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STJ Trip Report 3/19-3/27
STJ Trip Report 3/19-3/27
STJ Trip Report 3/19-3/27
Day One - The Philly Factor and Oh My!
I should have known better than to book a flight that included a change of planes in Philly, but I was wooed by the relatively early (1:44 p.m.) arrival time in STT. When we boarded the plane at Logan, I overheard the flight attendants discussing a 1 hour plus delay in our departure. I quickly asked if we could be re-routed through Charlotte, and, after a few trips to the ticket desk, a couple of scowling US Airways agents and a "get back on the plane we're leaving now" (it turns out they weren't and that maintenance was now on board), they obliged. A thank you here to Rick G for his carryon luggage recommendation. I was told that if we had checked our bags in Boston, they would have vacationed in Philadelphia, while we were on St. John.
We went straight to the Charlotte gate and realized that while we were in the back of the plane for this segment, they had upgraded us to First Class from Charlotte to STT. I still don't understand how the flight from Philly to STT was shown as a 3 hour and 56 minute flight, and Charlotte was only 4 minutes shorter at 3:56. Charlotte is more than 4 minutes south of Philly, right
My son and I had planned this trip (OK - I planned it and he just came along for the ride) 4 weeks earlier. His school vacation is always the last two weeks of March, and my husband's work schedule was such that he couldn't take any time off. He convinced me that the Remora and I should do something ourselves, as he was working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the entire month.
This was my fifth trip to the Island and I felt very comfortable traveling with child/sans spouse (we had done this once before). I called my friend A to see if she and her daughter E would join us. They agreed to come for four nights and were due to arrive on Thursday 3/20. I had also called my friend M, and asked her to join us, but she declined, siting a future (3-week!) trip this summer.
We landed in Charlotte and I left the Remora with the luggage while I went to the Ladies room. When I returned, he was looking at me strangely, as though he had been up to something, for instance, trying to buy alcohol at the Duty Free Shop... I turned around and there was my friend M, wearing a sign that said, "Will Drive for Wine". I'd been in an accident on an earlier trip and had sworn off driving on STJ (for my husband, renting the Jeep and trying to find his way over Bordeaux and into Coral Bay is the highlight of the trip). Prior to this trip I was soliciting friends to come and "Drive Miss Katie". M decided to take the bait and surprise me.
M was scheduled on a Delta flight and was supposed to connect through Atlanta. Her flight was oversold/overweight so she volunteered to get on a USAirways flight, as long as it didn't go through Philly, because she knew that was our route. She wanted to surprise us on St. John. She was shocked to see us sitting in Charlotte, and realized that while she might be able to avoid us at the STT airport (our flights were due in 15 minutes apart) she probably couldn't avoid us on the same flight to STT. As luck would have it, we were all upgraded to First Class and so the vacation began a little early, with wine, of course.
Things were complicated, though. A and E's trip was a secret from all of our "St. John" friends except for me, as they wanted to surprise J who was on Island. M's trip was a secret to all. J knew I was coming, but not M or A&E. I can never make a trip to STJ a secret - I feel compelled to talk or write about every detail prior to (and perhaps after) the trip.
There were reports of 14' swells the day before we left, but I was happy that the ferry ride from RH seemed no bumpier than usual. We missed the 4 p.m. ferry so I ran over to Marina Market for some provisions. Their prices appeared better than Starfish and, in some cases, so was their selection. Without a car there was only so much I could carry onto the ferry, but it will most likely be a stop on our next trip when we rent a Jeep (from Dependable) on STT.
Matt from Lavender Hill picked us up at the ferry and delivered us to our condos. He had also delivered the packages I'd sent down the Saturday before. 2 Priority Mail boxes had arrived for me that day. I had sent oodles of sunscreen and assorted food items for the kitchen.
I was in 9E (a fabulous 2 bedroom/2 bathroom) for two nights and M was in 10E, right below J. Due to the last minute nature of the trip, we each changed units once, me down to 8E (a great 1 bed/1bath) and she over to 3W (another gorgeous 2 bed/2 bath). Some of the reasons I love Lavender Hill are the location (easy walk into town) views, pool, and washers and dryers. Even though I managed to do carry on, I could have left half of my clothes at home. We never had a problem getting a taxi (they would come to LH or we could walk into town)
The weather was cooler than I remembered March being and it was the week of the Northshore swells. For the first two days and nights we never used the air conditioning, it was so comfortable and breezy. I was reminded of Pia and her "winter" attire. Later in the week it got a bit more humid, and I enjoyed using the central air in 8E.
Dinner that night was at the Lime Inn - all you can eat shrimp and Gorgonzola stuffed filet - and copious amounts of wine were consumed (The remora stuck with virgin daiquiris and coladas). I fell into bed around 10 and drifted off with the sound of the waves (!) in Cruz Bay Harbor.
