USVI-On-Line

Saturday was Cinnamon Bay! We had breakfast at the villa overlooking our beautiful gift hill view! It made me not mind getting up so early! Every morning the sun was in my face bright and early! I never see 6am at home but in St John I saw it regularly! The pillows were under the windows in our room and the blinds left a lot to be desired as far as keeping the room dark goes! The view from the bedroom was beautiful though!






Eliz and Jerry got started before we did. We met them at Cinnamon and Kenneth went out to snorkel with them. I had brought my Harry potter book and was determined to get some reading time in! I set up on the beach and found it impossible to just sit there! I took a few pics before Eliz came back to convince me to get in and have a drink and a float! It didn't take much convincing! There isn't much I like better than floating on my back in the water looking at a beautiful sky!













We stopped at the smoothie truck on the way back to Seawatch to change for lunch. Eliz and Jerry had virgin mango coladas, Kenneth had a strawberry w/rum and I had the famous lime and coconut with rum! Somehow i don't have pictures of this!

Back at the villa we take a quick dip in the pool and change clothes before we head out to Island Blues. It was Kenneth and my first time there and we were hooked! It was so relaxing and being right next to the water like that was perfect!









Elizabeth had the quesadilla special and a Carib, Jerry had his favorite black and blue cheese burger with another painkiller, Kenneth had the meatloaf lunch with a BBC and I had the pork sandwich and another lime and coconut!

After lunch we followed Eliz and Jerry out to the east end. I wanted to see Vie's, etc. I had no idea what kind of ride I was getting myself into! Up and down STEEP hills with beautiful scenery. We followed them into an area that was being developed! The views up there will be incredible! Backing down part of it had us laughing so hard I couldn't see to drive! I was relieved when we got back to familiar territory but wouldn't have missed that for anything!


























We stopped at Skinny's to do some shopping. I needed to find a t-shirt in a larger size and was lucky enough to get the last one!!!! It is the one that says, "Women who behave rarely make history". That is my motto!!!!!! I even got the bumper sticker.

We went back to the villa for some pool and hot tub with cocktails time. The views were incredible! We were never in the house!









Dinner that night was at Morgan's Mango. Eliz had seafood empanadas and a Brie quesadilla, Jerry had chicken and cheese quesadilla and a soup, I'm not sure what Kenneth and I had. After dinner it was back to the villa for cocktails and an early night!

As I go through these pictures to add to my report I find that we didn't get too many of the food! Some places I took more than others. Sorry for my omission! I promise to do better next trip! Hint Hint Kenneth!

Tomorrow we go to the BVIs! Jerry rented a boat with a captain from Ocean Runner!!!!!

Wow, another great day. I loved Cinnamon. But one question, where is a pic of the new t-shirt??

He didn't get one at this point in the trip and I, for some reason, only got pics of him in the water.

My add ons to this day:

That pic of me on the villa deck was my favorite time. In the morning before everyone came out of the bedrooms. I would feed the bannanquaits, have coffee Jerry brought from home (the kind with chicory in it) and just look at that beautiful view while writing in my journal or just soaking it in.

At Cinnamon, I was reluctant to swim there because there was a shark there two years prior that was NOT a nurse shark and it had come back to check me out after doing a swim by the first time so I was still a little freaked out. As soon as Cat and Kenneth showed up and Kenneth came back, I was GLAD to go back to be with Cat.

It was so nice to just lie in the water and float on our backs or stand in the water and talk to each other. I swear I was a fish in a previous life because just to be near or touching water makes me happy.

Getting back to Island Blues for the first time since Jerry and I were last there a month before Katrina was like coming home. The waitresses were the same ones we had the last time we were there. When they heard that we were from New Orleans, they got all excited and proceeded to put one of their Cowboy Mouth cds on and tell us how they go to Jazz Fest EVERY year since the first time they went and are hooked. That endeared me to them as Jazz Fest is my absolute favorite time of year (even better than Christmas or my birthday). While we sat there, other DVDs played and they were all Jazz Fest Live cds or local Louisiana musicians; it was great!

