July 2, 2009:   We left home after Jon got off work, our destination was Myrtle Beach, SC. We checked in to our hotel and immediately went to Lakewood Campground for a walk. We wanted to see what the campground was like when it was near full since we usually camp there during the off season. The campground was extremely busy and most of the sites were occupied. Lakewood is currently working on their indoor pool and building a new boardwalk. Jon was the first person to walk on the boardwalk, as the men had just finished putting down the last board. Too bad we forgot our camera and weren't able to document Jon's big moment!

July 3, 2009:  We started the day really early with a 5 am wake up call. We thought we were on vacation, why are we getting up at 5 am? After a quick breakfast, we headed to the airport to check in for our 8:10 flight to Fort Lauderdale. We had a 3 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale and then we were finally on our way to St. Thomas. The flight was full - there was a group of 40 teenagers headed to the Virgin Islands for a mission trip. Needless to say, there was always something going on. From the boy who raised his arms at take off like he was riding a roller coaster to the girl who practiced her flight attendant skills by collecting trash (in exchange for a free diet coke). There wasn't a dull moment on the flight. Once we landed in St. Thomas we hired a taxi to take us to the ferry in Red Hook. After a ride through a maze of back alleys and one way streets (that other drivers don't obey), we finally arrived at the harbor and boarded the boat to St. John. Tammy, with SeaView Homes, met us at the ferry dock in St. John and took us to the villa we had rented. Windchime is about 10 minutes from Cruz Bay and overlooks Fish Bay. The home is very nice and includes a lot of decks and outdoor areas. Jon and his dad made a run to the local grocery for food. Diane and Jon's mother stayed behind to unpack the bags. Jon went swimming after dinner while we watched from the pool deck.  

July 4, 2009:   Our first full day on the island! Since Cruz Bay has a large festival and parade today, we decided to stay around the villa and relax. The day started overcast and hazy - eventually this changed into light rain showers that sent us inside. After morning naps and lunch, we ended up back on the pool deck enjoying a lazy afternoon. We had a lot of unwelcomed yellow jacket friend, but overall we had an enjoyable day.

July 5, 2009:   This morning we were up early and had bacon and eggs for breakfast. There was a steady wind and the skies were overcast; however, we packed the car and headed for Maho Beach. We were there early so there were only a few other people on the beach. Diane and Jon snorkeled along the rocks on the right end of the beach. Jon has a new underwater hybrid camera (both still and video) that he tried out today. I have several nice videos I will try to post later. In the mean time I posted a few still photos. There were millions of little bait fish, we saw several small Barracuda, and one large (maybe 4ft) Tarpon. Mom and Dad saw a sting ray while we were out snorkeling. We heard two groups saw a sea turtle but we never were able to see the turtle (maybe tomorrow). The rain came as we left for lunch. We returned to the villa for lunch and spent the afternoon at the villa due to the on and off rain in the afternoon. After dinner Jon and his parents spent time in the hot tub. Hoping for better weather tomorrow.

July 6, 2009:   This morning we went to Cinnamon Bay, which hosts a campground and has good facilities. The beach is vey long and has lots of places to tuck in under the trees for shade. Jon and Diane snorkeled out towards the cay and saw various fish. The rains came, we got soaked along with all of our bags, so we packed up and headed to Coral Bay for lunch at Shipwreck Landing. After lunch we returned to the north shore (once the goats and donkeys got out of the road) to Francis Bay. This beach is very similar to Cinnamon Bay. Jon and Diane snorkeled along the left side rocks over to Little Maho Beach. In the evening Jon spent a few minutes in the hot tub and pool at the villa.

