Wiener Dog in Paradise and South Shore Villa - A Review
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:45 pm
Or:
"The Trip Review That Crazy Couple Who Vacation With Their Dog Wrote"
This trip review is long over due. Disgustingly long. Like, it should have been written 10 months ago when we got back. I have had it mostly finished for quite some time, but I got a little lazy about putting the photos with the writing. Oh well, better late than never.
We started our search just a few weeks out from our travel day. Due to my husband's work, the majority of our trips are last minute and we prefer to work directly with owners, so we usually start on VRBO. After receiving a message from fellow forum member Seahorse02, we checked out South Shore Villa. We had noticed it before, but were hesitant without knowing the condition of the road up. We did some searching around and found the video of the Skytop Road on the On-StJohn website and were put at ease (It was nowhere near the road up to calabash a few years back, so we were good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLIDcBhjgQ&noredirect=1
We contacted Larry, the owner of South Shore Villa:
http://www.vrbo.com/122603
He was nice to work with and took his time answering all our questions. He even followed up with us after our first day to make certain everything was going well. It really makes me feel happy when an owner wants to make sure that everything is good.
We had been informed by Larry that during part of our stay there would be a solar panel install. He was honest to share that with us before we booked. FYI - Solar panel installs are not that loud. I am kind of shocked that the workers didn't even listen to music during the day, but perhaps they were trying to be quiet. All of the workers were very friendly and nice. There was an outdoor speaker system, so we provided them with work music when we were in the pool.
The road to the villa is paved all the way from town. The road the villa sits on is half paved, with the switchbacks being fully paved. The views from Skytop are truly some of the best on island.
IMG_0087 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5346 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5342 by locococonuts, on Flickr
It also has a nice partial sunset to the right
IMG_5353 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5352 by locococonuts, on Flickr
The kitchen is well appointed and I loved the stove! The grill was big enough for an army even though there were only two of us (well, 2.5, more on that later). We cooked many meals there and it was a dream to work in. I can't think of anything that was missing. Must be something about the water, but everything tastes better on St. John. Especially morning coffee.
The infinity pool, although not heated, was in the sun all day and is very comfortable.
IMG_0047 by locococonuts, on Flickr
This was a concern before we booked, but it turned out to be just perfect. We were in the pool every day, at different hours. We didn't hear any noise from neighbors. Sol Inclination is right next door, as well as (what looks like) a private residence just below it.
The living room couch was very comfortable. All of the furnishings in the living and dining rooms were exceptional. We LOVED the copper dining table and the huge, carved coffee table. The TV's throughout were really small, but most people don't go on vacation to watch TV. Still, when these eventually go, I'd be sure and purchase larger TV's. They were a bit hard to see (do a girl with old eyes a favor!).
We would have preferred king sized beds, but they had queen and we made do. To be honest, that was really the only thing we would have changed about the villa. We chose the lower bedroom under the master as we thought it would stay the coolest. The villa had AC throughout, and the AC worked fine if the the breezes weren't enough to keep cool. All of the doors and windows were fully screened to let the breezes pass through while keeping the mosquitos out. Interestingly enough you could hear the ocean all the way up at the villa. The valley created some sort of amphitheater situation.
IMG_5340 by locococonuts, on Flickr
In fact, for the rental price, I think this villa is an amazing deal considering the views, the quality of workmanship that went into it, the close proximity to town, and the amenities.
Great deck space and outdoor dining areas can easily accommodate a large group. We noticed that they have updated the lounges since the photos were taken for the website. It would be impossible for any photos to do that view justice. We could see St. Croix like it was a mile away.
IMG_5355 by locococonuts, on Flickr
The driveway was ample for two cars to come and go, if they are backed in. Do be mindful of the lovely Schnell sconces. We did tap one perfectly and consequently made our first Schnell purchase ever. Larry was VERY understanding about the whole situation and insisted we not replace it, but we wouldn't have felt right leaving it broken.
Sad Schnell
IMG_5343 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Happy Schnell!
IMG_5345 by locococonuts, on Flickr
(We totally cleaned up that mess underneath)
The neighborhood is nice for taking a long walk. It is a very quick drive down to the Reef Bay beach, as well as the Klein Bay beach. The grounds of the villa were well kempt. There was a huge jasmine bush on the upper deck that bloomed right in time for our stay and the scent was constantly wafting throughout, especially at night during dinners on the upper deck.
I didn't take a ton of villa pics, as the photos Larry has up are really nice. As usual though, the villa photos don't do it justice, it was much better in person!
Another perk for us (although this probably matters very little to most travelers) is that Larry was dog friendly. And SOMEONE had a great time. She traveled like a dream. Slept the whole way without any kind of medication:
IMG_0043 by locococonuts, on Flickr
While she has traveled with us quite a bit, she had never used a crate before, so there was a learning curve.
What the heck are you talking about *get in the crate* ???
Image 6 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Did someone say *cookies*??
