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Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Happy Friday! Finally got around to posting a trip report after many years of mostly lurking. You all are a great source of info. Once I get around to editing photos I will post.
Travel: our normal Thursday – Friday configuration, works for us since flights easier to find and the airports are less crazy. This was our first trip using Cap One miles after dumping the AA Citibank card 2 years ago. I was able to pick the flights we wanted and most importantly, only 2 flights compared to AA’s 3 flights. Used Delta from DSM through ATL, left 6am and arrived at on STT at 1:40pm. Made the 3pm Red Hook ferry with about 25 mins to enjoy our 1st Carib at the ferry terminal. Coming home it was 2:30pm departure with 9:45pm arrival, STT-ATL-DSM. Best flight travel in all our 8 island trips.
Jeep: used Bougainvillea (Donald Schnell) not only because I had heard good reviews, but also because we rented their loft studio for 2 nights which made for a smooth transition coming and going. Nice 2 door Wrangler had 10K miles on it I think but was in very nice shape, they were hassle-free when it came to checking in and out. There was a little sand when we picked it up, same amount when dropped off, no worries. Carried a jug of water for washing sand off after the beach, worked great.
Accommodations: We did a split Coral Bay/Cruz Bay itinerary for the 2nd time. We love the quiet of Coral Bay but also like 2 nights in Cruz Bay without having to deal with parking allowing us to troll our favorite spots and walk home.
- Sea Cottage Villa: this was our home for the 1st 6 nights. A newer 1 room cottage up on Bordeaux Mountain. I was going for high-up, “one particular harbor” views and quiet for this trip, but still close to the north shore and Coral Bay. Sea Cottage did not disappoint. It’s smallish, think 1 room house with bed, living room and kitchen in the same main area and a nice size bathroom with outside shower. Nice covered decks with hammock, small table and a few chairs. No pool or hot tub, we just don’t use them enough to be worth the extra money, when it’s just the 2 of us. When we take kids it’s a different story (and a whole different budget). No AC here which was a concern but the temp was great day and night with nice breezes, in fact we had to close 1 of the sliders at night and use a blanket. I was also concerned about bugs way up there but only 1 night did we have mosquitos and it wasn’t anything a little deet and burn coils didn’t fix. Tons of critters around such as your normal lizards, hermit crabs scurrying about, small tree frogs (1 of which joined me in the shower one evening), a goat on the stairs 1 morning, and a tarantula that was living in the grill cover (he was more scared of me than I of him). The sounds of the jungle at night lulled us to sleep. Surprisingly no creatures or bugs were in the house. Monika and Jorge own this cottage which is above their villa, couldn’t see or hear them, the jungle is that thick. It’s evident they put their heart and soul into the place. A nice touch was the iPod she provided full of good music, we especially enjoyed their Brazilian play lists. She makes peace flags and sells them out of the Brazilian store in Cocoloba plaza, a string of small, colorful flags that my wife loved. She was all out but promised to make some and mail to us. It arrived 3 days after we got home, nice touch. The road was paved all but the last 75 yards, it was bumpy but didn’t bother us, we’ve had worse. 10 minutes to Maho or Coral Bay, 15 minutes to Salt Pond or Tourist Trap, maybe 20 minutes to Cruz Bay. We loved the location and plan to stay in this area or Mamey/Ajax peak next trip. Perfect for 2 people who want a “wow” view, don’t need a lot of space, and want peaceful quiet.
- Amore Loft Studio: Our last 2 nights we chose this 1 bedroom unit above Donald Schnell’s studio for our Cruz Bay crawl and trip wind-down. There are several options for a few nights in Cruz Bay, we’ve enjoyed Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel on prior visits and they have a good thing going there, but I have to say Amore is an excellent alternative for more space. Similar price to the other hotels in the area, but wow when it came to accommodations. I expected Donald Schnell would have his units decked out nicely and I was right. His famous light fixtures of course, but also the furniture, wonderful art, and crazy cool texturing on the walls (stucco made to look/feel like marble). The loft studio is the smallest of his units but it was still a very large room with king bed, fridge, sink, microwave, cold AC, living area and a very nice bathroom. I could seriously stay here for a week and be very happy. When we arrived Donald showed us up to the top floor, down a skinny outside hallway loaded with potted plants, and into our space through nice heavy wooden doors. The other nice feature is this hallway has a separate locking door that they close in the evening for extra security, but you have a key to get in at night. Felt very safe and secure here. Short walk across the roundabout and down into Love City, skipping distance to our favorite Quiet Mon. The main reason I decided to give Amore a try was I wanted to book a Jeep through them, which led me to reviewing their units. It was nice to pull in after our villa stay, unload luggage, hand over the keys and walk into the room. On departure day one of Donald’s sons saw us starting to head down hill and insisted he drive us down. My last positive note is on day 2 we came into Cruz Bay for breakfast and to call our kids due to cell phone issues, I parked in the studio lot and Donald came out and waved me over. There was a funeral about ready to begin across the street and he warned that we may be blocked in and best to park down in the public lot. Glad he did because an hour later we noticed cars parked everywhere around that area, we probably would have been stuck for hours. Good stuff.
