Hey all...I wanted to post this report earlier, but things have been a little hectic since we returned so here goes...Thank you all for your help, information and advice...it proved to be very useful while we were there and is appreciated...

Sunday 10/2 : Off on our Honeymoon!! (Our first trip to the USVI...both of our parents had honeymooned on St. Thomas decades ago so we decided to keep the tradition alive.) We flew AA from Florida to St. Thomas...not a bad trip. Even the brief layover in San Juan was not too bad and we found a couple good shops there to while away some of the time. We planned on hitting a few of them on the return trip but more on that later.

We arrived in St. Thomas and went to the desk for the Westin as we had planned to take their private ferry to the resort. They advised us to get our luggage and hurry to the taxi as they were holding the boat for us and another couple who came in on our flight. We were whisked away and boarded the vessel for what became one of the more frightening parts of the trip. Apparently the captain felt the need to make up time. The ride was supposed to take 45 minutes...he did it in 25. Although a shorter trip sounds good, the full throttle approach and the boat never planing out was awful. Given the number of people getting seasick, the luggage flying all over the boat and the frightened faces of the passengers, it was clear no one enjoyed the trip. We were later told the water was rougher than usual due to weather and told by several people on the boat that despite several trips to the hotel they had never seen the trip that bad. As people left the boat many declined their rum punch as they had been sick. We even heard one person comment the captain of the vessel should "be arrested". We would not go that far, but we declined to ride the ferry again and the Westin refunded the price of the ferry. Interestingly on later days when the water was rough the Westin ferry took people to Red Hook rather than Charlotte Amalie.

The Westin grounds are beautiful. They are meticulously manicured. The rooms are adequate at best (not what you expect from a name brand like Westin). We were there on our Honeymoon and were hoping for something a little nicer. Without going into great detail, there were a number of maintenance problems in our room, but we put up with it for 5 days before we finally had enough and had to speak to a manager. Ultimately, the last manager we talked to was thoughtful and helpful and our concerns were addressed. I read SGP's review and noted we were in the same building (#15) during the same time. We had the same sink problem. (Our persistent puddle under the sink required a bath towel and needed to be fixed and we were not quickly moved but were moved eventually). Suffice to say, on a honeymoon you want everything perfect, and you expect a little more from a name brand like Westin (which I have never had a problem with before). Unfortunately, daily problems put a damper on a trip you want to be perfect.

Our first dinner was at the Westin...their Grille restaurant was good, but a little pricey. We ate there a couple times when the weather was bad or we didn't feel like traveling.

Monday 10/3:
Well for those of you following the weather it was not good this day. We rented our Jeep Liberty from O'Connor (on site at the Westin). They proved to be a good company and responsive to our needs when we had a flat. Their "parking lot" in Cruz Bay is tough to find and we didn't use it, but the people were nice and the car was good! We drove to Starfish Market (a Godsend and cheaper than the Westin's Mango Deli) to stock up on supplies for our mini-fridge. From there we drove around on the very wet roads...good thing we put it in 4WD. We encountered our first switchback just past Trunk Bay and saw a Wrangler unsuccessfully trying to do it in 2WD. Fortunately they did not hit us when they slid down the hill. (Good advice I learned here and FF&4WD GIVE PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CAR IN FRONT!!)

The beaches were deserted due to the weather, and we were just trying to get the lay of the island. We made it to Coral Bay and saw donkeys! We ate at Skinny Legs (one of our favorites) and despite the rain, had a good time. We drove all the way out to East End and turned around for the slippery drive home. We drove back to the Westin and lounged around and had dinner on site.

Tuesday 10/4:
More Rain. We decided to go to St. Thomas to shop. Took the ferry to Red Hook and a cab to Charlotte Amalie. Although 2 trips to St. Thomas and cabs are a little more expensive than the Westin Ferry, it was worth the extra money not to have to worry about seasickness or capsizing. The ferry ride, despite higher seas, was much better and a shorter trip than the Westin's boat.

We found a few good deals in Charlotte Amalie. We shopped up and down Main Street and some of the side streets. We bought a bunch of stuff. My wife loved the deals on perfume and a necklace. We ate lunch at the Green House. Not a bad burger, but not as good as Skinny Legs. We came back to the Westin and because the weather was worse, ate on site again. We noted a lot of water running off the hills onto the roads and decided better to stay home.

Wednesday 10/5:
Wow! The sun!!! St. John is pretty when it rains and is beautiful when the sun is out. We hit Hawksnest and Cinnamon. Beautiful! The water was cloudy, probably due to the "Northern Swells" and the fresh water runoff. Not great snorkeling, but beautiful beaches. Trunk was packed with multiple cruise ships in town so we skipped it. Parking there was difficult so we decided Cinnamon would be better.

