usvi-on-line
20 days in paradise, part one
20 days in paradise, part one
Day One, or getting there is not half the fun
Up at 4:30 AM to make our 7:30 flight out. It was pouring rain and pitch black. We had WAY too much luggage—this year set a record. Two large LLBean rolling duffles, a large polar bear cooler, the snorkel bag, the camera bag, and a rolling carry on. Did I mention that I also shipped down a 26 pound box of stuff? Yeah, it was pretty pathetic.
We got to Logan in plenty of time. At curbside check in, the porter confirmed what flight we were on, took our passports, and disappeared for quite some time. He finally reemerged to tell us that our flight had been canceled, but not to worry, because he had rebooked us on the delayed 7 AM to Philadelphia.
However, by the time we got to our gate, our original flight had been reinstated (all the way on the other end of the terminal, of course), so we hoofed it over there, and waited. The flight took off about 45 minutes late. We were a little concerned about making our connection in Charlotte, but figured we’d deal with it when we got there.
We arrived at Philly with 35 minutes to make the connection, no problem, man! Of course, we were at the furthest point of terminal A, and our connection was at the furthest point of terminal B, so some power walking was in order. We hustled over there only to find that the flight was delayed until noon for mechanical issues. No problem, man. We were too tired to be upset.
We found a corner out of the way where we could keep an eye on things and settled in. 12 PM came and went with no plane. 1 PM, gone. No plane. People were starting to get restless, so USAir comped a lunch—your choice of McDonalds or some sandwich place. I was very glad I had packed us food (tangerines, gruyere sandwiches, raisins, and pistachios—better than a big mac any day!). At 2 PM they finally begin boarding. Hooray! But then, boo!! A woman in the front of the plane refused to sit down. Why? I have no idea. It led to an ugly scene, with her being kicked off the flight, then refusing to deplane. People on the plane started yelling, which made an already tense situation worse, and led to another 30 minute delay.
John and I just hunkered down in our seats with our books, and waited. We were very good at waiting by this point. We finally took off and watched the on-flight movie (Music and Lyrics) which was a good decision because the flight was quite turbulent all the way down and it distracted us.
Coming in to St. Thomas we could see the thick Sahara dust. It made everything very hazy. At the airport, we called La Tapa to cancel our dinner reservation, grabbed a Red Stripe, and hung back to wait for the bags. All the bags made it, and the cooler stayed frozen (thanks, Techni Ice!). We, of course, missed the ferry by five minutes. Oh well, they sell Red Stripe at the ferry so all was good. We finally made it to St. John at 9:30 PM, seven hours after our scheduled arrival.
We hoofed it over to the Beach Bar where they were kind enough to make us some food (John declared it the best burger he had ever tasted), and then back to Gallows for sleep, finally. It was a long day, but we knew the hassle would be worth it.
Day Two
Up early again so I went out to get breakfast from the Everyting shop on site at Gallows. I turned on the alarm clock (Carribean Steel Pan, Music, volume 6), and John joined me on the deck.
View:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360371/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/543 ... c1f993.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows flamboyant"></a>
After breakfast, we strolled down for our first snorkel. I was feeling lazy so did not bring the camera. No pictures, sorry! Gallows does not really have a beach, it’s just rubble, so entry into the water is via a ramp and ladder:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360345/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1093/543 ... 1aa0b8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows dock"></a>
There are sandbags under the ladder for good footing when you enter. The snorkeling is very good here, with lots of fish, including jack, blue tang, butterfly fish, trumpetfish, a small flounder, a giant elkhorn coral, and a huge angelfish. We snorkeled both in front of Gallows and over to Frank Bay, where I found a small hawksbill turtle gliding among the coral.
Lunch was at the Banana Deck. I had a blackened mahi sandwich, and John had a mahi wrap. Both were very tasty, and the fries were crisp and not greasy. I really like the garden setting here.
Back to Gallows for booktime and napping, then out to dinner at Stone Terrace. We had a very nice table on the corner rail overlooking Cruz Bay. Dinner was amazing. We both had tuna—they told us it had been caught that day—I got the usual peppercrusted tuna with corn risotto and fried hearts of palm, and John had a tuna special (I forgot to write down what it was, but it was GOOD). The wine was delicious too (Turley White Coat). It was Sunday, so there was some jazz going on at the Beach Bar that made for a nice backdrop for our meal. After dinner, we did some stargazing, then hit the hay by 9:30 PM.
