usvi-on-line
Trip Report – part 1
Trip Report – part 1
Flip and Gromit are making me look bad so I had to get this started. No doubt liamsaunt will start up soon and this will really get lost in the dust.
This trip report covers six nights 6/18 – 6/24 to St. John. We stayed at Gallows Point and Caneel Bay. Family of 3, fifth time to VIs, last trip was the adventurous June 08 journey to “rustic” Anegada and Virgin Gorda, detailed in a multi-part TR on the off topic forum a year ago (because it was BVIs only).
It was during that trip that my wife and daughter decided they needed more luxury and less schlepping and started conspiring against me saying stuff like next time they would go to Caneel (yeah, right, at what $495+ a night for “garden view”? Good luck with that) and I can go off to an even smaller island or maybe a piece of driftwood.
So as the economy went into the toilet last fall, we didn’t make any plans, saying: let’s tighten the belt; yeah, we’re Caribbean-ed out; let’s save for that trip to Italy instead sometime in the nebulous future; some of the colleges my daughter is looking at are $$$; yada yada.
Well, guess what? It really sucks psychologically over the winter not to have any warm weather vacation plans in the can. I mean, I didn’t realize (or forgot) how just knowing you will be on a beach in X months or days does help get you through.
Then a gray winter rolls into a cool, gray, wet spring and it starts driving you a little batty, and my wife points out, hey shouldn’t you wait til AFTER either one of us gets laid off to forgo vacation? We never got swept up in the credit mess, our employers are doing OK (as far as we can tell), etc. Go argue with that logic.
So in late March we start looking at dates and see only six midweek nights available at end of school and before start of summer camp counselor job. We start looking at the airfares for that timeframe, and then where to go. With only 6 nights, we really need to minimize time traveling to the islands, so BVIs are out, and also maximize beach time by minimizing “jeep time” while on the island, so an out of the way villa doesn’t work for us. In fact, (forum quasi-sacrilege warning) the villa thing doesn’t work that well for us in general because we are beach people AND the time and effort required for food shopping/food prep/cooking/clean up (i.e. K.P. or “kitchen patrol”) does not fly well at all on vacation, so that throws a lot of the cost effectiveness of a villa out the window. Probably makes more sense with larger families or crews that can share those duties.
That said, it means we are looking at Gallows. But what’s this? Caneel running a special for $325 a night, ocean view, includes that big breakfast buffet and a $200 resort credit?
I guess there is an upside to a down economy, plus we can make the girls scheme a reality. It’s a scramble to get the room for our dates as they are booking quickly after the deal is announced. We were able to get it for 4 nights, doing the first 2 at Gallows, which is fine with us – we done it before (on a summertime pay for 5 get 7 nights deal) and enjoy the views, the easy walk into town, don’t have to get the jeep right away, etc. Don’t need the jeep for the entire time at Caneel too = more savings.
Got a great airfare on AA from JFK on that 7am non-stop on the way down, so if all goes well, we can be on STT before 11am and STJ soon after that. That non-stop Continental out of EWR never seems to work for us timing or cost wise.
Departure day June 18 cool and rainy (what else is new in NJ and the entire northeast right?). No traffic on the drive out to JFK in the early morning hours. Miraculously, the flight leaves on time. If the ground traffic doesn’t get you, equipment problems can on this flight. The equipment AA runs on this route looks older than dirt.
Uneventful flight, even lands ahead of schedule at 10:45, forgot how they can unload the front and back of the plane at the same time, get the shot of rum (we liked the punch better) and I pop into the airport liquor store for the fav 1 liter Cruzan citrus. I know it’s a bit more here but then I don’t have to waste time getting it later. By the time I get back, we already have our checked bags. Now the question: try for the earlier ferry from Red Hook now, or have lunch in town and take the one o’clock ferry?
