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Day 2: August 23 - Francis, Pool, and Dinner at Banana Deck
Day 2: August 23 - Francis, Pool, and Dinner at Banana Deck
Good Morning Coral Bay!
It was a bit overcast our first morning but it soon burned off and we had a beautiful sunny day. Did I mention I love the views?
I neglected to mention two things about the house in my overview. 1) There is a washer and dryer conveniently located on the main level of the house outside in a cabinet/storage area and 2) the house also has a lovely little water feature sort of by the main door and near the pool.
The Coral Bay side of the island (once the main hub) has long been replaced by Cruz Bay as the seen of most of the hussle and bussle. I can't say that I missed driving through Cruz Bay on my way to the North Shore! We loved the serenity and quiet of the East End and as soon as I took in the view and the sounds of the first morning I knew we'd (ok, I'd) made the right choice. It could have been quieter than normal because of the time of year, but we really felt like we were more settled in than normal. The locals are such a quirky, fun mix of people. Very laid back!
With the more recent additions in Coral bay over the past 3 or 4 years, Sweet Plantains, Aqua Bistro, Lilly's Market, the Big Belly Deli, the decision to focus our search on a house on that side this time came fairly easily. I was a little worried that we would miss the proximity to Starfish or Mongoose Junction, or Uncle Joe's, but we did not in the least. Just as we would on previous trips take numerous drives over to Coral Bay for Skinny's Burgers. a dinner at Shipwreck, or to pick up T-shirts at Jolly Dog, we found ourselves heading to "Town"/Cruz Bay a few times throughout the week. Its the same commute only in reverse and never once seemed like a hassle.
I can't say enough about how comfy and perfect Coral Bay felt to us. It works for our style - up, breakfast at the house, off to a beach, lunch and back to the house and into the pool before cleaning up for dinner. I felt like I could hop in the jeep bare foot and run over to grab an ice cream at Skinny's or a beer at Aqua Bistro on a whim. I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I were truly far out on the East end of 10 way past Skinny's, but our location worked for us. We were literally a stone's throw from Cocoloba across the road from Island Blues and around the corner (5 minutes tops) from Skinny's.
The kids loved all the goats and donkeys (especially the VERY pregnant one) and the people were so friendly. By my 3rd stop in Lilly's the guys knew me and we would casually chat about this and that.
Last but not least, it is 10-15 minutes from the most beautiful beaches we love the most (for kids), Maho and Francis. It would take a lot to convince me to stay back over on the Cruz Bay/South Shore side in the near term.
Back to our day...
I was up at dawn as usual. The sun comes up strong and fast and bright! To the left from our deck we had a lovely view of the Coral Bay Morovian Church. The only orginal piece of art I own is a painting of this church from an old photograph, painted by St. John native Kristen Maize. I don't know what it is about that church but it is just so peaceful to me.
Cereal was the breakfast choice this morning and soon we were off to our first beach! I packed up our supplies for the day in the beach bag and filled the cooler with a few drinks for the grown-ups and kiddos, a few PB&J sandwiches and some snacks. For our first day we chose Francis (12 minutes tops from the house). Before we even got out of the car we spotted our first iguana. Mini Flip-Flop was thrilled. Mama Flip-Flop is not the biggest fan of these guys, they just look so prehistoric! Mr. Flip had to get this picture.
Francis beach. One of my all time favorites. It is calm and shallow and great for kids. We arrived around 745 and were the only people there until well after 10.
We quickly slipped into a routine. Pick and hit a beach in the morning from about 8-12 or 1pm and then either go get lunch out or head back to the house to eat a quick lunch. Belly Flop still need his daily nap, and we tried to get him back to the house for a good one each day, typically 1:30 or so until 4ish. He was exhausted from the beach. Mini Flip, the Mr and I would take that time to watch a movie and relax (Mini), sleep (Mr or swim), and read by the pool (me). Usually in the late afternoon we'd all hit the pool before cleaning up and getting ready for dinner.
Back to full Day 1 and Francis...
It with a a little dicey at first with Belly Flop. This was the first day I started to get suspicious he may be suffering from motion/car sickness. About 5 minutes into the ride to the beach he would start moaning from the back seat ... uuuuuhhhhhh eeeehhhhhhhh ... this from a kid who NEVER complains in the car. But St. John roads are not Fairfax County roads, so I can see why. The only thing is liked was if the road was rough and bumpy. That got good belly laughs.
