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Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
WARNING: These will most likely be long. Feel free to just check out the pretty pictures – future posts will be more image heavy. Comment or PM me if I can answer any questions, and please visit http://www.antonycaldaroni.com to see other pictures by travel buddy Tony.
Day One
The alarm clock goes off at 2:45 am, but I’m already up. I toss the last few items in the bag just as Tony and Beth arrive. They are joining my boyfriend Mike and I for a nine day getaway to St. John. This will be my fourth trip to the rock, and a first for everyone else (please, let them “get it”….please please please…). As we start our adventure, a light snow is falling (I send up a silent plea "please don’t let this keep me from my happy place!").
Friedrich Nietzsche once said “Without music, life would be a mistake.” I agree, and as we are driving to the airport, we all put on our best crooning voices to sing one of Tenacious D’s rudest songs. What a mistake. This earworm is the first of many that will persist through the week.
For any Chicagoans on the forum, we parked at Ace Rental, which we found through ParkRideFly USA.com. It was an affordable alternative to parking at O’Hare, they shuttled us quickly to and from the airport, and I would definitely use them again. We flew Spirit Airlines, since it ended up being the cheapest option with the most agreeable schedule (around $475 per ticket, but I managed to get one flight free by following forumite advice and signing up for a Barclay credit card with travel rewards. Score!).
The flight from O’Hare to Fort Lauderdale was uneventful. In Fort Lauderdale, we wait in the terminal for our connection. And wait. And wait. Finally, it becomes clear that one of the flight attendants has not shown up. I start to panic. If the flight is late, we miss the ferry. If we miss the ferry, we won’t be on STJ in time to get our rental car. That’s going to cost us. Deep breath, nikkiki, you’re on vacation. Finally, Aimi the Flight Attendant shows up. “Dammit Aimi!” becomes our rallying cry any time anything goes wrong for the rest of the trip. The flight to STT is amazing. My boyfriend is transfixed by the chain of islands floating underneath us, and despite my anxiety, I find a grin starting to creep onto my face.
The plane lands on an impossibly tiny strip of land, and I’m strategizing. Tony is a photographer and has broken my “carry on only” rule so that he could bring his equipment. As we stand to deplane, we decide to split up – Mike and I will run for the ferry so we can get the car, Tony and Beth will pick up their checked luggage and take the next ferry if necessary. Mike and I make the mandatory stop for our shot of rum (because, vacation), and book it to the taxi line.
Somehow, magically, we all make the correct ferry. My moronic grin gets bigger.
We meet our representative from Windspree at the dock, and she graciously offers to bring half our group and all our luggage to Conrad Sutton’s. We pick up our car and exchange pleasantries with the lovely lady behind the desk. We get a 2 door Jeep Wrangler with about 25,000 miles and some major dings on it. Perfect. Conrad religiously marks each prior offense on a sheet, sternly reminds us to keep the car dry and keep the top on, and we’re on our way. Our Windspree representative says “My boyfriend and I were hoping to hike Ram’s Head tonight….did you guys need to stop anywhere before we go to the villa?” Um, I guess not.
I request that we take the scenic view to the villa instead of Centerline, and they cheerfully comply, slowing down at the overlooks for full effect. I get my keep left driving fix while my friends ooh and ahh over the beaches and scream in terror in turns. We arrive at the Banana Cabana in Coral Bay, and after a speed tour of the premises, we sent our rep on her merry way.
Ahhhhhh……….hello, view.
Banana Cabana is fairly easy to access, on a mostly paved road. It wasn’t very high up, and was definitely warm at night, though not unbearably so. The villa was a bit dated, with older appliances, but it had everything we needed and the price was right. The villa is actually split into 3 independent "pods". Each bedroom is separate, and a living area/kitchen in the middle gives an added bit of privacy. I was a bit surprised to learn that the outdoor showers faced the road. When a man came to replace our gas tanks later that week, I’m sure he saw more than he bargained for. We shared a pool with a few other villas, and it was a steep uphill walk to get to it. We used the pool twice, and had it to ourselves both times.
