Always at the end of our journeys, Dave and I usually sum up what we liked, what we didn't like, and our overall thoughts of both the destination and the vaca as in what we did or didn't do so here are some of those thoughts.
St. John is beautiful and has several nice beaches and some of the best snorkeling right from those beaches. We were happy that we got to see so much in the water especially for some of our first time sightings. The huge tarpon, the eels, squids and octopus were some of our favorites.
We found it strange that STJ doesn't seem to have any type of local cuisine. Even the fact that it is in the Caribbean didn't really lend it to what one thinks of with all that fish and conch and stuff. That's not to say that we didn't eat well and I did find some good conch fritters at High Tide Grill but even at the restaurants they admitted that their fish is not freshly caught. There is no commercial fishing providing fresh fish to the restaurants and there are only a few locals that you can see selling their catch by the pier. Considering all this, we did get to try some great simple Italian, a nice rib eye, amazing Pad Thai and of course our wonderful four course private meal featuring filet and rock lobster tails. So all in all, food still ranked as pretty good.
One of our least favorite things ended up being the driving. Dave did all of the driving but even as a passenger it became a bit weary sometimes. They drive on the left which was never a problem for Dave as he has driven on the left before and I think he was only on the right side of the road twice so, not bad. The problem is that the island, being a volcano, is quite hilly and the roads are built straight up and then hard left up another hill and just then opposite on the way back. It was quite an adventure for the first couple of times but when you just want to get some where, it is less exciting then.
Probably the only other drawback about the island is that it is expensive. We traveled in what it is the off season mostly because of weather(hurricanes) so our villa price and jeep rental was quite a bit less and I'm not sure if I would have liked paying full price for those things. Groceries and restaurants were also expensive. We get that they have to ship most things in but we've been on other islands before and it seems that especially with the restaurants the meals were priced way more than what we've experienced on other islands.
The best thing about this vacation is the instant and constant relaxation that we felt during our stay. Whether hanging out at our villa or on one of the many gorgeous beaches with our most difficult decision being when to have our next beer, we couldn't have had it any easier. I had thought we would do one or two day trips to the British Virgin Islands and I loosely had plans to do so but when one of those didn't pan out I just scrapped the ideas.
In the end we were happy just to stay on island, relax and reflect a bit on the last thirty years of our lives together.
Now here's looking to the next thirty and beyond.......
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Day 15 - 10/27 - Travel Day
Dave has told me before that he can always tell when we are traveling home from vacation because I am not always a nice person. My patience with people is just not that great on that journey back home. I don't scream, kick, hit, spit, scratch or even swear at people but I have been known to roll my eyes when someone tries to get through security with a fresh cup of coffee and then has a two minute discussion with security about why they can't take it with them or tries to drink it all there in line while everyone behind them waits. Yes, I am annoyed by this but Dave always tells me to chill out while my response is usually something like "Really, how do you not know in this day and age that you can't bring a fresh steaming cup of coffee through airport security, or that they have to take their damn shoes off. I mean, didn't they at least have to travel to get down here? Can't they just follow the stinkin' rules?"
But this is a chance to prove Dave wrong so from the time I get up, I try to get in the right mind set and tell myself that if I don't pay attention to people and their behaviors then I won't get annoyed.....yeah, let's see how that works.
In the meantime, we have our breakfast, finish our packing, take our last looks from our villa deck and then head out. First we have to return our rental jeep which is uneventful. The rental place is right near the ferry dock so we roll our luggage down and we get our first test. We stand in line to get our tickets for the ferry and there is a guy at the window ahead of us. He finishes his turn and then turns to us and says, you don't have to get your tickets here, you just pay for them on the ferry. Dave thanks the guy for his wisdom, we look at each other puzzled, and Dave steps up to the window anyway and says "We just buy our tickets on the ferry?", of course the nice lady at the counter asks where we are going and we tell her Red Hook and she says that of course we have to buy tickets from her now. All I can think is "Thanks, buddy" but I just smile, say nothing and keep my eyes firmly planted straight ahead so that they do not roll. Dave and I take a seat on the dock to wait for the ferry and he makes a comment about the guy telling us we didn't need tickets and I nicely say, he is obviously going somewhere else and just assumed everyone else is too or he thinks that the rules are the same no matter where you are going. I do make a comment though that we are lucky this is not the Amazing Race and this guy just costs us a million dollars. But since it is said in jest, I have still maintained my nice person image thus far. The ferry ride to St. Thomas is uneventful, as is the taxi ride to the airport. The only slightly annoying thing is Dave's constant summing up how much the driver will make on this one ride mostly because ten people and all their luggage crammed into a van style vehicle for a twenty minute ride will cost no less than fifteen bucks each. So, at the airport Dave reluctantly pays his share of cab fare and we head to the JetBlue desk where we are greeted by a very nice man who I smile at when I ask if he can find us a row on the plane where no one else is sitting. He accommodates our request as well as letting me check in my one bag for fifty-one pounds without a fee as I think the limit is fifty.
Next we have to take our heavy bag over to Customs, fill out a customs form and send our luggage through the immigration super scanner to hopefully arrive safely in Boston. Dave questions why we have to fill out a customs form if we are on a US territory and are going to the US but I don't question, I just smile, fill out the form and zip us through the customs line. Next is airport security and while I see some things that normally annoy me, I try to ignore and just continue through the cattle line. Dave's backpack has to be inspected and re-scanned but for some reason that happens a lot to us, not sure if it is how I pack things in there or what I pack but we never seem to have anything found so? The rest of the trip is cake, the plane is maybe half-full so we do end up with our own row and the flight is smooth while we watch a movie. I have to say that I like JetBlue so far and I hope they don't change things. Good leg room, in-flight entertainment, some snacks for free and first checked bag free. They do fly to many Caribbean locations so I'll have to keep that in mind. Once we collect our luggage at Logan, I call Flight Line and they already have a car waiting to take us home. So, I have made the travel day home with a pleasant demeanor and many memories of where we have been.
But this is a chance to prove Dave wrong so from the time I get up, I try to get in the right mind set and tell myself that if I don't pay attention to people and their behaviors then I won't get annoyed.....yeah, let's see how that works.
In the meantime, we have our breakfast, finish our packing, take our last looks from our villa deck and then head out. First we have to return our rental jeep which is uneventful. The rental place is right near the ferry dock so we roll our luggage down and we get our first test. We stand in line to get our tickets for the ferry and there is a guy at the window ahead of us. He finishes his turn and then turns to us and says, you don't have to get your tickets here, you just pay for them on the ferry. Dave thanks the guy for his wisdom, we look at each other puzzled, and Dave steps up to the window anyway and says "We just buy our tickets on the ferry?", of course the nice lady at the counter asks where we are going and we tell her Red Hook and she says that of course we have to buy tickets from her now. All I can think is "Thanks, buddy" but I just smile, say nothing and keep my eyes firmly planted straight ahead so that they do not roll. Dave and I take a seat on the dock to wait for the ferry and he makes a comment about the guy telling us we didn't need tickets and I nicely say, he is obviously going somewhere else and just assumed everyone else is too or he thinks that the rules are the same no matter where you are going. I do make a comment though that we are lucky this is not the Amazing Race and this guy just costs us a million dollars. But since it is said in jest, I have still maintained my nice person image thus far. The ferry ride to St. Thomas is uneventful, as is the taxi ride to the airport. The only slightly annoying thing is Dave's constant summing up how much the driver will make on this one ride mostly because ten people and all their luggage crammed into a van style vehicle for a twenty minute ride will cost no less than fifteen bucks each. So, at the airport Dave reluctantly pays his share of cab fare and we head to the JetBlue desk where we are greeted by a very nice man who I smile at when I ask if he can find us a row on the plane where no one else is sitting. He accommodates our request as well as letting me check in my one bag for fifty-one pounds without a fee as I think the limit is fifty.
