Friday, April 15: Getting there is NOT 1/2 the fun, Overnight in STT, Hotel Mafolie
For the first time EVER, we had a civilized flight that didn't depart DC until 11:25 am. I think our latest flight prior to this was a 7am! Usually we are up at 4am. It was nice to sleep in. Though, sleep was elusive for me. Can anyone really sleep the night before they leave for vacation? First things first, we must pack all of our important goodies. Belly Flop got his own rolling bag for Christmas and was SO excited to finally use it.
Note important items: Blankie, Transformers, Beach buddy (the weird green stuffed thing), and cars. My nephew dropped us all off at airport around 9. We checked our bag at the curb and headed for security. I was impressed by how well the kids handled the security screening process. Fortunately, no one was fondled and they each took care of their own business - shoes off and on, etc. We all managed to make it through without losing any possessions or our minds. By the time we arrived at our gate, we had plenty of time to kill.
Mini Flip-Flop brought along her menagerie as well.
We are the happiest girls
The girls' pedis
As much as I tried to do carry-on only, I could not swing it. This is our carry-on ... plus 1 large duffel that we checked.
Grabbed breakfast at the airport and relaxed until it was time to board our flight from DCA to Miami. LOVED our flight connections this time. Also, because I typically fly Delta because it can be free (frequent flyer miles), we usually connect through Atlanta. 2 hours to Atlanta and then another almost 4 to STT. UGH! I much preferred the DC-MIA-STT plan. 2 hours to Miami then a little over 2 hours from the to STT. We boarded on time and were set to take-off so I whipped out the first goodies for the kids. Whenever I am flying with the kids I pack a bag of surprises and snacks for them. Since Belly flop is TOTALLY obsessed with transformers, his was a new transformer. Mini Flip-Flop got a strawberry shortcake toy extravaganza thing with lots of tiny parts. :-) They really are the world's best kid travelers.
Before we knew it we were in Miami. Unfortunately, the CHEAP flight I had booked left us with a 3 hour layover. So what to do with all that time to kill? We decided to hit the Corona Bar and Grill for some lunch and relaxation. Fish tacos for me and I can't remember what Mr. Flip-Flop had. Soon enough, it was time to board our flight on to St. Thomas. Flight was uneventful and quick. Within minutes of take-off this guy was out.
We arrived at 8:30 pm, gathered our stuff and headed to pick up our 1 checked bag. I just couldn't swing NO checked bags, though I am still going to keep trying! Some people BYOB....Beach Chairs? I had never seen this. With the cost of checking bags these days I can't imagine this would be cost effective or worth the hassle but to each their own.
.
Bag gathered we headed to the Taxi's and climbed in with 6 of our newest friends and headed to the Hotel Mafolie. When I originally booked the Cottage on STJ, we had a mix up about the dates and the Cottage owner graciously arranged hotel accommodations for us on St. Thomas for the first night. In the end, this was MUCH better than trying to continue on to STJ in the dark, find the cottage way out at the end of the island and have to figure out how to get back into town to pick up the car the next morning. So, though a bit of a snafu, it worked in our favor. I think.
We arrived at Hotel Mafolie in the dark, so we couldn't take in much of the surroundings, but what we could see of the outside was lovely. It is built into a hillside and there are a LOT of stairs involved. (If you have limited mobility I would not recommend this hotel). The street level, where our room ended up being, is one flight up from the reception area. The restaurant is another flight down and the pool is yet another flight down from there. We had a newbie checking us in so it was quite an adventure trying to get situated, i.e. find the room as he wasn't sure where it was. As far as I could tell there were rooms on every level. Luckily I had left Mr. Flip-flop and the baggage on the street while I figured it all out. If we had taken our stuff down to reception, we would have had to turn around and take it back up a flight of stairs to our room. I do not want to sound overly negative as I know there are people who really like this hotel, I would not say that I am a convert. I didn't hate it but in my opinion, it is not worth the money. We were not paying, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. And I only saw our room, so maybe others are WAY nicer, but I was not impressed. It was damp and musty (I am convinced it started the Belly Flop's asthma flare up .. more on that later), and not as clean as I would have liked. Teeny, tiny bathroom. The TV did not work. If we were paying we would have been disappointed considering it was $250/night. If the price was low enough (maybe in the $150 range), I would be totally fine with it. I am not high maintenance, I think there are just better deals to be had if you have to overnight on St. Thomas.
That said, the views from the pool, restaurant, etc are beautiful. Again, this is just my opinion! The restaurant was closed by the time we arrived and settled in and there really is nowhere close by to grab a bite to eat, so we ate snacks for dinner. Luckily I had packed a bunch! No matter how you do it, getting there is a long and tiresome adventure. We were all exhausted! It was an early night for us. The real excitement was still to come the next day! STJ!
Day 2: Breakfast at Mafolie, Pool Time, and Heading to St. John and the Lameshur Cottage Woke up to a beautiful, crystal clear sky. The view from our room.
We were all pretty hungry, considering we had made dinner out of a few granola bars, some pretzels and gummy bears the night before, so we headed down to take part in the free continental breakfast. The breakfast was adequate and there was a lovely breakfast attendant lady who refilled coffees and generally made sure we had what we needed. Continental breakfast consisted of: orange juice, coffee (no cream or 1/2 and 1/2 ... one of my pet peeves), english muffins, toast, waffles, variety of cereals. I would have liked a boiled egg or some fresh fruit, but it served its purpose and we were no longer starving!
I think the only reason I got them to eat breakfast before pool time was because they were pretty hungry! The DIVA
Happy Campers
We wrapped up breakfast and decided it was time to hit the pool.
Pretty irresistible
The kids loved the pool. They love any pool! We met the resident 3 legged kitty, which fascinated Belly Flop, and just eased into our first island day.
I thinks its safe to say they have a firm handle on how to relax.Though the pool was lovely and comfortable, soon we were all itching to make our way over to St. John. We had booked the next 9 nights at the Lameshur Cottage and were eager to see it firsthand. Though I made it to St. John last March, the kids and Mr. Flip-Flop hadn't been to St. John since June of 2009! Everyone was excited to make their way to the island we love! We decided to get cleaned up, check out and catch a taxi to red hook. Mafolie called us a cab and I checked us out. Really nice taxi driver who filled is in on some of the history of St. Thomas and the surrounding islands. He was a pleasure to talk with, and before we knew it we were at the ferry dock. We had a little time to kill so we decided to get a snack. It was the cheapest meal of the trip. Chicken, fries, rum with a splash of pineapple, and a watermelon soda - $12
I had never seen this soda anywhere, but the man in front of me ordered it and I was intrigued. It was pretty good. Though, Mr. Flip-flop's rum with a splash of pineapple was better! Soon enough, it was time to buy Ferry tickets. For the four of us and 4 bags it was $24. Though it was a Saturday, the ferry was pretty quiet, not crazy at all.
Soon enough Cruz Bay was coming into view. I left everyone at the dock and headed straight to Conrad Sutton's to pick up our island ride, a jeep liberty. Great condition as usual and a breeze to pick up. I headed back to the dock to pick everyone up and as is our routine, dropped Mr. Flip-Flop off to order Uncle Joe's takeout. Uncle Joe's, while totally 100% worth it to us - it is the ONLY requirement Mr. Flip-Flop has for the trip - can take a little while. Our routine is for Hubby to hop out and order, then run to Pine Peace to do a quick stock up for the house. By the time we are back, it is ready and waiting. There is much debate about where to get groceries, which is cheapest and/or most convenient. Starfish is the most like a US grocery. Pine Peace is more like a 7/11 on crack. It is a bit grungier, a bit more crowded, but they have everything you could need. and I think it is way cheaper. That and they are very helpful. I grab a little cart and go to town stocking up on the basics there.
