another trip installment, sailing to the BVI's!!
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:18 pm
Finally getting around to finishing up our trip report from a few weeks ago. Has it really only been a few weeks? Seems like years!
At any rate, we booked a trip through Pia for a trip on Calypso to the BVI's. Thanks Pia, it was great to meet you in person!
We were instructed to meet at Margarita Phil's that morning to fill out paperwork, and sure enough, we spotted a familiar face from the Forum..."is that you Augie?" we asked. Sure enough it was! Augie and his family were headed out with Capt. John and Palm Tree Charters. We were especially excited to meet them as we had all shared in the grief and frustration of the Miami airport fire situation. We tentatively planned to meet up later that evening at bigcheeze's party and off we all went!
The first great surprise of the day was realizing that although Calypso holds up to 32 passengers, there were only 4 people on the boat that day--us and another couple. Score! First things first...mimosas and a lovely breakfast served by Suzanne!
First stop was at Whistling Cay for snorkeling. It was a little rough but visibility was great. Unfortunately we did not have an underwater camera so you'll have to use your imagination!
Next stop, customs at Great Harbour, BVI. Love this sleepy little harbor and sandy street! No shoes, no problem!
Lunch was at Foxy's, and we were delighted to enjoy a bit of Foxy's musical sense of humor with songs for all of us. It was great to be there on such a quiet day, as the last time we arrived it was packed.
I love reading all of the sayings at 'Wendell's Wisdom'....great insight! The first one says "Take a shell and make a wish it's free. Keep smileing and keep loveing even your ex" Love it!!
After a great lunch and a few rounds it was time to fight the traffic back to the boat for a spin over to White Bay...
White Bay never ceases to amaze me with its spectacular white sand and sparkling water. Many good memories were made here over the years, including a cold freshwater shower outside of Ivan's during a downpour with my 6 year old daughter when we had no electricity one day and no running water! Ahhh, the good old days...but I digress. Soggy Dollar was rocking as usual but not so crowded that you couldn't move around and enjoy everyone. Painkillers were flowing!!
Why is it that we meet so many nice people at the Soggy Dollar? Oh yeah, because we are all happy as hell to be there and imbibing in a little (or a lot) of Mic's happiness in a cup! Time for a few games of Bimini ring toss...I lost.
For those of you who read my earlier trip treports, here is yet another picture of what happines looks like!
Time for a stroll up the beach to our other favorite place, One Love, to check on Seddy and family.
Think we were having fun? uh, yep!
Ironically, the Travel Channel was filming there that day and as such tried to get a whole gang of us together for a group shot...who knows if it was legit but talk about herding cats...! Hilarious trying to get 50 drunken beach bums to stand still!! It was fun though!
Time for one last float in the bay--soggy dollars, yes; soggy drinks, NO! Then back to Calypso, now affectionately known as 'our private yacht for the day' for a relaxing sail back....aaah, this is the life!
Stopped in at the Barefoot Cowboy up above the Lumberyard on the way back thru Cruz Bay...cool place, good drinks, nice people watching!
Cleaned up and changed back at the villa, then it was off to bigcheeze's sunset party ! Another great story...last year I was working the day before our St. John trip, and ran into another salesperson on the way out of an office. "Have a great day," I told him. He says, "yeah, it is a great day, we are going on vacation tomorrow!" "We are too! Well have a good trip!" I said. Neither of us asked where the other was going. Sure enough, long story short, we met again at Hawksnest two days later!! Go figure! You just never know who you will run into on St. John!
We also had the pleasure of meeting Augie, aka Steve, and his family again that evening at bigcheeze's party and had an absolutely wonderful time. So here we all are with very awesome people that we would never have known if not for St. John and the forum. Great fortune!
The kids had a roaring good time hanging out and playing games...
Every time we travel with a group, my daughter and I make tie-dye shirts for everyone. After MANY attempts at a group picture later that night, we finally settled on this one...not great, but it was fun! What do you mean, was there rum involved? I am sure it was just bad lighting!!
Another great sunset happy hour with Dave/bigcheeze and 'Joe'/aka Paul as bartenders, then off to the Beach Bar, to see the Ryan Montbleau band. It was packed but if you EVER get a chance to see them, do! Fantastic music.
http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/
We have been playing their new CD, 'Heavy on the Vine' since we got back. We are lucky, they are going to be in Michigan on June 8 and we are definitely going!
