Hi gang. I'm glad to read that everyone is enjoying the reports. Today, we tried to make lemonade out of lemons, so we started off by going up to Mountain Top. No view at all - totally clouded over. But, they have THE BEST carrot muffins up there. After a couple of muffins/coffee and OJ, we shopped in EVERY store up there.

Sherri called while we were there, and came to say hello with her daughter and beautiful baby granddaughter. Rain was off and on at this point.

We then headed to Havensight, but the rain was coming down and we didn't feel like running from store to store in the rain, so we went to Red Hook. More shopping and then to Sapphire.

By this time, the rain had ended and sun was peeking through. We watched people in the water, jumping the high waves. Looked like fun, but were didn't have suits with us. Plus, we were feeling chilled and the wind was really blowing out there.

We walked the marina docks looking for crabs and big iguanas - found both. Then we built a fort our of coral on the beach. Surveyed the Sapphire pool - no ducks and no poop. Seems that the closure of the restaurant has given the ducks no more reason to hang around (no food being dropped). Pool looked sparkling clean - thank goodness.

Then we went to KMart and wound up buying some DVDs for the house, more bottled water, wine.

Came home and watched one of the movies. Then discovered that we were hungy at 8:30p (7:30 Eastern). Too lazy to really go out - so we just went to Indigo (5 mins away) and had soup and salad. Came back and daughter immediately fell asleep.

I am off to start a book - finally! Wind is really whipping out here - so I guess power will go off soon. More later!

Blu,

Even though the weather isn't "ideal", I'd rather be there than here! Enjoy the rest & relaxation and be thankful you aren't looking at melting snow (or in my case, 5 inches of melting ice)!

You're a great Mom!

😉

ms411, I forgot to THANK YOU for the earring recommendation. Will have to hit Captain's Corner before we go!

Boys and Girls, the word for TODAY is .....BODYSURF!

Woke up really late today....vacation time has really set in. Something like 9:30am....which is 10:30am our time at home. Yikes! We've become lazy island beach bums!

Decided to head to STJ today! Packed a bag full of towels. Jumped in car and realized it is already 11:30. No way will we make the noon ferry. But, we tried. Parked at the new parking lot in Red Hook (you enter via the Marina Market lot) and pay $10 for all day. They have nice shuttle vans that take you to and from the ferry dock. We were given a spot in the place of one of the "regular customers", so I was asked to leave my keys in case that customer showed up. Ok, going to trust and leave keys. No receipt for keys. Paid $10 - no receipt for payment. Nice guy gave us ride to Molly Malone's since we saw ferry pulling out on way down from lot. Decided to have lunch at Molly's.

At Molly's we had the obligatory.....Conch Chowder. Everyone, do yourselves a favor and get some conch chowder at Molly's. Also, as a first for me, I tried the fried grouper sandwich. Yummmmmm! Another new favorite! Daughter had the pasta and marinara sauce on the kids menu and said is was THE BEST! We were now almost running late for 1pm ferry, so waitress put my rum punch in plastic cup and off we went. Also, Molly's has THE MOST enthusiastic wait staff. They really seem glad to see you - and glad to serve you - and just all around GLAD!!! Molly's wins for best effort on making the customer feel welcomed and appreciated! Try them...you'll see what I mean.

Dashed to ferry and made it on time. I was concerned that we'd just gulped down lunch and ran to ferry ...and seas were looking really rough! But, no problem. Got off of ferry and daughter and I decided to go see Ruth at STJ Spice. Just as we started to make the right turn up to Ruth's stores (yes, Stores with an S. Ruth has now opened a second store - a children's clothing and toy shop that gets rave reviews)....the taxi drivers were calling "TRUNK BAY"....and I decided that we'd better follow the crowd and get to Trunk Bay, rather than waiting and being the lone taxi passengers who have to wait. Just as we were headed to the taxi, I heard my name being called from above. It was RUTH! Big waves and hellos all around. I promised we'd be back after the beach. Ruth was yelling for us to "GO!!!!"...since the "SUN IS OUT"! Yes, the sun was out and we were excited to go, so off we went. I 'd really wanted to see Ruth. But, the beach was calling after 2 days of cold and clouds. We'll see Ruth before we go, I'm sure. I need some sauces and rubs for home from her Spice Shop.