Our standard shopping stock-up is: bacon, 2 kinds of bagels (they have the best damn bagels), butter, eggs, milk, cream, bread, peanut butter, jelly, cookies, chips, pretzels, 12 pack of soda, bottle of rum (or 2), OJ, a couple small frozen pizzas, apples, bananas and water. I got all of that for $130. I thought that wasn't bad. Though I was on island and I tend to loose all sense! I was in and out, and back on our way to Uncle Joe's and our first drive out on the North Shore road.
Ahhhhhh.....its good to be back! I had booked the Lameshur Cottage. It is an adorable cottage way the hell out past Salt Pond!
When I told Ruth where it was she looked at me like I said we were staying on mars! Same difference to her :) The cottage was just barely past Salt Pond. About 10 minutes or so from Lilly's market, Aqua Bistro, etc. The cottage is extremely well maintained, spotlessly clean, and adorable. I loved it! There is no a/c, so I would consider this a November - April (maybe May) spot, but it got fabulous breezes and had plenty of fans for air circulation. There were tons of books, DVDs, and games. There are a fair amount of stairs. There are two driveways, one up and one to the side. If you park in the lower lot, you have two flights of stairs up to the cottage. Information that would be good to know. I was glad my mama wasn't with us :)
The lower set of stairs
he view from about mid-way down the stairs
IF you go up the upper driveway (which they tell you not to use because its a bit tricky to back out of) you have 1 flight of stairs up to the cottage. Another thing I would have liked to understand better is that it is really Lameshur Cottage(s). There are two on the property. They share parking, the stairs and at the top of the stairs, to the left is the main cottage (ours) and to the right another smaller cottage (two lovely ladies were staying there the same exact dates as us). The smaller cottage from our cottage doorIt is still plenty private, I suppose if either groups was excessively loud you would hear it but we barely heard them at all. I am not sure they could say the same :( Though we tried to be cognizant of the noise level with the kids. You enter into kitchen/living area.
Off of living room to the left is a bright sunporch with a twin bed
.
Through the living area there is a very spacious and clean bathroom/laundry area.
Down the hall past the bathroom was the Master bedroom with French doors to a small deck. (view from the deck back into the room)
Out on the deck and around the corner, there is a lanai and hot tub.
The view from the cottage
There is not a water view from the cottage, but mountain views all around. I think Mr. Flip-flop missed the water views and the kids missed having a pool, but for the money this cottage could not be beat. $150/night! Remember this trip began with the thinking "Mini Flip-Flop has spring break, we're going to have to pay for a spring break camp, we might as well go on vacation"....again, not logical but I will use any ExCUSE! The owner, Russ, is an absolute pleasure to work with and obviously takes great care of the place. We settled in, I felt immediately relaxed. We were pretty hungry so we dug into our late lunch/early dinner from Uncle Joe's.
I love the Chicken
Hubby goes for the ribs! He even got an additional order of ribs to guarantee he'd have leftovers! This is one order of ribs.
The other was already inthe fridge! Settled in and fed, we decided to head to the beach.
Lameshur and Salt Pond are both close by, so we decided to head to Lameshur for a late afternoon swim.It is a little rocky to enter, so someone
convinced her daddy to give her a lift!Beautiful late afternoon, it was virtually empty
Someone else got right down to the business of playing
Happy People
That smile makes it all worth while! She is her mama's girl
Heaven on earth
Soon everyone was in on the action
As the sun started to set it began to get buggy so we packed it in and headed for the house, with a pitstop at Lilly's for some ice cream
(it would nothave survived from Pine Peace to Lameshur without a cooler)!
Day 3: Sunday - Maho, Skinny Legs, and Woody's Today felt like our first real full day.
Finally my mellow was on! Woke to the sounds of goats and the quiet of Coral Bay. We toasted up some bagels and had a quick breakfast at home. Cereal for the kids. Of course, being our first day our typical first day beach is always Maho. It is the best for the kids and honestly, I would be totally fine going there every single day! ON our way from Coral Bay to Maho I managed to confuse myself and we ended up by Annaberg!
Yes, this was my 8th trip and it still takes me awile to get the 2 roads straight. Sad but true. Fortunately for us, I am clueless, because soon I noticed a handsome couple walking two beautiful puppies and immediately knew it was PIA & Les! We said quick hellos and made plans to see each other later in the week for dinner! They headed off on their walk and we headed to Maho. Really, this time! Maho. Or as we call it in our family ...
Maaaahhhhhhho emphasis on Ahhhhhhh.....
I really, really love Maho. The island was a bit browner than usual from the lack of rain (we didn't have a DROP the entire time we were there ... well during the day, I think there were a few night showers).
Still, so very beautiful
.
Soon the little man was busy at work in the sand
Happy People
I truly enjoyed the independence both kids displayed on this trip. I was still mama and responsible for organizing the herd (packing lunch, dry clothes, drinks, and towels), but they really held their own and enjoyed floating, digging in the sand, playing with critters and generally could entertain themselves for HOURS on the beach. It was also VERy nice to not have to plan for naps. Well ... for their naps. This was our first family trip to St. John without diapers and naps! I thought 2.5 years was pretty easy, but looking back, a 2.5 year old is a LOT more work than a 4 year old!
FACT: I read THREE and 1/2 books on this trip. 'Nuff said!
We lounged, read, played, relaxed, jelled for a few hours and before we knew it our bellies were rumbling. Lunch time! Also, somewhat of a loose tradition - Skinny Leg's for lunch on the first full day. I know there is also great debate about Skinny's, particularly the NASTINESS of the bathrooms. I realized on this trip (having two lunches there and using the left and right bathroom) that the RIGHT HAND bathroom is WAY grosser than the left. Aim for the left. The right, also a true fact, smells like pee. Just remember...as with all things on St. John, keep left! I don't care if the bathroom smells, I love, LOVE, LOOOOVE their burgers. I don't know if its the "beach hungry" or what, but nothing tastes finer to me than a big, fat, juicy blueburger and an ice cold beer or as was the case this day, a Coconut Swizzle.
We've ordered and are waiting
Mr. Flip-Flop decided on the special of the day - bacon BBQ swiss burger. I think he approved.
Did I already mention that I was having the blue burger? I did didn't I? I heart the blue burger. Totally. I know its just a burger but for me its my "I am here, I have arrived, this is for real, I am on St. John" moment. Weird, I know, but true.
Post burgers we shopped around. I am not a mama that is above bribery and more than once the statement "do you want to stop at Skinny's (or Lilly's) and get your treat? Then you better be nice and behave!" Worked like a CHARM. The kiddos picked out a treat and soon we were off. We decided to drive out to the End of the East End and take it all in...again.
Someone just couldn't hang
Love it out here. So simple and peaceful.
We took a drive up Dreeket's (or Drekett's? or maybe there's a c in there?) to take a look see. Don't forget to KEEP LEFT.