What we did – I called this our “Trip of Firsts”. Being our 4th trip I wanted to do all those things we never seemed to get around to. We were normally at the beach by 9ish, and off the beach about 4pm.
Day 1: Breakfast sandwiches at Pickles Deli then headed to Maho for the morning. Dropped by Crabby’s (a FIRST) to rent gear about 9am but not open, so I went without snorkeling this day which was no big deal. We prefer to park near the new shelter if possible, then tuck in under a palm tree to the very left of the beach. Several semi-private spots in there for a few pods of people, worked well for us twice. Headed to Jumbie about noon, enjoyed our packed lunch, watched several donkeys pester a family at the other end, not sure they appreciated the Don’s. About 3:30pm I heard the smoothie stand calling my name (a FIRST). They are as good as people say. Then off to Skinny Legs (our personal fav bar in Coral Bay) for BLT and burger. I know some people aren’t impressed with Skinny’s but I personally don a large grin whenever I saunter in and sit down. I find the service to be good, burgers “pretty ok” (total pun intended there), and the shops to hold lots of goodies. Hit Love City minimart for drink fixin’s, then up the mountain to see what we could do with rum, pink Ting, ginger beer, and pineapple juice.
Day 2: Had a heck of a time with Verizon, even after a few phone calls with them, the first few days we were out of touch, eventually something kicked in and we were fine. BTW just got the bill and we only paid $20 extra for texts/phone calls for the week. Grabbed snorkel gear at Crabby’s then drove to Cruz Bay to try and call the kids, which did work as we enjoyed pancakes at CB Landing, super good and a lot of food. Parked in the public lot (a FIRST) and found it to be closer than I thought, definitely a good addition for those who can’t find parking elsewhere. Drove up the northshore with no specific beach in mind, I told Steph if there is a spot at Oppenheimer I’m grabbing it, sure enough we were the first ones there, at like 9:45am! This is my wife’s favorite so we hung out and read books for a while, average snorkeling. I was itching to head to Francis as our last trip we were escorted off the beach by large swarms of no-see-ums. We walked the length of the salt pond raised trail and poked out at the far right (easier than walking the beach with gear). We did experience a few bugs but found sitting at the edge of the water helped, “only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair”. Found the usual suspects here: turtles, barracuda, huge school of angel fish the size of dinner plates, and a FIRST for me, about 10 huge tarpon that barreled right by me, a wow moment, I mean they were bigger than me. I had conch fritters on the brain so headed to Aqua Bistro, the best fritters on the island in my opinion. Also had grouper fingers and side salads, both also good. Stopped by Love City minimart again for something, I think I like going in there just to wrap my head around how they jam so much stuff into a small space. We also found Josephine’s organic center but they didn’t have much, bad timing I think (too late in the day). Drinks and music on the Sea Cottage deck, again.
Day 3: Started out with a stop by Catherineberg ruins (a FIRST), nicely restored windmill, definitely worth a visit. We were thinking Cinnamon Bay today and I remembered reading about Johns Head road (a FIRST), which was the road we were on. I warned Steph this might be bumpy and to adjust your expectations because here we go. Started out pretty good then wow, imagine a cobblestone road that is not flat, all very bumpy round stones, I thought it was fun, Steph would like to go back and find her spleen someday. There are some very nice villas on that road; I bet they calculate how many times a day they need to travel in and out. Sure enough it dropped out very close to Cinnamon and that was our beach for the day, surprisingly found a close parking spot and headed through the campground toward the right hand side. Little snorkeling, lots of soaking in the water, just a beautiful day “where the weather suits our clothes”. Stopped by Skinny Legs and shared the special of the day, pulled pork nachos, very good. Drinks and music on the Sea Cottage deck, again. Dinner was chicken with garlic pasta and veggies. This is where I met Mr. T the tarantula, I pulled the cover off the little grill and something caught my eye, Mr. T came around the grill, said hello and off he went, we hope he was gone by the time I lit the grill. I just happened to have my camera in the other hand and was able to get a good photo, I will upload them later. He was slightly larger than a silver dollar. I caught Steph double inspecting the sheets and pillows that night….
