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Long OverdueTrip Report-12/26-1/3-Part 1
Long OverdueTrip Report-12/26-1/3-Part 1
Sorry this took so long, but I have been too depressed since we left St. John to write about the great time we had.
Arrived from Atlanta on time, stopped by the liquor store in the airport and purchased a bunch of alcohol we didn't need and couldn't possibly drink. But, as my husband said, its a deal! Picked up our luggage and made it to the 4:00 p.m. CA ferry just in the nick of time.
One couple, sitting next to us on the ferry had a bet with the ferry driver that he could not make it in 30 minutes to St. John. If he didn't , he would refund their fare. We made it to St. John in 32 minutes! Fine with me.
Picked up our car at Conrad Sutton and headed to Coconut Coast("CC")-took the long way there because the "short" way is down the steepest hill on St. John. I read somewhere where the grade is 37%.
We got checked in. The room was fine, with unbelievable artwork by the former owner, Elaine Estern (who owns Coconut Coast Studio -almost kind of next door to CC...)
We were, in fact, invited to a reception at the art stuido that night. Coconut Coast Studios is located on Frank Bay beach down the street, around a curve, from Gallows. Coconut Coast is on Frank Bay, to the left from where the car ferry arrives. You have to walk around a pond to get to the art studio. So, we walked down the path around the pond behind CC. This path is available for persons staying at CC to make a much quicker walk to Cruz Bay. However, you are not supposed to walk the path at night. Believe me, you really don't want to walk the path at night.
Picture this- its sort of like the trail to Soloman, but a whole lot more narrow. There are chickens, roosters, peacocks, bats and who knows what else on the trail. On one side is a hill with brush and on the left is a dropoff to a bird sanctuary pond. The path is overhung with trees and brush and the path has rocks and roots on it. Anyway, we head towards the path and my husband keeps saying "thats not the path". He proceeds to walk up a driveway, because he doesn't believe me that the path IS the path. (Which to be fair, anyone would be skeptical) He ends up on someone's deck and immediately turns around to come back and we head down the correct path.
By that time, it turns dark, and of course we cannot see a thing. He opens up his cell phone to light the path , sort of. It was interesting. We made it and didn't even fall in the pond.
The path was about 50 yards, but I am a terrible judge of distance.
Towards the end of the path, we round a large old tree. I don't know how I made it around that without stumping my toes.
All of a sudden, out of nowwhere appears an open window, shutters thrown back and the most beautiful lighted cottage I have ever seen. In front of us appears the water and the lights of St. Thomas. To our left, are the bright lights of the cottage with colorful artwork everywhere and a flutist and a harpist playing music! CC Studio!
We enter the cottage to be greeted by Elaine, who is so incredibly nice, knowledgeable about the islands. She had just returned from the White House(yes the one in Washington) after being asked ( and she did have a partner on this, another person from the island whose name I cannot recall)to create a christmas ornament for the White House tree. She poured champagne and painkillers and served cocktail shrimp and other hors duerves....
Incredible...you must check out her studio. We bought some art and shipped it home!
In sum, where else on earth could you trapse through the jungle in the dark only to arrive at a art-light -music filled cottage and drink champagne and painkillers!!!!!
We really didn't stay THAT long, but we left and walked to the Beach Bar. You walk around to Gallows and down to the Beach Bar. My husband had tuna down now. We then went to the Balcony, and met alot of folks, including Chase the bartender, a guy from Athens, GA, whom we had met on our last trip to STJ.
We did walk home down that path and how I do not know..All I know is that I woke up the next day in St. John, thinking I was dreaming!!But I was not!!!
Arrived from Atlanta on time, stopped by the liquor store in the airport and purchased a bunch of alcohol we didn't need and couldn't possibly drink. But, as my husband said, its a deal! Picked up our luggage and made it to the 4:00 p.m. CA ferry just in the nick of time.
