Why I love St John

Travel discussion for St. John
milli_ou
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:05 am
Location: OKC

Why I love St John

Post by milli_ou »

I have been a lurker to the forum for over a year. I had the pleasure of experiencing St. John in November of 2007. I went with my boyfriend, his sister and another girlfriend. It was the trip of a lifetime. I have been to other places, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Caymans, Mexico and Barbados. Nothing compares to St. John. My boyfriend and I fell in love with it and fell more in love while we were there. We stayed at the Westin, and while overpriced was a good place to sleep. We rented a jeep and drove all over the island. The first day of driving was terrifying. I refer to it as the "death drive." :shock: I truly expected my man to shoot us off a mountain. He loved it while I white knuckled the passenger seat. Our first night of driving landed us at The Shipwreck. We loved it! I made the mistake of not using the potty and tinkle before leaving. After too many painkillers and the fear of dying on the drive back, I made my man pull over. Sorry guys, it couldn't be helped. He scared it out of me.

Our first beach was Hawksnest. We grabbed our snorkel gear and hit the water for hours. It was fantastic. Our next day we parked across the street and walked 20 feet to the beach at Maho. The view was one that is now on my wallpaper of my home and work computer. We were lucky enough to see turtles. Every beach we visited, with Trunk being the exception, had maybe 10-20 people at most. Early one morning we planned our visit to Waterlemon. We read at the hotel that it was about a 15 minute walk to the beach. We learned very quickly that in island time that means 30-45. The walk never seemed to end, but when we got there we were the only ones on the beach. Later we walked up Peace Hill and enjoyed the view. We drove all over the island and loved every minute of it. We ate at Mango's, Chilly Billy's, the Donkey Diner and more. We bought jewelry in Mongoose Junction and souvenirs all over. We loved the laid back feel and friendly shopping.

When we returned we knew we'd be back many times in the future. I immediately began planning trip #2. As it turns out, we will be getting married on St. John in June of 2009. We are planning a 17 day trip. The first 8 days we'll be at Sapphire Breeze villa (there's a reason he picked this one), the next 5 will be spent on Virgin Gorda, then back to St. John for 4 more days. I have studied the forums and websites. I have created "villa charts". I have a notebook that I write down useful information about St. John I read on the forum.

When we went to Barbados this year, the first thing out of our mouths was "this is not St. John. We don't need to go anywhere else but St. John." Barbados will always hold fond memories. The boyfriend became the fiance. While down on one knee, he gave me a sapphire and diamond ring and told me he went with sapphire because we loved St. John and the ocean and every time we looked at it, it would remind us of a magical time.

I want to thank all the members of the forum. I feel like I know you. I've been reading your posts for a year. Every day you provide me with valuable info., make me laugh and count down the days to our return. We only had time to see a small part of the island. We look forward to finding new places to make new memories.

Leslie
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mahojim
Posts: 2079
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 6:29 pm
Location: NJ

Post by mahojim »

I love it because I get to slow everything down, and recharge my batteries 'til the next trip.
Mmmm... Maho...
Smiles-
Jimmy
cptnkirk
Posts: 1996
Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:35 am
Location: ohio

Post by cptnkirk »

Your like us we've been to many other islands then dicovered St John. Hands down the best there is :D although my wife would like to go back to St Martin and check out Virgin Gorda. Welcome to the board and don't be a stranger.
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augie
Posts: 2376
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:26 am
Location: Where the weather suits my clothes

Post by augie »

Wow - what a great post!

Keep us "posted" as you plan and execute your trip.

Best wishes on the impending marriage.

I love the sapphire theme...
Come see us!
DaveS007
Posts: 328
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:19 am
Location: NY

Post by DaveS007 »

We have stayed at Saphire Breeze a couple times in the past, if you want any further info send me a pm. More pro's than con's.
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msgcolleen
Posts: 1497
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:33 am
Location: Allen, Texas

Post by msgcolleen »

Welcome Milli OU!!
Another St. John lover out of the closet! Don't be afraid to post, we won't bite! (well just a little) ha!
Thanks for sharing your feelings for our special island and congrats on your upcoming wedding in June! You made the perfect choice. They don't call it "Love City" for nothin'!
You will love Sapphire Breeze! Especially being entertained watching underwater ballet through the underwater pool window! Too cool!
Keep us posted on the planning stages & if you need a driver, cook or tour guide just let me know! I'm free in June~~~~~
:wink:
I've got 2 tickets to paradise~Pack your bags we'll leave tonight!

[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]
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Nancy_B
Posts: 1156
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:33 am
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Post by Nancy_B »

Congratulations, Leslie! What an awesome post! I was married on Trunk Bay in May of 2001. If you have any wedding planning questions, I'm happy to help. We had 33 of our friends and family on island and all stayed at private villas. Our reception was at our villa. It was EXCELLENT! We also spent time on Virgin Gorda for our honeymoon but then cut it short and went back to St. John early because we loved it so much.