We decide we are hungry and want to go back to Gladys’s Cafe. It’s still before noon when we are seated. The waitress notes our bags and says coming or going? We say we are taking the 1pm ferry to STJ. She says no worries I’ll take care of you. We enjoy some drinks, their excellent conch fritters (we haven’t had better elsewhere, so now we don’t have to bother ordering it anywhere else during the trip), a grilled mahi sandwich, and 2 really good jerk mahi sandwiches, plus her wonderful homemade hot sauces. No singing waitresses this time, but we really like that place.
Onto the 1 o’clock ferry – happy to be going back to St. John!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ps ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOZ ... a.jpg"></a>
Of course we were escorted by one of these guys.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ml ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOc ... c.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_A ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOe ... d.jpg"></a>
I suppose the boat pushes an air wave out in front of it that the bird can cruise on before careening off to dive onto some unsuspecting prey in the water, then he has to work like heck to catch back up to the boat. The ferry captain had fun beeping his horn at it to make it flinch.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5d ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOh ... e.jpg"></a>
Pull into Cruz Bay, up to Gallows, early check in unit 1B, swimming in the water by 3pm. Nice.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RX ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOj ... f.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z0 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOl ... g.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/an ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOq ... j.jpg"></a>
Walk into town for dinner at Lime Inn. Grilled grouper, lobster, etc. all reliably good.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z5 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkuMT ... 1.jpg"></a>
Day 2 coffee at Gallows, walk into town for breakfast at Deli Grotto. That chocolate chip banana bread is mighty good. The girls poke around Mongoose while I go fetch the car from Paris Car Rental. The Vitara I reserved is not back yet so they upgrade me to a Jeep Liberty. More room sure, but what an unimpressive vehicle that is.
Head out of town, good to see the sights again. Daughter picks Cinnamon beach. Not one of my favs, but we chill, read and play Frisbee under partly sunny skies, a few skeeters. Nothing moved me subject or lighting wise so no photos from there. Don’t want to overdo sun first day, so back to town for lunch at one of our all time favs, Sun Dog. Drinks from Gecko Gazebo and roasted cream of veggie soup, white pizza salad, white artichoke pizza, chips with bean dip and guacamole – all excellent.
Back to Gallows for a snorkel and napping by the pool. Enjoy a nice sunset from the deck.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j8 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOt ... c.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AS ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOr ... b.jpg"></a>
Was planning on Rhumblines for dinner, but then some really heavy showers come. Check upstairs at Zozo’s and it’s a 2 hr wait. Rain seems like it’s letting up a bit, call Rhumblines, they say come over in 45 minutes. Rain stops in time for walk over and to be seated.
They are hopping that night with a wedding party and 2 really big groups of walk ins after we got there. Waitress apologized for delay getting us the check and comped us desert of flourless 3 layer chocolate cake. Before that we had great mix of salads, small plates and apps: crab cake salad, goat cheese salad, sesame noodles, corn crusted lime shrimp, and margarita grilled shrimp. Disappointed that their Patron Silver margarita was not available as they had run out of the syrup they make that is used in that. 2 yrs ago that was the best (and most expensive) drink I ever had.
Next up: more photos, less text, and high fives at Caneel.
This trip report covers six nights 6/18 – 6/24 to St. John. We stayed at Gallows Point and Caneel Bay. Family of 3, fifth time to VIs, last trip was the adventurous June 08 journey to “rustic” Anegada and Virgin Gorda, detailed in a multi-part TR on the off topic forum a year ago (because it was BVIs only).
It was during that trip that my wife and daughter decided they needed more luxury and less schlepping and started conspiring against me saying stuff like next time they would go to Caneel (yeah, right, at what $495+ a night for “garden view”? Good luck with that) and I can go off to an even smaller island or maybe a piece of driftwood.
So as the economy went into the toilet last fall, we didn’t make any plans, saying: let’s tighten the belt; yeah, we’re Caribbean-ed out; let’s save for that trip to Italy instead sometime in the nebulous future; some of the colleges my daughter is looking at are $$$; yada yada.
