usvi-on-line
When and/or was your 1st Time on STJ
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traveler22
- Posts: 853
- Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:17 pm
- Location: New Jersey
We were on a cruise ship also in 1992 but never like the cruise line excursions though, so we ask how to get to St. John. We took a taxi to a place called Red Hook and when we were dropped off we thought we were on candid camera or something. There was nothing but a empty concrete dock. Since there was no ferry we walk around Red Hook and wandered into the Yacht center and ask about the ferry and were assured it would come. The woman behind the counter said" all the taxis will try to take you to Trunk Bay, it's beautful but go to Cinnamon Bay". The taxi driver was not happy since everyone else was going to trunk but dropped us off after going to Trunk. We walk onto the beach and were amazed at the pure, simple beauty. This was also before many of the villas built on Peter Bay and Gallows Point was pretty much all you saw at the ferry dock so we were trying to figure out where people were staying. After a while I had to ask, so I went up to a gentleman on the beach and asked "are you staying on St. John? Yes, he replied as he pointed up the hill at a villa. The rest is history, been back 14 times now and own a timeshare also, its what heaven looks like in my mind 
Last edited by traveler22 on Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GraysonDave
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:41 am
- Location: Georgia
Thanks Augie. We really feel blessed on many levels. Megan is still undergoing treatment - she has a special dispensation from her college to miss whenever she needs to. She is at Emory today in fact for more treatment to deal with side effects. Now she is something of a star patient there - she looks great, her hair is back - and is actually speaking at a medical conference next month on the issues involved with caring for a transplant survivor. Unbelievable what the kid has been through. It's a terrible disease.
I just noticed when rereading what I wrote that in the picture of her standing next to the boat railing you can see the black X mark on her boob. She had a rare form of leukemia that included not only the "normal" blood cancer, but extramedullary tumors outside the bloodstream. That X was pinpointing where to aim the radiation machine to get at one of her tumors. She spent 160 nights in the hospital, countless more visits to the cancer clinic, many weeks at home being fed intravenously. But she is alive and mostly well.
Appreciate the kind remarks.
/hijack
I just noticed when rereading what I wrote that in the picture of her standing next to the boat railing you can see the black X mark on her boob. She had a rare form of leukemia that included not only the "normal" blood cancer, but extramedullary tumors outside the bloodstream. That X was pinpointing where to aim the radiation machine to get at one of her tumors. She spent 160 nights in the hospital, countless more visits to the cancer clinic, many weeks at home being fed intravenously. But she is alive and mostly well.
Appreciate the kind remarks.
/hijack
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
Great story, Dave! I wish you and your family the very best and applaud your daughter.
My story - our first visit was June of 2000. We were getting married on island in May of 2001. We had planned our entire wedding there - including bringing 31 of our friends and family and I had never been there.
I took it on blind faith from my friend that the island was paradise and the perfect place for my destination wedding. Her brother and her brother's friend who lived on island helped me find the villa for our wedding reception. It is called Casa Del Sol and he was working for Luke who was the stone mason on the project. He told us that it was a 'Castle in the Caribbean'. We booked it and our reception was planned for there.
In May of 2000, we decided that it was a good idea for us to go down and check it out. We were newbies but our friends were veteran's. Stacey and her brother had been there at least 5 times before and Ron who lived on island helped show us around.
We stayed at Splash - right near the Westin. We fell in love with the island and were thrilled at our choice.
We've been back every year since (several times) and will celebrate our 10 year anniversary in May and are so excited that we get to return to our favorite villa as it recently returned to the rental market. Can't wait!
My story - our first visit was June of 2000. We were getting married on island in May of 2001. We had planned our entire wedding there - including bringing 31 of our friends and family and I had never been there.
I took it on blind faith from my friend that the island was paradise and the perfect place for my destination wedding. Her brother and her brother's friend who lived on island helped me find the villa for our wedding reception. It is called Casa Del Sol and he was working for Luke who was the stone mason on the project. He told us that it was a 'Castle in the Caribbean'. We booked it and our reception was planned for there.
In May of 2000, we decided that it was a good idea for us to go down and check it out. We were newbies but our friends were veteran's. Stacey and her brother had been there at least 5 times before and Ron who lived on island helped show us around.
We stayed at Splash - right near the Westin. We fell in love with the island and were thrilled at our choice.
We've been back every year since (several times) and will celebrate our 10 year anniversary in May and are so excited that we get to return to our favorite villa as it recently returned to the rental market. Can't wait!