We toss our luggage in the bedrooms, explore our space, and then agree….we’re starving. Down the hill to Skinny Legs for a burger and a drink. Painkillers, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. Life is good.
Island time starts now. We agree to grab a few breakfast items at Lilly’s for tomorrow morning, and worry about the major shopping tomorrow. My friends are astounded that most everything in the shop is expired and we settle on some beer, a bag of bagels, a stick of butter, and some juice. No worries, we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.
Back at the villa, we wander up to the pool to marvel at the night sky and contemplate what the week will bring. Tony laments that the full moon will keep him from getting the Milky Way pictures he wanted to take, but it is beautiful nonetheless, and we enjoy finding our favorite constellations from this new angle. Back at the villa, I scour the bed for scorpions and tarantulas (thanks forumites). I drift to sleep with the sounds of frogs and the lyrics “What’s your favorite dish? I’m not gonna cook it, but I’ll order it from Zanzibar….”. Sigh.
Day One
The alarm clock goes off at 2:45 am, but I’m already up. I toss the last few items in the bag just as Tony and Beth arrive. They are joining my boyfriend Mike and I for a nine day getaway to St. John. This will be my fourth trip to the rock, and a first for everyone else (please, let them “get it”….please please please…). As we start our adventure, a light snow is falling (I send up a silent plea "please don’t let this keep me from my happy place!").
Friedrich Nietzsche once said “Without music, life would be a mistake.” I agree, and as we are driving to the airport, we all put on our best crooning voices to sing one of Tenacious D’s rudest songs. What a mistake. This earworm is the first of many that will persist through the week.
For any Chicagoans on the forum, we parked at Ace Rental, which we found through ParkRideFly USA.com. It was an affordable alternative to parking at O’Hare, they shuttled us quickly to and from the airport, and I would definitely use them again. We flew Spirit Airlines, since it ended up being the cheapest option with the most agreeable schedule (around $475 per ticket, but I managed to get one flight free by following forumite advice and signing up for a Barclay credit card with travel rewards. Score!).
The flight from O’Hare to Fort Lauderdale was uneventful. In Fort Lauderdale, we wait in the terminal for our connection. And wait. And wait. Finally, it becomes clear that one of the flight attendants has not shown up. I start to panic. If the flight is late, we miss the ferry. If we miss the ferry, we won’t be on STJ in time to get our rental car. That’s going to cost us. Deep breath, nikkiki, you’re on vacation. Finally, Aimi the Flight Attendant shows up. “Dammit Aimi!” becomes our rallying cry any time anything goes wrong for the rest of the trip. The flight to STT is amazing. My boyfriend is transfixed by the chain of islands floating underneath us, and despite my anxiety, I find a grin starting to creep onto my face.
The plane lands on an impossibly tiny strip of land, and I’m strategizing. Tony is a photographer and has broken my “carry on only” rule so that he could bring his equipment. As we stand to deplane, we decide to split up – Mike and I will run for the ferry so we can get the car, Tony and Beth will pick up their checked luggage and take the next ferry if necessary. Mike and I make the mandatory stop for our shot of rum (because, vacation), and book it to the taxi line.
Somehow, magically, we all make the correct ferry. My moronic grin gets bigger.
We meet our representative from Windspree at the dock, and she graciously offers to bring half our group and all our luggage to Conrad Sutton’s. We pick up our car and exchange pleasantries with the lovely lady behind the desk. We get a 2 door Jeep Wrangler with about 25,000 miles and some major dings on it. Perfect. Conrad religiously marks each prior offense on a sheet, sternly reminds us to keep the car dry and keep the top on, and we’re on our way. Our Windspree representative says “My boyfriend and I were hoping to hike Ram’s Head tonight….did you guys need to stop anywhere before we go to the villa?” Um, I guess not.