Next we have to take our heavy bag over to Customs, fill out a customs form and send our luggage through the immigration super scanner to hopefully arrive safely in Boston. Dave questions why we have to fill out a customs form if we are on a US territory and are going to the US but I don't question, I just smile, fill out the form and zip us through the customs line. Next is airport security and while I see some things that normally annoy me, I try to ignore and just continue through the cattle line. Dave's backpack has to be inspected and re-scanned but for some reason that happens a lot to us, not sure if it is how I pack things in there or what I pack but we never seem to have anything found so? The rest of the trip is cake, the plane is maybe half-full so we do end up with our own row and the flight is smooth while we watch a movie. I have to say that I like JetBlue so far and I hope they don't change things. Good leg room, in-flight entertainment, some snacks for free and first checked bag free. They do fly to many Caribbean locations so I'll have to keep that in mind. Once we collect our luggage at Logan, I call Flight Line and they already have a car waiting to take us home. So, I have made the travel day home with a pleasant demeanor and many memories of where we have been.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Day 14 - 10/26 - Is it really almost over?
This morning is filled with both excitement and a little sadness knowing that this is our last full day on the island. First we try out the camera that worked so well all day yesterday....nothing. Today I will have to rely on yet another disposable.
The plan is to head out a little early and head up the Peace trail lookout. It's a small uphill climb but the views from the top are great.
Today is dedicated to Francis Bay where we found the best snorkeling but it is pretty cloudy today, the beach is still deserted and we wonder how the snorkeling will be without the sun. Only one way to find out so we don all our gear and get in the water at the left side of the bay. The small bait fish are still around but there are no pelicans diving and we don't see the large tarpon that we saw last time. What we do see are a couple of large groupers, both green and spotted eels, octopus and these little brown fish that attack the shells it finds with such ferocious snaps that he even scares me a little. We figure that we were able to see more nocturnal types because the sun is not out and we are glad to have this chance.
The day continues to be very cloud covered and thankfully it's not cold here so we hang out of the beach which we have just about to ourselves.
We finally face the fact that the day is getting short and we agree it is time to make our final snorkel so off we go to the right this time. As it still pretty cloudy, we have a similar snorkel to this morning, it is filled with eels, lobsters, groupers and a whole bunch of large sea cucumbers. As we make our way back in we see four sea turtles, one right after the other. Our last sighting is a small ray that we hover over and watch for a while holding hands then slowly head back to land.
One last beer on the beach and we pack up to head back to the villa.
Dinner is at Ocean Grill and while it was good, it wasn't our favorite but we get a nice piece of chocolate cake to go and match with some ice cream that we have back at the villa. A nice relaxing final night sums up our entire stay.
The plan is to head out a little early and head up the Peace trail lookout. It's a small uphill climb but the views from the top are great.
Today is dedicated to Francis Bay where we found the best snorkeling but it is pretty cloudy today, the beach is still deserted and we wonder how the snorkeling will be without the sun. Only one way to find out so we don all our gear and get in the water at the left side of the bay. The small bait fish are still around but there are no pelicans diving and we don't see the large tarpon that we saw last time. What we do see are a couple of large groupers, both green and spotted eels, octopus and these little brown fish that attack the shells it finds with such ferocious snaps that he even scares me a little. We figure that we were able to see more nocturnal types because the sun is not out and we are glad to have this chance.
The day continues to be very cloud covered and thankfully it's not cold here so we hang out of the beach which we have just about to ourselves.
We finally face the fact that the day is getting short and we agree it is time to make our final snorkel so off we go to the right this time. As it still pretty cloudy, we have a similar snorkel to this morning, it is filled with eels, lobsters, groupers and a whole bunch of large sea cucumbers. As we make our way back in we see four sea turtles, one right after the other. Our last sighting is a small ray that we hover over and watch for a while holding hands then slowly head back to land.
One last beer on the beach and we pack up to head back to the villa.
Dinner is at Ocean Grill and while it was good, it wasn't our favorite but we get a nice piece of chocolate cake to go and match with some ice cream that we have back at the villa. A nice relaxing final night sums up our entire stay.
Day 13 - 10/25 - Fabulous
Today starts with a nice surprise, my camera actually turns on...more than once and for a while it looks like it will cooperate again. It had actually turned on yesterday when Dave saw the lizard and we took some pictures of that. Before then, Dave and I had tried several things with this camera and we were able to get it to turn on occasionally but then the next time we tried, nothing. It seems like it is a temperature thing because if we take the battery out and leave it in the sun, it seems to turn on after that but once out of the sun for a while, nothing. So, one can understand how hopeful I am that my camera will continue to cooperate.
Breakfast has been cooked, eaten and the dishes are clean.
Beach bag is packed, cooler is stocked and we are headed to Maho Bay. A few people that we spoke with the other day told us that Maho was equal to Francis so we had to give it a go.
Since the camera is working today we also stop at some of the lookouts and take some of the scenic pictures that can only be seem on STJ.
We are the first to arrive but soon we are surrounded by little people waiting for swimming lessons. Good thing this beach is pretty big and we head down to the far end so as not to disturb the little kids while they learn to swim. Of course that is not the only reason that we move far away from the kids but we are getting old and can only stand so much screeching on our vaca.
Onward we travel to the farther end and start our morning snorkel adventure. I am still thrilled that my camera still turns on so I am anxious to get in the water before it decides to crap out again.
I am rewarded with a working camera and two great snorkels today.
Maho is much like Francis in that there are hundreds of smaller bait fish, plenty of jacks and much larger tarpon. Today however we are entertained with so much more. There are angel fish, grouper, trunk fish, octopus and even a green moray eel. Is it so amazing to just hover over a section of coral, look in between the rocks and formations and just see all the magical things that are living there. In one area we hover over the reef and a large sting ray passes below us right over the reef.
After two wonderful snorkels, some quality beach and water time and a well deserved beer, we decided to head back and get ready for dinner.
Rhumb Lines is the choice for dinner tonight and it is a wonderful little place that you get to by walking through a little convenience store. The setting is a bit Asian inspired with a nice warm feel to it that can make you forget where you really are.
We had Chicken Satay and Duck Dumpling appetizers and Dave got the Cuban Mojo Pork and I tried the Ultimate Pad Thai. Dave liked the pork enough although he said it got a bit sweeter the more you ate but I see that his plate his clean.
Now, I have never had Pad Thai and this one was filled with chicken, shrimp and beef along with veggies and rice noodles and a wonderful sauce. They brought out a huge bowl of this stuff and I was hooked right from the first bite. It was temperature hot but the kick that it had once you ate it made your lips sing....I loved it. It was a bit too much for me to eat so I took a little to go with me and I'll have a snack tomorrow. It was definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had...even though it was my first.
Breakfast has been cooked, eaten and the dishes are clean.
Beach bag is packed, cooler is stocked and we are headed to Maho Bay. A few people that we spoke with the other day told us that Maho was equal to Francis so we had to give it a go.
Since the camera is working today we also stop at some of the lookouts and take some of the scenic pictures that can only be seem on STJ.
We are the first to arrive but soon we are surrounded by little people waiting for swimming lessons. Good thing this beach is pretty big and we head down to the far end so as not to disturb the little kids while they learn to swim. Of course that is not the only reason that we move far away from the kids but we are getting old and can only stand so much screeching on our vaca.
Onward we travel to the farther end and start our morning snorkel adventure. I am still thrilled that my camera still turns on so I am anxious to get in the water before it decides to crap out again.
I am rewarded with a working camera and two great snorkels today.
Maho is much like Francis in that there are hundreds of smaller bait fish, plenty of jacks and much larger tarpon. Today however we are entertained with so much more. There are angel fish, grouper, trunk fish, octopus and even a green moray eel. Is it so amazing to just hover over a section of coral, look in between the rocks and formations and just see all the magical things that are living there. In one area we hover over the reef and a large sting ray passes below us right over the reef.
When we snorkel over the main part of the bay we see both turtles and rays and then suddenly we come upon a massive conch garden.
