We rented one of the other Guavaberry villas -- Virgin Oriental -- and had a good experience. It has a pool and AC, but it is not right on the beach. I think the Mahoe Bay villas are nicer, but I also like the beach at Spring Bay more than Mahoe. It's a matter of preference. If cost is an issue, I think most of the Guavaberry villas are cheaper.

I also need AC, and I think the heat is something to keep in mind when considering the traditional Guavaberry units, which don't have AC.

thanks, guys! I agree about the need for A/c.
I'm off to Philly for the week - won't need A/c there, that's fer sure!

Today we started out the day by checking out the Coppermine Point area. The history and ruins are fascinating and the location is beautiful. There are so many different kinds of minerals visible on the ground. Of course, we didn't take anything, but I wish I knew what I was looking at. Of course, there is lots of green rock, per the name. On the way out we decided to stop at the Mine Shaft for lunch. When we pulled into the parking lot, it was deserted and we weren't sure if it was open. There were goats and roosters everywhere and the outside looked rather dilapidated. Much to our surprise, when we got upstairs it was actually quite nice with a killer view. Our lunch was good too (ribs for hubby, lobster salad for me) and the people were really nice.

After lunch the next stop was Spring Bay. There was a large group of people there from one of the weddings and they were setting up lunch, so we decided to move next door to Little Trunk Bay. Hubby found a shady spot to drop our stuff and I continued to explore. Following a trail which included climbing up a rock by rope I found myself on Trunk Bay. It's even prettier, possibly the prettiest beach I have ever seen. It is lined with palm trees. We didn't relish lugging our cooler and beach chairs up the rope, so we ended up snorkeling and chilling on Little Trunk.

Back to the house for the rest of the afternoon, went down to the beach to spy on the waterfront wedding at sundown and then got dressed for dinner at the Rock Cafe. Very cool vibe in here - more New York than Caribbean. The outside is simple enchanting with tables lit by lantern light nestled among the trees and boulders. Alas, even though I had liberally applied a deet-based repellent I was getting eaten alive, so we moved inside. We ordered the Anegada lobster and were really happy with it. The drinks were a little on the weak side however. I was also disappointed that the piano bar was not happening tonight (the pianist missed the ferry apparently.)

So here we are back at the villa enjoying our next to last night on vacation. One of the two wedding parties are absolutely out of control, screaming and shouting well into the night last night and this. It sounds like Cancun on spring break. Thankfully with the air in our bedroom we can drown it out. I will never understand how people can be so oblivious and disrespectful of other people. It's not enough to spoil our time here, but amazing to me all the same.

Joan, with regard to the A/C, it's really only important to me in the bedrooms and we are glad to have it because from what we are told it has been much hotter than usual this week. I guess you just never know what the weather is going to be like and it's nice to have it to fall back on. We are going to Vieques in August with another couple and our house there, while directly on the ocean, does not have A/C. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed on that one! Have a good trip, wherever you are going.

Maggi, I am so enjoying reading these posts of yours, and when I get home I will copy them into a Word document to take with me in July for our first trip to VG. Your restaurant comments are especially helpful!

Are there any beaches where you noticed any shade in the afternoon? I know most of the beaches are along the west coast, which means unless there is ample tree coverage, the shade is gone by midday. It's very important for us to have the option of shade on our beaches. I think I remember seeing pictures of one beach along VG that had thatched umbrellas, not belonging to a hotel?

Thanks again, Maggi.

We plan to eat at the Mineshaft on a Tuesday for all you can eat ribs night.

We plan to eat at the Rock Cafe as well. That one is at the top of our list! But, does it really feel like a New York restaurant?? What is the dress code there? I'm hoping it's nicer shorts and a collared shirt for the guys, and a sundress for the ladies? We're hoping to catch the piano player too... hope he doesn't miss the ferry on the day we're there!!

Carole

Maggi: You are amazing. Thank you so very much for your absolutely wonderful reports-- so generous of you to do this!
Betsy's cat wasn't in the house when we were there (she asked and we explained abt the allergies), but I still worry a bit about it because my allergies have gotten considerably worse since our last visit. I imagine that when Betsy is cleaning at times when no one is there, or when folks don't mind the cat, she brings it inside with her. I just have to hope that it won't be inside in the days before our visit. I'll bring my prescription allergy medicine just in case.
Glad you had a great trip, and I hope your "re-entry" to the "real" world won't be tough. Thanks again. You're a gem.

