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Trip Report 5/21 -5/28
Trip Report 5/21 -5/28
Well this is kinda overdue but I just started in a new position at work. ****Warning it's long*****
Day 1 (Wednesday)
We (myself, Dawn, Mom, and my sister Jean) left for the airport hoping to be able to meet up with Mary and Ed (sister and BIL)who were coming in from Jersey. We pulled in and they were the next car behind us. This was a good indication of how the rest of our trip would play out. Our flight was on-time and smooth (well except for the jet my Mary saw fly a bit to close for her liking). Gonzi picked us up at the airport, luggage was quick and Dohm's Water Taxi was waiting at the dock. Mary, Ed and Jean have never been to STJ and were already OOhing and AAhing! This of course made me feel great because I was starting to wonder whether or not they came on the trip to just to shut me up about STJ. Dawn and I went over to Varlack to pick up the car and that too went smoothly. Dawn and I picked up all of their luggage and sent them over to the High Tide so they could officially start vacation.
We met Lisa from Vacation Vistas at Ristaba and we were blown away by the view. Ristaba is beautiful 4 bdrm villa with a great pool,a wet bar, hot tub and a 2 bdrm cottage. The place was just beautiful and spotless. Lisa was wonderful, we were set up with wine, beer, soda, cheese and more compliments of Vacation Vistas. Lisa was always a phone call away and never made you feel uncomfortable when calling for anything. We dropped off the luggage and headed back to the High Tide to join in the party. Lunch was awesome (great burgers and the Cruzan Confusion was even better). Got the gang back to the house and to say they were pleased would be an understatement. I was a bit concerned about how the 2 outdoor showers were gonna go over but everyone loved them. We got our order from Gary (x-mixology)(he was wonderful) and we let the night begin. Beautiful night for star gazing.
Day 2 (Thursday)
Woke to a few beautiful rainbows ( Thanks MIA, Melisa and Dad).
Took our time getting up and headed out to Cinnamon. It was as beautiful as ever. Mary who is not much of a water person just could not get over how beautiful it was. You could see the stress of work drain from Ed as he floated in the water and then enjoyed his Tom Collins while sitting in a chair at the water's edge. Jean looked very relaxed (but we could tell she was missing her SO Steve). Mom, Dawn, and I just sighed with relief to be back in Heaven. We cooked at home ( Polar Bear cooler and Techni-ice were awesome)Ed had enjoyed a few T.C's on the beach along with a beer or two and then one of the bottles of wine provided to us. I guess you could say he was relaxed (usually he is a 2 drink max kinda guy)I guess the island spirit hit him. A great night was had by all.
Day 3 (Friday)
I couldn't wait for this day! Took the girls shopping in Cruz Bay in order to ensure that we would be at the beach later in the day. My Brother Bill and his wife Patti and I have had it planned since November that they would come and surprise the rest of the gang. They couldn't come early because of my niece's prom. With help from Ruth (thanks Ruth you are awesome), we arranged to leave a key for them at her spice shop to pick up. I got the rest of them headed out to Trunk in the early afternoon while Bill and Patti went and dropped the luggage off. I called them to find out where they were and figured out about how long it would take. I watched down the beach and saw them get their snorkel equipment on so I knew it was time. I had everyone in the water for a picture and acted as if I was trying to figure out the new camera (which I loved) while giving Bill and Patti time to snorkel up behind the rest of the family. When Bill was behind them but still back a bit I said "excuse me but would you be able to move out of our picture" My family's mouth's dropped because I would NEVER talk to someone like that. He put his head back under as they turned to look. Again, I tried to focus their attention forward to give him a chance to get closer. I then said "ok sir if you are going to be in our picture could you at least smile." They turned around and he took off his mask the tears started and the party had begun. What a blast! 5 months planning and nobody knew a thing (except Ruth).
Banana Deck for dinner that night. The island lost power but we just laughed. Awesome!
Day 4 (Saturday)
We had charted Stormy Petrel for the day. We hit Virgin Gorda (jumped off the rocks -I tried to quietly get out of that but no luck since my older sister Jean and SIL Patti with a bad leg did it--Live like you were dying! It was Great! Cooper Island for lunch, and the Caves off Norman Island. What a great day! Rum punch started flowing at about 9:30am and kept on going. Again Mary who's not a big boat person Loved it ( well at least until the last 20 minutes of rougher waters). Dinner and drinks at home listened to music and laughed a lot!
Day 5 (Sunday)
Took Mom to Church and then back to the house for a big breakfast. Did a little shopping in town. Got some goodies at STJ Spice and got my Tigger shirt thanks to Ruth. Dropped Bill, Patti and Ed off at Hawksnet. Myself, Mom, Jean and Mary drove around a bit. I showed them Maho, Annaberg, stopped for an "Island style" smoothie at the truck MMmmm good! Drove to Coral Bay did some shopping and then dropped Mary and Jean back to the house to play in the pool with Dawn. Mom and I met the rest of the gang at Hawksnest It was gorgeous. I said a prayer for Waterguy's wife while taking it all in. We headed over to the Beach Bar to meet up with some forum friends. It was great to see Ruth again and to fill her in on how the surprise went. We had the pleasure of meeting Joe and Rochelle (Pagan),Jim and Diana (Jim I am so sorry to have heard about your Sea Urchin run in. I met Chris in Cruz Bay and she told me. Saw the pictures too OUCH! Good thing you have your own private Duty Nurse. Hope you are feeling better. It was great meeting you both), and Wish we were there's Chris and gang ( I think there may have been someone else there but the Red Stripes don't do much for my memory sorry! D&D at home again another great night of laughing and star gazing.
