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Just back!! Trip Report Days 1 & 2
Just back!! Trip Report Days 1 & 2
Hi guys! We got back at 2:00 AM this morning!! Wow, what a great trip. Right now I am in a deep dark depression, excessive misery!! I can't believe it's over. But we will be back, oh we WILL be back!!! Thanks to everyone for such great advice and for sharing your experiences. I almost felt like I had been there before, like maybe a really long time ago and it was all coming back to me as we would do and see things, but it wasn't my experiences I was remembering, it was all of yours. Thanks again guys!
Okay, well here is the first installment of my long trip report. I'm going to try to get it all out this weekend, since I don't go back to work until Tuesday.
I'll set the stage. Family of four. Forty-something(but look much younger) parents. Two kids -- 13yr. old boy, 9yr. old(going on 19) girl. Newbies in paradise.
Day 1 - Today was a seriously long travel day. Left the house at 3:30 AM to catch our 6:20 flight from Pittsburgh to Newark. Flight from Newark to STT was on time. And we arrived in St. Thomas at 1:30. My daughter was feeling a bit under the weather. We made a visit to the pediatrician yesterday, as we always seem to do the day before a big trip! DD had a slight earache. Turns out she had some fluid build-up. Not an infection yet, but Doc gave us an antibiotic to make sure it didn't end up that way. Anyway, Daughter had a headache for most of the trip, and my super amusement park rider(she'll ride anything that loops, twirls, and twists) was done in by the taxi ride from the airport to Red Hook!! After some water, a coupla bites of a now day old muffin and a few minutes rest at the ferry dock, she was feeling ready to move on. Caught the 3:00 ferry. By the time we hit Cruz Bay she was back to normal. That sea air will cure just about anything.
Met Katie from Vacation Vistas at the dock, picked up our car at Cool Breeze and followed Katie to Villa Bijou. Walked through the front door of our villa, and immediately fell in love with the island. The whole back wall of the villa opens up to a gorgeous view of Great Cruz Bay. It was breathtaking. I just wanted to sit there and take it all in, but we had to get back to town to Connections to pick up our packages before they closed.
Found our way to Connections then looked for a quick bit to eat. Ended up at the Beach Bar. As much as I wanted to try my first painkiller, I was too hot and really needed a cold beer. I had a Red Stripe, and hubs had a V.I. Pale Ale. I couldn't wait to try the Tuna Down Now, and it really IS as good as it looks, folks!! I was hoping to have it again before we left, but we never did make it back. Can't remember what my husband and daughter had, but I remember that my son had a cheeseburger, which you will see as a recurring theme throughout this trip report. We said that he was on the Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour!
Got back to the villa, unloaded, unpacked and fell into bed early. We were whipped!!
Day 2 - Up early and started our day with a good cup o' joe at the gazebo overlooking Great Cruz Bay. That gazebo would become our favorite spot in the villa. We would drink coffee there, count iguanas there, eat dinner there, watch sunsets there, chat there, and have a nightcap there. I miss it terribly. For some reason my kids would get really chatty while we were sitting there overlooking the sailboats and , for as much as I loved everything the island had to offer, I will remember those times just sitting with my kids and talking as some of the best times we had.
Okay, enough sappy stuff! We had our coffee, packed our coolers, and applied multiple layers of sunscreen. It took us quite a while to get out the door, as we did not have our island routine down just yet. We also had to make a stop at Cool Breeze to see about switching cars, as the Jeep Liberty we were given had a broken latch on the rear window, the brake light was on continuously, and it had a severe pull to the right. Dale didn't have anything else to give us, but he said to try tomorrow. Ugh.
FINALLY, we get to our first beach. MAHO. I think it should be called M-ahh-ho. Any tension from the traveling and the under-the-weather child, and the rental car just melted away. We found a gorgeous spot to plunk down our things and I jumped in the water. This may not seem like much to you, but my kids knew that I was a different person now from this one small act. You see, I'm a sit on the side of the pool with my toes in the water kind of gal. My kids laugh at me cause I don't usually get my hair wet when we go to the pool. If I do go in, I usually just float around on a noodle. But not in St. John! I became a wet headed, sit in the sand in the water kind of gal. One who gets sand in her bathing suit, lots of sand in her bathing suit, in uncomfortable places even, and doesn't mind it. St. John will do that to you.