Paid our $6 pp to get to Trunk Bay and at the entry window the National Park person warned us that no snorkeling was allowed today and the water was very rough. Ok, that's expected. But, HELLO, I was not expecting a scene from Hawaii 5-0 (am I dating myself with that?). Waves were crashing with a thunderous roar. People were on shore taking photos and staying clear. Some daring folks were in the water, being thrashed about. I looked down at my tankini and wondered if it would stay on. Daughter was thrilled! Hooray! it was like her favorite day at the Jersey shore, but with blue water and Caribbean sand. Lifeguards were on full alert and standing at water's edge.

After finding one of the rare spots where water was not washing up to the trees (yes, it was washing ALL the way up!) we went to the water's edge and I felt the pull and pressure of the sea. "c'mon Mom!!!" So, I grabbed both of her wrists and we went in further. SMACK! We got hit and tumbled around. She was cheering while I was checking to ensure that my suit was covering all vital parts. Suuuuuuuuuck......the water was pulling out with such force......I had to dig my feet into the sand to hold on and not get sucked out with it. My daughter was totally helpless, being sucked out and only being saved by me holding her wrists....

After 10 minutes or so, I was exhausted. Back to our towels to rest up and catch our breath. The lifeguard walked over and said something like "1000 pounds of pressure - the best way to enjoy this kind of sea is to sit here and do what you are doing now - just look at it".

Daughter looked at me and said "Can we go back in now"? I convinced her to dig a hole, build a sandcastle, etc.

After a while, I noticed that the swimmers who were out past the breaking point were enjoying the waves without being tossed around like ragdolls - they were sort of floating OVER the hills, before they broke into waves. Daughter is now a relatively strong swimmer. So, I agreed to take her back in, as long as we stayed out past the breaks. This meant that she had to stay in water over her head most of the time, which was far safer than being in the breaks. Thank GAWD for the vigorous swim lessons from Girl Scout camp last summer. My little one is a master water treader.

Around 4 pm, she announced that she'd had enough. (thank goodness!) We headed in to shower and change. We caught a taxi to Pastory Gardens and the Compass Rose Restaurant. She had the chicken tenders and fries and I had to Compass Rose Cobb Salad with grilled shrimp. We paid for our mini-golf game as part of our dining bill and then went down to play 18 holes of miniature golf in one of the most beautiful settings ever. There are no moving characters or motorized things to get into the way (you know...windmills, etc)...but there are lots of water traps and sand traps....and the setting is so fabulous and tropical. You have to try this!

After the game (which, I lost) we called a taxi and rode back to CruzBay -$4pp- and went to see if Ruth was around. Sadly, she wasn't 🙁 But, my daughter enjoyed the kids boutique and bought a few things (a necklace, a stretchy frog and some tattoos). The other kids and parents were all raving about the things in the store that they hadn't seen anywhere else. There was some kind of buttfish thing that everyone was going wild over. Ruth will need to explain that one.

We then went to iScream for ice cream and ate in out on the beach in front of the Beach Bar---soooo yummy! Daughter got a last jolt of energy and decided to build another sandcastle, right there. She was a little bundle of energy and really got into it. By now, it was totally dark and Cruz Bay was alive with the pulse of the night crowd.

We decided to catch the 8pm ferry back to STT. The shuttle van from the parking lot was waiting in the ferry lot as we got off. We climbed on, along with a few others, and were shuttled back to the lot. No problem getting keys back and getting car.

All in all, this was a perfect vacation day! (I am literally smiling as I write this).

Tomorrow - Virgin Gorda and The Baths. If I don't check in tomorrow night, it is because StuScott was wrong about the passport/birth cert thing. LOL.....

I'm glad you had a great time you deserved it.

Blu,
Can't wait to hear about your trip to Virgin Gorda! Another great day for sure! I hope you took those 2 extra days you were questioning about! 🙂

Thursday:

Today, we awoke at 6:15 am so that we could leave by 7am to catch what I thought was an 8am ferry to Virgin Gorda. I'm not sure where I read the 8am time, but I'm sure that I read it somewhere (should have called).

We left the house at 7 am and got caught in the "rush hour" traffic going down the hill on rt 35. (the road that winds up near Mafolie). The bumper to bumper traffic began up by the castle and was steady all the way down to Hospital Ground. Luckily, we'd allowed time for such things.

