Correction!

Meant to say "with our obsession!".

Don't want you to think that I am illiterate, as well as being an "addict".

I fully agree, my family and I used to go to the Jersey shore and Ocean City MD , but we found that for the few extra bucks we spent in the islands it was well worth it.For the weekend trips the others are ok

KarrieB - STT and STJ might be beyond your budget for a retirement destination, but STX could still be an option. Prices are rising here now, though, so time is running out for those still a few years away who can't invest NOW in preparation for their future. There are lots of people buying in early and renting out their properties until they can live in them personally. Prices here are rising faster than peoples' buying power is increasing. In ten years there will be thousands of people lamenting that they didn't find a way to buy now.

Thanks but you know this is almost funny! We just came back from North and South Carolina and heard the exact same story everywhere we went- THIS is the place where prices are climbing, THIS is the place where EVERYONE is going, on and on. My guess is that the same future retirees have multiple vacation homes -only kidding. Actually, other issues will keep us from retiring on any of the wonderful islands- I worry alot about living on a rock, worry about adequate health care and worry that my kids would not be able to routinely afford to visit. We've talked it over alot and have decided to make the VIs a regular vacation spot to get our needed fix. YOu should have no trouble filling those vacancies though I bet!

Meant to say Ditto to this link

Karrieb - wondering where you've been... I know what it's like after returning; have to have "the next trip" lined up soon after or will get very depressed!!! Winters are way too long here in New England not to have something to look forward to!

68 days and counting...

Hey ccasebolt- it wouldn't be so bad being in NE if every day was like today (Sat 5/6)! Wish we were counting but the next big trip, worth counting for is 2 weeks in Italy next year, then back to STJ the year after so how many days is say April 2008.....

karrieb
Welcome back and I know you will love Italy. My daughter loved Tuscany but unlike us, she can't keep the experience alive without a board like this. Have you found an Italy Travel Forum yet? 🙂

Wasn't yesterday great! Now if only the cape had warmer water... LOL

Hey Chris and CC, gees, I actually have buddies here, how cool is that!!! YES Chris, I found a fantastic website called Slow Travel Talk which is unbelievably terrific. We're still over a year away from going (ie saving the money and the vacation time) but this website is already helpful beyond belief. Very complex, tons of links, tons of reviews by hotels, restaurants, locations etc. Its not the USVIs but should be a great trip. Hubby has never been and I went once about 30 years ago as a 20 year old or so. We start language lessons in the fall as I hate to go as the ignorant american. I will in time be focusing mostly on that website but we talk about STJ still virtually every day so I think I'm hooked to this, even if to a lesser degree. Actually, I'm doing more freelance writing and just had my first full page spread published in the Boston Globe so my time is getting full with that activity, tons of fun. Yes CCB, today wasn't shabby for Boston weather either, hubby is waiting for the coast to warm up so the sailboat can go back in the water. Take care my friends!

Congratulations on the Globe! What was your story/article about?
My daughter owes you big time for Slow Travel. She has been glued to her screen since I told her.

We're coming down again!!!! Yes!!! 6 days until we're in paradise (STJ) yet again. It's our 3rd trip in about 18 months and we hope we can continue this pace for quite some time. Does anyone know of any happenings during 5/13-20?

Thanks!

Welcome back 🙂

When you arrive on 5/13 come check out (and support) Wagapalooza 🙂 our island dog show - great fun time for all - best in show, best rescue dog, best costume, best trick etc, all for a good cause the St John Animal Care Center which is the "no kill" animal shelter, check out the link below - hope to see you there - it starts at 5pm

http://wagapalooza.com/

Karrieb - Wow! congrats! What's the date on your article? I'd love to read it...

How nice of you!!! Glad your daughter likes Slow Travel Talk Chris, it is very, very cool. My article was posted March 5th, its the last page of the Bostn Globe Sunday magazine section called "Couplings", Unfortuately, you can't go on line for it because they only post the most current essay. It was called "The Clash" and I wrote about the issues surrounding decision making when you've been married for a long time versus decision making when you're newleyweds and haven't been burned by much yet. We've been talking about retirement locations (ie NO SNOW) and since we can't afford STJ and really don't want permanent island living for a number of reasons, the hunt/decision making is on forsomething that makes us THINK we're on STJ. Luckily we still have about 12-15 years to duke it out! HOWEVER, deciding to save up and return to STJ for a vacation is NEVER a tough decision!

I'm so glad to read that the island has a "no kill" shelter! I volunteer with animal rescues here in the states and wondered what happens with animals on the islands. I read that STT and STX have Humane Societies, but am not sure if they are no kill or not. Being that the islands have limited space/population, I figured there must be a very high euthanasia rate. Glad to see this! 🙂

Hi Gari-Ann,
I don't know about STX, but I was told that the STT shelter does not have the same policy as STJ (unfortunately) 🙁

2 days and it is still unbearable.

🙁 I'm sad to hear that. Maybe at some point that will turn around. Maybe as people's awareness for spaying/neutering/adopting instead of buying goes up, the euthanasia rate will go down. While we were there, we saw a spot on the local news for the shelter in STX. They were showing their pet of the week, a gorgeous german shepherd.

When we were on STT a few weeks ago, we had several feral cats drop by our room. We went to the grocery store for cat food (twice, actually!) because these cats were so very skinny, and they appeared to be either pregnant or nursing. And my animal-loving heart couldn't bear to see that and not do anything about it. In fact, my husband would get up each morning and go out to the patio to see if "his" cats had stopped by yet. 🙂 Two of the cats were extremely mangey. 🙁 Most were very skiddish, but one was super sweet and would let us pet her. The evening before we left, she meowed to us from the balcony above us. As soon as we looked up, three little kitten heads popped up. It was as if she was telling us thanks, and showing us why we'd been so nice to her...for her babies. 🙂 We had some hamburger meat left the day before we left, so we cooked it up and gave it to her. 🙂

Long story, but it makes me smile. 😉

I wonder if they've thought about capturing the stray cats, neutering/spaying them so they can't reproduce, then releasing them again? That would at least help with the cat population.

Darn - thought I *might* still have that issue of Coupling (recycle pile is pretty high), but unfortunately I don't 🙁