Eventually we made our way back to the cottage and relaxed. Relaxing on this trip for the most part = Kids watching a movie while the hubby and I alternated between reading and napping. PERFECTION. 3 1/2 books, I say! My little man was eager to unpack his goodies
Post-relaxation/napping/reading/movie watching, we decided to take a trip to town. Primarily because I was displeased with the coffee in the house and needed to get to St. John Spice for some Kiss of the Jumbie coffee and to HOPEFULLY say hello to Ruth. From our house to Cruz Bay, via the North Shore was almost an hour. In my mind, it was shorter. I was thinking 30 minutes from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay + 10 minutes further to the house. In reality it is more like 40 minutes from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay (using Lilly's as the Coral Bay marker) and another 10 from there to our Cottage. This was, for the most part, fine for us. We did have a couple of "my tummy hurts" from the back seat through out the week, but no actual tossing of cookies. Something to think about if you have people with you who may be sensitive to the hilly, windy ride. I was grateful it was just the 4 of us on this trip and I wasn't playing tour guide to newbies. I would have worried they were not happy, had I been.
So we head to town. How did they know we were in town?
We hit St. John Spice. NO RUTH :( but that's ok. We got our coffee and inquired about her schedule. Sorry, Ruth, didn't mean to stalk you! Belly Flop likes your hats.
We caught a gorgeous Cruz Bay Sunset
My cutie pies
I think they have Rum
I also peeked into Bamboo jewelry, a first for me. I am not sure if they are new, or just new to me, but I loved their stuff. I have a necklace with 4 charms - two small disks - one with each of the kids name, a petroglyph key (a gift from Vicki), and a starfish from RI Patton. When I looked into their cases I couldn't believe that they had a very similar idea! I coulda been rich! They have a round disk charm with the longitude and latitude of St. John engraved on it. As soon as I saw it I knew it needed to be added to my collection! I had to order it, but it would only take a couple of days. Order in, we decided we were ready for some eats. Another first for us on this trip was dinner at Woody's. I have to admit I have been pretty judgy about Woody's. The Happy Hour scene with people hanging out and spilling onto the road just never appealed to me. Ok, honestly, it downright annoys me! However, as we walked around it looked quiet and we decided to give it a shot. Hands down the BEST waitstaff service we had all week. Hands Down!!!! The food was plentiful and very good. Nothing particularly unique but great for us. We ordered several appetizers - Calamari, chicken wings, chicken strips and grouper fingers, and a couple of drinks.
Flip-Flop ... happy and relaxed
Beach bunny approved as well
Grouper Fingers
Stuffed after dinner, we decided to take a little walk toward Mongoose.
Beautiful Moon
Somehow we were convinced to hit the playground
While the kiddos played we watched a group of people playing croquet on the field.
Beautiful CruZ Bay night
The fields lights went out promptly at 8:30 pm and we took that as our cue to head back to Conrad's to get the car and head back over the hills to our cottage.
Day 4: Monday (I think) - Francis, Tap Room, and Island Blues As is often the case, I woke up to the delicious smell of bacon wafting into the bedroom. Hubby is the bacon master in our house. He makes the best bacon, hands down. I'd picked up two packs of thick cut at Pine Peace. Often weekend and vacation mornings start like this, "mmmmm...I smell bacon. Just a few minutes longer under the covers. Damn, that bacon smells good." Sometimes if I can stand it and wait it out long enough, I end up with breakfast in bed! ;-)
As is also often the case on St. John, I can't stay in bed much past 8 am, so I decided to get up and make some coffee. Mmmmmmm....Kiss of the Jumbie, much better! Found the boys in the kitchen, Belly Flop already munching away on his slice of pork goodness. You have to love the hair! Should I show this to his future dates or what?As far as Belly is concerned there are two major food groups: Meat (bacon, hamburger, steak, chicken, beef jerky) and candy. He'll eat other stuff, but really ... he's all about the meats and sweets!
Mini Flipper was still snoozing away
.
Post-breakfast and coffee, I packed up lunches and we decided to head to Francis. Also, one of our favorites. It is so beautiful and somewhat quiet. We were there by 9ish and found a spot in the lot close to the beach. By the time we left people were parked all along both sides of the road in and out to the lot with the trail. UNREAL. This was only my second trip during the "in" season, and man, it was crazy. I am sure it had to do with it being the week prior to Easter but wow. We drove by the Salt Pond lot every morning and there wasn't a single morning that by 9-930 it wasn't full. By the time we'd head back for the afternoon there would be cars lined up along the road going away from the Salt Pond lot.
I've never seen it like that. EVER.
Francis - beautiful as usual.
We walked all the way to the end of the beach to the left and set up shop.
Our little cove area
Soon they were hard at work again.
They were creating a "pond"
Whatever...mama took advantage and got her read on...got started on the 1st of the 3.5 books I read during the week.
Though I did come under enemy fire a couple of times. Funny thing is I'd have to reload the water gun for him because he wasn't able to!
Eventually though they'd find their floats and all three would end up floating the day away. Mini flipper took very good care of her little brother and was an amazing helper all week. She'd buckle him in the car and she really stayed pretty close to him most of the time when they were out in the water.
I think Mr. Flip-Flop was planning on floating out to one of the yachts and seeing if they were hiring.
Until someone got hungry...
Just about every other day we'd pack lunch (always pbj and chips of some variety and some cookies). Juices, gatorade and water for the kiddos. And my new favorite beach drink - malibu and sprite zero - Malrites as they came to be known - for the grownups!
After hours of doing as little as humanly possible, we decided to pack it in. Mama needed to run to town to hopefully get a nebulizer mask for Belly Flop. By this time it was apparent that something on island was really aggravating his allergies/asthma. He was coughing a lot through out the night. Of course, being mama it worried me. To the point I was waking up and couldn't fall back asleep because in my mind I was thinking "Man, we are pretty far out. How many minutes would it take to get to Myra Keating? Are they open 24/7." All of the irrational, crazy thoughts mama have in the middle of the night as their hubbies sleep snorrrrring next to them! During the day, he'd do much better, almost no coughing at all, but he was not sounding good at all at night. The flare-up started after the first night on St. Thomas. I am not convinced that the dampness of the room at Mafolie didn't flare something. With his breathing, usually it is manageable and good, but once he gets irritated (either by a cold or an allergic reaction) it can go downhill fast. He has been on daily neb treatments since November and taking a daily claritin as well, but that just wasn't cutting it.
Usually everything gets better on St. John, but I think on top of the dampness and possibly mold situation the first night, something on St. John was blooming that was irritating 3 out of 4 of us. Belly was toughing it out, and we had brought his nebulizer, but had forgotten his mask. We were still giving him treatments w/o the mask, but I was afraid he wasn't getting the full impact.
Good News: Chelsea drug not only had the masks, they had pediatric sized ones. $6 later I felt much better! For now.
Additionally, we had realized that Mini Flip-Flop was essentially spending more time under water than above it and was basically snorkeling with goggles. Holding her breath until she couldn't anymore before coming up for air, and then immediately going back under. Skinning she called it. Why, I am not sure. Anyway, she had asked earlier that day, "Mama, when will I be old enough for that other mask thing and the thing you put in your mouth?" She is not a girl that you can push into activities (Nut didn't fall far from this tree), but seeing as she was ready and willing, I said, "NOW. You are old enough NOW!" So we were also in search of a snorkel set for her. We were able to find a good quality one at a shop in Mongoose (I can't remember the name but it is the one on the front facade all the way to the left if you are facing Mongoose) with a dry snorkel! KEY. Of course, as we were in town, Mr. Flip-Flop had to indulge his watch interests and peeked into Jewels while the kids and I wandered around the rest of Mongoose.
Soon enough we decided a refreshment break was in order and headed up to the tap room.
A little VI Mango Ale
He didn't understand why he couldn't have some of mama's juice (it does kind of look like apple juice)
We ordered a soft pretzel for the kiddos to split and a Rum and Rootbeer for the hubby.
