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Trip Report June 9-16, Final Beaches and Restaurants
Trip Report June 9-16, Final Beaches and Restaurants
Wednesday - We decide that today we will go over to Coral Bay, snorkel Salt Pond and have lunch at Skinny Legs. But it's not easy to leave this view from the villa...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622058979/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1167/622 ... 5c6beb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fish Bay"></a>
We had breakfast at Donkey Diner. It was okay; typical eggs, bacon, pancakes. It started raining lightly while we were eating, but stopped by the time we parked at Salt Pond. There was very good snorkeling on the left side: Steve found a queen conch. I can't recall all the different fish but there were alot and the coral is in pretty good shape. We stayed there until about 1:30, then left for Skinny Legs. The parking lot was packed and it looked very crowded, but we managed to find a table. I had the grilled mahi mahi. Steve had a hamburger. When we left there we drove to Francis Bay. I didn't take as many photos of beaches this year, but am posting a photo I took at Francis last year. This was our first view of a beach on STJ.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/623990888/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/623 ... 3b506f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Francis Bay / STJ 2006"></a>
Since there is no shade on Francis, we only stayed a short time. For dinner we went to Lime Inn for peel and eat shrimp. We really like this place and enjoy talking to the owner Rich. He doesn't take reservations on Wednesdays and we had to wait at the bar for about 20 minutes. The bartender asked where we were from. We said, "Kansas City". He said, "So are they" and pointed to a group of people on the other side of the bar. We talked to them for awhile and as it turns out, Steve and several of them have mutual acquaintances. Small world. Anyway, the dinner was great. We didn't save room for dessert. Told Rich we'd see him next year.
Thursday - I wanted to go to Jumbie today and knew we would have to go early if we wanted a parking place. We stopped by Baked in the Sun for a sandwich to take to the beach. How did we miss this place last year? We loved the sandwich: #12; turkey, pesto, provolone, roasted red peppers on sour dough bread. We also bought these great chocolate cookies (Steve ate his before we walked down the steps to the beach). There was only one parking place left when we got to Jumbie at 9:30 that morning. We found a nice shady spot and stayed until 4:00 that afternoon. I took these photos with a mini tripod and the timer on the camera.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059165/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/622 ... 26152c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059079/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1160/622 ... c55cef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
The snorkeling on the left side was okay. We liked this beach alot. I tried not to think about slave bowling.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059053/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/622 ... b4eb39.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
Dinner this evening was at La Tapa. We had reservations, but don't think we needed them. It wasn't too busy. This meal was my favorite. We both had the filet with shitake mushroom sauce, on chive mashed potatoes with fresh green beans. Dessert was vanilla bean cheesecake. The food and service were excellent.
Friday - Our last full day and we saved our favorite beach for last: Solomen. We went by Deli Grotto for a sandwich to put in the cooler; Trunk Bay Chicken - chicken, pesto mayo, tomato, lettuce on focaccia. The hike to Solomen isn't too bad, except we carry a cooler, 2 beach chairs and a beach bag. There are only 2 people on the beach when we first arrive. We get a great spot under one of the palms. The snorkeling between Solomen and Honeymoon is the best we've done. About noon it gets much busier and who shows up? The same dude in the orange banana hammock that we saw here last year. He must live here. This is a photo that I took last year at Solomen.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/623090453/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/623 ... ba1d7b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Solomen/ STJ 2006"></a>
And here's one I took this year.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059191/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1073/622 ... 3de0d4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Solomen"></a>
We stayed until about 3:30, then went to Computer Express (now inside Connections) to print our boarding passes. We realized that we had never been to Hawksnest, so we stopped there for a short time. It was pretty crowded, but now we can say we've been there. We grilled the last of our hotdogs back at the villa and started thinking about what ferry we should take in the morning.
Saturday - We stop at Baked in the Sun for a sandwich for the plane. And more cookies too. We dropped off the Vitara at Courtesy (easy, fast and friendly service. We'll definitely use them again). I still hadn't had a cocoberry smoothie, so we went back to Paradise Cafe. I got my smoothie (delicious!) and a breakfast sandwich; egg, cheese, bacon on a toasted english muffin. It was really, really good. The 9:00 Red Hook still hadn't left at 9:30, so we bought tickets and left slightly earlier than planned. Ferry to STT and taxi to airport are no problem. Since we don't check bags, we fill out custom form and go through pretty quickly. Our plane leaves a little late, but we make our connections and are home by 10:30 that night. There's only one way for me to ease the pain of returning from another week on STJ: start planning next year's trip. Thanks for reading.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/584291106/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1209/584 ... 59d63c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Cruz Bay at Sunset"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622058979/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1167/622 ... 5c6beb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fish Bay"></a>
We had breakfast at Donkey Diner. It was okay; typical eggs, bacon, pancakes. It started raining lightly while we were eating, but stopped by the time we parked at Salt Pond. There was very good snorkeling on the left side: Steve found a queen conch. I can't recall all the different fish but there were alot and the coral is in pretty good shape. We stayed there until about 1:30, then left for Skinny Legs. The parking lot was packed and it looked very crowded, but we managed to find a table. I had the grilled mahi mahi. Steve had a hamburger. When we left there we drove to Francis Bay. I didn't take as many photos of beaches this year, but am posting a photo I took at Francis last year. This was our first view of a beach on STJ.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/623990888/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/623 ... 3b506f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Francis Bay / STJ 2006"></a>
Since there is no shade on Francis, we only stayed a short time. For dinner we went to Lime Inn for peel and eat shrimp. We really like this place and enjoy talking to the owner Rich. He doesn't take reservations on Wednesdays and we had to wait at the bar for about 20 minutes. The bartender asked where we were from. We said, "Kansas City". He said, "So are they" and pointed to a group of people on the other side of the bar. We talked to them for awhile and as it turns out, Steve and several of them have mutual acquaintances. Small world. Anyway, the dinner was great. We didn't save room for dessert. Told Rich we'd see him next year.
