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STJ Part 12 - Cap'n of the Dinghy
STJ Part 12 - Cap'n of the Dinghy
Last night while I was nightmaring about fake boobs, the wind started ripping and blew me from my dreams. I mean it was seriously howling, being pi$$ed off and making all kinds of scary a$$ noises so it came as no big surprise to me when "Mama's Boy" came barreling into our room with "mommy, can I sleep with you? I'm scared!" I suppose he realized that Shark Girl was going to give him no sense of security since she had indicated during shark story telling that if she was ever to see such a thing as a Tiger Shark, she would just "drown myself and let it eat me." On the other hand, since I had indicated I would gouge it in the eyeball then turn into Jesus and walk on water out of there, I suppose he felt mom could protect him better, so I scooted over and let the poor little fella snuggle.
This morning on the island where I'd give my first born to be right now (kidding), the plan was to hit Deli Grotto for a tasty something and then head over to the little blue cupboard AKA Noah's Little Arks where we were to pick up our beach hopping transport for the day. Well ok, half day anyway. We drove straight to the Grotto and ordered up some pancakes, a ham, egg & cheese croissant, a bagel with cream cheese and a breakfast burrito. YUM! This is my fave grab & go food. Very tasty, very reasonable, and since it's located inside Mongoose Junction, it feels good too! I'm kinda weird about atmosphere. You know when you walk into a store and it just feels good or it just doesn't? Well, this tiny little spot feels good. I like that. Of course the chocolate somethings in the glass case don't hurt much either. Since we had hit Waterlemon a couple days ago, we decided to skip going out that far this time in favor of heading straight to Francis, then make our way back from there submersing and sprawling as we went. Also, since we've done Waterlemon both by dinghy and trail and prefer the trail, that made the decision easier too, I mean, have you ever tried climbing back into a dinghy when you're not assisted by a solid surface? Unpretty. There was one other consideration as well, as Critter Boy so eloquently put it; "we better not go to Waterlemon mom, sister might have a barn full of cows!" I think we all busted something laughing about that.
We drove over to the Beach Bar hoping to find a parking space to no avail. Decided not to play musical parking spots and just headed over to Slimman's where we parked the Jeep then walked back to Noah's. The girl working the cabinet was sweet with a strong down home accent. She indicated that it would be pretty bumpy going out but should be better coming back, so we signed the contract adding the insurance since we're members of the society of the "Three Ring Circus Dinghy" then after a quick orientation, in we hopped and off we went. I didn't particularly relish bouncing around on the waves but it did take me back to riding the big plastic spring horse when I was a kid, only riding it on the water. So we made it to Francis where Honey and Snorkel Boy proceeded with the first snorkel of the day and Drama Girl and I went for a swim. Pretty soon it's time to tinkle and Drama Girl decides she needs to tag along as well. So you know what is coming right? I know where the tinkle pot is and I know that it's nothing more than a glorified outhouse. Drama Girl is not aware of this fact but is on the verge of squirming by the time we get there. She screeches to a halt as I bolt in with no qualms what so ever. She stands guard at the door cause I don't like to close it all the way, it's spooky, and I'm done so I say "your turn" and she's like "no thanks, that is fick!" For those of you that don't know what fick means, it's F'n sick. I only know because I asked. She planning on holding it all day? The girl's got issues I tell ya, so walking back, I gave her the "ladies don't use F bombs" speech.
So we made it all the way out to Francis, so far so good. We hop back in the dinghy and after Honey navigates us back through the dinghy markers, he hands the helm over to Critter Boy saying "take us to Maho Cap'n!" Well, Jr's eyes get as big as saucers but you didn't have to tell him twice. He flew to the back of the boat and navigated us perfectly into the bay at Maho where the girls had another quick swim and the boys went for snorkeling round 2. After the first taste of Jr. captaining, that was it and Dinghy Boy wouldn't even let anyone near the helm of the ship. Next we hit Little Cinnamon which is my new favorite secret beach find. I think that was next, if not, let's pretend. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that little beach! It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Right away we walked to the left side of the beach (if you're facing the beach) with gear in hand, snorkeled straight out about 10 or 15 yards and found the plane wreck immediately. Snorkel Boy actually found it and was totally stoked about his discovery. Makes for a neat photo op anyway! After that I just found a choice beach spot and puddled myself in the sand. Is there anything better than this? My favorite moment of the day! After spending some real feel good time at my sweet secret, I believe we headed over to Denis as it was a requirement since we had never been there before. Another gorgeous and deserted beach we had all to ourselves. We didn't snorkel here cause it was just a tiny bit rough so we spent some time under the broiler while the dinghy captain and Honey played Karate Kid on the Pylons. That was a given. How can a boy not do that there?