Day 4: Headed straight to the Peace Hill parking lot to view the ruins and the beach (both FIRSTS). The ruins are nice and the views from up there are incredible. Lots of Mr. T holes around the ruins so I did a little “fishing” which involved sticking a piece of grass down the hole and wait for one to grab on. It worked several times, you pull the grass gently out and he will give you a peek then head back down. Steph was not impressed. Hiked down to Denis Bay, it was longer/hillier than I imagined but not bad. Beautiful beach but very windy that day. I snorkeled some, found an octopus and a ton of silver sides. When I came back to Steph she had sand imbedded everywhere so we decided it was time to go. We drove all the way to Hansen Bay and Vie’s but she was closed and we could not figure out how to get in even though I’ve read you can still go when she is closed just drop money in a box, we gave up and went to Skinny Legs for lunch as we were starving. Chili dog day for me, always have one each trip. Feeling fueled up we decided Waterlemon was the agenda for the afternoon. One spot available so we grabbed it, thankfully we passed many people walking out so there weren’t too many on the beach when we arrived. I decided to hike up to the ruins (a FIRST) while Steph relaxed. It was a moderate hike but not too bad, the views of Mary Point are fantastic up there, go all the way to the top for the best view. I sat by myself for a while reflecting on just how beautiful this place is and continues to surprise me. Back to the beach I snorkeled, saw 1 turtle then we both just soaked in the water which is so clear here. Talked to a nice couple from OK for a while then that smoothie was calling our name again so we obliged. Drinks and music at Sea Cottage, again.
Day 5: “Tuesday on the Island” means not many places open for breakfast in Coral Bay, this was my own fault since I am the over-planner. Tried Pickles, Miss Lucy’s and Concordia on our way to Salt Pond and all closed. Luckily we had trail mix with us and made the most of it. Salt Pond (a FIRST) has been on my list for years and we never seem to make it. Such a beauty sitting out there on the southeast shore. It’s a short walk down and thankfully very few people all day. The Rams Head hike has been on my list as well (a FIRST) so I packed some water, grabbed a hat and off I went. Steph had recent back issues so she opted out, which was fine, I didn’t want to test the National Park Service’s ability to pluck a woman off that landscape. This is a must-do for those in average to good shape, there is some up and down with tricky spots but so beautiful out there and along the way. It was about an hour and a half round trip and I was hoofing it. The blue cobblestone beach is a treat followed by those crazy cactuses ending with that view at the end looking back at the island where St John presents itself in such a striking way. There were several people up there but I still managed to pop a squat and take in the scenery along with about a 100 photos. Kept saying to myself “I can’t wait to come back with the kids, this will blow their minds”. Headed back for a little snorkeling. I’ve heard people say it’s hot out here, it’s true, it does feel about 10 degrees warmer so eventually we packed up and headed to our other little slice of paradise, Larry and the Tourist Trap. Mary was the waitress this day and let me tell you she is a trip, funny and as sweet as can be. BBQ pork nachos are just so good washed down with a Drink Right Drive Left and several waters. Stopped at Skinny’s to buy some Keens, I blew out my 19 year old Tevas on the hike that I purchased for our honeymoon back in 1995, they ended on a good note. Back to the cottage to pack up for part 2 of our vacation in Cruz Bay, and of course drinks and music, again. Until we meet again Coral Bay, don’t go changing….
Day 6: Actually slept in a little, must have been that hike. Loaded up the Jeep and headed to Pickles for breakfast again, they know what they are doing there with eggs. Dropped off the snorkel gear, $28 for 6 days, can’t beat that. Headed to Maho to our same spot and lazed away the day. Hit the gas station on our way in ($60-gauge was just under ¼ tank) and arrived at Amore at 3pm. Had the Jeep until noon the next day but decided I was done; we were hiking to Solomon the next day anyway. As I mentioned earlier Donald settled us in to the loft studio, we cleaned up and skipped down to Quiet Mon to start our Cruz Bay crawl. Best people watching in the world at Quiet Mon from the deck. Headed down to Motu (a FIRST) for some killer mojitos and margaritas, really liked the vibe here. Bought our usual Low Key gear, caught the sunset then off to the Lime Inn (a FIRST). Mahi-mahi and whole snapper, both very good, really liked this place and couldn’t believe we’ve never been in, especially having stayed at Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel across the street! Steph loves the charms at Bamboo so of course we picked up another one. Hit the Beach Bar, then Barefoot Cowboy Lounge (a FIRST), then back home for a good rest.