So we get to Francis and Mini Flip-Flop is off like a shot and into the water, but Belly Flop has to think about it and is a bit clingy. (He tended to be a little clingy all week with the mama but I think it was because I was away for the first week of August and he was still reluctant to let me out of his sight for fear I would never return!) But within about 10 minutes of being on terra firma his mood changed, he wanted down and was off to play.
Relaxing in the beautiful water on a most beautiful day...
We even managed to get a test underwater shot from our great (tongue firmly planted in cheek) Olympus camera!
Belly Flop discovered this stick and proceeded to play with it for a good hour. Forget the floats and sand bucket and real toys. Nope. He just wanted to play with this.
The kids and dad set their mind to digging to China. Here the whole family (minus Flip-Flop) get in on the job.
Sand anyone?
He quickly figured out how to wash his hands.
While we were distracted by the digging and the swimming and the floating, this crafty chicken made off with our ziplock of goldfish crackers.
Oh well what are you gonna do?
After about 4 hours and soon after the arrival of a fairly noisy bunch - not just chatty but think a SUV backed up in the parking lot with a huge speaker pumping out some heavy bass laden tunes - we decided to head back to the house for naptime and our typical afternoon pool time.
Back at the house, the boy went down for his nap and the rest of us hit the pool and relaxed in our preferred manners. Reading Monster of Florence was a little less scary in the daylight.
Once the boy awakened we decided to head off to Cruz Bay for some shopping and dinner. We skipped Mongoose and headed straight to Conrad's to grab a parking spot. Everytime we went to town there as ample parking in his lot. Then we headed over to Wharfside to peek in a few stores and figure out where for dinner. We were seeking a kid friendly spot and decided on the Banana Deck. One one hand I wanted to try somewhere new but with the kiddos, I decided to go with a sure thing. (We had eaten here on Pia's recommendation back in November for Thanksgiving dinner).
Belly Flop and I shared the penne pasta in cream sauce with grilled chicken, the Mr. got a grilled mahi sandwich and the girl requested a hotdog and rice. She really wanted mashed potatoes, she remembered them from Thanksgiving, but they are not an everyday item so no mashed taters for her.
After dinner we headed home exhausted! Throughout the week, we seemingly randomly alternated between going up Centerline or the North Shore road on trips back and forth between Coral and Cruz Bay and really found neither all the more convenient, it just depended on our mood. This night we took Centerline and were home in about 20 minutes.
Once back at Sea Biscuit both kids went to bed and the Mr. and I just relaxed and read until it was time for us to turn in as well.
SUNDAY: Maho, Skinny Legs, and dinner at Waterfront Bistro
It was a bit overcast our first morning but it soon burned off and we had a beautiful sunny day. Did I mention I love the views?
I neglected to mention two things about the house in my overview. 1) There is a washer and dryer conveniently located on the main level of the house outside in a cabinet/storage area and 2) the house also has a lovely little water feature sort of by the main door and near the pool.
The Coral Bay side of the island (once the main hub) has long been replaced by Cruz Bay as the seen of most of the hussle and bussle. I can't say that I missed driving through Cruz Bay on my way to the North Shore! We loved the serenity and quiet of the East End and as soon as I took in the view and the sounds of the first morning I knew we'd (ok, I'd) made the right choice. It could have been quieter than normal because of the time of year, but we really felt like we were more settled in than normal. The locals are such a quirky, fun mix of people. Very laid back!
With the more recent additions in Coral bay over the past 3 or 4 years, Sweet Plantains, Aqua Bistro, Lilly's Market, the Big Belly Deli, the decision to focus our search on a house on that side this time came fairly easily. I was a little worried that we would miss the proximity to Starfish or Mongoose Junction, or Uncle Joe's, but we did not in the least. Just as we would on previous trips take numerous drives over to Coral Bay for Skinny's Burgers. a dinner at Shipwreck, or to pick up T-shirts at Jolly Dog, we found ourselves heading to "Town"/Cruz Bay a few times throughout the week. Its the same commute only in reverse and never once seemed like a hassle.
