm, or some such thing. We went three times because it was so cool.
They say disappearing is popular. 
Thanks you guys! Gaudere, that’s just the sort of thing I’m looking for.
Obligatory bad-taste joke- “Okay, everybody got their lists for the scavenger hunt?” “Dammit! Why do I always have Natalee on my list? I’ll never win this game!”
Gaudere is correct about the jewelry stores. Great place to get stuff, and the prices are excellent.
As I mentioned in that other thread make sure you go to El Gaucho for dinner. Not to missed. Also we ate a couple of times at a little restaurant that was on a small pier by the hotels. Had a superb fish the first time, and a good meal the second time. But sitting over the water watching the sun set made up for any short comings in the kitchen.
Word of warning. The national bird of Aruba is the mosquito. In fact I think the Aruban Air Force saddles these things and uses them for fighter planes. They come out at sunset and are HUNGRY. You have been warned.
Many hotels have a hook up where you can take a quickie SCUBA course, and then they will take you out SCUBA diving. There are wrecked airplanes, and ships in about 30’ of water. If you snorkel, take a trip to the windward side of the island. More surf, but the water is much clearer.
Watching the lizard wranglers work was a fun way to pass a morning.
You can also take a sailing trip on a large sailboat (think 75’ or so) for an entire day. I didn’t get to do this, but boy it looked like a fun way to spend the day.
Thanks Rick, I actually bookmarked that restaurant’s site once we decided where we were going!
Did you rent a Jeep while you were there? Any suggestions on reputable companies? We prefer to take ourselves around the area rather than take tours…
Please apologize for the American press while you are there.
Hell, there’s no excuse for them- why bother?
I have heard that some locals have been less friendly to Americans since last year- probably as a result of the bad press the island has gotten. Maybe it has made them skittish. We always make a point to shop local, eat local, etc, wherever we go, as much as we can.
I live in America, thankyouverymuch. I don’t want to experience it everywhere I go!
Meant to add- with an economy that relies so heavily on tourism, I can understand how devastating all the bad press has been.