I know we look 1/2 asleep...we were just very relaxed! One of the kids took this...
And my to go order (just kidding)
All full and happy, missions accomplished, we headed back to house to relax/nap. Tonight we hoped to have dinner at Shipwreck but it was PACKED by the time we made it back out of the house and over the hill. No parking spaces left, so we just continued on and decided on Island Blues instead. I had the Boom boom shrimp (yummy), Mr. Flip had the cruzan burger, and the kids split chicken and tater tots! They declared the tater tots AMAZING! :) We enjoyed a gorgeous moon over the water from Island blues and mellow tunes from the Fontaine Brothers - two very young, but very talented young men (think Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz).
Chillaxin
Day 5: Tuesday - Mini Flip-Flop's 1st Snorkel, A Trip to Myra Keating, and Date Night @ Shipwreck
Woke up to another beautiful, crystal clear blue sky morning. We had a quick and easy breakfast at the house again - bagels and coffee for the hubby and myself, cereal for the kiddos. Someone was ANXiouSLY awaiting her first snorkel! She was up and dressed faster than I've EVER seen her get ready.
And we are off to the car.
Belly took his blankie with him EVERYWHERE. We convinced him to leave it in the car usually, but he wanted it with him. Not worth an argument so blankie came along. We decided to hit Maho again since it really is the best, most calm entry for a newbie snorkel.
Daddy adjusts her mask
Can you see the huge smile behind the mask?
Ready to go
Beautiful Maho
Daddy is SO proud!
Like a fish to water.
Note the look on Daddy's face. So Happy and a little surprised. She can be a bit hesitant, especially with new things, so I think he was surprised she just kind of swam away from him. For me, watching her snorkel away elicited a similar emotion to the one I felt when she first rode off to kindergarten on the school bus. I almost got weepy, but I pulled it together.
A Scuba OK
While they were off snorkeling, Belly Flop tried to perfect rock skipping.
She did absolutely fantastically considering it was her first ever snorkel. Loved it.
She was a bit nervous about some of the bigger fish she saw and often stood up to gather herself together, but soon after went right back at it. I think it helped a lot that we got her a very good mask and a dry snorkel. Worth every penny! Of course, her brother couldn't be left out.
On this day the sky behind us kept threatening rain but out over Maho bay itself was gorgeous. We learned alter, from our neighbors, that if we'd chosen to go to Salt Pond on Lameshur this day we'd have been rained off the beach. Further proof if you are on a beach and you get a lot of rain, move to the other side of the island.
Toward the Bay
Behind us
NO longer satisfied with a simple pond, they had to add a trench
And he becomes one with the sand....
He's grown up a little bit since his last one on one with STJ sand
Moments frozen in time like this are priceless to me
working REALLY hard on his transformer
Daddy takes a little break from the sun and water
Soon enough, after a few hours of play and lunch on the beach, it was time to pack it in.
I had made the decision the night before to have Max checked out today by a doc and to get a prescription for albuteral. Another thing I had forgotten at home. I am not going to be nominated for Mom of the year anytime soon! For those that don't know pulmicort is a maintenance med, it is not so helpful once you actually have wheezing and I was pretty darn sure we were having bouts of on and off wheezing. He was still coughing his head off at night and totally seemingly fine during the day. This was more for my peace of mind than any real sense of emergency, but it needed to be done. Mama needed to sleep through the night!
So we cleaned up and headed to Myra Keating.(Apologies if my spelling is off). We had driven past the entrance to the Health Clinic many times, but had never gone up to it so I was surprised by how large and seemingly modern it was. It is truly like a mini-hospital. We walked right in, signed in, filled out a little paperwork and waited to be seen. It only took about 1/2 an hour to be seen and the whole deal was done in a little over an hour. Mr. Flip-Flop and Mini relaxed in the waiting area while Belly and I went back. We had a great nurse who made Max totally comfortable and he was thrilled to be seen by Dr. B. Of course, he relayed to her that B is like Bumblebee and Bumblebee is his favorite transformer. She laughed.
She checked him out and put my mind at ease that it wasn't pneumonia or croup! Rationality is not my strong suit! She did note a touch of an ear infection in one ear and prescribed a zpack. I did have to ask for the albuteral, but she happily prescribed it as well. Mind at ease, we headed to town to fill the prescriptions and hit the store for dinner for the kids. We also found Chelsea drug to be very efficient and well stocked. We went to Starfish and by the time we were back, our things were all ready. Note: If you need to fill a prescription you will need to pay for the full cost up front. They will not file for you with your insurance, but they will give you receipts you can use to file yourself. Not an issue for us as I have an HSA account that I use for those things, but just an FYI for anyone who forgets or plans to fill a prescription there.
Huge exhale....we head home to give the little guy a treatment and prepare dinner for the kids. I had arranged a couple of date nights with Christy's Classics for the Mr. and myself. Barbara was our sitter and she was great! The kids LOVED her. In fact, when we returned they told us we came back toooooo soon. I don't think Chrisy's officially advertises this service but they have always been able to accommodate us. We have used Christy's for various things related to the kids since we first brought Mini Flip-Flop when she was 3. We've rented pack-n-plays, an exersaucer, booster seat, high chair, car seats, a crib. It was almost surreal to not need anything like that! We've been to STJ with kids at the following ages: 10 months, 19 months, 2 1/2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. We've ALWAYS needed something. This time just the sitter!
Now, I will warn you. The sitters don't come cheap. For 2 kids its $25/hour with a 3 hour minimum. I plan this expense into the vacation budget because, frankly, I think we all need it. The kids get sick of being with us 24/7 and the parents need a break and a dinner where we get to eat all of our own food and not referee any disputes. Mr. Flip-Flop and I also enjoy having an adult conversation from time to time. When else am I going to talk to him about my plans to move to STJ :) Again, not cheap, but way the heck cheaper than therapy or divorce! Barbara showed up right on time and the kids looked at us as if to say "GET OUT" they were a little kinder and just said "BYEEEEE!!!!" So we showed her where everything was and set off for Shipwreck.
Learning from the packed night earlier in the week we had stopped by on the way by the day before and gotten a reservation. We needed it. It was pretty packed by the time we left.
A pina colada for me and a BBC for Mr. Flip-Flop (his new favorite drink)
We each ordered off the special board
Garlic Mahi for Mr.
And Linguine with Seared Scallops for me (AMAZING)
We skipped dessert. A decision I regret to this day. That peanut butter pie is still calling my name a few weeks later. We headed down to Aqua Bistro for another post-dinner drink and planned on getting dessert but I was in the mood for chocolate and they only had cheesecake and key lime pie. Oh well, you live and you learn! Soon, our three hour window was closing, so we headed back to the cottage to relieve Barbara and turn in for the night. We found the kids reluctant to let the babysitter leave. Belly's breathing was much better and we all hit the sack early. Why is it that 9:30 pm on STJ feels like 12 midnight!?!?
Day 6: Wednesday - Beach, lunch at Tourist Trap, dinner at the Beach Bar.