Happy planning and welcome to a fellow St. John lover.
NancyB
jimg20
Posts: 1840
Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 11:43 am
Location: Fayetteville, AR

Post by jimg20 »

That's a great story. Congrats on the upcoming wedding. You'll have to keep us up to date on your plans.

Go OU.

JIM
Man it's like some dream we live down here....

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onthelake
Posts: 524
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: Upstate, NY

Post by onthelake »

Thanks for the great story.

Congrats ... and Best Wishes!

From another ST JOHN LOVER :wink:
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stjdeb
Posts: 265
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:24 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH

Post by stjdeb »

Wow! What a great story! I'm sure you'll have a beautiful wedding, I can't think of a better place to say your vows! Welcome to the forum and keep us posted on plans. It's funny how we are all passionate about that little rock in the Caribbean, we all visit and yet I never get tired of hearing how different the adventures are! If you were to read all of the trip reports on this forum, it seems as though it must be a huge country, so many different experiences, with the most beautiful backdrop!
Deb
cass
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Central Illinois

Post by cass »

Congratulations on your wedding! Sounds like you have a fabulous trip planned.
"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." -Isak Dinesen
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liamsaunt
Posts: 5968
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:08 pm

Post by liamsaunt »

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Gromit
Posts: 3459
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:11 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Post by Gromit »

Looks like STJ has another addict!!

Welcome to the club, come on in.. the water is warm, the drinks are cheap and the advice is free!!

Hugs and congrats on the upcoming nuptuals!
*Another fine scatterbrained production
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Bug
Posts: 1202
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 12:21 am
Location: PA

Post by Bug »

Welcome and congratulations!!

XOXO
Bug
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chrisn
Posts: 1077
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:16 pm

Re: Why I love St John

Post by chrisn »

milli_ou wrote:I have been a lurker to the forum for over a year. I had the pleasure of experiencing St. John in November of 2007. I went with my boyfriend, his sister and another girlfriend. It was the trip of a lifetime. I have been to other places, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Caymans, Mexico and Barbados. Nothing compares to St. John. My boyfriend and I fell in love with it and fell more in love while we were there. We stayed at the Westin, and while overpriced was a good place to sleep. We rented a jeep and drove all over the island. The first day of driving was terrifying. I refer to it as the "death drive." :shock: I truly expected my man to shoot us off a mountain. He loved it while I white knuckled the passenger seat. Our first night of driving landed us at The Shipwreck. We loved it! I made the mistake of not using the potty and tinkle before leaving. After too many painkillers and the fear of dying on the drive back, I made my man pull over. Sorry guys, it couldn't be helped. He scared it out of me.

Our first beach was Hawksnest. We grabbed our snorkel gear and hit the water for hours. It was fantastic. Our next day we parked across the street and walked 20 feet to the beach at Maho. The view was one that is now on my wallpaper of my home and work computer. We were lucky enough to see turtles. Every beach we visited, with Trunk being the exception, had maybe 10-20 people at most. Early one morning we planned our visit to Waterlemon. We read at the hotel that it was about a 15 minute walk to the beach. We learned very quickly that in island time that means 30-45. The walk never seemed to end, but when we got there we were the only ones on the beach. Later we walked up Peace Hill and enjoyed the view. We drove all over the island and loved every minute of it. We ate at Mango's, Chilly Billy's, the Donkey Diner and more. We bought jewelry in Mongoose Junction and souvenirs all over. We loved the laid back feel and friendly shopping.

When we returned we knew we'd be back many times in the future. I immediately began planning trip #2. As it turns out, we will be getting married on St. John in June of 2009. We are planning a 17 day trip. The first 8 days we'll be at Sapphire Breeze villa (there's a reason he picked this one), the next 5 will be spent on Virgin Gorda, then back to St. John for 4 more days. I have studied the forums and websites. I have created "villa charts". I have a notebook that I write down useful information about St. John I read on the forum.

When we went to Barbados this year, the first thing out of our mouths was "this is not St. John. We don't need to go anywhere else but St. John." Barbados will always hold fond memories. The boyfriend became the fiance. While down on one knee, he gave me a sapphire and diamond ring and told me he went with sapphire because we loved St. John and the ocean and every time we looked at it, it would remind us of a magical time.

I want to thank all the members of the forum. I feel like I know you. I've been reading your posts for a year. Every day you provide me with valuable info., make me laugh and count down the days to our return. We only had time to see a small part of the island. We look forward to finding new places to make new memories.

Leslie
Sounds like you are doing it up right!!! STJ & VG are the perfect combo and June is our month of choice. We will be down next June as well. Congrats!!!
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