Well, guess what? It really sucks psychologically over the winter not to have any warm weather vacation plans in the can. I mean, I didn’t realize (or forgot) how just knowing you will be on a beach in X months or days does help get you through.
Then a gray winter rolls into a cool, gray, wet spring and it starts driving you a little batty, and my wife points out, hey shouldn’t you wait til AFTER either one of us gets laid off to forgo vacation? We never got swept up in the credit mess, our employers are doing OK (as far as we can tell), etc. Go argue with that logic.
So in late March we start looking at dates and see only six midweek nights available at end of school and before start of summer camp counselor job. We start looking at the airfares for that timeframe, and then where to go. With only 6 nights, we really need to minimize time traveling to the islands, so BVIs are out, and also maximize beach time by minimizing “jeep time” while on the island, so an out of the way villa doesn’t work for us. In fact, (forum quasi-sacrilege warning) the villa thing doesn’t work that well for us in general because we are beach people AND the time and effort required for food shopping/food prep/cooking/clean up (i.e. K.P. or “kitchen patrol”) does not fly well at all on vacation, so that throws a lot of the cost effectiveness of a villa out the window. Probably makes more sense with larger families or crews that can share those duties.
That said, it means we are looking at Gallows. But what’s this? Caneel running a special for $325 a night, ocean view, includes that big breakfast buffet and a $200 resort credit?
I guess there is an upside to a down economy, plus we can make the girls scheme a reality. It’s a scramble to get the room for our dates as they are booking quickly after the deal is announced. We were able to get it for 4 nights, doing the first 2 at Gallows, which is fine with us – we done it before (on a summertime pay for 5 get 7 nights deal) and enjoy the views, the easy walk into town, don’t have to get the jeep right away, etc. Don’t need the jeep for the entire time at Caneel too = more savings.
Got a great airfare on AA from JFK on that 7am non-stop on the way down, so if all goes well, we can be on STT before 11am and STJ soon after that. That non-stop Continental out of EWR never seems to work for us timing or cost wise.
Departure day June 18 cool and rainy (what else is new in NJ and the entire northeast right?). No traffic on the drive out to JFK in the early morning hours. Miraculously, the flight leaves on time. If the ground traffic doesn’t get you, equipment problems can on this flight. The equipment AA runs on this route looks older than dirt.
Uneventful flight, even lands ahead of schedule at 10:45, forgot how they can unload the front and back of the plane at the same time, get the shot of rum (we liked the punch better) and I pop into the airport liquor store for the fav 1 liter Cruzan citrus. I know it’s a bit more here but then I don’t have to waste time getting it later. By the time I get back, we already have our checked bags. Now the question: try for the earlier ferry from Red Hook now, or have lunch in town and take the one o’clock ferry?
We decide we are hungry and want to go back to Gladys’s Cafe. It’s still before noon when we are seated. The waitress notes our bags and says coming or going? We say we are taking the 1pm ferry to STJ. She says no worries I’ll take care of you. We enjoy some drinks, their excellent conch fritters (we haven’t had better elsewhere, so now we don’t have to bother ordering it anywhere else during the trip), a grilled mahi sandwich, and 2 really good jerk mahi sandwiches, plus her wonderful homemade hot sauces. No singing waitresses this time, but we really like that place.
Onto the 1 o’clock ferry – happy to be going back to St. John!