I can't say enough about how comfy and perfect Coral Bay felt to us. It works for our style - up, breakfast at the house, off to a beach, lunch and back to the house and into the pool before cleaning up for dinner. I felt like I could hop in the jeep bare foot and run over to grab an ice cream at Skinny's or a beer at Aqua Bistro on a whim. I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I were truly far out on the East end of 10 way past Skinny's, but our location worked for us. We were literally a stone's throw from Cocoloba across the road from Island Blues and around the corner (5 minutes tops) from Skinny's.
The kids loved all the goats and donkeys (especially the VERY pregnant one) and the people were so friendly. By my 3rd stop in Lilly's the guys knew me and we would casually chat about this and that.
Last but not least, it is 10-15 minutes from the most beautiful beaches we love the most (for kids), Maho and Francis. It would take a lot to convince me to stay back over on the Cruz Bay/South Shore side in the near term.
Back to our day...
I was up at dawn as usual. The sun comes up strong and fast and bright! To the left from our deck we had a lovely view of the Coral Bay Morovian Church. The only orginal piece of art I own is a painting of this church from an old photograph, painted by St. John native Kristen Maize. I don't know what it is about that church but it is just so peaceful to me.
Cereal was the breakfast choice this morning and soon we were off to our first beach! I packed up our supplies for the day in the beach bag and filled the cooler with a few drinks for the grown-ups and kiddos, a few PB&J sandwiches and some snacks. For our first day we chose Francis (12 minutes tops from the house). Before we even got out of the car we spotted our first iguana. Mini Flip-Flop was thrilled. Mama Flip-Flop is not the biggest fan of these guys, they just look so prehistoric! Mr. Flip had to get this picture.
Francis beach. One of my all time favorites. It is calm and shallow and great for kids. We arrived around 745 and were the only people there until well after 10.
We quickly slipped into a routine. Pick and hit a beach in the morning from about 8-12 or 1pm and then either go get lunch out or head back to the house to eat a quick lunch. Belly Flop still need his daily nap, and we tried to get him back to the house for a good one each day, typically 1:30 or so until 4ish. He was exhausted from the beach. Mini Flip, the Mr and I would take that time to watch a movie and relax (Mini), sleep (Mr or swim), and read by the pool (me). Usually in the late afternoon we'd all hit the pool before cleaning up and getting ready for dinner.
Back to full Day 1 and Francis...
It with a a little dicey at first with Belly Flop. This was the first day I started to get suspicious he may be suffering from motion/car sickness. About 5 minutes into the ride to the beach he would start moaning from the back seat ... uuuuuhhhhhh eeeehhhhhhhh ... this from a kid who NEVER complains in the car. But St. John roads are not Fairfax County roads, so I can see why. The only thing is liked was if the road was rough and bumpy. That got good belly laughs.
So we get to Francis and Mini Flip-Flop is off like a shot and into the water, but Belly Flop has to think about it and is a bit clingy. (He tended to be a little clingy all week with the mama but I think it was because I was away for the first week of August and he was still reluctant to let me out of his sight for fear I would never return!) But within about 10 minutes of being on terra firma his mood changed, he wanted down and was off to play.
Relaxing in the beautiful water on a most beautiful day...
We even managed to get a test underwater shot from our great (tongue firmly planted in cheek) Olympus camera!
Belly Flop discovered this stick and proceeded to play with it for a good hour. Forget the floats and sand bucket and real toys. Nope. He just wanted to play with this.
The kids and dad set their mind to digging to China. Here the whole family (minus Flip-Flop) get in on the job.
Sand anyone?
He quickly figured out how to wash his hands.
While we were distracted by the digging and the swimming and the floating, this crafty chicken made off with our ziplock of goldfish crackers.
Oh well what are you gonna do?
After about 4 hours and soon after the arrival of a fairly noisy bunch - not just chatty but think a SUV backed up in the parking lot with a huge speaker pumping out some heavy bass laden tunes - we decided to head back to the house for naptime and our typical afternoon pool time.
Back at the house, the boy went down for his nap and the rest of us hit the pool and relaxed in our preferred manners. Reading Monster of Florence was a little less scary in the daylight.