July 7, 2009:   Jon's parents decided to spend a quiet day at the villa, so Jon and Diane went exploring on their own. We headed out East End Road past Coral Bay. Our first stop was Hansen Bay, a small rocky beach. We snorkeled along the boulders along the left bank of the bay. There were a lot of black sea urchins, so we had to be very careful where we stepped as we entered and exited the water. We left Hansen Bay for Haulover Bay South. There were a lot of cars parked at this beach, but we saw very few people. We crossed the road and took a short trail to Haulover Bay North. This beach was very rocky and the water was rough. Although the snorkeling is said to be very good at this beach, we chose not to enter the choppy water. We returned to Haulover Bay South and snorkeled along a reef on the right side of the bay. Before we returned to Coral Bay, we stopped at Vie's Snack Shack for lunch. Vie's is a small shed-like building with several picnic tables set up under the trees. The menu was simple, but Vie's was very popular with the locals and tourists. We waited over 30 minutes for our food, but it was worth it! After lunch, we drove through Coral Bay on our way to Lameshur Bay. On our last trip, the road to Lameshur was unpaved and rental vehicles were prohibited. After a short, rocky unpaved start, the road switched to an extremely steep concrete road. We followed this road past Great Lameshur and stopped at Little Lameshur Bay. This beach is sandy and has shade trees along the edge. The surf is rocky, so this is not a beach to wade into the water. Jon snorkeled along the boulders on the left shore. He saw a lot of rocks and some fish. We finally returned home to check on Jon's parents and see if they needed or wanted the car. After cleaning up, the four of us went down to Cruz Bay for dinner. We opted to split up. Jon and Diane ate at Uncle Joe's - which is a popular bar-b-que place that we heard about during lunch. The food was extremely good and we were amazed at how many take-out plates they prepared while we were waiting for our food. It is a restaurant we would highly recommend to anyone heading to St. John.

July 8, 2009:   This morning we were up and out at the beach by 9:30am. Today were went to the world famous Trunk Bay. We arrived early and were able to get a great shaded spot right along the water. Trunk Bay is crown jewel of the National Park Service and offers lifeguards, a snack bar, a gift shop, and showers. Trunk Bay is also home to the underwater snorkel trail that runs along a small cay just 20 yards off the beach. The underwater trail has plaques on the bottom of the ocean floor that describe the various type of coral and fish. Jon and Diane started out by snorkeling the rocks at the right end of the beach and saw three really cool squid, each about 10 inches long. Then we proceeded over to the Trunk Bay trail. After all of this snorkeling we were ready for lunch at the snack shack. There are sea gulls that lurk around the snack shack and if you don't completely cover and protect your food as soon as you walk out from under the awning the birds will "steal" your hamburger patty. Mom lost her tomato and onions to the birds but they did not get the meat. We had such a great spot at the beach we decided to just stay put all day at Trunk Bay. Jon did more snorkeling while the rest of the crew read books and took naps. About 4:30pm a small rain shower sent us packing for the villa.