Got downtown, parked and went to the ferry terminal. It was really confusing to find which ferry was going where. I don't recall being so confused last time I did this. There were about 4 different ferry companies with signs and schedules posted. None of them indicated Virgin Gorda. Most were going to Tortola and St Croix. I waited in a line and asked the nice lady about Virgin Gorda. She asked me for passports and I handed her my passport and daughter's birth cert - no problem. She handed me a pretty postcard for Virgin Gorda with a Smithe's Ferry schedule on it. All schedules were between Road Town, Tortola and Virgin Gorda. The other side of the postcard was the schedule for Anegada - with a picture of a beautiful pink flamingo. Do they really have pink flamingos on Anegada?

The woman told me that I had to connect via Road Town for the VG ferry. I asked her about the special VG ferry and she asked another woman behind her, who said I needed to wait for the "Speedy's Man" to arrive, and that I could get tickets from him for the 8:45am VG ferry - she said "today is Thursday, so you can catch that one". Ok, this sounded more like it. The time sounded later than I'd expected, but I knew that the ferry I needed was one that only ran on certain days.

The Speedy's Man arrived a few mins later and I asked him (very quiet, not too friendly guy). He asked me for passports, and I repeated the passport, BC handover (each time worrying that someone would deny us for the BC). He asked me how old my daughter was and told me that the roundtrip fare would be $60 for me and $40 for her (under 12). He handed me 2 boarding passes and then told me that I pad to pay once I was on the boat, which meant I needed cash. I had cash on me, but not enough to feel comfortable with handing over $100 and still having cash for VG taxi and meal and whatever else. So, we used the extra time to walk down to the 1st Bank's ATM.

While walking, we passed one of those mega-yachts anchored in the harbor and my daughter says "mom, for my sweet 16, I want to have it on one of those boats". Good grief! No more MTV "My Super Sweet 16" shows for her - not to mention that she's having a 9th bday in 2 wks for her entire class plus other friends (laser tag party at the sports club). Every year, we spend months working on the birthday party ideas. I have 7 years to undo her mind about her bday party needing to be the social event of the year - but, secretly, I looked at that yacht and thought "hmmmm, that WOULD be a cool place to have a sweet 16! But, how would I get all of the kids down here?" LOL

Back at the ferry terminal we showed our passes to the gate agent to enter the waiting area. Sat down and filled out the customs forms we'd been given. An older lady next to me admitted that she was new to the islands and wasn't sure which ferry she was going on. She asked me which one I was going on, and I explained that I was headed to Virgin Gorda on the non-stop ferry "Speedy's Delight". Another woman heard me say that and came over. She was from Massachusetts and was visiting with her 11 yr old son. She said that she was staying on Water Island and headed to Tortola for an overnight visit, but had always wanted to visit Virgin Gorda and wondered if I would mind if she and her son came along with us. She would then ferry from VG back to Tortola at the end of the day. Sounded fine to me¡K..so she went back in and bought a ticket for the VG ferry. I have to give her credit, she had no lodging plans on Tortola and was totally playing it be ear¡K.taking her son on an island-hopping adventure.

We boarded the small ferry (you could sit inside below or up on top on the open deck). We opted for up top. My companion and her son sat below. There were only 5 passengers on top and maybe 6 below. The top had capacity for 16. Again, this was a very small ferry - morel like a larger speed boat. The ferry pulled out and, surprisingly, the ride wasn't all that bumpy. I had been afraid of the way the seas were still looking. It was a beautiful ride¡K.passing all of the islands along the way. I was interested to see the little islands that I'd thought were uninhabited¡Kbut found a few homes on them¡K.and to see all of the large, luxurious villas and private homes ringing the base of STT. I tried to memorize their looks so that I could look some of them up to see if they are for rent. Cabrita Point had some really lovely looking new ones - LOTS OF development going on over there. It took us about 1hr and 15 mins to reach VG and the sun was out in full blaze.

Once off the ferry on VG, we had to clear customs. The customs agent didn't like that my companion didn't have a defined place to stay. They gave her a little hassle about it, but she promised to call around once she got to Tortola. What was interesting was that she kept insisting to the agents that she was with ME. I was looking like "don't get me involved!" I gave her the name of a small beach hotel on Tortola and said I knew it was a nice place and she could just call and try to get a reservation. She just nodded, but never took the info. I was getting kind of suspicious about her¡Kbut decided not to think about it too much. We all jumped into a taxi and went to the Baths. Hmmm, I don't recall having to pay to enter the Baths! But, NPS has a hut at the top and you have to pay to enter - only $3 (children are free) and they do have lockers and restroom facilities at the bottom.