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00641.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00641.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
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<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00646.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00646.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00649.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00649.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
After Denis, Nick captained us over to Solomon, our last beach for the day, where we spent the last of our dinghy time. WOW! I do believe the secret is out people. I have NEVER seen Solomon that crowded but it was still as amazing as always. Nick and Honey spent most of their time in the snorkel and Drama Girl and I mostly just dipped ourselves in the waters of happy feel good in between the baking sessions. It was PERFECT; that is until Drama girl flew up out of the water like the Cracken was on her a$$ announcing to the North Shore that "SOMETHING BIT ME! IT STINGS! I'M STUNG! OMG! I THINK A JELLY STUNG ME!" I mean, I don't blame the girl for having a full scale freak out attack cause you know I don't do Jellies and honestly I probably would have enacted a parallel experience but now she's gone and ruined my dipping for the day! The only positive thing about this happening is the fact that I'm a member of the Jellyfish Preparedness People and I'm already whipping out the vinegar in the bottom of the beach bag and pouring it on her arm which by then is starting to slightly welt but quickly and effectively stopped the continuing stings. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed by the way she handled this as it could have been a real catastrophe but she kept it at about a 5.75 on a scale of 1-10. Gotta give the girl props for that for sure!
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00657.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00657.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00656.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00656.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It was now time to roll out so we packed up and headed back to Cruz Bay to turn in the dinghy. We actually made it back without any mishaps (dinghywise anyway) whatsoever and I'm pretty sure we deserve some kind of award right? Can I get a HOO-HA? Score one for the dinghy clowns! We turned in the dinghy and since it was lunch time, we decided to stay at the Beach Bar for drinks and sustenance. Menu choices consisted of Nachos, French Dip and Cheeseburgers, along with some tasty Lime & Coconuts to wash it all down. Mmmmm, Lime & Coconuts, Mmmmm! After lunch, Drama Girl was needing some therapy in the form of retail so we walked and talked shops for a spell while Critter Boy chased chickens and Honey chased Critter Boy. Our last stop was Freebird where Jellyfish Girl scored a J-Hook for her bravery award cause every girl needs a hook bracelet am I right? Back to the villa where we all turned into some serious lounge lizards, then had a little pool time followed by showers and a nap. We were wiped out hard so everyone voted and Honey was it to go fetch us some Candie's BBQ for dining in tonight. It was a'ight. I like Joe's better though. After dinner and a movie, we hit the hay and I don't think I moved from the position I started in. Another fun and exhausting day! Sheesh, limin is almost as tiring as walking around the Magic Kingdom all day!
Next Up: A desert expedition
This morning on the island where I'd give my first born to be right now (kidding), the plan was to hit Deli Grotto for a tasty something and then head over to the little blue cupboard AKA Noah's Little Arks where we were to pick up our beach hopping transport for the day. Well ok, half day anyway. We drove straight to the Grotto and ordered up some pancakes, a ham, egg & cheese croissant, a bagel with cream cheese and a breakfast burrito. YUM! This is my fave grab & go food. Very tasty, very reasonable, and since it's located inside Mongoose Junction, it feels good too! I'm kinda weird about atmosphere. You know when you walk into a store and it just feels good or it just doesn't? Well, this tiny little spot feels good. I like that. Of course the chocolate somethings in the glass case don't hurt much either. Since we had hit Waterlemon a couple days ago, we decided to skip going out that far this time in favor of heading straight to Francis, then make our way back from there submersing and sprawling as we went. Also, since we've done Waterlemon both by dinghy and trail and prefer the trail, that made the decision easier too, I mean, have you ever tried climbing back into a dinghy when you're not assisted by a solid surface? Unpretty. There was one other consideration as well, as Critter Boy so eloquently put it; "we better not go to Waterlemon mom, sister might have a barn full of cows!" I think we all busted something laughing about that.
We drove over to the Beach Bar hoping to find a parking space to no avail. Decided not to play musical parking spots and just headed over to Slimman's where we parked the Jeep then walked back to Noah's. The girl working the cabinet was sweet with a strong down home accent. She indicated that it would be pretty bumpy going out but should be better coming back, so we signed the contract adding the insurance since we're members of the society of the "Three Ring Circus Dinghy" then after a quick orientation, in we hopped and off we went. I didn't particularly relish bouncing around on the waves but it did take me back to riding the big plastic spring horse when I was a kid, only riding it on the water. So we made it to Francis where Honey and Snorkel Boy proceeded with the first snorkel of the day and Drama Girl and I went for a swim. Pretty soon it's time to tinkle and Drama Girl decides she needs to tag along as well. So you know what is coming right? I know where the tinkle pot is and I know that it's nothing more than a glorified outhouse. Drama Girl is not aware of this fact but is on the verge of squirming by the time we get there. She screeches to a halt as I bolt in with no qualms what so ever. She stands guard at the door cause I don't like to close it all the way, it's spooky, and I'm done so I say "your turn" and she's like "no thanks, that is fick!" For those of you that don't know what fick means, it's F'n sick. I only know because I asked. She planning on holding it all day? The girl's got issues I tell ya, so walking back, I gave her the "ladies don't use F bombs" speech.
