usvi-on-line
Trip report Part 3 What a routine!
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trip report Part 3 What a routine!
Day four
We’re up early for egg sandwiches and juicy watermelon on the deck. It’s overcast a bit and there’s no breeze so the noseeums are biting. We head inside to finish breakfast in peace and in one piece. Load up the backpacks, lather up, and drive all of a few blocks to the Annaberg parking lot. The only car there is us and I remember something about parking closer but who cares. We like to hike. I'll regret that later! Now I know I should take the kids on the historical tour stuff, but we are just in love with snorkeling at this point and don’t want to “waste” any time out of the water.
The trail is a tunnel of green and that blue water to your left is amazing. We round the bay to the point nearest the cay and there, shockingly enough, is some trash. How dare there be trash on the beach.
We throw it into our garbage bag on the way out, but remark how spoiled you can get on STJ with the way the beaches are so spotless!
When you hop in the water there the shallows quickly give way to the deep. No starfish, boo hoo. I’d read how sometimes they’re there and sometimes they’re not. Just sand on the way over to the cay (did we not look in the right place?). Well we get to the cay and the boys want out to the tiny beach there. They’re thrilled with the way waves hit it from both sides and we find a big dead puffer fish. We lounge a bit then off we go, clockwise. For the life of me I couldn’t remember which way people always say to go, but it was fine. Our whole trip we never noticed fierce currents. Lucky timing I guess?
Lots of coral; brain, fan, elkhorn, and others. The far side of the cay is particularly pretty and we see lots of fish and a small turtle.
Then it happens. Each snorkel we see all the “usual” great stuff but then we see something we hadn’t seen before. Today’s spot was a strange fish with big old eyes that was looking right at us. Then it spread its eight tentacles and by compressing them again shot forward under a coral ledge/hole. I dive down to confirm my disbelieving eyes and sure enough, an octopus is sort of pulsing under there and I can see the suction cup thingies on its tentacles. Wow! This trip I’d really wanted to see an octopus and there you go!
We go around the cay multiple times and the slower you go the more you see. We snorkel then goof off on the little beach and we meet some really great people from New York. Then we see a couple, man and woman, who are spazzing out and standing up on EVERYTHING. I’m just about to say something to them when my husband pokes his head out of the water and gives them a stern speech about damaging the coral. Now that’s funny to me, because this is his first time on St. John and already he is playing island caretaker! Way to go!
We swim back to the point for lunch: sandwiches, pita and hummus, fruit salad, and super cold water half of which had been frozen in a Nalgene bottle, yep another great tip I read on this forum. It seems like a longer walk back because our youngest has flipper blisters and no amount of bandaids or Neosporin will make him happy. We take turns piggybacking him. I love when you carry your child because they simply cannot walk and after sweating and lugging them a zillion miles you put them down out of sheer exhaustion: and they RUN. Husband and I look at each other like, “should we wring his neck now or wait till after vacation?”
We go straight back to Francis beach and do not see Rick G and his gang who must be lying like a rug about having been there on Sunday
. Kidding of course!! By that point I think it was 6:00 or so and the sun was beginning to set. The kids play in the sand and we snorkel AGAIN. Can’t get enough! I see a big ole ray and those cute little brown and white camouflaged fish with the huge head and eyes and itty bitty side fins. We watch all the fish eating the fry. Many pelicans are dive bombing. We generally had a peaceful grand time. We were the last people there and the boys skinny dipped gleefully, have got to get them to Solomon!
When it is time to leave we take turns dashing out of the water, gathering up a thing or two, and then dashing back into the water. No bug bites that way, hooray!
We make some delicious fish for dinner, potatoes au gratin, broccoli, and pina coladas (virgins for the little guys of course). To bed early because we have a definite routine now: up early, try someplace new, then chill at Francis all evening before dinner. I could take a year of that!
People, shut me up if this is too long and/or boring!!! Hi to FlaGeorge, thanks for the nice words, were you not believing the barracuda story? Honest, really!!!
We’re up early for egg sandwiches and juicy watermelon on the deck. It’s overcast a bit and there’s no breeze so the noseeums are biting. We head inside to finish breakfast in peace and in one piece. Load up the backpacks, lather up, and drive all of a few blocks to the Annaberg parking lot. The only car there is us and I remember something about parking closer but who cares. We like to hike. I'll regret that later! Now I know I should take the kids on the historical tour stuff, but we are just in love with snorkeling at this point and don’t want to “waste” any time out of the water.
The trail is a tunnel of green and that blue water to your left is amazing. We round the bay to the point nearest the cay and there, shockingly enough, is some trash. How dare there be trash on the beach.
