Mon 23rd

It had rained all night, but was just cloudy next morning. This was to be our STJ day because there were no cruise ships in. Ferry to Cruz Bay, grab taxi right away to Trunk Bay. This day was not like I pictured in my mind, because I didn't picture clouds, wind etc. Got to Trunk, rented a couple chairs (I forgot the neat sheet back at SH 🙁 ) We get in the water, and its a little rough (almost like Myrtle Beach SC!) but still beautiful. I didn't snorkel any, and it was cold when we got out of the water, but still I just had to pinch myself that I was actually there! (just like at Jost) Well we hung out there until 2:00 or so, then taxi back to Cruz Bay. It rained a little on the way. While in Cruz Bay, we shopped with our swimsuits/coverups on and wished I'd brought a change of clothes. We would have stayed and ate somewhere there if we had. I got some stuff at St John Spice. J bought some inexpensive and gaudy stuff for her daughter (which is just what daughter wanted) at a shop at Wharfside. Mongoose junction was nice. On the ferry the day before to jost, we talked with a boy (age 22) who waited tables at Margarita phils and wanted to eat there but...no clothes. Ferried back to Red Hook, starts sprinkling again as we get into the car.

Forgot to mention that every time we went somewhere we parked in the gravel lot up the hill behind Marina Market for $2/hour or $10 full day. good deal I thought, and they always had room. Plus we'd tip a couple more dollars, or if we just wanted it for 2 hours for dinner, we'd pay for 3 etc. The guy there was very nice, and always acted like it didn't matter what time we came back. Very relaxed if you know what I mean. just thought I'd mention that.

Here are some pics of Trunk Bay.

hubby going into water

Went back to SH to shower/change and back to Red Hook for dinner at Whale of a Tale. This was a great meal, but the most expensive. Dinner was about $30 - $38 per entree. Appitizer (we all had the most fab cream of crab soup) was like $10. I had 1 glass wine ($7.50) and D just had water (WTH?) the bill with tip was $106. I had the fetticini(sp) alfredo with grilled shrimp and D had chicken. Well, the rich bisque and the rich alfredo - I was almost sick afterward! not because the food wasn't good - it was excellent, but I shouldn't have picked 2 rich dishes. Maybe the bill made me sick ha! anyway, with that soup I should've ordered something grilled or just a salad. oh well. Anyway, it absolutely POURED the rain while we were there, and the roof leaked. Now, it things have been as dry for as long as they say, maybe they never knew the roof leaked, but we joked about a meal costing over $200 for the 4 of us, and getting dripped on. Their bartender had called in sick, and our waiter (bless his heart) had to mix drinks too, and so J's frozen margarita was pretty crappy. Weak and watery, not frozen. But, other than that, great place. We would've hung out and looked into some shopps there, or went to Duffy's again if it hadn't been raining, so this may be the only time the rain hindered us the slightest! We also decided later, that if it had been a real hot day, we would've baked at Trunk. There is really no shade on the beach unless you crawl back into some trees. Trunk was beautiful, but we enjoyed the beach at SH more because of the trees/umbrellas etc. so that concludes that day.

Whale of a Tale

Tues 24th
Now when I woke up this day, I just wanted to cry. ( I was up by 6:30 every day) It was raining cats and dogs. Lounged around with a coffee/Bailey's until the other sleepyheads got up. By 9-10:00 sun was coming out! A great day on the beach at SH. There really is no comparison to packing everything up to go to a beach vs just walking 20-30 steps to your condo for your drink, etc. J and I mixed painkillers (and they were just the same as Soggy Dollar's btw!) and snacked on the beach all day. I snorked a couple times - pretty good. Got an imprint on my face for a cuople hours from the mask heehee. Layed there thinking all day - this is the life! Cleaned up (a little) and went to manager's rum punch party on the Blue Moon patio. A little buffet with wings, humus, veggies etc and some rum punch. We sat there talking and drinking and then decided to just order sandwiches there instead of getting in the car and driving to Red Hook. We each ordered a different sandwich (grilled chicken, fish, burger, and I forget the other one) all with pasta salad - pretty good. Just hung out on the patio most of the evening, then crashed.