Thursday - I wanted to go to Jumbie today and knew we would have to go early if we wanted a parking place. We stopped by Baked in the Sun for a sandwich to take to the beach. How did we miss this place last year? We loved the sandwich: #12; turkey, pesto, provolone, roasted red peppers on sour dough bread. We also bought these great chocolate cookies (Steve ate his before we walked down the steps to the beach). There was only one parking place left when we got to Jumbie at 9:30 that morning. We found a nice shady spot and stayed until 4:00 that afternoon. I took these photos with a mini tripod and the timer on the camera.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059165/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/622 ... 26152c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059079/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1160/622 ... c55cef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
The snorkeling on the left side was okay. We liked this beach alot. I tried not to think about slave bowling.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059053/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1357/622 ... b4eb39.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jumbie"></a>
Dinner this evening was at La Tapa. We had reservations, but don't think we needed them. It wasn't too busy. This meal was my favorite. We both had the filet with shitake mushroom sauce, on chive mashed potatoes with fresh green beans. Dessert was vanilla bean cheesecake. The food and service were excellent.
Friday - Our last full day and we saved our favorite beach for last: Solomen. We went by Deli Grotto for a sandwich to put in the cooler; Trunk Bay Chicken - chicken, pesto mayo, tomato, lettuce on focaccia. The hike to Solomen isn't too bad, except we carry a cooler, 2 beach chairs and a beach bag. There are only 2 people on the beach when we first arrive. We get a great spot under one of the palms. The snorkeling between Solomen and Honeymoon is the best we've done. About noon it gets much busier and who shows up? The same dude in the orange banana hammock that we saw here last year. He must live here. This is a photo that I took last year at Solomen.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/623090453/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/623 ... ba1d7b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Solomen/ STJ 2006"></a>
And here's one I took this year.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/622059191/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1073/622 ... 3de0d4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Solomen"></a>
We stayed until about 3:30, then went to Computer Express (now inside Connections) to print our boarding passes. We realized that we had never been to Hawksnest, so we stopped there for a short time. It was pretty crowded, but now we can say we've been there. We grilled the last of our hotdogs back at the villa and started thinking about what ferry we should take in the morning.
Saturday - We stop at Baked in the Sun for a sandwich for the plane. And more cookies too. We dropped off the Vitara at Courtesy (easy, fast and friendly service. We'll definitely use them again). I still hadn't had a cocoberry smoothie, so we went back to Paradise Cafe. I got my smoothie (delicious!) and a breakfast sandwich; egg, cheese, bacon on a toasted english muffin. It was really, really good. The 9:00 Red Hook still hadn't left at 9:30, so we bought tickets and left slightly earlier than planned. Ferry to STT and taxi to airport are no problem. Since we don't check bags, we fill out custom form and go through pretty quickly. Our plane leaves a little late, but we make our connections and are home by 10:30 that night. There's only one way for me to ease the pain of returning from another week on STJ: start planning next year's trip. Thanks for reading.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9043759@N05/584291106/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1209/584 ... 59d63c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Cruz Bay at Sunset"></a>
)Carry on luggage
How are you able to fly with only carry on bags with the new regulations on liquids? I definately have more than 3oz. of toiletries. We've got 2 trips to St. John within the next year and 1 of them we'd be able to just take a carry on with us. Thanks for your help in advance!
What a wonderful report. I love your ending photo--so peaceful.
AmyR, go to the TSA site for the carry on regulations. You can have more than 3 ounces of liquid total--you just cannot have any one container that holds more than 3 ounces. All liquids must be in their original packaging, and the sum total of your liquids must fit into a quart size ziploc bag. Hope that helps!
AmyR, go to the TSA site for the carry on regulations. You can have more than 3 ounces of liquid total--you just cannot have any one container that holds more than 3 ounces. All liquids must be in their original packaging, and the sum total of your liquids must fit into a quart size ziploc bag. Hope that helps!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Thanks for sharing.
Love the picture at Jumby. Where did you get your mini tripod?
We had a great day at Jumby last trip. Our son tired himself out so much playing in the water that he pushed us aside and fell asleep on the beach blanket. Lucky for me I had a great book and an icey bottle of wine in the cooler - paradise!
Love the picture at Jumby. Where did you get your mini tripod?
We had a great day at Jumby last trip. Our son tired himself out so much playing in the water that he pushed us aside and fell asleep on the beach blanket. Lucky for me I had a great book and an icey bottle of wine in the cooler - paradise!
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
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Dave-a-roni
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 1:43 am
- Location: Western NY
Hi, We only travel with carry-on even if we are gone for two weeks. My one plastic bag is bursting with containers. I have had 4oz bottles and no one ever says anything. I reuse containers that are sometimes filled with an entirely different substance. I've never had anyone ask or check my containers. SRT