usvi-on-line
Trip report part 3... Nov 25 to Dec 9 ...
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Bill in Va
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:56 pm
- Location: Lake Gaston, Va
Trip report part 3... Nov 25 to Dec 9 ...
Okay. Beat me up for not finishing but....Jorge did a great job keeping you and me occupied during the lull. Luv ya buddy. Beleive it or not I called him the day he arrived to make sure he got there ok. He is a tough act to follow but I will try.
If you rewind the forum I last left off after our visit to Maho. To save the rewind noise I will say it was great as usual. Newbies take note. Maho is great because it is so close to the road that you park and within 10 yards you are on the beach. Very calm waters and great snorkeling on the right side as soon as you get in the water. We have seen dolphins before but not this time.
Our villa was right on Great Cruz Bay. Steps down to the beach area and here is a secret...as soon as you look under water you see great stuff. Twenty feet from the cement dock area is so much sea life. Lobster, Tangs,a Top Hat, you name it it was there, no Nemo, but a great snorkel all along the beach area to the end of the harbor area. We even went under the moored boats and saw rays and some big fish. Please don't tell anyone about this!
Lets give some highlites. We hit Lameshure pretty early. Note to newbies. Get there early to get a good parking place and maybe a picnic table. The crew went in all directions.You can go left or right or in the center. Bill and Lanie saw an imature drum fish. A killer score by the way. I got mine on a later dive with Scott B from Boston. The drive is worth it for you folks that haven't been there.Left and went to Skinny's and of course rang the bell for Howie. A group from Capatola Cal was really enjoying themselves at a near by table. Maybe had one or four too many liquid refreshments. After we had our meal. GREAT burgers and GREAT mahi fish sandwiches as usual. The pain killers were not that good imho. The beer was even a little warm, could be bad timing on both, just my report by the way. We hit the road and stopped back at Maho. We made camp just to the right of the big opening and guess who rides up and tries to turn around and rolls off the road onto the sand, a good 6 to 10 inch drop off with the rear wheels. Yep the Cal folks. I got up and ran over to them to stop them from spinning wheels. Got the passengers to get out and pulled the 4 wheel drive in place and told the driver what to do. He done good. It popped right up and they were able to continue. If you guys are reading this then let me know as I will be out there soon to visit my honorary grand son in Felton. Lets meet up in Santa Cruz!
We are really moving along in our trip I see. We ate at the villa just about every breakfast except when we hit Chilly Billy's. Great value and great food. Put it on your list to do folks. You can save some money if you refill your water jugs at the Ice Company in the lumber yard area just around the corner from Chilly Billy's. Warning you have to walk by a bakery next to Cruz Bay Water Sports. Don't breath through your nose.
Most know the great story of Scott and Tracie's vow renewal. If not then here's my side. Scott had been emailing me for almost a year with questions and then asked me if I would take pictures of a special thing at Hawksnest for he and his wife. He was going to ask her to marry him all over again. Wow I was so moved. What an honor. Of course I said yes. The time was set and I arrived early to get the sun/shadow deal. I pulled up and met the minister, a great gal dressed in white. Scott and Tracie arrived, I had never met them by the way and Tracie said "are you Bill" and I said "yes". The ruse was that they were going to have drinks with us on the beach. As they both came up to us the minister said that Scott had something special to ask her. Tracie thought the minister was my wife until she told her what Scott had planned. Scott and Tracie got their copies of those pictues today. I used my camera for this and then used Scott's. I had prayed that everything would go perfectly but the good Lord out did my prayer when he threw in the rainbow. I think I took 72 pic's of the vow renewal on Scott's camera.
The plan was to have a forum gathering at The Beach Bar on Sunday and I was waiting on the beach with the Pirate flag. With pain killer in hand I welcomed,Eric and Lois from NJ, St John Mike from Minn, Mike and Jan from Va., Bob and Sharon from Hotlanta, and Scott and Tracie from Boston. The jazz was great as was the company.
Note to the forum. Please get with other forum folks when you are on island. You will have immediate friends for life. WE ARE FAMILY!
Our second week was starting and we enjoyed having Bob and Sharon, Mike and Jan who supplied the food for the dinner and Scott and Tracie over for dinner at the villa. Good time was had by all. Note to the forum. Invite folks over to share your villa. They just might invite you over to share there's.