Back on shore there is a two foot lemon shark that keeps swimming the length of the beach. He seems to go from one end back to the other so every once in a while he is passing right in front of us. I did get a few pictures from above water but the ripples make it hard to see all his features.
Rhumb Lines is the choice for dinner tonight and it is a wonderful little place that you get to by walking through a little convenience store. The setting is a bit Asian inspired with a nice warm feel to it that can make you forget where you really are.
We had Chicken Satay and Duck Dumpling appetizers and Dave got the Cuban Mojo Pork and I tried the Ultimate Pad Thai. Dave liked the pork enough although he said it got a bit sweeter the more you ate but I see that his plate his clean.
Now, I have never had Pad Thai and this one was filled with chicken, shrimp and beef along with veggies and rice noodles and a wonderful sauce. They brought out a huge bowl of this stuff and I was hooked right from the first bite. It was temperature hot but the kick that it had once you ate it made your lips sing....I loved it. It was a bit too much for me to eat so I took a little to go with me and I'll have a snack tomorrow. It was definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had...even though it was my first.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Day 12 - 10/24 - Not much to say
Today is villa pool day and there's not much more to say than that. We hung around the villa, went on the pool, came out of the pool and repeated this process several times throughout the day.
We had been outside for a few hours already when Dave notices a big lizard in the tree right off our deck. He's at least two feet long with a tail that seems to be almost as long. He is just hanging around on one of the branches but he is pretty high up in the tree so it's neat to watch him. He does move a few times which helps us not feel like total losers just watching a lizard sit there.....
More lizard watching, plus going in the pool, out of the pool and finally we are ready to get cleaned up for dinner.
Dinner tonight is at Da Livio, a nice little Italian place in town that was recommended to us by another couple that we met a few days ago at Jumbie Bay. The food was simple but amazing staring with an Insalata Caprese using fresh made mozzarella. We then shared a Margherita Pizza and freshly made Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and hot pepper sauce that was the best simple pasta dish that I have ever had. I also tried the dessert which was a vanilla bean panna cotta...yummy.
Another successful day...every day should be so difficult.
We had been outside for a few hours already when Dave notices a big lizard in the tree right off our deck. He's at least two feet long with a tail that seems to be almost as long. He is just hanging around on one of the branches but he is pretty high up in the tree so it's neat to watch him. He does move a few times which helps us not feel like total losers just watching a lizard sit there.....
More lizard watching, plus going in the pool, out of the pool and finally we are ready to get cleaned up for dinner.
Dinner tonight is at Da Livio, a nice little Italian place in town that was recommended to us by another couple that we met a few days ago at Jumbie Bay. The food was simple but amazing staring with an Insalata Caprese using fresh made mozzarella. We then shared a Margherita Pizza and freshly made Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and hot pepper sauce that was the best simple pasta dish that I have ever had. I also tried the dessert which was a vanilla bean panna cotta...yummy.
Another successful day...every day should be so difficult.
Day 11 - 10/23 - Salt Pond Bay
Last night we decided that today we would head out to Salt Pond Bay which is located on the southeastern side of the island. It's so weird because the island is not very large or long but because of the constant hills and switchbacks on any given ride, it makes the ride take much longer than one would think just by looking at a map. The island is only 20 square miles which is smaller than the DFW airport which sits at 30 square miles. The one good thing though is that there are very few roads so getting lost is almost impossible.
We have our breakfast and head out about 8:50 which gets us to Salt Pond just about 9:30. There is a small .2 mile trail to get to the beach area but for the arrival it is downhill and we were already dreading the uphill climb at the end of our day.
The beach is pretty big here and at this time there is only one other couple but as the day progresses, there is a constant flux of people in and people out. We've found this behavior at many places actually. People come, they snorkel or swim a little, sometimes hang out a little but then they are gone, usually moving on to another beach to do the same thing. I think it's easy for a lot of people to have this routine because they are only here for a week, some beaches are close together and can be paired up easily in one day and they really want to get the most out of their time here.
For us, we've done the opposite on every day except for one, we find a beach and stay for the day. We snorkel once or twice depending on the areas available at that beach and the rest of the time we spend in and out of the water just hanging out. We bring beer, water and snacks with us so we don't need to leave for anything.
Today at Salt Pond is pretty much the same. First we begin with a short hike over to the salt pond located just behind the bay. The water seems to be a bit high in the pond and even though I read that you can harvest the salt, I think the water level determines if you can do it as well. Continuing on the path along the salt pond it leads to Drunk Bay on the other side to where Salt Pond is. The water is here is very rough and it is all rock around here. We do see interesting corals and rocks that are on the shore but we would never try to swim or snorkel here and wonder if it is ever calm enough to do so since it does face the open ocean.
We head back to Salt Pond and begin with a snorkel along the left hand side and a bit over the middle. There are some interesting things here including a large porcupine fish, some trunk fish, a turtle and about four dozen squid just swimming around in one group as we were heading back in.
STJ is the first place that we have ever seen squid and even though we've seen them a few times here now they always make me laugh. They just swim in place (kind of like running in place) and their tentacles are facing toward us, then it's their bodies with these big eyes that let you know that you're being watched, but the funniest thing to me is the way they hover there constantly flapping their fins which really looks like wings in the water.
After a bit of beach time and a beer, we decide to head out snorkeling again. This time we head straight out before heading to the right shore and we see plenty this way. First we see a small stingray on the ocean floor looking for food and as it turns out, this will be the only ray we see here. Next, passing right under us is a LARGE barracuda. It has to be about three feet long and I am always intimidated when I see these guys but one this really freaks me out...in a good way though.
Heading out we also see what we think is a large grouper. It is not brown as we would have expected but the size and style of the fin looks about right. There are also a lot of ballyhoo and we thought that would have brought in a lot more predators as those are often used in sport fishing. As we make our way to the right hand side the water is a little rough and there is not as many fish as I would have expected but we do see the usual suspects here as well including a very large sea cucumber. Heading back in we come in through the middle of the bay and see a couple of turtles and those same squid hanging out. It's like a little squid gang there are so many of them but we make it by without incident.
Back on the beach we can see one of the turtles just popping his head up every few minutes. Nice view from the beach here too.
Eventually we face the fact that we have to climb the hill to get out of here and since it is about 3:00 we decide to get moving. Luckily for us the path is somewhat shaded at this time of day and that makes the climb a little more bearable so we only have to stop once on the way up instead of the four times we predicted we would have to do.
Since we are on this end of the island we decided to eat at the Tourist Trap which is basically a small shack that happens to be owned by a guy who is originally from Manchester NH. Everything on the menu looks good and Mary who is waiting on us doesn't help by telling us that everything always tastes good. Dave settled for the Pork Nachos while I decide on the blackened Grouper sandwich. Well Mary was right at least with these two items, both were really good.
Sufficiently full, and maybe even a bit more than that, we head back towards our villa and hang out with a couple drinks. Another full day under our belts.
We have our breakfast and head out about 8:50 which gets us to Salt Pond just about 9:30. There is a small .2 mile trail to get to the beach area but for the arrival it is downhill and we were already dreading the uphill climb at the end of our day.
The beach is pretty big here and at this time there is only one other couple but as the day progresses, there is a constant flux of people in and people out. We've found this behavior at many places actually. People come, they snorkel or swim a little, sometimes hang out a little but then they are gone, usually moving on to another beach to do the same thing. I think it's easy for a lot of people to have this routine because they are only here for a week, some beaches are close together and can be paired up easily in one day and they really want to get the most out of their time here.
For us, we've done the opposite on every day except for one, we find a beach and stay for the day. We snorkel once or twice depending on the areas available at that beach and the rest of the time we spend in and out of the water just hanging out. We bring beer, water and snacks with us so we don't need to leave for anything.
Today at Salt Pond is pretty much the same. First we begin with a short hike over to the salt pond located just behind the bay. The water seems to be a bit high in the pond and even though I read that you can harvest the salt, I think the water level determines if you can do it as well. Continuing on the path along the salt pond it leads to Drunk Bay on the other side to where Salt Pond is. The water is here is very rough and it is all rock around here. We do see interesting corals and rocks that are on the shore but we would never try to swim or snorkel here and wonder if it is ever calm enough to do so since it does face the open ocean.
