USVI-On-Line

bride and i went back to stj last week for stay at our fav, cloud 9 on gifft hill, with long time couple friends (approaching 30 yrs) with whom we've vacationed in various places. while we've been numerous times in mid dec, jan and other nonsumer times, this was our 1st feb trip.

highs and lows with highs 1st:

weather was unbelievable only showers at nite and early morning, balmy days and breezy evening that called for wraps for ladies while enjoying views from deck. so i know why it is high season at close to full occupancy. while we had lot of wind on north shore beaches, i was surprised that water was crystal clear for snorkels at hawknest, gibney, trunk(on 2/22 when only 1 ship in stt), maho and francis. saw 1st green moray (3+ ft) out swimming at maho and watched for sev minutes, saw one star fish at maho, and couple turtles at trunk and usual coral and fish at all locals. we always rent car on stt and used dependable for second straight visit and will continue to use them for their prompt courteous service and very clean and dependable grand vitaria.

learned secret to soothing bride's car gitters - have vehicle with fully enclosed back seat so she can sit behind driver and not face oncoming traffic from shotgun seat! still she wasn't up to drive to coral bay and lamehure beaches. maybe next time, but did get coral bay views by returning to gifft hill villa centerline west bound from nshore beaches.

had good meal at lime inn (for guests since b & i prefer deck dining), found good steaks, fish, shrimp and supporting caste at starfish. had edible food at cinnamon bay's tree lizard and trunk beach bar though long line there when we were ready for a bite. instead of looking for parking space in cruz bay, used slimman's lot, meet slimman whom i recognized from "on st john", nice friendly chap and his $8 parking fee for evening probably saved money over looking for a space since gas was $4.09 gal and fuel effec is not g vit strong pt.

bad: water too rough to make walk and try waterlemon again. we left again wishing we had another couple of days, we were shocked at how many people were on island and esp the beaches, at least twice as many as we had ever encountered so we will avoid feb in future. friends didn't get to see any donkey's though they were amused at trunk warning about not feeding them. while it is always fun to see and hear first timers reaction to stj, the obligatory touring, talking and deciding "what to do" during their limited time takes away from "hosts'" limming and laying back without a thought except "i wonder if folks on that sail boat are having fun? or have we ever seen the water any prettier eventhough our space has been envaded here on "OUR" beach?"

closing thoughts and lessons learned other than reverting to dec/jan trips to stj: still haven't been on stj with someone who didn't get it and talk of when can we go back; bride and i will concentrate on returns alone for our own quality time and try to avoid taking more newbies (hell at our age most our remaining friends are too feeble to make trip); and our friends are still friends and since they are no longer newbie's perhaps we'll get to enjoy another trip to stj with them!

that said about newbie's i'll close with a thought. bride and i have a wall mounted thingy in our kitchen given to us by dear friends from college days back in the 60's that says:

"dear friends and house guests, if we get to drinking on saturday night and start insisitng you stay over till monday, please remember, we don't mean it."

enough said and my thanks to all of you who allow each of us to enjoy your sojurns to stj and therefore revisit stj vacariously between our own visits.

i'm still, papabou

After doing two villa trips with friends in the past, I definitely appreciate our trips alone more. It's nice to have a luxury villa that we normally couldn't justify if it was just the two of us, and it's fun to have friends around, but it does start to wear on you by the end. Especially the "what are we going to do NOW" sort of questions. I have a hard time relaxing as much on group trips, yet we still do them. My own rental car is key.

Glad to hear you had a nice trip. Sounds like STJ in February wouldn't be my cup of tea from what I've read in reports. I know it's gorgeous down there in February, but the crowds are a big deterrent. I'll stick to April-November.

Great report, the end is too funny! Thanks for sharing. We are going with newbies in 2009 but I think they will love STJ as much as we do.

Thanks, papabou, for your nice report and all your nice contributions to this Board. Enjoyed the quote at the end. We've gone a couple of times in February. Its a busier time, but if you saw the ice on our driveway right now you'd understand why we're willing to endure the crowds!

Thanks for the report papabou. We too have some friends that we have vacationed with for a long time were very compatible Took them down a couple visits ago and they loved it. They are going down this trip also I like both ways but for total relaxation just my honey and I fits the bill.

Thanks for the TR fix. I understand how you feel!!! Two trips planned this year, no newbies.

See ya on the island!

Cheers, RickG

Thanks for the report. I admit I would be scared to take some of our friends. That saying is priceless.

Thank you for your report, papabou. It sounds like you had a fun trip, despite the crowds.

Thanks for the TR Papa. We only been to STJ in February and June but we MUCH prefer June. Most of our friends are travel challenged but having done several family trips, we much prefer to go off on our own and meet new friends when we're there. Can't wait for June!

Thanks for the great report! Love that saying on kitchen wall! we r going back for third time this may for 3 1/2 wks. in a villa & will be joined by friends for the first wk.which will leave the remaming time for us! we will also be going over to JVD to meet up with friends who r staying there. we love STJ & hope our friends will too!!!!!!!