Day 7: Pastries and a sandwich to-go from Baked in the Sun which is just up the street from the studio. On our trek to Solomon we stopped at the VI National Park HQ and had our national park passports stamped. Heading out the Lind Point trail we ran into a group of kids working the trail, on the way back I could hear them up above the trail which makes me wonder if there is a new trail in the works or uncovering an old one? Just us and 1 other couple throughout the day. Love this beach, especially as we saw many daytrippers sail into Honeymoon. We witnessed a father and daughter struggle with SUP boards, the wind eventually caught them and they were heading out to sea. As we were debating who we could call to help them, a sailboat noticed and rescued them in their dingy. It was a bit scary watching it unfold. We read, napped, laughed. On our way back stopped at the Friends of the national park store and picked up a few items, they always have good stuff here especially for national park nerds like ourselves. Stopped at the Tap Room, I had a White Lightening which is their green flash energy drink and vodka, it perked me right up! After cleaning up, the evening started again with Quiet Mon, the Beach Bar for sunset, then something I dream about: Pad Thai at Rhumb Lines. We decided to split an order, with a request to tone down the spice a few notches, along with lobster tempura… perfection. Back home to pack up.
Day 8: More pancakes at CB Landing and people watching as the square was cranking up for carnival and July 4th festivities, then hit the 10am ferry for the long journey back to the Midwest.
Reflections: We’ve been on 8 island trips, 4 to STJ, this was the best so far. It really does feel like home away from home now. Amazed how the island continues to surprise and enchant us, soothes the soul. The next trip will bring us back with our kids (2nd time for them), probably June of 2016. Trip planning has already begun. June works for us, Steph is a teacher so we have more planning flexibility and I like that the island is much quieter, beaches less busy, weather at home is more hot and muggy (crazy I know, go to the Caribbean to get away from the heat). I love both sides of the island but Coral Bay is our place to slow the heartbeat and recharge. I was surprised that I wasn’t surprised at the grocery prices at Starfish, we didn’t buy a whole lot but we managed to find sales (chips, peanut butter, water), the meat prices weren’t much more than home. I am one that prefers to rent my Jeep on STJ. Our Red Hook taxi rides have always been quick and non-eventful, and this last time we saw long lines of cars waiting to get on the car barge. I get why people like renting on STT, it’s just not for us. Until next time, “be as you are”!
Travel: our normal Thursday – Friday configuration, works for us since flights easier to find and the airports are less crazy. This was our first trip using Cap One miles after dumping the AA Citibank card 2 years ago. I was able to pick the flights we wanted and most importantly, only 2 flights compared to AA’s 3 flights. Used Delta from DSM through ATL, left 6am and arrived at on STT at 1:40pm. Made the 3pm Red Hook ferry with about 25 mins to enjoy our 1st Carib at the ferry terminal. Coming home it was 2:30pm departure with 9:45pm arrival, STT-ATL-DSM. Best flight travel in all our 8 island trips.
Jeep: used Bougainvillea (Donald Schnell) not only because I had heard good reviews, but also because we rented their loft studio for 2 nights which made for a smooth transition coming and going. Nice 2 door Wrangler had 10K miles on it I think but was in very nice shape, they were hassle-free when it came to checking in and out. There was a little sand when we picked it up, same amount when dropped off, no worries. Carried a jug of water for washing sand off after the beach, worked great.
Accommodations: We did a split Coral Bay/Cruz Bay itinerary for the 2nd time. We love the quiet of Coral Bay but also like 2 nights in Cruz Bay without having to deal with parking allowing us to troll our favorite spots and walk home.