We head back to Salt Pond and begin with a snorkel along the left hand side and a bit over the middle. There are some interesting things here including a large porcupine fish, some trunk fish, a turtle and about four dozen squid just swimming around in one group as we were heading back in.
STJ is the first place that we have ever seen squid and even though we've seen them a few times here now they always make me laugh. They just swim in place (kind of like running in place) and their tentacles are facing toward us, then it's their bodies with these big eyes that let you know that you're being watched, but the funniest thing to me is the way they hover there constantly flapping their fins which really looks like wings in the water.
After a bit of beach time and a beer, we decide to head out snorkeling again. This time we head straight out before heading to the right shore and we see plenty this way. First we see a small stingray on the ocean floor looking for food and as it turns out, this will be the only ray we see here. Next, passing right under us is a LARGE barracuda. It has to be about three feet long and I am always intimidated when I see these guys but one this really freaks me out...in a good way though.
Heading out we also see what we think is a large grouper. It is not brown as we would have expected but the size and style of the fin looks about right. There are also a lot of ballyhoo and we thought that would have brought in a lot more predators as those are often used in sport fishing. As we make our way to the right hand side the water is a little rough and there is not as many fish as I would have expected but we do see the usual suspects here as well including a very large sea cucumber. Heading back in we come in through the middle of the bay and see a couple of turtles and those same squid hanging out. It's like a little squid gang there are so many of them but we make it by without incident.
Back on the beach we can see one of the turtles just popping his head up every few minutes. Nice view from the beach here too.
Eventually we face the fact that we have to climb the hill to get out of here and since it is about 3:00 we decide to get moving. Luckily for us the path is somewhat shaded at this time of day and that makes the climb a little more bearable so we only have to stop once on the way up instead of the four times we predicted we would have to do.
Since we are on this end of the island we decided to eat at the Tourist Trap which is basically a small shack that happens to be owned by a guy who is originally from Manchester NH. Everything on the menu looks good and Mary who is waiting on us doesn't help by telling us that everything always tastes good. Dave settled for the Pork Nachos while I decide on the blackened Grouper sandwich. Well Mary was right at least with these two items, both were really good.
Sufficiently full, and maybe even a bit more than that, we head back towards our villa and hang out with a couple drinks. Another full day under our belts.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Day 10 - 10/22 - Wonderful day at Francis Bay
Sometimes in life things just come together. Big or small, complex or simple, stressful or stress-free, there are just those times that you want to burn into your permanent memory to be able to relive again and again.
Today is one of those times for me. Dave and I enjoyed our snorkel experience at Francis Bay a few days ago so we thought we'd go back again today and see if we would have the same kind of luck. First we tackled to rocky shore on the left hand side that we didn't get to the first time and we saw many fish here ranging from small bait fish all the way up to a large tarpon. This baby had to be at least three feet long and Dave estimates about 30lbs. He swam by us a few times and he certainly was not afraid of us as he swam awfully close to us and was a bit intimidating. Along with this behemoth we saw some really small centipede things that were pretty funny to watch as they crawled all over the rocks. We also caught a glimpse of a huge sting ray as it was passing by...awesome.
When we were done in this area, we headed to the right of the beach to hang out for a while.
Once we had sufficiently rested from our morning snorkel, we headed out to the right hand side of the bay. One of our first rewards is a small sea turtle sitting under a tree branch that had fallen into the water. As we inch closer to the rocky shore we start to see all the small fish as we saw the other day. No picture that I can take will ever explain the sheer number of these little fish. As you drift along, they part and swim around you and every way you turn there they are just hovering in the water with you. If you look closer to the rocks and corals you see many french grunts, jacks and yellow stripers. And watch out because here come the tarpon again...we see them a few times while snorkeling and at one point two of them are there together right in front of us. A few times I have to remind myself to breathe.
Continuing along the rocks we also see sea cucumbers, a small lobster, a green moray eel, barracudas, needle fish and some juvenile french angel fish that were a stunning black and yellow that just glowed in the water.
Towards the end of the rock wall here we ran into a large school of parrot fish, both large in numbers and in size.
Once we've had our fill of fish, we head out towards the middle of the bay to look for turtles and rays and we are not disappointed. Soon we see a large ray that is settled into the sand and only his tail and the eyes on the top of him are really visible and it seems like he sees us too so we hover, look and move on. A few more rays, some smaller and one fairly large one along with about four or five turtles all just hanging around in different areas of the grassy bay really make this one of our favorite snorkel spots so far.
Back on land we enjoy a beer while we continue to talk about all that we saw out there. It is so hard to described this spot and everything there is to see but we are glad that we discovered it and may even be back before we have to leave.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner. We have reservations at Zozo's at their upstairs bar which has a great view of the sunsets. Unfortunately there are clouds in the way so we don't get a prefect sunset but my camera decided to work again so we did get a couple of a pictures nonetheless.
For dinner we had an appetizer of a sausage sampler of venison, boar and duck and they were each very good. We both decided on the rib eye special which had roasted potatoes and a demi glaze sauce. The steaks were done perfectly and tasted soooo good. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert but we enjoyed every bit of our meal, the view and the company at the bar.
At this point there is nothing else to do but head back to the villa and reflect on a wonderful day.
Today is one of those times for me. Dave and I enjoyed our snorkel experience at Francis Bay a few days ago so we thought we'd go back again today and see if we would have the same kind of luck. First we tackled to rocky shore on the left hand side that we didn't get to the first time and we saw many fish here ranging from small bait fish all the way up to a large tarpon. This baby had to be at least three feet long and Dave estimates about 30lbs. He swam by us a few times and he certainly was not afraid of us as he swam awfully close to us and was a bit intimidating. Along with this behemoth we saw some really small centipede things that were pretty funny to watch as they crawled all over the rocks. We also caught a glimpse of a huge sting ray as it was passing by...awesome.
When we were done in this area, we headed to the right of the beach to hang out for a while.
Once we had sufficiently rested from our morning snorkel, we headed out to the right hand side of the bay. One of our first rewards is a small sea turtle sitting under a tree branch that had fallen into the water. As we inch closer to the rocky shore we start to see all the small fish as we saw the other day. No picture that I can take will ever explain the sheer number of these little fish. As you drift along, they part and swim around you and every way you turn there they are just hovering in the water with you. If you look closer to the rocks and corals you see many french grunts, jacks and yellow stripers. And watch out because here come the tarpon again...we see them a few times while snorkeling and at one point two of them are there together right in front of us. A few times I have to remind myself to breathe.
Continuing along the rocks we also see sea cucumbers, a small lobster, a green moray eel, barracudas, needle fish and some juvenile french angel fish that were a stunning black and yellow that just glowed in the water.
Towards the end of the rock wall here we ran into a large school of parrot fish, both large in numbers and in size.
Once we've had our fill of fish, we head out towards the middle of the bay to look for turtles and rays and we are not disappointed. Soon we see a large ray that is settled into the sand and only his tail and the eyes on the top of him are really visible and it seems like he sees us too so we hover, look and move on. A few more rays, some smaller and one fairly large one along with about four or five turtles all just hanging around in different areas of the grassy bay really make this one of our favorite snorkel spots so far.
Back on land we enjoy a beer while we continue to talk about all that we saw out there. It is so hard to described this spot and everything there is to see but we are glad that we discovered it and may even be back before we have to leave.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner. We have reservations at Zozo's at their upstairs bar which has a great view of the sunsets. Unfortunately there are clouds in the way so we don't get a prefect sunset but my camera decided to work again so we did get a couple of a pictures nonetheless.
For dinner we had an appetizer of a sausage sampler of venison, boar and duck and they were each very good. We both decided on the rib eye special which had roasted potatoes and a demi glaze sauce. The steaks were done perfectly and tasted soooo good. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert but we enjoyed every bit of our meal, the view and the company at the bar.
