usvi-on-line
dec 19-jan 4th trip report week one
dec 19-jan 4th trip report week one
let me preface this by saying that i am at the bottom rung of photo's when it comes to the bar set here (and it's fairly dubious that i could post one anyhow!)
so dec 19th i arrived with amazing luck--but what IS it about some folks? i get to Cruz bay, it's busy (DUH! xmas week and the ferry just arrived --and so the VITRAN is there and numerous taxis and cars etc.) but in every crowd there is seriously a person who needs to chillax. The present specimen was a guy who looked like he just walked off the course at Winged Foot (no offense to any of you golfers--there are lots of chill golfers) who has such hubris--with a son who has the same uniform...wife is there too--and he is YELLING (like i am HERE) YELLING at a taxi driver! YELLING that he is LATE and needs to be at X in Y minutes (ummmm yeah, and the VITAN is sitting there and there is traffic, but it ain't times square --or maybe it is--oh no, that's the marketplace--more on that later) So this guy is threatening not to pay the fare if he doesn't get to X in Y minutes--and he obviously is one of the captains of the universe so he has NO issues in berating this taxi man (who is being very , very nice). I shot him my best evil eye --He was harshing my mellow!--
in retrospect i should've just bought him a bushwhacker and said 'island time bro'
ok, the guy needed a xanax a drink and a big squishy hug--i had better things to hug so met my family and went off to concordia.
now i have been visiting st john since 1986 and have always stayed at Maho or Concordia (lately concordia) --we have never done the house thing ( stay tuned for week two when the Coral bay hillbillies move into the manse)
but i love love love concordia and maho--(but en suite bathrooms at concordia make it this old lady's place of choice between the two!)
we stayed in p-13--one of my favorite tents it is the lowest tent on the right side--it has the most privacy--you can stand on that deck nekkid and the best winds (which sort of proved to be an issue this trip!)
the view from p-13 (above?)
looking right from P-13 to salt pond (above?)
one of the main reasons I always love coming here is that the people who work here and the people who stay here are amazing. They are just lovely.
So Coral Bay Inertia (CBI) set in fast and furious and the best laid plans--well the road to hell....lets just say we didn't get around much.....
First order of business on the 20th is to find Pete the Christmas Branch--and since it seems that I deleted all photos of pete mistakenly (with many others : ( )
then there are no pics of pete--but Pete was found on Drunk bay and after some lights and a few ornaments Pete was good to go as the Christmas branch du jour. We spent the day at salt pond met some great folks from Vt and ate a late lunch at the Tourist Trap--Whatever you do, go there -we ended up there so much that they were ready to throw us out, but always a great time! Also connected with Joe Palmienteri who arranges the Christmas gift exchange at Baptist Church--I gave him the gifts we brought for the older kids--We discussed the Forum's contribution (via Pia) and He was just SO grateful--seriously, this guy is the nicest person on the planet. -he invited us to the Christmas party on the 21st, and I would have loved to go, but I sortof felt a bit like an interloper and didn't want to intrude (though he had assured me that I wouldn't ) so Pia or Joe , if you happen to read this., thank you for the opportunity to do something nice. We met Salty Dog and mr salty dog for a drink at Concordia -we will be renting from them later -we loved meeting them after having followed the building blog -what nice people!
Light dinner at the tent . kids enjoying the pool at night.
Drunk bay Tether Ball on the hunt for Pete
Sunday 21st we did Maho -seriously that is about as far as we got on beaches -stayed at Maho all day--saw a Tarpon....bigger than me. .FOUS's
(fish of unusual size) no matter how benign--still tend to freak me out--
Lucy at Maho (above)
-My son was JONESING for a meatball sub from tourist trap, my daughter for the wings--so we left Maho a bit earlier than I wanted,.....but, they are closed on Sunday and Monday (and I KNEW THIS!) -however, for the next couple of days the tourist trap is very good parent ammo....
Monday the 22nd--we met a nice family from texas and they met us at Little Lameshur -we were there ALL day (from 10 until about 5 pm!) hiked out to Yawzi point, and did the GREAT snorkel that puts in on the left side of the yawzi point trail about halfway -lots to see there--sometimes getting out can be rough because of the surge...but.....it's worth it!
At about this point (maybe it was the next day?) the winds really started to PICK UP!!!!!
My lovely, easy, breezy p-13 started to sound like the lex line during rush hour. At 3 am the wind is HOWLING the rain WHIPPING and P-13 is rockin' and rollin'--and not in a 'don't come knockin'' kind of way--in the oh my god is this thing going to plummet down yon hillside into drunk bay?--are the coral people in Drunk bay really just tent casualties from windy nights at Concordia???? Is this just some strange twlight zone episode? --and this is the story every night until we leave--still, I love Concordia, and if I go back in the winter, I will choose a less private less breezy domain.--while I love to sleep with the waves pounding, I didn't get a lot of sleep these nights.
