tpatricco's Two Weeks in Paradise - St. John Trip Report
Jun 8th, 2006, 06:16 PM
#21
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Great report, Trish! And pictures, too.
I checked out your villa’s web site, looks gorgeous, too bad that you had such a bad experience. I would’ve freaked out …not by 9:30pm, a lot earlier
Anyway, it seems that after that, everything was good. Glad you enjoyed the New Horizon trip, we loved it, too. Looking forward for more snorkeling adventures, trips, hikes and funny stories… And no, we didn’t see any turtles, either.
I checked out your villa’s web site, looks gorgeous, too bad that you had such a bad experience. I would’ve freaked out …not by 9:30pm, a lot earlier
Anyway, it seems that after that, everything was good. Glad you enjoyed the New Horizon trip, we loved it, too. Looking forward for more snorkeling adventures, trips, hikes and funny stories… And no, we didn’t see any turtles, either.
Jun 9th, 2006, 07:27 AM
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After a horrible week in this rainy weather, it was so terrific to read about your trip. It's been ridiculously difficult to get back to the island, but I am still hoping for the end of this month. Anywya, it's okay, you can admit to seeing a turtle... I'll get over it... someday... Say, that Debbie must have thought you were arriving according to island time. She's probably waiting for you at Skinny's right now! Keep the report coming, Trish, you're saving lives with this stuff.
Say, that Debbie must have thought you were arriving according to island time. She's probably waiting for you at Skinny's right now! Keep the report coming, Trish, you're saving lives with this stuff.
Jun 10th, 2006, 07:04 AM
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Nice report and loved your pics especially White Bay and VG. Brought back a lot of memories. I would have freaked out big time if "Debbie" had not showed up at Skinny Legs....you handled it extremely well.
Jun 10th, 2006, 12:50 PM
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Thanks for all the great comments! We did have a great time once we found the villa!
I just arrived in Chicago and I'm happy to say my hotel has high speed internet. I'll try to continue the report...soon! Trish
I just arrived in Chicago and I'm happy to say my hotel has high speed internet. I'll try to continue the report...soon! Trish
Jun 10th, 2006, 04:17 PM
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Trish what a fantastic trip report so far, and you guys have the patience of angels to have handled the beginning so well !! We are going to St. John in Aug. and will use the horizon charters as it sounds to good to pass up. Did you book w/them before you got there or while you were there? Can't wait to read more, it's like reading installements of a novel. Big thanks for taking the time to share, and great photos, ya'll make a wonderful team!! (sorry about the ya'll, yep I'm from Texas!)
Jun 11th, 2006, 12:43 PM
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Part 4: What beach should we snorkel at today?
Tuesday started like most days on STJ; rise early, lounge in the pool with eye-opener bloody marys (JoMarie’s specialty) enjoying the early morning sun on the deck. Cooking our own breakfast – pancakes & sausage, then getting our act together, throwing some beer & snacks in the cooler and then venturing out to another favorite – Salt Pond Bay. We stopped on the way to show Jo & Doug the Concordia Eco-Tents where Tony and I had honeymooned in 2003 as a possible option for them to return on the return to STJ trip they are already planning. Then it was off to Salt Pond Bay. We hiked down the dirt road to the beach, stowed our belongings under a shady tree and immediately got in the water and off to snorkel along the east side of the bay. Like many other places, there is a wealth of coral, cool fish & marine creatures living in the rocks along the side of the bay. We snorkeled out as far as the point where the water starts to get rough, then turned back and returned to the beach. After a round of refreshing Coronas & Caribs, we then did the short hike over to Drunk Bay (not drunk as in too much beer, drunk is the Dutch word for drowned.) Drunk Bay Beach is a rough beach covered with large hunks of dead coral and lots of flotsam that has washed up. The water here is quite rough, not suitable for swimming. Instead, the beach has become a place to come and “make your own character” – an assembly of found bits of coral & debris – everybody seems to embrace this project! Tony was inspired by a large piece of drift wood which became the inspiration for our own character…I just took the pictures and laughed a lot. After Drunk Bay we relaxed on the beach at Salt Pond for awhile and then hiked it out and headed back to Coral Bay. After getting changed and cleaned up, we went over to Island Blues for drinks & snacks down by the water. After several martinis & margaritas and a big, delicious plate of nachos we returned to the villa to cook dinner, crash out and relax and watch the finale of American Idol (sorry, I know it’s paradise but we wanted to see Taylor kick the Mcfeever out of Katherine!) We cooked some dinner and enjoyed cocktails and tv for the rest of the night. Delicious ice cream sundaes were enjoyed with a sleeve of frozen Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!
