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10 more days in paradise, part two
10 more days in paradise, part two
Day four
We stated the day with a snorkel at Haulover North. It was really calm
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Snorkeling was good. Some pictures
haulover fingr coral 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover wrasse 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover tang close up by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover snapper by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover filefish by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover trumpetfish 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
haulover barracuda 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After our snorkel we went to lunch at Shipwreck Landing
shipwreck blackened shrip by liamsaunt, on Flickr
shipwreck mahi grilled cheese by liamsaunt, on Flickr
shipwreck grouper tacos by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We spent the afternoon swimming at Trunk Bay
trunk bay by liamsaunt, on Flickr
It was swelly and the ranger on duty warned us about swimming, but the side to the right of the cay was not bad at all
Trunk Bay by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We went back to the house for a pretty amazing sunset
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
End
aurora monday sunset 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
And then I made some tuna bites
tuna bites by liamsaunt, on Flickr
and more grilled lobster and some blackened wahoo
lobster 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Other than toast for breakfast, this meal concludes my cooking for this trip
That night it got cold enough that I needed a sweatshirt! Winter weather is so different from our summer trips. We never used the AC at all, and in fact had to sleep with blankets on! I love the winter winds. I wish I could combine winter’s lack of humidity and lovely breezes with summer’s calm oceans and clear waters for snorkeling. Oh well, you can’t have it all.
Day five
We had a lazy villa gravity morning
Aurora view by liamsaunt, on Flickr
And then headed in to town for lunch at Waterfront Bistro
waterfront bistro view by liamsaunt, on Flickr
waterfront bistro tuna tacos by liamsaunt, on Flickr
waterfront bistro turkey burger by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After lunch we went to Low Key for new snorkel bags since I forgot to pack ours ($75/each, ouch)
Then we snorkeled at Maho.
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
It was crowded!
maho beach by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We did the right side out to the point. Some sightings:
maho grouper 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
maho christmas tree worms by liamsaunt, on Flickr
maho porkfish2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
maho flounder close up by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After we came back from the snorkel we found our gear was flanked on either side by people blasting music out to the beach. On one side we had techno dance, and on the other, country music. The cacophony quickly drove us away and back to the quiet of Pool Beach. /on soapbox/ Honestly amplified music on the beach is a real pet peeve of mine. It is really presumptuous to assume that everyone around you wants to hear your music. /off soapbox/
Later we went into town and had a drink at Drink
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
St. John by liamsaunt, on Flickr
I don’t remember what I had, but I do remember liking it.
After that we went to dinner at Virgin Fire, a new restaurant for us. Salt block appetizer.
virgin fire salt block by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Shrimp and grits
virgin fire shrimp and grits by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Ratatouille with grilled shrimp
virgin fire creole by liamsaunt, on Flickr
The waitress was very good here. My dish was inedibly salty and she was gracious about it and took it off the bill without my asking. I might give this place another chance sometime, only because she was so professional. I am inclined to believe that it was just an off night for whatever reason. I have heard that the other appetizers are good. And they have Rogue beer on tap, so that’s a big plus!
Day six
We started the day by snorkeling Hansen Bay/Pelican Rock with friends
hansen highat 6 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen damselfsh best by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen trunkfish by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Snorkel highlight! Two porcupinefish out and about. Our friend who lives on island thought they might be attempting to mate
hansen puffer duo by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen puffer pair side view by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen puffer pair 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen puffer close up by liamsaunt, on Flickr
(sorry for so many pictures, but this sighting was very exciting for me)
I found my first turtle of the trip on the snorkel back to the beach
hansen turtle by liamsaunt, on Flickr
hansen turtle 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
After that great snorkel, we all went to lunch at Miss Lucy’s.
miss lucys view 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr
I was so looking forward to my beloved grouper reuben. BUT. NO grouper reuben! NO crunch fish! NO Johnnycake! I cry. I settled for the West Indian fish fry plate and it was very good (but not as good as my grouper reuben would
have been, sob)
miss lucys west indian fish fry by liamsaunt, on Flickr
John got a burger on the recommendation of our friend. He was missing the grouper reuben too. Oh well, we will be back in June and can get one then. Please don’t close before our June trip, Miss Lucy’s!
miss lucys burger by liamsaunt, on Flickr
We parted ways with our friends after lunch, and John and I headed to the North Shore to go for a swim at Trunk Bay. We were lolling in the water when someone on the shore called to us that an eagle ray was heading our way. Sure, we thought. Sure it is. You see stingrays at Trunk all of the time, and we figured that they were mistaken in what they were seeing. That is, until the eagle ray swam right up to us in three feet of water! Holy crap. That was pretty amazing. I really regretted not bringing my camera into the water. I usually do but I was being lazy. Anyway, it was a super cool sighting to end a good day of underwater spots.