July 9, 2009:   Not far from St John on the British Virgin Island of Virgin Gorda are the world famous Baths. The Baths are huge granite boulders at the edge of the beach that remain from volcanic activity. So today Jon and Diane booked a day trip on the boat Pirate's Penny to the Baths and a great snorkeling spot called The Indians. We chose Pirate's Penny because the trip was limited to 12 people and also only made three stops, with one of those stops being lunch on a very small island called Cooper Island. The reduced number of stops meant more time to explore at The Baths and at The Indians. Most of the other boats made additional stops at bars for drinks only and also carried 20+ people per trip. We felt Pirate's Penny would have more personalized service and I will say we made the right choice; the captain, Rick, and 1st mate, Sunny, were absolutely great as well as the other 8 people on the boat with us. We had a great group on our boat. The trip started at 8am from the docks in Cruz Bay and headed out the north shore of St John. It was great to see all the beaches we have been visiting from the sea. Captain Rick did a great job pointing out all the beaches and giving historical or interesting facts on each. Continuing east, we went along the north shore of the island Tortola. Then made our way over to Virgin Gorda where we arrived at Spanish Town so Sunny could check us thru customs before we could proceed to The Baths. Once cleared thru customs it was a short 5 minute boat ride to The Baths. The Baths are absolutely amazing formations both in and out of the water. Rick give a great guided tour, pointing out many interesting facts about the creation and the formations. We went to some amazing places where you had to climb, squeeze, crawl, float, roll, or slide your way from one location to the next. Jon was one of four people who elected to do the roll off rock and the jump off rock. The roll off rock required that you lay on one rock with another rock just about 1.5 ft above you, then roll off the rock into the water pool below you. I hope I can post a video of it. The jump off rock was at the end, a bit tough to get to but the jump was not that much, only about 10ft. At this point everyone put back on snorkel gear and Rick guided us in the water thru some of the rocks that are further in the water. What an AWESOME place, can't wait to go again. As the Pirate's Penny left The Baths the 1st mate used the VHF radio to call in our lunch orders to Cooper Island Beach Club. It was a short 30 minute ride to Cooper Island where they had lunch ready for our group at a great table overlooking the beach. After lunch it was off to The Indians for snorkeling. On the way west to The Indians we passed Salt Island that has a population of one, Henry the only resident, then we passed the exclusive island of Peter Island. The next island west is Norman Island which is also known as Treasure Island because of the many pirate stories and believed buried treasures. It is also believed this island was the inspiration for Robert Lewis Stevenson book "Treasure Island". Just a bit north of Norman Island is a very tiny island (rock formation) called Pelican Island, of which a rock outcropping called The Indians exists and is world-class snorkeling. The rock formation has four peaks and to one side it is deep open water and the other side is shallow with great coral. The coral and fish in this location were amazing. After a great snorkel at The Indians it was unfortunately time to return to St John. The initial plan was to return to Cruz Bay by the north shore, the same way we left in the morning. However, Rick agreed to take us down the south shore route if everyone was okay with the rough seas we would encounter on the south side. Everyone agreed so we could see the opposite side of St John. It turned out the seas were not too bad and we had a great cruise back to Cruz Bay. Upon returning to St John everyone on the boat had to go thru customs which was very quick and easy. From customs it was just across the bay to our drop off point where Dad was waiting to pick up Jon and Diane. I would totally recommend The Classic Adventure Tour on Pirate's Penny to anyone who wants a great crew, wants individual attention, wants to see The Baths, and do some great snorkeling. What an amazing day. Oh, we had perfect weather also. Upon return to the villa, it was dinner time followed by a quick dip in the hot tub.

July 10, 2009:   This morning we were not up and moving too fast. We had pancakes and sausage for breakfast. The yard crew was here for a few minutes this morning to blow leaves, water plants, and trim bushes. Jon, Diane, and Dad headed out for a few hours to Jumbie Beach. This is a very short and narrow beach with road side parking for only five cars. To access Jumbie Beach you walk down a set of wood steps and then thru the woods on a 20 yard trail where you end up on a very nice little beach. The only negative to this beach: there is very little shade, so you have to be one of the first groups to arrive. Jon snorkeled while Dad and Diane read books and napped. It was then back to the villa for lunch and Diane took a quick dip in the pool. After lunch, Jon and Diane were back out to the beaches. This time the destination was Hawksnest Bay. Hawksnest is the closest National Park beach to the town of Cruz Bay. Hawksnest is a long but narrow sandy beach that has picnic tables, grills, changing rooms, and an actual parking lot. It was busy when we arrived but we were able to find a parking spot and a semi-shaded spot on the beach. Diane read a book while Jon snorkeled the center reef of Hawksnest Bay. It was good snorkeling despite the rough water. The beach began to empty around 4pm but Jon and Diane stayed until about 5pm and had the beach pretty much to themselves for the last 30 minutes. Returning to the villa, we grilled BBQ Chicken for dinner. Jon then spent some time in both the pool and the hot tub before having a hot shower in the outdoor shower. It was a great day of beach time on St John, we love this place.