At this point there is nothing else to do but head back to the villa and reflect on a wonderful day.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Day 9 - 10/21 - Jumbie Bay - nice find
Today's adventure brings us to Jumbie Bay. This little bay doesn't seem to get much recognition and I haven't seen anything mentioned about the snorkeling but we decide to check it out anyway.
I don't get it, we found this beach to be a hidden gem and there is a huge coral reef out to the right hand side that has plenty of coral and fish to see. The only slight drawback is that today it was a bit choppy so snorkeling over the shallow coral can be a bit tricky but other than that we enjoyed this place quite a bit. We were able to see a good sized porcupine fish, trumpet fish, a couple of trunk fish and some squid along with bunches of all the usual sargent majors, parrot fish, jacks and bunches of the small stuff too.
We spent a better part of the day here and headed back to the villa to change and head out to watch the Pats game at High Tide bar. We had some apps and drinks and headed back to the villa at half time to watch the rest of the game and chill for the night.
I don't get it, we found this beach to be a hidden gem and there is a huge coral reef out to the right hand side that has plenty of coral and fish to see. The only slight drawback is that today it was a bit choppy so snorkeling over the shallow coral can be a bit tricky but other than that we enjoyed this place quite a bit. We were able to see a good sized porcupine fish, trumpet fish, a couple of trunk fish and some squid along with bunches of all the usual sargent majors, parrot fish, jacks and bunches of the small stuff too.
We spent a better part of the day here and headed back to the villa to change and head out to watch the Pats game at High Tide bar. We had some apps and drinks and headed back to the villa at half time to watch the rest of the game and chill for the night.
Day 8 - 10/20 - Trunk Bay Day
Woke up to what looks to be a pretty good day and once again took our time getting ourselves together. After a bit of discussion, we decide to head to Trunk Bay beach.
Trunk is one of the most picturesque and therefore the most photographed beach on STJ and possibly all of the Caribbean.
I get lucky and find a disposable waterproof camera at the shop at Trunk Bay......woo-hoo!! The beach here is beautiful. Nice white sand as far as you can see with the gorgeous turquoise colored water that you only see in pictures and the water is warm and refreshing.
Many of the beaches here are right along a line of grape trees so there are little nooks where you can plant yourself and feel a bit secluded no matter how busy any beach is. We arrived fairly early so we picked out our preferred spot and settled in for the day.
First order of business is to get in the water and relax. Okay, technically we are already relaxed but this is taking in to a different level.
Hanging out and people watching are some of our favorite things to do but we also enjoy fish watching and there is some coral here along with a trail that the National Park service has put underwater to help inform people about what they are and might see. The path is to the left of a small island that is just off shore so we get ready, get all our gear on and start to head out. Crap! I forgot my new underwater camera, I'm not going back now!!!!
It's a good thing I didn't go back for my camera because there wasn't much to see and I would have been bummed if I went all the way back for my camera and there was nothing to take a picture of. Dave and I snorkeled all around this little island but there really wasn't much. At least we got plenty of exercise.
Back on the beach we spend the rest of the day in the water, walking the beach and hanging out in our chairs and watching all the people. This by far the busiest beach we have been to thus far but I still think it was well worth coming here. Great day.
We head back and get ready for dinner which tonight was at the Beach Bar. Dave had a shrimp po-boy and I had shrimp and chips (fries) that had a nice tarter sauce with a little spice to it.
Back at the villa, tonight is movie night so we hook up my tablet to the TV and watch Snow White and the Huntsman...not bad.
Trunk is one of the most picturesque and therefore the most photographed beach on STJ and possibly all of the Caribbean.
I get lucky and find a disposable waterproof camera at the shop at Trunk Bay......woo-hoo!! The beach here is beautiful. Nice white sand as far as you can see with the gorgeous turquoise colored water that you only see in pictures and the water is warm and refreshing.
Many of the beaches here are right along a line of grape trees so there are little nooks where you can plant yourself and feel a bit secluded no matter how busy any beach is. We arrived fairly early so we picked out our preferred spot and settled in for the day.
First order of business is to get in the water and relax. Okay, technically we are already relaxed but this is taking in to a different level.
Hanging out and people watching are some of our favorite things to do but we also enjoy fish watching and there is some coral here along with a trail that the National Park service has put underwater to help inform people about what they are and might see. The path is to the left of a small island that is just off shore so we get ready, get all our gear on and start to head out. Crap! I forgot my new underwater camera, I'm not going back now!!!!
It's a good thing I didn't go back for my camera because there wasn't much to see and I would have been bummed if I went all the way back for my camera and there was nothing to take a picture of. Dave and I snorkeled all around this little island but there really wasn't much. At least we got plenty of exercise.
Back on the beach we spend the rest of the day in the water, walking the beach and hanging out in our chairs and watching all the people. This by far the busiest beach we have been to thus far but I still think it was well worth coming here. Great day.
We head back and get ready for dinner which tonight was at the Beach Bar. Dave had a shrimp po-boy and I had shrimp and chips (fries) that had a nice tarter sauce with a little spice to it.
Back at the villa, tonight is movie night so we hook up my tablet to the TV and watch Snow White and the Huntsman...not bad.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Day 7 - 10/19 - Is it still vacation if you do nothing?
Last night it poured and then rained, and then poured some more. I figured with all that we would have woken to a clear hot day but that was not to be.
Still cloudy when we woke up, we took out time getting ourselves ready for the day and decided that it would be a good day to check out things in town and maybe do some shopping. I have to say that although I do like shopping and am not normally overly concerned about the price when it's something I like, I found things here to be pretty expensive. For example, a tube of chap stick costs $4.00.....yikes, I mean, it's only chap stick and while my lips felt a little better when I applied it, they certainly didn't scream..."Wow, that's some awesome sh-t!". But I forgot my chap stick, so I guess they got me there.
I also bought a local photo of Hawksnest Bay and hopefully that makes up for my camera going on the fritz. We did look around for a disposable camera but couldn't find anyone that carried them...too bad because I would have paid through the nose for one of those!
Since we were out we ate lunch at the Waterfront Bistro which was just right and after a little more walking around we headed back to the villa where we sat around the pool and then made a dinner out of all our leftovers.
Tonight is pina colada night at the villa!!!!
Still cloudy when we woke up, we took out time getting ourselves ready for the day and decided that it would be a good day to check out things in town and maybe do some shopping. I have to say that although I do like shopping and am not normally overly concerned about the price when it's something I like, I found things here to be pretty expensive. For example, a tube of chap stick costs $4.00.....yikes, I mean, it's only chap stick and while my lips felt a little better when I applied it, they certainly didn't scream..."Wow, that's some awesome sh-t!". But I forgot my chap stick, so I guess they got me there.
I also bought a local photo of Hawksnest Bay and hopefully that makes up for my camera going on the fritz. We did look around for a disposable camera but couldn't find anyone that carried them...too bad because I would have paid through the nose for one of those!
Since we were out we ate lunch at the Waterfront Bistro which was just right and after a little more walking around we headed back to the villa where we sat around the pool and then made a dinner out of all our leftovers.
Tonight is pina colada night at the villa!!!!
Day 6 - 10/18 - Getting a work out
So we are full on into our morning routine of getting up, making coffee, scoping out the weather, sitting with our coffee and then having some breakfast before deciding what we will do for the day.
Today we decide to head out to Leinster Bay to snorkel at Waterlemon. This is listed as one of the best snorkeling spots on the island but requires strong swimming skills, I assume because the main snorkeling area is in front of a small cay just off the main island.
This bay is at the eastern end of the north shore so we have a little drive ahead and the sun is out so we decide to stop at a few of the lookouts to take some pictures. What's this? Even though today I remembered the strap, now my stinking camera won't turn on...crap, another day without pictures....Oh Well.....on to the real adventure.