NancyB
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cool breeze
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:34 pm
- Location: N.H
My first visit was also off a cruise ship, I believe it was late Feb/early March of 2001. We were traveling with another couple, stopped at St. Thomas (it was the year of our 25th anniversary and I just HAD to get some bling-bling to celebrate). Anyway, a good friend of ours was staying on St. John, he owned a month at the Westin. We took the Charlotte ferry over and walked to Woody's to meet him. We had a couple of beers and then he took us on a two hour tour of the island - stopping at the scenic overlooks, Hawksnest Bay, Trunk Bay and all the way to Francis before we had to get back to get the ferry back to the ship. About three weeks after getting back home from vacation - a group of our friends were all together and our St. John friend asked if we would like to go to St. John in November (2001). He was able to secure 2 of the 3 bedroom Westin pool villas. We agreed and that November 6 couples made the trek. I can remember saying the second day there, "I can't imagine not coming back to St. John." For me it was magical. So even though 911 had happened about six weeks earlier and some of our friends were scared to travel. We all went. I've been back at least once/year since and try to fit in two trips a year! 
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theshopper3
- Posts: 523
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:27 pm
- Location: Canada
Big Cheese,
An awesome thread:):
Like so many others I had never heard of St John before, well we love to travel & I love to search for the best deal(
the shopper), so in 2006 there I am looking for a new place in the Carribean, we had done all the all-inclusives so many times and wanted something different.
We had done a crusie back in 2003 & one of the stops was Tortola, well we fell in love with the view at Cane Garden Bay & said we would love to spend a week on that beach, well as we all know once you start looking & clicking away you sometime end up in a completely different place.
That is what happened for us, Larry came home & I was all excited, he had to come and look at this beautiful Island I found , after I showed him he agreed it was beautiful, but wanted to know what happened to Tortola 
, I said well that is where I started but somehow I ended up in STJ. So the search began on this forum for any information, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, what beaches to hit, do we need a car.
We agreed on renting a small villa from Donald Schell, just past the Gallows, cool that is booked, now for a flight....arrange to pre stock the villa with some cold beverages:):): great got that booked, I was a little afraid of getting to the ferry, so we booked a private taxi to take us there.
So we arrive off the ferry & we are met by one of Donald's employees & taken to the villa, it is a cute little villa & the view is not to bad either.
Once we have done the villa info tour & are left on our own, we grab a cold drink & just smile,we agree this is the most beautiful place in the world, but we are hungry.
We head down the hill in search of Uncle Joe's, we could smell it but couldn't find it, so we ask someone & they said follow your nose, soon enough, we found it & enjoyed our first meal on STJ.
So we had choose not to rent a car, hey we can take a taxi, walk, take the bus & that is exactly what we did & felt we did did pretty good hiting 7 beaches for under $100.00.
5 years later, I beleive trip number 11 in the fall & so many new & amazing friends.Our kids still think we ar crazy that we agreed to share villa;s with people we hardly know.
An awesome thread:):
Like so many others I had never heard of St John before, well we love to travel & I love to search for the best deal(
the shopper), so in 2006 there I am looking for a new place in the Carribean, we had done all the all-inclusives so many times and wanted something different.We had done a crusie back in 2003 & one of the stops was Tortola, well we fell in love with the view at Cane Garden Bay & said we would love to spend a week on that beach, well as we all know once you start looking & clicking away you sometime end up in a completely different place.
That is what happened for us, Larry came home & I was all excited, he had to come and look at this beautiful Island I found
, after I showed him he agreed it was beautiful, but wanted to know what happened to Tortola , I said well that is where I started but somehow I ended up in STJ. So the search began on this forum for any information, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, what beaches to hit, do we need a car.We agreed on renting a small villa from Donald Schell, just past the Gallows, cool that is booked, now for a flight....arrange to pre stock the villa with some cold beverages:):): great got that booked, I was a little afraid of getting to the ferry, so we booked a private taxi to take us there.
So we arrive off the ferry & we are met by one of Donald's employees & taken to the villa, it is a cute little villa & the view is not to bad either.
Once we have done the villa info tour & are left on our own, we grab a cold drink & just smile,we agree this is the most beautiful place in the world, but we are hungry.
We head down the hill in search of Uncle Joe's, we could smell it but couldn't find it, so we ask someone & they said follow your nose, soon enough, we found it & enjoyed our first meal on STJ.