Another beautiful morning. It was on this morning that I counted ... Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ... 5 full days left! I always find the first 1/2 of the vacation seems to crawl by, but the day I actually count the full beach days left, I know its all over but the cryin! I try to block it out of my head and think, 5 DAYS. 5 full days, that's a lot of time. Plenty of time. Somehow, it is never enough time for ME + St. John! Ever. We have breakfast at the house again. I decided to fancy up my bagel and microwaved a scrambled egg. Is that the most perfect egg for a bagel ever or what? I didn't plan for the whle but the bowl's center must have been a little higher making the PERFECT bagel egg! :)
Egg and cheese bagel and coffee
Today's beach shall remain nameless. I am all about sharing information and if you pm me I'll tell you but some secrets must be protected. I was threatened by some violent locals if I told...so my lips are sealed. I am sure many of you know it. If you do ... SHUSH. Regardless, said nameless beach requires a short hike. NOT AS SHORT as it seemed alone without the kids last March, but short enough. Probably 8-10 minutes in from the lot. And for the first time all spring break week we were alone. ALL ALONE!
This beach is nowhere near as calm as Maho or Francis and there is only really one little spot to sit and chill in the water, but for the solitude ... so worth it!
Strutting his stuff
Beautiful, peaceful, blissful solitude
We didn't pack lunch today as we hadn't planned to stay out too terribly long. We were all a little tender from the sun and had our minds set on the Tourist Trap for lunch! Another MUST for our trips. Almost 2 years ago, when we took the kids last time, we stopped and gave a ride to the lovely Cheryl. Ever since, seeing Cheryl and the Tourist Trap and the kitties that hang around is a highlight for especially Mini Flip-Flop. Soon enough we were getting hungry so we packed it in, hiked back up to the car and headed over the hills back to Coral Bay. I have to give my kiddo's props. They not only did every hike we did, but they did them carrying their own stuff usually. TROOPERS!
Mmmmmm.....lunchtime
We pulled up to the TT around noon. Another first ... every table was full. We had to wait for a seat but it didn't take too long.
I love love love love the Tourist Trap. It is just the smallest thing and I can't believe the food Larry cranks out of there. We always have great service and everyone just loves the kids. There are games for the kiddos. Rockem Sockem anyone?
\Cash ONLY. And, you can't go wrong no matter what you choose!
Grouper Tacos for me
TN Taco for my hubby - YUMMMMM - pulled pork, spicy slaw. (Apologies that I didn't snap the picture before Mr. took a bite)
Soon we spotted Cheryl and Mini Flop-Flop and she chatted about the ACC and animals in general and how we were going to go walk puppies and on and on....Cheryl has the kindest heart and is absolutely wonderful to our kids. She's like the pied piper. They would follow her anywhere. She gave them little treats and walked them around showing them things. She is amazing. We love her!
Belly busies him with a game
The kids split a hot dog and we got homemade dreamsickle ice cream to share for dessert. This ice cream was AMAZING. It is made by a local woman out in Coral Bay and $6 may seem like a lot but we split it 4 ways and it was AMAZING. So creamy and delicious! After lunch we headed home to clean up and rest.
Naptime
I took a few pictures of the flowers around the house
This is the garden path under the house
Soon enough, rested and relaxed, we decided to head out and explore the roads (all three of them) of St. John some more. We are contemplating staying on Gifft Hill for our next trip in 2012, so I wanted to scope it out.
Had to get a shot of the little man's Jimi Hendrix shirt
Our trusty Jeep
By this time, I had taken to parking in the upper lot ... if for no other reason than most times when we made it back to the house from the beach/lunch, Belly was napping, and parking up there eliminated 1 flight of stairs. It is tricky to back down the driveway, but I had mastered it by this time. Being as we are now mid-way through the trip or better, everything begins to get hazy.
For example I have NO idea where this is. I do know we took the 104 or was it 107 cut through and ended up over by Ditleff
These signs cracked me up. STOP! Really, stop.
After our tour we decided to head to Cruz bay for dinner. It was ODD to me that we spent as much time in Cruz Bay as we did this time. We've stayed in Coral Bay or Upper Carolina the last two trips and it had seemed to me that we spent most of our time on the Coral Bay side. Not this trip. Maybe it was because the kids were older, I am not sure, but we ended up in Cruz Bay at least every other day. We were all fine with that, I only note it because it was strange. We decided to head to the Beach Bar and shop around Wharfside and grab dinner in town.
Mini was ok with this plan
We were a little late for the sunset
Happy Girls (in need of a little red eye correction but oh well)
And the boys
We decided to hit the Beach Bar for dinner. BBC and painkiller in hand, I ordered dinner.
Fried shrimp for the kids
Ribeye sandwich for Mr. Flip-Flop (though Belly ate 1/2 of the meat off of it)
Crab wontons with spicy sauce to share! Yum!!! I have no idea what the sauce was but it was awesome.
But MOM it says DO NOT SIT (sorry Ruth...couldn't resist)
We headed to Bamboo to pick up the necklace I'd ordered earlier in the week. LOVE IT.
Before I knew it the day was done. It was getting late so we headed back over the river and through the hills to Coral Bay. I pit stopped at Lilly's to get cash and the machine was having issues...so no cash for tomorrow, but no big deal. I never let myself get too terribly low because you never know.
Day 7: Thursday - Vie's Beach, Skinny Legs and a Quiet Night In
Oh me oh my how is it possible that we are starting day 7. This is the primary reason I try, if at all possible, to go for at least 8 nights, preferably 9 or 10. Believe me, I would settle for a week if I had to, but I am just really getting my complete mellow on at day 6-7. Wake up sleepy heads!!! We often found the kiddos like this. One would start on the futon in the living area, the other on the twin in the sunroom.
Sometime in the night little brother got lonely and went in search of his sis.
I know you are getting bored of reading this ... Guess what we had for breakfast...again? I made such an awesome egg and cheese bagel the day prior, I decided to have another. Coffee'd up, it was time to hit the road and find our daily beach. Though it would be sort of breaking our unspoken rule of alternating lunch out and pb&j on the beach every other day, we decided on Vie's.
Mmmmmm...visions of garlic chicken, tarts and johnny cakes danced in my head. I could almost smell them! Still, I packed pj&J and some snacks for the kids. Luckily! Based on the busyness of the island so far this week, I was nervous about finding a shady spot at Vie's so we headed out the earliest we had all week. BY 9 am our butts were in the jeep and on our way. Another new thing this trip, the kids were not UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN. I think because they were playing HARD and swimming a lot at the beach and staying up a bit later than normal for them.
Regardless, my normal alarm clocks were not waking me up at 6-7 am. Usually we are very early to the beach people - like there by 8:30 at the latest. This time we were lucky to leave the house by 9:30. Still early for some, but not by our standards. I love to be at the beach early when it is quiet and empty. I love packing up just as the droves of people start to descend. Anyway, as we made our ways to Vie's we were #3 in a caravan of 3 jeeps. Both of them were full and produced anxiety that they were going where we were going. THEY WERE GONNA GET ALL THE SHADE. I was so very happy when the stopped at Haulover! YES. We drove on and found ourselves the 3rd car in the lot. We headed to the beach, dropped our $2.50 pp in the slot and found a spot. The primo shady spot was spoken for but we found a couple of nice chairs and a shady spot for our clan and settled in. I don't think I had managed to put all of my stuff down before someone is off...on a mission.
I just love Vie's. It is quiet and peaceful and a bit off the beaten path.
Our plan was to relax and lounge until we smelled garlic chicken and our tummies were rumbling.
Our encampment. A little bit like the clampetts
While daddy and the girl snorkeled
The little guy and I chilled. The view from my chair.