We decided that we were all hungry (no breakfast), so we went to the restaurant at the top. Food was expensive, but that was expected. There is a lovely free-form pool for swimming and an AMAZING view from up there. We all ordered sandwiches and drinks¡K.and the kids started to get to know each other. Her son was a really nice boy and super smart. This kid knew more about stingrays and manta rays that Discovery Channel has ever taught me. He was like rain-man with the facts about the sea and sea creatures. He said it was his dream to find rays on this trip. Then he hipped out a toy ray from his backpack and used it as a model to teach us the scientific names for the parts.

After a leisurely lunch we all took the hike down to the Baths. The downside to going on the ferries is that you have bags with you. We hadn¡¦t yet noticed the lockers, so we carried our bags in with us and stashed them in between 2 rocks. Other people were doing the same in various places. We did remove our passports, cash and credit cards and put them into waterproof neck carrying cases we had.

I noticed that the water in that first entry room - you know, the one from all the postcards, was coming ALL THE WAY up when waves came in. We waded in (I LOVE this area since my skin burns in sun so easily, it feels so good to be in the SHADE, yet in the water!). I waded out to where it got deep and heard what sounded like a train coming¡Krooooooooooooaaaaaaar! I paused and listened to this hollow roar coming¡K.and all of a sudden this wave of water came around the bend in the rocks and rushed into the area where we were. People got soaked -- ha ha. I'd never seen anything like this inside the baths. A few minutes later¡K..it happened again. There was a long delay between the time you started to hear the roar and the time the wave made it's way into this room, so it became a game to listen, hear the roar and then get the heck out of the way.

The room after this one (for anyone who has frequented the baths - the room where you have to climb over a rock under the water) had sunlight coming into it from above, but was also getting the rush from the waves¡Kso the entire room looked misty. It was so beautiful to see. I went back there with another woman to see if it was safe for the kids, but we decided it wasn't when another little boy followed us¡Kthe rushing wave came in and knocked him into a wall where he hit his head. ƒ¼ He was small¡Kmaybe 5¡K.but still. Too dangerous¡Kand we knew the waves could have gotten bigger at any time.

After that, we climbed and crawled our way around inside. It was more challenging that I recall. At some spots, I had to be on hands and knees or crouched down really low and walking like that. I went into one room where I had crawl on my belly like they do in the army. I was in water several inches deep. The kids had no problems squeezing through, but us moms had a heck of a time in some spaces. The kids were having a BALL - they thought it was the coolest place on earth. We got off of the beaten path and explored deep into the Baths¡Kmaking sure we weren't entering rooms where water was rushing in. We found rooms with only sand on the floor, some with inches of water on the floor, and others with water that came up over my waist.

Finally, we made it out on the other side and found it¡K.the BEAUTIFUL, famed, Devil's Bay. Hmmmm¡K..is this really Devil's Bay, or have we hiked all the way to Hawaii? The waves were even larger (much larger) than those on Trunk Bay the day before. People were body surfing and others were laying on the beach, covered in sand and looking like they were catching their breath (obviously, they'd just been in the water and had been tossed and deposited to where they lay). At one point, a HUGE wave came in and washed completely over a big boulder on the sand¡K..drenching everyone who was standing near it since the water sprayed everyone when the wave crashed over¡Kcamera, video cams, people in dry clothing, etc¡Kall got wet.

Kids played standing up at the water's edge, and I did have to grab them a couple of times as the water knocked them down and started sucking them out. We had fun watching everyone in the water bodysurf and watching the people from the little boats trying to swim back out to their craft. One guy was arguing with his boat's captain because he wanted the boat to be brought in to pick up him and his wife - his boat was something like 20ft. Can you imagine? All of those waves and people in the water, and he wants the boat brought in?? He was whistling and yelling for the captain and waving his arm. The capt finally swam in just to tell him that he was NOT going to bring that boat in. The man just argued and argued. When we left, they were still standing on the shore - the capt had gone back to the boat. Not sure what happened. I couldn't believe he would have the nerve to put everyone in danger like that. If he and his wife couldn't make the swim, they could just taxi over to the dock and get picked up there.

