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Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
I thought I'd categorize things to make my report easier to read than if I just babbled.
FLIGHTS
MSP-ATL-STT on Saturday, July 27th via Delta. Gotta love that 5:30am flight to ATL but somehow it was easier making this flight than for a business trip. Go figure...!! Anyway, it was non-eventful and the connecting flight was only a few gates away which made for an easy transfer. Once on STT we decided not to use Rachel or any other private taxi service as our plane landed at 1:30 and there was no way we'd make the 2:00pm ferry. A regularly scheduled crowded taxi for $30 total did us fine!
The return trip was a LONG day, and next year we'll look to take the earlier flight. We took the noon ferry and didn't get home until after midnight central time. Again, a long and somewhat depressing day.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Last year we stayed at Seaside (Grande Bay) and loved it. Unfortunately we booked late this year and Seaside was unavailable so we originally reserved a room at Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel. We've heard good things about CBB, but we decided to change plans when we heard that Egret's Rest was open at Grande Bay and perhaps our two kids might join us. Egret's Rest was fantastic!! Grande Bay meets all of our needs - we don't rent a car and like hiking or taking taxis to beaches, we enjoy Cruz Bay at night and appreciate the short walk home after dinner/drinks, we love the view over the harbor, the rooms are well-appointed and immaculate, everyone is a pleasure to deal with - for us it's PERFECT!!
BEACHES
This year it was Maho, Solomon, Honeymoon, and Cinnamon with a 1/2 day trip to Little Lameshur with EagleRayLover (ERL). Here are our favorites in order of preference:
1) Cinnamon - we love the area at the far end to the right, near the rocks. The sand area is deeper than most other STJ beaches, the water is gorgeous, the snorkeling is good, and there's plenty of shade cover. It was also quiet on the days we visited which is always nice. My wife and I are in total agreement that we love this beach!!
2) Solomon - part of it is the hike and coming down the hill to the site of a pristine beach with beautiful water, the other part is ditto to the items mentioned above about Cinnamon although the snorkeling this year was a bit disappointing - even on the rocks heading towards Honeymoon.
3) Maho - if I was rating snorkeling then Maho would win by a landslide. More sea turtles and rays than we could count, a 4-5 ft black-tip reef shark, squid - it was great. My biggest issue with Maho is that the secret is out on this beautiful beach. We arrived on Sunday at 9:30am and were one of two couples on the entire beach. By 11:00 the place was packed and stayed that way until we left at 3:30. It also took us 30 mins to get a taxi but we sort of expected that. On Friday, we went back for more snorkeling and some underwater pics and faced the same issue with crowds. We left Maho for the comfort and quiet of Cinnamon at 11:00am and weren't disappointed!! I'd definitely return to Maho for the snorkeling but be wary of the crowds.
4) Honeymoon - nice beach, great water, but lots of boats anchored off shore with snorkeling tours. Very nice though...
We didn't swim or snorkel at Little Lameshur as it turned into a stop while touring the east side of the island with ERL. We met the night before at The Beach Bar and ERL was kind enough to offer us a tour of the Coral Bay area on the following afternoon. So, after a morning at Solomon we met up outside St John Spice and headed east. This was our first time in Coral Bay and ERL showed us all the sites, including a rather bumpy ride (understatement of the year) to Little Lameshur. What a beautiful beach!! We were immediately ticked that we didn't bring suits and snorkeling gear. We did check out the ruins and spent some time watching pelicans and their synchronized diving (photos and video to follow soon). Lunch at Skinny Legs followed by some shopping was the end to a great afternoon. Thanks ERL - can't wait till next year!
DINING
Again, we were both really happy with the number of very good STJ dining options. This year it was The Fatty Crab, Sun Dog Cafe, The Beach Bar, Skinny Legs, Driftwood David's, Jake's, The Beach Bar, Joe's Rum Hut, Banana Deck, Uncle Joe's BBQ and Deli Grotto.