Tuesday started like most days on STJ; rise early, lounge in the pool with eye-opener bloody marys (JoMarie’s specialty) enjoying the early morning sun on the deck. Cooking our own breakfast – pancakes & sausage, then getting our act together, throwing some beer & snacks in the cooler and then venturing out to another favorite – Salt Pond Bay. We stopped on the way to show Jo & Doug the Concordia Eco-Tents where Tony and I had honeymooned in 2003 as a possible option for them to return on the return to STJ trip they are already planning. Then it was off to Salt Pond Bay. We hiked down the dirt road to the beach, stowed our belongings under a shady tree and immediately got in the water and off to snorkel along the east side of the bay. Like many other places, there is a wealth of coral, cool fish & marine creatures living in the rocks along the side of the bay. We snorkeled out as far as the point where the water starts to get rough, then turned back and returned to the beach. After a round of refreshing Coronas & Caribs, we then did the short hike over to Drunk Bay (not drunk as in too much beer, drunk is the Dutch word for drowned.) Drunk Bay Beach is a rough beach covered with large hunks of dead coral and lots of flotsam that has washed up. The water here is quite rough, not suitable for swimming. Instead, the beach has become a place to come and “make your own character” – an assembly of found bits of coral & debris – everybody seems to embrace this project! Tony was inspired by a large piece of drift wood which became the inspiration for our own character…I just took the pictures and laughed a lot. After Drunk Bay we relaxed on the beach at Salt Pond for awhile and then hiked it out and headed back to Coral Bay. After getting changed and cleaned up, we went over to Island Blues for drinks & snacks down by the water. After several martinis & margaritas and a big, delicious plate of nachos we returned to the villa to cook dinner, crash out and relax and watch the finale of American Idol (sorry, I know it’s paradise but we wanted to see Taylor kick the Mcfeever out of Katherine!) We cooked some dinner and enjoyed cocktails and tv for the rest of the night. Delicious ice cream sundaes were enjoyed with a sleeve of frozen Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!
Jun 11th, 2006, 12:46 PM
#29
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Hi Fisherstan. I would recommend booking the New Horizons II charter before you get to STJ. I booked two weeks in advance and didn't even get my first choice days.
http://newhorizonscharters.com/
http://newhorizonscharters.com/
Jun 11th, 2006, 06:38 PM
#31
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Wow--thanks for great trip report and fantastic photos!! So evocative, you can FEEL the island's sun and air. Your trip report reminded me of waht I've missed. Thank heaven, I'll be back in three weeks
Did the villa's owner have any comment on the her mysterious sister Debbie?
Glad to hear things were good with Conrad Sutton, as we're renting from him. Was it convenient to use their lot in Cruz Bay?
Did the villa's owner have any comment on the her mysterious sister Debbie?
Glad to hear things were good with Conrad Sutton, as we're renting from him. Was it convenient to use their lot in Cruz Bay?
Jun 11th, 2006, 09:43 PM
#32
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Thanks for the affirmations! I too am wondering when I can get back to STJ soonest!
Cali, the owner of the villa did leave me messages (4) on my cell phone voice mail (Verizon service didn't work outside Cruz Bay) with apologies and directions to the villa. Alas she didn't get my messages until Sunday when we had already found the villa.
Conrad Sutton was accomodating and we did use their lot whenever we were in town to park. They were very pleasant.
Cali, the owner of the villa did leave me messages (4) on my cell phone voice mail (Verizon service didn't work outside Cruz Bay) with apologies and directions to the villa. Alas she didn't get my messages until Sunday when we had already found the villa.
Conrad Sutton was accomodating and we did use their lot whenever we were in town to park. They were very pleasant.
Jun 12th, 2006, 09:52 AM
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Keep the report coming, Trish. By the way, I think it is called "Drowned" bay because a bunch of pirates got very drunk on rum and tried to swim back to the ship and drowned so both interpretations are appropriate.