We went back on the typical path and took one last dip into the first "pool" at the beginning - the one with the roar. The waves were getting bigger now, so we stayed in the shallow end. They'd had a sign out about "large numbers of jellyfish" being spotted, but we didn't see one.

Eventually, it was time to go meet "Moore", our Speedy's taxi man. We hiked up and found Moore there. Taxi'd back to the ferry terminal (taxi was $4 round trip/per person).

We sat for a few minutes in the waiting area. I noticed that they had a price-list for beers and other drinks for sale. Guiness was $2.50!! Other beers were either $2 or $2.50 each¡K.good imports!

Loaded up onto the same ferry. Lots more passengers on the return, many going to Tortola since we'll stop there on this trip. Again, we went up top and my companion went below with her son. Our kids really had a good time together, so I am glad she approached me in STT. She was a very friendly and outgoing lady - and true to what I have always written about the public ferry - it is a great way to meet interesting people.

On the way back, the stop in Tortola was brief and efficient. We paid the $5 departure tax, pp and went through a metal detector (like in the airport). Bags were checked (only briefly) and it kept moving along. We were back on the boat in about 15 minutes and then quickly took off for STT (Speedy's is pretty Speedy!). Along the way, my daughter fell asleep. I enjoyed the breeze and the view from my seat. A large bird (frigate?) flew up and glided just over our heads - maybe 4 feet up. It was like he wanted to show us the way. He would then dive into the water¡K.come up and re-take his vantage over our heads. The British flag was flying on our boat. As we entered the STJ area, ferry traffic was really moving¡K..the car ferries were going¡K.the STT/STJ passenger ferries were loaded and moving around. It is amazing that everyone knows who gets to go and when - island transportation at it's best. Just as we entered the STT harbor area, a parasailer was ready to lift off of his boat, which was fun to watch.

Disembarked at STT ferry terminal, cleared customs with no problems (fast!). Out customs agent was also from Philly, so that was fun. He'd just come back to STT the day before, so he gave us the Philly weather update (50 degrees)¡Kwhich confirms what I'd been hearing from friends at home. Good - might make there-entry a little easier.

Daughter's nap had been just enough to give her a second wind. Got into the car and she she felt like swimming. She asked if we could go to Indigo. No problem, since I was pooped and Indigo is so close to home. Luckily, we got a table (it was now 5:30). I had a couple of mojitos and some pasta. A friend came up to join us for dinner- so we sat around talking while daughter swam. After dinner, we used the grotto hot-tub to get really relaxed. But then it was 7:30. Came home, showered, put fresh sheets on the beds and put Sound of Music DVD in (daughter had not yet seen it). I was asleep before Julie Andrews reached the house. Daughter watched the ENTIRE thing and she told me that it was the best movie ever! By then, I think it was midnight - I am writing this at 9:30am Atlantic time - and she's still asleepļ

Someone has invited us to go on a Whale Watching Expedition on Sunday. I think we might do that! The waters are back to looking calm and serene. Things are back to normal - just as the forecast predicted on Tuesday night.

Sherri, yes,we took the extra 2 nights. Mojitos today?

Hi Blu
You are making me wish I was there. Glad to see you are having a great time. I'm waiting for the next installment
Tom

Just reading your report convinced me to vist the baths. It's been more than ten years since our last visit. We will be there in two weeks. Sounds like Thursday is the day to go. We are planning to meet Jeff and Sherri, maybe your same friend Sherri? Rockworks?

Thanks for the great Baths report, Blu!! I simply can't wait to show it to my kids (8 and 10) for the first time in June. Also great to know the birth certificate option is fine for the kids. Glad you are having such a great time with your daughter! And that the sun is shining 🙂

Blu, so much fun reading this report. I just can't wait to see your pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

I MISSED the Mojitos!!! 🙂 Had to clean Rockworks for my guests and then do an airport p/u! Have villa again tomorrow! Thats why I wanted to know if you got those 2 extra days! You can't leave until we have our get together! 🙂
Tell me about the whale trip? When, can anyone go? How mucho?

Hi Rusty! Yes, Blu is referring to me! Looking forward to seeing you in 2 weeks, glad you signed on!

Great report Blu!

Blu,
I'm so envious of you, not just being in the VI's, but being able to have a wonderful vacation just you and your daughter. The benefits of spreading out your pregnancies!haha! It was rare that I had any one-on-one with my boys, much less an entire vacation!