We had planned to have lunch from the snack shack, so finally I wandered up to see what was going on. There was no Ms. Vie! Shutters closed! Upon closer inspection I found a note that Vie was recuperating. I am sad for Vie and sad for my tummy. The kids were NOT ready to go, so I was glad I had brought food for them. The hubby and I could wait and I was pretty sure this would mean another Skinny Legs blue burger was in my future. We literally could not MOVE ourselves off the beach. We ended up staying at Vie's from about 9:30 in the morning until almost 4pm! We usually pack it in by 1 or 2pm at the latest, so this was unusual!
My view for the day
Eventually it was time to go and hit Skinny's for lunch (for the grownups) and treats (for the kiddos).
Relaxed Girls
Mama wanted a dream-sickle. An adult dream-sickle (oj, citrus and vanilla rum). Ok, maybe I had 2.
I know that I should probably order something other than the blue burger, and I have before, but its been a while. I love the blue burger at Skinny's. Its not a burger that I order anywhere else in the world. I just love it. I have had the grilled mahi and the grilled chicken (both are excellent), but I dream about this burger. When I am there, that is what I want!
A Very Happy Girl & Her Burger
The Girl was thrilled with her basket of Chips. She is our picky eater. Belly Flop is the meat eater - ate an ENTIRE chicken sandwich at Skinny's. Which if you've had one you know its really about 2 chicken breasts. Mini on the other hand subsists on a few select foods - apples, grilled vietnamese pork, chicken nuggets, pistachios, carrots, chips, pb&j, granola bars and gummy bears! She is NOT interested in much else.
The chips were a treat for her.
After our late lunch/early dinner it was back to the house. We all cleaned up, read, and napped. Belly Flop, exhausted, passed out at about 6 pm and didn't wake up until 8 the next morning. So, we stayed in for the evening.
And caught a beautiful sunset
Day 8: A Dog Walking, Pancake Eating, Visiting with RUTH, and trying (Unsuccessfully) to have a beach free day, Salt Pond, Donkey Diner Pizza eating, and Power Outages kind of day!
Usually our MO for St. John vacations is to go to the beach every single day until it rains. A long ago April trip has forever scarred me and so when I see sunshine I take it up on its offer of delightfulness and head to the beach, knowing...just knowing...it will rain eventually and we can shop/sleep/play games then.
Well, this was day 8 and still not a drop of rain. We decided to take a day off from the beach, especially after having spent literally the entire day prior to Vie's, to give our skin a break. That was our intention anyway. Let me rewind a bit, when we returned the night prior we bumped into our neighbor ladies again and they had had a pretty bad evening. What started as a great sunset cruise ended with them losing their bag that had their car keys and ids and cell phone in it. :( They had asked if we would be willing to run them to the bus-stop the following day and I had said we would be happy to.
They were very reluctant to ask anything of us, but we explained we'd had enough sun and were taking a beach break anyway. So, Friday, we are up and at em. While the kids ate, I took the ladies down to the bus stop. I offered about 10 times to take them to Cruz Bay but they resisted. Well, about 5 minutes after dropping them off I remembered it was Good Friday, and if my memory serves me correctly VITran doesn't run on holidays. I could not leave them sitting there. I thought, if it was my mama what would I want! I would want someone to take them to town. So, we loaded everyone up and headed to get them. They were very happy to see us!
Our initial plan was to drop them off, park at Conrad's and head to St. Thomas to do some shopping. Shopping on St. Thomas was a ritual for us for about the first 3-4 trips to St. John. Not so much for me anymore. My husband is a watch junkie so I was happy to indulge him and go along but it wasn't my first choice. We hit town, dropped the ladies at Denzel Kline (Don't lose your keys btw ... $200 charge for them ... which I understand its not easy to replace a key and fob, but dang...ouch).
In the meantime, Mini Flip-Flop asked for the 10023 time if today could we maybe please preettttty please go visit and walk a doggie at the Animal Care Center. Though, I am not usually inclined to volunteer ON MY vacations, not because I don't have a volunteer-y spirit but usually because I am too vegged out to even think of something like that. I could not resist her little spirit and wanted to encourage this behavior so off we went. Less than 1 hour later, I wanted to adopt about 15 dogs and a kitty or two. It is amazing how much they do there with so little.
(http://www.stjohnanimalcarecenter.com/ if you want to learn more).
She was thrilled.
As you can see her little brother was not so much for the walking this day! I think he was infected with the STJ Gravity Bug. After the hubby carried him for most of the dog walk, he decided ... maybe today is not the best day for St. Thomas shopping. I offered to let him go on his own, but he refused! Since we were in town we decided to go see if we could find STJ Ruth! YAY, finally we find her!! I love St. John Spice and I especially love Ruth & Ron! They are the best. Ruth and I chatted a bit and the kiddos went with daddy into St. John Kids to find a treat for themselves. They were happy! Ruth and I made plans to see the Grateful Shed later in the week and to hit the Beach Bar on Sunday. Soon enough, everyone was getting hungry. In my haste to get the ladies to town, I hadn't really eaten breakfast and the little breakfast the kids had was wearing off. We decided to head to Jake's. We had never tried Jake's and we had heard they had great food, especially breakfasts!
When we got there, a little before 12 noon, it was very busy. The only seats left were at the bar, which was kind of awesome because you can watch them making everything. I was amazed how virtually everything looked to be made from scratch. Not the fastest service in the world, but the food is outstanding and they are VERY friendly.
The view
Mini Flip-Flop had the pancakes and declared them so good she didn't need syrup. Better than Ihop!
Diggin in
I had the tuna salad sandwich with potato salad. Delish! (sorry picture is post-bite or two, I was HUNGRY)
After lunch we walked around a bit and headed over to Mongoose to Deli Grotto for the obligatory crack bar for me and some cookies for the kids. Its not really called the crack bar, I think its official name is the chocolate coconut bar. It is 1049 calories of deliciousness. Buttery graham cracker bottom with a thick layer of chocolate and then a thick layer of coconut sweetness. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Shopped and walked out we decided to head back to house, arriving around 3pm ish. We relaxed a little while but soon were just too antsy and were missing the beach. We'd tried to stay away from the beach today, but it was a bit warm and still in the house and we needed to cool off so we headed to salt pond. Salt Pond was the closest beach to our house and we'd not made it there yet this week. There is a bit of walk down to the beach from the lot. Not a big deal at all on the way in, but often by the time we are ready to pack it in and head out it is brutally hot on the hike out. We were not sure how well Belly Flop would do. Well today was our day to find out. He did just fine.
Salt Pond is enchanting and gorgeous
We relaxed until almost sunset. I took a few pictures with some funky setting on my iphone
Before we knew it, it was time to pack it in and head back up to the car. We found this guy along the way
When we returned to the house from the beach, we were without power again. (The power had gone out while we were at lunch in town at Jake's and from various people I know on facebook I could gather that it had gone out in Cruz Bay, Coral Bay and even over on St. Thomas). We cleaned up as best we could and decided to head to Donkey Diner to grab a pizza, thinking maybe power wasn't out everywhere. Note: Shipwreck, Island Blues, Skinny's, and Aqua Bistro all have back-up generators. Donkey Diner does not. However, their pizza oven doesn't need it! SCORE.
Waiting for Pizza
They were closing up early because of the outage, but we scored the LAST PIZZA. Sorry to the folks who walked up right after us. While we waited we checked out the new (to us) Coral Bay Cones. Now it is entirely possible that this place has been there for a year or more, but I had never noticed it. Made a note to self to return for an ice cream fix later in the week. Pizza secured we headed back to the house to eat by candle light. The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever! Power finally came on around 9. We noticed all the power was on around us but still nothing at the house, so Hubby had to go investigate and throw a few switches. Eventually we had lights and more importantly, water and fans!!
