Hello again from Minnesota! It's been three weeks since we got back from STJ and the little bit of suntan we had on our pasty MN skin has since dried up, flaked off and blown away with the last arctic clipper. It's now the weekend so I have some time to write more about our 20th anniversary trip from February 6-13. In the first part I told you about our arrival and 2nd day on the island of STJ. If you missed it look back to 2/27/06 "Trip Report week of 2/6", if you like. Maureen (Mo) was sick with the flu when we arrived and made an unbelievable recovery. Our villa, Winsome House, on Ajax Peak in Coral Bay was beautiful, peaceful and private. It was 2 days into our vacation and we hadn't seen a single beach!

TIP: Coral Bay seemed so much more laid back than Cruz Bay. (If you're looking for peace and quiet)

Day 3 (2/8); Our 20th anniversary! Mo's feeling 100% so our plan was to visit a couple of north shore beaches and do some exploring. This is the reason STJ was so appealing to us. We set out for Cruz Bay down that "highway from hell" called Centerline Rd (keeping left the whole way).

TIP: Get to Cruz Bay fairly early to find a decent parking spot.

Town was bustling already at 9am. We had breakfast at Chilly Billy's and took off for the trail to Soloman and Honeymoon Beaches. The 15 minute hike to the beach seemed like hours as I was so excited about finally getting to see some of the sights I had viewed online for months prior to our vacation. When the trail opened onto the beach I remember that feeling of being like a child seeing the ocean for the first time. Even though it was overcast the view was fantastic. I was also amazed that we were one of 2 or three couples here (and all clothed). The beach was basically empty.

TIP: get to the beaches early for that secluded "Robinson Crusoe" experience.

After a swim and a dozen or so photos we wound our way down the trail to Honeymoon which was a little more crowded but hardly felt as such. We went back to Cruz Bay, parking in the Mongoose Junction lot (Ssshhh! Please don't tell on me). We had lunch at the Beach Bar (which I loved) and ended up shopping a bit. Our plan was to get back and enjoy a little "2nd honeymoon time" at the villa and we had reservations at Asolare for dinner. We drove the North Shore Road back to the east side of the island to our villa.

TIP: (the biggest one of them all) The North Shore Road is so much better than Centerline Road. It is better maintained, easier to drive (mostly on the left of course) and less traffic, which meant less maniacal tail-gaters! It's also extremely beautiful. There are 3 overlooks (Trunk, Caneel,and Maho) that are not to be missed.

The weather began to clear and we spent time in and around the pool for the first time.

TIP: it can be cool up in the Bordeaux Mountains in February if the sun isn't out. We never needed A/C.

We went back to Asolare via the North Shore Road (need I say any more?) and stopped at the Trunk Bay overlook. WOW! What a sight! We arrived a little early at Asolare because we wanted to be sure to get a good view of the sunset. We were greeted by a pleasant and very "chatty" host and he seated us by the front rail. We had an excellent view of St. Thomas, Pillsbury Sound and even Cruz Bay. After 2 hours of food, wine and a beautiful companion (as well as a $180 bill) we drove back via North Shore Road and never saw another car.

TIP: the more $ you spend for food does not equate to better food.

TIP: try stopping at the overlooks at night for a totally different view of the beaches. Some of the boats are festively lit up. The moonlight over the bays is dramatic!

Day 4 (2/9); Finally we made it to Trunk Bay. We got the last parking spot. It's truly one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen. We heard Trunk gets crowded but crowded is a relative term. There were more people than on any of the other beaches but hardly more compared to public beaches at home. There is a snack bar that sells food and drinks so don't bother with a cooler. Mo loved the easy snorkeling and the underwater trail that identifies the coral and sea life but I couldn't persuade her to venture out to the deeper side of the cay (yet). We spent and enjoyed most of the day here taking in the stunning vistas, water and easy snorkeling of this amazing place.

TIP: arrive early to ensure a parking spot in the lot. There isn't anywhere else to park and there are a surpisingly few number of spots considering the popularity of the beach.

From Trunk we went to Hawksnest. This is also a beautiful beach. It's a little rockier and not quite as "crowded" as Trunk. I wish we had more time to relax and snorkel there (so many beaches, so little time). We took more photos and left.

We drove to Caneel Bay next to check out the resort, the ruins and the beaches (Caneel has 7). The property was lush and beautiful. It looked like a golf course.

We found ourselves back in Cruz Bay as evening approached, picked up Uncle Joe's BBQ, drove the North Shore Road back home and spent a relaxing evening in the Villa.

TIP: Uncle Joe's is a great eat-in option. They open at 5:00pm.

Our vacation has passed the half-way mark. At this point I realized that we couldn't possibly do and see all that I had hoped. I knew we should have booked 2 weeks instead! Our best day was yet to come. I'll try to post that tomorrow. I can't do it justice with the time I have left today.

http://community.webshots.com/user/MNBILL

In case you may not have seen them here are some of the photos from out trip.