Hello all! First and foremost, I'd like to pass along a huge thank you to everyone who posts on this board. It was a tremendous resource to have!

We arrived in STT on Feb. 4th at about 6:30 p.m., of course it was dark by then. We rented a car from Budget, which was definitely reasonable for the week. We made our way over to the east end to Crystal Cove, where we stayed for the week. We made it to Crystal Cove, where a rep was supposed to meet us to show us to our condo. Well, no rep. I made a phone call and within 2 minutes a very pleasant and friendly Antilles rep arrived. He showed us everything in our condo, pointed us in the direction of the beach, pool, laundry, general directions to Red Hook and other nearby locations. He was so welcoming and helpful. We dropped our stuff and headed for Red Hook for some dinner. We ended up at the Frigate. Not bad, had our first bushwackers, steak, shrimp, etc.. Good food, a little pricey, but not bad. Walked to the beach (Sapphire). Couldn't see anything because it was dark, but we listened to the sound of the waves and walked in the water.

Saturday
Woke up early and went out to Sapphire beach, only about 200 yards from our room. A beautiful, sunny day. Chatted with the beach attendant, Dianna, and headed out to Marina Market and Food Center to stock up for the week. Great selection of meats, fish and cold cuts at Marina Market. Food Center is much larger, more variety. Both were great. We ended up going into Havensight for the afternoon to look around, as it was fairly quiet with Cruise Ships (if that's possible!). Shopped around, bought a nice piece at Cardow's at a very nice price. If your in the market for jewlery, I'd recommend Cardow's. Very good prices and great Customer service. We drove up to Paradise Point for the famous bushwackers (very tasty!) and enjoyed the view very much. Ate in at the condo for dinner and relaxed.

Sunday
The only cloudy, rainy day out of the 7 days, but still warm. We went to Coral World....a good place if you have kids. For us, it was ok we really just wanted to get out and see things. Travelled around a bit. Went up to Drake's Seat, which overlooks Magens Bay. Even on a cloudy, rainy day, it was absolutely beautiful!!! What a view!!! At the overlook a nice local man came over to us and pointed things out and talked about some other locations we shouldn't miss. Kept travelling up to Moutain Top for the view and of course the famous banana daiquiris...yummy! Kept travelling and went over to Hull Bay to check it out. Surfers were out....swells were pretty large. Oh, I forgot we also went over to Magens just to see where it was and stopped at Udder Delight. If you go to Magens, you must stop here. There shakes are superb!!! Ate in again tonight and boyfriend watched the SuperBowl....even on vacation, you can't miss it!

Monday
Got up early and took the car ferry over to St. John for the day. I was a little weary about taking the car over. But we got right on to the ferry with only about 5 other cars and off we went! A quick easy trip over to STJ. Went off to the North shore beaches for the day. I think we stopped at just about every senic overlook there was! The views are not to be missed. First stop, Trunk Bay. The sea was very rough in the morning and there was barely any beach. Took some photos and moved on to Cinnamon Bay. Same rough seas and no beach. We talked with one of the park rangers and he said all the North Shore beaches would be rough so we went over to the South side to Salt Pond Bay. A short walk from the car down a path to the beach. Beautiful beach, calm water and not a lot of people. We stayed here all afternoon until about 2 p.m. Tried to go over to Lameshure, but as soon as we hit the dirt road and saw what we'd have to travel over, we turned around because we didn't have 4WD. Went back to the North side stopped at Hawksnest and Trunk. Bot are beautiful, but Trunk was by far our favorite. Long sandy beach, sandy bottom in the ocean. Waves were still big, but there was lots of beach. Played in the waves which was fun! We didn't snorkle at Trunk because it was so choppy....the only disappointment. Headed back on the 5 p.m. car ferry, which was full, but still not a problem at all! We ate at the East End Cafe which was great, steak (again for my boyfriend) and mahi-mahi for me. Excellent food and great service.

Tuesday
Went to Magens Bay for the day. We got there a bit late and the beach was packed. We went down the left side a while were the crowds thinned out. Found a great spot and hunkered down for the day. SO BEAUTIFUL! Water and beach were great...so sandy and pretty calm. It's a toss up between Trunk and Magens for my favorite! Ate in again for dinner and chilled out on Sapphire in the evening.

Wednesday
Went out to the BIV's on the New Horizons II trip. First stop, the Baths. The Baths are incredible! Since the NHII is a powerboat, we were able to get there before most of the other boats arrived. The swells were up again, so we had to taxis into the Baths and hike down the trail. We weren't disappointed at all. The hike was easy, the views superb. The caves and grottos were great! If you go to the Baths, I'd recommend wearing something like Tevas or Chacos or some sort of sandals with straps, it makes it alot easier. Spent about an hour and a half here. Second stop, Marina Cay for lunch at Pussers. What a spot! A beautiful little cay with a restaurant a super small hotel with like 5 room and a couple of villas. It's only like 6 acres big! Great lunch, be careful with the painkillers...they're leathal!!!!!!!! Third stop, snorkling off Guana Island. Great location, coral was beautiful, lots of fish, barracudas, etc... Fourth stop, Jost Van Dyke and the Soggy Dollar Bar. Jost is fantastic! We swam in from the boat (a quick swim)...hence the name Soggy Dollar! Beautiful, sandy beach with hammocks, beach chairs, bar, souvenir store, etc... Final stop, STJ to clear customs and back to STT. This was a fantastic trip on the NHII. Dave (the captain) and Kate "the deck mate" were the best! Kate kept the open bar flowing all day...painkillers, mimosas, whatever you like they have it...not to mention the snacks. If you're thinking about a trip to the BVI, do the NHII trip. It's well worth the money and a great way to see multiple islands.

Thursday
A lazy day in the sun! Stayed at Sapphire all day until early evening. Sapphire is a great beach. I found it to be fairly quiet compared to Magens. Mostly people from the hotel and condos on the beach. Went into town in the evening to pick up some gifts. Ate dinner and had drinks at the Carribean Saloon. Food was okay, drinks were good, service needed help (although I think it was just our particular waiter beacuse everyone else was great). A fun spot for drinks, especially if you're into sports (lots of big screen tv's).

Friday
Our final day. Got up early for some final time in the carribean sun at Saphire! Got a few hours of sun before we had to pack up and head for the airport.

Overall, our vacation was fantastic. We certainly didn't want to get on the plane. I think I'm hooked! It was our first trip to the USVI, so everything was an experience. STT was a great first trip. When we go back, I think we'll try a villa on STJ or the BVI's. There alot less hectic.

Words of wisdom:
1. Take bug spray or buy some there. As much discussion as there is about the bugs on this site, they are out...especially in the evening and early morning. The spray will keep you happy and a little less itchy!
2. Take a day, two or three and spend it on STJ. It's so beautiful and shouldn't be missed if you're staying on STT.
3. Rent a vehicle, it's the best way to see the islands on your own time. Call Budget before renting to see if they have the coupon books!
4. GO TO TRUNK & MAGEN'S...DON'T MISS THEM
5. Take the New Horizon's II trip to the BVI's. Bit the bullet and spend the money, you won't be disappointed!
6. Have the best time of your life. There's so much to do and see! Don't worry about what time it is, don't wear a watch, etc...

It was definitely difficult to get on the plane and leave the islands. They're so beautiful, the best beaches and the most turqoise blue water you'll ever see! Now I'm back in the cold, snowy winter, longing to be back on the beach! I hope this trip report helps someone planning their own trip or just plain helps someone get through the winter! I hope I covered everything, I'm sure I didn't because there's just so much to write about!