Trip blogging--Monday through today
Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:05 pm
Monday March 31
Went to trunk bay today. We got there about 8:45 and got a prime spot under a sea grape tree. We were there for over 5 hours. This is the first time I have ever been drunk by noon and nursing a hangover the rest of the afternoon. Those ladies at the beach bar must not be looking when they pour the rum into the rum punches. Nice.
I did my usual--chatting to strangers, watched my seven year-old swim the snorkel trail with hubby. It's official. My seven year-old is a grown up. I consider him a grown up because he can snorkel out to sea like every other grown person. He grew up overnite! How did this happen?
My five year-old is like me, we don't like the 78 degree water and don't stay in it all day like my husband and seven year old. We prefer to hang out on the beach and stay warm. But we got our 5 year-old a nice wetsuit that has really helped keep out the cold. That was definitely the best investment of this trip so far.
Hubby took the boys back to Peace Hill for our daily catch/release of the hermit crabs. I got ready for my ballet class. I took a class with St. John school of the arts so I could say I was trying to stay in shape on vacation. Ha. Once again, I was running a little behind. I thought there were only 3 roads on this island? How come I keep getting lost? So, I was really late to ballet class. Oh well. I had a good time. It was composed of other adults like me. Except THEY live here. No fair. After that, I went to the grocery store to pick up some items for our boat charter tomorrow. This shall be interesting, you know, kids and all. Can't wait to get out on that water to see Jost van dyke, Indians.
Okay, very tired. sitting on a beach for hours is hard work. Ha! Sorry. Didn't mean to make you jealous. Okay, yes I did.
Tuesday April 1
Today we rented a charter boat with palm tree charters. Capt Brandi was great. We started off by going to Waterlemon cay, but the water was too choppy. The boys did a great job jumping off the boat and going for it, but because of the winter swells, we decided to change our itinerary. We were going to go to the Indians, the main reason we rented a boat, but not gonna happen. So, we decided to go island hopping instead. Our first stop was Smuggler's Cove in Tortola. The water color was stunning. We had to jump from our boat and swim to shore. The boat captain was so surprised how well my boys swam and how they would just jump from a boat to open sea with such reckless abandon. He said it was very uncommon. Hmm. I guess that's not much new news. Welcome to my life. We played in the surf and shared a strawberry banana smoothie on the beach from the cute beach shack that the guy powers his blender from his car battery. My seven year-old and I walked the beach and found some neat coral that had been washed up from all of last weeks swells.
Next we went to Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke. That was probably everybody's favorite. I loved the idyllic palm lined beach with a sandy lane of cute little shops and restaurants. My five year-old really loved Foxy's pet black lab, Taboo. Foxy wasn't singing when we went there, but he was walking around talking to people. We loved sitting in the hammocks lining the perimeter of the little "town".
Next we went to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. We put our camera in a ziplock and carried it over our head. Hilarious when you see everybody doing the same thing. I played pass with a football with the boys for most of the time there. Hubby was done swimming and after awhile, the boys were too. So back in the boat we went to head back to st john. We told our five year-old from the very start that we were going to be in a boat ALL day long. We prepared him that the moment he felt chilly, we could not go home. That's his response for when he has had enough of being wet. "I want to go home." "we can't go home, Elijah. Not for a very long time. We are going to be on this beach for a long time", we have to tell him every day. We just dry him off and tell him to go lay in the sun. That usually does the trick. So after our first swim at the beginning of the boat charter, not after 15 minutes being on the boat, what does he say?? "I want to go home." Well, I packed dry clothes so he ended up changing from suit to clothes several times throughout the trip. He did great though. The whole reason we did a private charter was so incase it was a disaster, we had the option to change coarse, or just simply head back early. But it turned out to be a great time!!
The boys were pretty much wiped out after that. Elijah fell asleep on my arm on the way back in.
We ate at the villa tonite and the kids went to bed without any hesitation. Us too.
Wednesday April 2
Today was our last full day. We are all really tired from our charter from yesterday. The kids hit the wall today. They were definitely spent. It was raining non-stop so it was kinda perfect timing with us just wanting to laze around. We went to Wharfside and did some rain-dodging, I mean, shopping. We had wanted to go visit the Westin, since I had not been in my 3 visits here. It was a good day for it since the kids had finally had enough of going to the beaches and the swells were up again.
I have been reluctant to go to the Westin. The images of "generic, man made" come to mind, but we were pleasantly surprised. The landscaping was lovely and it had a nice feel to it. I have to admit, on a day like today, when we are just about comatose, it was really nice to sit by the pool and be waited on. That is not normally what I like when I come to st. john, but for today, it was nice.
The beach, obviously, was another story, given that it is man made. Elijah, while swimming out to the water trampoline, was really disgusted with the seaweed that was around his legs. He had gotten used to the absolute beauty of st john beaches and this beach was like being back in the gulf coast.
I enjoyed sitting in a hot tub and hubby and the boys played in the pool. But they would always find their way back to the hot tub. We stayed there for most of the day.
We came home and ordered Chinese delivery. Even in the islands, yes. It was priceless not to have to lift a finger and dinner just showed up. A nice man from Dominican Republic delivered. Of coarse I had to talk to him for awhile and ask him about family and how he got to living here. I know. It's just what I do.
Well, I guess all good things must come to an end. My cats probably miss me. Well, unless any of you want to wire me money, I guees I have to go home. Bulverde, here we come.