Image 7 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She also entertained lots of children in the airports. I'm sure the parents appreciated the distraction during their travel day.
Image 8 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She floated the days away. We found an older looking float (stashed around the corner) for her, and we also brought a few with us.
IMG_0077 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0068 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She enjoyed some frosty treats from St. John Spice:
IMG_0097 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0220 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Ruth and Ron have everything you could possibly want. Literally:
IMG_0221 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Spent a good amount of time checking out stuff in the valley below:
IMG_0061 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And chilling by the pool
IMG_0052 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She floated the day away out on the east end. Jumped right into water and into the float. Some other travelers in the water found that quite funny.
IMG_0104 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Took long walks every day on Cruz Bay Beach
IMG_0189 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Did someone say chickens??
Image 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
I LOVE chickens!
Image 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Unfortunately for Ruth, she was too chilled out from being on vacation for her prey drive to kick in, which is usually quite strong. Either that or she had no way to realize that the chicken standing before her was the kind she loved to have in her belly. (let's pretend that isn't an adult beverage next to me at 10am…mmmK? Because it totally could have been someone else's)
Image 1 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Back to less crazy stuff… After this trip, and a few prior, we have become very partial to the south shore location. It is the perfect mix of convenience and quiet. You can hit town on the way to the north shore beaches, or avoid it all together on the way to Coral Bay by using Gift Hill rd.
We spent time floating at Francis.
IMG_0111 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0109 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0108 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And Salt Pond.
IMG_0115 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0114 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0118 by locococonuts, on Flickr
This is my husband floating, drinking, and taking a video of a turtle, all the the same time. Talent!
IMG_0131 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Saw plenty of turtles that day!
IMG_0170 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And a little time at Caneel. Nobody bothered us about bringing our chairs, but they did ask if we had a cooler, which we didn't. We love using the wait staff on the beach, they are very nice. They also didn't hassle us about using the floating dock.
IMG_0201 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0202 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0203 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0199 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Ted came and cooked for us, which I reviewed here:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 13#p271113
We got to test the Sushi at Caneel:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 47#p269547
And went to The Terrace for the first time:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 70#p269570
We also enjoyed Deli Grotto and had some delicious creations at The Tourist Trap!! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me for those, but we highly recommend them both.
Overall the trip was perfect. It was like everything good about being home, but better.
Headed back home…
Image 3 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Good thing she rested up! Shortly after the trip she became a big sister to an adorable, yet spastic, puppy.
IMG_0018 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Image 4 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0043 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
"The Trip Review That Crazy Couple Who Vacation With Their Dog Wrote"
This trip review is long over due. Disgustingly long. Like, it should have been written 10 months ago when we got back. I have had it mostly finished for quite some time, but I got a little lazy about putting the photos with the writing. Oh well, better late than never.
We started our search just a few weeks out from our travel day. Due to my husband's work, the majority of our trips are last minute and we prefer to work directly with owners, so we usually start on VRBO. After receiving a message from fellow forum member Seahorse02, we checked out South Shore Villa. We had noticed it before, but were hesitant without knowing the condition of the road up. We did some searching around and found the video of the Skytop Road on the On-StJohn website and were put at ease (It was nowhere near the road up to calabash a few years back, so we were good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLIDcBhjgQ&noredirect=1
We contacted Larry, the owner of South Shore Villa:
http://www.vrbo.com/122603
He was nice to work with and took his time answering all our questions. He even followed up with us after our first day to make certain everything was going well. It really makes me feel happy when an owner wants to make sure that everything is good.
We had been informed by Larry that during part of our stay there would be a solar panel install. He was honest to share that with us before we booked. FYI - Solar panel installs are not that loud. I am kind of shocked that the workers didn't even listen to music during the day, but perhaps they were trying to be quiet. All of the workers were very friendly and nice. There was an outdoor speaker system, so we provided them with work music when we were in the pool.
The road to the villa is paved all the way from town. The road the villa sits on is half paved, with the switchbacks being fully paved. The views from Skytop are truly some of the best on island.
IMG_0087 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5346 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5342 by locococonuts, on Flickr
It also has a nice partial sunset to the right
IMG_5353 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_5352 by locococonuts, on Flickr
The kitchen is well appointed and I loved the stove! The grill was big enough for an army even though there were only two of us (well, 2.5, more on that later). We cooked many meals there and it was a dream to work in. I can't think of anything that was missing. Must be something about the water, but everything tastes better on St. John. Especially morning coffee.
The infinity pool, although not heated, was in the sun all day and is very comfortable.
IMG_0047 by locococonuts, on Flickr
This was a concern before we booked, but it turned out to be just perfect. We were in the pool every day, at different hours. We didn't hear any noise from neighbors. Sol Inclination is right next door, as well as (what looks like) a private residence just below it.
The living room couch was very comfortable. All of the furnishings in the living and dining rooms were exceptional. We LOVED the copper dining table and the huge, carved coffee table. The TV's throughout were really small, but most people don't go on vacation to watch TV. Still, when these eventually go, I'd be sure and purchase larger TV's. They were a bit hard to see (do a girl with old eyes a favor!).