We came back a little pinker than we left, but the sunscreen did its job. We shopped at Mongoose Junction and decided to hit Paradiso for dinner. We were the only ones there. Dinner was very nice! We had a great time and I would recommend the place.

Thursday 10/6:
Another beautiful day. My wife wanted to hang out by the pool, so we did. The Westin has a very nice pool, but they ran out of floats which surprised me given it was not high season. We ate lunch at their pool bar restaurant. We had a very nice server, and the food was better than I expected from a pool bar type place. We also saw our first Iguana. Now, we had been on the Island for 4 days and not seen one, but dang, once we saw one, they were everywhere!!!

We left after lunch to view Annaberg. Beautiful and tragic at the same time. The ruins are amazing and you really feel the history. We spent a couple hours there exploring. We also saw our first Mongoose at the ruins. We walked a part of the Leinster Bay trail, and would have walked to Waterlemon but we had been there so long we had run out of drinking water. It was humid on the trail with all the rain, and we both wanted to go farther, but knew we better turn around. All in all, the area is beautiful and definitely worth the trip.

We came back to Cruz Bay, shopped, and decided to eat someplace unique to the islands. We were told Sogo's was good for Island food, and we gave it a try. It was worth it. The food was very good. I wish I had written down what I ate, because I can't recall it now, but it was really tasty!

We came back and decided to stop at Starfish to buy some ice cream for our dessert.

Friday 10/7
We decided to head out early for Trunk Bay. We had been on the island for nearly a week and figured we could not miss it. It is a beautiful beach. There were no ships in St. Thomas so we were there with about 25 other people. We were among the first to arrive. I immediately jumped in, put on my fins and snorkeled the trail. How awesome! The water was a little cloudy and as I snorkeled out I saw a dark shape in the water, as I got closer, it was a turtle. I really wanted to see one and was so happy I did! My wife spotted a friendly stingray later in the day that wanted to swim around her feet. It was a great time. Even though there may be better places to snorkel, we had a great time. We were going to go on to some other beaches, but when we got to the car, we realized a tire had a slow leak. We went back to the Westin and spoke to the people there who recommended we go to the Texaco (where O'Connor's main office is). We did and they fixed the flat quickly. Unfortunately it ended our beach day without hitting Maho and returning to Leinster Bay.

We went back to Coral Bay for dinner. We wanted to drive out to Salt Pond just to see the beach and maybe Ram's Head, but it was getting to be too late in the day. We saw the Salt Pond trail, but did not go to the beach. We also saw goats and donkeys along the way. That was a treat. When we finally decided to eat, we hit Island Blues. What a great place. Very laid back and comfortable. Good food and our server was very nice. After dinner we headed back to Cruz Bay. (Note: There are no gas stations in Coral Bay...if you are running really low like I was fill up before you leave Cruz Bay). We made it back with about 1/16th of a tank of gas left. (that was the only time we needed gas despite driving all over the place)

Saturday 10/8:
We finally ended up in a different room at the hotel. Because of the change of rooms, we spent some time moving, and decided to hit Cruz Bay again for shopping and drove around some more just to look around. We had reservations for Chateau Bordeaux for an early dinner. We drove up there as the weather was closing in. By the time we got to the restaurant, it was drizzling. The view was nice, but the weather did not help. Overall, I found it to be a decent restaurant, but a bit over-hyped. The service was average at best (I am being a little generous), although the food was maybe a little above average, but the combination of sevice and food was not quite worth the price. Although worth the trip for the view on a clear day (we saw the view the day before while driving), because of the service I don't know if I would highly recommend it.

Sunday 10/9:
We had to leave. Bummer. Bad weather again. We had a number of problems getting out of St. Thomas. Flight delayed...flight moved to Miami, etc. Because of the changes no shopping in San Juan airport, but at least we made it home safe and sound.

Although overall the island is beautiful, the problems we had with the hotel put a damper on things. I would go back in a heartbeat, hope for better weather and most probably stay someplace other than the Westin. Most of the people we met around the island (islanders and tourists alike) were very nice and polite. Amazing what a "good morning" or "good afternoon" will do to brighten your day or someone else's. I came back to Florida and said good morning to the check out person at the grocery store. They smiled, but looked at me like I was a little weird. Although there were some concerns posted here about the protest or march on 10/1 and events prior to that time we noticed no real problems.

Overall, it was a nice trip. The island is beautiful and worth a visit. Admittedly, one week, where the weather takes a few days from you is not enough. If you are looking for a resort you never leave this is not the place. There is so much to see and do outside of a hotel or resort grounds. Rent a car, and take an adventure. Don't worry about the driving on the left. Remember to "Keep your Shoulder to the Shoulder" (my wife had to remind me a couple times). Although there are times you feel like you are on the Big Thunder Mountain Jeep ride with all the hills and switchbacks, what you see it worth it! It is truly a beautiful place.