Tuesday the 23rd
Waterlemon snorkel today--looking out it looked CRAZY wavy as we approached, but the majority of the area was in the lee and so not so bad (but around the back was pretty surgey and wavey and I am wondering if the child welfare authorities are going to show up in a dinghy next to me as my daughter is dashed against the rocks.....
We went into town so I could find some clothes to be married (remarried ) in and found something great at the fabric mill (thanks for all the suggestions in that regard!) then off to the Balcony for lunch where they had pretty much NOTHING on the menu....the waitress was very frustrated as they apparently had run out of everything--persons tell me that the restaurant is owned by someone in the purveyor business so who knows what up with that.....
Shopped at starfish, and, I have to say--unless you need really upscale stuff (from the liquor store .gourmet place) Maybe for meats Starfish, but for all else I feel better off at Dolphin--their price for apples is less than what I pay in NY--and they had a good selection of cheese, etc. Ordered a cake at Baked in Da Sun for my daughter's birthday on Christmas. Chocolate with raspberry ......
FYI MAJOR--Lily's in Coral Bay had Veuve Cliquot Brut for 50.00--at Starfish this same bottle was 68.00 (or thereabouts) and at dolphin it was about 64--so .....
We stopped at the tourist trap on the way back to the tent---they were going to be the only place open in CB for Christmas and so we figured we'd end up there for Christmas lunch--Larry was very nice about us bringing a birthday cake there.
Christmas eve.
The mad dash to midtown Manhattan, um, err, I mean Cruz Bay --and the Marketplace. Could it have been any more of a zoo? People were honking and yelling and ZOIKS! I grabbed the cake and looked at the gas gauge.--empty..ok, go get gas..... snarly, in a crazy hurry, people in a LONG line at the gas station. Flee response sets in ....... Have cake will travel, can I make it back to Coral Bay and get gas a dominos? The gas light comes on at Columbo--good thing it's downhill--crap, cash, do I have any cash???? They only take cash.....rifle thru everything, locate ten bucks. Get half cup of gas (okay that was jut for dramatic effect) -but still, I had no idea if I had any money and there was NO way I would have made it back to Cruz bay--oh SNAP, Love City Mini Mart has an ATM. File that in the mental notes. Late that afternoon we head out looking for soemthign to do on christmas eve, Shipwreck had their employee party--so nothing doing there--then we turned around and went back to tourist trap--Larry (the owner) was there with James (his brother) who just rec'd a bushel of oysters--so Gord was in 7th heaven eating several oysters with those guys-I need to wrap presents, so I am off. A couple of couples we met at Concordia come for drinks in the tent and we all have a great time.
Christmas Day, Lucy's Birthday!
Kids are up early, presents abound--lots to celebrate--now here is a reason I LOVE Concordia--Kent, one of the maintenance staff (and a sweeter soul does not exist) comes by to tend to the water system/composting system--so he knocks on the door--we invite him for a bit of Christmas cheer and birthday cheer--he goes on his rounds and comes back has a bit of cheer with us -Then, later he returns with a birthday gift and a card from ALL the maintenance staff for my daughter--I mean HOW NICE ARE THESE PEOPLE? It was such a nice thoughtful gesture. Like I said, this is why I love Concordia.
We go to salt pond for a snorkel, then hit the Tourist Trap (yes there is a theme here) for lunch---Larry has prepared a leg of lamb with trimmings and shrimp cocktail--I have a lobster roll--and too many beers.....oik..But great music and so much weird kismet--a person who comes from my hometown and dated the older sister of my best friend from elementary school--another bunch who live in boothbay me--right around the corner from where our families summer home is--this kind of stuff just happened all the time (I already said that though, right?) And everyone sang happy birthday to Lucy and I think she had a really memorable time--
26th.
So what better cure for a hangover than..An early hike to Rams Head! Yep, there we go.......
When I get halfway across blue cobblestone beach I always half expect to see the torch from lady liberty just off shore and run into Charleton Heston saying 'you;ve finally done it!!! You've finally done it' .
Well not this trip... but my daughter manages to scare the crap out of me a few times by almost going over the edge (she does this because this is funny).
