USVI-On-Line

Sorry for the time between posts! Have been busy and actually got to sneak a girls weekend getaway to Key West last weekend...
But I'm back!

Day #4
Woke up to blue skies and decided to hit the North Shore beaches today. We stopped at Grotto Deli for sandwiches for the beach and I had one with onions, artichoke, spinach, and turkey...soo good! I love this place. Great for getting lunch for the beach. And they have awesome egg sandwiches for breakfast!

D packing the jeep


Stopped at Hawksnest and it was packed so headed over to Gibney. We actually found it by accident but parked the car and walked down. Beautiful beach. I sat under some trees and finished a good book and D listened to music.

Entrance to Gibney


Walking to the beach




Rained off and on but the tree kept us dry. Was very relaxing actually. Decided after a while to keep going down the road and see what we could find.
Pulled into Peace Hill parking lot and walked up. We were wondering what this place is? What is the significance/history behind it?



Got back in the car and got caught in a "traffic jam"...goats and donkeys that is! There is just something about goats, donkeys, chickens, etc. roaming around that I absolutely love. Part of the quaintness/character of the island I suppose.




Ended up at Maho. And we quickly declared it our most favorite beach...ever. Only about 3 other people on the beach. Set up the chairs, beer, and Bruce.






Stayed until early evening...which is, in my opinion, the BEST time on the beach!


Would have stayed longer but had dinner reservations at Zozo's. We had decided to do one "nice" dinner out and I had seen on the boards that Zozo's always got good remarks. We were not disappointed. Got a bottle of wine and I had shrimp with risotto and D had Osso Buco. Both were very good. Was nice to get "dressed up" (meaning a cotton sundress instead of shorts!!) and go to a nice dinner.
I unfortunately did not bring my camera out with me this night so I have no pictures...

Went back to the condo shortly afterwards and called it a night.

To be continued...

Thanks for the GREAT pics! You certainly packed alot into one day.
I am also a firm beleiver that late afternoon is the BEST part of the day!
Looking forward to your next installment...Cosmolady/Mary

Thank you much larlardb8 for the report

Larlardb8 is back! I was wondering what happened to you.

Nice pictures of Gibney, that's one of my favorites.

The structure your SO is standing in is the remains of a windmill! There used to be a whole sugar plantation up there, and they used the windmill's power help in the rum making process.

Thanks for the report! We've declared Maho our favorite too and sitting on that beach in the early evening is absolutely perfect!

I'm so jealous...St. John and Key West all in short time!

Great report!! Thanks for posting

Great report and pics - thank you!

You are lucky to have gone to such great places in such a short time.

Can't wait for the remaining TRs!

thanks for the report. love maho too! gonna have to check out gibney in may. one of a few i haven't been to yet. love the pics.

A little more Peace Hill info:
The stone tower is the ruin of a wind mill--there were only 5 windmills on St. John during the sugar era; plantations otherwise relied on mules and oxen to provide power for the cane crushers. This mill had a sluiceway that carried the cane juice all the way down the hill to Denis Bay, where the rest of the sugar factory was. In the late 1930's Denis Bay was bought by Julius and Cleome Wadsworth, a wealthy couple from Washington DC. They were the first part-time winter residents of St. John, and they visited every year for about 60 years. Julius Wadsworth was "eccentric" (perhaps a kind way of putting it) but had a strong, if rather hard to articulate, vision of world peace. In the 1950's he built a 25 ft. tall statue of Christ on what he called Peace Hill, and opened the site to the public. This portion of the Denis Bay estate was given to the National Park before the Wadsworths' deaths. The statue, dubbed "The Christ of the Caribbean", was destroyed by the 1989 hurricane--somewhat to the relief of the National Park, who are allowed no religious bias. The base of the statue is still visible on the rocks...

Great pics!
Thanks for the trip report and the photos.

Hugo,
Nice job...very informative as usual. I like the historical info!

Cid

Thanks for the background info hugo!