Sandie and I ventured out to Coral bay to have breakfast at the Donkey Diner with the owners Doug and Clare Weaver. We had met them a mile from our home in Va at a winery a couple of years ago before they bought the diner. As we walked into the diner I heard a local radio station from Charlottesville, Va on the speakers. Yep they have an internet cafe deal set up. You can pay to use the laptops if u be a tourist or its free if you are a local. No u r not a local if u have a drink at Skinnys! Great food and great service. After breakfast we went out to Vie's beach. This is out past Skinny legs on the east end of St John. Note to newbies. Go all the way out here. There are a couple of beaches you can use. I scubaed a few years ago from the shore at Haulover. You can use Vie's beach for a donation of $2.50 per person. Nice thing is that there are lounge chairs to use. A great snorkel to the right and if you go way out you are in a great reef deal. This is not for everyone. Current could be a deal as well as the distance. Vie's stand was open and I had her conch fritters. Ok but not as good as I had remembered. Very doey with little conch. Maybe I got a couple of bad ones. $10 for 2 by the way.
Okay enough for tonight my forumites. Just to let you in on our next deal...Dec 1 to the 15th 2007. There is a little more to report to wrap our trip of 2006.God bless.....Bill
If you rewind the forum I last left off after our visit to Maho. To save the rewind noise I will say it was great as usual. Newbies take note. Maho is great because it is so close to the road that you park and within 10 yards you are on the beach. Very calm waters and great snorkeling on the right side as soon as you get in the water. We have seen dolphins before but not this time.
Our villa was right on Great Cruz Bay. Steps down to the beach area and here is a secret...as soon as you look under water you see great stuff. Twenty feet from the cement dock area is so much sea life. Lobster, Tangs,a Top Hat, you name it it was there, no Nemo, but a great snorkel all along the beach area to the end of the harbor area. We even went under the moored boats and saw rays and some big fish. Please don't tell anyone about this!
Lets give some highlites. We hit Lameshure pretty early. Note to newbies. Get there early to get a good parking place and maybe a picnic table. The crew went in all directions.You can go left or right or in the center. Bill and Lanie saw an imature drum fish. A killer score by the way. I got mine on a later dive with Scott B from Boston. The drive is worth it for you folks that haven't been there.Left and went to Skinny's and of course rang the bell for Howie. A group from Capatola Cal was really enjoying themselves at a near by table. Maybe had one or four too many liquid refreshments. After we had our meal. GREAT burgers and GREAT mahi fish sandwiches as usual. The pain killers were not that good imho. The beer was even a little warm, could be bad timing on both, just my report by the way. We hit the road and stopped back at Maho. We made camp just to the right of the big opening and guess who rides up and tries to turn around and rolls off the road onto the sand, a good 6 to 10 inch drop off with the rear wheels. Yep the Cal folks. I got up and ran over to them to stop them from spinning wheels. Got the passengers to get out and pulled the 4 wheel drive in place and told the driver what to do. He done good. It popped right up and they were able to continue. If you guys are reading this then let me know as I will be out there soon to visit my honorary grand son in Felton. Lets meet up in Santa Cruz!
We are really moving along in our trip I see. We ate at the villa just about every breakfast except when we hit Chilly Billy's. Great value and great food. Put it on your list to do folks. You can save some money if you refill your water jugs at the Ice Company in the lumber yard area just around the corner from Chilly Billy's. Warning you have to walk by a bakery next to Cruz Bay Water Sports. Don't breath through your nose.
Most know the great story of Scott and Tracie's vow renewal. If not then here's my side. Scott had been emailing me for almost a year with questions and then asked me if I would take pictures of a special thing at Hawksnest for he and his wife. He was going to ask her to marry him all over again. Wow I was so moved. What an honor. Of course I said yes. The time was set and I arrived early to get the sun/shadow deal. I pulled up and met the minister, a great gal dressed in white. Scott and Tracie arrived, I had never met them by the way and Tracie said "are you Bill" and I said "yes". The ruse was that they were going to have drinks with us on the beach. As they both came up to us the minister said that Scott had something special to ask her. Tracie thought the minister was my wife until she told her what Scott had planned. Scott and Tracie got their copies of those pictues today. I used my camera for this and then used Scott's. I had prayed that everything would go perfectly but the good Lord out did my prayer when he threw in the rainbow. I think I took 72 pic's of the vow renewal on Scott's camera.
The plan was to have a forum gathering at The Beach Bar on Sunday and I was waiting on the beach with the Pirate flag. With pain killer in hand I welcomed,Eric and Lois from NJ, St John Mike from Minn, Mike and Jan from Va., Bob and Sharon from Hotlanta, and Scott and Tracie from Boston. The jazz was great as was the company.
Note to the forum. Please get with other forum folks when you are on island. You will have immediate friends for life. WE ARE FAMILY!