- Sea Cottage Villa: this was our home for the 1st 6 nights. A newer 1 room cottage up on Bordeaux Mountain. I was going for high-up, “one particular harbor” views and quiet for this trip, but still close to the north shore and Coral Bay. Sea Cottage did not disappoint. It’s smallish, think 1 room house with bed, living room and kitchen in the same main area and a nice size bathroom with outside shower. Nice covered decks with hammock, small table and a few chairs. No pool or hot tub, we just don’t use them enough to be worth the extra money, when it’s just the 2 of us. When we take kids it’s a different story (and a whole different budget). No AC here which was a concern but the temp was great day and night with nice breezes, in fact we had to close 1 of the sliders at night and use a blanket. I was also concerned about bugs way up there but only 1 night did we have mosquitos and it wasn’t anything a little deet and burn coils didn’t fix. Tons of critters around such as your normal lizards, hermit crabs scurrying about, small tree frogs (1 of which joined me in the shower one evening), a goat on the stairs 1 morning, and a tarantula that was living in the grill cover (he was more scared of me than I of him). The sounds of the jungle at night lulled us to sleep. Surprisingly no creatures or bugs were in the house. Monika and Jorge own this cottage which is above their villa, couldn’t see or hear them, the jungle is that thick. It’s evident they put their heart and soul into the place. A nice touch was the iPod she provided full of good music, we especially enjoyed their Brazilian play lists. She makes peace flags and sells them out of the Brazilian store in Cocoloba plaza, a string of small, colorful flags that my wife loved. She was all out but promised to make some and mail to us. It arrived 3 days after we got home, nice touch. The road was paved all but the last 75 yards, it was bumpy but didn’t bother us, we’ve had worse. 10 minutes to Maho or Coral Bay, 15 minutes to Salt Pond or Tourist Trap, maybe 20 minutes to Cruz Bay. We loved the location and plan to stay in this area or Mamey/Ajax peak next trip. Perfect for 2 people who want a “wow” view, don’t need a lot of space, and want peaceful quiet.
- Amore Loft Studio: Our last 2 nights we chose this 1 bedroom unit above Donald Schnell’s studio for our Cruz Bay crawl and trip wind-down. There are several options for a few nights in Cruz Bay, we’ve enjoyed Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel on prior visits and they have a good thing going there, but I have to say Amore is an excellent alternative for more space. Similar price to the other hotels in the area, but wow when it came to accommodations. I expected Donald Schnell would have his units decked out nicely and I was right. His famous light fixtures of course, but also the furniture, wonderful art, and crazy cool texturing on the walls (stucco made to look/feel like marble). The loft studio is the smallest of his units but it was still a very large room with king bed, fridge, sink, microwave, cold AC, living area and a very nice bathroom. I could seriously stay here for a week and be very happy. When we arrived Donald showed us up to the top floor, down a skinny outside hallway loaded with potted plants, and into our space through nice heavy wooden doors. The other nice feature is this hallway has a separate locking door that they close in the evening for extra security, but you have a key to get in at night. Felt very safe and secure here. Short walk across the roundabout and down into Love City, skipping distance to our favorite Quiet Mon. The main reason I decided to give Amore a try was I wanted to book a Jeep through them, which led me to reviewing their units. It was nice to pull in after our villa stay, unload luggage, hand over the keys and walk into the room. On departure day one of Donald’s sons saw us starting to head down hill and insisted he drive us down. My last positive note is on day 2 we came into Cruz Bay for breakfast and to call our kids due to cell phone issues, I parked in the studio lot and Donald came out and waved me over. There was a funeral about ready to begin across the street and he warned that we may be blocked in and best to park down in the public lot. Glad he did because an hour later we noticed cars parked everywhere around that area, we probably would have been stuck for hours. Good stuff.
What we did – I called this our “Trip of Firsts”. Being our 4th trip I wanted to do all those things we never seemed to get around to. We were normally at the beach by 9ish, and off the beach about 4pm.
Day 1: Breakfast sandwiches at Pickles Deli then headed to Maho for the morning. Dropped by Crabby’s (a FIRST) to rent gear about 9am but not open, so I went without snorkeling this day which was no big deal. We prefer to park near the new shelter if possible, then tuck in under a palm tree to the very left of the beach. Several semi-private spots in there for a few pods of people, worked well for us twice. Headed to Jumbie about noon, enjoyed our packed lunch, watched several donkeys pester a family at the other end, not sure they appreciated the Don’s. About 3:30pm I heard the smoothie stand calling my name (a FIRST). They are as good as people say. Then off to Skinny Legs (our personal fav bar in Coral Bay) for BLT and burger. I know some people aren’t impressed with Skinny’s but I personally don a large grin whenever I saunter in and sit down. I find the service to be good, burgers “pretty ok” (total pun intended there), and the shops to hold lots of goodies. Hit Love City minimart for drink fixin’s, then up the mountain to see what we could do with rum, pink Ting, ginger beer, and pineapple juice.
