Okay, this morning coffee on the deck thing is becoming a habit, but not one I'm in any hurry to break. I just LOVE this!

After hubby got up, we decided to do the hike to Salomon this morning. We had decided that on this trip we would spend some time visiting new places, and Salomon is one of the beaches we hadn't been to before. So it was decided. We had a quick breakfast, grabbed our gear, and headed to the VI National Park Visitors Center. For those who aren't aware, the trail head for the Lind Point trail is located behind the Visitors Center building. We parked on the street a short walk from the center, and went inside to browse for a few minutes before starting the hike.

If you haven't been to the Visitors Center, take a few minutes next time to check it out. There is a large display map of St. John as well displays describing St. John's history. ecosystems, etc. The center's gift shop carries a great selection of books about the local area (including Feet, Finns & 4WD); local cuisine (cook books), maps, posters, and kids' books - definitely a good rainy/sunburn day destination. I bought a book on fish of the Caribbean, so I would be able to ID fish while snorkeling. We made a note to return later in the week to pick up gifts for the kids.

The trail well maintained and an easy hike to Salomon. It took us less than 30 minutes to get there - the kids (3 & 5) would have no trouble with this hike. From the trail, the noise from construction across Cruz bay (not Sirenusa) is very apparent - a bit of a distraction from the peaceful beauty, but much less noticeable as the trail turned to the north. I took pictures along the way (and no, I was not wearing my "I am a tourist" shorts!).

We took a left at the fork in the trail (right continues to Honeymoon) down the hill to Salomon. What an absolutely gorgeous beach! We set up underneath a canopy of trees, and I continued the photo shoot. We shared the beach with about 4 or 5 others, most of whom had arrived by dinghy. We sat for awhile taking it all in. Did I mention how beautiful this place is??? I perused my fish book to learn a bit more about some of the fish I have seen over the years. Then my cell rang - must be Rod calling to let us know they were on their way, I thought. No, not Rod; my in-laws (who were home with our kids) calling with television problems (this is standard fare when they stay at our house). Hubby talked them through it while I sat and soaked in the picture-perfect view, which I think I could have done forever. So FYI, Salomon is a breathtaking beach with good cell coverage (Sprint is my provider).

After hubby straightened his parents out out TV-wise, we decided to snorkel. Entry to the water was sandy with rocky areas on both sides. We started on the right (Honeymoon) side - awesome! The water here was quite clear, and the reef was active. We stayed in for almost an hour experiencing what was the best snorkeling so far this trip. Rod and Amy showed up while we were out and were awestruck by this beach. It really is that beautiful.

Unfortunately we couldn't stay all day as we had a 1:00 appointment for the timeshare spiel at the Westin (the "catch" for the discounted rate got on the villa). I really didn't mind as I always keep one eye on the real estate market wherever I go. We actually did come close to purchasing a week, but this just wasn't the right year - maybe someday though. We are still mulling over the possibility of doing the package deal again (which would require another spiel). I need a guarantee that we'll be returning in the near future!

After the spiel, we went to Simple Feast and split a turkey and pepper jack sandwich as a late lunch. Hubby called Rod to ask if they wanted to hit Lameshur Bay and then have dinner at Miss Lucy's. They were game, so we headed to Cruz Views to drop off the poor car in favor of Rod's Jeep Wrangler.

As we headed to Lameshur, I gave Rod the heads-up about the dirt road he would have to navigate - not for the faint-of-heart, etc, etc. After successfully painting an ominous picture in his head, wouldn't you know all the steep parts are now paved - how wimpy is that! He laughed at me, and let out a few fake screams - but honestly, the last time we drove out there the roads were absolutely treacherous! There went my credibility as an adventurer.

We arrived at Little Lameshur at about 5:00 and immediately went for a snorkel. We snorkeled the left side along the rocks out to the hidden beach and back. The water was calm; visibility was better than Salt Pond Bay, but not quite as good as Salomon. The reef was quite busy; we saw many Squirrel Fish, Blue Tangs, Parrot Fish, Flounder, Angels, Sea Cucumbers, etc. I even found a nice snorkel on the bottom of the sandy area near the beach - how does one loose a snorkel? Seems to me you would notice that.

As we were snorkeling back toward the beach, hubby tapped my shoulder and pointed to the shore. There on the beach was a large doe staring back at us. I had read about deer on St. John, but had never seen one there until then. She was very pretty and healthy looking; obviously well fed. We watched her watch us for a minute or so, and then she disappeared into the brush. When we came ashore, it turns out Amy had also seen the doe, took some pictures, and discovered that she likes potato chips. I think I know why she appeared to be so well-fed.

As dusk drew near, the no-see-ums emerged. This was our cue to move along. We set out toward Miss Lucy's, and after a few more fake screams - okay, see if I ever try to help you out again - we arrived to find that Miss Lucy's is closed on Monday. Right, it's Monday; pretty easy to forget while on vacation. Oh well, Shipwreck Landing was open but packed (most likely because many other places were closed), so we moved along only to find that Island Blues is also closed on Monday. So Skinny's it was again - we were all so hungry, we really didn't care at that point. As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed the shell of a burned out SUV. It was badly damaged; upholstery gone, tires melted. None of us remembered seeing it two days before, so we assumed it must have happened sometime in between (we later learned that it had been an act of arson earlier the same day). Skinny's was busy tonight - they were showing a movie (something with Bruce Willis) and there were a lot of people gathered in the bar area to watch. The Mahi sandwiches, burgers, and beers were good as always. After dinner we relaxed and discussed our day before heading back to Cruz Bay. We turned in early after another busy but fulfilling day in paradise.