Day 3
Up at 6:30 AM and out to snorkel. We looked for the big barracuda that supposedly lives under the Gallows Point raft, but no luck. We did find a huge school of needlefish (50+), and a grasby, plus lots of the usual suspects.
Coral at Gallows:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360337/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1384/543 ... 522bb2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows coral"></a>
We cleaned up, checked out of Gallows, and headed into town for lunch at the Ocean Grill. The menu is pretty limited, and did not seem overpriced to us (except for the $16 hamburger—what’s up with that??) We both had tacos—mine were mahi and John’s were lobster. They came on toasted corn tortillas, with cabbage, mango aioli, salsa fresca, and hot sauce. We thought they were really tasty. This is such a nice setting, I hope the restaurant does well.
After lunch we headed to Penns to pick up our Jeep Liberty. The woman behind the counter told us that she preferred the old vitaras because they had more power. Hmm…back to Gallows to pick up the luggage, and then off to Cinnamon Tarn.
Review of Gallows Point, unit 2C
Excellent location with views over Pillsbury Sound to St. Thomas. Frank Bay to the left, the cays to the right. Terracotta tile throughout the unit, very comfortable furniture, super comfy king bed in a loft overlooking the living/dining area:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360409/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/543 ... f40bbb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows interior"></a>
Galley kitchen is well equipped. There are two small TVs, a collection of Jimmy Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker (no idea who he is) CDs, board games, and books. Excellent AC and ceiling fans throughout, plus an oscillating fan in the bedroom. The unit has 1 ½ baths, one with a large tiled shower with bench seating. There are soft towels and all toiletries are provided. The unit is decorated in a casual, pleasing style, with vaulted ceilings throughout. There is a complimentary gallon of water, fifth of Cruzan, and ting in the unit. The patio has two comfy chairs with footrests, a small table, and a resident seagull!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261840/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/543 ... 88ac62.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows seagull"></a>
Clear louvers on the windows allow the view in while keeping the AC on. The grounds at Gallows are beautiful with lots of pretty flowers:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360379/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/543 ... 2e1c89.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows flower"></a>
I would definitely stay here again.
Up at 4:30 AM to make our 7:30 flight out. It was pouring rain and pitch black. We had WAY too much luggage—this year set a record. Two large LLBean rolling duffles, a large polar bear cooler, the snorkel bag, the camera bag, and a rolling carry on. Did I mention that I also shipped down a 26 pound box of stuff? Yeah, it was pretty pathetic.
We got to Logan in plenty of time. At curbside check in, the porter confirmed what flight we were on, took our passports, and disappeared for quite some time. He finally reemerged to tell us that our flight had been canceled, but not to worry, because he had rebooked us on the delayed 7 AM to Philadelphia.
However, by the time we got to our gate, our original flight had been reinstated (all the way on the other end of the terminal, of course), so we hoofed it over there, and waited. The flight took off about 45 minutes late. We were a little concerned about making our connection in Charlotte, but figured we’d deal with it when we got there.
We arrived at Philly with 35 minutes to make the connection, no problem, man! Of course, we were at the furthest point of terminal A, and our connection was at the furthest point of terminal B, so some power walking was in order. We hustled over there only to find that the flight was delayed until noon for mechanical issues. No problem, man. We were too tired to be upset.
We found a corner out of the way where we could keep an eye on things and settled in. 12 PM came and went with no plane. 1 PM, gone. No plane. People were starting to get restless, so USAir comped a lunch—your choice of McDonalds or some sandwich place. I was very glad I had packed us food (tangerines, gruyere sandwiches, raisins, and pistachios—better than a big mac any day!). At 2 PM they finally begin boarding. Hooray! But then, boo!! A woman in the front of the plane refused to sit down. Why? I have no idea. It led to an ugly scene, with her being kicked off the flight, then refusing to deplane. People on the plane started yelling, which made an already tense situation worse, and led to another 30 minute delay.
John and I just hunkered down in our seats with our books, and waited. We were very good at waiting by this point. We finally took off and watched the on-flight movie (Music and Lyrics) which was a good decision because the flight was quite turbulent all the way down and it distracted us.
Coming in to St. Thomas we could see the thick Sahara dust. It made everything very hazy. At the airport, we called La Tapa to cancel our dinner reservation, grabbed a Red Stripe, and hung back to wait for the bags. All the bags made it, and the cooler stayed frozen (thanks, Techni Ice!). We, of course, missed the ferry by five minutes. Oh well, they sell Red Stripe at the ferry so all was good. We finally made it to St. John at 9:30 PM, seven hours after our scheduled arrival.
