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Trip Report - Cinnamon Bay Campground + More

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:16 am
by cwcoleman
Attached is a link to my trip report and pictures from our March 2010 trip.

We camped in a bare site at Cinnamon Bay for 7 nights and enjoyed every minute of it. The report isn't short, but hopefully our adventure will encourage others to travel to Saint John with a tent the next time they visit.

Report:
http://chriscoleman.tumblr.com/

Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Julia.Donald/StJohn02#

Cheers,

-Chris Coleman

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:37 am
by PA Girl
Thanks for sharing! It's not often we get to read about a Cinnamon camping trip.

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:21 am
by STJdreams
Very nice report and pics! Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about your cameras, we have an Olympus and love it.

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:48 am
by waterguy
Sounds like a great week sorry about the cameras I always have one for snorkling and one for land since mine did the same thing a few years ago

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:23 pm
by khud
WOW! I loved your trip report and pics. I always wanted to know what it was like to camp on STJ. Hubby and I are campers but we tend to bring too much stuff so we'd be hard pressed to minimize. Sounds like you guys had a blast. Thanks for sharing.

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:13 pm
by TrvlJohn
Thanks Chris-
I really enjoyed your pics and TR. Your TR just heightens the anticipation for our next trip in May. The days are dragging by as we get into the final countdown.

STJ soon come!

-John

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:27 pm
by liamsaunt
Nice report, thanks for sharing. Sorry about your cameras though.

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:59 pm
by jmhouse
nice! now i'm really excited for june. i think i might have to plan a solo camping trip at cinnamon bay sometime in the future

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:57 pm
by Lovermont
Great trip report! I enjoyed your perspective a lot. Re: the camera. My "underwater" Olympus died while snorkeling at Maho last December, and as it was only 9 months old, I sent it back to Olympus and they actually fixed it for free. (I'm always a little pessimistic about that chance that someone will actually stand by their warranty.) It worked fine throughout our trip last month, so I'm really glad that I decided to pursue it.

Lovermont

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:27 pm
by bubblybrenda
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I've camped Cinnamon Bay twice (2 weeks each time). I had the first hitch-hiking experience of my life on that Island. I love those 10 min. chat sessions with total strangers. Anyways, I was glad to hear that as a couple you got around the Island just fine without a car rental.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:15 am
by Tracy in WI
Great report - sounds like you had an adventure! I would do it, but am a bug magnet and an overpacker - wondering how the bugs were for you?

I'd get a few complaints in to Olympus if I were you - and a major compliment to that taxi driver who returned your camera!

Thanks for the links.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:08 pm
by cwcoleman
Thanks for the well wishes on our cameras. I hope Olympus honors the warranty for us like they did for others .

Cinnamon Bay Campground couldn't have been much better for us. The camp store was limited, but had enough beer, rum, ice, and charcoal to keep us afloat. The bugs weren't too bad. The mosquitoes / no-see-ums came out at dusk a bit - but we either escaped to the Lizard Lounge or put on enough bug spray (100% deet) to keep them at bay. Having a tent that was bug proof was a key element, the camp supplied canvas tents didn't exactly keep anything out.

Cheers.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:49 pm
by catbat
Great trip report! Thanks for sharing; sounds like a wonderful time. Here are a couple of tips that might help you out next time you visit (or help someone else in the interim):

* There is indeed transportation from Coral Bay after 4 p.m. -- the bus. It's supposed to run hourly until at least 7 or 8 p.m. every day. The downside is that it might or might not be running every shift, and it might or might not be on schedule. It won't go to the North Shore, only on Centerline, but if you get off at the Columbo stand, you'll be closer and may have better luck catching a ride from there -- at the very least, it will be all downhill.

* Connections (big purple building one block east of the ferry dock) will store your luggage for half a day for $3 per bag. I wouldn't trust a random stranger with my bags.

* $11 for a liter bottle is very expensive for rum down here, but maybe worth it not to have to lug it around very far, since you didn't have your own transportation. It's routinely $7 at Starfish Market and comparable at the other stores on STJ, and it's even cheaper in many places on STT.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:35 pm
by bnsilly
Enjoyed the report..you 2 are adorable..fun to see a different way to experience St. John..might have to try the campgrounds..or cottages.. :D

Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:17 am
by Coden
Loved your report...I sent a link to it, and to your pics, to my son as you remind me of him. He has been to Coventry, Indio, the Gorge, etc for Phish, and to many Disco Biscuit, Humphries McGee concerts, even over to Amsterdam for the last two mentioned.

I would love to camp on St. John...too old now - creaky bones and all, LOL, thanks again and glad you all had such a wonderful trip. :)