Okay, so we hit the water and decide to try this thing they call snorkeling. My husband and I have snorkeled before, but this is the kids' first experience. We bought equipment back home and had them try it out in the pool a few times and they seemed to do okay with it, but you never know. Well, it took a little while to get everyone situated and settled, but they got it and before we knew it they were pros! Within the first 15 minutes we saw our first turtle!!! That was at the top of our list of things to see, so when we saw it right away we were blown away! My husband and son spent probably close to an hour stalking those turtles. We saw two small ones and one large one. Just amazing. When my son spotted a stingray, I thought my daughter was going to walk on water trying to get out of there. She was totally freaked out, I think because of the whole Crocodile Hunter tragedy. We finally got her calmed down, and convinced her to stay in the water. We swam over to the right side by the rocks and saw lots of cool fish. I was especially fond of the trumpet fish. At about 3:00 we headed back to the villa to get cleaned up.
We drove into town and ended up at Morgan's Mango for dinner. I had my first frozen frou-frou drink of the trip --- a Lime & Coconut. It was delish, but when I found out it was half price marguerita nite, I switched to the Mango one, on the rocks. Also, quite good. I loved my dinner. I had the House Salad - greens, candied pecans, goat cheese and a mango vinaigrette dressing - and the Jerk Chicken and Brie Quesadillas. Husband had the mahi mahi. He really liked all the sides, but said that the fish was slightly overcooked. Daughter had a grilled cheese samich and Son had a cheeseburger. I know, they are not very adventurous eaters. It drives me crazy, but it's vaycay, so if it's cheeseburgers and grilled cheese they want, then that's what they'll get! Back to the villa and in bed at the ridiculously early bedtime of 9:00. This limin' thing is exhausting!!
to be continued...
Okay, well here is the first installment of my long trip report. I'm going to try to get it all out this weekend, since I don't go back to work until Tuesday.
I'll set the stage. Family of four. Forty-something(but look much younger) parents. Two kids -- 13yr. old boy, 9yr. old(going on 19) girl. Newbies in paradise.
Day 1 - Today was a seriously long travel day. Left the house at 3:30 AM to catch our 6:20 flight from Pittsburgh to Newark. Flight from Newark to STT was on time. And we arrived in St. Thomas at 1:30. My daughter was feeling a bit under the weather. We made a visit to the pediatrician yesterday, as we always seem to do the day before a big trip! DD had a slight earache. Turns out she had some fluid build-up. Not an infection yet, but Doc gave us an antibiotic to make sure it didn't end up that way. Anyway, Daughter had a headache for most of the trip, and my super amusement park rider(she'll ride anything that loops, twirls, and twists) was done in by the taxi ride from the airport to Red Hook!! After some water, a coupla bites of a now day old muffin and a few minutes rest at the ferry dock, she was feeling ready to move on. Caught the 3:00 ferry. By the time we hit Cruz Bay she was back to normal. That sea air will cure just about anything.
Met Katie from Vacation Vistas at the dock, picked up our car at Cool Breeze and followed Katie to Villa Bijou. Walked through the front door of our villa, and immediately fell in love with the island. The whole back wall of the villa opens up to a gorgeous view of Great Cruz Bay. It was breathtaking. I just wanted to sit there and take it all in, but we had to get back to town to Connections to pick up our packages before they closed.
Found our way to Connections then looked for a quick bit to eat. Ended up at the Beach Bar. As much as I wanted to try my first painkiller, I was too hot and really needed a cold beer. I had a Red Stripe, and hubs had a V.I. Pale Ale. I couldn't wait to try the Tuna Down Now, and it really IS as good as it looks, folks!! I was hoping to have it again before we left, but we never did make it back. Can't remember what my husband and daughter had, but I remember that my son had a cheeseburger, which you will see as a recurring theme throughout this trip report. We said that he was on the Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour!
Got back to the villa, unloaded, unpacked and fell into bed early. We were whipped!!
Day 2 - Up early and started our day with a good cup o' joe at the gazebo overlooking Great Cruz Bay. That gazebo would become our favorite spot in the villa. We would drink coffee there, count iguanas there, eat dinner there, watch sunsets there, chat there, and have a nightcap there. I miss it terribly. For some reason my kids would get really chatty while we were sitting there overlooking the sailboats and , for as much as I loved everything the island had to offer, I will remember those times just sitting with my kids and talking as some of the best times we had.
Okay, enough sappy stuff! We had our coffee, packed our coolers, and applied multiple layers of sunscreen. It took us quite a while to get out the door, as we did not have our island routine down just yet. We also had to make a stop at Cool Breeze to see about switching cars, as the Jeep Liberty we were given had a broken latch on the rear window, the brake light was on continuously, and it had a severe pull to the right. Dale didn't have anything else to give us, but he said to try tomorrow. Ugh.
