usvi-on-line
We made it !!!
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
We made it !!!
Trip Report #1 Travel Day
Hello Forumites. Coming to you from the deck at Villa Catalina. 6:30 AM and I'm wide awake
(happens when you are in bed by 9:30. Thought I do a quick report. Can't promise daily updates in the future.
Background: Our group consists of me, husband and husband's 19 yo daughter. The trip as originally conceived included husband's 17 yo old daughter as well. However, its been a rough year with her acting out wise and we are unfortunately somewhat estranged right now. She decided to opt out of the trip. A month before the trip we decided to invite husband's cousin and her boyfriend from San Diego. ( So far so good, boyfriend is a blast, cousin great too!)
Travel Day: Flights were arranged so that the California group would change plans in NY and we were able to travel together to STT. Boarded early, plane fully loaded 15 minutes before schedule.... then a 90 minute wait at the gate while luggage was loaded. Well we lost our slot and arrival delayed by about an hour.
Arrived STT, plan made, I would go to rent a car counter the rest would deal with luggage. Was first on line at Budget and the bags started coming off within 15 minutes. This is looking good. Then it comes to a grinding halt. We all find our bags with the exception of the 19 yo. Waiting, waiting, waiting... Im getting that bad feeling, no one else from our plane is still around. We do a loop to see if maybe another passenger mistakenly picked it up. After about an hour we have to resign ourselves that the bag is not here. 19 yo melts down. She's a great kid, brilliant,
(sophomore at Yale... sorry I just have to brag a bit) lively, interesting but very high strung. She doesn't handle "blips" like this very well. I swing into gear. Track down a Delta agent fill out the forms, along with another lovely couple who similarly lost only one bag and trudge back to baggage claim. 19 yo, in denial about the lost bag, wants to wait to see if it will come. I try to explain it's one plane a day, nothing more is going to come until tomorrow. After some back and forth we are off the find the car and to do some food shopping at Cost U less. I would recommend it. Prices were excellent for staples, dry goods, milk, snacks, booze etc. The selection of meat was not great and the produce was a little picked over. We stocked up and headed for the barge.
More tears from the 19 yo on the barge. She calls her Mom who yells at her for losing the bag, more tears, those big gulping kind. Husband is not a happy camper. He knows from experience that if the 19 yo isn't happy, no one is happy.
Arrival on STJ magical as usual. Didn't realize they moved the ferry landing since last visit 2 years ago. So much easier in and out. Villa Manager, the lovely Myrtle Penn, was right there to meet us. Up to Chocolate Hole. Myrtle is great, I explain about the lost bag, had given Delta her phone as well as ours. She offered to help coordinate the, hopefully, eventual delivery.
We do a quick once over with the house. More on that latter. It's good, but not great.
We start to get settled and low and behold the 19 yo realizes that she has a significant amount of stuff in a small bag that at the last minute me the wicked step mother, had persuaded her to carry on. Luckily she had the bathing suit and any essentials in her regualr carry on, but the small bag reveals a number of other "outfits" as well as some jewelry she thought was in the checked luggage. I think I will leave the lecture about checking jewelry to another day
. Big smile breaks out on her face and my husband sighs audibly, drawing a big laugh from everyone.
By this time we are exhausted, but famished. I had a wild hair about cooking, but was over ruled. We went to Compass Rose @ Pastory Gardens, it was a great choice. The food was really very good we had a mix of pastas, fish and chips, grilled Mahi Mahi. Service was quick and pleasant and the prices were great. Five dinners, a round of drinks for just over $100 ! I think its a keeper. By the way, note to RickG. I had my first Dark and Stormy. Loved it. Most rum drinks are too sweet for my taste. I think I found my drink for the trip.
Back to the Villa. We decide to watch "Borat" on the DVD, but it was non operational. Probably the best thing any way, and its off to bed.
After a very rainy night, I've never heard it rain so hard, a beautiful day has dawned. Well the group is starting to rouse. More soon come.