We throw it into our garbage bag on the way out, but remark how spoiled you can get on STJ with the way the beaches are so spotless!When you hop in the water there the shallows quickly give way to the deep. No starfish, boo hoo. I’d read how sometimes they’re there and sometimes they’re not. Just sand on the way over to the cay (did we not look in the right place?). Well we get to the cay and the boys want out to the tiny beach there. They’re thrilled with the way waves hit it from both sides and we find a big dead puffer fish. We lounge a bit then off we go, clockwise. For the life of me I couldn’t remember which way people always say to go, but it was fine. Our whole trip we never noticed fierce currents. Lucky timing I guess?
Lots of coral; brain, fan, elkhorn, and others. The far side of the cay is particularly pretty and we see lots of fish and a small turtle.
Then it happens. Each snorkel we see all the “usual” great stuff but then we see something we hadn’t seen before. Today’s spot was a strange fish with big old eyes that was looking right at us. Then it spread its eight tentacles and by compressing them again shot forward under a coral ledge/hole. I dive down to confirm my disbelieving eyes and sure enough, an octopus is sort of pulsing under there and I can see the suction cup thingies on its tentacles. Wow! This trip I’d really wanted to see an octopus and there you go!
We go around the cay multiple times and the slower you go the more you see. We snorkel then goof off on the little beach and we meet some really great people from New York. Then we see a couple, man and woman, who are spazzing out and standing up on EVERYTHING. I’m just about to say something to them when my husband pokes his head out of the water and gives them a stern speech about damaging the coral. Now that’s funny to me, because this is his first time on St. John and already he is playing island caretaker! Way to go!
We swim back to the point for lunch: sandwiches, pita and hummus, fruit salad, and super cold water half of which had been frozen in a Nalgene bottle, yep another great tip I read on this forum. It seems like a longer walk back because our youngest has flipper blisters and no amount of bandaids or Neosporin will make him happy. We take turns piggybacking him. I love when you carry your child because they simply cannot walk and after sweating and lugging them a zillion miles you put them down out of sheer exhaustion: and they RUN. Husband and I look at each other like, “should we wring his neck now or wait till after vacation?”
We go straight back to Francis beach and do not see Rick G and his gang who must be lying like a rug about having been there on Sunday
. Kidding of course!! By that point I think it was 6:00 or so and the sun was beginning to set. The kids play in the sand and we snorkel AGAIN. Can’t get enough! I see a big ole ray and those cute little brown and white camouflaged fish with the huge head and eyes and itty bitty side fins. We watch all the fish eating the fry. Many pelicans are dive bombing. We generally had a peaceful grand time. We were the last people there and the boys skinny dipped gleefully, have got to get them to Solomon! When it is time to leave we take turns dashing out of the water, gathering up a thing or two, and then dashing back into the water. No bug bites that way, hooray!
We make some delicious fish for dinner, potatoes au gratin, broccoli, and pina coladas (virgins for the little guys of course). To bed early because we have a definite routine now: up early, try someplace new, then chill at Francis all evening before dinner. I could take a year of that!
People, shut me up if this is too long and/or boring!!! Hi to FlaGeorge, thanks for the nice words, were you not believing the barracuda story? Honest, really!!!
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
Oh – I believe you about the barracuda. I just never heard of one acting that way. That’s the best part of diving and snorkeling – you see and learn new things every time. After 35+ years of diving – the ocean still surprises me.
Again – another great installment. I’m having soooo much fun reading your reports. I can’t wait for the next installment – “What adventure will they get into next?”. Bring it on darling – I’m chomping at the bit.
Thanks for helping me relive a magical place.
Again – another great installment. I’m having soooo much fun reading your reports. I can’t wait for the next installment – “What adventure will they get into next?”. Bring it on darling – I’m chomping at the bit.
Thanks for helping me relive a magical place.
FlaGeorge
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
Hey FlaGeorge
You are definitely the right person to ask this! Should we learn to scuba? I'm sort of thinking that expense wise maybe we should be content with loving to snorkel but now I'm thinking hmmmmmmmmmmm. Whaddyou think?
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
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California Girl
Your report is DEFINITELY not too long and boring! I'm loving it, and I copy and send little pieces of it to my husband at work (he can't read the forum there).
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but did you say how old your little guys are? I'm sure they will remember this trip for their entire life. So many exciting things to experience tell their friends!
Waiting for the next installment! Bring it on!
Maybe I missed it somewhere, but did you say how old your little guys are? I'm sure they will remember this trip for their entire life. So many exciting things to experience tell their friends!
Waiting for the next installment! Bring it on!
