Trip Report 11/25-12/2/06 - Part One
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:17 pm
Here is my attempt at my first trip report....I've been lurking here forever, so I thought it was time to share...
Some background, just me (37, huh, how did I get that old?) and the husband (40). This is our 7th trip to our favorite place in the world:
March 1997 day trip from St. Thomas on our last day there, went to Trunk and finally found the beach of my dreams;
May 1999 honeymoon at Caneel;
October 2002 Gallows Point;
October 2003 Gallows Point;
May 2004 Gallows Point for 3 days after 5 days in the BVI;
October 2005 rented Peace O'Heaven villa (we chose poorly);
November/December 2006 - Unit 2W Lavendar Hill, one bedroom condo
Saturday, November 25, 2006
This was the smoothest travel day we have ever had to St. John. We are booked on the 7:35 am UsAirways nonstop from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, which means we actually set the alarm for 4:30 am (yikes!) to leave for the airport around 5:15. Last minute scrambling around the house stuff and Dad arrives to drive us (thanks Dad!!) Step outside and it is pitch black and the cold goes right through us, it is frigid out there! My teeth were actually chattering in the car. Arrive at the airport 20 minutes later and there are loads of people there for so early. Check in at a kiosk, and a feeling of usease fills our hearts as we watch our checked bag disappear into the bowels of the USAirways luggage system. After all, the most important stuff of the trip is in that bag to entrust to the USairways baggage handlers in Philadelphia: 2 swimways pop open floats, 2 pairs of fins, 5 bottles of suntan lotion, bug repellant, neat sheet (had to throw that in there, it's light), snorkel bag, backpack, reduced fat sour cream and onion Pringles (which every supermarket there ended up having!), mask defogger, oh, and a few clothes. Head up to the USAirways Club with our free pass received from having their credit card, for some calm before the chaos that surely awaits us at the gate. Head down to the gate at 6:40 am, and we are not there more than 5 minutes and they start boarding. By 7:25 we are all boarded and the plane pushes back from the gate early! Is the UsAirways I know and love so well? Uneventful flight, they showed Pirates of the Caribbean on the way down, but needed to catch some zzzzz.
We arrived at St. Thomas 40 minutes early, and the moment I've been eagerly awaiting finaly arrives. I step out of the airplane door and onto the top of the steps and the warm humid air surrounds me. AAAAhhhhhh, now I'm here. Head into the terminal, rushing to get that that stupid ladies room with the 2 stalls before there's a line, and by the time I come out, husband has the checked bag already! Whoa, what have they done with my old USAirways?....
Hop in a cab with some virgin Virgin Island tourists, to head to the 1:00pm ferry from town. Our taxi driver is great, he actually cuts through that outdoor market place with all the vendors to get to a light to cross the street to pull up right to the ferry dock (could hear some grumbling behind me, oh well, dis is de islands mon, get used to it), where our ferry awaited! It was an absolutely beautiful day,even St. Thomas looked good, clear blue skies, white puffy clouds, clear blue water, shimmering cruise ships, comfortable temps. The ferry ride over was smooth, no feeling of seasickness at all. By 1:40 we were pulling into Cruz Bay, and I felt right at home. We thought we would be pushing it to make the 2pm RedHook ferry, and here we were! Noticed the web cam right away (we will be back), Matt from Lavendar Hill was there and wisked us up to our condo. I will do a separate review of Lavendar Hill, but we are pleasantly surprised. Gallows had gotten exhorbitantly expensive, and we didn't want to go the villa route, and Lavendar fit the bill. It did not dissapoint...
Ours is the middle balcony.
Had lunch at, I think Hide Tide seafood grill in Wharfside, right along the beach there in Cruz Bay. Called mom from the webcam position, but dad is not home to check us online. Head back up the hill to Lavendar, and just as we climb the steepest part near Gallows my phone rings, its Dad saying he is looking at the webcam, where are we! Back on down the hill we go, position ourselves under the cam, call Dad and he is so excited it was hysterical...
Hang out at the small pool that afternoon and enjoyed the sunset from our huge balcony. Here was the view:
Dinner at Morgan's Mango (we always go there our first night, don't know why, but now it's tradition). Their tropical fruit smoothie is the best! Coconut shrimp pretty good too.
Hit Dolphin Market for some supplies and head on back. This made my night:
Ahhh, Christmas lights in paradise, how can it get any better than this.....