Day 2 - Thursday 3/20
The day began with coffee on the large wrap around deck of 9E. We met up with J who said she would take us to Little Lameshur for the day. We encountered a few friendly donkeys at Dead Man's Curve, and stopped at Big Belly Deli for some great sandwiches. There were a bazillion cars parked on the road to Salt Pond. It was an amazing sight. Of course, the parking lots of Cinnamon and Trunk were almost empty and it looked like everyone had migrated to the South shore. The scene at Lameshur was no different. J (later nicknamed Jendretti) found a parking spot and off we went to the beach. I had been waiting to feel the sun on my face, but could have lived without the sandburs in my ______ (fill in the blank - they were pretty much everywhere - and we were still finding them the following day). The water felt wonderful but the visibility was pretty poor. The Northshore swells had worked their way around the Island, and even this spot, which J said had been fabulous a few days earlier, had been affected. We see a huge herd of goats, some of them babies, on the way back. M, who has been visiting STJ for many years, says she has never seen so many goats at one time.
Back to town to greet A at the Beach Bar (she was taking the ferry from Red Hook). I saw RickG, Sweet Christine and the girls sitting on the beach in front of The Beach Bar, but didn't have a chance to say go say hello as M and I were busy plotting the ambush of A. With the help of Boo the bartender, and the Teva rack at Low Key, A and E were completely surprised! More hugs, shrieks, (we don't act like this in our real lives) and a round of drinks and it's off the Lavender Hill to get them settled in.
The kids are quickly reunited as, in the words of the Remora, "a brother and sister that don't fight" and they leave us on the balcony, to catch up with each other. We had promised them dinner and mini golf at the Compass Rose, so a taxi is called an off we go. He drops us off at 7 and arranges to pick us up again at 9 p.m.
The restaurant doesn't seem all that crowded, but we're told they can't seat us until the kitchen/wait staff have had a chance to catch up. We sit at the bar, and let the kids revisit the mini golf course. They're back within 10 minutes, decide not to golf, and we're seated for dinner. It's apparent that this business is no longer at its peak, and we decided that we probably wouldn't be back. (I understand it's for sale/ up for auction so going back may not be an option anyway)
Back to 9E for drinks on the deck, more talking, and once again the sound of the waves lull us to sleep.
Day One - The Philly Factor and Oh My!
I should have known better than to book a flight that included a change of planes in Philly, but I was wooed by the relatively early (1:44 p.m.) arrival time in STT. When we boarded the plane at Logan, I overheard the flight attendants discussing a 1 hour plus delay in our departure. I quickly asked if we could be re-routed through Charlotte, and, after a few trips to the ticket desk, a couple of scowling US Airways agents and a "get back on the plane we're leaving now" (it turns out they weren't and that maintenance was now on board), they obliged. A thank you here to Rick G for his carryon luggage recommendation. I was told that if we had checked our bags in Boston, they would have vacationed in Philadelphia, while we were on St. John.
We went straight to the Charlotte gate and realized that while we were in the back of the plane for this segment, they had upgraded us to First Class from Charlotte to STT. I still don't understand how the flight from Philly to STT was shown as a 3 hour and 56 minute flight, and Charlotte was only 4 minutes shorter at 3:56. Charlotte is more than 4 minutes south of Philly, right
My son and I had planned this trip (OK - I planned it and he just came along for the ride) 4 weeks earlier. His school vacation is always the last two weeks of March, and my husband's work schedule was such that he couldn't take any time off. He convinced me that the Remora and I should do something ourselves, as he was working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the entire month.
This was my fifth trip to the Island and I felt very comfortable traveling with child/sans spouse (we had done this once before). I called my friend A to see if she and her daughter E would join us. They agreed to come for four nights and were due to arrive on Thursday 3/20. I had also called my friend M, and asked her to join us, but she declined, siting a future (3-week!) trip this summer.
We landed in Charlotte and I left the Remora with the luggage while I went to the Ladies room. When I returned, he was looking at me strangely, as though he had been up to something, for instance, trying to buy alcohol at the Duty Free Shop... I turned around and there was my friend M, wearing a sign that said, "Will Drive for Wine". I'd been in an accident on an earlier trip and had sworn off driving on STJ (for my husband, renting the Jeep and trying to find his way over Bordeaux and into Coral Bay is the highlight of the trip). Prior to this trip I was soliciting friends to come and "Drive Miss Katie". M decided to take the bait and surprise me.
M was scheduled on a Delta flight and was supposed to connect through Atlanta. Her flight was oversold/overweight so she volunteered to get on a USAirways flight, as long as it didn't go through Philly, because she knew that was our route. She wanted to surprise us on St. John. She was shocked to see us sitting in Charlotte, and realized that while she might be able to avoid us at the STT airport (our flights were due in 15 minutes apart) she probably couldn't avoid us on the same flight to STT. As luck would have it, we were all upgraded to First Class and so the vacation began a little early, with wine, of course.
