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Well, we are on our flight home so I thought I’d finish up our trip reports. Hope you enjoyed parts 1 & 2. I think it is essential that all who follow these forums give a report, no matter how brief or long, on some part of what they enjoyed so others may learn. You have to give it away to keep it, my friends.
Monday thru Wednesday were some of the most beautiful days on the island. You could literally see to the end of the sea. St. Croix homes were in sight as well as the islands near Puerto Rico. It was an awesome couple of days weather wise and we took advantage of that. A little too much, I’m afraid. If I were a steak, my shoulders would be considered medium well. The sun is very intense at times and I burned a little despite lots of SPF 50.
We returned to Havensight and port authority to Local Color, a shop of women’s clothes. The young ladies who waited on us were awesome and the wife found some nice buys. We ventured across the street to Hooters for appetizers and dessert. I was forewarned that the service may be a little slow but it is quite understandable. Those poor lasses are so poor that they can hardly afford any clothing and if they are malnourished as well, then they probably are too cold and don’t have the strength to move very fast. J Actually, our waitress was very nice but the food wasn’t up to the standards set by others on the island. You may find this hard to believe, but that was our first ever trip to Hooters.
We ate at Grand Cru our last lunch. It is in Yacht Haven Grande. The wife loved here spinach salad with shrimp and my chicken club sandwich was very good. I chose the cole slaw over those awful, dry sea salt chips they serve on the island and the slaw was fantastic. I was a little put out with the bill of $40 that included two $4 glasses of tea. Wow! A little shell shocked on that, but it is STT.
A couple things that I find interesting about STT. The jewelry stores are all owned by middle eastern folks as are most of the grocery stores on this island. That is not a bad thing, just struck me as a little odd. Second, why do so many people hang around the grocery store and mall entrances? Are they waiting for shuttles or is that just a local gathering place like our coffee shops back home?
One piece of advice I learned on a forum and I will share with you again. If you came to this island to relax, then you came to the right place. Because no one, I repeat NO ONE is in a hurry on this island. So don’t get upset when someone stops their car ahead of you to shake a neighbor’s hand; or when your waitress seems to be rather slow serving you; or when the clerk behind the counter seems preoccupied. RELAX! It’s the way of life on St Thomas and frankly, I kind of liked it. Correction, I loved it.
Ciao’ friends.
Gregg
gregg,
so glad that you and your wife enjoyed your stay here, and we shared with steve from wimco your entries on this board. in saying this i "out" myself, but i am not trying to make an advert, just conversation online.
(to the reader, in case the reference is odd, please note the days 5-7 report at https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/read.php?4,112082; there was also a report for days 1-4 at https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/read.php?4,112047)
i am laughing about your contrasting restaurant choices, which just shows that you two don't mind hitting different paths. grande cru is considered one of our more luxe eateries, and while everyone is very kind there, i have never thought of hooter's as being an attraction because of the food! *wink, nudge!*
the people near the groceries are either "liming": relaxing (playing dominoes or catching a chat) or trying to get transport... and yes, many of the merchants here are east indian, north african or middle eastern. there are many virgin islanders who pursue other businesses and careers that relate to living here, such as home building and design, doctors, lawyers, teachers... i guess it may be the tourism aspect that appeals to a portion of the population. but trust me, virgin islanders and other residents do enjoy opportunities here.
the reports are excellent and what i liked most about them is the fact that you came to the islands with a particular mindset of just taking things in, noting what was different, and accepting it. that which you could do without, you observed without disparaging. (tu)
austinill wrote:
One piece of advice I learned on a forum and I will share with you again. If you came to this island to relax, then you came to the right place. Because no one, I repeat NO ONE is in a hurry on this island. So don’t get upset when someone stops their car ahead of you to shake a neighbor’s hand; or when your waitress seems to be rather slow serving you; or when the clerk behind the counter seems preoccupied. RELAX! It’s the way of life on St Thomas and frankly, I kind of liked it. Correction, I loved it.
You got it! This is the most difficult concept for most visitors to understand, and the reason quite a few people, that move here to live, end up leaving in a few months. We call it "Island Time", and if you can learn to roll with it - Life is Good.
Thanks anita. Yeah, I guess we were "all over the board" on restaurant choices, but there isn't much difference between a $10 hamburger and a $16 hamburger except for the presentation and the price. 😉
I was a little put out by a $4 dollar glass of tea, but at least they served a second glass "FREE". We are so used to getting free refills on the mainland and that doesn't happen on STT.
It was great working with you and your associates. I also want others to know that I am not intending to promote any company over any others, I just gave honest appraisals of what I experienced while on STT. Our positive attitude coming to STT was a key to our enjoyable stay, but the people who helped us, served us and waited on us made it that much more pleasant.
Someone told me once that if I concentrate on the negatives, the negativity increases. If I accentuate the positive, the positives increase.
That's a pretty good way to live life.
I feel impelled to put in my two cents about "island time" and in many respects don't agree that in all areas it should be taken as a given and should be something which visitors should simply adapt to.
