In an effort to provide some info to others after having benefited from info gathered here, I thought I would write a (brief? – OK, not very brief – quit reading at any time!) trip report. We were 5 total (a couple who we’ll roughly call “middle aged”, one adult we’ll call “a bit more than middle aged”, and two girls both 10 years). I’ll try to hit on what each demographic seemed to enjoy. We had been to STT/STJ on a cruise stop once before, but this was our trip back to further explore. Many of our experiences will confirm info I gathered here on the boards, and for that we thank everyone! I'll try to adress what I saw were recurring topics that people wanted to know about.

Flights on American Air from Nashville via Miami were uneventful. Arrival at STT on Thursday was not crowded. One tip I didn’t think of when I booked: avoid Saturdays, is big rental and cruise turn over day at STT (that place was a total zoo on our way back – seriously, when they say get there 2 hours ahead, do it. Especially if it’s a Saturday). Rental vehicle from Avis, had reserved in advance with “Entertainment” Book code, got “Midsize SUV” for about $460 for the 10 days. This turned out to be a Jeep Compass (not a 4-wheel drive). Luggage had to be crammed in, but worked out OK. Once we got the luggage parked at our destination, the space in the vehicle was great. I agree that you should pack light for the islands, but beach gear can take up a lot of space!

Stopped at Food Ctr on the way to the car barge for a few staples to get us through couple days at Maho Bay Camps. Had also packed some light-weight things in fear that our flight would be delayed, and we would arrive in the dark without Maho provisions. Not to fear, did arrive before dark, but not by much. It is good to get to Maho Camps before dark for many reasons, including that the store and restaurant aren’t open all night. BTW, when you get off the car barge at STJ, I suggest making more mental notes of how to get back there than we did! We had a nice little car ride looking for it, though. Cruz Bay is tiny, but not without its crazy roads.

We stayed at Maho Camps for 3 days. I totally agree with the advice I got here that all should be aware that Maho Camp is much more like camping than staying at a hotel. Not kidding about this. We are not campers. However, that said, we had a great time and it was a good experience, especially for the kids. They loved it (hadn’t been camping before). As a person who really does not like the thought of a bug on me while I am sleeping, I will admit to taking mosquito nets for use in the cabins. The cabins are great, but do not think for a second that they are bug or lizard-proof. Mostly little lizards, but still… The mosquito nets (or lizard and roach nets as I now call them) made this acceptable for me. I ordered these online from a camping place if anyone else wants to be obsessive. Fairly cheap, and extremely light weight! Ear plugs can be a lovely thing, as well. Some kind of noisy creature (?frog) doesn't sleep at night. You know who you are if you need them. Regarding mosquitos and no-see-ums – we used Deep Woods Off with great success. Burned a few Citronella coils, too, not sure they worked as well as the spray. We actually really liked cooking in the cabins with propane stove. Big fun for the kids. Did not try the restaurant. Sure, there are lots of steps, but it was great exercise! We had fantastic cabins (A11 and 12, right over the water), because we reserved many months in advance. Spots aren’t guaranteed, but they say they take date of reservation into account. Everyone there was very nice. In fact, we encountered nice people everywhere! ?

St. John was, of course, pristine, beautiful, fantastic. All beaches gorgeous as so many have outlined before. I won’t bore you all by agreeing in detail, but definitely more fabulous than St Thomas in terms of shear beauty of the surroundings. We enjoy snorkeling, and have our own gear, so we were able to hop to many different beaches easily. What is nice is that each beach is a bit different in terms of scenery and in terms of stuff to see underwater. Agree that Waterlemon has the best snorkeling, but allow time for the walk there. The walk is very easy, but maybe ¾ mile? (correct me if I’m wrong on the distance). We did drive the car along the dirt road for part of the way – that helped, and there is a spot to park for a few cars before the smaller trail starts. When you arrive at the first “beach”, the trail (not very well marked) heads into the trees before emerging at the rocks where you swim to the Cay. Be careful not to head up the hill on the trail if you just want to get to the Cay. Yes, the current was a bit stronger here, and the swim longer than in other places, but again, worth it! We did this in the afternoon, and because we thought the kids (OK, all of us) were tired, we used snorkel vests, and I think this was a good idea for this location. If it were just the adults, and we were fresh early in the day, it would not be a problem (for us) to swim this without the vests. Good wildlife, and good coral (seemed less damaged than in some other spots, particularly on St Thomas). Regarding sunscreen – used LOTS of it, and needed every drop! Don’t be shy – apply liberally! My favorite was Hawaiian Tropic 60 SPF Waterproof in the gray and orange bottle. I thought “60 SPF? – you must be kidding”, but whatever the SPF, I feel it is so great because it is very thick and does seem to stay on very well, including in the water. It takes a while to get an entire family covered in it, it is so thick, but I think it saved us from sunburn. (OK, done with that commercial, and I swear I don’t work for them…? )

Will talk about the dinghy ride here, though we actually came back on the people ferry to STJ for that after moving on to STT. Loved it, was a highlight of the trip for all ages! Did the half day via Noah’s Little Arks (just steps from the people ferry dock) in a 14ft dinghy with 30 hp engine. Was fine for us. The handles on the sides on the boat were mostly broken, though, so getting in/out from the water was difficult. From the land was no problem. If you plan on much exit via the water, you may want to be sure you get a dinghy that has handles (?if they have any), or figure out how you will get in/out. ?Wonder about the other rental companies? Your stuff will get wet. I thought that it might from falling in or from rain (which did occur at the end, but was actually the most fun part!), but it got pretty wet from just being in the boat (spray from going fast against the wind). Just put stuff in plastic bags if it needs to stay dry.