Ahhhhh....you don't realize how nice a shower feels until you can't get one upon return from the beach! Our lovely neighbors dropped off a bottle of wine as a thanks and soon enough it was time to head to bed!
Day 9: Bacon, Bagels and Beach. Sweet Plantains with the Pias!
I simply can't believe how fast our time is flying by. It's already our next to next to the last day :( For those who don't speak Flip-Flop we have two full days left and we are gonna make the most of them. It's officially Saturday! We've been on St. John a full week and still it feels like we just got there and have been there forever all at the same time. Like a heavenly time warp.
Again I woke to the wafting of bacon through the cottage. Mmmmmmm.....and coffee. That hubby is a keeper. I had almost overdosed on bagels by this point, so I had picked up some yogurt. I felt the need to have at least one non-carb per day! Breakfast consisted of bacon, just bacon, for the little guy. Bacon and eggs for daddy. Bacon, yogurt and a bagel for me. Cereal for the girl. Knowing it was our 2nd to last day we packed up for the beach - towels, sunscreen, book, snacks, sammiches and, of course beverages - Gaterade for the girl. Apple juice for the boy. Sprite Zero +malibu for me. Malibu and coke for the hubs. We were set for a long day at the beach.
Maho LOVE again. Seriously, I know its a little boring, but I love Maho. It really is the perfect beach. You park right there, so there is no real distance to lug anything. There is plenty of shade. The water is no higher than a kid's shoulders a good 50 feet out. Calm, beautiful, simple, perfect Maho. This is why in our family its known as Maaahhhhhhhhho, emphasis on the ahhhhhhh.... One Happy Girl
Just keep swimming...he was determined to be like his SIS
One happy relaxed hubby
Even Beach Bunny got in on the relaxation
Belly Flop and me having a heart to heart
Me & the two kids I am lucky to have call me Mama
Soon everyone was busy doing a whole lot of nothing...except Belly Flop. I think we may have a future engineer on our hands.
I know I am beating a dead horse at this point but dayyyyum Maho is beautiful
I had retreated to my chair with a book with a view
Our Spongebob Sand Sculpture. And by "our" I mean my husband did this. I am responsible for organization of the chaos, he is the chief digger/sculptor/designer. I buy the tools, he does the work. Life on vacation very much resembles life at home.
Busy Boy
Note the new hat. My favorite long-time Belly Flop Green hat was a wee bit small this trip so we invested in a new hat from Pink Papaya.
Then - 2009
Now - 2011
Sometimes I can trick myself into thinking they are not really growing up but then a hat won't fit or a pair of pants is 3 inches too short overnight and I realize I am just deluding myself. There was a family near by on this day with teen sons. I couldn't help but think I know I will blink and my kiddos will be there! SLOOOOOOW down, people! This boy was on a mission.
Today Mini Flip-Flop had her first BIG snorkeling reward. There was a very annoying lady on the beach with her three kids. She didn't talk, she yelled in this kind of sing songy voice. Very loudly. Anyway, that goodness for her because of course as soon as she saw the turtle her sons and EVERYONE ELSE ON THE BEACH knew about it. Annoying yes, useful ... also yes. We headed out and sure enough my little girl got to see her first turtle. He was feeding and she thought it was the coolest thing ever. "Mama that's my first real encounter with marine life!" (she's a geek in training). Nevermind she'd seen 1000 fish, they didn't count. The turtle was on a whole new level. Eventually we got hungry and enjoyed our Pbjs on the beach. 4 hours or more later we decided it was time to pack it in.
Bye Maho for now...but definitely not forever.
Post-Sun, we decided to head to Coral Bay Cones for an ice cream treat for all. French vanilla with sprinkles for Mini Flip-Flop, Belly doesn't really like ice cream (I know, right?!?) so he picked out a nice packet of skittles, Mama was getting sleepy and wasn't likely to get a nap so I ordered a frozen caramel latte. We were all quite pleased. I also picked up a St. John t-shirt here that I love. Bright kelly green with ST. JOHN in big white block letters. Soon enough we were off to the cottage for showers, a show and breathing treatment. Belly was much improved but I was determined to remain vigilant especially as we had a flight coming up in a few days. I had a bit TOO much sun today. Best Investment of the Trip. This stuff is AWESOME. We applied it often and liberally and neither of us peeled a bit.
I had a little afternoon refreshment on the deck
Before I knew it, our babysitter arrived and it was time to head to Pia's for a pre-dinner cocktail and a tour of the house and an update on all of their home improvement projects. AMAZING. I had just been there a year and a month prior and I couldn't believe the work they had done on their place. I considered their house absolutely perfect, but the renovations they have made are beautiful, classy, and so well executed. Pia's vision is amazing and Les's execution flawless. So very impressive! I let them know that when we find our fixer upper, Les definitely has a side gig as my master of renovation! Anyone who is following their blog, knows there is no task he will not tackle.
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so there is no evidence of the amazing dinner we had at Sweet Plantains. I started with a painkiller. One of the best I've ever had. I had to have an order of Sweet Plantains, how could you not? Saturday is curry night and the Masala Spiced Red Curry with shrimp was calling my name. Absolutely perfect evening with Pia and Les and my hubby. No kids, no worries, just easy conversation in the beautiful, warm Sweet Plantains atmosphere. Perfect night!
All good things must come to an end and soon enough with bellies full we headed back to the house to relieve Barbara and get the kids tucked in. They were so sad to see us home so soon. They really really really loved Barbara!
Day 10: Sunday - EASTER, Honeymoon, The Grateful Shed & Pool & RUTH, the Beach Bar Gathering, and High Tide
Well this is it guys! It is all over but the crying. Our last full day has arrived, for realz. I am sad but determined not to think about it too much. I had started organizing and packing the night before when in walks my hubby, "You're packing, this is usually when the tears start. Are you ok?" I actually was ok, considering. The thing about nice long trips and all of the togetherness with the family is that eventually I begin to miss my doggy, my home, my friends, my mama :) I wouldn't say I am ever HAPPY to leave, but often I am ready. Usually because I know I'll be back! Today it is Easter Sunday. Amazingly the Easter Bunny managed to find the kids way out in Coral Bay! (FYI - I had packed small goodies for them and supplies to make mini Easter baskets, however, I noted earlier in the week that Chelsea Drug had Easter Baskets and fixings as well. I didn't check the prices.) Mini Flop's Goodies
And Belly Flop's
They were very excited
We all had a quick breakfast and got ready to head to the beach. Lunches packed, swimsuits donned, we were off. At dinner the night before we were discussing favorite beaches and Les reminded me about Honeymoon! YES. Honeymoon it is. Honeymoon is at Caneel Bay. You go through the gates, get your parking pass and head to the left (not the first left - that's for employees, the 2nd left). Park ... the lot was virtually empty.
Usually it is full enough that all the spots are taken and we have to kind of create a space. It is Easter, so I assume most people were brunching while we were beaching. Speaking of Brunch ... still on my to do list after 8 or 9 trips --- BRUNCH at Miss Lucy's and now I have to add Brunch at Concordia (Tourist Trap Cheryl says its very good). This trip we had two Sundays on island and we STILL didn't manage to make it. Oh well. The call of the beach is strong. We parked, got our stuff, and headed to the path. The walk to Honeymoon is about 10 minutes. Maybe 12. Not a bad walk at all, mostly flat, and you get to see some of the resort along the way. If you are not staying at Caneel there is a $10 fee to park, but if you purchase anything there they waive the parking fee. POMEGRANATE MOJITO anyone?
