USVI-On-Line

Monday! Woke before six and went outside to enjoy the view. It was another beautiful, sunny day. Dickhead was of course at the door when I went out, and jumped right up on my lap when I sat down. He's a very affectionate cat, constantly sliding around our legs. I'm allergic, though, so I can't hold him. Nonetheless, he jumped right into my lap and when I picked him up to set him down, he clawed my thigh really good. I didn't expect him to be de-clawed, but don't have any cat experience, so I was a little upset.
Anyway, we're still at the "right end" of vacation, so we merrily chowed through breakfast and hit the road. There is construction on the North Shore Rd, but there were almost no delays. We pulled into Caneel to ask the lady where to park and she directed us to the area near the National Park sign, across the road. It is a bit more of a hike into Honeymoon, when you start at the road!
Here are a couple of familiar shots (to some of you) from the grounds at Caneel:
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/qs1dtc.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/v4bjog.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
We put in at the far left end of Honeymoon beach. This is one of our favorite floats. I think we did it three times, last trip! It really is just like jumping into a beautiful aquarium!
See?
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.tinypic.com/281fztd.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.tinypic.com/2q32c00.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/11bn4a9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
What is this one????
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/xnc55c.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.tinypic.com/2vhtztc.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/sq4g77.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/2poy7g1.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
Look carefully! What's this one?
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/347zpkw.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
OK and this is one of my favorite fish!!! He's so beautiful with electric blue dots!
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/vpwwgg.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.tinypic.com/2lmmk39.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/sn08ih.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
It's all wondrous to us! And Blaine dove down to get this guy, peering out of his cave:
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.tinypic.com/fdsr35.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
These were all taken from the point between Soloman and Honeymoon. When we arrived back at Honeymoon, it was POURING! And it was brilliantly sunny! It was a magical moment that we'll never forget.
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/2irpz9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
"I'm having so much FUN!" Blaine exclaimed, and I tried to think of the last time I heard him so excited
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/2ai3q5u.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/2v2jm90.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/ffd1ew.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/10nxoiw.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/257ogw9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/mb4hog.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
This, though is my favorite fish. When they school, they are really hyper, and all over the place. Unruly. I think they're the ones that make the water look like it's boiling:
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/25gxd13.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
And then, a boat came in loaded with tourists. Buzzkill. Yes, I realize we're tourists too, but there's just two of us! So we hightailed it outta there.
Sheila's Pot was closed (on Sunday and Monday, I now know), so we tried Sogo's for lunch. It's a little place to the right of Conrad Sutton's. Blaine had a HUGE cheeseburger and fries perfectly fried up. I had the Curry Goat and I can't tell you what it was served with. There were mashed potatos and plantains; those tastes I could identify. But I can't see anything closer than 4 feet, with the damned contacts in my eyes! It all tasted really good, though. With 4 Diet Cokes, the meal came to $39. The lady who served us was very, very nice, and there was a nice man inside, who asked us about the rain. It was fun explaining how magical the rain and sun was, for us.
We got back to Cruz Views and showered. We planned on hitting Francis again, but condo gravity kicked in and we spent the afternoon in the pool and on the deck, reading, swimming, and just liming! I finished "A Trip to the Beach," the Blanchard's tale, and enjoyed that tremendously!
See? He's always outside the door. Poor little furry guy!
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/5dndwh.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
We went out to get soda and (this is a trend) a grill. We buy a grill every trip, and then pass it on. Ruth and I had a good chuckle over that.
I tried to grill our speedies on the Weber, but I'm not good with charcoal, so it didn't get hot enough. Ended up panfrying the speedies. Blasphemy!
One more sleep in paradise, and we know where we're going tomorrow!!! Vie's!!!
If anyone wants to identify fish, I'd love to hear. We have a really crumby little identification guide.

What a great day at Caneel! That sure is a teeny-tiny deer in the first pic! Am I seeing things????

Nope. That IS a teeny tiny deer, with antlers, even.

Your first 'what is it' is a sand diver. The second ones is a trumpet fish.

Great pics. I love the one of you!

Great pictures. I love the starfish. Were the on land pics taken with the d10 too?
I'm thinking of buying one for our Jan trip.

Salamida Speidies or Lupo Spiedies?

DELETED

I'm really enjoying your report! In that pic of you, you look like Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel!

My sis-in-law wears 2 different contacts, one for close-up and one for far-away and she's trained her eyes to use them. Would something like that work for you?

Diana: Thanks!!! A better fish identifier is on my Christmas wish list
Joppa: D10 for all of the photos so far. We like it!
Xislandgirl: Salamida is what's familiar to us. I never heard of Lupos!
CAGirl: That might work, but now that I know we'll be coming back again and again, I'm buying a prescription mask. I just don't like sticking those things in my eyes!

mindehankins wrote: Xislandgirl: Salamida is what's familiar to us. I never heard of Lupos!

Lupos is on the Binghampton/Endicott line. They sell their sauce but also have a great old "drive in" type shop with the best bread.

Where in NY are you? Anywhere near Nucci's Pizza in Endicott? I still dream about that pizza

Enjoying your TRs so far. I can't believe how TINY that deer is!!!
Always LOVE seeing pictures of Caneel

Been waiting for the next installment!
Great pics as usual, I agree, you do look like Samantha Brown and Blaine looks pretty good too. ha.

Sorry about Dickhead, cats are like that,if they decide going to sit/do something, don't like their minds being changed by humans.

Am lucky, wear progressives but sight is good enough to do w/o when swimming/snorkeling,mostly need for close up. Could never wear contacts, can't even put drops in eyes much less try to insert contacts in them..

Know you are re-living the trip thru these reports, but thank you for doing it.
Debbie

Thanks Minde!

It looks like you had another great day in St. John.

GG

Aw, Dickhead looks ashamed of himself. The white fish that looks like an angelfish, with the black fins, is a Palometa I think. Saw those at Maho.