In my day to day life here which has spanned over a quarter of a century, "island time" when it comes to service has its limitations. I get easily vexed when, for instance, a service provider promises they'll be here at such and such a time to fix something and then arrives four hours later or not at all and then, when I question them, they shrug and offer some lame excuse. They don't understand that my time is also important and that there's an instrument called the telephone to advise of any change in plans.
Where visitors are concerned, poor management is very often at fault when it comes to, for instance, dining. As a restaurant owner of 16 years now, it doesn't sit well with me to dine out if, after 25 minutes and one cocktail, the appetizer has yet to appear. And it doesn't sit well with me if, when the app arrives and is done, the entree takes another 30-40 minutes to appear. However good the food is once it appears, I'm already ticked off and just want to go home and go to sleep!
I don't take it out on the waitstaff where the tip is concerned but only if they've been apologetic and are doing their job properly. Not their fault that management can't deliver.
My gripe list could go on ad nauseam but so very often it boils down to simply poor management. If a restaurant gets overloaded with walk-in customers beyond its capabilities, it behooves a good manager to say, "I'm really sorry to disappoint you but we've been slammed tonight and just can't accommodate you." Of course there are variations on that theme but the bottom line is that you have to be honest about what you can deliver. If you can't do it then don't, otherwise you'll royally tick off people and word travels fast.
austinhill - not unusual at all that refills aren't the norm here but I hope that that glass of tea was a 20oz offering and not a highball! My 20oz is $2.50 and no refill. And I hope you'll soon be making plans to return and discover the places you weren't able to fit into your schedule! Cheers!
Phew. My vent is over and done with, the first dishwasher load is almost done and, once a few more things are put away, I go to sleep perchance to dream!
You get free iced tea refills at Delly Deck. Hooter's all you can eat wings are worth it if you like wings.
STTR, thanks for the reply. I understand your concerns as a businesswoman in the restaurant business. Your scenario differs from mine is that while on STT, you are still working and I am not. My schedule is more flexible and I NEED to learn to relax on STT while you are still in the mode of work. The point I wanted to make is that when people are on vacation and STILL in a "hurry up" mode, they will be in a bad mood all day.
Yes, you're right, there is a difference between a lazy waitress and a waitress that must wait on food prep to serve the customers. I didn't see any lazy waitpeople because most of them work 2-3 different jobs on the island.
As for the tea, it's just that it has become the "norm" on the mainland almost to the point of being overaggressive on wait staff. Some restaurants keep "bringing more soda" to you when you don't want or need it. I would rather have water refills than more soda. But, your climate leads to a bigger thirst and I was hoping for another tea and when informed refills are not free, I immediately slowed my tea consumption and asked for water.
Yes, I want to come back. I will schedule it next time so I have 2 weekends available instead of just one. We left Thursday afternoon and thus, had no more shots to get to that quaint english restaurant on the east side. Meeting you would have been a treat because I believe we have a lot in common. We work hard, love helping people and have a "strange" sense of humor that only crazy people like you and me can appreciate. 😀
god bless
austinill wrote:
Someone told me once that if I concentrate on the negatives, the negativity increases. If I accentuate the positive, the positives increase.
That's a pretty good way to live life.
amen 2 that!!! 😀
ms411 wrote:
You get free iced tea refills at Delly Deck. Hooter's all you can eat wings are worth it if you like wings.
hi ms411, nice to finally meet you after all these years corresponding online!
i don't drink iced tea here (LOL, the southern roots in this ny gal, i like "sweet tea" - and no, adding the stuff at the table just isn't the same!), but i remember seeing a lot of refilling for others at my table when i eat at tickle's in crown bay as well.
austinill: now, suddenly i remember your vinow handle! i first saw it in a thread by someone who is like the EXACT opposite of you and your wife, looking for advice on an upcoming visit. not gonna post the link because that would just be rehashing the past, but the thread is freaking hi-LAR-ious, now that i read it again!
wonder if she ever made it in, and if she did, wonder if she had the time of her life (which she should have had)!
A Davis wrote:
[quote=ms411]austinill: now, suddenly i remember your vinow handle! i first saw it in a thread by someone who is like the EXACT opposite of you and your wife, looking for advice on an upcoming visit. not gonna post the link because that would just be rehashing the past, but the thread is freaking hi-LAR-ious, now that i read it again!
wonder if she ever made it in, and if she did, wonder if she had the time of her life (which she should have had)!
Yes anita, I remember that post as well. Which brings up another of my favorite sayings I've learned over the years.
"The higher your expectations, the lower your serenity."
If you expect the world to be given to you, you will be sorely disappointed when you don't get it.
I'm glad I'm off the island for one thing: I was not there when she arrived. LOL
Tickles do offer free tea refills and I see some people sit at the bar just drinking that and wasting space. They don't order anything else.
Don't visit NYC if you need free refills - no restaurant in the city offers free refills of ANYTHING, including iced tea! Tap water is the only thing NYC restaurants don't charge extra for if you ask for another glass! 🙁