One couple, sitting next to us on the ferry had a bet with the ferry driver that he could not make it in 30 minutes to St. John. If he didn't , he would refund their fare. We made it to St. John in 32 minutes! Fine with me.
Picked up our car at Conrad Sutton and headed to Coconut Coast("CC")-took the long way there because the "short" way is down the steepest hill on St. John. I read somewhere where the grade is 37%.
We got checked in. The room was fine, with unbelievable artwork by the former owner, Elaine Estern (who owns Coconut Coast Studio -almost kind of next door to CC...)
We were, in fact, invited to a reception at the art stuido that night. Coconut Coast Studios is located on Frank Bay beach down the street, around a curve, from Gallows. Coconut Coast is on Frank Bay, to the left from where the car ferry arrives. You have to walk around a pond to get to the art studio. So, we walked down the path around the pond behind CC. This path is available for persons staying at CC to make a much quicker walk to Cruz Bay. However, you are not supposed to walk the path at night. Believe me, you really don't want to walk the path at night.
Picture this- its sort of like the trail to Soloman, but a whole lot more narrow. There are chickens, roosters, peacocks, bats and who knows what else on the trail. On one side is a hill with brush and on the left is a dropoff to a bird sanctuary pond. The path is overhung with trees and brush and the path has rocks and roots on it. Anyway, we head towards the path and my husband keeps saying "thats not the path". He proceeds to walk up a driveway, because he doesn't believe me that the path IS the path. (Which to be fair, anyone would be skeptical) He ends up on someone's deck and immediately turns around to come back and we head down the correct path.
By that time, it turns dark, and of course we cannot see a thing. He opens up his cell phone to light the path , sort of. It was interesting. We made it and didn't even fall in the pond.
The path was about 50 yards, but I am a terrible judge of distance.
Towards the end of the path, we round a large old tree. I don't know how I made it around that without stumping my toes.
All of a sudden, out of nowwhere appears an open window, shutters thrown back and the most beautiful lighted cottage I have ever seen. In front of us appears the water and the lights of St. Thomas. To our left, are the bright lights of the cottage with colorful artwork everywhere and a flutist and a harpist playing music! CC Studio!
We enter the cottage to be greeted by Elaine, who is so incredibly nice, knowledgeable about the islands. She had just returned from the White House(yes the one in Washington) after being asked ( and she did have a partner on this, another person from the island whose name I cannot recall)to create a christmas ornament for the White House tree. She poured champagne and painkillers and served cocktail shrimp and other hors duerves....
Incredible...you must check out her studio. We bought some art and shipped it home!
In sum, where else on earth could you trapse through the jungle in the dark only to arrive at a art-light -music filled cottage and drink champagne and painkillers!!!!!
We really didn't stay THAT long, but we left and walked to the Beach Bar. You walk around to Gallows and down to the Beach Bar. My husband had tuna down now. We then went to the Balcony, and met alot of folks, including Chase the bartender, a guy from Athens, GA, whom we had met on our last trip to STJ.
We did walk home down that path and how I do not know..All I know is that I woke up the next day in St. John, thinking I was dreaming!!But I was not!!!
Great start to your report. You know, I have never made it to Elaine's studio. Next trip! Did you happen to notice if she sells her painted tiles at the studio? I've seen them online and was thinking about getting some for one of my bathrooms.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Coconut Coast Studios
She does sell the painted tiles in her studio and we purchased two pieces....one of a chocolate lab in a hammock (which is just like the hammock in front of her studio/house) and one of a guy in a hammock in front of Foxy's....
There are framed tile paintings all over CC- in fact, each room has a painted tile name....will try to send pics if I can figure out how to post them here.....
There are framed tile paintings all over CC- in fact, each room has a painted tile name....will try to send pics if I can figure out how to post them here.....
What a picture of your own you painted, with your words. I, too, have never checked out that studio; will have to. A friend of ours is building some new short-term rental villas next to Coconut Coast, so I was over there a few weeks ago, checking them out. Seems to be a good location for being in town.