Maggi: Thank you for very much for the trip report. It sounds like it was a wonderfully relaxing trip. Aren't those the best? We've never been to VG but it's high on our list. Maybe next year. :-)

If you guys want to see some truly AMAZING photos of Virgin Gorda, and the BVI... check out the current thread on traveltalkonline.com... under the BVI section (It's called "An amazing 12 days....pictures" and the poster is grizzy).... best I've seen.

Actually, to make it easier... here's the actual link:

http://cwwayne.zenfolio.com/p302060132/

Cawhite, those photos are incredible. If mine turn out 100th as well, I'll be happy. The ribs at the Mine Shaft were quite good (homemade BBQ sauce.) Everyone was very nice there, especially Emily. Regarding the Rock Cafe, the inside was very minimalistic, with cool track lighting and little modern oil lamps on the tables. Even the wait staff had that cool vibe. I liked it. It was more put together than I am used to in the tropics. The clothing you described would be perfect. Outside was very romantic, tables nestled in the rocks with subtle lighting. Just wear plenty of bug spray. It's pretty dark too, I don't think I could have navigated my lobster out there. There are oil lanterns on the tables and we had to hold them up to the menu to read it. We made our own entertainment. My hubby likes to entertain people with little tricks he get off the internet. Which is longer, the circumference of the top of the wine glass, or the height? Measure it yourself with a piece of string and try it. He showed it to our waiter and watched as he passed it on one by one to all the staff. Pretty soon, they were coming to our table to show us their tricks.

EJ, you are right, there is not a lot of tree coverage in the afternoon from any of the beaches I saw. However, I did check out Savannah Bay this afternoon and it has the thatch umbrellas you mentioned. The beach at the Baths has more trees and a few tables and we found a smidge of shade on Little Trunk Bay. Someone else might be able to give you more input on this subject.

Poss, bring the allergy meds just in case, but if I were you I would be very clear that Betsy should keep the cat away the week prior and during your stay. Everyone has been extremely accomodating. I can't imagine their not wanting to fulfil this small request.

Caribtraveler, you must come here for the Baths alone, if nothing else. It truly is the experience of a lifetime.

Well, it's our last day and we spent the whole morning hanging out at the pool and working on our tans so we can make everybody jealous when we get back to good old Michigan :-) I'm getting pretty good at floating and reading without destroying my book. It's a great book, by the way, called "Time and Again" by Jack Finney. It's so absorbing, I keep forgetting it's fiction.

Around noon we said our goodbyes to Betsy amid tears and hugs and drove to Little Dix Resort for lunch. (My hubby just cracks up at that name.) I wasn't sure if we would be welcome, being that we are not guests, but much to the contrary I don't think I have ever been treated with more courtesy. I also have seldom seen a more idyllic setting for a restaurant. The lunch buffet was extensive, from salads and cheeses, freshly grilled fish, chicken or flank steak and a dessert table. I didn't ask how much and was a bit surprised at the $80 bill for the two of us. But for our last day here it was worth the splurge. I can't imagine how expensive it would be to stay here and pay for every meal.

After lunch, we did some last minute shopping at the Baths. There is a little jewelry shop there that has local made items that are very nice. I bought a conch shell necklace and a larimar necklace, plus a few bracelets. The shop was closed, but one of the other girls opened it for us. I left hubby nursing a drink at the bar while I trekked through the Baths with my video camera. I might post it on YouTube when we get home. There isn't much available - I know, I checked. On the way back to the villa we stopped at RTW for three bottles of Pusser's Rum to take home (I think it was 3 for $25.95). We were in luck - they don't always carry it.

Back at the villa, I got creative in the kitchen trying to use up all the stuff we had left. Browned the rest of the breakfast sausage and added it to our leftover rice and beans. Made garlic toasts with the rest of the baguette, topped with melted brie. Best of all, I had bought three passion fruit from a roadside stand and was able to use them with our limes and eggwhites to make...TADA!...passion fruit souffle. It was really tasty, thanks to the internet and our laptop. I would made that recipe again at home.

So now, it's 10:30, our bags are packed and I am going for one last dip before turning in. The wedding next door is in full swing, they are howling at the moon. It's been fun sharing the trip with you all. I actually do it more to jog my own memory than anything else.