We would have preferred king sized beds, but they had queen and we made do. To be honest, that was really the only thing we would have changed about the villa. We chose the lower bedroom under the master as we thought it would stay the coolest. The villa had AC throughout, and the AC worked fine if the the breezes weren't enough to keep cool. All of the doors and windows were fully screened to let the breezes pass through while keeping the mosquitos out. Interestingly enough you could hear the ocean all the way up at the villa. The valley created some sort of amphitheater situation.
IMG_5340 by locococonuts, on Flickr
In fact, for the rental price, I think this villa is an amazing deal considering the views, the quality of workmanship that went into it, the close proximity to town, and the amenities.
Great deck space and outdoor dining areas can easily accommodate a large group. We noticed that they have updated the lounges since the photos were taken for the website. It would be impossible for any photos to do that view justice. We could see St. Croix like it was a mile away.
IMG_5355 by locococonuts, on Flickr
The driveway was ample for two cars to come and go, if they are backed in. Do be mindful of the lovely Schnell sconces. We did tap one perfectly and consequently made our first Schnell purchase ever. Larry was VERY understanding about the whole situation and insisted we not replace it, but we wouldn't have felt right leaving it broken.
Sad Schnell
IMG_5343 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Happy Schnell!
IMG_5345 by locococonuts, on Flickr
(We totally cleaned up that mess underneath)
The neighborhood is nice for taking a long walk. It is a very quick drive down to the Reef Bay beach, as well as the Klein Bay beach. The grounds of the villa were well kempt. There was a huge jasmine bush on the upper deck that bloomed right in time for our stay and the scent was constantly wafting throughout, especially at night during dinners on the upper deck.
I didn't take a ton of villa pics, as the photos Larry has up are really nice. As usual though, the villa photos don't do it justice, it was much better in person!
Another perk for us (although this probably matters very little to most travelers) is that Larry was dog friendly. And SOMEONE had a great time. She traveled like a dream. Slept the whole way without any kind of medication:
IMG_0043 by locococonuts, on Flickr
While she has traveled with us quite a bit, she had never used a crate before, so there was a learning curve.
What the heck are you talking about *get in the crate* ???
Image 6 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Did someone say *cookies*??
Image 7 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She also entertained lots of children in the airports. I'm sure the parents appreciated the distraction during their travel day.
Image 8 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She floated the days away. We found an older looking float (stashed around the corner) for her, and we also brought a few with us.
IMG_0077 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0068 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She enjoyed some frosty treats from St. John Spice:
IMG_0097 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0220 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Ruth and Ron have everything you could possibly want. Literally:
IMG_0221 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Spent a good amount of time checking out stuff in the valley below:
IMG_0061 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And chilling by the pool
IMG_0052 by locococonuts, on Flickr
She floated the day away out on the east end. Jumped right into water and into the float. Some other travelers in the water found that quite funny.
IMG_0104 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Took long walks every day on Cruz Bay Beach
IMG_0189 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Did someone say chickens??
Image 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
I LOVE chickens!
Image 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Unfortunately for Ruth, she was too chilled out from being on vacation for her prey drive to kick in, which is usually quite strong. Either that or she had no way to realize that the chicken standing before her was the kind she loved to have in her belly. (let's pretend that isn't an adult beverage next to me at 10am…mmmK? Because it totally could have been someone else's)
Image 1 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Back to less crazy stuff… After this trip, and a few prior, we have become very partial to the south shore location. It is the perfect mix of convenience and quiet. You can hit town on the way to the north shore beaches, or avoid it all together on the way to Coral Bay by using Gift Hill rd.
We spent time floating at Francis.
IMG_0111 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0109 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0108 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And Salt Pond.
IMG_0115 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0114 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0118 by locococonuts, on Flickr
This is my husband floating, drinking, and taking a video of a turtle, all the the same time. Talent!
IMG_0131 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Saw plenty of turtles that day!
IMG_0170 by locococonuts, on Flickr
And a little time at Caneel. Nobody bothered us about bringing our chairs, but they did ask if we had a cooler, which we didn't. We love using the wait staff on the beach, they are very nice. They also didn't hassle us about using the floating dock.
IMG_0201 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0202 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0203 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0199 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Ted came and cooked for us, which I reviewed here:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 13#p271113
We got to test the Sushi at Caneel:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 47#p269547
And went to The Terrace for the first time:
http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... 70#p269570
We also enjoyed Deli Grotto and had some delicious creations at The Tourist Trap!! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me for those, but we highly recommend them both.
Overall the trip was perfect. It was like everything good about being home, but better.
Headed back home…
Image 3 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Good thing she rested up! Shortly after the trip she became a big sister to an adorable, yet spastic, puppy.
IMG_0018 by locococonuts, on Flickr
Image 4 by locococonuts, on Flickr
IMG_0043 - Version 2 by locococonuts, on Flickr