Rum punch party

Sunset

Wed 25th (last day 🙁 )
Well other than knowing it was our last day - it was a perfect 10. Got up and was in my suit and on the beach with a painkiller in my hand by 9:00!! Now that can't be beat! not a cloud in the sky! Other lazy butts joined me by 9:30-10:00. The water was so much more clearer and absolutely calm. The snorkeling was way better than even the day before. I took pics with a disposable underwater camera, and they are just ok. I would have to scan them to post them, don't know if I'll get to that. I saw schools of blue tang, and some pretty big parrot fish. Others fish (yellow and black) I don't know the names of them. And urchins. I was out for an hour one time - seemed like 15 minutes! The other deadbeats with me never snorkeled. J and D said they couln't breathe thru the tube (D has asthma - says he couldn't get his air fast enough - rolling eyes here) W, who is kinda wierd about water, wouldn't get INTO until this last day! He finally donned a mask, and was amazed. Told ya! we hung out on beach until about 5:00. Finished up the rest of the snack/booze/painkiller ingredients, etc. Really hated to leave the beach today, it was just perfect. Definitely ended the trip with a bang with this day. I went to office to print up boarding passes on their computer (fast internet and printer), which really didn't save any time the next day and cost about $6 total. We then went to Iggies for the Caribbean night - one word - LAME! The buffet was so so, meat kinda cold. It was $27/pp with $2 Cruzan drinks not bad. Intertainment - boring. Not a fantastic time I will have to say. I COATED myself with SSS Bug Guard and still have bites that I'm pretty sure I got that night from the sand. I didn't get too bit in a restaurant but at Iggies, your feet is in the sand, so you get bit more. I don't know if anything would have helped, I think the key is to stay out the sand after dark. I forgot camera for Iggies also. Went back to SH and packed. 🙁

Some SH beach pics

I could work at Hooters with this snorkel vest!

more indoor SH pics

Thursday 26th going home 🙁
Woke up to cloudy skies so not as bummed about leaving as I could've been. Checked out and left SH about 9:15 to shop at Havensight a little more. J ended up buying a diamond bracelet too. Saw one I liked for about 2 grand, pass on that, I'd rather come back here again next year. Did get me some nice gold hoop earrings tho. Then we go thru the most awful traffic ever in downtown CA. Because of Carnival (maybe parade day?) the main street was blocked off and we had to take a very narrow back street (rt 308?) thru town. We sat still alot, creeped a little, sat some more... Hubby was very stressed, again, I navigated from the back seat. W likes to look around, not much on helping with directions. Took nearly and hour and we arrive at Tickles Pub in Crown Bay Marina (I had a $20 coupon waiting with my name on it -thanks Lou the owner and Alex Randall!!) its about 11:30 now and we wanted to be at the airport by 12:30. Had a pretty good lunch there. Well, my ceasar salad had great dressing but the lettuce was kinda brown. I would've thrown it out of my own fridge days ago. Conch fritters - again, SH had the best all week. But, they did have awesome mango cheesecake! yumm.

inside Tickles

Left there at 12:20 or so. Check in at airport was kinda nightmarish. Did no good to have boarding passes already printed - they printed new ones. Skycap helped with luggage - worth the $ tip as we were checking nearly everything going home, including 3 boxes of liquor (2 mine, 1 J's) Husband took rental car back as the rest of us handled the checking in. At last minute, D decides he better get his passport out of luggage (thought he'd just use drivers license going home) and good thing he did. As I mentioned when arriving in EWR, port authority was checking passports as we exited plane. When leaving EWR for Columbus, same thing as going down. Sit and Sit and Sit for over an hour before taking off. D tells me from now on to avoid all new york airports when traveling..ok. rolling eyes. Arrive tired but tan and happy as a lark because we'd just had the best vacation ever!

One bad thing - one of my boxes of liquor which contained 2 coconut rums, 1 rum creme and the free 750ml bottle of dark rum, didn't make it. THey called me the next day and said that it arrived broken (hummm) and that there was no point in them delivering broken glass to me. so they will mail me a $50 coupon toward another flight (I assumed Continental) good for the next year. oh well. so I spent the $68 basically on 1 pineapple rum, 1 rum cream, 1 Kahlua and 1 Capt morgan's spiced rum. Still a deal, since they are all full liters.

I want to say that we simply loved Secret Harbour. We talked about returning someday and staying on STJ, possibly Gallows Point, but I really think you can't beat Secret Harbour for the convenience (sp). Having such a great beach, great restaurant, great water and snorkeling right there in front of you is just indescribeable (again, sp). To be able to mix your drinks and walk 20 steps out to your lounge chair in front of a beautiful beach it terrific. So, if we come back, and we definitely want to, I might want to stay at SH again, and just ferry to the other islands again.

Things I wanted to do but no time -
see Megan's Bay and coki beach
go to Paradise Point
have dinner in Cruz Bay - anywhere

Things I'm glad I did -
White Bay on Jost - soggy Dollar
Trunk Bay
Latitude 18

Things I'd skip next time -
Iggies

This has been quite a ride! Thanks to all who post on this forum and have helped me tremendously in planning this trip. I can't for the life of me, imagine going down there and not knowing what, where, when and how all the stuff I've learned from this board. From car renting to restaurants to ferry info, this message board is invalueable (I keep using words I can't spell). I hope to be of help to others who have questions someday.

Forgot to mention on Part 1 - the trip to Jost was $50/pp and there was no additional fee for customs. Also, on the way back, when the guy on the ferry gives us our customs paper to fill out - all he had was is Spanish!! he just said, do the best you can! ha! I kind of remembered what the questions were from the one we filled out in the morning, but not all. And I scibbled out, then put something else etc, it was a mess but they accepted it! but hey its da way it done in da ilons mon!

leaving you with this pic