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Trip Report 11/25/06-12/2/06 - Part 4
Trip Report 11/25/06-12/2/06 - Part 4
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Today is the day L&L Jeep rental is supposed to deliver our Jeep Wrangler. We were instructed to call them this morning and they would deliver the vehicle. We are hoping to get the car by 10 and get going because our condo is scheduled to be cleaned today at that time (a pleasant surprise!). So we call and they tell us the computer overbooked the Wranglers (the computer overbooked them? OK), but they can give us a Jeep Liberty for the same price and will come around 10:30. Well, Mark is majorly disappointed because he was really looking forward to wheeling around in the Wrangler, but what can you do? The cleaning lady comes promptly at 10 and we hang on the balcony taking in the sights. The really friendly guy from L&L shows up around 10:45 with the Liberty and now we are ready to roll...
I noticed on this trip that I didn't see so many "island cars" or Jeep Wranglers for that matter. A lot of Jeep Libertys and other compact SUVs...
Anyway, we head off to Starfish to stock up on some foodstuffs (finally don't have to lug the stuff bought at Dolphin up that blasted hill to Lavendar/Gallows), and are immediately overcome with sticker shock. This place has really gone up in price and down in the stocking of items on the shelves. Dolphin was noticeably cheaper, better stocked, and had nicer produce. Neither had really appetizing meats. Only tried the deli at Starfish, which was pretty good.
Now thoroughly stocked and $70 lighter, we head back to Lavendar Hill and eat lunch. Then we go off on our first drive up North Shore Road. Why is it that no matter how many times you drive this road and no many how many times you stop at the overlooks and take pictures, you are still amazed at what you are looking at? Just a sample:
And the photo required of all St. John tourists (regardless of how many of these you've taken in the past):
We are is search of our perfect beach of the day. Stop at Hawksnest, and WHOA, huge waves are breaking right on the beach. This is unacceptable. Press on to Gibney. Decide to check out the beach first, before we lug all the gear down and up that big hill. Huge waves breaking here too and no beach at all! What is going on here!? OK, Trunk looks OK from the overlook, but the parking lot is packed and there are loads of taxis (I think there were 5 cruise ships in that day). OK, Maho, that's got to be calm, and so it was. Pulled the Liberty right up to the beach, and only had to lug the gear less than 2 feet. We lazed around on our Swimways floats and chilled on the beach.
For the first time ever on St. John, I was actually a bit cold swimming. It was quite windy and getting out of the water was a little painful...Later, the no-see-ums started a bitin, so we hightailed it outta there and headed back.
I think we ate dinner that night at the Compass Rose at Pastory Gardens. They really need to put a lighted sign at the entrance there, because, even though we knew where it was, we still drove right past it and had to find someplace to do a U-turn, which, I don't know about anyone else out there, is not easy to do on those roads...
Can't remember much else about this day. I think I was out like a log by 10, and I'm a night owl. Ahh, I guess a day in paradise just takes it all out of you...
Today is the day L&L Jeep rental is supposed to deliver our Jeep Wrangler. We were instructed to call them this morning and they would deliver the vehicle. We are hoping to get the car by 10 and get going because our condo is scheduled to be cleaned today at that time (a pleasant surprise!). So we call and they tell us the computer overbooked the Wranglers (the computer overbooked them? OK), but they can give us a Jeep Liberty for the same price and will come around 10:30. Well, Mark is majorly disappointed because he was really looking forward to wheeling around in the Wrangler, but what can you do? The cleaning lady comes promptly at 10 and we hang on the balcony taking in the sights. The really friendly guy from L&L shows up around 10:45 with the Liberty and now we are ready to roll...
I noticed on this trip that I didn't see so many "island cars" or Jeep Wranglers for that matter. A lot of Jeep Libertys and other compact SUVs...
Anyway, we head off to Starfish to stock up on some foodstuffs (finally don't have to lug the stuff bought at Dolphin up that blasted hill to Lavendar/Gallows), and are immediately overcome with sticker shock. This place has really gone up in price and down in the stocking of items on the shelves. Dolphin was noticeably cheaper, better stocked, and had nicer produce. Neither had really appetizing meats. Only tried the deli at Starfish, which was pretty good.
Now thoroughly stocked and $70 lighter, we head back to Lavendar Hill and eat lunch. Then we go off on our first drive up North Shore Road. Why is it that no matter how many times you drive this road and no many how many times you stop at the overlooks and take pictures, you are still amazed at what you are looking at? Just a sample:
And the photo required of all St. John tourists (regardless of how many of these you've taken in the past):
We are is search of our perfect beach of the day. Stop at Hawksnest, and WHOA, huge waves are breaking right on the beach. This is unacceptable. Press on to Gibney. Decide to check out the beach first, before we lug all the gear down and up that big hill. Huge waves breaking here too and no beach at all! What is going on here!? OK, Trunk looks OK from the overlook, but the parking lot is packed and there are loads of taxis (I think there were 5 cruise ships in that day). OK, Maho, that's got to be calm, and so it was. Pulled the Liberty right up to the beach, and only had to lug the gear less than 2 feet. We lazed around on our Swimways floats and chilled on the beach.
For the first time ever on St. John, I was actually a bit cold swimming. It was quite windy and getting out of the water was a little painful...Later, the no-see-ums started a bitin, so we hightailed it outta there and headed back.
I think we ate dinner that night at the Compass Rose at Pastory Gardens. They really need to put a lighted sign at the entrance there, because, even though we knew where it was, we still drove right past it and had to find someplace to do a U-turn, which, I don't know about anyone else out there, is not easy to do on those roads...
Can't remember much else about this day. I think I was out like a log by 10, and I'm a night owl. Ahh, I guess a day in paradise just takes it all out of you...
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wontongirl
- Posts: 518
- Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 1:19 pm
I too am enjoying the report and pix! Thanks for taking the time to do both!
By the way, I think there is a law that says you have to take that photo of Trunk Bay.....no sense risking a ticket for not taking it, huh?
Come to think of it, there are two sure ways to get a ticket on St. John....jump nekkid on Solomon Beach, and not take a Trunk Bay picture from the turn out...LOL!
-Bert
By the way, I think there is a law that says you have to take that photo of Trunk Bay.....no sense risking a ticket for not taking it, huh?
Come to think of it, there are two sure ways to get a ticket on St. John....jump nekkid on Solomon Beach, and not take a Trunk Bay picture from the turn out...LOL!
-Bert
The liver is evil, it must be punished!