Anyhoo, we have this saying, "looks like they have more money than brains" and I think that lady on the ferry fits that description. To just up and island hop with no reservations is unreal. I've never gone ANYwhere without reservations - I'm a planner. And to do that with a child - scary. Didn't mean to dwell on her - I just keep wondering about her.

waiting to hear more...

Yes, MG, the lady on the ferry is my new hero. She had money, for sure. I got to know a little about her job - banking. She was a brave lady and was really outgoing. You know, one of those people who doesn't hesitate to ask for what she wants and is always shaking hands and smiling. I watched her work her magic all the way to VG and back. People like that seem to get things that the rest of us only wish for.

Sorry about all of the funny characters in the report above. I typed it in Word and then copied it to the forum. Seems that the two don't mix well.

Today, our host (the owner of this house - who lives next-door) invited us to breakfast at Magens. Down for omlets and french toast - Magens has THE BEST breakfast on the island...and you can eat it on the dining tables on the beach.

I then called my son (in college) to have him check the webcam for our pics. As I had often suspected, the photo on the webcam was not accurate. He saw boats that were not in the harbor - and no sign of us. I had often suspected this, since the photos did not match if you watched long enough. Is the Magens Bay webcam a scam?

We walked to the far left end of the beach and hung out, played and swam for a couple of hours. Daughter tried to make friends with some 212s (New York kids)...but it was fruitless. She can never seem to make friends with NY kids 🙁 She tries and tries...and they remain aloof. Rather annoying. Kids from anywhere else are glad to make friends. She asks if they want to play ball, want to make a castle, want to swim. All the while, they snub their noses and basically ignore her. This girl was 9 and asked my D if I was her friend or her sister. Give me a break, I'm her mom...and I'm not looking like her friend or her sister. Whatever.....no friends today.

At Magens, the water area was like a sandbar (from the storms??). You went in, dipped down like normal, then climbed a little hill til the water was really shallow. Then, it remained shallow til you got far out. It was really weird!

We then left Magens Bay,stopped at Udder Delight for shakes and then went to Secret Harbour. Lovely! It was almost 4 when we got to SH. We swam and played in the sand. A man on the shore began playing bagpipes around 5. So nice. We had a nice time here - saw plenty of fish. I had a good rum punch from the bar. Saw a crab crawl across the sand - the second today, the first was at Magens.

Left SH around 6:15 and went to Sopchoppy's for pizza. CROWDED!!!! Got a seat with some friendly folks at a table and ordered 1 cheese (for D) and 1 "everything" (for me). When our pizza came, we started ot eat and I looked up and noticed that the female of a couple walking in - looked familiar - it was the lady from the plane!! She'd sat next to me on the flight down from Phily- the lady who was staying on Neltjberg in a villa- at the point. Flagged her down - hugs all around! She and hubby joined us and we spent the next hour talking about the island. This was her and her hubby's first time. I recommended STJ before they go - Trunk Bay with dinner in Cruz Bay.

Left them (Daughter was BORED) and came home. Daughter wants to watch Sound of Music again. 3 nights to go:( Winding down, folks.

So much left do and see. Still need to get to Toad and Tart on STT for some delicious chowder!!! And, daughter, today, told me that we need to see the "man with the birds" (RonUSVI). Hope we get to see everyone. If not, we'll be back in August for the "long one!". True to my word from last year, trying to do a month this year.

Ok, Julie Andrews is singing in the other room....gotta run!

Dear Blu
I have a few odd questions for you.
Where do you catch Speedy's Delight? I've only traveled between STT and STJ in the past from Red Hook? Also, are there any lockers available near the baths for personal items? Have you ever stayed at Rockworks? It is certainly the most beautiful house and views my family has ever stayed at.
13 days and counting.
Rusty

I'm thinking about doing a trip in July with Stu Scott. Let us hear all about it!!

Rusty, Speedy's Delight is out of Charlotte Amalie ferry terminal - on the waterfront. It is almost directly across from the Holiday Inn hotel. You may see it docked if you ride by. It has the name written on the side - near the front.

Yes, there are lockers for personal items down by the Baths. They were a good size - certainky large enough for a beachbag/backpack and a couple of other items. There is also a bar down at the entrance to the Baths (right on the beach) - "Poor Man's Bar" - and, like I wrote, the restaurant and pool, up top.

