Trip Report - Day 14

ColumbiaSCTraveler · Post by **ColumbiaSCTraveler** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:56 pm

We woke up at 7, and had breakfast at the cottage.

We headed to the bookstore at the Marketplace, and I bought a book for the plane.

My husband was asked by some lady who was in the bookstore where he was from. I thought she asked if he was on tv, or was an actor, but he thought she asked if he was from Tunisia. Hilarious, regardless. And for the record, he's from El Salvador.

We also picked up some newspapers and postcards while we were there, and then headed to Deli Grotto. We split the sunshine croissant with bacon.

Then we drove up North Shore a little ways to take in the last few minutes of the sweet island before we had to return the jeep.

My husband dropped me and the luggage off at the dock, while he returned the jeep.

I fell while writing in the sand for the STJ Spice Webcam. If y'all knew me, y'all would know that seeing people fall is one of my FAVORITE things. Seriously.

And it's even FUNNIER when I'm the one doing the falling.

So, it was only approrpiate that I ended my trip with a fall. And a fantastic one at that.

(On another note, the fall provided me with some gorgeous STJ sand in various places

that managed to stick with me til my shower at home that night! Score!

)

Unfortunately, no one has a picture of "The Fall." [If you were at the Beach Bar or anywhere else along there, I'm sure you probably saw me bust it. Congrats.]

However, one of my sweet friends snapped my handiwork:

(I'm ROX. And all that foot traffic at the bottom of my name was "The Fall.")

Anyhoo, again, back to the ferry.

We arrived at Red Hook around 12:20 and shared a taxi van with a FANTASTIC couple from Connecticut, who has been visiting STJ since the 80's! They are our mentors!!!!

We arrived at the airport - smooth check-in - and sat. for. hours. [Note: is luggage not weighed at the STT airport?!? Weird.]

We split chicken tenders and fries at the airport, and boarded around 4:00pm.

While we got to Charlotte way early, this didn't do us any good since we still had to go to Charleston. Sigh. This allowed time for me to eat queso dip at the Chili's at the terminal, so I was cool with it.

Then Starbucks. Check.

Flight departs to Charleston at 10:30. Check.

We arrived in Charleston around 11:15, and got home around 1:30am.

What a LONG travel day. MUST REMEMBER TO BOOK EARLIER DEPARTURE FLIGHT NEXT YEAR. Apparently I think we'll have all this time on the last day to spend touring the island and just taking it all in, when, in fact, we have to always turn in the jeep at noon, and end up sitting at the ridiculous STT airport for hours on end.

What time do y'all normally depart?

So anyway, here we are back home. Like I said in an earlier post, we just purchased a new home, so it was less depressing to leave STJ than in previous years, but my heart still hurts a bit from being gone.

However......there's always next year....

Let the planning begin!!!

CBama · Post by **CBama** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:24 pm

thanks for the reports!!

msgcolleen · Post by **msgcolleen** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:42 pm

Great reporting and pictures! Loved to read most of them all in one day!! Glad you had a great time and would have loved to see you writing in the sand and your famous fall into it! We were on the 11 a.m. ferry that day and just missed it!!
Keep us posted on your 2012 birthday trip! Maybe we'll catch up with you then!
Cheers~

ColumbiaSCTraveler · Post by **ColumbiaSCTraveler** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:44 pm

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It was fun reliving the trip through these trip reports!

Hate I missed y'all this trip, too, msgcolleen! 2012 is looking good, though!

greyhoundmom · Post by **greyhoundmom** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:04 pm

Loved reading your reports and pics! Thanks for posting every day trip reports! The first 4 years we did CLT to STT. The last 2 Myrtle to STT. I think we are done with Myrtle. The Ft. Lauderdale layover is a zoo! We are 4 1/2 years into a new build and it is aways a joy to come home! Thanks again for sharing your trip! Jan

Patty · Post by **Patty** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:40 am

Your daily journal was a good read.....I wish there were more

Sounds like you covered a lot of ground. Reef Madness looks like a fabulous villa! We have stayed out on Seagrape Hill the last two years and have already put a deposit on a place in the same area for next summer....right down the hill from Reef Madness. The location is great and we love staying out in Coral Bay.

P-600 · Post by **P-600** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 6:46 am

Thanks for the great trip reports- I loved your pictures! I will be celebrating my birthday next week on STJ! So excited!!

Jen East End · Post by **Jen East End** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:10 am

Really great trip reports and photos! Also enjoyed the food reporting, will see if we can try that soup!

vi lover · Post by **vi lover** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:07 am

Wonderful trip reports. Thanks so very much for taking the time to share your trip with us!

Barney&barbara · Post by **Barney&barbara** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 2:54 pm

Loved your reports and i too love a good fall .....lol

AquaGirl · Post by **AquaGirl** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:02 am

Thanks for the reports! Really enjoyed reading them. I just love Frances Beach and enjoyed seeing the pics from there. In response to your question about what time people plan to depart from the island, we try to get a departing flight around 2pm. This means we don't have to get up at crack of dawn to get to STT, but it doesn't leave a lot of time to hang out. Since we have to check out of the villa, and turn in the Jeep, there isn't a lot of time to hang out on the last day anyway. I don't like getting home so late that you are totally exhausted. I know some people have no choice due to the long distances they have to fly. For us, being in the Washington DC area, we can generally get home around 10pm.

Rachelle & Joe · Post by **Rachelle & Joe** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:23 am

Thanks for all your on island TR's & beautiful pics! have enjoyed them all. even the impression of your Goodbye FALL

Travel day is always LONG.....

Capn Dan and Ruby · Post by **Capn Dan and Ruby** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:10 pm

Enjoyed the report! Enjoyed the pix!

We eat lunch in STT and shop! This would be a good time to visit your favorite place for lunch with out all the ferry rides there and back! It gives you a reason for a late flight! I think that next year we will do Mongoose and the DG for lunch! Love the DG too!

Yall should get together with GHM and hubbs some time. Yall would have a blast!!! They are really fun!

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