Hello Forumites. Coming to you from the deck at Villa Catalina. 6:30 AM and I'm wide awake
(happens when you are in bed by 9:30. Thought I do a quick report. Can't promise daily updates in the future.
Background: Our group consists of me, husband and husband's 19 yo daughter. The trip as originally conceived included husband's 17 yo old daughter as well. However, its been a rough year with her acting out wise and we are unfortunately somewhat estranged right now. She decided to opt out of the trip. A month before the trip we decided to invite husband's cousin and her boyfriend from San Diego. ( So far so good, boyfriend is a blast, cousin great too!)
Travel Day: Flights were arranged so that the California group would change plans in NY and we were able to travel together to STT. Boarded early, plane fully loaded 15 minutes before schedule.... then a 90 minute wait at the gate while luggage was loaded. Well we lost our slot and arrival delayed by about an hour.
Arrived STT, plan made, I would go to rent a car counter the rest would deal with luggage. Was first on line at Budget and the bags started coming off within 15 minutes. This is looking good. Then it comes to a grinding halt. We all find our bags with the exception of the 19 yo. Waiting, waiting, waiting... Im getting that bad feeling, no one else from our plane is still around. We do a loop to see if maybe another passenger mistakenly picked it up. After about an hour we have to resign ourselves that the bag is not here. 19 yo melts down. She's a great kid, brilliant,
(sophomore at Yale... sorry I just have to brag a bit) lively, interesting but very high strung. She doesn't handle "blips" like this very well. I swing into gear. Track down a Delta agent fill out the forms, along with another lovely couple who similarly lost only one bag and trudge back to baggage claim. 19 yo, in denial about the lost bag, wants to wait to see if it will come. I try to explain it's one plane a day, nothing more is going to come until tomorrow. After some back and forth we are off the find the car and to do some food shopping at Cost U less. I would recommend it. Prices were excellent for staples, dry goods, milk, snacks, booze etc. The selection of meat was not great and the produce was a little picked over. We stocked up and headed for the barge.
More tears from the 19 yo on the barge. She calls her Mom who yells at her for losing the bag, more tears, those big gulping kind. Husband is not a happy camper. He knows from experience that if the 19 yo isn't happy, no one is happy.
Arrival on STJ magical as usual. Didn't realize they moved the ferry landing since last visit 2 years ago. So much easier in and out. Villa Manager, the lovely Myrtle Penn, was right there to meet us. Up to Chocolate Hole. Myrtle is great, I explain about the lost bag, had given Delta her phone as well as ours. She offered to help coordinate the, hopefully, eventual delivery.
We do a quick once over with the house. More on that latter. It's good, but not great.
We start to get settled and low and behold the 19 yo realizes that she has a significant amount of stuff in a small bag that at the last minute me the wicked step mother, had persuaded her to carry on. Luckily she had the bathing suit and any essentials in her regualr carry on, but the small bag reveals a number of other "outfits" as well as some jewelry she thought was in the checked luggage. I think I will leave the lecture about checking jewelry to another day
. Big smile breaks out on her face and my husband sighs audibly, drawing a big laugh from everyone.By this time we are exhausted, but famished. I had a wild hair about cooking, but was over ruled. We went to Compass Rose @ Pastory Gardens, it was a great choice. The food was really very good we had a mix of pastas, fish and chips, grilled Mahi Mahi. Service was quick and pleasant and the prices were great. Five dinners, a round of drinks for just over $100 ! I think its a keeper. By the way, note to RickG. I had my first Dark and Stormy. Loved it. Most rum drinks are too sweet for my taste. I think I found my drink for the trip.
Back to the Villa. We decide to watch "Borat" on the DVD, but it was non operational. Probably the best thing any way, and its off to bed.
After a very rainy night, I've never heard it rain so hard, a beautiful day has dawned. Well the group is starting to rouse. More soon come.