I highly recommend The Fatty Crab as a place to enjoy if you're looking for something outside of the normal options available at most spots. The BBQ brisket and Indonesian fried rice were really good. Driftwood David's was a pleasant lunch surprise - their burger and grilled fish sandwich were both outstanding. The tuna bites at The Beach Bar are always a good stand-in when happy hour gets the best of you and leaving your barside chair during sunset isn't an option!! We had breakfast one morning at Jake's and enjoyed our meal-long discussion with Jake and his little sister Abby. The Deli Grotto was a regular lunch stop for their curried chicken salad wrap and veggie sandwiches. The only minor (very minor) disappointment was Uncle Joe's BBQ. I had the ribs and for me, BBQ involves smoked meat not boiled ribs finished on a grill and then topped with sauce. Don't get me wrong, I still finished every bite and the rice/beans were really good (as was the sauce), but it wasn't really BBQ as I'm used to it.
For drinks only, the couches at Motu are tough to beat!!
Next time we'll look forward to trying The Terrace (great location and menu looked very interesting), and Sun Dog Cafe's new venture in the old Plancha Del Mar site at Mongoose Junction.
For those of you who saw my posting about the very unofficial STJ Burger War, it finished 1) Driftwood David's 2) The Beach Bar 3) Skinny Legs. Next year we're looking forward to another challenge and may involve other tasters if they are interested in having some fun and a few drinks too!
SUMMARY/OBSERVATIONS
Make no mistake, the post-holiday doldrums are very real.
That walk to the ferry on Sat morning was tough and there really wasn't anything enjoyable about leaving aside from seeing our kids when we got home. We are absolutely in love with this island and can't wait to get back - hopefully the same time next summer. We did happen to notice a few things this year that were different from 2012. For one, there appeared to be many more people in town- especially on the first weekend (7/27, 28). Cruz Bay was much livelier than 2012 and that was OK by us because it was still a breeze to find bar seats and make dinner plans. The beaches were just as gorgeous (sans the Maho crowds), and I still find myself wincing at the prospect of swimming in a Minnesota lake! 
Once again, thanks to Tracy in WI, everyone at Grande Bay, and ERL for helping make this another memorable trip. Summer 2014 can't come soon enough!!!
FLIGHTS
MSP-ATL-STT on Saturday, July 27th via Delta. Gotta love that 5:30am flight to ATL but somehow it was easier making this flight than for a business trip. Go figure...!! Anyway, it was non-eventful and the connecting flight was only a few gates away which made for an easy transfer. Once on STT we decided not to use Rachel or any other private taxi service as our plane landed at 1:30 and there was no way we'd make the 2:00pm ferry. A regularly scheduled crowded taxi for $30 total did us fine!
The return trip was a LONG day, and next year we'll look to take the earlier flight. We took the noon ferry and didn't get home until after midnight central time. Again, a long and somewhat depressing day.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Last year we stayed at Seaside (Grande Bay) and loved it. Unfortunately we booked late this year and Seaside was unavailable so we originally reserved a room at Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel. We've heard good things about CBB, but we decided to change plans when we heard that Egret's Rest was open at Grande Bay and perhaps our two kids might join us. Egret's Rest was fantastic!! Grande Bay meets all of our needs - we don't rent a car and like hiking or taking taxis to beaches, we enjoy Cruz Bay at night and appreciate the short walk home after dinner/drinks, we love the view over the harbor, the rooms are well-appointed and immaculate, everyone is a pleasure to deal with - for us it's PERFECT!!
BEACHES
This year it was Maho, Solomon, Honeymoon, and Cinnamon with a 1/2 day trip to Little Lameshur with EagleRayLover (ERL). Here are our favorites in order of preference:
1) Cinnamon - we love the area at the far end to the right, near the rocks. The sand area is deeper than most other STJ beaches, the water is gorgeous, the snorkeling is good, and there's plenty of shade cover. It was also quiet on the days we visited which is always nice. My wife and I are in total agreement that we love this beach!!
2) Solomon - part of it is the hike and coming down the hill to the site of a pristine beach with beautiful water, the other part is ditto to the items mentioned above about Cinnamon although the snorkeling this year was a bit disappointing - even on the rocks heading towards Honeymoon.