I've not stayed at Rockworks, but have visited the villa on a couple of occasions. Yes, breathtaking! There are reports on this forum from people who have stayed there - search for them and read what good things they had to say!

cypress, I didn't go with Stu Scott. I just took the public ferry.

Trip report for today - Saturday.

Woke up late and wasn't in a hurry to do anything. Lazed around til almost noon. Then, packed the car and headed to Coki. On the way, passed a lady thumbing for a ride. Offered her one (paying it forward) - and she said she needed ot get to Red Hook FAST. She was new at her job at Molly Malones and her car just broke down - and she was afraid of being late. So, we took her to Molly's and got her there with 10 mins to spare. She told us that the tourism season is slow this year and Greenhouse just laid off 9 waitresses (she was one of them - but she hustled and got her new job that same day). Felt good to help someone - even in such a minor way.

While in Red Hook, I decided to pick up a couple more gifts for folks back home. Headed to Dolphin Dreams - on of my favorites. Then to the store on the corner of the shopping center - is it called "Life is Good"? They have really great stuff in there - will have to check my receipt for the name.

Headed back to Coki and got a chair($5).We entered Coki from the far left side (local area) and yes, for everyone on the hunt, the ghanja was evident. Hustled my daughter through that area and to the right half of the beach, which is ghanja-free. I was able to scoot close enough to an unoccupied umbrella to catch it's shade. Umbrella rentals are $10 - nooo thanks.

Hung out at Coki til 5:30. Hair braiders are out in full force - and people walking around trying to sell things. Kind of annoying. But, everyone was low key and left you alone if you just said no thanks. They weren't pushy. We ordered our usual Saltfish pate's, but I didn't like them this time. The fish in the middle was not warm at all and neither was the dough - they didn't taste freshly made. We bought from the same lady (in the blue cart/truck thing) as usual. Guess we came too late in the day. I threw half of mine away.

Left Coki and decided to just go to Indigo again. Creative on this trip, aren't we? ha ha. Got there and scored the last available table. All the waitresses seem to know us now. Kate is our favorite.

So, we're sitting there after we'd ordered and someone gets up from another table and comes over. I thought this person was going to ask for a chair - but they kindly asked if they could sit down. Ok. Then they turned to my daughter and said "so, you're enjoying Sound of Music". It immediately registed that this person is from the forum. It was dntw8up!!! Sooooo nice to finally meet up. We chatter for a little while and then said farewell dntw8up, it was a real pleasure to have met you! After you left, my daughter said you were really nice.

Both D and I had the seafood linguini. Just as we were finishing up, we looked up and saw the lady from the plane and her husband again - at the bar. They came over and chatted for a while. Then we went swimming and into the hot tub. After a few mins in the hot tub, a man and woman came in - and the guy lit a cigarette. Daughter HATES cigarette smoke - she almost panics if she sees someone take out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes - so we left. Booooo smokers who light up around others!

Came home and we're doing laundry tonight.

Tomorrow, I may not log on. We've got some special plans that will take us through until our departure on Monday. We're not doing the whale watch - have something else in mind now. Though, lots of people have been spotting whales. I've stopped looking.

Left Coki at 4:30 and

Hi Blu,
Sure hope you finish up that report when you get back home, have to know how the last bit of your stay went!
Dolphin Dreams is a cool store for sure- rarely take the time to ck the stores out. You reminded me that its time to take a peak next time I'm out in the Red Hook area, which isn't often!
Already looking forward to your next trip and you haven't even left yet. Lookin' even MORE forward to seeing you at Indigo's (yup, once again) for lunch today! (I'll do my best not to light up while I am there! Yes, Sherri is a smoker, tho gonna try to quit - 2 packs left)!
Still have to find out about that Whale boat trip, sounds cool and sure would love to see those whales!

Ut oh did they get stuck? I KNOW they should not have any problem since I just brought some people back with just Birth Cert less than 2 weeks ago. Blu - help me out.

Enjoy your reports . We will be trying Indigos this time down. Were there on stt for a surprise 32nd, anniversary in feb. 07 and we will be returning the third week of March 07.
We really loved Rockwork last year, but are saying in Mafolia this time. Sorry Sherri and Jeff. Hopefully next season back there. Your reports have made us realize we need to explore more. We intend to try Water island and Tortola this trip .

Blu--We're loving reading about your trip. We were there the first week of Feb. and it already feels like months ago. Keep those reports comin.