When we get to Leinster Bay, we first need to hike an easy flat trail that's marked as .8 miles to the beach. We actually hike a bit farther to a spot where there is no real sand beach but it is a good place to get into the water a bit closer to the cay, so it is probably at least a mile hike for us.
Getting ready to snorkel is always an adventure for Dave and I. This year we bought rash guards to help with keeping us burn free and maybe just a little warmer too. So, on goes the rash guard. Then for me, I use a buff to help keep my hair out of the way because it is so thin that it always comes out of my ponytail and floats around my head. Next are the life vests, they are blow up bright yellow vests and no one will miss us floating out there. Finally it is the real essentials of fins, mask and snorkel. After what feels like forever, we are finally ready to get in the water. There is coral and rocks close to the shoreline so immediately we begin to see a few things but as we head out to the cay, we find there is a strong current and now we know what they mean by you have to be a strong swimmer, it's not because of the length of the swim but the current between the main land and the day. Dave's not comfortable with the current so he decides to head back toward the main land where it is calmer. I was going to stay out but I hate snorkeling alone and I don't want Dave to head back alone so I start to head in too. There are still some things that we are able to see and I see what looks like a huge barracuda swim by on my right. Once we get back in, we decide to head out to try another beach and get some real snorkeling in.
The next bay on the way back is Francis Bay so we stop here. The parking lot is quite full and we see three deer grazing, one is right in the middle of the lot while the mom and another baby is hiding just inside the woods. They are not very scared of us so it's neat to see them just carry on their business.
Dave and I head to the far right of the bay as we want to snorkel along the right hand side of the bay but first we hang out in the water for a while because it is soooo warm, clean and is on a nice sandy beach.
Finally we get all geared up to snorkel and we are not disappointed. Along the right side of the bay are hundreds of thousands of fish, everything from small fries to the larger yellow tails, jacks and everything in between. Also of note along the edge here we see some sea cucumbers, barracudas, squids and even an eel. A small sea turtle is hanging around the rocks here and we watch him float around a bit before he finally takes off.
Once we get to the end of this section, we decide to head in and take some time to venture into the open areas where there is a little coral here and there but mostly grass. We are rewarded by spotting four sting rays, a turtle that had a fish trying to clean him off even though he wanted no part of that and kept trying to swat him away and then we see a larger turtle that just swims around with us a little and we follow him as he keeps popping his head up out of the water as well.
Back on shore we recap everything we've seen while having our celebratory after snorkeling beer....there's nothing better than this.
Even though we didn't snorkel the left side yet here, this is our favorite place so far.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner and head to a place called Morgan's Mango and had a great meal with a grilled shrimp app while Dave had the Pappa Pickapeppa Ribeye and I had the Grouper done Voodoo style....yummy. No room for dessert tonight.
Today we decide to head out to Leinster Bay to snorkel at Waterlemon. This is listed as one of the best snorkeling spots on the island but requires strong swimming skills, I assume because the main snorkeling area is in front of a small cay just off the main island.
This bay is at the eastern end of the north shore so we have a little drive ahead and the sun is out so we decide to stop at a few of the lookouts to take some pictures. What's this? Even though today I remembered the strap, now my stinking camera won't turn on...crap, another day without pictures....Oh Well.....on to the real adventure.
When we get to Leinster Bay, we first need to hike an easy flat trail that's marked as .8 miles to the beach. We actually hike a bit farther to a spot where there is no real sand beach but it is a good place to get into the water a bit closer to the cay, so it is probably at least a mile hike for us.
Getting ready to snorkel is always an adventure for Dave and I. This year we bought rash guards to help with keeping us burn free and maybe just a little warmer too. So, on goes the rash guard. Then for me, I use a buff to help keep my hair out of the way because it is so thin that it always comes out of my ponytail and floats around my head. Next are the life vests, they are blow up bright yellow vests and no one will miss us floating out there. Finally it is the real essentials of fins, mask and snorkel. After what feels like forever, we are finally ready to get in the water. There is coral and rocks close to the shoreline so immediately we begin to see a few things but as we head out to the cay, we find there is a strong current and now we know what they mean by you have to be a strong swimmer, it's not because of the length of the swim but the current between the main land and the day. Dave's not comfortable with the current so he decides to head back toward the main land where it is calmer. I was going to stay out but I hate snorkeling alone and I don't want Dave to head back alone so I start to head in too. There are still some things that we are able to see and I see what looks like a huge barracuda swim by on my right. Once we get back in, we decide to head out to try another beach and get some real snorkeling in.
The next bay on the way back is Francis Bay so we stop here. The parking lot is quite full and we see three deer grazing, one is right in the middle of the lot while the mom and another baby is hiding just inside the woods. They are not very scared of us so it's neat to see them just carry on their business.
Dave and I head to the far right of the bay as we want to snorkel along the right hand side of the bay but first we hang out in the water for a while because it is soooo warm, clean and is on a nice sandy beach.
Finally we get all geared up to snorkel and we are not disappointed. Along the right side of the bay are hundreds of thousands of fish, everything from small fries to the larger yellow tails, jacks and everything in between. Also of note along the edge here we see some sea cucumbers, barracudas, squids and even an eel. A small sea turtle is hanging around the rocks here and we watch him float around a bit before he finally takes off.
Once we get to the end of this section, we decide to head in and take some time to venture into the open areas where there is a little coral here and there but mostly grass. We are rewarded by spotting four sting rays, a turtle that had a fish trying to clean him off even though he wanted no part of that and kept trying to swat him away and then we see a larger turtle that just swims around with us a little and we follow him as he keeps popping his head up out of the water as well.
Back on shore we recap everything we've seen while having our celebratory after snorkeling beer....there's nothing better than this.
Even though we didn't snorkel the left side yet here, this is our favorite place so far.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner and head to a place called Morgan's Mango and had a great meal with a grilled shrimp app while Dave had the Pappa Pickapeppa Ribeye and I had the Grouper done Voodoo style....yummy. No room for dessert tonight.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Day 5 - 10/17 - The Day the South was Won
I didn't think that the cruise ships traveled this area during hurricane season but I did find a schedule online and see that there are four ships in port in St Thomas and many of those people could be headed to STJ so we head to the south side of the island as it isn't likely that any of those people will make it down there.
We head as far as we can down to Little Lameshur Bay which is more of a rocky entrance but has some sand once you get in.
As we get ready to snorkel, I realize that I left the strap for my camera back at the villa so no underwater pics for me today as I don't trust just holding my camera. So, we venture in to the left hand side of the bay and there are lots of rock and coral there and most of the usual things.
During our snorkel intermission, Dave took a few casts with a travel fishing rod he brought and he got some squid to follow his lure in and I was able to get a picture of one of those as it came pretty far in. We also walked over to the ruins and took a look around there. I believe that part of what was left is the sugar plant along with several other buildings. It's hard to believe with the way things look now that they once harvested sugar here.
After hanging around a bit and swimming a bit, we decide to snorkel on the right side of the bay. It proves a bit livelier that the left and we see some squid in the water, they look so funny swimming there. A while later we see a really big barracuda, he has to be good three feet long if not a bit more. Damn, why don't I have my camera with me?
Anyway, after we've had enough beach for the day we pack up and head out to Skinny Legs for some famous burgers. Today's special is a burger with pepper jack cheese and bacon....yummy!!!!!
Off to the store for a few more provisions and then the rest of the night in the villa.
We head as far as we can down to Little Lameshur Bay which is more of a rocky entrance but has some sand once you get in.
As we get ready to snorkel, I realize that I left the strap for my camera back at the villa so no underwater pics for me today as I don't trust just holding my camera. So, we venture in to the left hand side of the bay and there are lots of rock and coral there and most of the usual things.
During our snorkel intermission, Dave took a few casts with a travel fishing rod he brought and he got some squid to follow his lure in and I was able to get a picture of one of those as it came pretty far in. We also walked over to the ruins and took a look around there. I believe that part of what was left is the sugar plant along with several other buildings. It's hard to believe with the way things look now that they once harvested sugar here.
