USVI-On-Line

Just want to share a few final things before I officially end my long winded trip report...
We were a family of 5...at Lime Inn they automatically added on the tip!!! and di not say anything. Maybe it was on their menu about adding the tip in. At other restaurants they did not...my point being, no matter what size your party, make sure you check to see if the tip is added on!!!
Umbrellas...we always buy a $12 beach umbrella on island, and then leave it for the next guests at wherever we are staying. the shady areas on the beach are the first to be claimed...it can be brutal in the sun. somewhere on the board I recommended getting an umbrella, they sold them at the drug store in the Market[place. Well, this year they were out!!! so, if shade is important to you, you may want to bring your own umbrella. My husband went all over to find one and we did end up finding one at Big Planet, but it was too expensive to leave in STJ, so we brought it home with us!!! Ruth...?????how bout getting a stock in your store????
I LOVED Virgin Islands Pale Ale !!!!! Popped open one of those bad boys every day when we got back from the beach!!! Going to check if one of our liquor store can get me a case!!
there was NO RAIN the entire week we were there. Not a drop! So we did not see any rainbows!!!! Unfortunately for STJ, they are in a drought.
camera- I bought one of those new Olympus underwater cameras before we left. I found it very hard to use...the buttons were miniscule and I found it very very hard to see on the screen. when underwater , I could not see a thing on the screen- it was like looking at a black square. The poics turned out nice, but half the time I just held my breath and hoped I got something in the ic!!! If I had to do it all over, I would get housing for my Canon.
thats All folks...oh yea...US Airways was also aweful going home as it was flying down...

Thanks for your trip reports - I really enjoyed them. I liked the details. My husband just bought a housing for his Canon, so hopefully it will work out better than your camera situation. He even got a prescription mask with built-in bifocals, so he can see the camera controls better.
We are leaving in less than 24 hours so I need to get packing. Your trip reports helped me get through that "pre-vacation, tons of stuff to do at work and can't wait to be on vacation" mode!

oops...and I almost forgot!!!! I finally met Ruth at ST.John Spice!!! You HAVE to stop in !!! She is a wonderful friendly person and her shop has TONS of good stuff to take home!!! Best on STJ for souveniers and mementos! Before I left, I picked up some coffee, Cruz Bay grill rub, and these neat wine bottle stoppers with glass fish and whales on top...great gift to bring back reminder of stj. Good prices too!! Thanks Ruth and it was greet to meet you! ( now get a stock of beach umbrellas!!)

Great report! Totally agree about Ruth and her shop! Great place to get little thank you gifts for people that helped you out while you were away, the dog walker, the plant waterer, the person that holds your mail, friends that drive your kids around! Everyone that I bought for raved about their gifts!

Great idea about the beach umbrella too!

B&J- Have a GREEEEAT time!!! I am so jealous! I am still in the mode " Gee, this time 2 weeks ago we were doing such-and-such..." or "If we were in STJ, then we would just be getting back from the beach"- Can't wait to hear all your adventures!!!

Great reports with tons of info! Thank you!

Thanks for all your great reports! I've enjoyed reading them and copying all the info!


Note: I am now scared to the back teeth to hike when I'm on my trip. Can someone guide me on some hikes where I maybe won't be quite so isolated?
Thanks. (Sorry to threadjack.)

obsessedmuch wrote:Thanks for all your great reports! I've enjoyed reading them and copying all the info!


Note: I am now scared to the back teeth to hike when I'm on my trip. Can someone guide me on some hikes where I maybe won't be quite so isolated?
Thanks. (Sorry to threadjack.)

Why are you scared to hike? Are you thinking of the guy on the Bordeaux trail? Or did something else happen?

Anyway, some good hikes where you likely won't be alone are the Reef Bay trail, the Lind Point trail, and Leinster Bay trail.

liamsaunt,
I think obsessedmuch may be referring to Suzi's close encounter with illegals while hiking, which she described in her Trip 7 report. As an admitted scaredy cat, her story did seem very unsettling to me. ....mia

Suzi, thanks so much for all your great reports - sounds like you had a wonderful adventure with your family!!

One question - did you end up going into EveryTing at Gallows? If so, did it seem similar to the store that was there when we were there in 2005?

yes- I did go into Everyting at Gallows. Not nearly as much stuff as the Everyting that used to be down the street, in the way of gifts and knick knack stuff. Still, lots of convenient store foods and drinks. Good cheeses and wine and of course RUM !! I had my husband go over a number of times to pick up a few things we needed, like butter or muffins, and little bottles of rum!!! and it was nice to go over and pick up a movie.
Speaking of rum...a neat little gift that I saw at St. John SPice...those little bottles of Cruzan rum, in all different flavors , and you put them in this little box for gifts. $2 each. A nd the box holds 4, I think. I saw this exact same box , already with the little bottles in it, for $11 somewhere else!!!
the neat wine bottle toppers that I got from St JOhn Spice were $10...nice gift...and I saw them at Pink Papaya for $17 !!!! ( now don't go raising your prices, Ruth!!!!)

I agree, you have to watch the prices. We bought a map of the Caribbean (which we had framed once home) at a store next to JJ's Texas Toast cafe. It was $20. Saw the same map at Mongoose Junction for $30ish. We would have actually considered paying more if they would have had one of those "tubes" to put it in. It was a minor pain to cart it through the airports without damaging it. The results were great, we now have two framed maps. One of the Caribbean and one of the VI's.

mia wrote:liamsaunt,
I think obsessedmuch may be referring to Suzi's close encounter with illegals while hiking, which she described in her Trip 7 report. As an admitted scaredy cat, her story did seem very unsettling to me. ....mia

Yes, that's exactly it. I know they'd usually try to keep a low profile but if there was a solo female hiker (like Suzi said) who knows. It's too scary for me. Of course I'm always smart about where I go when alone but this just adds a little extra fear to the picture I guess.