Trip Report part III - Final
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:17 pm
Alright we left off 3-4 weeks ago (sorry about that) with daytrip on ferry to Jost where we spent the day limin' on beautiful White Bay with lunch and drinks from the Soggy Dollar, then Rooster vs. Iguana back at Gallows, and a reliably good dinner at Lime Tree.
Aug 26
The next day we did the Sunday brunch at Sun Dog. Two of the dishes were quite awesome - Baileys dipped French Toast, and tomato and crab Benedict. Some shopping, then off to Francis and then Maho where we again find the big turtle that feeds not far from shore.
video clip
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmackq/07ST ... 0944114098
Back into town, stopping off again at the street side counter at Caps for the ice cold 2 for $3 Presidente beers.
Off to Paradiso for dinner based on the fact that the bartender at Zozos told us the chef was indeed the guy from Ten Tables. The best meal we ever had in STJ was at Ten Tables during our first trip 2 1/2 yrs ago, so then I wanted to go even though it would be one more higher priced dinner than planned.
Paradiso was indeed very good. We had seafood ceviche app; chicken with cheese and spinach on a creamy risotto; mahi on polenta; and jumbo shrimp stuffed with lobster. Prices were high but not crazy in that you get value for quality and quantity of food, but we didn't drink that night which helped.
But by comparison, we thought the food a night or 2 earlier at Zozos was a little better. If it is one of the few restaurants still open when you go in the heart of off season, it is a great choice. Even nice to have option of dining in A/C for a change if it humid or buggy. The dining room is beautiful, top notch service, wait staff very knowledgeable and will help you with choices.
Aug 27
It was my bright idea the next day to go out to Klein Bay for an early snorkel, because we had never done that side of the island and Feet and Fins recommends it. A very uneventful snorkel except for a couple of rays. Not worth going out of your way for.
Ray video clip
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6i ... IRwObXHhNQ
Stopped at Baked in the Sun for breakfast goodies. Good, but we all agreed Deli Grotto is better.
The girls enjoyed Trunk so we opted to go back there. The plan was to hang there awhile, then head out to Coral Bay for lunch (Skinnys or Island Blues) and then a late afternoon snorkel on south shore or East End.
I don't recall the reason why (I think a quick storm blew through) but after a short time at Trunk for some reason we went back towards Cruz Bay and wound up at Sun Dog for lunch again (not a bad thing). It was now amazingly clear.
Sufficiently re-fueled, we did do the drive out to the East End. From the peaks of those hills on the East End, the visibility down Sir Francis Drake Channel of the BVIs was awesome, all the way down to Virgin Gorda. Tortola looks so close from there.
Looking to the right and south over the southeastern part of St. John shore my wife asks what is that island way in the distance? I say holy smokes, I think that's St. Croix, which is what, over 30 miles away? Wow. (Don't mind me - geography was a favorite subject.)
We stopped at Hansen Bay to do the Pelican Rock snorkel which was one of the better ones of the trip. The coral is in pretty good shape out there compared to a lot of other places on the island, and you have lotsa neat rock crevices etc.
On the way back in, I am looking one way and my daughter is taking a picture looking the other way when all of a sudden she grabs my arm and points and I see the tail end of a shark scoot away real fast. It looked brownish in color with white tips on the tail and maybe the fins. She was freaked because of the surprise of having it swim right through the viewfinder of the camera.
That's the second time we have seen a shark in this area - last year it was a pretty big nurse shark. Don't know what kind this was.
On the way back to Cruz bay, stopped at Maho to enjoy one last sunset.
Considered Pastory/Compass Rose for dinner, but the girls weren't all that hungry so they picked from the fridge and I got BBQ chicken and ribs take out from Candi's. Ribs could've been a little more tender but the chicken was fall off the bone great with a very good sauce. It's a good thing for everybody that Uncle Joe has some competition. Enjoyed a $2 Corona while I waited for the order.
Aug 28
Day of departure brings sun showers and rainbows at Gallows.
Decide to build in a little time for lunch in STT so we decide on 11:30 ferry. You know your normally cautious wife is on island time and island 'tude when says "yeah sure - that would be good" to the suggestion of hitting Caps at 11 in the morning one more time for those ice cold beers while we wait for the ferry.
ALWAYS A SAD SIGHT WATCHING THE ISLAND FADE INTO THE DISTANCE ON YOUR RIDE BACK TO REALITY
Find a taxi in STT to hold our bags and return at agreed time for airport. Based on his recommendation and others I have seen here and elsewhere, we have lunch at Gladys' Cafe. It was way good. Chicken salad sandwich, lobster salad sandwich, and a great jerk mahi sandwich. We also had an order of conch fritters, which were outstanding. I think the rum punches were very good too. Worth putting on your short list if you are downtown during lunch. Cafe Amici was our other choice and that looked good too.