So we had choose not to rent a car, hey we can take a taxi, walk, take the bus & that is exactly what we did & felt we did did pretty good hiting 7 beaches for under $100.00.
5 years later, I beleive trip number 11 in the fall & so many new & amazing friends.Our kids still think we ar crazy that we agreed to share villa;s with people we hardly know.
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paulandtracie
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:45 am
- Location: Michigan
Dave, your story also touched me as well, we lost a brother in law to leukemia at 26, back when bone marrow transplants were considered 'experimental'. I subsequently went to work for a bone marrow transplant foundation and have been so thrilled to see the survuval rates, even for the toughest types of blood cancers, soaring. So many patients go on to lead long healthy lives, it is really remarkable. Great strides have been and continue to be made. I am sending best wishes to you and your family and looking forward to your next trip report!
Oh, almost forgot our 'first trip to St. John' story...about 10 years ago, after an invitation from a friend to share in a rental of 'Villa del Sol' on Gift Hill, set out for a record miserable travel day--I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say missed flights, snowstorm, and upset stomach were all involved. Missed the ferry, arrived on island about 11 at night with a pounding headache, car rental (Denzil Clyne) closed, and no villa greeter to tell us where to go. Thanks to saintly Beach Bar bartenders, found a taxi and figured out the general direction (picture pointing fingers up and saying 'that way!') and headed up the hill on a pothole-filled, barely passable road. Wrong way, wrong way, wrong way...back and forth til we finally found the place, it was now after 1 am. I dropped my bags instide the door and said as loud as I could, "NEVER AGAIN!" Woke up the next morning, took one look outside at that view of the blue water and St. Thomas, and I was, as they say, 'a goner'. Been back once or twice a year ever since and after chickening out four times, finally finished my dive certification with Low Key last summer, thereby checking off a lifelong 'bucket list' item.
Oh, almost forgot our 'first trip to St. John' story...about 10 years ago, after an invitation from a friend to share in a rental of 'Villa del Sol' on Gift Hill, set out for a record miserable travel day--I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say missed flights, snowstorm, and upset stomach were all involved. Missed the ferry, arrived on island about 11 at night with a pounding headache, car rental (Denzil Clyne) closed, and no villa greeter to tell us where to go. Thanks to saintly Beach Bar bartenders, found a taxi and figured out the general direction (picture pointing fingers up and saying 'that way!') and headed up the hill on a pothole-filled, barely passable road. Wrong way, wrong way, wrong way...back and forth til we finally found the place, it was now after 1 am. I dropped my bags instide the door and said as loud as I could, "NEVER AGAIN!" Woke up the next morning, took one look outside at that view of the blue water and St. Thomas, and I was, as they say, 'a goner'. Been back once or twice a year ever since and after chickening out four times, finally finished my dive certification with Low Key last summer, thereby checking off a lifelong 'bucket list' item.
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My first-time story:
http://stjusvi.com/pages/how-it-began
Anthony: I am assuming since this is my personal blog it is OK to post a link.
http://stjusvi.com/pages/how-it-began
Anthony: I am assuming since this is my personal blog it is OK to post a link.
Leap, and the net will appear.
- John Burroughs
- John Burroughs
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GraysonDave
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:41 am
- Location: Georgia
Thanks. After she got sick one of her sorority sisters became active in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Did an amazing job and her chapter has continued it with a big annual event. Just yesterday that girl landed a marketing job with LLS coordinating fundraising events. Just kind of funny where life events can lead. And Megan's transplant doctor has pretty much said that when she gets out of nursing school he'll find her research position on his staff.paulandtracie wrote:I subsequently went to work for a bone marrow transplant foundation and have been so thrilled to see the survuval rates, even for the toughest types of blood cancers, soaring. So many patients go on to lead long healthy lives, it is really remarkable. Great strides have been and continue to be made. I am sending best wishes to you and your family and looking forward to your next trip report!
We appreciate the work you do. What I can understand of the science behind all of that is just amazing. Still lots to learn too.
Great topic...phenomenal story, Dave, all the best to Megan and your fam. Not going to top that one, but I think I've got a pretty good one too...
Put me down under the accidental STJ tourist category, meaning it was not the primary destination the first time I went...seems to be a common theme around here.
June 2002 - my wife and I and three other couples booked a cruise out of Miami with like four or five stops in the Western Caribbean. We were all at the stage in our lives right before trying to have kids. So this was going to be our Last Fandango before giving into maturity...though despite having two kids since then, my wife will attest to the fact that the whole "maturity thing" didn't take with me.