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beachluvers
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm
- Location: Cumming, Georgia
Sailorgirl,
Thank you for the update! All of us "step moms" out here were certainly with you through the family dynamic drama that just goes with the territory. I hope you and your family have a great trip.
I am intrigued by the drink, "dark and stormy". I'm not a big rum drinker either, so I HAVE to try this.
Good points about the packing some essentials in carry on, as well.
Again, have a great week!
Thank you for the update! All of us "step moms" out here were certainly with you through the family dynamic drama that just goes with the territory. I hope you and your family have a great trip.
I am intrigued by the drink, "dark and stormy". I'm not a big rum drinker either, so I HAVE to try this.
Good points about the packing some essentials in carry on, as well.
Again, have a great week!
Jo & Bryon
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
I too am a "Wicked step mother" raising a 13 yr old who thinks we never went to school and dont know a thing 
You all know what i mean if you have or had a 13 yr old 
Anyway i think as far as i can remember a Dark And Stormy is a mix of rum and beer
My hubby who hates beer and only drinks rum tryed it and thought it was pretty good
You all know what i mean if you have or had a 13 yr old Anyway i think as far as i can remember a Dark And Stormy is a mix of rum and beer
My hubby who hates beer and only drinks rum tryed it and thought it was pretty good
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beachluvers
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm
- Location: Cumming, Georgia
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NoTanLines
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:41 pm
- Location: McLean, VA
RickG and I fell in love with Dark & Stormy's when we spent a couple of days on Anegada. D&S's are made with Gosling's Rum and Barritt's Ginger Beer from Bermuda. This ginger beer is much spicier than regular ginger ale. There is an interesting history on ginger beer at http://www.barrittsgingerbeer.bm/history.htmlCoden wrote:Glad you all are there safe and sound. I too am interested in the Dark & Stormy. For some reason I thought that was two diff. types of beer...a dark and a light...what are the ingredients? I like rum!
That said, I think it's time for a Dark & Stormy!
Cheers,
Christine
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
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Dave-a-roni
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 1:43 am
- Location: Western NY
Thanks for the trip report, I look forward to the next one to hear where you guys went.
Yeah, the lost luggage thing really sucks! My wife didn't get one of hers back for 6 days, it had all her footwear in it, she only had flip flops! Haha, she didn't mind till we wanted to go hiking on the reefbay trail. We took a trip to St. Thomas and got some sneakers at K-Mart, then the next day we finally got our luggage
. I say, wear sneakers on the plane too, just in case
Yeah, the lost luggage thing really sucks! My wife didn't get one of hers back for 6 days, it had all her footwear in it, she only had flip flops! Haha, she didn't mind till we wanted to go hiking on the reefbay trail. We took a trip to St. Thomas and got some sneakers at K-Mart, then the next day we finally got our luggage
. I say, wear sneakers on the plane too, just in case -
designbyroe
- Posts: 1348
- Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:27 pm
- Location: Chilaxin on White Bay at least in my mind
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
A shout out to all my " step mom" girls. Thanks for the support. It can at times be a thankless job, but this week is really helping me to see the benefits as well.
No time for a detailed report... sorry.
But a bag update. Seems the rocket scientists at Delta JFK cannot tell the difference between "STT" and "STI", so the bag went to Santiago Chile. :-0. We are told it has returned from the Southern hempishere and made it to Atlanta. They promised it would be on a flight to St. Thomas today. The flight from Atlanta arrives at about 1:00PM so we are keeping our fingers crossed. They said they would bring it directly to the Villa, but who knows.
More later
No time for a detailed report... sorry.
But a bag update. Seems the rocket scientists at Delta JFK cannot tell the difference between "STT" and "STI", so the bag went to Santiago Chile. :-0. We are told it has returned from the Southern hempishere and made it to Atlanta. They promised it would be on a flight to St. Thomas today. The flight from Atlanta arrives at about 1:00PM so we are keeping our fingers crossed. They said they would bring it directly to the Villa, but who knows.
More later