Day 6 (Monday)
Back to Hawksnest with the whole gang this time. Another perfect day. Bill, Patti, Dawn and I hit the Quiet Mon for a few. Got to meet Kenny and have one or two of his Blackout drinks --oh so good! He is a great guy, lots of fun! We took some Uncle Joe's Ribs home and shared them with the rest of the gang. They were delicious! (1st time for me). You guessed it more D&D at home and lots of laughs (especially with a few of those blackout drinks Yummy)
Day 7 (Tuesday)
Last full day kinda feels those blues creeping up-don't want it to end. We headed to Trunk again (well minus Dawn she was loving quiet time with her book the pool and the blender at Ristaba). We did lots of snorkeling around. Jean was a bit afraid of the yellow tailed snapper that took a liking to her. Patti and I walked down the beach towards the left and we ran into Joe and Rochelle. They couldn't be nicer. We were so happy to have met them. When we got back and told Bill they were there he headed down to say "Hi". We all went to Lime Inn for dinner and as usual it was incredible. My Crab stuffed Filet could not have been more tender. Jean had a chicken special that was great. Again, the drinks were great too!
We headed over to Woody's for one or two more and then headed back to Ristaba. Time to pack and finish up laundry YUCK!
Day 8 Wednesday
Picked up some coffee and breakfast at the Deli Grotto. Headed to to dock to meet up with Dohm's. Again, they were on time and wonderful. Bradley is a blast! Gonzi was there waiting in STT. We got to see the addition he has put onto his house. It is always nice to see old friends. Porter at the airport. Great drinks at the airport bar. Good flight to NYC and luggage was almost the first out. The vacation ended as it started and as it was all the way through--PERFECT!!!
Day 1 (Wednesday)
We (myself, Dawn, Mom, and my sister Jean) left for the airport hoping to be able to meet up with Mary and Ed (sister and BIL)who were coming in from Jersey. We pulled in and they were the next car behind us. This was a good indication of how the rest of our trip would play out. Our flight was on-time and smooth (well except for the jet my Mary saw fly a bit to close for her liking). Gonzi picked us up at the airport, luggage was quick and Dohm's Water Taxi was waiting at the dock. Mary, Ed and Jean have never been to STJ and were already OOhing and AAhing! This of course made me feel great because I was starting to wonder whether or not they came on the trip to just to shut me up about STJ. Dawn and I went over to Varlack to pick up the car and that too went smoothly. Dawn and I picked up all of their luggage and sent them over to the High Tide so they could officially start vacation.
We met Lisa from Vacation Vistas at Ristaba and we were blown away by the view. Ristaba is beautiful 4 bdrm villa with a great pool,a wet bar, hot tub and a 2 bdrm cottage. The place was just beautiful and spotless. Lisa was wonderful, we were set up with wine, beer, soda, cheese and more compliments of Vacation Vistas. Lisa was always a phone call away and never made you feel uncomfortable when calling for anything. We dropped off the luggage and headed back to the High Tide to join in the party. Lunch was awesome (great burgers and the Cruzan Confusion was even better). Got the gang back to the house and to say they were pleased would be an understatement. I was a bit concerned about how the 2 outdoor showers were gonna go over but everyone loved them. We got our order from Gary (x-mixology)(he was wonderful) and we let the night begin. Beautiful night for star gazing.
Day 2 (Thursday)
Woke to a few beautiful rainbows ( Thanks MIA, Melisa and Dad).
Took our time getting up and headed out to Cinnamon. It was as beautiful as ever. Mary who is not much of a water person just could not get over how beautiful it was. You could see the stress of work drain from Ed as he floated in the water and then enjoyed his Tom Collins while sitting in a chair at the water's edge. Jean looked very relaxed (but we could tell she was missing her SO Steve). Mom, Dawn, and I just sighed with relief to be back in Heaven. We cooked at home ( Polar Bear cooler and Techni-ice were awesome)Ed had enjoyed a few T.C's on the beach along with a beer or two and then one of the bottles of wine provided to us. I guess you could say he was relaxed (usually he is a 2 drink max kinda guy)I guess the island spirit hit him. A great night was had by all.