Some background, just me (37, huh, how did I get that old?) and the husband (40). This is our 7th trip to our favorite place in the world:
March 1997 day trip from St. Thomas on our last day there, went to Trunk and finally found the beach of my dreams;
May 1999 honeymoon at Caneel;
October 2002 Gallows Point;
October 2003 Gallows Point;
May 2004 Gallows Point for 3 days after 5 days in the BVI;
October 2005 rented Peace O'Heaven villa (we chose poorly);
November/December 2006 - Unit 2W Lavendar Hill, one bedroom condo
Saturday, November 25, 2006
This was the smoothest travel day we have ever had to St. John. We are booked on the 7:35 am UsAirways nonstop from Philadelphia to St. Thomas, which means we actually set the alarm for 4:30 am (yikes!) to leave for the airport around 5:15. Last minute scrambling around the house stuff and Dad arrives to drive us (thanks Dad!!) Step outside and it is pitch black and the cold goes right through us, it is frigid out there! My teeth were actually chattering in the car. Arrive at the airport 20 minutes later and there are loads of people there for so early. Check in at a kiosk, and a feeling of usease fills our hearts as we watch our checked bag disappear into the bowels of the USAirways luggage system. After all, the most important stuff of the trip is in that bag to entrust to the USairways baggage handlers in Philadelphia: 2 swimways pop open floats, 2 pairs of fins, 5 bottles of suntan lotion, bug repellant, neat sheet (had to throw that in there, it's light), snorkel bag, backpack, reduced fat sour cream and onion Pringles (which every supermarket there ended up having!), mask defogger, oh, and a few clothes. Head up to the USAirways Club with our free pass received from having their credit card, for some calm before the chaos that surely awaits us at the gate. Head down to the gate at 6:40 am, and we are not there more than 5 minutes and they start boarding. By 7:25 we are all boarded and the plane pushes back from the gate early! Is the UsAirways I know and love so well? Uneventful flight, they showed Pirates of the Caribbean on the way down, but needed to catch some zzzzz.
We arrived at St. Thomas 40 minutes early, and the moment I've been eagerly awaiting finaly arrives. I step out of the airplane door and onto the top of the steps and the warm humid air surrounds me. AAAAhhhhhh, now I'm here. Head into the terminal, rushing to get that that stupid ladies room with the 2 stalls before there's a line, and by the time I come out, husband has the checked bag already! Whoa, what have they done with my old USAirways?....
Hop in a cab with some virgin Virgin Island tourists, to head to the 1:00pm ferry from town. Our taxi driver is great, he actually cuts through that outdoor market place with all the vendors to get to a light to cross the street to pull up right to the ferry dock (could hear some grumbling behind me, oh well, dis is de islands mon, get used to it), where our ferry awaited! It was an absolutely beautiful day,even St. Thomas looked good, clear blue skies, white puffy clouds, clear blue water, shimmering cruise ships, comfortable temps. The ferry ride over was smooth, no feeling of seasickness at all. By 1:40 we were pulling into Cruz Bay, and I felt right at home. We thought we would be pushing it to make the 2pm RedHook ferry, and here we were! Noticed the web cam right away (we will be back), Matt from Lavendar Hill was there and wisked us up to our condo. I will do a separate review of Lavendar Hill, but we are pleasantly surprised. Gallows had gotten exhorbitantly expensive, and we didn't want to go the villa route, and Lavendar fit the bill. It did not dissapoint...
Ours is the middle balcony.
Had lunch at, I think Hide Tide seafood grill in Wharfside, right along the beach there in Cruz Bay. Called mom from the webcam position, but dad is not home to check us online. Head back up the hill to Lavendar, and just as we climb the steepest part near Gallows my phone rings, its Dad saying he is looking at the webcam, where are we! Back on down the hill we go, position ourselves under the cam, call Dad and he is so excited it was hysterical...
Hang out at the small pool that afternoon and enjoyed the sunset from our huge balcony. Here was the view:
Dinner at Morgan's Mango (we always go there our first night, don't know why, but now it's tradition). Their tropical fruit smoothie is the best! Coconut shrimp pretty good too.
Hit Dolphin Market for some supplies and head on back. This made my night:
Ahhh, Christmas lights in paradise, how can it get any better than this.....
Was your unit a 1 or 2 bedroom?