Day 2: Had a heck of a time with Verizon, even after a few phone calls with them, the first few days we were out of touch, eventually something kicked in and we were fine. BTW just got the bill and we only paid $20 extra for texts/phone calls for the week. Grabbed snorkel gear at Crabby’s then drove to Cruz Bay to try and call the kids, which did work as we enjoyed pancakes at CB Landing, super good and a lot of food. Parked in the public lot (a FIRST) and found it to be closer than I thought, definitely a good addition for those who can’t find parking elsewhere. Drove up the northshore with no specific beach in mind, I told Steph if there is a spot at Oppenheimer I’m grabbing it, sure enough we were the first ones there, at like 9:45am! This is my wife’s favorite so we hung out and read books for a while, average snorkeling. I was itching to head to Francis as our last trip we were escorted off the beach by large swarms of no-see-ums. We walked the length of the salt pond raised trail and poked out at the far right (easier than walking the beach with gear). We did experience a few bugs but found sitting at the edge of the water helped, “only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair”. Found the usual suspects here: turtles, barracuda, huge school of angel fish the size of dinner plates, and a FIRST for me, about 10 huge tarpon that barreled right by me, a wow moment, I mean they were bigger than me. I had conch fritters on the brain so headed to Aqua Bistro, the best fritters on the island in my opinion. Also had grouper fingers and side salads, both also good. Stopped by Love City minimart again for something, I think I like going in there just to wrap my head around how they jam so much stuff into a small space. We also found Josephine’s organic center but they didn’t have much, bad timing I think (too late in the day). Drinks and music on the Sea Cottage deck, again.
Day 3: Started out with a stop by Catherineberg ruins (a FIRST), nicely restored windmill, definitely worth a visit. We were thinking Cinnamon Bay today and I remembered reading about Johns Head road (a FIRST), which was the road we were on. I warned Steph this might be bumpy and to adjust your expectations because here we go. Started out pretty good then wow, imagine a cobblestone road that is not flat, all very bumpy round stones, I thought it was fun, Steph would like to go back and find her spleen someday. There are some very nice villas on that road; I bet they calculate how many times a day they need to travel in and out. Sure enough it dropped out very close to Cinnamon and that was our beach for the day, surprisingly found a close parking spot and headed through the campground toward the right hand side. Little snorkeling, lots of soaking in the water, just a beautiful day “where the weather suits our clothes”. Stopped by Skinny Legs and shared the special of the day, pulled pork nachos, very good. Drinks and music on the Sea Cottage deck, again. Dinner was chicken with garlic pasta and veggies. This is where I met Mr. T the tarantula, I pulled the cover off the little grill and something caught my eye, Mr. T came around the grill, said hello and off he went, we hope he was gone by the time I lit the grill. I just happened to have my camera in the other hand and was able to get a good photo, I will upload them later. He was slightly larger than a silver dollar. I caught Steph double inspecting the sheets and pillows that night….
Day 4: Headed straight to the Peace Hill parking lot to view the ruins and the beach (both FIRSTS). The ruins are nice and the views from up there are incredible. Lots of Mr. T holes around the ruins so I did a little “fishing” which involved sticking a piece of grass down the hole and wait for one to grab on. It worked several times, you pull the grass gently out and he will give you a peek then head back down. Steph was not impressed. Hiked down to Denis Bay, it was longer/hillier than I imagined but not bad. Beautiful beach but very windy that day. I snorkeled some, found an octopus and a ton of silver sides. When I came back to Steph she had sand imbedded everywhere so we decided it was time to go. We drove all the way to Hansen Bay and Vie’s but she was closed and we could not figure out how to get in even though I’ve read you can still go when she is closed just drop money in a box, we gave up and went to Skinny Legs for lunch as we were starving. Chili dog day for me, always have one each trip. Feeling fueled up we decided Waterlemon was the agenda for the afternoon. One spot available so we grabbed it, thankfully we passed many people walking out so there weren’t too many on the beach when we arrived. I decided to hike up to the ruins (a FIRST) while Steph relaxed. It was a moderate hike but not too bad, the views of Mary Point are fantastic up there, go all the way to the top for the best view. I sat by myself for a while reflecting on just how beautiful this place is and continues to surprise me. Back to the beach I snorkeled, saw 1 turtle then we both just soaked in the water which is so clear here. Talked to a nice couple from OK for a while then that smoothie was calling our name again so we obliged. Drinks and music at Sea Cottage, again.
