USVI-On-Line

Background: wife and i went back to st john for last minute trip 4/4 to 4/11 with another couple we have vacationed with many times including on stj. other h was scuba buddy for years and now enjoy snorkeling together. all on medicare and each couple still married after 46 years. this was my 14th trip and wife's 10th. stayed at summerwind on mt bordeaux, a lovely villa with great views and location. except for couple beach trips, wives stayed at villa. other h and i went on several snorkeling exploring trips east of mt b. except for drives to summerwind and back to car barge, never went west of mt bordeaux rd this trip.

Thoughts:
1. to me stj is still the prettiest most relaxing places on earth and the views from summerwind and the drive down into coral bay are still breathtaking.
2. though we have visited most of the "non-caneel" beaches except salt pond many times, there are still a few things we haven't done; maybe next time. old folks like the familar so why try something new that you might not like when you can go back to usual haunts you love and not be disappointed.
3. stj isn't the easest place to get to even though we fly nonstop out of atl. it's a tough 7 hr journey (takeoff to villa) for smoking claustrophobic wife. me, getting there is still part of fun but i'm the planner and driver, never the passenger.
4. snorkeling is still exceptional at waterlemon but felt like they have added a half mile to trail from parking lot to entry point near the cay and for 1st time currents were outbound on both sides of cay so be careful if you're not a strong swimmer. water clarify for our days at maho and francis was not as good as usual.
5. food and ambiance still great at skinny legs and ship wreck landing.
6. renting vehicle on stt still easy and makes since if willing to deal with breakdown which has never happened to us.
7. stopped using budget at airport after 4 trips and horrrible service but used for this trip because neither discount nor dependable had an suv for our last minute booking. staff lady very nice but didn't have reserved jeep on arrival. good news can get to all places we go on island except little lameshur in a ford fusion which was cheaper and used less gas.
8. didn't miss cruz bay as only times there was from barge to star fish to mt bordeaux and back to barge.
9. did miss all scenic overlooks of north shore drive since we only went to maho, francis and waterlemon from mt bordeaux but didn't miss drive to little lame nor north shore switch backs going up to peter bay from west. that drive is obligatory for your 1st 13 trips to stj.
10. 1st time to rent villa through car villas and was very pleased with service and special efforts for our last minute booking (did on monday for wed arrival) and terry who is summerwind manager and greeter was most gracious.
11. though didn't rent though them, karen and kay at windspree were gracious in trying to accommodate our last minute booking but the places we wanted rented before we were willing to commit. they also arranged for us to see memory dayz while owner in residence.
12. anyone wanting a fantastic 2 bedroom villa in coral bay needs to look at her.
13. you don't need ac on bordeaux but usually need a wrap in evenings to be outside and feast on the dozens of islands beyond coral bay.
13. lot of folks on island and villa picking were thin for our last minute trip though summwer wind was exceptional, just too many steps for a bunch of old folks

in closing the wife said that she had a wonderful time but that was her last trip to stj and i understand. i will go back if i can round up a snorkel/travel buddy, done 4 times before and will do again. she understands.

until i have someting to add or ask, i'm

papabou

Thanks for your thoughts Papabou. Such a wealth of information over the years!
Keep it up and start planning trip #15. . . St. John keeps you young at heart you know!

thanks for the update!!! glad you enjoyed the trip...

Which is the fantastic villa, summer winds or memory dayz?

memory dayz is fantastic 2 bdrm all one level (except maybe a step here/there). summerwind also very nice for larger group that doesn't mind all the steps and disparity in bedrooms.

papabou

Her last trip to St. John??? *GASP*
Hope I am never at that point...

Papabou - do keep going to SJ! My dear hubby stopped going 3 years ago, first because of illness and now simply lack of interest in travel. St John is my savior - I continue to go with friends and family or alone if I must. My hubby understands too - there's just some things in life you have to do!!!!

I'd be interested in being a snorkel buddy if you build a crew of folks. I can pretty much get along with everyone, practice medicine, love being out hiking, camping, fishing, hiking. I can cook. Not lie Liamsaunt, but I can cook. I cannot drive, though.
So consider me your first applicant, pappabou!

Glad you had a fun trip! I love your last minute successful trip.

Cheers, RickG

minde,

i'm flattered by your offer to be my snorkel buddy! hadn't considered my closing comments as a solicitation, just a statement of intentions. you sure have some great qualifications. at my age having a doctor around would be a major plus, but i thought hiking, camping, fishing and cooking were punishments for having done something wrong! i'm more into grilling, cruzing, reading, snorkeling (well i have hiked to waterlemon & yawzi point) & snoozing.

having thought about it, maybe someone needs to plan an "open" road trip to stj. i'd love to be designated driver and sounding board but my compulsive disorder precludes my being organizer. i'd go crazy (crazier) in the process (any Monk fans out there?). also as a standby flier, i can't commit till close to trip time, but being retired gives me a world of travel windows. guess that makes me a tentative joiner but i have made some herculean efforts to get to stj on short notice (and to park city to ski for a day and half).

could be fun (or a disaster) to have a group gathering (1 large villa or couple of neighboring villas)of folks whose only connection is a love of stj. didn't rickG and/or jorge organized such a trip a few yrs ago?

minde, seems like you do your homework for stj trips and looks like you are headed down saturday? while you are relaxing on island think about the fun you are having and what you want to do next time including scoping villas that would be great place for a gathering. then report back to us. you are at the top of my list of contacts when i stay thinking about another trip and i'll probably throw out some suggestions.

st john road trip anyone? maybe a new thread?

papabou

rickg, thanks & we are all looking forward to hearing about your virgin gorda trip. i'd like to know about but can't abandon the virgin after wife's doing so.

cheers to you,

papabou

LOL! I'm in too good a mood! Giddy over the trip Wouldn't a forum group be fun, though?

I'm not a good reconnaisance (sp?) choice for villas cause we stay on the cheap, and not a doc but a PA. I really might be interested in a group excursion, though!

Group trip??? Minde and Papabou - count me in! I make a mean painkiller if we're looking for special talents to add to the mix!!
Have fun Minde!!

Count me in too for group trip

You are rapidly amassing snorkel buddies, papabou!