Driving on the island was also fine in the non-4-wheel drive Jeep, but we did not have wet roads to deal with. That may have made for a different story. Left side driving was no big deal, but those hills can be pretty serious. Take it slow and easy. In fact, “driving a little while on the wrong side of the road” was fun (song reference – for a brain teaser – and because this isn’t long enough yet…).

Did a couple of short hikes, plus one longer, the Ram’s Head Trail over on the south side of the island. Very cool. This was a highlight for the kids. We had thought about doing this in the full moon as we had heard was a nice experience, but with our group I’m glad we decided to go in the late afternoon. This hike is about 2 miles (-ish) round trip, and at several spots it was not completely clear where the trail was. At least in the light, you can see your options better, and if you make a little mistake, you can correct without being lost forever (or overnight). We went near dusk, and didn’t remember our flashlights, so if you go in the afternoon, you may want to take some, just in case it takes longer than you think. The trail is fairly narrow, but not horribly steep overall. A few spots required an extra helping hand for one of our hikers. The kids charged ahead and said “we must be triumphant” in getting to the top. It is very cool up there! Nice sheer drop-off. Definitely worth the trip. Also like seeing Salt Pond Bay the pond next to it (on the way to Drunk Bay- kinda surreal). Thanks to whoever (sorry, I can’t remember who!) gave me the link to the picture of the plant that can cause a poison-ivy-like rash. There was quite a bit of this along the trail (beautiful plant, though). There are cacti along the path as well, but were easy to avoid (again glad we did this in the daytime). Tennis shoes and Teva sandals worked well.

So, on to St. Thomas for 6 nights at Secret Harbour, beachfront, 2 bedroom. Well, after a few days camping, this was a treat. This place was just right for us. The “stay 5 nights, get 6th free” rate was a good deal. Our unit was fairly recently renovated. Great kitchen. Very clean, but we killed quite a few mosquitos and a couple of roaches the first day. We found that if we made a concerted effort to close the doors quickly when entering, they seemed to not be a problem. The mosquitos didn’t seem to bite, just saw them flying. Again, most people on the boards seem to like Secret Harbour, so I’ll just add my quick, yes we agree. Room was nice, the beach was good (and kept nice and clean), the snorkeling was very good (more for the many fish, turtles, stingray, eel, etc., rather than the coral which is quite damaged here. Bummer.) The staff members were nice. We tried to take a Discover Scuba lesson at the dive shop on site, but they completely forgot our scheduled appointment, so we ended up not re-scheduling. Turned out to be for the best, as we did some snorkeling at other beaches with that time instead. Back up plans…gotta love ‘em.

We really like snorkeling at Sapphire. Thought Coki was highly overrated, though did have a nice wall to snorkel. The fish aren’t where you would expect to find them, because they have been lured away by people feeding them. I prefer to find them where they “should” be (in my humble opinion). Definitely a place I wouldn’t go at night as I had heard cautioned previously. Magens was nice, but after having been in lovely St John, not so terribly impressed (especially having to pay an entrance fee, and this beach is no secret if you know what I mean). The crowds weren’t so bad the morning we went because there was only one cruise ship in town, and we were there fairly early. Glad we saw it, though. It’s also pretty to view from Mtn. Top, and a little scenic overlook on the way up to Mtn. Top. We got our souvenir flattened pennies on Mtn Top. There is also a cool scenic overlook a little way down the road toward the other side of the island, looking toward Charlotte Amalie. It was worth the drive up there to see that view.

Went to the Baths via ferry one day. Was very great. Another highlight for all ages. The trail through the Baths was very cool. There was water on the “floor” on the trail at some points, but at least while we were there, you didn’t have to get completely in the water (ie, you could hold up your camera, so it wouldn’t get wet). This did take all day, but definitely worth it. Bring a few things for kids to do on the ferry if you have little ones. It’s a long ride. We thought the ferry was absolutely fine. The staff was very nice.

For you restaurant lovers, sorry, we can’t help you. We prefer to do groceries and prepare our own food when we have facilities. Faster and easier for us. I’d rather see some more sights than burn vaca time waiting in a restaurant…but that’s just us. Re: groceries, we mostly shopped at Marina Market, with one brief visit each to Food Ctr and Kmart. There were some higher prices on groceries, but we were not shocked and appalled by them. The selections were fairly minimal, but adequate. Liquor prices similar to home on some items, fantastically cheaper on others (not just USVI rum, but a few other choice brands). We had taken a little bit a bubble wrap and wrapped our purchases in that plus some grocery bags inside the liquor travel box, and it arrived safely back with us on the plane. No problems there.

So anyway, we had a great time, again thanks to those who answered my few questions here. If one person got one halfway decent tip out of this report, my job is done. For those with trips coming up, have a great time!