So there we were just waiting for our bags full of formal wear and contraband liquor in the Miami airport that fateful Sunday morning around 9am after a 5am flight from DFW when some guy dressed in just regular clothes walked up and said, "are you here for the cruise on the SS Norway" in a tone that made you think he just ran over your dog.
"Um yeah, why do you ask?"
"Well the boiler room on the boat blew up this morning killing four people and your cruise has been canceled."
Has to be the biggest, "yeah, that just happened" moment of my life.
Anyway, there was nothing the cruise people could do for us but try to help us find flights back home. But that wasn't going to work because we had 3 lawyers on the trip who basically said it took an act of congress for them to get this week off and there would be no going back, not this week. (Begin slow clap sequence, Bluto, "Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor speech" right about now.)
So long story longer, one of my friends had a brochure from a USVI villa company in her bag from her honeymoon 3 years before to Caneel Bay of all places. She called the emergency number listed on it for people who have like clogged toilets while in their villa and next thing we know, we had a last minute villa on Rock Ridge Road overlooking chocolate hole for the week.
Then we convinced American airlines to give us the last minute bereavement rate for the 5pm flight to St. Thomas.
Spent the next 5 days waking up with no plans and drinks in our hands...probably the best vacation of my life.
Been back twice since then, going again this June, but there's just something about your first time (to STJ) that can't ever be topped.
Put me down under the accidental STJ tourist category, meaning it was not the primary destination the first time I went...seems to be a common theme around here.
June 2002 - my wife and I and three other couples booked a cruise out of Miami with like four or five stops in the Western Caribbean. We were all at the stage in our lives right before trying to have kids. So this was going to be our Last Fandango before giving into maturity...though despite having two kids since then, my wife will attest to the fact that the whole "maturity thing" didn't take with me.
So there we were just waiting for our bags full of formal wear and contraband liquor in the Miami airport that fateful Sunday morning around 9am after a 5am flight from DFW when some guy dressed in just regular clothes walked up and said, "are you here for the cruise on the SS Norway" in a tone that made you think he just ran over your dog.
"Um yeah, why do you ask?"
"Well the boiler room on the boat blew up this morning killing four people and your cruise has been canceled."
Has to be the biggest, "yeah, that just happened" moment of my life.
Anyway, there was nothing the cruise people could do for us but try to help us find flights back home. But that wasn't going to work because we had 3 lawyers on the trip who basically said it took an act of congress for them to get this week off and there would be no going back, not this week. (Begin slow clap sequence, Bluto, "Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor speech" right about now.)
So long story longer, one of my friends had a brochure from a USVI villa company in her bag from her honeymoon 3 years before to Caneel Bay of all places. She called the emergency number listed on it for people who have like clogged toilets while in their villa and next thing we know, we had a last minute villa on Rock Ridge Road overlooking chocolate hole for the week.
Then we convinced American airlines to give us the last minute bereavement rate for the 5pm flight to St. Thomas.
Spent the next 5 days waking up with no plans and drinks in our hands...probably the best vacation of my life.
Been back twice since then, going again this June, but there's just something about your first time (to STJ) that can't ever be topped.
It’s not about yesterday or tomorrow...It’s about today, for come what may – Sun, rain, or hurricane – we've only time for a smile, and none for sorrow
Wow Dave - good luck - the advances are incredible - my husband survived bone cancer in 1950 - was diagnosed in 2005 with leukemia - has had 2 heart attacks and we just got back from a much needed and appreciated trip to St. John - my first trip was a bit different - my best friend and I desperately "needed" to get away in the winter of 2007 - neither of our husbands wanted to travel 
- so we sucked it up and went alone - we originally talked about FLorida because it is close and easy - but then I remembered that I had read and heard about a great island called St. John- so off we went - we rented a villa in Coral Bay and a jeep and had the time ofour lives. We went to 2 beaches a day and still had time to hang out by the pool - we got used to having no families to attend to real quick - I knew when I got to the villa that I would be back with my family - and sure enough we just came back froma week on St. John - thanks for starting this string.
- so we sucked it up and went alone - we originally talked about FLorida because it is close and easy - but then I remembered that I had read and heard about a great island called St. John- so off we went - we rented a villa in Coral Bay and a jeep and had the time ofour lives. We went to 2 beaches a day and still had time to hang out by the pool - we got used to having no families to attend to real quick - I knew when I got to the villa that I would be back with my family - and sure enough we just came back froma week on St. John - thanks for starting this string.