Late night snacks at the G Spot hit the 'spot' ha ha, do you think Paul and Dave were in deep discussion??
then off to bed! Dinghy day tomorrow!!
At any rate, we booked a trip through Pia for a trip on Calypso to the BVI's. Thanks Pia, it was great to meet you in person!
We were instructed to meet at Margarita Phil's that morning to fill out paperwork, and sure enough, we spotted a familiar face from the Forum..."is that you Augie?" we asked. Sure enough it was! Augie and his family were headed out with Capt. John and Palm Tree Charters. We were especially excited to meet them as we had all shared in the grief and frustration of the Miami airport fire situation. We tentatively planned to meet up later that evening at bigcheeze's party and off we all went!
The first great surprise of the day was realizing that although Calypso holds up to 32 passengers, there were only 4 people on the boat that day--us and another couple. Score! First things first...mimosas and a lovely breakfast served by Suzanne!
First stop was at Whistling Cay for snorkeling. It was a little rough but visibility was great. Unfortunately we did not have an underwater camera so you'll have to use your imagination!
Next stop, customs at Great Harbour, BVI. Love this sleepy little harbor and sandy street! No shoes, no problem!
Lunch was at Foxy's, and we were delighted to enjoy a bit of Foxy's musical sense of humor with songs for all of us. It was great to be there on such a quiet day, as the last time we arrived it was packed.
I love reading all of the sayings at 'Wendell's Wisdom'....great insight! The first one says "Take a shell and make a wish it's free. Keep smileing and keep loveing even your ex" Love it!!
After a great lunch and a few rounds it was time to fight the traffic back to the boat for a spin over to White Bay...
White Bay never ceases to amaze me with its spectacular white sand and sparkling water. Many good memories were made here over the years, including a cold freshwater shower outside of Ivan's during a downpour with my 6 year old daughter when we had no electricity one day and no running water! Ahhh, the good old days...but I digress. Soggy Dollar was rocking as usual but not so crowded that you couldn't move around and enjoy everyone. Painkillers were flowing!!
Why is it that we meet so many nice people at the Soggy Dollar? Oh yeah, because we are all happy as hell to be there and imbibing in a little (or a lot) of Mic's happiness in a cup! Time for a few games of Bimini ring toss...I lost.
For those of you who read my earlier trip treports, here is yet another picture of what happines looks like!
Time for a stroll up the beach to our other favorite place, One Love, to check on Seddy and family.
Think we were having fun? uh, yep!
Ironically, the Travel Channel was filming there that day and as such tried to get a whole gang of us together for a group shot...who knows if it was legit but talk about herding cats...! Hilarious trying to get 50 drunken beach bums to stand still!! It was fun though!
Time for one last float in the bay--soggy dollars, yes; soggy drinks, NO! Then back to Calypso, now affectionately known as 'our private yacht for the day' for a relaxing sail back....aaah, this is the life!
Stopped in at the Barefoot Cowboy up above the Lumberyard on the way back thru Cruz Bay...cool place, good drinks, nice people watching!
Cleaned up and changed back at the villa, then it was off to bigcheeze's sunset party ! Another great story...last year I was working the day before our St. John trip, and ran into another salesperson on the way out of an office. "Have a great day," I told him. He says, "yeah, it is a great day, we are going on vacation tomorrow!" "We are too! Well have a good trip!" I said. Neither of us asked where the other was going. Sure enough, long story short, we met again at Hawksnest two days later!! Go figure! You just never know who you will run into on St. John!
We also had the pleasure of meeting Augie, aka Steve, and his family again that evening at bigcheeze's party and had an absolutely wonderful time. So here we all are with very awesome people that we would never have known if not for St. John and the forum. Great fortune!
The kids had a roaring good time hanging out and playing games...
Every time we travel with a group, my daughter and I make tie-dye shirts for everyone. After MANY attempts at a group picture later that night, we finally settled on this one...not great, but it was fun! What do you mean, was there rum involved? I am sure it was just bad lighting!!
Another great sunset happy hour with Dave/bigcheeze and 'Joe'/aka Paul as bartenders, then off to the Beach Bar, to see the Ryan Montbleau band. It was packed but if you EVER get a chance to see them, do! Fantastic music.
http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/
We have been playing their new CD, 'Heavy on the Vine' since we got back. We are lucky, they are going to be in Michigan on June 8 and we are definitely going!
Late night snacks at the G Spot hit the 'spot' ha ha, do you think Paul and Dave were in deep discussion??
then off to bed! Dinghy day tomorrow!!