Went to trunk bay today. We got there about 8:45 and got a prime spot under a sea grape tree. We were there for over 5 hours. This is the first time I have ever been drunk by noon and nursing a hangover the rest of the afternoon. Those ladies at the beach bar must not be looking when they pour the rum into the rum punches. Nice.
I did my usual--chatting to strangers, watched my seven year-old swim the snorkel trail with hubby. It's official. My seven year-old is a grown up. I consider him a grown up because he can snorkel out to sea like every other grown person. He grew up overnite! How did this happen?
My five year-old is like me, we don't like the 78 degree water and don't stay in it all day like my husband and seven year old. We prefer to hang out on the beach and stay warm. But we got our 5 year-old a nice wetsuit that has really helped keep out the cold. That was definitely the best investment of this trip so far.
Hubby took the boys back to Peace Hill for our daily catch/release of the hermit crabs. I got ready for my ballet class. I took a class with St. John school of the arts so I could say I was trying to stay in shape on vacation. Ha. Once again, I was running a little behind. I thought there were only 3 roads on this island? How come I keep getting lost? So, I was really late to ballet class. Oh well. I had a good time. It was composed of other adults like me. Except THEY live here. No fair. After that, I went to the grocery store to pick up some items for our boat charter tomorrow. This shall be interesting, you know, kids and all. Can't wait to get out on that water to see Jost van dyke, Indians.
Okay, very tired. sitting on a beach for hours is hard work. Ha! Sorry. Didn't mean to make you jealous. Okay, yes I did.
Tuesday April 1
Today we rented a charter boat with palm tree charters. Capt Brandi was great. We started off by going to Waterlemon cay, but the water was too choppy. The boys did a great job jumping off the boat and going for it, but because of the winter swells, we decided to change our itinerary. We were going to go to the Indians, the main reason we rented a boat, but not gonna happen. So, we decided to go island hopping instead. Our first stop was Smuggler's Cove in Tortola. The water color was stunning. We had to jump from our boat and swim to shore. The boat captain was so surprised how well my boys swam and how they would just jump from a boat to open sea with such reckless abandon. He said it was very uncommon. Hmm. I guess that's not much new news. Welcome to my life. We played in the surf and shared a strawberry banana smoothie on the beach from the cute beach shack that the guy powers his blender from his car battery. My seven year-old and I walked the beach and found some neat coral that had been washed up from all of last weeks swells.
Next we went to Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke. That was probably everybody's favorite. I loved the idyllic palm lined beach with a sandy lane of cute little shops and restaurants. My five year-old really loved Foxy's pet black lab, Taboo. Foxy wasn't singing when we went there, but he was walking around talking to people. We loved sitting in the hammocks lining the perimeter of the little "town".
Next we went to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. We put our camera in a ziplock and carried it over our head. Hilarious when you see everybody doing the same thing. I played pass with a football with the boys for most of the time there. Hubby was done swimming and after awhile, the boys were too. So back in the boat we went to head back to st john. We told our five year-old from the very start that we were going to be in a boat ALL day long. We prepared him that the moment he felt chilly, we could not go home. That's his response for when he has had enough of being wet. "I want to go home." "we can't go home, Elijah. Not for a very long time. We are going to be on this beach for a long time", we have to tell him every day. We just dry him off and tell him to go lay in the sun. That usually does the trick. So after our first swim at the beginning of the boat charter, not after 15 minutes being on the boat, what does he say?? "I want to go home." Well, I packed dry clothes so he ended up changing from suit to clothes several times throughout the trip. He did great though. The whole reason we did a private charter was so incase it was a disaster, we had the option to change coarse, or just simply head back early. But it turned out to be a great time!!
The boys were pretty much wiped out after that. Elijah fell asleep on my arm on the way back in.
We ate at the villa tonite and the kids went to bed without any hesitation. Us too.
Wednesday April 2
Today was our last full day. We are all really tired from our charter from yesterday. The kids hit the wall today. They were definitely spent. It was raining non-stop so it was kinda perfect timing with us just wanting to laze around. We went to Wharfside and did some rain-dodging, I mean, shopping. We had wanted to go visit the Westin, since I had not been in my 3 visits here. It was a good day for it since the kids had finally had enough of going to the beaches and the swells were up again.
I have been reluctant to go to the Westin. The images of "generic, man made" come to mind, but we were pleasantly surprised. The landscaping was lovely and it had a nice feel to it. I have to admit, on a day like today, when we are just about comatose, it was really nice to sit by the pool and be waited on. That is not normally what I like when I come to st. john, but for today, it was nice.
The beach, obviously, was another story, given that it is man made. Elijah, while swimming out to the water trampoline, was really disgusted with the seaweed that was around his legs. He had gotten used to the absolute beauty of st john beaches and this beach was like being back in the gulf coast.
I enjoyed sitting in a hot tub and hubby and the boys played in the pool. But they would always find their way back to the hot tub. We stayed there for most of the day.
We came home and ordered Chinese delivery. Even in the islands, yes. It was priceless not to have to lift a finger and dinner just showed up. A nice man from Dominican Republic delivered. Of coarse I had to talk to him for awhile and ask him about family and how he got to living here. I know. It's just what I do.
Well, I guess all good things must come to an end. My cats probably miss me. Well, unless any of you want to wire me money, I guees I have to go home. Bulverde, here we come.
