usvi-on-line
Day 6: Trunk Bay, Uncle Joe's, Aqua Bistro & Ocean Grill
Day 6: Trunk Bay, Uncle Joe's, Aqua Bistro & Ocean Grill
Home with a sick baby today ... so I have more time to write. Almost done!
Day 6: Trunk Bay, Uncle Joe's, Aqua Bistro & Ocean Grille
Good morning Coral Bay! We all slept a little later this day too. I am not sure what was going on with us. We were not up until at least 7! Again, I had packed the beach bag the night before and only needed quick bowls of cereal all around, a quick pack of the cooler, and we were off to Trunk Bay.
Good morning beautiful Trunk Bay! We arrived around 7:45 am and were the very first people on the beach.
The Little island at Trunk.
The infamous trunk bay underwater trail goes along that little cay. It is pretty beat up from all the tourists.
Trunk Bay can get a bit of a bad rap. I know people (you know who you are) who avoid it COMPLETELY. I am here to say this is a mistake. We always aim to hit it early in the morning, usually arriving between 7 and 8 am. It is quiet, peaceful and empty! I promise. There is a reason this beach is the most popular on St. John. It has amenities, snack bar, bathrooms, showers, but it is also just naturally stunning. Absolutely stunning. The water here seems even bluer if that is possible. Too bad I didn't have cups to collect the different colors
They tender cruise people over from the ships which can make it seem crowded by St. John standards, but we were virtually alone until about 9:30. By 10 am the bumble bee snorkelers were arriving en masse (maybe 50 or so total). Still the entire opposite end of the beach was wide open.
The Boys are ready to have some beach time!
When I say EMPTY I mean EMPTY.
Belly Flop learns about shadows
It took a little while for Belly Flop to settle in. I think the longer ride from Coral Bay to Trunk had him feeling a bit nauseated. But soon, stomach settled, he was ready to play.
A completely random and unposed photo of the Mini Flop that looks like it belongs on a magazine cover ... I was trying to get her to stand still, she wanted her sand toys, thank you VERY MUCH!
And a normal cutie girl shot. I am not sure why it is so off center other than I was either trying to get the beach behind her or she moved or I was being creative and artsy Take your pick!
Another family arrived, via car ferry from St. Thomas, with their 18 month old daughter. Belly Flop was a little suspicious at first but then she showed him her sand toys and it was game on!
We ended up staying and playing a little longer than we expected, we finally packed it in around 1pm. Since we were so close to Cruz Bay we decided to head to town to pick up Uncle Joe's and then head back to the house. I dropped the Mr. at Uncle Joe's headed to the gas station to fill up. $40 and not a full tank later ... I returned to pick him up with food in hand.
Happy Man.
Uncle Joe's BBQ is the ONE place he insists on each trip. I have my quirks, he has his. Though this one I totally get! Great ribs and chicken and yummy sides. This bag had 2 orders of ribs, 1 order of chicken and 6 sides. $28. Best deal on the island!
Kiddos are VERY tired.
Nontraditional Trunk shot from the overlook.
And the traditional one...
Back at the house we all dive in to Uncle Joe's. My mouth is watering just typing this!
Belly Flop liked the corn.
This child might not be mine, because she took a pass on the BBQ in favor of leftover pizza! FINE! More for me!
And then it was rest time. While everyone else was relaxing and/or napping, I took some pictures around the house.
Pretty Flowers.
And then decided to go for a ride and get some more shots of Coral Bay.
When you see this sign on STJ, take it seriously!
It was a beautiful afternoon.
Finally I headed back to the house to relax before getting the kids fed, bathed and ready for the sitter. Tonight was another night out for the hubby and I! Yay.
Our plan was to hit Aqua Bistro for a drink and appetizer since we hadn't made it there yet, and then to move on to Sweet Plantains for a slow, lingering dinner.
Phase one of the plan worked out. I admire any restaurant that has a drink list as long as its food list! The folks at Aqua Bistro were great. It was a fun, funky mix of locals and visitors. The mosquitoes were still around but not as horrible as the day prior.
Our drinks a "Keep Left, Drink Right" and another BBC for me.
And some yummy calamari
After drinks and appetizers at Aqua Bistro, with time still on the babysitting clock, we headed to Sweet Plantains for dinner. It is just 100 feet down the road! It was closed! Boo. That's ok we made the best of it and headed over to Cruz Bay to shop a little at Mongoose Junction before getting a couple more drinks and another appetizer at the Ocean Grill.