Day 3 (Friday)
I couldn't wait for this day! Took the girls shopping in Cruz Bay in order to ensure that we would be at the beach later in the day. My Brother Bill and his wife Patti and I have had it planned since November that they would come and surprise the rest of the gang. They couldn't come early because of my niece's prom. With help from Ruth (thanks Ruth you are awesome), we arranged to leave a key for them at her spice shop to pick up. I got the rest of them headed out to Trunk in the early afternoon while Bill and Patti went and dropped the luggage off. I called them to find out where they were and figured out about how long it would take. I watched down the beach and saw them get their snorkel equipment on so I knew it was time. I had everyone in the water for a picture and acted as if I was trying to figure out the new camera (which I loved) while giving Bill and Patti time to snorkel up behind the rest of the family. When Bill was behind them but still back a bit I said "excuse me but would you be able to move out of our picture" My family's mouth's dropped because I would NEVER talk to someone like that. He put his head back under as they turned to look. Again, I tried to focus their attention forward to give him a chance to get closer. I then said "ok sir if you are going to be in our picture could you at least smile." They turned around and he took off his mask the tears started and the party had begun. What a blast! 5 months planning and nobody knew a thing (except Ruth).
Banana Deck for dinner that night. The island lost power but we just laughed. Awesome!
Day 4 (Saturday)
We had charted Stormy Petrel for the day. We hit Virgin Gorda (jumped off the rocks -I tried to quietly get out of that but no luck since my older sister Jean and SIL Patti with a bad leg did it--Live like you were dying! It was Great! Cooper Island for lunch, and the Caves off Norman Island. What a great day! Rum punch started flowing at about 9:30am and kept on going. Again Mary who's not a big boat person Loved it ( well at least until the last 20 minutes of rougher waters). Dinner and drinks at home listened to music and laughed a lot!
Day 5 (Sunday)
Took Mom to Church and then back to the house for a big breakfast. Did a little shopping in town. Got some goodies at STJ Spice and got my Tigger shirt thanks to Ruth. Dropped Bill, Patti and Ed off at Hawksnet. Myself, Mom, Jean and Mary drove around a bit. I showed them Maho, Annaberg, stopped for an "Island style" smoothie at the truck MMmmm good! Drove to Coral Bay did some shopping and then dropped Mary and Jean back to the house to play in the pool with Dawn. Mom and I met the rest of the gang at Hawksnest It was gorgeous. I said a prayer for Waterguy's wife while taking it all in. We headed over to the Beach Bar to meet up with some forum friends. It was great to see Ruth again and to fill her in on how the surprise went. We had the pleasure of meeting Joe and Rochelle (Pagan),Jim and Diana (Jim I am so sorry to have heard about your Sea Urchin run in. I met Chris in Cruz Bay and she told me. Saw the pictures too OUCH! Good thing you have your own private Duty Nurse. Hope you are feeling better. It was great meeting you both), and Wish we were there's Chris and gang ( I think there may have been someone else there but the Red Stripes don't do much for my memory sorry! D&D at home again another great night of laughing and star gazing.
Day 6 (Monday)
Back to Hawksnest with the whole gang this time. Another perfect day. Bill, Patti, Dawn and I hit the Quiet Mon for a few. Got to meet Kenny and have one or two of his Blackout drinks --oh so good! He is a great guy, lots of fun! We took some Uncle Joe's Ribs home and shared them with the rest of the gang. They were delicious! (1st time for me). You guessed it more D&D at home and lots of laughs (especially with a few of those blackout drinks Yummy)
Day 7 (Tuesday)
Last full day kinda feels those blues creeping up-don't want it to end. We headed to Trunk again (well minus Dawn she was loving quiet time with her book the pool and the blender at Ristaba). We did lots of snorkeling around. Jean was a bit afraid of the yellow tailed snapper that took a liking to her. Patti and I walked down the beach towards the left and we ran into Joe and Rochelle. They couldn't be nicer. We were so happy to have met them. When we got back and told Bill they were there he headed down to say "Hi". We all went to Lime Inn for dinner and as usual it was incredible. My Crab stuffed Filet could not have been more tender. Jean had a chicken special that was great. Again, the drinks were great too!
We headed over to Woody's for one or two more and then headed back to Ristaba. Time to pack and finish up laundry YUCK!
Day 8 Wednesday
Picked up some coffee and breakfast at the Deli Grotto. Headed to to dock to meet up with Dohm's. Again, they were on time and wonderful. Bradley is a blast! Gonzi was there waiting in STT. We got to see the addition he has put onto his house. It is always nice to see old friends. Porter at the airport. Great drinks at the airport bar. Good flight to NYC and luggage was almost the first out. The vacation ended as it started and as it was all the way through--PERFECT!!!
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traveler22
- Posts: 853
- Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:17 pm
- Location: New Jersey
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Sun4MySoul
- Posts: 524
- Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 1:37 pm
- Location: NC
Barb,
So glad you and your gang had a safe and fun trip. I love your story about the "surprise guests"...it's great when you can pull off a surprise like that.
Thanks so much for thinking about Melissa when you saw the rainbows...mia
So glad you and your gang had a safe and fun trip. I love your story about the "surprise guests"...it's great when you can pull off a surprise like that.
Thanks so much for thinking about Melissa when you saw the rainbows...mia
It takes both the sun and the rain to make a beautiful rainbow. --Unknown
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Berlingirl
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:09 pm
- Location: New England
Thanks-
Bill in Va
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:56 pm
- Location: Lake Gaston, Va
Good job
Yo....Good one Gal...Really enjoyed the suprise part..God bless...Bill
You are never too old to have a happy childhood...