The drive to East End was hilarious as we were leading in our car and knowing that Catherine and Kenneth were enjoying all of the STEEP hills. On the way back, Jerry decided he wanted to go up the road to that new development that we had driven last time we were there. It's kind of a scary drive for flatlanders if you ask me. Anyway, the road went further this time than it did the last time so we kept going until all the sudden we came to a dead end with nowhere to turn around.

When we realized we were gonna have to back down, all I kept telling Jerry (while totally laughing my butt off) was, "Catherine is gonna kick YOUR a$$." It was hilarious!!! Finally, we get to where we can turn around and Cat says she will lead us down, which was fine with us until she takes us the wrong way and we come to ANOTHER dead end. At least this one you could turn around. We were laughing so hard I was about to wet my pants.

Cat was so right about us NEVER being in the house. In fact, in chosing a villa, the first two things I look for are a deck with a covered area and beautiful views off of that deck. How can you sit inside when you have so much beauty all around you outside???

Side note, the chlorine in the hot tub was so overpowering that we couldn't stop coughing. That was the only time I was ever in it.

One other thing, at Morgan's Mango, Cat is the one who had the soup and she had seafood empanadas as well. Kenneth had some delicious pork dish. Jerry had the brie quesadillas. The food and the service were all good but we were one of the few tables in there.

Cat - you are doing an AWESOME job with this - so glad you are taking care of it!

nothintolose/Elizabeth

I have realy enjoyed doing this! It brings back so many memories!

Eliz, thank you for adding comments! My mind is hazy these days! I'm not good at details. I just tend to enjoy the experience and don't pay enough attention to how I got there!

The drive to East End is just wonderful! I especially like those hills where you have to sit up in your seat and lean forward over the dash board to see where you're headed when going down the other side of the hill! LOL!

Great job Cat! Excellent footnotes Elizabeth!

Your reports are so great! They make me wish I had a sister to share the Islands with

XOXO
Bug

Love, Love, Love the photos!!

Bug, I wouldn't have been there if my sister hadn't suggested we go so convincingly! (I know I spelled that wrong!) It had been a trip we wanted to take but figured it would be a while! Splitting the villa really made a difference! I think next time we may even share a car. We will see about that one though! I don't know if I can give that much control up yet!

Eliz and I are really close so it works. Our family takes vacations together regularly and no one fights! We are VERY lucky!!!!

Cat and Eliz, It was my sister's idea to go to STJ, but she asked me to plan EVERYTHING and just send her the bill for her share. I had so much fun planning, and the fam was quite impressed! Everyone agreed it was our best trip ever. We all travelled well together with no disagreements. Two sisters, 2 men and a teenage boy. Maybe a little rolling of the eyes once but that's it. Soon forgotten! Back we go next summer and guess who's planning? Yep, me again. Would not have it any other way. Ksea= too controlling

I don't know Cat - I like to be able to ride in the front seat so if you want to split a car, you're gonna have to be on Bonine the whole time . I don't mind giving it up some of the time, but I do like to see some of the time.

I see us definitely going back with Cat and hubby as they are both so easy to travel with, and we all do get along great! We knew that after spending almost a month with them after Katrina when we were probably at our worst

Love ya' Cat!!!

nothintolose

One last thing I forgot in my last post, my sister was also a victim of Katrina...lost her brand new home of 45 days, all her personal effects and so on. Glad we are all safe now and thank goodness for sisters!

Ksea - are you from here or did she just move here right before the storm??? Is she still here???

nothintolose

p.s. I am so sorry to hear that she lost her brand new house; I hope she is doing okay now.

Eliz, can I call you Eliz?
My Sister (Sue) moved from VA to Pass Christian, MS to start a new life after a yikkey divorce. 45 days later Katrina came and wiped out the home she had built and everything in it. Luckilly she had good insurance and got out long before the storm actually hit. she lived in AL for about a year (where one of her daughters was living) and then moved to GA where she had another house built. Im in VA, where we grew up.
I begged her to come and stay with me but she had too much going on with Ins, FEMA and all that. I never made it to MS to see that home but I have been to GA many times and she is doing very well. Her daughters are nearby in Savannah and Hinesville. We have always been close, but of course we are now closer than ever! She's my best friend. We see each other every 3-4 months...its the rule. Now, tell me about your Katrina story and I will pass it on to Sue!