We went back to Aurora to get cleaned up for dinner and found the most gorgeous kitty on our deck. I mean, is this not the cutest cat? I wanted it so badly! The fact that I am allergic to cats is irrelevant here. Cat. Want.
cat by liamsaunt, on Flickr
Cat dreams thwarted, we headed in to town for dinner at La Tapa, always one of our favorites
la tapa oil by liamsaunt, on Flickr
la tapa mahi by liamsaunt, on Flickr
la tapa tun by liamsaunt, on Flickr
And then back to the house to watch the cruise ships float out to sea.
We stated the day with a snorkel at Haulover North. It was really calm
St. John by liamsaunt, on FlickrSnorkeling was good. Some pictures
haulover fingr coral 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover wrasse 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover tang close up by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover snapper by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover filefish by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover trumpetfish 3 by liamsaunt, on Flickrhaulover barracuda 2 by liamsaunt, on FlickrAfter our snorkel we went to lunch at Shipwreck Landing
shipwreck blackened shrip by liamsaunt, on Flickrshipwreck mahi grilled cheese by liamsaunt, on Flickrshipwreck grouper tacos by liamsaunt, on FlickrWe spent the afternoon swimming at Trunk Bay
trunk bay by liamsaunt, on FlickrIt was swelly and the ranger on duty warned us about swimming, but the side to the right of the cay was not bad at all
Trunk Bay by liamsaunt, on FlickrWe went back to the house for a pretty amazing sunset
St. John by liamsaunt, on FlickrEnd
aurora monday sunset 2 by liamsaunt, on FlickrAnd then I made some tuna bites
tuna bites by liamsaunt, on Flickrand more grilled lobster and some blackened wahoo
lobster 2 by liamsaunt, on FlickrOther than toast for breakfast, this meal concludes my cooking for this trip
That night it got cold enough that I needed a sweatshirt! Winter weather is so different from our summer trips. We never used the AC at all, and in fact had to sleep with blankets on! I love the winter winds. I wish I could combine winter’s lack of humidity and lovely breezes with summer’s calm oceans and clear waters for snorkeling. Oh well, you can’t have it all.
Day five
We had a lazy villa gravity morning
Aurora view by liamsaunt, on FlickrAnd then headed in to town for lunch at Waterfront Bistro
waterfront bistro view by liamsaunt, on Flickrwaterfront bistro tuna tacos by liamsaunt, on Flickrwaterfront bistro turkey burger by liamsaunt, on FlickrAfter lunch we went to Low Key for new snorkel bags since I forgot to pack ours ($75/each, ouch)
Then we snorkeled at Maho.
St. John by liamsaunt, on FlickrIt was crowded!
maho beach by liamsaunt, on FlickrWe did the right side out to the point. Some sightings:
maho grouper 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickrmaho christmas tree worms by liamsaunt, on Flickrmaho porkfish2 by liamsaunt, on Flickrmaho flounder close up by liamsaunt, on FlickrAfter we came back from the snorkel we found our gear was flanked on either side by people blasting music out to the beach. On one side we had techno dance, and on the other, country music. The cacophony quickly drove us away and back to the quiet of Pool Beach. /on soapbox/ Honestly amplified music on the beach is a real pet peeve of mine. It is really presumptuous to assume that everyone around you wants to hear your music. /off soapbox/
Later we went into town and had a drink at Drink
St. John by liamsaunt, on FlickrSt. John by liamsaunt, on FlickrI don’t remember what I had, but I do remember liking it.