Day 5: “Tuesday on the Island” means not many places open for breakfast in Coral Bay, this was my own fault since I am the over-planner. Tried Pickles, Miss Lucy’s and Concordia on our way to Salt Pond and all closed. Luckily we had trail mix with us and made the most of it. Salt Pond (a FIRST) has been on my list for years and we never seem to make it. Such a beauty sitting out there on the southeast shore. It’s a short walk down and thankfully very few people all day. The Rams Head hike has been on my list as well (a FIRST) so I packed some water, grabbed a hat and off I went. Steph had recent back issues so she opted out, which was fine, I didn’t want to test the National Park Service’s ability to pluck a woman off that landscape. This is a must-do for those in average to good shape, there is some up and down with tricky spots but so beautiful out there and along the way. It was about an hour and a half round trip and I was hoofing it. The blue cobblestone beach is a treat followed by those crazy cactuses ending with that view at the end looking back at the island where St John presents itself in such a striking way. There were several people up there but I still managed to pop a squat and take in the scenery along with about a 100 photos. Kept saying to myself “I can’t wait to come back with the kids, this will blow their minds”. Headed back for a little snorkeling. I’ve heard people say it’s hot out here, it’s true, it does feel about 10 degrees warmer so eventually we packed up and headed to our other little slice of paradise, Larry and the Tourist Trap. Mary was the waitress this day and let me tell you she is a trip, funny and as sweet as can be. BBQ pork nachos are just so good washed down with a Drink Right Drive Left and several waters. Stopped at Skinny’s to buy some Keens, I blew out my 19 year old Tevas on the hike that I purchased for our honeymoon back in 1995, they ended on a good note. Back to the cottage to pack up for part 2 of our vacation in Cruz Bay, and of course drinks and music, again. Until we meet again Coral Bay, don’t go changing….
Day 6: Actually slept in a little, must have been that hike. Loaded up the Jeep and headed to Pickles for breakfast again, they know what they are doing there with eggs. Dropped off the snorkel gear, $28 for 6 days, can’t beat that. Headed to Maho to our same spot and lazed away the day. Hit the gas station on our way in ($60-gauge was just under ¼ tank) and arrived at Amore at 3pm. Had the Jeep until noon the next day but decided I was done; we were hiking to Solomon the next day anyway. As I mentioned earlier Donald settled us in to the loft studio, we cleaned up and skipped down to Quiet Mon to start our Cruz Bay crawl. Best people watching in the world at Quiet Mon from the deck. Headed down to Motu (a FIRST) for some killer mojitos and margaritas, really liked the vibe here. Bought our usual Low Key gear, caught the sunset then off to the Lime Inn (a FIRST). Mahi-mahi and whole snapper, both very good, really liked this place and couldn’t believe we’ve never been in, especially having stayed at Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel across the street! Steph loves the charms at Bamboo so of course we picked up another one. Hit the Beach Bar, then Barefoot Cowboy Lounge (a FIRST), then back home for a good rest.
Day 7: Pastries and a sandwich to-go from Baked in the Sun which is just up the street from the studio. On our trek to Solomon we stopped at the VI National Park HQ and had our national park passports stamped. Heading out the Lind Point trail we ran into a group of kids working the trail, on the way back I could hear them up above the trail which makes me wonder if there is a new trail in the works or uncovering an old one? Just us and 1 other couple throughout the day. Love this beach, especially as we saw many daytrippers sail into Honeymoon. We witnessed a father and daughter struggle with SUP boards, the wind eventually caught them and they were heading out to sea. As we were debating who we could call to help them, a sailboat noticed and rescued them in their dingy. It was a bit scary watching it unfold. We read, napped, laughed. On our way back stopped at the Friends of the national park store and picked up a few items, they always have good stuff here especially for national park nerds like ourselves. Stopped at the Tap Room, I had a White Lightening which is their green flash energy drink and vodka, it perked me right up! After cleaning up, the evening started again with Quiet Mon, the Beach Bar for sunset, then something I dream about: Pad Thai at Rhumb Lines. We decided to split an order, with a request to tone down the spice a few notches, along with lobster tempura… perfection. Back home to pack up.