3) Maho - if I was rating snorkeling then Maho would win by a landslide. More sea turtles and rays than we could count, a 4-5 ft black-tip reef shark, squid - it was great. My biggest issue with Maho is that the secret is out on this beautiful beach. We arrived on Sunday at 9:30am and were one of two couples on the entire beach. By 11:00 the place was packed and stayed that way until we left at 3:30. It also took us 30 mins to get a taxi but we sort of expected that. On Friday, we went back for more snorkeling and some underwater pics and faced the same issue with crowds. We left Maho for the comfort and quiet of Cinnamon at 11:00am and weren't disappointed!! I'd definitely return to Maho for the snorkeling but be wary of the crowds.
4) Honeymoon - nice beach, great water, but lots of boats anchored off shore with snorkeling tours. Very nice though...
We didn't swim or snorkel at Little Lameshur as it turned into a stop while touring the east side of the island with ERL. We met the night before at The Beach Bar and ERL was kind enough to offer us a tour of the Coral Bay area on the following afternoon. So, after a morning at Solomon we met up outside St John Spice and headed east. This was our first time in Coral Bay and ERL showed us all the sites, including a rather bumpy ride (understatement of the year) to Little Lameshur. What a beautiful beach!! We were immediately ticked that we didn't bring suits and snorkeling gear. We did check out the ruins and spent some time watching pelicans and their synchronized diving (photos and video to follow soon). Lunch at Skinny Legs followed by some shopping was the end to a great afternoon. Thanks ERL - can't wait till next year!
DINING
Again, we were both really happy with the number of very good STJ dining options. This year it was The Fatty Crab, Sun Dog Cafe, The Beach Bar, Skinny Legs, Driftwood David's, Jake's, The Beach Bar, Joe's Rum Hut, Banana Deck, Uncle Joe's BBQ and Deli Grotto.
I highly recommend The Fatty Crab as a place to enjoy if you're looking for something outside of the normal options available at most spots. The BBQ brisket and Indonesian fried rice were really good. Driftwood David's was a pleasant lunch surprise - their burger and grilled fish sandwich were both outstanding. The tuna bites at The Beach Bar are always a good stand-in when happy hour gets the best of you and leaving your barside chair during sunset isn't an option!! We had breakfast one morning at Jake's and enjoyed our meal-long discussion with Jake and his little sister Abby. The Deli Grotto was a regular lunch stop for their curried chicken salad wrap and veggie sandwiches. The only minor (very minor) disappointment was Uncle Joe's BBQ. I had the ribs and for me, BBQ involves smoked meat not boiled ribs finished on a grill and then topped with sauce. Don't get me wrong, I still finished every bite and the rice/beans were really good (as was the sauce), but it wasn't really BBQ as I'm used to it.
For drinks only, the couches at Motu are tough to beat!!
Next time we'll look forward to trying The Terrace (great location and menu looked very interesting), and Sun Dog Cafe's new venture in the old Plancha Del Mar site at Mongoose Junction.
For those of you who saw my posting about the very unofficial STJ Burger War, it finished 1) Driftwood David's 2) The Beach Bar 3) Skinny Legs. Next year we're looking forward to another challenge and may involve other tasters if they are interested in having some fun and a few drinks too!
SUMMARY/OBSERVATIONS
Make no mistake, the post-holiday doldrums are very real.
That walk to the ferry on Sat morning was tough and there really wasn't anything enjoyable about leaving aside from seeing our kids when we got home. We are absolutely in love with this island and can't wait to get back - hopefully the same time next summer. We did happen to notice a few things this year that were different from 2012. For one, there appeared to be many more people in town- especially on the first weekend (7/27, 28). Cruz Bay was much livelier than 2012 and that was OK by us because it was still a breeze to find bar seats and make dinner plans. The beaches were just as gorgeous (sans the Maho crowds), and I still find myself wincing at the prospect of swimming in a Minnesota lake! Once again, thanks to Tracy in WI, everyone at Grande Bay, and ERL for helping make this another memorable trip. Summer 2014 can't come soon enough!!!
MN_Bhoy
Take me to 18N 64W!
Take me to 18N 64W!