Our second week was starting and we enjoyed having Bob and Sharon, Mike and Jan who supplied the food for the dinner and Scott and Tracie over for dinner at the villa. Good time was had by all. Note to the forum. Invite folks over to share your villa. They just might invite you over to share there's.
Sandie and I ventured out to Coral bay to have breakfast at the Donkey Diner with the owners Doug and Clare Weaver. We had met them a mile from our home in Va at a winery a couple of years ago before they bought the diner. As we walked into the diner I heard a local radio station from Charlottesville, Va on the speakers. Yep they have an internet cafe deal set up. You can pay to use the laptops if u be a tourist or its free if you are a local. No u r not a local if u have a drink at Skinnys! Great food and great service. After breakfast we went out to Vie's beach. This is out past Skinny legs on the east end of St John. Note to newbies. Go all the way out here. There are a couple of beaches you can use. I scubaed a few years ago from the shore at Haulover. You can use Vie's beach for a donation of $2.50 per person. Nice thing is that there are lounge chairs to use. A great snorkel to the right and if you go way out you are in a great reef deal. This is not for everyone. Current could be a deal as well as the distance. Vie's stand was open and I had her conch fritters. Ok but not as good as I had remembered. Very doey with little conch. Maybe I got a couple of bad ones. $10 for 2 by the way.
Okay enough for tonight my forumites. Just to let you in on our next deal...Dec 1 to the 15th 2007. There is a little more to report to wrap our trip of 2006.God bless.....Bill
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California Girl
Oh, all I can think about is going back!!! Thanks for the TR...it helps to read them when I know I have a while yet before we'll be able to return.
I also agree about meeting up with others from the forum...if you know others are there as well. Plus, I wish we could have invited Ruth and Pia over for a visit to our villa. I just swear, but I don't know where the days got off to. We arrived and then lickety-split it was time to do the WOW down to the ferry and back to STT. Next time will just be my hubby and I and maybe we'll have more time for visiting!!
Thnx again for the TR!!
I also agree about meeting up with others from the forum...if you know others are there as well. Plus, I wish we could have invited Ruth and Pia over for a visit to our villa. I just swear, but I don't know where the days got off to. We arrived and then lickety-split it was time to do the WOW down to the ferry and back to STT. Next time will just be my hubby and I and maybe we'll have more time for visiting!!
Thnx again for the TR!!
Coden
Thanks Bill for continuing with your trip reports. There are lots of places that we have not been to on STJ and I’m “cut&paste” into my notes. Bring on the next one. By the way – Good Style, taking the pictures. What an unselfish act – like you said, we’re family on this forum. Thanks Buddy.
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"
Bill - Thanks for posting your report - entertaining as always. Reading all these TRs really gets me in the mood (for St. John!). I am not surprised that you have the dates set for the next one either! John and I haven't ruled out a trip in early December - we really liked St. John that time of year...we'll see what 2007 brings. Take care...
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
Thanks for continuing your report, Bill. It is so entertaining. Did Vie have her garlic chicken available when you were there? She didn't have it when we were there in June, which was sad. I agree with you on the fritters, BTW.
I never thought to snorkel Great Cruz Bay--thought there would be too much boat traffic. I'll have to check it out next trip.
I never thought to snorkel Great Cruz Bay--thought there would be too much boat traffic. I'll have to check it out next trip.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Bill in Va
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:56 pm
- Location: Lake Gaston, Va
Villa qestion
Hi there. The villa was The Beach Estate. Its one of Donald and Debbie Schnell's go to www.artisticvillas.com
It was a trade off. Beach vs view....God bless..Bill
It was a trade off. Beach vs view....God bless..Bill
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Hey guy, knock me over with a feather!! I'm so proud of you for getting back to us on your trip report, we appreciate it.
I know for a fact what a great time you guys had on this trip, and what an awsome villa you spent that time in!!! It was good to hook up with you again, and we'll make some plans for this coming December.
What a wonderful thing you did for Scott and Tracie, but you don't give it a second thought, comes naturally to you. You and Sandie are very generous and considerate folks!
LBAY (that's YOUR saying)
Jan (akaCharlie)
I know for a fact what a great time you guys had on this trip, and what an awsome villa you spent that time in!!! It was good to hook up with you again, and we'll make some plans for this coming December.
What a wonderful thing you did for Scott and Tracie, but you don't give it a second thought, comes naturally to you. You and Sandie are very generous and considerate folks!
LBAY (that's YOUR saying)
Jan (akaCharlie)