We hang at Salt pond (yes, again, like I said CB inertia had set in seriously)--
View from Rams Head
view of concordia from rams head--give and idea of the whole layout--more development is slated for below the road (so below the tents on the left most side )
Lucy and I Hike up to Concordia, Gord and Will take the car and head back to ...you guessed it, the Tourist Trap-ostensibly to pick up left over cake--but I think this was Gord's excuse to grab a beer (and Will's excuse for meatballs)--I mean really--they were brought up right, they just developed ways about them that ain't quite right.....
Early night tomorrow we pack up and move to Bo Atabey----stay tuned!
so dec 19th i arrived with amazing luck--but what IS it about some folks? i get to Cruz bay, it's busy (DUH! xmas week and the ferry just arrived --and so the VITRAN is there and numerous taxis and cars etc.) but in every crowd there is seriously a person who needs to chillax. The present specimen was a guy who looked like he just walked off the course at Winged Foot (no offense to any of you golfers--there are lots of chill golfers) who has such hubris--with a son who has the same uniform...wife is there too--and he is YELLING (like i am HERE) YELLING at a taxi driver! YELLING that he is LATE and needs to be at X in Y minutes (ummmm yeah, and the VITAN is sitting there and there is traffic, but it ain't times square --or maybe it is--oh no, that's the marketplace--more on that later) So this guy is threatening not to pay the fare if he doesn't get to X in Y minutes--and he obviously is one of the captains of the universe so he has NO issues in berating this taxi man (who is being very , very nice). I shot him my best evil eye --He was harshing my mellow!--
in retrospect i should've just bought him a bushwhacker and said 'island time bro'
ok, the guy needed a xanax a drink and a big squishy hug--i had better things to hug so met my family and went off to concordia.
now i have been visiting st john since 1986 and have always stayed at Maho or Concordia (lately concordia) --we have never done the house thing ( stay tuned for week two when the Coral bay hillbillies move into the manse)
but i love love love concordia and maho--(but en suite bathrooms at concordia make it this old lady's place of choice between the two!)
we stayed in p-13--one of my favorite tents it is the lowest tent on the right side--it has the most privacy--you can stand on that deck nekkid and the best winds (which sort of proved to be an issue this trip!)
the view from p-13 (above?)
looking right from P-13 to salt pond (above?)
one of the main reasons I always love coming here is that the people who work here and the people who stay here are amazing. They are just lovely.
So Coral Bay Inertia (CBI) set in fast and furious and the best laid plans--well the road to hell....lets just say we didn't get around much.....
First order of business on the 20th is to find Pete the Christmas Branch--and since it seems that I deleted all photos of pete mistakenly (with many others : ( )
then there are no pics of pete--but Pete was found on Drunk bay and after some lights and a few ornaments Pete was good to go as the Christmas branch du jour. We spent the day at salt pond met some great folks from Vt and ate a late lunch at the Tourist Trap--Whatever you do, go there -we ended up there so much that they were ready to throw us out, but always a great time! Also connected with Joe Palmienteri who arranges the Christmas gift exchange at Baptist Church--I gave him the gifts we brought for the older kids--We discussed the Forum's contribution (via Pia) and He was just SO grateful--seriously, this guy is the nicest person on the planet. -he invited us to the Christmas party on the 21st, and I would have loved to go, but I sortof felt a bit like an interloper and didn't want to intrude (though he had assured me that I wouldn't ) so Pia or Joe , if you happen to read this., thank you for the opportunity to do something nice. We met Salty Dog and mr salty dog for a drink at Concordia -we will be renting from them later -we loved meeting them after having followed the building blog -what nice people!
Light dinner at the tent . kids enjoying the pool at night.
Drunk bay Tether Ball on the hunt for Pete
Sunday 21st we did Maho -seriously that is about as far as we got on beaches -stayed at Maho all day--saw a Tarpon....bigger than me. .FOUS's
(fish of unusual size) no matter how benign--still tend to freak me out--
Lucy at Maho (above)
-My son was JONESING for a meatball sub from tourist trap, my daughter for the wings--so we left Maho a bit earlier than I wanted,.....but, they are closed on Sunday and Monday (and I KNEW THIS!) -however, for the next couple of days the tourist trap is very good parent ammo....
Monday the 22nd--we met a nice family from texas and they met us at Little Lameshur -we were there ALL day (from 10 until about 5 pm!) hiked out to Yawzi point, and did the GREAT snorkel that puts in on the left side of the yawzi point trail about halfway -lots to see there--sometimes getting out can be rough because of the surge...but.....it's worth it!
At about this point (maybe it was the next day?) the winds really started to PICK UP!!!!!
