. Anti-fog stuff and mask lube for your snorkel ! I have used anti-fog , but WHAT is lube for my snorkel?!! *snicker* :shock: *heh* I was actually referring to silicone lube for the mask gasket, but... if you feel the need to lubricate your "snorkel" as well, I'm sure can find a product t...

Things to pack... an insulated water bottle carrier, the kind that you sling over your shoulder. Handy for the beach, indispensable if you're going to be hiking or even just walking around town for a few hours. Anti-fog stuff and mask lube for your snorkel equipment. Thin socks that you can wear und...

On our first trip to St. John (June, 2001) we took a BVI trip on a big catamaran. It took us first to Virgin Gorda and the Baths, and then stopped by Norman Island for snorkeling on the way home. It was not a charter, at least not in the sense that you had to assemble your own group. It was a boat t...

Gorgeous picture, Cheryl, thanks for posting! Glad to hear that Tourist Trap is opening September 18. We'll be staying in Sea Spirit Villa, just up the road, Sept 22-29. Since almost every restaurant we wanted to eat at in Coral Bay is closed, we were hoping Tourist Trap would be open. See ya' in a ...

What a great thread this has been! It's kind of fun to see how different people can be in the way they enjoy themselves. And you can read between the lines that even though each of us really feels our own style is the best, we're trying hard to be tolerant of people who aren't doing it quite "r...

Wow, both of those villas look AMAZING. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time in either one. How big is your group? Will you be using all the bedrooms? If you're planning to spend a lot of time at the villa (and why not when it's such a palace) you should probably just pick the one with the view, am...

The drive to the north shore beaches is an easy one in my opinion, but maybe maybe years of rural driving in snowy Michigan has jaded my perception of "easy driving". True, it's all a matter of perspective. I live in a state where you can see the weather approaching 50 miles away, and roa...

Something to consider if you're planning to take that route - how do you feel about mountain driving? The trip from Coral Bay to Maho Beach is just a few miles, but involves at least 600 feet of elevation in the middle. The road from the smoothie stand to Coral Bay is easy enough to navigate (if you...

Have you looked at Orion's Hill? I have never stayed there, but became fascinated with the place when we stayed in Creolla on the next peak over. Orion's Hill was the only villa we could see from our mountain top aerie, and it did look very fine. The view from Creolla was to die for, and the view fr...

Since no one else has mentioned this, I'm just gonna say it: your villa is not the most convenient location for touring the island. Chocolate Hole is great for relaxing on your deck and enjoying the sunset, but it's surprisingly hard to get out of that section of the island. On our first trip to STJ...

Have you considered staying at the Cinnamon Bay Campground? That's what I'd do if I were traveling with 3 mid-size kids. It's one of the few places on the island where you can stay right on the beach, or at least within a short walk across flat terrain. It's a beautiful white-sand beach, much like t...