After hanging around a bit and swimming a bit, we decide to snorkel on the right side of the bay. It proves a bit livelier that the left and we see some squid in the water, they look so funny swimming there. A while later we see a really big barracuda, he has to be good three feet long if not a bit more. Damn, why don't I have my camera with me?
Anyway, after we've had enough beach for the day we pack up and head out to Skinny Legs for some famous burgers. Today's special is a burger with pepper jack cheese and bacon....yummy!!!!!
Off to the store for a few more provisions and then the rest of the night in the villa.
Day 4 - 10/16 - This is the day....
Or at least it was the day on which Dave and I got married 30 years ago. We start our day very lazily with some coffee and eventually some french toast for breakfast.
Our beach of the day will be Honeymoon beach which we have to hike just about a mile to get to so we get out things together and head out. The trail starts in town next to the National Park visitor center and has a slight incline to start. There are 2 trails that spurt off here, one elevates a bit and allows for an overlook of the main town and bay and a more straight forward one that has no real elevation. It has started to sprinkle a bit so we decide to stay on the lower trail because it might be too overcast for a good picture. A few steps in and the rain comes a little steadier, then steadier still until it is in a full downpour on us. There's no real way to know what the weather on the beach is so we continue on hoping that it's better that way. Aside from the rain the trail is a pretty straight forward route and not difficult at all.
Drenched and even a little mosquito bitten, we make it to Honeymoon beach and while it is slightly sprinkling at this point, we decide to stay and tough it out. There are a couple of trees to hide under until the rain really stops and hang our things a bit to dry. Of course it's a little early and the rain has kept people away thus far. The beach is deserted and there are only two boats in the bay and they look like residences as no one seems to be on them. The chickens however are a bit curious and it seems like for most of the day we have two of them following us around.
Dave and I head into the water which considering the rain is warm. When the rain has stopped and the clouds have passed, we head out to snorkel. It's fairly clear considering the rain and the point to the left of the beach offers a pretty decent snorkel mostly with the usual suspects. As the day progresses so does the beach traffic. Some enter via the trail as we did but many more come via sailboats. At one time there were up to five sailboats with guests ranging from six to about twenty-four. Mostly the boat people are just there to snorkel and not many make it to the beach. A couple more swims for us and then we deem it time to head back.
The walk back is much like the walk out...with rain, luckily the rain is more of a steady drizzle now and not the downpours we got on the way out. It's pretty strange to watch how the weather changes by the minute, almost like being back in New England, but slightly better.
We head back to the villa so we can get ready for our night. I have hired a private chef, Ted Robinson to create a special meal for tonight and we were not disappointed. I think the last time I heard Dave say "Excellent" so many times in one night was about 30 years ago. The food was phenomenal. Ted fed us so much and we have enough leftover so that we can relive the great night we had.
It started with pan fried tuna dumplings followed by pan seared scallops with smashed potatoes and he made a skillet foccacia topped with tomatoes and basil. Next was a warm spinach salad with applewood bacon and finally the entree was filet of beef with roasted rock lobster tail.....yum. As if we hadn't eaten enough yet, we finished the night with molten chocolate cakes with fresh berries.
We dined out on the patio with a nice view, good sunset and a perfect night to celebrate. We thank Ted for helping us make this a very special night.
Our beach of the day will be Honeymoon beach which we have to hike just about a mile to get to so we get out things together and head out. The trail starts in town next to the National Park visitor center and has a slight incline to start. There are 2 trails that spurt off here, one elevates a bit and allows for an overlook of the main town and bay and a more straight forward one that has no real elevation. It has started to sprinkle a bit so we decide to stay on the lower trail because it might be too overcast for a good picture. A few steps in and the rain comes a little steadier, then steadier still until it is in a full downpour on us. There's no real way to know what the weather on the beach is so we continue on hoping that it's better that way. Aside from the rain the trail is a pretty straight forward route and not difficult at all.
Drenched and even a little mosquito bitten, we make it to Honeymoon beach and while it is slightly sprinkling at this point, we decide to stay and tough it out. There are a couple of trees to hide under until the rain really stops and hang our things a bit to dry. Of course it's a little early and the rain has kept people away thus far. The beach is deserted and there are only two boats in the bay and they look like residences as no one seems to be on them. The chickens however are a bit curious and it seems like for most of the day we have two of them following us around.
Dave and I head into the water which considering the rain is warm. When the rain has stopped and the clouds have passed, we head out to snorkel. It's fairly clear considering the rain and the point to the left of the beach offers a pretty decent snorkel mostly with the usual suspects. As the day progresses so does the beach traffic. Some enter via the trail as we did but many more come via sailboats. At one time there were up to five sailboats with guests ranging from six to about twenty-four. Mostly the boat people are just there to snorkel and not many make it to the beach. A couple more swims for us and then we deem it time to head back.
The walk back is much like the walk out...with rain, luckily the rain is more of a steady drizzle now and not the downpours we got on the way out. It's pretty strange to watch how the weather changes by the minute, almost like being back in New England, but slightly better.
We head back to the villa so we can get ready for our night. I have hired a private chef, Ted Robinson to create a special meal for tonight and we were not disappointed. I think the last time I heard Dave say "Excellent" so many times in one night was about 30 years ago. The food was phenomenal. Ted fed us so much and we have enough leftover so that we can relive the great night we had.
It started with pan fried tuna dumplings followed by pan seared scallops with smashed potatoes and he made a skillet foccacia topped with tomatoes and basil. Next was a warm spinach salad with applewood bacon and finally the entree was filet of beef with roasted rock lobster tail.....yum. As if we hadn't eaten enough yet, we finished the night with molten chocolate cakes with fresh berries.
We dined out on the patio with a nice view, good sunset and a perfect night to celebrate. We thank Ted for helping us make this a very special night.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Day 3 - 10/15 - Hanging Out
Last night was filled with lots of lightning, wind and rain and when we woke this morning it seemed like the wind was still pretty strong at the villa. Dave isn't feeling too good this morning so we decide it will be villa day and hang around the pool.
Once Dave feels a little better we have some breakfast which is eggs and bacon for me and just toast for Dave.
I head to the pool only to find that it is filled with the debris from last night's storm. Where's the pool boy when you really need your pool cleaned? Not to worry how hard can it be, I just have to find the skimmer and I should be all set.
As I am headed to the storage space under the villa to look for the skimmer I am distracted by the biggest hermit crab that I have seen. For those of you that remember my encounter on Green Turtle Cay with what was at the time, the biggest hermit crab that I had ever seen, trust me this one was much bigger by far. His shell was about the size of my fist and boy could he move. Dave is still upstairs so I yell for him to grab my camera because you know I just have to get this on video. But wait, the crab senses Dave coming with the camera and plays dead. I take a couple of pictures but I wait him out because I am just fascinated watching these guys move especially when they are so big. So, I plant myself further down the path and just wait. Finally my patience pays off and he starts to move toward me again. I get my long awaited video and am so proud, I'm off to go show Dave who of course just laughs at me.
Now what was I doing? Oh yeah, the pool....
OK, maybe it is harder than I thought, by now Dave has joined me and we are looking in the storage space under the villa but no skimmer. Dave pulls out the pool vacuum but of course it won't suck up the bigger leaves at the bottom of the pool. I head back under the villa and find a circular device that has a net attached to it....hmmmmm. It has wheels and a place for a hose to attach to it. So we conclude that if we attach a hose, the pressure of the water will circulate the leaves and they will rise and become trapped in the net.....we are wicked smaht! Now I know all you people with pools out there are probably laughing your butts off at us but here's the kicker, after we went through all this, Dave was emptying the net from the last device and when he leans over the deck guess what he finds....yep, the skimmer...hahahaha!!!!
The work was worth it because the pool, while a little cool is refreshing. The rest of our day is spent getting in the pool to cool off, getting out to dry off and then repeating several times, except for that 15 minutes when it poured and we got our stuff inside just before the rain hit.