When we get home I might add a postscript or two and a link to our photos.
God bless y'all, Maggi

Maggi, I had to laugh at your comment about your husband and Little Dix's name When we stopped at Little Dix about 7-8 years ago, I bought each of my grandsons a t-shirt with their logo. I should have had your husband along with me for advice. Needless to say my grandsons never wore them. Dumb, dumb me. They were very expensive shirts. I was not happy with myself.

I thought your daily postings were super. Thank you very much. I take it you didn't make it to Biras?

My husband's daughter and her partner chose to stay at Biras Creek last year instead of Little Dix because of that same reason! ;)

Maggi - so glad that you had a great experience at Mahoe Bay - I know you'll be back as DIF will set in about 3 days after you return. cheers Brian

Owa and EJ: It never occurred to me to make that connection. What is it about guys...? Gordaguy, OK, I give up. What is DIF? (last word has to be "fever").

We're pretty pooped today. We didn't make it home until 9pm last night. Our flight was scheduled out of San Juan at 2:30 on Sunday. Air Sunshine was perfect again and we got to SJU in plenty of time. I casually mentioned the flight seemed to be very full. Yes, replied the agent, too full in fact. I took the bait and we decided to volunteer our seats. They sent us to ESJ Towers in Isla Verde for the night. It was just OK, but at least the Cuban restaurant they sent us to was outstanding. It was called Metropol. We'd go back there in a heartbeat.

When we checked in the next morning I casually asked (again) if they needed volunteers. Unbelievably, we got bumped again! By this time we were starting to feel like Tom Hanks in "The Terminal". (Anybody know how many times in one trip they let you do that?) We purchased a day pass for the Delta lounge and spent a pleasant next five hours drinking, eating their snacks and surfing the internet. We did manage to make it out on our next flight, richer by four free tickets good for the next year. Neither one of us had to work yesterday, so that was not a problem. Note to self: try to schedule departure times for the a.m. on a Sunday morning, especially from SJU.

I'm still mulling the trip over and working on my photos. Hopefully I'll be done with that soon. But now, I'm off to watch American Idol. Yeah, Blake!

Hi maggi - 4 free tickets! That's great!!

We, too, are leaving from VIJ on a Sunday via Air Sunshine to SJU to catch our mainland flight. Maybe we'll check out how "crowded" our SJU flight is that day too!

And by the way, DIF is Dreaded Island Fever. From what I have read it occurs a few days after returning home from "the ilons"... that's when you start thinking about booking your next trip!! :-)

Yeah, the "DIF" has set in alright. Luckily it is really nice weather in Michigan right now. That makes it a little easier. Thanks to the free tickets we scored, I'm already scoping ideas for next spring. I'm thinking Nevis and/or St. Kitts, so get ready for an onslaught of questions pretty soon.

I'm trying to decide which Caribbean island we liked best so far: St. John, St. Barts or Virgin Gorda. They were all equally beautiful I think. The people were the most polite on St. Barts, followed by Virgin Gorda. That's really important to DH. Better food on St. Barts. I'm surprised how difficult it is to find fresh fish in places surrounded by water. I imagined it would be easy to get fish from local fisherman. The hotels and top restaurants probably get it all, I guess. Ditto for fresh fruit. Hard to get in the Caribbean (in my limited experience so far), unlike Hawaii.

I love the water in the Caribbean more than Hawaii because it is warmer, calmer and more easily accessible. The next place we go also has to have a good selection of rental villas. I'm really hooked on the privacy and space. I'd get claustrophobic in a hotel room for more than one night.

The reason for our trip to Virgin Gorda was the Baths and I certainly feel very satisfied with the experience. I did it twice, once with DH and once by myself with the cameras. Now I can tick that off my list of 1000 things to do before I die. In August, there will be another one: the biobay in Vieques. Now, I only have to live another 998 years...

Thanks again to everyone for all the input and good cheer. I posted my photos to Picasa if anyone wants take a peek. (I hope this link works!)
http://picasaweb.google.com/maggiwun...ey=u9KXA80eoS0

Gorgeous, Maggi!
I think I got the Fever now!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing.

Maggi - Your photos are fabulous!

Everything is so green around Mahoe Bay, and the pictures of the Baths are incredible. Love the pics at the airport too... I appreciated seeing the restaurants, as well. How was Grandma's Kitchen?

... 3 weeks to go until our trip!

Carole

What great pictures Maggi!

I especially like the one of the rock at the Baths that looks the head of a sea serpent with open eye and mouth. Mahoe Bay looks awesome!

Bill