I chose a painkiller and I think we had another BBC. And we got the grilled honey lime shrimp (sorry no picture but it was delicious!) to split.
We also were lucky enough to enjoy some live music. We talked a bit during a break with the musician nad learned he has just moved his 92 year old father to St. John. There is hope for me no matter how old I get! He was very good and played a great mix of songs in his own style. It was a relaxing laid back way to spend our next to last night in St. John.
We headed back to the house and soon were snoozing away...
Tomorrow: Gibney, Skinny Legs - our last full day
Day 6: Trunk Bay, Uncle Joe's, Aqua Bistro & Ocean Grille
Good morning Coral Bay! We all slept a little later this day too. I am not sure what was going on with us. We were not up until at least 7! Again, I had packed the beach bag the night before and only needed quick bowls of cereal all around, a quick pack of the cooler, and we were off to Trunk Bay.
Good morning beautiful Trunk Bay! We arrived around 7:45 am and were the very first people on the beach.
The Little island at Trunk.
The infamous trunk bay underwater trail goes along that little cay. It is pretty beat up from all the tourists.
Trunk Bay can get a bit of a bad rap. I know people (you know who you are) who avoid it COMPLETELY. I am here to say this is a mistake. We always aim to hit it early in the morning, usually arriving between 7 and 8 am. It is quiet, peaceful and empty! I promise. There is a reason this beach is the most popular on St. John. It has amenities, snack bar, bathrooms, showers, but it is also just naturally stunning. Absolutely stunning. The water here seems even bluer if that is possible. Too bad I didn't have cups to collect the different colors
They tender cruise people over from the ships which can make it seem crowded by St. John standards, but we were virtually alone until about 9:30. By 10 am the bumble bee snorkelers were arriving en masse (maybe 50 or so total). Still the entire opposite end of the beach was wide open.
The Boys are ready to have some beach time!
When I say EMPTY I mean EMPTY.
Belly Flop learns about shadows
It took a little while for Belly Flop to settle in. I think the longer ride from Coral Bay to Trunk had him feeling a bit nauseated. But soon, stomach settled, he was ready to play.
A completely random and unposed photo of the Mini Flop that looks like it belongs on a magazine cover ... I was trying to get her to stand still, she wanted her sand toys, thank you VERY MUCH!
And a normal cutie girl shot. I am not sure why it is so off center other than I was either trying to get the beach behind her or she moved or I was being creative and artsy
Take your pick!Another family arrived, via car ferry from St. Thomas, with their 18 month old daughter. Belly Flop was a little suspicious at first but then she showed him her sand toys and it was game on!
We ended up staying and playing a little longer than we expected, we finally packed it in around 1pm. Since we were so close to Cruz Bay we decided to head to town to pick up Uncle Joe's and then head back to the house. I dropped the Mr. at Uncle Joe's headed to the gas station to fill up. $40 and not a full tank later ... I returned to pick him up with food in hand.
Happy Man.
Uncle Joe's BBQ is the ONE place he insists on each trip. I have my quirks, he has his. Though this one I totally get! Great ribs and chicken and yummy sides. This bag had 2 orders of ribs, 1 order of chicken and 6 sides. $28. Best deal on the island!
Kiddos are VERY tired.
Nontraditional Trunk shot from the overlook.
And the traditional one...
Back at the house we all dive in to Uncle Joe's. My mouth is watering just typing this!
Belly Flop liked the corn.
This child might not be mine, because she took a pass on the BBQ in favor of leftover pizza! FINE! More for me!
And then it was rest time. While everyone else was relaxing and/or napping, I took some pictures around the house.
Pretty Flowers.
And then decided to go for a ride and get some more shots of Coral Bay.
When you see this sign on STJ, take it seriously!
It was a beautiful afternoon.
Finally I headed back to the house to relax before getting the kids fed, bathed and ready for the sitter. Tonight was another night out for the hubby and I! Yay.
Our plan was to hit Aqua Bistro for a drink and appetizer since we hadn't made it there yet, and then to move on to Sweet Plantains for a slow, lingering dinner.
Phase one of the plan worked out. I admire any restaurant that has a drink list as long as its food list! The folks at Aqua Bistro were great. It was a fun, funky mix of locals and visitors. The mosquitoes were still around but not as horrible as the day prior.
Our drinks a "Keep Left, Drink Right" and another BBC for me.