Once the boy awakened we decided to head off to Cruz Bay for some shopping and dinner. We skipped Mongoose and headed straight to Conrad's to grab a parking spot. Everytime we went to town there as ample parking in his lot. Then we headed over to Wharfside to peek in a few stores and figure out where for dinner. We were seeking a kid friendly spot and decided on the Banana Deck. One one hand I wanted to try somewhere new but with the kiddos, I decided to go with a sure thing. (We had eaten here on Pia's recommendation back in November for Thanksgiving dinner).
Belly Flop and I shared the penne pasta in cream sauce with grilled chicken, the Mr. got a grilled mahi sandwich and the girl requested a hotdog and rice. She really wanted mashed potatoes, she remembered them from Thanksgiving, but they are not an everyday item so no mashed taters for her.
After dinner we headed home exhausted! Throughout the week, we seemingly randomly alternated between going up Centerline or the North Shore road on trips back and forth between Coral and Cruz Bay and really found neither all the more convenient, it just depended on our mood. This night we took Centerline and were home in about 20 minutes.
Once back at Sea Biscuit both kids went to bed and the Mr. and I just relaxed and read until it was time for us to turn in as well.
SUNDAY: Maho, Skinny Legs, and dinner at Waterfront Bistro
Last edited by flip-flop on Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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California Girl
You have beautiful children! How lucky are they to get it so early? We love Coral Bay for all the same reasons, and don't find it inconvenient at all. We spend a lot of time at Aqua Bistro, Mark and his crew are just the friendliest bunch of locals. Thank you for the trip report & wonderful pics of a happy group!
Deb
I believe I confused Mini Flip with Belly Flop in an earlier post. They're both adorable children, but the picture of daddy and baby on the ferry is too cute. Bayer was reading your report last night and got a real kick out of Belly's sandy face and his moniker. Enjoying your reports. 
When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years after it happens anywhere else. – Mark Twain
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msgcolleen
- Posts: 1497
- Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:33 am
- Location: Allen, Texas
Same what Mary Beth said! Belly Flop is so cute with his new sandy stubble.
Thanks for taking us to Francis today! Never been, but that's the first beach on my list to soon come!!!!
Thanks for taking us to Francis today! Never been, but that's the first beach on my list to soon come!!!!
I've got 2 tickets to paradise~Pack your bags we'll leave tonight!
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]
FF, I kind of stuck up for Aqua Bistro a while back. When they started building Cocolobo Plaza a few years ago, it kind of made me sick, but like a previous poster stated, Mark and crew have made for a pretty good mix of a local and tourist setting. And Lilly's gave Love City Mini-Mart some much needed competition.As to Coral Bay's locals, "quirky" is a pretty good adjective. Keep your reports coming!
When you find yourself in a hole.... quit digging.
Thanks for all the kind comments, especially about the cuteness of the wee ones. I think they are pretty cute but that's mom law or something 
JT - I was wondering about those who knew the old pre-Cocoloba Coral Bay and what they thought. Right now I think its the perfect mix, there are conveniences but not too many. W/O kids the conveniences wouldn't matter too much but with them somewhere like Lilly's makes it reasonable to stay on the far side! LOVED it. I look forward to many more stays there.
Pianogirl - Sea Biscuit was a great house that I can highly recommend. The skeeters were crazy but that was EVERYWHERE! Its rented through a couple of agencies but we went with windspree because the other told us no kids under 8. I was a little worried there would be some horrible cliff/child hazard but there really wasn't. The worst thing was that the tile could be slippery when wet so we were sure to dry feet before coming in from the pool.
Windspree was great to work with!
http://www.windspree.com/homes/seabiscuit/
JT - I was wondering about those who knew the old pre-Cocoloba Coral Bay and what they thought. Right now I think its the perfect mix, there are conveniences but not too many. W/O kids the conveniences wouldn't matter too much but with them somewhere like Lilly's makes it reasonable to stay on the far side! LOVED it. I look forward to many more stays there.
Pianogirl - Sea Biscuit was a great house that I can highly recommend. The skeeters were crazy but that was EVERYWHERE! Its rented through a couple of agencies but we went with windspree because the other told us no kids under 8. I was a little worried there would be some horrible cliff/child hazard but there really wasn't. The worst thing was that the tile could be slippery when wet so we were sure to dry feet before coming in from the pool.
Windspree was great to work with!
http://www.windspree.com/homes/seabiscuit/