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:39 AM
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Part 5: More loungin’ , limin’ and snorklin’
Wednesday started like any other with more lounging in the pool, breakfast at the villa and then we drove over to the north shore and started out at Leinster Bay with the hike out to Waterlemon Cay. Do not listen to Pam Gaffin’s advice in Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive. If you park at the Annaberg parking lot you’ll add an extra 10 minute walk to your hike. Drive out on the road to the little parking area and save yourself! We always drive in and park here and have never found the (four car max) clearing too full to fit. From here we hike along the mostly flat, gravel trail around Leinster Bay to the nearest put in point for snorkeling out to and around Waterlemon (not MELON) Cay. There’s a short swim across deep water to get out to the cay, then swim around the island counterclockwise (so the current is in your favor most of the time). There is an abundance of beautiful coral, fish and marine life here, and this is one of my favorite snorkel spots on the island. We’ve seen starfish carpet the sea floor here other times. Apparently they are hit or miss. Today is a miss on the starfish, but great on everything else. After my loop around the island I headed back to shore and scrambled around on the rocks around the point for awhile. Anthony, JoMarie and Doug, snorkeling addicts that they are kept going out around the point and saw a few starfish and two sea turtles (convincing me that I have the same disease as Tuxedocat – the one that repels turtles).
After Waterlemon, we hike back out and boy are we hot and happy our car is as close as possible! We drive back along the North Shore Road, stop for a swim at Maho and then continue along toward Cruz Bay. We ooh and aah and the views as we wind along the road above Maho, past Peter Bay and on toward Trunk Bay. There is a great place to pull over and take that famous photo of Trunk Bay that everybody has (it was my desktop on my computer for quite awhile too). We’re all starving by this point so we pull in and park at Mongoose Junction (shopping & dining area) and grab a late lunch at the Sun Dog Café. Great quesadillas, burritos and a yummy pesto pizza. Painkillers and Dark & Stormys are refreshing too. After lunch we meander through the shops for a little while, then head over to the Wharfside Shopping area and drop the guys off at The Beach Bar while we browse in a few more shops. After a few beers ourselves we head back to the villa to clean up and cook some dinner. I have no recollection of what we ate, so either it wasn’t very memorable or we just plain drank too much!
Wednesday started like any other with more lounging in the pool, breakfast at the villa and then we drove over to the north shore and started out at Leinster Bay with the hike out to Waterlemon Cay. Do not listen to Pam Gaffin’s advice in Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive. If you park at the Annaberg parking lot you’ll add an extra 10 minute walk to your hike. Drive out on the road to the little parking area and save yourself! We always drive in and park here and have never found the (four car max) clearing too full to fit. From here we hike along the mostly flat, gravel trail around Leinster Bay to the nearest put in point for snorkeling out to and around Waterlemon (not MELON) Cay. There’s a short swim across deep water to get out to the cay, then swim around the island counterclockwise (so the current is in your favor most of the time). There is an abundance of beautiful coral, fish and marine life here, and this is one of my favorite snorkel spots on the island. We’ve seen starfish carpet the sea floor here other times. Apparently they are hit or miss. Today is a miss on the starfish, but great on everything else. After my loop around the island I headed back to shore and scrambled around on the rocks around the point for awhile. Anthony, JoMarie and Doug, snorkeling addicts that they are kept going out around the point and saw a few starfish and two sea turtles (convincing me that I have the same disease as Tuxedocat – the one that repels turtles).
After Waterlemon, we hike back out and boy are we hot and happy our car is as close as possible! We drive back along the North Shore Road, stop for a swim at Maho and then continue along toward Cruz Bay. We ooh and aah and the views as we wind along the road above Maho, past Peter Bay and on toward Trunk Bay. There is a great place to pull over and take that famous photo of Trunk Bay that everybody has (it was my desktop on my computer for quite awhile too). We’re all starving by this point so we pull in and park at Mongoose Junction (shopping & dining area) and grab a late lunch at the Sun Dog Café. Great quesadillas, burritos and a yummy pesto pizza. Painkillers and Dark & Stormys are refreshing too. After lunch we meander through the shops for a little while, then head over to the Wharfside Shopping area and drop the guys off at The Beach Bar while we browse in a few more shops. After a few beers ourselves we head back to the villa to clean up and cook some dinner. I have no recollection of what we ate, so either it wasn’t very memorable or we just plain drank too much!