I request that we take the scenic view to the villa instead of Centerline, and they cheerfully comply, slowing down at the overlooks for full effect. I get my keep left driving fix while my friends ooh and ahh over the beaches and scream in terror in turns. We arrive at the Banana Cabana in Coral Bay, and after a speed tour of the premises, we sent our rep on her merry way.
Ahhhhhh……….hello, view.
Banana Cabana is fairly easy to access, on a mostly paved road. It wasn’t very high up, and was definitely warm at night, though not unbearably so. The villa was a bit dated, with older appliances, but it had everything we needed and the price was right. The villa is actually split into 3 independent "pods". Each bedroom is separate, and a living area/kitchen in the middle gives an added bit of privacy. I was a bit surprised to learn that the outdoor showers faced the road. When a man came to replace our gas tanks later that week, I’m sure he saw more than he bargained for. We shared a pool with a few other villas, and it was a steep uphill walk to get to it. We used the pool twice, and had it to ourselves both times.
We toss our luggage in the bedrooms, explore our space, and then agree….we’re starving. Down the hill to Skinny Legs for a burger and a drink. Painkillers, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. Life is good.
Island time starts now. We agree to grab a few breakfast items at Lilly’s for tomorrow morning, and worry about the major shopping tomorrow. My friends are astounded that most everything in the shop is expired and we settle on some beer, a bag of bagels, a stick of butter, and some juice. No worries, we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.
Back at the villa, we wander up to the pool to marvel at the night sky and contemplate what the week will bring. Tony laments that the full moon will keep him from getting the Milky Way pictures he wanted to take, but it is beautiful nonetheless, and we enjoy finding our favorite constellations from this new angle. Back at the villa, I scour the bed for scorpions and tarantulas (thanks forumites). I drift to sleep with the sounds of frogs and the lyrics “What’s your favorite dish? I’m not gonna cook it, but I’ll order it from Zanzibar….”. Sigh.
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Great start! I look forward to the rest of your TR. Your friends pics are amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
LOVING YOUR TR!!!!!!!
Rocket, rocket, all of my rocket-sauce...
Dude, that's the Ice Cream Man Song...
I remember videotaping The D when it was a series on HBO ( I think...? Comedy Central...?) a lifetime ago. That's right, VCR,baby.
The personal way you word your experiences on your adventure brings everything from tickles to tears, and I gotta' tell you,- Can't wait for more.
Thanks!
Smiles-
MJ
Rocket, rocket, all of my rocket-sauce...
Dude, that's the Ice Cream Man Song...
I remember videotaping The D when it was a series on HBO ( I think...? Comedy Central...?) a lifetime ago. That's right, VCR,baby.
The personal way you word your experiences on your adventure brings everything from tickles to tears, and I gotta' tell you,- Can't wait for more.
Thanks!
Smiles-
MJ
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chicagoans
- Posts: 1586
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:51 pm
- Location: IL
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Love it! Can't wait to hear (and see) more! I've considered Banana Cabana too, so happy to see the view and hear the description. Sounds like a great set up for 2 couples.
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Dammit Aimi! One little slip up on her part and a whole cascade of bad can happen.
Love it.
Love it.
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Me too!ifloat wrote:Dammit Aimi!
Love it.
... no longer a stranger to paradise
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Great start! Haha did Tony the photographer's head almost explode with all of the potential photo opps?
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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momto3boys
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:14 pm
- Location: Missouri
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Loving it! I have never checked our bed. Are people finding things under the sheets. Yikes!
Re: Earworms – Day One Trip Report 4/15-4/23
Thanks all! Day 2 is up, and I'll keep them coming as fast as Tony can churn out the pictures. Chicagoans, pm me if you have any questions about Banana Cabana. We liked it, with a few reservations. momto3boys, there is an entire post about creepy crawlies on the island. For the love of god, don't read it. jmq, Tony had a ball. You can't take a bad picture on St. John. He's already compiling his list of locations for "next time."