Ahhhhh....Honeymoon
It was very quiet when we arrived and we went all the way to the right of the beach (facing the water) and found a little niche up in the rocks and shade. There is always a great breeze at Honeymoon. The surf is a little rougher, but it is beautiful.
The little engineer got right to work
I took a few pictures with my funky iphone setting
Mini decided it was too rough to snorkel (for her) so she just bobbed along in the water
While the boys busied themselves
Construction Zone
Mama Flip-Flop Lazed away enjoying this view
Happy Campers
Beach Buddy takes a break to rest and dry out
Mini did a little rock climbing
It was another Pbj day and soon enough the natives were hungry
After lunch the boys took a walk
And before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Honeymoon and the beaches of St. John for now
On the way out, I ducked into the bar to grab a drink (a mojito for me and a BBC for my hubby who had fallen in love with this drink on this trip) and took my receipt to get validated so we could park for free. And we took a few pictures around the ruins.
She looks so happy, He looks so Sleepy!
The possible culprit of our allergies
I don't think I am ever as happy or relaxed as I get by day 7-8 on St. John. Absolute JELLO. With my flower from Mini.
We wanted to head home to clean up before our date with Ms. Ruth (and her pool) at the Grateful Shed. On the way, of course, we did a little more touring. We'd never made it past Love City Mini-mart on that road (I have no idea what the name of it is) in Coral Bay. We discovered the Coral Bay Garden Center
And interrupted some lunching goats
You lookin at me?
Back to the house briefly, cleaned up and we are ready to head out again. No rest on the last day for us!!
Funniest Sign, I had to get a picture STOP! Hammer Time!
We took centerline back to town and no lie, I was telling the kids how there are COWS on St. John. Neither believed me. They were all "yeah right mama. Sure!!!" A few curves later we come upon this one and about 4 others! Mooooo
Earlier in the week, when I'd stopped by to see Ruth she'd invited us to see the progress on the house (When I was there last March ... it was still very much a work in progress) and to let the kids have a swim. I didn't want to intrude, but the kids were really missing having a pool and I knew they would be thrilled. She insisted saying they love to see people enjoy the pool. They hadn't gotten in too much recently because it was, get this, "Too Cold!" These people have gone soft! I love Ruth. She is just about the best thing since sliced bread and Ron is the sweetest, most relaxed guy on the planet. I was excited to see the house - it is AMAZING by the way (I am still waiting on them to finish out the basement for me ... I even told them I'd take it as is ... who needs drywall?).
The Grateful Shed is beautiful, it was so nice to see all the furnishings and the filled pool and how much all of the plant life had grown. Belly Flop was intrigued by the veggies Ron was growing - esp. the little tomatoes. He may have sampled a few. We were so busy on the tour and seeing all of the plants still waiting to go in the ground we almost (ALMOST) forgot all about the pool. Soon enough the kiddos reminded us. Thank you Ruth ... They loved the entire trip but your pool is what I hear about the most. Mini Flip had to write a report (she chose to write about spring break in St. John) and a good portion was dedicated to our visit to you! :) Thank you so so much!! One of the best things about St. John for me is the people - both those I've met who live there and those I've met through the forum who are as addicted to visiting as I am. I am pretty sure my husband often thinks I am a bit insane, but when he puts faces to names and gets to chat with people like Ruth and Ron and Pia and Les for extended periods of time, he never fails to walk away commenting about how incredibly genuine, nice and relaxed everyone is. Easy company.
The best kind! Happy Happy Girl
Here's Belly telling/Showing Ms. Ruth how old he used to be (I think)
And the "But I don't want to get out" face
Eventually it was time to head to town for the Beach Bar gathering. We got the kids out, one more easily than the other, got them changed, and headed to town. Innervisions was playing tonight and it was quite busy. I wandered down to Joe's Rum Hut to get my drink, I wasn't fighting the crowd at the BB. It was a fairly small gathering. Ruth & Ron, Beth Cruz & hubby, Cypressgirl and her daughter and friend, Bob & Anita, and I am SURE I am forgetting someone... I enjoyed the music and company and soon enough it was sunset.
Soon the troops were getting hungry, so we headed over to High Tide for dinner. The service here was great and they were super friendly and accommodating to kids. Shrimp Diablo for my hubby (SPICY)
Grilled Shrimp kabobs for me
The kiddos both had pasta and loved it. Cleaned their plates. And, of course, you can't round off a trip without an ice cream from ISCREAM.
Chocolate with chocolate sprinkles. Her grandmother would be proud!
Our day was almost done. We headed back to Coral Bay to rest, watch a movie, and finish up the packing. A few minutes into the movie I walked in to this
I think we'd successfully worn them both out!
I finished packing up a few things and read a book until pretty late. Sleep never comes easy for me on my last night.
Day 11: Bye Lameshur Cottage, Bye Coral Bay, Bye Ruth, Bye Cruz Bay, Bye Bye Bye
Wait, we have to go home. No one is happy about this. No one!
Our time was over. We had a 4pm flight out so we had time to sleep in and relax a bit before heading out. We needed to be out of the house by 10 am, so I packed a few last minute things, we ate breakfast, started a load of laundry (towels and what not), and loaded up the car. We said goodbye to the adorable little Lameshur Cottage and took our last leisurely drive down the beautiful North Shore Road.
We hit deli grotto for lunch. I always forget how HUGE their sandwiches are. We could have easily split one, but instead I had an Italian and the hubby had a tuna on croissant. We shopped a little bit. We'd also gotten a late car return from Conrad's, but soon our time was running out so we headed off to gas up the Jeep. Returning the jeep always makes it seem so final! Bye my little workhorse!
Next on the list, run into Connections to print off our boarding passes, having checked in via iphone the night before. $4 and about 4 minutes later we were set. Stopped by St. John Spice to say bye (for now) to Ruth.
Waiting for the ferry
I took a few minutes and a few pictures to remember my happy place until next time.
Another absolutely perfect blue sky day
So not ready to say goodbye
The SADDEST view in the world
Say it ain't so ...
We took the noon ferry and were at the airport by 1:10. Seamless and easy. Customs was a breeze. We were in line behind some folks who had just adopted a pup from the ACC. He was so cute. The kids were fascinated! We had time to kill so Mr. Flip-Flop hit the duty free alcohol store and stocked us up - including all I would need to recreate the Dreamsickle (oj, vanilla rum and citrus rum) at home. (I am sad to report it is just not the same without the Skinny Leg's ambiance and most importantly a fat, juicy blue burger). I had picked up a snack to go at Deli Grotto --- my 2nd favorite to the crack bar is this chocolate and peanut butter delight. SO GOOD. We split it 3 ways and were ill when we finished. So worth it!
After every bite, he'd say "mmmmmmmmm.....more mama!" There was a brief power outage at the airport, but nothing that would delay our flight. Our flight out departed just on time and before we knew it we were in Miami. Somehow when I wasn't looking Belly charmed the flight attendant out if a snack pack! That boy has mad skills! In Miami we had time for a bite to eat and time to kill again, so the kids played on our phones and with their goodies from Easter.
My weary little traveler
We arrived in DC at midnight. The only unplanned mini crisis was that Belly Flop fell asleep on the flight. That was fine. However, when we arrived in DC at MIDNIGHT he was NOT about to walk. So ... our little man who had been pulling his own weight and his own bag now needed to be carried and also we had to figure out how to move his bag with less hands. We managed, though I am sure we looked like a hot mess! Until next time....Peace, Love and Beaches....the Flip-Flops