Things were complicated, though. A and E's trip was a secret from all of our "St. John" friends except for me, as they wanted to surprise J who was on Island. M's trip was a secret to all. J knew I was coming, but not M or A&E. I can never make a trip to STJ a secret - I feel compelled to talk or write about every detail prior to (and perhaps after) the trip.
There were reports of 14' swells the day before we left, but I was happy that the ferry ride from RH seemed no bumpier than usual. We missed the 4 p.m. ferry so I ran over to Marina Market for some provisions. Their prices appeared better than Starfish and, in some cases, so was their selection. Without a car there was only so much I could carry onto the ferry, but it will most likely be a stop on our next trip when we rent a Jeep (from Dependable) on STT.
Matt from Lavender Hill picked us up at the ferry and delivered us to our condos. He had also delivered the packages I'd sent down the Saturday before. 2 Priority Mail boxes had arrived for me that day. I had sent oodles of sunscreen and assorted food items for the kitchen.
I was in 9E (a fabulous 2 bedroom/2 bathroom) for two nights and M was in 10E, right below J. Due to the last minute nature of the trip, we each changed units once, me down to 8E (a great 1 bed/1bath) and she over to 3W (another gorgeous 2 bed/2 bath). Some of the reasons I love Lavender Hill are the location (easy walk into town) views, pool, and washers and dryers. Even though I managed to do carry on, I could have left half of my clothes at home. We never had a problem getting a taxi (they would come to LH or we could walk into town)
The weather was cooler than I remembered March being and it was the week of the Northshore swells. For the first two days and nights we never used the air conditioning, it was so comfortable and breezy. I was reminded of Pia and her "winter" attire. Later in the week it got a bit more humid, and I enjoyed using the central air in 8E.
Dinner that night was at the Lime Inn - all you can eat shrimp and Gorgonzola stuffed filet - and copious amounts of wine were consumed (The remora stuck with virgin daiquiris and coladas). I fell into bed around 10 and drifted off with the sound of the waves (!) in Cruz Bay Harbor.
Day 2 - Thursday 3/20
The day began with coffee on the large wrap around deck of 9E. We met up with J who said she would take us to Little Lameshur for the day. We encountered a few friendly donkeys at Dead Man's Curve, and stopped at Big Belly Deli for some great sandwiches. There were a bazillion cars parked on the road to Salt Pond. It was an amazing sight. Of course, the parking lots of Cinnamon and Trunk were almost empty and it looked like everyone had migrated to the South shore. The scene at Lameshur was no different. J (later nicknamed Jendretti) found a parking spot and off we went to the beach. I had been waiting to feel the sun on my face, but could have lived without the sandburs in my ______ (fill in the blank - they were pretty much everywhere - and we were still finding them the following day). The water felt wonderful but the visibility was pretty poor. The Northshore swells had worked their way around the Island, and even this spot, which J said had been fabulous a few days earlier, had been affected. We see a huge herd of goats, some of them babies, on the way back. M, who has been visiting STJ for many years, says she has never seen so many goats at one time.
Back to town to greet A at the Beach Bar (she was taking the ferry from Red Hook). I saw RickG, Sweet Christine and the girls sitting on the beach in front of The Beach Bar, but didn't have a chance to say go say hello as M and I were busy plotting the ambush of A. With the help of Boo the bartender, and the Teva rack at Low Key, A and E were completely surprised! More hugs, shrieks, (we don't act like this in our real lives) and a round of drinks and it's off the Lavender Hill to get them settled in.
The kids are quickly reunited as, in the words of the Remora, "a brother and sister that don't fight" and they leave us on the balcony, to catch up with each other. We had promised them dinner and mini golf at the Compass Rose, so a taxi is called an off we go. He drops us off at 7 and arranges to pick us up again at 9 p.m.
The restaurant doesn't seem all that crowded, but we're told they can't seat us until the kitchen/wait staff have had a chance to catch up. We sit at the bar, and let the kids revisit the mini golf course. They're back within 10 minutes, decide not to golf, and we're seated for dinner. It's apparent that this business is no longer at its peak, and we decided that we probably wouldn't be back. (I understand it's for sale/ up for auction so going back may not be an option anyway)
Back to 9E for drinks on the deck, more talking, and once again the sound of the waves lull us to sleep.
LWOTBII
Sea-nile - I just read your post on the OT forum - how very tragic. I can believe that the next few weeks are going to be incredibly difficult, as each day brings the realization that a loved one is really gone.
Re "The Philly Factor" I was told by an airline employee that Philadelphia is notoriously bad for air traffic delays (I've also experienced them) She said, and I quote "Philly is run by the Unions and the Maffia, and if one of them's happy, the other one isn't"
Re "The Philly Factor" I was told by an airline employee that Philadelphia is notoriously bad for air traffic delays (I've also experienced them) She said, and I quote "Philly is run by the Unions and the Maffia, and if one of them's happy, the other one isn't"
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chicagoans
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Keepem coming!