Day 8: More pancakes at CB Landing and people watching as the square was cranking up for carnival and July 4th festivities, then hit the 10am ferry for the long journey back to the Midwest.
Reflections: We’ve been on 8 island trips, 4 to STJ, this was the best so far. It really does feel like home away from home now. Amazed how the island continues to surprise and enchant us, soothes the soul. The next trip will bring us back with our kids (2nd time for them), probably June of 2016. Trip planning has already begun. June works for us, Steph is a teacher so we have more planning flexibility and I like that the island is much quieter, beaches less busy, weather at home is more hot and muggy (crazy I know, go to the Caribbean to get away from the heat). I love both sides of the island but Coral Bay is our place to slow the heartbeat and recharge. I was surprised that I wasn’t surprised at the grocery prices at Starfish, we didn’t buy a whole lot but we managed to find sales (chips, peanut butter, water), the meat prices weren’t much more than home. I am one that prefers to rent my Jeep on STJ. Our Red Hook taxi rides have always been quick and non-eventful, and this last time we saw long lines of cars waiting to get on the car barge. I get why people like renting on STT, it’s just not for us. Until next time, “be as you are”!
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Awesome report! Looking forward to the pics. Thanks for sharing!
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islandjo2010
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:58 am
- Location: KC, MO
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Love your report and will watch for photos! 
June was our family's 4th trip and I thought we had a lot of "firsts" until I read about all of your "firsts"...so happy for you!
June was our family's 4th trip and I thought we had a lot of "firsts" until I read about all of your "firsts"...so happy for you!
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ColumbiaSCTraveler
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:33 pm
- Location: Columbia, SC
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Fantastic report. The pictures will only make it better! Can't wait!
Y'all do / eat / snorkel / visit the same places we do. Your daily itineraries are much like ours.
We like to pack as much into our trip as we can, but all the while, it still feels relaxing and chill to us.
Thanks for sharing!
Y'all do / eat / snorkel / visit the same places we do. Your daily itineraries are much like ours.
We like to pack as much into our trip as we can, but all the while, it still feels relaxing and chill to us.
Thanks for sharing!
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Thanks! Think I'm still recovering...
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
I enjoyed your report so much!! Thanks for sharing , and I'll be looking for the pics.
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
We were there the 19th thru 28th...did a lot of first as well. We have been going for over 10 years now and believe it or not...ate at the Beach Bar for the first time ! Had our first Bushwackers and Painkillers !! Also ate at Zozo's for the first time...will be going there every trip now !! View at the rail table was amazing at sunset. Hubby got caught in that funeral you saw...he was returning to Grande Bay from a hike. They were going to the cemetery right in front. First time at GB and we really liked it ! Already trying to figure out another trip ! 
Sherry in SC
Sherry in SC
" I believe there's Magic here...."
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Great trip report. It’s been a lot of years since we’ve been to STJ and I will be adding to my list a lot of your “First” that you did. Can’t wait to see the pic’s
FlaGeorge
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Great report - thanks for sharing.
And thank you for the review of the Loft studio.
And thank you for the review of the Loft studio.
janet
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Myheart'sinSTJ
- Posts: 363
- Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:02 pm
- Location: New London, PA
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
I don't know why you've been lurking all these years, you write an awesome trip report! You certainly packed a lot in in those 8 days along with so many firsts. Thanks so much for sharing and look forward to seeing pics
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Loved your report! We are planning our 4th trip and have many firsts to fit in. Reef bay hike, Lameshures and yawzi snorkel, all on our must do list. Problem is we
now have a list of can't miss favorites as well oh but what a dilema to have.
now have a list of can't miss favorites as well oh but what a dilema to have.
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
Great report! (except for the tarantula...) you can leave that pic out! haha
We are doing a few firsts this time too...Honeymoon Beach is one of them..How far is the hike?
136 days!!
We are doing a few firsts this time too...Honeymoon Beach is one of them..How far is the hike?
136 days!!
Re: Trip Report - Fourth Time's a Charm! 6/19-6/27
We went to Saloman which is about 1 mile from the NP visitors center, maybe 25-30 mins, easy-moderate hike. Honeymoon is another 10 mins past Saloman. Saloman is the quieter of the 2. There is a short spur trail before you get to Saloman that takes you to an overlook of Cruz Bay. Take extra water! Thanks