Some shopping, rendezvous with the taxi, then off to the airport. Sucks that you cant do the carry on booze anymore.
Very quick check in lines and very quick through customs, everything well staffed, with many lines open (this is on a Tuesday). Then I see a group of official looking suits with ID tags, notebooks, and even a camera in the security area. Some kind of tour, inspection, or audit? Whatever. Made everything like clockwork - very un-island like.
We are pretty deep into the approach into San Juan, to where we are about even with the top of the high rises, when all of a sudden the pilot powers the plane out of the approach and up and out over the ocean, during which we do a pretty good roller coaster dip, before we start to circle back to the airport.
Yikes. What was THAT about? Made me count the number of rows between the exits in front of us and the ones behind to see which were closer. Pilot comes back on after 2nd attempt is successful and tells us the landing had to be aborted because the radio of a plane on the ground went dead and it hadn't cleared our runway yet. Probably something they train for all the time, but something I'm not used to.
Back home, good to see our Sheltie. Turns out we can have nice sunsets in NJ too.
Trip Highlights included:
>>we were fearful of hurricane season (Dean went by to the south the week prior to our trip), but we had GREAT weather all week long with fascinating clouds and awesome sunsets almost every night
>> bugs not bad at all
>> water is warmer than early springtime and real nice - not UN-refreshing bathtub warm like the Gulf
>> wonderful day on White Bay in Jost via ferry
>> best dinner at Zozos
>> best lunch at Glady's Cafe in Charlotte
>> killer Sunday brunch at Sun Dog
>> developed habit of stopping by Caps almost everyday on way back into town for those ice cold 2 for $3 Presidente beers = best deal on island
I must say I am concerned about what seems to me is the deteriorating condition of the coral in several areas, whatever the cause(s). The quality of the snorkeling is important to me and it would be a shame if this trend continues, not just for me, but for others who enjoy it and for the environment itself. Instead of another trip to STJ, it is to the point where I'm actually considering combining Hawaii with a trip to visit the in-laws who live in AZ. We shall see.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As always, thanks to all here who have contributed to our planning and enjoyment of the islands. We couldnt have done it without you.
And, THANKS for your nice words about my photos, trip reports, etc. There has always been a nice sense of community here from when I first joined this forum 4 yrs ago. Hope it stays that way.
Aug 26
The next day we did the Sunday brunch at Sun Dog. Two of the dishes were quite awesome - Baileys dipped French Toast, and tomato and crab Benedict. Some shopping, then off to Francis and then Maho where we again find the big turtle that feeds not far from shore.
video clip
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmackq/07ST ... 0944114098
Back into town, stopping off again at the street side counter at Caps for the ice cold 2 for $3 Presidente beers.
Off to Paradiso for dinner based on the fact that the bartender at Zozos told us the chef was indeed the guy from Ten Tables. The best meal we ever had in STJ was at Ten Tables during our first trip 2 1/2 yrs ago, so then I wanted to go even though it would be one more higher priced dinner than planned.
Paradiso was indeed very good. We had seafood ceviche app; chicken with cheese and spinach on a creamy risotto; mahi on polenta; and jumbo shrimp stuffed with lobster. Prices were high but not crazy in that you get value for quality and quantity of food, but we didn't drink that night which helped.
But by comparison, we thought the food a night or 2 earlier at Zozos was a little better. If it is one of the few restaurants still open when you go in the heart of off season, it is a great choice. Even nice to have option of dining in A/C for a change if it humid or buggy. The dining room is beautiful, top notch service, wait staff very knowledgeable and will help you with choices.
Aug 27
It was my bright idea the next day to go out to Klein Bay for an early snorkel, because we had never done that side of the island and Feet and Fins recommends it. A very uneventful snorkel except for a couple of rays. Not worth going out of your way for.
Ray video clip
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6i ... IRwObXHhNQ
Stopped at Baked in the Sun for breakfast goodies. Good, but we all agreed Deli Grotto is better.
The girls enjoyed Trunk so we opted to go back there. The plan was to hang there awhile, then head out to Coral Bay for lunch (Skinnys or Island Blues) and then a late afternoon snorkel on south shore or East End.
I don't recall the reason why (I think a quick storm blew through) but after a short time at Trunk for some reason we went back towards Cruz Bay and wound up at Sun Dog for lunch again (not a bad thing). It was now amazingly clear.
