St. John Again

IMG_1164, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

We went to St. John again this year because the friends that went with us last year sprung for the house. That's usually the most expensive component of the vacation. How could we say no? Trip tip #1: If someone offers to cover as big an expense as housing, find a way to pay for everything else and go.

So we drove to Atlanta on the 30th. We decided to go to the Georgia Aquarium. On a holiday weekend. Trip tip #2: This is not a good idea. It was so crowded people were being allowed in only at certain times. And while the whale sharks, otters, beluga whales, and penguins were nifty, the aquariums in Chattanooga and Gatlinburg are better.

We again did a park, sleep and fly at a hotel - Trip tip #3 - a hotel room in Atlanta will run you just a tad more than parking for a week so just go the day before, get some rest, and leave your car at a hotel.

The flight out to St. Thomas on Monday was pleasantly uneventful. The St. Thomas airport didn't suddenly sprout holes in the tarmac this time. We got our rental vehicles and caravaned over to the car barge and arrived at our villa, Leeward St. John, in daylight. Yay! I did the villa provisioning then so we had refreshing adult beverages and enough food for dinner and breakfast waiting for us (trip tip #4, if you can justify the expense).

St. John was hot, muggy and the mosquitos were out in battalions, unfortunately. But I think we were lucky because the island had some hard downpours a few weeks before we left and they started up again the afternoon of the last full day we were there. I'll take hot and muggy and bugs because there is a swimming pool, beaches, and deep woods Off. Trip tip #5: paradise is often dysfunctional so do your research prepare for the worst. How on earth did people plan vacations before Google?

So on Tuesday we gathered our gear and tromped off to Cinnamon Bay, my favorite beach. This time I managed to forget sunblock ON MY FACE but fortunately the burn wasn't too bad. The kids had a wonderful time. So did I. On wednesday Jon and JK went scuba diving. I opted out this time and had a villa gravity day with Stacey and the kids. They had a pool so they were all set. Me I had my Kindle.

Thursday we chartered Born To Rhumb again and spent the day in the British Virgin Islands - Soper's Hole for customs, the Indians for some good snorkeling, the Bight at Norman Island for a little beach time and lunch on the Willy T. All the kids and adults jumped from the second deck. Many times.

Then we went to Sandy Cay again and saw no naked folks this time and played in the surf, then to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke for some more surf fun. I stayed away from the Painkillers this time but still managed to overdo it drinking Presidentes. Yeesh. I decided beer wasn't my friend any more and only had one or two in a row for the rest of the trip.

Friday we recovered a bit at the villa but got cabin fever so we did something I have never done all the times I've been to St. John. We visited the east end of the island. We took a route that had some serious 45+ degree hills and switchbacks. We saw many goats, donkeys, chickens, iguanas, and a feral pig. Oh, yeah, and a mongoose! I almost won St. John bingo but I didn't see any deer this time. Bummer.

We ate burgers at Skinny Legs (Same Day Service is their motto), widely regarded as some of the best burgers around and it was a pretty doggone good burger. We took a more conservative route (most of the hills and switchbacks didn't go much beyond 45 degrees). It was neat to see the rest of the island.

Saturday we rented our own boat and did an around the island tour with frequent snorkel stops. The kids all deeply honed their snorkeling skills and were rewarded with their first views of turtles, stingrays, starfish, hermit crabs, conchs, and many many fishies, especially parrot fish. We didn't come close to St. John Underwater Bingo this time - no spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, or barracudas.

Sunday was our last full day and we spent an hour or so at Trunk Bay then went back to Coral Bay (on the east end, which is a town, not a beach) for some shopping. By the time we got back to the villa a slow steady rain showed up and stayed with us pretty much the rest of the time. We ate out at Spyglass in Cruz Bay for dinner.

Monday - Brenden's sixth birthday! We did have a cake, yay! But packed up and left. Boo! We had an hour to kill so the Keiths got a whirlwind walking tour of the Charlotte Amalie shopping district. The plane back was bumpy but uneventful. The drive back to Hartselle sucked. It always sucks.

I did enjoy this trip, but this time around people wore on me. Honestly people have been wearing on me for a while. Sometimes it really sucks to be an introvert. I wish I had some more vacation time and I'd stay at home a bit and work on my model, fight with the cats, and recharge my batteries.

Oh - Trip tip #6: Pet sitters are awesome!