My lovely, easy, breezy p-13 started to sound like the lex line during rush hour. At 3 am the wind is HOWLING the rain WHIPPING and P-13 is rockin' and rollin'--and not in a 'don't come knockin'' kind of way--in the oh my god is this thing going to plummet down yon hillside into drunk bay?--are the coral people in Drunk bay really just tent casualties from windy nights at Concordia???? Is this just some strange twlight zone episode? --and this is the story every night until we leave--still, I love Concordia, and if I go back in the winter, I will choose a less private less breezy domain.--while I love to sleep with the waves pounding, I didn't get a lot of sleep these nights.
Tuesday the 23rd
Waterlemon snorkel today--looking out it looked CRAZY wavy as we approached, but the majority of the area was in the lee and so not so bad (but around the back was pretty surgey and wavey and I am wondering if the child welfare authorities are going to show up in a dinghy next to me as my daughter is dashed against the rocks.....
We went into town so I could find some clothes to be married (remarried ) in and found something great at the fabric mill (thanks for all the suggestions in that regard!) then off to the Balcony for lunch where they had pretty much NOTHING on the menu....the waitress was very frustrated as they apparently had run out of everything--persons tell me that the restaurant is owned by someone in the purveyor business so who knows what up with that.....
Shopped at starfish, and, I have to say--unless you need really upscale stuff (from the liquor store .gourmet place) Maybe for meats Starfish, but for all else I feel better off at Dolphin--their price for apples is less than what I pay in NY--and they had a good selection of cheese, etc. Ordered a cake at Baked in Da Sun for my daughter's birthday on Christmas. Chocolate with raspberry ......
FYI MAJOR--Lily's in Coral Bay had Veuve Cliquot Brut for 50.00--at Starfish this same bottle was 68.00 (or thereabouts) and at dolphin it was about 64--so .....
We stopped at the tourist trap on the way back to the tent---they were going to be the only place open in CB for Christmas and so we figured we'd end up there for Christmas lunch--Larry was very nice about us bringing a birthday cake there.
Christmas eve.
The mad dash to midtown Manhattan, um, err, I mean Cruz Bay --and the Marketplace. Could it have been any more of a zoo? People were honking and yelling and ZOIKS! I grabbed the cake and looked at the gas gauge.--empty..ok, go get gas..... snarly, in a crazy hurry, people in a LONG line at the gas station. Flee response sets in ....... Have cake will travel, can I make it back to Coral Bay and get gas a dominos? The gas light comes on at Columbo--good thing it's downhill--crap, cash, do I have any cash???? They only take cash.....rifle thru everything, locate ten bucks. Get half cup of gas (okay that was jut for dramatic effect) -but still, I had no idea if I had any money and there was NO way I would have made it back to Cruz bay--oh SNAP, Love City Mini Mart has an ATM. File that in the mental notes. Late that afternoon we head out looking for soemthign to do on christmas eve, Shipwreck had their employee party--so nothing doing there--then we turned around and went back to tourist trap--Larry (the owner) was there with James (his brother) who just rec'd a bushel of oysters--so Gord was in 7th heaven eating several oysters with those guys-I need to wrap presents, so I am off. A couple of couples we met at Concordia come for drinks in the tent and we all have a great time.
Christmas Day, Lucy's Birthday!
Kids are up early, presents abound--lots to celebrate--now here is a reason I LOVE Concordia--Kent, one of the maintenance staff (and a sweeter soul does not exist) comes by to tend to the water system/composting system--so he knocks on the door--we invite him for a bit of Christmas cheer and birthday cheer--he goes on his rounds and comes back has a bit of cheer with us -Then, later he returns with a birthday gift and a card from ALL the maintenance staff for my daughter--I mean HOW NICE ARE THESE PEOPLE? It was such a nice thoughtful gesture. Like I said, this is why I love Concordia.
We go to salt pond for a snorkel, then hit the Tourist Trap (yes there is a theme here) for lunch---Larry has prepared a leg of lamb with trimmings and shrimp cocktail--I have a lobster roll--and too many beers.....oik..But great music and so much weird kismet--a person who comes from my hometown and dated the older sister of my best friend from elementary school--another bunch who live in boothbay me--right around the corner from where our families summer home is--this kind of stuff just happened all the time (I already said that though, right?) And everyone sang happy birthday to Lucy and I think she had a really memorable time--
26th.
So what better cure for a hangover than..An early hike to Rams Head! Yep, there we go.......
When I get halfway across blue cobblestone beach I always half expect to see the torch from lady liberty just off shore and run into Charleton Heston saying 'you;ve finally done it!!! You've finally done it' .
Well not this trip... but my daughter manages to scare the crap out of me a few times by almost going over the edge (she does this because this is funny).