Sufficiently re-fueled, we did do the drive out to the East End. From the peaks of those hills on the East End, the visibility down Sir Francis Drake Channel of the BVIs was awesome, all the way down to Virgin Gorda. Tortola looks so close from there.
Looking to the right and south over the southeastern part of St. John shore my wife asks what is that island way in the distance? I say holy smokes, I think that's St. Croix, which is what, over 30 miles away? Wow. (Don't mind me - geography was a favorite subject.)
We stopped at Hansen Bay to do the Pelican Rock snorkel which was one of the better ones of the trip. The coral is in pretty good shape out there compared to a lot of other places on the island, and you have lotsa neat rock crevices etc.
On the way back in, I am looking one way and my daughter is taking a picture looking the other way when all of a sudden she grabs my arm and points and I see the tail end of a shark scoot away real fast. It looked brownish in color with white tips on the tail and maybe the fins. She was freaked because of the surprise of having it swim right through the viewfinder of the camera.
That's the second time we have seen a shark in this area - last year it was a pretty big nurse shark. Don't know what kind this was.
On the way back to Cruz bay, stopped at Maho to enjoy one last sunset.
Considered Pastory/Compass Rose for dinner, but the girls weren't all that hungry so they picked from the fridge and I got BBQ chicken and ribs take out from Candi's. Ribs could've been a little more tender but the chicken was fall off the bone great with a very good sauce. It's a good thing for everybody that Uncle Joe has some competition. Enjoyed a $2 Corona while I waited for the order.
Aug 28
Day of departure brings sun showers and rainbows at Gallows.
Decide to build in a little time for lunch in STT so we decide on 11:30 ferry. You know your normally cautious wife is on island time and island 'tude when says "yeah sure - that would be good" to the suggestion of hitting Caps at 11 in the morning one more time for those ice cold beers while we wait for the ferry.
ALWAYS A SAD SIGHT WATCHING THE ISLAND FADE INTO THE DISTANCE ON YOUR RIDE BACK TO REALITY
Find a taxi in STT to hold our bags and return at agreed time for airport. Based on his recommendation and others I have seen here and elsewhere, we have lunch at Gladys' Cafe. It was way good. Chicken salad sandwich, lobster salad sandwich, and a great jerk mahi sandwich. We also had an order of conch fritters, which were outstanding. I think the rum punches were very good too. Worth putting on your short list if you are downtown during lunch. Cafe Amici was our other choice and that looked good too.
Some shopping, rendezvous with the taxi, then off to the airport. Sucks that you cant do the carry on booze anymore.
Very quick check in lines and very quick through customs, everything well staffed, with many lines open (this is on a Tuesday). Then I see a group of official looking suits with ID tags, notebooks, and even a camera in the security area. Some kind of tour, inspection, or audit? Whatever. Made everything like clockwork - very un-island like.
We are pretty deep into the approach into San Juan, to where we are about even with the top of the high rises, when all of a sudden the pilot powers the plane out of the approach and up and out over the ocean, during which we do a pretty good roller coaster dip, before we start to circle back to the airport.
Yikes. What was THAT about? Made me count the number of rows between the exits in front of us and the ones behind to see which were closer. Pilot comes back on after 2nd attempt is successful and tells us the landing had to be aborted because the radio of a plane on the ground went dead and it hadn't cleared our runway yet. Probably something they train for all the time, but something I'm not used to.
Back home, good to see our Sheltie. Turns out we can have nice sunsets in NJ too.
Trip Highlights included:
>>we were fearful of hurricane season (Dean went by to the south the week prior to our trip), but we had GREAT weather all week long with fascinating clouds and awesome sunsets almost every night
>> bugs not bad at all
>> water is warmer than early springtime and real nice - not UN-refreshing bathtub warm like the Gulf
>> wonderful day on White Bay in Jost via ferry
>> best dinner at Zozos
>> best lunch at Glady's Cafe in Charlotte
>> killer Sunday brunch at Sun Dog
>> developed habit of stopping by Caps almost everyday on way back into town for those ice cold 2 for $3 Presidente beers = best deal on island
I must say I am concerned about what seems to me is the deteriorating condition of the coral in several areas, whatever the cause(s). The quality of the snorkeling is important to me and it would be a shame if this trend continues, not just for me, but for others who enjoy it and for the environment itself. Instead of another trip to STJ, it is to the point where I'm actually considering combining Hawaii with a trip to visit the in-laws who live in AZ. We shall see.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As always, thanks to all here who have contributed to our planning and enjoyment of the islands. We couldnt have done it without you.
And, THANKS for your nice words about my photos, trip reports, etc. There has always been a nice sense of community here from when I first joined this forum 4 yrs ago. Hope it stays that way.