After that we went to dinner at Virgin Fire, a new restaurant for us. Salt block appetizer.
virgin fire salt block by liamsaunt, on FlickrShrimp and grits
virgin fire shrimp and grits by liamsaunt, on FlickrRatatouille with grilled shrimp
virgin fire creole by liamsaunt, on FlickrThe waitress was very good here. My dish was inedibly salty and she was gracious about it and took it off the bill without my asking. I might give this place another chance sometime, only because she was so professional. I am inclined to believe that it was just an off night for whatever reason. I have heard that the other appetizers are good. And they have Rogue beer on tap, so that’s a big plus!
Day six
We started the day by snorkeling Hansen Bay/Pelican Rock with friends
hansen highat 6 by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen damselfsh best by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen trunkfish by liamsaunt, on FlickrSnorkel highlight! Two porcupinefish out and about. Our friend who lives on island thought they might be attempting to mate
hansen puffer duo by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen puffer pair side view by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen puffer pair 2 by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen puffer close up by liamsaunt, on Flickr(sorry for so many pictures, but this sighting was very exciting for me)
I found my first turtle of the trip on the snorkel back to the beach
hansen turtle by liamsaunt, on Flickrhansen turtle 2 by liamsaunt, on FlickrAfter that great snorkel, we all went to lunch at Miss Lucy’s.
miss lucys view 2 by liamsaunt, on FlickrI was so looking forward to my beloved grouper reuben. BUT. NO grouper reuben! NO crunch fish! NO Johnnycake! I cry. I settled for the West Indian fish fry plate and it was very good (but not as good as my grouper reuben would
have been, sob)
miss lucys west indian fish fry by liamsaunt, on FlickrJohn got a burger on the recommendation of our friend. He was missing the grouper reuben too. Oh well, we will be back in June and can get one then. Please don’t close before our June trip, Miss Lucy’s!
miss lucys burger by liamsaunt, on FlickrWe parted ways with our friends after lunch, and John and I headed to the North Shore to go for a swim at Trunk Bay. We were lolling in the water when someone on the shore called to us that an eagle ray was heading our way. Sure, we thought. Sure it is. You see stingrays at Trunk all of the time, and we figured that they were mistaken in what they were seeing. That is, until the eagle ray swam right up to us in three feet of water! Holy crap. That was pretty amazing. I really regretted not bringing my camera into the water. I usually do but I was being lazy. Anyway, it was a super cool sighting to end a good day of underwater spots.
We went back to Aurora to get cleaned up for dinner and found the most gorgeous kitty on our deck. I mean, is this not the cutest cat? I wanted it so badly! The fact that I am allergic to cats is irrelevant here. Cat. Want.
cat by liamsaunt, on FlickrCat dreams thwarted, we headed in to town for dinner at La Tapa, always one of our favorites
la tapa oil by liamsaunt, on Flickrla tapa mahi by liamsaunt, on Flickrla tapa tun by liamsaunt, on FlickrAnd then back to the house to watch the cruise ships float out to sea.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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northerngal
- Posts: 420
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
- Location: Michigan
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
LOVE your reports!!! My little escape from reality of 8 degrees and lots of snow!
How did you make your tuna bites? they look great!
How did you make your tuna bites? they look great!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Oh I am so happy that you are back on St.John!!! I just love your trip reports and all the great info on where you ate! Your Pictures are a delight that I always look forward to viewing . I can never get great shots as you do!! Thank-You again!!!
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ColumbiaSCTraveler
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:33 pm
- Location: Columbia, SC
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Oh! The blackened shrimp app from Shipwreck! One of my FAVORITES!!!!!!
Winter on STJ cool!?? That sounds heavenly, especially since we go in SWELTERING AUGUST!!!!!!
And oh my word! Shrimp and grits! A South Carolina favorite!
LOVED the pictures of the Damselfish (those colors!!!) and the porcupinefish! Those are two of my faves (among many)!
In our 6 visits, we have YET to go to Miss Lucy's!!! One day. . .
We went to La Tapa for the first time on our last trip. LOVED IT! Cannot wait to visit this year!
Winter on STJ cool!?? That sounds heavenly, especially since we go in SWELTERING AUGUST!!!!!!
And oh my word! Shrimp and grits! A South Carolina favorite!
LOVED the pictures of the Damselfish (those colors!!!) and the porcupinefish! Those are two of my faves (among many)!
In our 6 visits, we have YET to go to Miss Lucy's!!! One day. . .