July 11, 2009:   This is a sad day..our last full day on the island. Mom and Dad were going to spend the day at the pool. Jon and Diane headed off in the morning to Cinnamon Bay where they first visited the ruins of an old Sugar Factory. After viewing the ruins, it was off to the beach at Cinnamon Bay where Diane read a book and Jon went snorkeling. All week Jon had been wanting a smoothie so on the way back to the villa for lunch we stopped at Colombo's (junction of North Shore Rd and Center Line Rd) for a smoothie. Colombo's is just a little old ice cream truck that broke down years ago so they just left it at the intersection and opened up shop from the broken down truck. After lunch Diane and Jon headed back out to the beaches, this time the destination was Maho Bay. Maho Bay is a beach that is literally 10 feet from the road. You park along the edge of the road and literally step out onto the beach. We just spent the afternoon relaxing and wishing we had another week to stay. Jon did get some pictures of a pretty good sized Iguana that was in the woods across the street from the beach. Jon also snorkeled the rocks along the right end of the beach. No tarpon were seen this time even though there was millions of bait fish present. However, Jon did see a large stingray heading back out to sea and saw several small Barracudas. We were both sad to leave the beach for the last time. It was our last night so we all decided to head downtown for dinner at The Fish Trap. Jon and Diane were brave and tried Conch Fritters with Dad; needless to say, Jon and Diane won;t be making those at home for dinner! After dinner we headed over to the Beach Bar for a smoothie while we waited for a short rain shower to pass.

July 12, 2009:   Well, the dreaded day has arrived and we must leave to return to reality. Our flight was out of St Thomas at 4:20pm, so we had plenty of time to prepare but did have to manage a car rental return, a ferry ride, a taxi ride, and airport security. We headed down to Cruz Bay to return the rental car and have lunch before catching the ferry to St Thomas. We had lunch at the world famous Woody's Seafood Saloon where every time you pass this joint it is packed with people. We had a little time for shopping so we bought the first two clothing items for the new baby. It was time for the ferry and this time we chose to use the Charlotte Amalie ferry; although it is a longer ferry ride, it required a shorter taxi ride in St Thomas. Sadly that brings us to the end of our second great trip to St John USVI, but we are already looking forward to our next trip back to the island.

Tips/Recommendations/Links  

Villa Rental:
SeaView Homes has provided us with two great experiences and rental villas. Mark and Tammie are great, they will step you thru the entire process, meet you at the ferry dock, help you get your rental cars (even book them for you), take you to your villa and give you a tour of the villa and answer any questions you may have. They will also provide recommendations for shopping, eating, day tours, etc. Tammie proved very valuable on short notice and booked a GREAT trip for us to The Baths. I highly recommend SeaView Homes.

BVI (Baths) Trip:
Tammie of SeaView Homes had recommended Pirate's Penny as great company to travel with to visit The Baths of BVI. Guess what? Tammie was totally correct. Pirate's Penny limits their trips to 12 passengers and that truly provides a more individualized experience. Captain Rick and 1st Mate Sunny were the best at explaining everything we were seeing and serving us hand and foot. They definitely listen to their customers as our group made two unique request which were not part of the plan but Rick and Sunny granted both request (jumping off the rock at The Baths and returning by the South shore of St John). We will definitely be booking The Classic trip with Pirate's Penny on our next trip.

Dinning Out:
For BBQ you must try Uncle Joe's in Cruz Bay, across from the post office. Beware, you should go early (the side dishes sell out quickly) and don't be in a rush to leave. Although we did not have to wait for a table, Uncle Joe's is very popular and does a tremendous amount of take out orders.

For a great lunch in Coral Bay try both Skinny Legs and Shipwreck Landing. At Shipwreck I had great BBQ Shrimp.

For Smoothies we recommend Colombo's at the junction of Center Line Road and North Shore Road.

For great fried chicken head out to The East End and pay a visit to Vie's Snack Shack. What a great little place to mingle with other visitors as well as locals.

Beaches:
ALL OF THEM!!! Honestly you can't go wrong with any beach on the Island. Each beach has something a little different to offer and therefore ensure you take time to visit them all. If you are visiting St John by means of a cruise and only have one afternoon the recommendation is to visit Trunk Bay as it is consistently rated as a Top Beach of the World.