For a "Newbie" you're doing a great time posting! You can learn a lot on this board. Two things that I would encourage, Is check out the different beaches, and The National Park Service's Reef Trail hike. All downhill, allmost entirely in the shade, very informative. $20 p/p ($5 for the taxi up $15 for the boatride back) Read trip reports and dig through the archives and you'll get all kinds of ideas! Have fun!

Welcom,e first timer! Now go back up to the top under Search, plug in Westin and you'll see a ga-zillion threads about it. No, I haven't been there, we've stayed at Maho with our kids (twice) when they were the same age and the key to a good time with kids is : boats, water, SNORKELING, and letting them roam a bit on their own (this was easy at Maho). There are tons of creatures to look at, some reasonable places in Cruz Bay anyway to eat that they should like (like the Love Shack) and some fast food joints, lots of little gift shops for spending their allowances, and again, the water sports RULE!! Enjoy!

Hello AmyR

Do not limit yourself to the grounds of the Westin. Although their pool is great, the beach is not and STJ has so much more to offer. Reef Bay Hike is excellent and the kids are just the right age. Coral Bay is still 'old time island' enough to get the feel of the East End and the North Shore beaches sell themselves.

Have a great time.

From a practical perspective, if you've got a rainy day, or want to take a break in the afternoon from the heat onthe beach, take an hour timeshare tour of the property -- you get $150 in Westin dollars that you can spend on anything -- and the pitch isn't too aggressive, and they really will let you leave at the end of the hour. (unlike the timeshare presentation my husband and I went to on our honeymoon -- where they practically tied us down with ropes to keep us in the office!)

Agree with Chris @ Work about the beach. It's a manmade beach and not up to par with the others. There are a lot of water toys there that are free if you're staying there, but the beach and water are nothing special. I seem to remember that they have activities everyday for kids so you might check that out. You might also try Trunk Bay as it's got facilities, or Cinammon Bay as it's got facilities and rents toys for the kids (and adults, too).

Lots of hikes available, take a taxi tour to get a layout of the island, visit the East End, etc, etc. There's lots to do.

Have fun! We where there in June and are going back next June. Can't wait!!

WW

We had a great time hiking down to a quiet beach near Trunk Bay. May have been called Dennis.... Anyhow, look for a giant boulder on the side of the road that you take to Trunk Bay. I think that's called Peace Rock. It's on the left if you're coming from Cruz Bay. Right near that is a tiny parking "lot". Park there. You'll see a "path" - quotes b/c it's barely a lot or a path!

Look carefully for another "path" on your right & you'll see a pole about 8" tall sticking from the middle of it. That's the path you want to take. It's maybe a 10 minute hike down to the beach.

There's a house down there. I don't think they mind the visitors, just be respectful & quiet. It's loads of fun to hike down & I imagine both you & the kids would love it. Saw lots of hermit crabs once we payed some attention. We had a blast.