We hoofed it over to the Beach Bar where they were kind enough to make us some food (John declared it the best burger he had ever tasted), and then back to Gallows for sleep, finally. It was a long day, but we knew the hassle would be worth it.
Day Two
Up early again so I went out to get breakfast from the Everyting shop on site at Gallows. I turned on the alarm clock (Carribean Steel Pan, Music, volume 6), and John joined me on the deck.
View:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360371/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1360/543 ... c1f993.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows flamboyant"></a>
After breakfast, we strolled down for our first snorkel. I was feeling lazy so did not bring the camera. No pictures, sorry! Gallows does not really have a beach, it’s just rubble, so entry into the water is via a ramp and ladder:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360345/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1093/543 ... 1aa0b8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows dock"></a>
There are sandbags under the ladder for good footing when you enter. The snorkeling is very good here, with lots of fish, including jack, blue tang, butterfly fish, trumpetfish, a small flounder, a giant elkhorn coral, and a huge angelfish. We snorkeled both in front of Gallows and over to Frank Bay, where I found a small hawksbill turtle gliding among the coral.
Lunch was at the Banana Deck. I had a blackened mahi sandwich, and John had a mahi wrap. Both were very tasty, and the fries were crisp and not greasy. I really like the garden setting here.
Back to Gallows for booktime and napping, then out to dinner at Stone Terrace. We had a very nice table on the corner rail overlooking Cruz Bay. Dinner was amazing. We both had tuna—they told us it had been caught that day—I got the usual peppercrusted tuna with corn risotto and fried hearts of palm, and John had a tuna special (I forgot to write down what it was, but it was GOOD). The wine was delicious too (Turley White Coat). It was Sunday, so there was some jazz going on at the Beach Bar that made for a nice backdrop for our meal. After dinner, we did some stargazing, then hit the hay by 9:30 PM.
Day 3
Up at 6:30 AM and out to snorkel. We looked for the big barracuda that supposedly lives under the Gallows Point raft, but no luck. We did find a huge school of needlefish (50+), and a grasby, plus lots of the usual suspects.
Coral at Gallows:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360337/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1384/543 ... 522bb2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows coral"></a>
We cleaned up, checked out of Gallows, and headed into town for lunch at the Ocean Grill. The menu is pretty limited, and did not seem overpriced to us (except for the $16 hamburger—what’s up with that??) We both had tacos—mine were mahi and John’s were lobster. They came on toasted corn tortillas, with cabbage, mango aioli, salsa fresca, and hot sauce. We thought they were really tasty. This is such a nice setting, I hope the restaurant does well.
After lunch we headed to Penns to pick up our Jeep Liberty. The woman behind the counter told us that she preferred the old vitaras because they had more power. Hmm…back to Gallows to pick up the luggage, and then off to Cinnamon Tarn.
Review of Gallows Point, unit 2C
Excellent location with views over Pillsbury Sound to St. Thomas. Frank Bay to the left, the cays to the right. Terracotta tile throughout the unit, very comfortable furniture, super comfy king bed in a loft overlooking the living/dining area:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360409/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/543 ... f40bbb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows interior"></a>
Galley kitchen is well equipped. There are two small TVs, a collection of Jimmy Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker (no idea who he is) CDs, board games, and books. Excellent AC and ceiling fans throughout, plus an oscillating fan in the bedroom. The unit has 1 ½ baths, one with a large tiled shower with bench seating. There are soft towels and all toiletries are provided. The unit is decorated in a casual, pleasing style, with vaulted ceilings throughout. There is a complimentary gallon of water, fifth of Cruzan, and ting in the unit. The patio has two comfy chairs with footrests, a small table, and a resident seagull!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261840/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/543 ... 88ac62.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows seagull"></a>
Clear louvers on the windows allow the view in while keeping the AC on. The grounds at Gallows are beautiful with lots of pretty flowers:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543360379/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/543 ... 2e1c89.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows flower"></a>
I would definitely stay here again.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
-
StJohnRuth
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:42 pm
- Location: St. John, VI
Re: 20 days in paradise, part one
What a great start!liamsaunt wrote:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261840/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/543 ... 88ac62.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="gallows seagull"></a>
The barracuda's name is "Frank."
Also, Ron and I lived in the blue house in this photo (overlooking the pipes) when we first moved off the boat. Very nostalgic!
More! More!
-Ruth
-
obsessedmuch