FINALLY, we get to our first beach. MAHO. I think it should be called M-ahh-ho. Any tension from the traveling and the under-the-weather child, and the rental car just melted away. We found a gorgeous spot to plunk down our things and I jumped in the water. This may not seem like much to you, but my kids knew that I was a different person now from this one small act. You see, I'm a sit on the side of the pool with my toes in the water kind of gal. My kids laugh at me cause I don't usually get my hair wet when we go to the pool. If I do go in, I usually just float around on a noodle. But not in St. John! I became a wet headed, sit in the sand in the water kind of gal. One who gets sand in her bathing suit, lots of sand in her bathing suit, in uncomfortable places even, and doesn't mind it. St. John will do that to you.
Okay, so we hit the water and decide to try this thing they call snorkeling. My husband and I have snorkeled before, but this is the kids' first experience. We bought equipment back home and had them try it out in the pool a few times and they seemed to do okay with it, but you never know. Well, it took a little while to get everyone situated and settled, but they got it and before we knew it they were pros! Within the first 15 minutes we saw our first turtle!!! That was at the top of our list of things to see, so when we saw it right away we were blown away! My husband and son spent probably close to an hour stalking those turtles. We saw two small ones and one large one. Just amazing. When my son spotted a stingray, I thought my daughter was going to walk on water trying to get out of there. She was totally freaked out, I think because of the whole Crocodile Hunter tragedy. We finally got her calmed down, and convinced her to stay in the water. We swam over to the right side by the rocks and saw lots of cool fish. I was especially fond of the trumpet fish. At about 3:00 we headed back to the villa to get cleaned up.
We drove into town and ended up at Morgan's Mango for dinner. I had my first frozen frou-frou drink of the trip --- a Lime & Coconut. It was delish, but when I found out it was half price marguerita nite, I switched to the Mango one, on the rocks. Also, quite good. I loved my dinner. I had the House Salad - greens, candied pecans, goat cheese and a mango vinaigrette dressing - and the Jerk Chicken and Brie Quesadillas. Husband had the mahi mahi. He really liked all the sides, but said that the fish was slightly overcooked. Daughter had a grilled cheese samich and Son had a cheeseburger. I know, they are not very adventurous eaters. It drives me crazy, but it's vaycay, so if it's cheeseburgers and grilled cheese they want, then that's what they'll get! Back to the villa and in bed at the ridiculously early bedtime of 9:00. This limin' thing is exhausting!!
to be continued...
First of all, I am incredibly impressed that you started your trip report the DAY YOU GOT BACK. Wow!
Second, I am so glad that you loved Villa Bijou. That is a really nice house for a first St. John experience. Such a pretty view of Great Cruz Bay.
Finally, you never need to apologize for having a Red Stripe rather than a Painkiller:)
Thanks---looking forward to the rest of the report. Please post some pictures when you have them.
Second, I am so glad that you loved Villa Bijou. That is a really nice house for a first St. John experience. Such a pretty view of Great Cruz Bay.
Finally, you never need to apologize for having a Red Stripe rather than a Painkiller:)
Thanks---looking forward to the rest of the report. Please post some pictures when you have them.
---Jim
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Wanda Creech
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:47 pm
- Location: Raleigh,NC
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aroobagirl
- Posts: 316
- Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:58 pm
- Location: Fairfax, VA
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Robin in NC
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:19 pm
- Location: Kernersville, NC
I don't know about you all but every time I read an excited first timers trip report I get all misty eyed (seriously!)
I just think it's so much fun to see how excited folks are to discover STJ and to read their TR's!!
Great start! Keep em- coming!! I've got another 5 moths to get through before my umpteenth trip to STJ!
I just think it's so much fun to see how excited folks are to discover STJ and to read their TR's!!
Great start! Keep em- coming!! I've got another 5 moths to get through before my umpteenth trip to STJ!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
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cliffnchristi
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:33 pm
- Location: Virginia
Looking forward to the next installment. Can't wait to hear how you got your Jeep problem resolved. We also had a not so pleasant experience with Cool Breeze. We will returning to St John Car Rental on our next trip.
And don't feel bad about going to be early. The latest we made it the whole week was 9:30. Limin' does take it out of ya!!!
And don't feel bad about going to be early. The latest we made it the whole week was 9:30. Limin' does take it out of ya!!!
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cliffnchristi
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:33 pm
- Location: Virginia