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ps ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOZ ... a.jpg"></a>
Of course we were escorted by one of these guys.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ml ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOc ... c.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_A ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOe ... d.jpg"></a>
I suppose the boat pushes an air wave out in front of it that the bird can cruise on before careening off to dive onto some unsuspecting prey in the water, then he has to work like heck to catch back up to the boat. The ferry captain had fun beeping his horn at it to make it flinch.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5d ... site"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOh ... e.jpg"></a>
Pull into Cruz Bay, up to Gallows, early check in unit 1B, swimming in the water by 3pm. Nice.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RX ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOj ... f.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z0 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOl ... g.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/an ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOq ... j.jpg"></a>
Walk into town for dinner at Lime Inn. Grilled grouper, lobster, etc. all reliably good.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z5 ... site"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkuMT ... 1.jpg"></a>
Day 2 coffee at Gallows, walk into town for breakfast at Deli Grotto. That chocolate chip banana bread is mighty good. The girls poke around Mongoose while I go fetch the car from Paris Car Rental. The Vitara I reserved is not back yet so they upgrade me to a Jeep Liberty. More room sure, but what an unimpressive vehicle that is.
Head out of town, good to see the sights again. Daughter picks Cinnamon beach. Not one of my favs, but we chill, read and play Frisbee under partly sunny skies, a few skeeters. Nothing moved me subject or lighting wise so no photos from there. Don’t want to overdo sun first day, so back to town for lunch at one of our all time favs, Sun Dog. Drinks from Gecko Gazebo and roasted cream of veggie soup, white pizza salad, white artichoke pizza, chips with bean dip and guacamole – all excellent.
Back to Gallows for a snorkel and napping by the pool. Enjoy a nice sunset from the deck.
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/j8 ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOt ... c.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AS ... site"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8poT_jdtsYw/SkoOr ... b.jpg"></a>
Was planning on Rhumblines for dinner, but then some really heavy showers come. Check upstairs at Zozo’s and it’s a 2 hr wait. Rain seems like it’s letting up a bit, call Rhumblines, they say come over in 45 minutes. Rain stops in time for walk over and to be seated.
They are hopping that night with a wedding party and 2 really big groups of walk ins after we got there. Waitress apologized for delay getting us the check and comped us desert of flourless 3 layer chocolate cake. Before that we had great mix of salads, small plates and apps: crab cake salad, goat cheese salad, sesame noodles, corn crusted lime shrimp, and margarita grilled shrimp. Disappointed that their Patron Silver margarita was not available as they had run out of the syrup they make that is used in that. 2 yrs ago that was the best (and most expensive) drink I ever had.
Next up: more photos, less text, and high fives at Caneel.
Last edited by jmq on Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Re: Trip Report – part 1
Oh boy, do I relate to your post.
Unfortunately, my Caneel-scheming didn't work this summer. There was a near fly-around last night when Husband said "I wishe we would have planned a summer vacation." Grr....
Unfortunately, my Caneel-scheming didn't work this summer. There was a near fly-around last night when Husband said "I wishe we would have planned a summer vacation." Grr....
-
TravelinTexasGal
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:28 pm
- Location: Texas
We had that same bird following us all the way to Charlotte Amelie on the way home! I took a ton of pictures, but have not had the chance to look at them yet, so I don't know if I got anything as nice as you did.
Love those Gallows sunsets.
Love those Gallows sunsets.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Believe me they needed lotsa cropping and straightening. Those are hard shots to get.liamsaunt wrote:We had that same bird following us all the way to Charlotte Amelie on the way home! I took a ton of pictures, but have not had the chance to look at them yet, so I don't know if I got anything as nice as you did.
Love those Gallows sunsets.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Great start jmq! Beautiful sunset photos! I love your TRs bacause I can see the pics here at work - most folks' pics don't come through.
Lucky you for getting that great deal at Caneel!
Why can't I ever discover a deal like that when I'm shopping for accomodations?
Looking forward to the rest - keep 'em coming!
Lucky you for getting that great deal at Caneel!
Why can't I ever discover a deal like that when I'm shopping for accomodations?
Looking forward to the rest - keep 'em coming!
Patr
~~Longing to be back on St. John~~
~~Longing to be back on St. John~~
Boy your not kidding about that Liberty. Give me a Viatra over that thing anyday was uninspired as well to put it nicely.