And some yummy calamari
After drinks and appetizers at Aqua Bistro, with time still on the babysitting clock, we headed to Sweet Plantains for dinner. It is just 100 feet down the road! It was closed! Boo. That's ok we made the best of it and headed over to Cruz Bay to shop a little at Mongoose Junction before getting a couple more drinks and another appetizer at the Ocean Grill.
I chose a painkiller and I think we had another BBC. And we got the grilled honey lime shrimp (sorry no picture but it was delicious!) to split.
We also were lucky enough to enjoy some live music. We talked a bit during a break with the musician nad learned he has just moved his 92 year old father to St. John. There is hope for me no matter how old I get! He was very good and played a great mix of songs in his own style. It was a relaxing laid back way to spend our next to last night in St. John.
We headed back to the house and soon were snoozing away...
Tomorrow: Gibney, Skinny Legs - our last full day
I agree with you on Trunk--still one of my favorite beaches, just for the sheer beauty. We ended up going later in the afternoon, and there were maybe 10-15 people on the beach. Even when the cruise ship people are there, by Jersey shore standards, it's never "crowded!"
Too bad about Sweet Plantains! We went on Friday night and they were open, so maybe they had cut back their hours for off-season. We love Uncle Joe's, too, and it really is the best bargain on the island. Even with one hungry man and 2 really hungry teens, we had tons of leftovers.
P.S. Hope Belly Flop is feeling better soon!
Too bad about Sweet Plantains! We went on Friday night and they were open, so maybe they had cut back their hours for off-season. We love Uncle Joe's, too, and it really is the best bargain on the island. Even with one hungry man and 2 really hungry teens, we had tons of leftovers.
P.S. Hope Belly Flop is feeling better soon!
I love Trunk when it is empty like that. We usually go in the late afternoon. Of course there was the time we went snorkeling and came back around 5 PM to find a wedding party set up right next to our gear bag, but usually it is pretty deserted then.
Speedy recovery wishes to Belly Flop!
Speedy recovery wishes to Belly Flop!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
We always spend alot of time at the Aqua Bistro, it is our favorite. After we got home in February, we received a bumper sticker in the mail from Larry that he had printed for his award winning drink "Drink Right, Keep Left" Very nice people, I've also met some great locals that own or work in the shops at Cocoloba Plaza. And I love Trunk too, we need to go there at least once, we usually go later in the afternoon to beat the crowds and it works great. How fun is Trunk for the little ones? They looked like they had a wonderful afternoon.
Deb
I've read every report this week, but I finally got to look at the pictures here at home. What a great family! Your kids are too cute. The picture of Belly Flop and his shadow is perfect! We love Trunk early in the morning before the yellow jackets arrive. I don't want your trip to end!
Thanks for sharing!
Nicolle
Thanks for sharing!
Nicolle
Hey Flip Flop – again, you do not disappoint with another great report and pictures.
“And a normal cutie girl shot. I am not sure why it is so off center” – Was it VickyH that said it was OK to drink in the islands before 10:00 AM, could be why the picture is off-center.
Half tanks of gas $40
Uncle Joe’s BBQ $28
Mr. Flip Flop in a “Big Daddy” T-Shirt holding the BBQ (Priceless)
I like the “Nontraditional Trunk shot” very cool.
I am sooooo enjoying your reports. Next please.
“And a normal cutie girl shot. I am not sure why it is so off center” – Was it VickyH that said it was OK to drink in the islands before 10:00 AM, could be why the picture is off-center.
Half tanks of gas $40
Uncle Joe’s BBQ $28
Mr. Flip Flop in a “Big Daddy” T-Shirt holding the BBQ (Priceless)
I like the “Nontraditional Trunk shot” very cool.
I am sooooo enjoying your reports. Next please.
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"
-
nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Flip-flop - I agree with you on Trunk - last time we were there, we actually snorkeled the far left of the beach almost to Jumbie and saw tons of good stuff so you can even get away from the crowd going to that end. The water there IS so gorgeous like you said.
I am also sad your reports are ending, and I can't believe how grown up Mini Flip-flop has gotten. I still remember pics of her in the dinghy from one of your trips several years ago. She probably wasn't much bigger than Belly Flop if she was at all.
Thanks again!
I am also sad your reports are ending, and I can't believe how grown up Mini Flip-flop has gotten. I still remember pics of her in the dinghy from one of your trips several years ago. She probably wasn't much bigger than Belly Flop if she was at all.
Thanks again!