So we made it all the way out to Francis, so far so good. We hop back in the dinghy and after Honey navigates us back through the dinghy markers, he hands the helm over to Critter Boy saying "take us to Maho Cap'n!" Well, Jr's eyes get as big as saucers but you didn't have to tell him twice. He flew to the back of the boat and navigated us perfectly into the bay at Maho where the girls had another quick swim and the boys went for snorkeling round 2. After the first taste of Jr. captaining, that was it and Dinghy Boy wouldn't even let anyone near the helm of the ship. Next we hit Little Cinnamon which is my new favorite secret beach find. I think that was next, if not, let's pretend. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that little beach! It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Right away we walked to the left side of the beach (if you're facing the beach) with gear in hand, snorkeled straight out about 10 or 15 yards and found the plane wreck immediately. Snorkel Boy actually found it and was totally stoked about his discovery. Makes for a neat photo op anyway! After that I just found a choice beach spot and puddled myself in the sand. Is there anything better than this? My favorite moment of the day! After spending some real feel good time at my sweet secret, I believe we headed over to Denis as it was a requirement since we had never been there before. Another gorgeous and deserted beach we had all to ourselves. We didn't snorkel here cause it was just a tiny bit rough so we spent some time under the broiler while the dinghy captain and Honey played Karate Kid on the Pylons. That was a given. How can a boy not do that there?
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00641.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00641.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C02562.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C02562.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00653.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00653.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00646.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00646.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00649.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00649.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
After Denis, Nick captained us over to Solomon, our last beach for the day, where we spent the last of our dinghy time. WOW! I do believe the secret is out people. I have NEVER seen Solomon that crowded but it was still as amazing as always. Nick and Honey spent most of their time in the snorkel and Drama Girl and I mostly just dipped ourselves in the waters of happy feel good in between the baking sessions. It was PERFECT; that is until Drama girl flew up out of the water like the Cracken was on her a$$ announcing to the North Shore that "SOMETHING BIT ME! IT STINGS! I'M STUNG! OMG! I THINK A JELLY STUNG ME!" I mean, I don't blame the girl for having a full scale freak out attack cause you know I don't do Jellies and honestly I probably would have enacted a parallel experience but now she's gone and ruined my dipping for the day! The only positive thing about this happening is the fact that I'm a member of the Jellyfish Preparedness People and I'm already whipping out the vinegar in the bottom of the beach bag and pouring it on her arm which by then is starting to slightly welt but quickly and effectively stopped the continuing stings. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed by the way she handled this as it could have been a real catastrophe but she kept it at about a 5.75 on a scale of 1-10. Gotta give the girl props for that for sure!
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00657.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00657.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00656.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k138/ ... C00656.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It was now time to roll out so we packed up and headed back to Cruz Bay to turn in the dinghy. We actually made it back without any mishaps (dinghywise anyway) whatsoever and I'm pretty sure we deserve some kind of award right? Can I get a HOO-HA? Score one for the dinghy clowns! We turned in the dinghy and since it was lunch time, we decided to stay at the Beach Bar for drinks and sustenance. Menu choices consisted of Nachos, French Dip and Cheeseburgers, along with some tasty Lime & Coconuts to wash it all down. Mmmmm, Lime & Coconuts, Mmmmm! After lunch, Drama Girl was needing some therapy in the form of retail so we walked and talked shops for a spell while Critter Boy chased chickens and Honey chased Critter Boy. Our last stop was Freebird where Jellyfish Girl scored a J-Hook for her bravery award cause every girl needs a hook bracelet am I right? Back to the villa where we all turned into some serious lounge lizards, then had a little pool time followed by showers and a nap. We were wiped out hard so everyone voted and Honey was it to go fetch us some Candie's BBQ for dining in tonight. It was a'ight. I like Joe's better though. After dinner and a movie, we hit the hay and I don't think I moved from the position I started in. Another fun and exhausting day! Sheesh, limin is almost as tiring as walking around the Magic Kingdom all day!
Next Up: A desert expedition
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StJohnRuth
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Xislandgirl
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SanDiegoMark
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Your trip reports are A+! I was looking back on some of my saved posts the other day and came across your 06 Three-Ring Circus Dinghy adventure. I remember reading it and having tears on my eyes from laughing so hard. I'm repeating myself here, but thanks for another fun read. 
When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years after it happens anywhere else. – Mark Twain
Critter boy and the dingy pic is priceless. Love these reports missed most of them I'm goiing to backtrack and readem all 
Flick have to ask my kids about that one. We had a guy at Salomon get stung really bad. I mean really bad, thought he was having a heart attack or something at first.I swam to a sailboat and they called the park ranger they ended up coming in down the trail at Caneel and taking him away on a stretcher 
Keep up these great reports You guys don't just pee in the ocean or is that something us hicks just do, promise I don't do it in the pool or hottub 
Flick have to ask my kids about that one. We had a guy at Salomon get stung really bad. I mean really bad, thought he was having a heart attack or something at first.I swam to a sailboat and they called the park ranger they ended up coming in down the trail at Caneel and taking him away on a stretcher Keep up these great reports You guys don't just pee in the ocean or is that something us hicks just do, promise I don't do it in the pool or hottub