We went to La Tapa for the first time on our last trip. LOVED IT! Cannot wait to visit this year!
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islandjo2010
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:58 am
- Location: KC, MO
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
WooHoo... Part 2 is here!
Love all the photos and WOW what a sunset on day 4...
Thank you!!!
Love all the photos and WOW what a sunset on day 4...
Thank you!!!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Love those Porcupinefish. Great shots!
And what can I say about your food porn? They look so devour-able… or to extend the pleasure - nibble-able!
One of our all time best snorkels was at very calm, flat and clear-as-glass Haulover North around 2010. I spotted a Spotted Spiny Lobster (to me, they look prettier than the more common Caribbean Spiny) and that has been my only sighting of the species. Since then, Haulover North has been either choppy or too rough for snorkeling every time we visited there.
Looking forward to the rest of your report!
And what can I say about your food porn? They look so devour-able… or to extend the pleasure - nibble-able!
One of our all time best snorkels was at very calm, flat and clear-as-glass Haulover North around 2010. I spotted a Spotted Spiny Lobster (to me, they look prettier than the more common Caribbean Spiny) and that has been my only sighting of the species. Since then, Haulover North has been either choppy or too rough for snorkeling every time we visited there.
Looking forward to the rest of your report!
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
You can't have it all? Looks pretty good to me from our dreary weather in Omaha!!
You truly have mastered the art of getting close ups of fish. I have never been able to get those kind of pictures of porcupine fish, they are always trying to hide.
Take care,
Dave
You truly have mastered the art of getting close ups of fish. I have never been able to get those kind of pictures of porcupine fish, they are always trying to hide.
Take care,
Dave
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
I just love all your pictures of the sea life and wonderful food. One of these days I am going to print out some of the sea life pictures, frame them and create a St John wall in my house! You have a special way with words that make one want to continue reading your reports. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Mine too!ColumbiaSCTraveler wrote:Oh! The blackened shrimp app from Shipwreck! One of my FAVORITES!!!!!!!
We were on VG feb 10-20 and saw a pair of puffer fish as well. They kept a close eye on us, like they didn't appreciate our presence, now I know why
I hear you on your Reuben sorrow, that's how I am about the lime inn's fish sausage.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
I just chunked up some tuna, tossed in blackening seasoning, sautéed in olive oil, and served with tartar sauce. Can't get much easier than that!northerngal wrote: How did you make your tuna bites? they look great!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
I can taste that SL blackened shrimp from here! One of our favorites, too.
Was that Salt Rock like a hot rock where you cook your own fish on it?
One note Becky, if you love cats like me but you are allergic, like me. Siberian cats do not carry the protein in their saliva that is responsible for most allergic reactions to cats. We found a breeder in Arlington who breeds the sweetest natured, very beautiful Siberians. Our Duma is a love and I have absolutely no allergic reaction at all.
Was that Salt Rock like a hot rock where you cook your own fish on it?
One note Becky, if you love cats like me but you are allergic, like me. Siberian cats do not carry the protein in their saliva that is responsible for most allergic reactions to cats. We found a breeder in Arlington who breeds the sweetest natured, very beautiful Siberians. Our Duma is a love and I have absolutely no allergic reaction at all.
Trip report 2009
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Trip report 2008
So good, so good, so good!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... highlight=
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Thanks for another great report Becky. La Tapa is also a favorite of ours.
Re: 10 more days in paradise, part two
Wow!! It is always a highlight of our trip if we get to see a Porcupinefish (Pufferfish)!! To see 2....how amazing is that!!??!!! Kudos to you, two!
We have always wanted to snorkel Hansen. But, we drive up the road and can never figure out a) where to park and b) where to enter the water and c) what direction to snorkel toward.
Would/could you please give us some "detailed" advice on this? Not that our little pufferfish will be waiting for our arrival. But, we heard from many that it is a great snorkel spot.
As always, LOVE your reports and gorgeous photos!!!
Sue
We have always wanted to snorkel Hansen. But, we drive up the road and can never figure out a) where to park and b) where to enter the water and c) what direction to snorkel toward.
Would/could you please give us some "detailed" advice on this? Not that our little pufferfish will be waiting for our arrival. But, we heard from many that it is a great snorkel spot.
As always, LOVE your reports and gorgeous photos!!!
Sue