Dinner tonight was at as place called Spyglass which is on the second floor overlooking the beach in Cruz Bay. Dave got the Papaya Glazed Chicken and I had the Coconut Habanero Shrimp. Both were good and with the great view and the good conversation with our waiter Caleb, we were happy, full and ready to head back to the villa.
Once Dave feels a little better we have some breakfast which is eggs and bacon for me and just toast for Dave.
I head to the pool only to find that it is filled with the debris from last night's storm. Where's the pool boy when you really need your pool cleaned? Not to worry how hard can it be, I just have to find the skimmer and I should be all set.
As I am headed to the storage space under the villa to look for the skimmer I am distracted by the biggest hermit crab that I have seen. For those of you that remember my encounter on Green Turtle Cay with what was at the time, the biggest hermit crab that I had ever seen, trust me this one was much bigger by far. His shell was about the size of my fist and boy could he move. Dave is still upstairs so I yell for him to grab my camera because you know I just have to get this on video. But wait, the crab senses Dave coming with the camera and plays dead. I take a couple of pictures but I wait him out because I am just fascinated watching these guys move especially when they are so big. So, I plant myself further down the path and just wait. Finally my patience pays off and he starts to move toward me again. I get my long awaited video and am so proud, I'm off to go show Dave who of course just laughs at me.
Now what was I doing? Oh yeah, the pool....
OK, maybe it is harder than I thought, by now Dave has joined me and we are looking in the storage space under the villa but no skimmer. Dave pulls out the pool vacuum but of course it won't suck up the bigger leaves at the bottom of the pool. I head back under the villa and find a circular device that has a net attached to it....hmmmmm. It has wheels and a place for a hose to attach to it. So we conclude that if we attach a hose, the pressure of the water will circulate the leaves and they will rise and become trapped in the net.....we are wicked smaht! Now I know all you people with pools out there are probably laughing your butts off at us but here's the kicker, after we went through all this, Dave was emptying the net from the last device and when he leans over the deck guess what he finds....yep, the skimmer...hahahaha!!!!
The work was worth it because the pool, while a little cool is refreshing. The rest of our day is spent getting in the pool to cool off, getting out to dry off and then repeating several times, except for that 15 minutes when it poured and we got our stuff inside just before the rain hit.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Day 2 - 10/14 - Exploring
Tropical Storm Raphael was slated to pass by or even over the USVI but it seems that night has come and gone and the storm has taken a different route. There is however what seems to be some of the outlying remnants of the Strom making the weather a bit unpredictable for most of the islands so we decide that we will head out, explore the island and if we feel like stopping any where we will.
Our adventure first takes us through town which isn't much but my navigation skills don't make it any easier and we finally make it out to route 20 on the north shore and see what the beaches have to offer. We travel all the way out to the east end taking our time to scope out all the spots that we might want to hit over our two weeks. The weather changes with every turn we take as well. First it is sunny, then cloudy, then raining all within a short span of less than a few miles at most. It made it hard to pick a spot because we weren't sure if the next spot would be better so it turned out we traveled the whole island and then came back to Hawksnest to settle in a not and get at least one good snorkel in. We find a spot to the left under some trees and get our gear on and head into the water. We snorkeled to the left and saw some of the usual suspects but then I looked into a hole in the coral and saw the biggest rock lobster that I have ever seen. The sun wasn't out much here and it even rained at one point while we snorkeled so the pictures aren't the best but we saw some huge fish that I didn't recognize under a shelf and a big swarm of tangs.
Back in town we wanted to catch the Patriots game somewhere but it turns out that the game was not playing in this area and we were stuck watching the crappy Giants...thanks Dad!!!!
We ate at High Tide and just some apps of conch fritter, wings and fries and we were full after this.
Headed back to the villa and hung out for the night (yeah, I know, we're old) and the wind really picked up out here. Dave slid one of the hurricane doors in place since the wind was so bad. Within half an hour, the wind had died down the sunset looked great and the little frogs were making plenty of noise.
Nice end to a good start.
Day 1 - 10/13 - Travel
So travel day is not none of my favorite days. They used to say getting there is half the fun and that may still be true in some cases but usually not those that involve any type of flying. Oh, it could have been worse but we flew Jet Blue who we have used before and thought were good. Since I had checked-in online, I found the line for the bag drop but they told us we had to go the international bag drop line even though we knew that St Thomas is not international. So we get to the international line and the guy there said we belong in the other line. We went back to the first line and told the lady the guy at the international line sent us back here and that we were not walking back there and since this line is shorter we would just check in here. UGH. We get our bags checked and because our gate was in some small terminal that only had 3 gates, we had to wait in a long line to get through security...what a pain. I did notice though that the international line that we were first sent to was now holding across the aisle and down the hall.
So after a pretty uneventful 4 hour flight, a 30 minute taxi ride (crammed with 8 other people) and a full 20 minute ferry ride, we finally land in STJ and are greeted by Elca who brings us to pick up our rental car and follow her to Seascape.
So after a pretty uneventful 4 hour flight, a 30 minute taxi ride (crammed with 8 other people) and a full 20 minute ferry ride, we finally land in STJ and are greeted by Elca who brings us to pick up our rental car and follow her to Seascape.
We settled ourselves a bit and then tried to find our way into town to get some supplies. STJ really only has two main roads and they connect the east to the west, with a few smaller roads jutting off these to get to the rural areas. One would think that sound pretty easy but with all the twists and turns it is a bit intimidating at first and the narrow roads with cars, people, and animals doesn't help either.
Alas we are successful in getting provisions of bread, eggs, bacon, milk, cream and beer. We also find can di's and get some BBQ to take back to the villa so we can just hang out for the night. After getting up so early today, we are off to bed early.
Alas we are successful in getting provisions of bread, eggs, bacon, milk, cream and beer. We also find can di's and get some BBQ to take back to the villa so we can just hang out for the night. After getting up so early today, we are off to bed early.
Friday, October 12, 2012
My how time flies.....
I often try to think about how Dave and I got to where we are today and I can honestly say that I really don't know. Sure we argued, fought, cried, laughed and watched our kids grow into adults together but really, where did the time go and how did we get here?
30 years is a long time for almost anything but to be married for that long seems "old fashion" and in turn makes me feel a little old as well. I say this with all respect to my parents who today are celebrating 54 years together.
But when it is all said and done, I guess we were just meant to be together and I can't imagine the last 30 years nor the next 30, 50, OK, let's say 100 years without him.
So what does this have to do with my normal trip planning? It makes me realize how special traveling is and how lucky am I to be able to see new places. I would still be amazed at all the wonderful places that the world has to offer but the experience is as much about who you are with and not just where you are going.
For me travel soothes my soul and each time I go some where new or different I feel just a little richer because of it. From Keyna to Myrtle Beach to the White Mountains, each place has allowed me to experience at least one new thing. I think everyone should take the time to travel and just be in awe. You don't need to be rich or have oodles of free time or even go far, you just need to open your mind and go some where new and just enjoy.
This time our adventures will take us to St. John in the USVI. When I asked Dave what he wanted to do for our anniversary he said go somewhere and hang out on a beach for a couple of weeks. Well, you don't have to tell me twice so I started looking and found a great rate and route to St. Thomas but decided we would ferry over to STJ as it seems to be a bit quieter than it's sister isle and that suits us a little better.
A bit of research also shows that St John has much to offer in the way of snorkeling, hiking and great views. Pair that up with a few drinks and some good food and we should be all set.
I rented a two bedroom villa in the Chocolate Hole area called Seascape which faces southwest and hopefully gets us some great views and maybe a few good sunsets too. In my pursuit to be well informed and armed with info I scoured the trip advisor forums and also found one on www.virgin-islands-on-line.com which had many STJ experts to find out advise on beaches, snorkeling and food. I found that even though I had done some research, I felt it was not as much as I had for some previous trips but I didn't feel like there was as much to need to know ahead of time for this trip.
So, the adventure begins.
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