We hang at Salt pond (yes, again, like I said CB inertia had set in seriously)--
View from Rams Head
view of concordia from rams head--give and idea of the whole layout--more development is slated for below the road (so below the tents on the left most side )
Lucy and I Hike up to Concordia, Gord and Will take the car and head back to ...you guessed it, the Tourist Trap-ostensibly to pick up left over cake--but I think this was Gord's excuse to grab a beer (and Will's excuse for meatballs)--I mean really--they were brought up right, they just developed ways about them that ain't quite right.....
Early night tomorrow we pack up and move to Bo Atabey----stay tuned!
< leaving on the 22nd of march...but too lame to figure out the ticker thing again!>
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islandgirl
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:26 pm
- Location: michigan
super report..lovely pics!!!!!! 
but i have to say people like that crazy guy that did that to the taxi driver makes me cringe
those kind of jerks dont deserve being on stjohn. i feel sorry for the taxi guy.
we were going to take a last minute trip down at christmas but glad we did not. toooooo crazy!! will wait to springtime
but i have to say people like that crazy guy that did that to the taxi driver makes me cringe
those kind of jerks dont deserve being on stjohn. i feel sorry for the taxi guy.we were going to take a last minute trip down at christmas but glad we did not. toooooo crazy!! will wait to springtime
Great start. I can't wait to hear more. I love how you have met so many people!! That is part of the fun for me too. My husband and son's really don't like it--they tease me because they feel that by the time I am done with some poor victim I have made them my long lost cousin. LOL
That would be a little scary when the winds were up. The wind woke all of us up a few times and we were in a villa. It really was intense. I imagine you really didn't sleep well.
I am looking forward to your next report.
Gina
That would be a little scary when the winds were up. The wind woke all of us up a few times and we were in a villa. It really was intense. I imagine you really didn't sleep well.
I am looking forward to your next report.
Gina
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gymnastika
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:01 pm
- Location: texas
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emptynester
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:02 am
Enjoying your Trip Report and a a couple of question
Thanks for posting your trip report. We are going to be at Concordia for President's week in February and have requested tents P-12 or 13. The last time we were there in 2006 we stayed in one of the Studios and it got a little hot at night in the loft area so we thought we'd try a "breezier" tent-cottage. But yikes I didn't think about the times there was a gale blowing!
The questions I have for you are about the tents. Was there anything missing from the tent that you wish you had brought with you? What type of coffee making equipment do they have? Is there a cooler to take lunch to the beach? We are trying to consolidate into one bag what normally fits into three so any help you can give on "packing smarter" I would appreciate. Sharon
The questions I have for you are about the tents. Was there anything missing from the tent that you wish you had brought with you? What type of coffee making equipment do they have? Is there a cooler to take lunch to the beach? We are trying to consolidate into one bag what normally fits into three so any help you can give on "packing smarter" I would appreciate. Sharon
Enjoying the report!
Both Maho and Concordia interest me and I would like to try both. I would like our son to experience the community atmosphere.
Mr. PA, however, feels very differently. He is not into the tent thing.
As soon as he is old enought, I will enlist Little PA Boy to bring his father around.
I think we may be able to pump daddy full of rum punches and get him to commit to a split Concordia or Maho/Caneel summer trip.
I also followed Salty Dog's blog and wanted to scream at the computer at points when things were going so wrong. I am happy to see they have the house finished and up and running.
Both Maho and Concordia interest me and I would like to try both. I would like our son to experience the community atmosphere.
Mr. PA, however, feels very differently. He is not into the tent thing.
As soon as he is old enought, I will enlist Little PA Boy to bring his father around.
I think we may be able to pump daddy full of rum punches and get him to commit to a split Concordia or Maho/Caneel summer trip.
I also followed Salty Dog's blog and wanted to scream at the computer at points when things were going so wrong. I am happy to see they have the house finished and up and running.
seriously--there were pretty much sustained 20-25 knot winds with gusts up into the tropical storm range! it was HONKIN' out there!wishwewerethere wrote:Great photos and report!
Too breezy?? I wish for wind most tripsBut then again that is off season...
< leaving on the 22nd of march...but too lame to figure out the ticker thing again!>
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smilesfromMN
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2007 10:19 am
- Location: MN
We experienced the Concordia winds in Jan 2007... unfortunately so did our 2 & 5 year old sons who didn't sleep much at night for the entire week. If we decide to stay at Concordia again in the future, we'll try to be very selective about which unit we get. Concordia is absolutely lovely, but the night winds and VERY LOUD canvas wall flapping (and tired, crankly kids) were a bruise on our vacation... although the tranquility during the day and views at Concordia have no comparison.