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ColumbiaSCTraveler
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:33 pm
- Location: Columbia, SC
Re: Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
Thanks for taking the time to post a trip report! Looking forward to the pictures!
Guess I need to get started on my TR soon.......sigh.
We said the same thing about this year's trip. For it to be off season, there were a LOT more people than in previous years in August. Boo! That means the off season secret's out!
Guess I need to get started on my TR soon.......sigh.
We said the same thing about this year's trip. For it to be off season, there were a LOT more people than in previous years in August. Boo! That means the off season secret's out!
Re: Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
Well, MN.... sorry you had to return to MN, but it does sound like you had a great trip! So happy you got to see the "quiet side." Coral Bay is fun to see and Lameshur and LL are fun to see and even better to snorkel!
It is depressing coming back for sure.... but as an added bonus for coming home, how about we bring in the 90's and humidity for the upcoming week?
We're heading to the Dells this weekend for my daughter's wedding.... but the Honeymooncation will have to wait until December. Then it's MY TURN!
Welcome home!
It is depressing coming back for sure.... but as an added bonus for coming home, how about we bring in the 90's and humidity for the upcoming week?
We're heading to the Dells this weekend for my daughter's wedding.... but the Honeymooncation will have to wait until December. Then it's MY TURN!
Welcome home!
Re: Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
I hear you on the 5:30am (and earlier) flights but it sure is nice to get to STT early in the afternoon.
We also enjoyed Fatty Crab and Motu in February. We stopped at Motu a couple of times, those couches (and the street side bar stools) make for a very relaxing spot.
I agree about Uncle Joe's and the boiled cooking method. I think we are done with them, the misses have far exceeded the hits after many visits. Our ribs in February were horrible and we threw them out after two or three bites.
We also enjoyed Fatty Crab and Motu in February. We stopped at Motu a couple of times, those couches (and the street side bar stools) make for a very relaxing spot.
I agree about Uncle Joe's and the boiled cooking method. I think we are done with them, the misses have far exceeded the hits after many visits. Our ribs in February were horrible and we threw them out after two or three bites.
Re: Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
The problem with those couches is getting up out of them to get another drink! I know - whoa is me! Luckily for us our bartender stopped over regularly!PA Girl wrote: We also enjoyed Fatty Crab and Motu in February. We stopped at Motu a couple of times, those couches (and the street side bar stools) make for a very relaxing spot. I agree about Uncle Joe's and the boiled cooking method. I think we are done with them, the misses have far exceeded the hits after many visits. Our ribs in February were horrible and we threw them out after two or three bites.
Agreed on Uncle Joe's. I was kinda being nice about the ribs and I probably wouldn't go back given the other options on the island. That said, the sauce wasn't bad and the sides were OK.
I would bet a decent amount that 1/2 the people on our flight ended up at Red Hook heading for STJ. Our first night at The Beach Bar was packed. They did have live music but the number of people over last year was obvious. Don't get me wrong, for the most part it wasn't a problem but I might consider a week later next year just in case.ColumbiaSCTraveler wrote:We said the same thing about this year's trip. For it to be off season, there were a LOT more people than in previous years in August. Boo! That means the off season secret's out!
I've been screaming for the 90s since we got back - it's about time. Lord knows what's coming in a few months!mnfun2bme wrote:It is depressing coming back for sure.... but as an added bonus for coming home, how about we bring in the 90's and humidity for the upcoming week? We're heading to the Dells this weekend for my daughter's wedding.... but the Honeymooncation will have to wait until December. Then it's MY TURN! Welcome home!
Congrats on your daughter's wedding. I thought you would have rented out Motu for the night instead of the Dells! 
My daughter isn't even engaged but we're working the Motu angle already!!MN_Bhoy
Take me to 18N 64W!
Take me to 18N 64W!
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EagleRayLover
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:56 pm
- Location: St. John -WooHoo!!
Re: Trip Report 7/27 - 8/3 (No pics yet)
Next year East End adventures!!!
Leslie, Kids Night In Babysitting
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EagleRayLover
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:56 pm
- Location: St. John -WooHoo!!