You're not in the islands anymore-a lakelizard St John Review-Part1
As I sit here in lakelizardmusic studios, looking out at the cold fog floating over the lake, watching the last few leaves desperately hanging on to the trees, it crosses my mind...Damn! This time last week I was enjoying 85 degree weather with views of the caribbean and nice trade winds in St John. Ahhh, the land where rum is cheaper than water...where Delbert Hill and his buddy sit on the porch of his office and watch the traffic go round and round all day long...where the sunrises and sunsets are a happening everyday...where the stars actually twinkle and shooting stars just kind of meander across the sky...and there is always a reason for a toast with the person next to you at the bar-in this particular case, because he was from Montgomery, Alabama, and I was from Opp. It indeed is a small world sometimes. (Don't even think of the Disney song or it'll be in your head ALL DAY LONG.)
Roadsign on Chocolate Hole East ... apparently strictly enforced, because I didn't see a single snowmobile.
Still Waters-it was kinda hard to leave sometimes.
Day 1: Up and at the Nashville airport by 4:30. BNA TO ATL TO STT - taxi to Redhook - caught the 3pm ferry to Cruz Bay St John - greeted by Puddin', escorted to Delbert Hill's Jeep Rental and to Still Waters Villa. Immediately out and about, found Woody's Saloon @ happy hour for cheap beer and fish sandwiches.
From Woody's to the Starfish Market for food and drinks to stock up Still Waters. The first of many trips to Starfish Market. Back to Still Waters for rum drinks, Presidente, and a soak in the pool to wash away all of life's troubles and all the wrong I done.
Day 2: Movin' a little slow (see day 1)...NancyO made a great breakfast, coffee on the deck...good to go! Off in the direction of Coral Bay...gotta find our way around this island. Wow! Our driveway wasn't unique in it's steepness...there are curves and hills everywhere...way steep...no, wayway steep. I read somewhere that the distance from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay is 7.5 miles, but there is 13.1 miles of road because of the curves and the hills...and this drive takes 35-45 minutes. Unless it's your first trip, then it's apparently 3 hrs there and 2 hrs back...geez. Stopped at Skinny Legs for the islands best burger, then around to Salt Pond Bay area till we ran out of passable road. Glad to be back at Still Waters, finally figured out how to negotiate the driveway to keep from backing up a straight up incline, rum drinks and Presidente all around, soak in the pool, watch a movie (Still Waters has lots of DVDs for guests), wake up in a stupor and go to bed...another island day.
Day 3: Made it down to LowKey in Cruz Bay. Bob and Ann Marie the owners of Still Waters, also own LowKey, a dive shop and they had offered us free snorkel gear for the week...we brought our own masks/snorkel, but got fins from them. Threw the stuff in the Jeep, along with some cold drinks, and headed up the North Road, which goes to most of the beaches. Much easier drive and the views are world famous and truly breathtaking.
Trunk Bay...one of the most famous beaches in the Caribbean, if not the world...view from North Road.
First stopped at Hawksnest Beach to wander around a little, then moved on down the road. Stopped at Cinnamon Bay to check it out and have a swim...very beautiful beach.
View from Cinnamon Bay
Drove North Road all the way to the end, explored a few alternate routes back to Still Waters, cause you never know when you might need to run.
Stopped on a little hidden beach, Gibney's Beach, there were 2 other people there, and did a little snorkeling, but not much there that we could find. Just getting started.
Back to Still Waters, via Starfish Market, more of the same with grilled steaks on the deck...ahhhhh the good life.
View from Island Blues @ Coral Bay.
Day...oh hell, who am I kiddin'? Time starts to blur a little from here on out. We made it to Island Blues for lunch and a drink in Coral Bay. Snorkeled Salt Pond Bay,
that we had heard so much about...it was a very beautiful beach, but we were disappointed in the snorkeling, maybe wrong time, wrong day, who knows...but a great beach to spend some time swimming and hangin out. Rode all the way out past Coral Bay to East End, where the road stops,
turned around and had some home made tea and pineapple tarts with Vie at her Snack Shop. What a nice lady! She has run her Shop for 30 years or so she says, and her family has been settled here since the 1800's. She also has a private beach across the street you can use for the day for a charge of $2.50. We came back at a later time, and had conch fritters and garlic chicken for lunch. Yessir, this is the way to see the islands.
Oh, there's more to tell...but I'll have to finish another time, 'cause I got things to do.
Meanwhile, Cheers from Lakelizardmusic.com...have the best day you can.
hbsongs 948 overandout
Roadsign on Chocolate Hole East ... apparently strictly enforced, because I didn't see a single snowmobile.
Still Waters-it was kinda hard to leave sometimes.
Day 1: Up and at the Nashville airport by 4:30. BNA TO ATL TO STT - taxi to Redhook - caught the 3pm ferry to Cruz Bay St John - greeted by Puddin', escorted to Delbert Hill's Jeep Rental and to Still Waters Villa. Immediately out and about, found Woody's Saloon @ happy hour for cheap beer and fish sandwiches.
From Woody's to the Starfish Market for food and drinks to stock up Still Waters. The first of many trips to Starfish Market. Back to Still Waters for rum drinks, Presidente, and a soak in the pool to wash away all of life's troubles and all the wrong I done.
Day 2: Movin' a little slow (see day 1)...NancyO made a great breakfast, coffee on the deck...good to go! Off in the direction of Coral Bay...gotta find our way around this island. Wow! Our driveway wasn't unique in it's steepness...there are curves and hills everywhere...way steep...no, wayway steep. I read somewhere that the distance from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay is 7.5 miles, but there is 13.1 miles of road because of the curves and the hills...and this drive takes 35-45 minutes. Unless it's your first trip, then it's apparently 3 hrs there and 2 hrs back...geez. Stopped at Skinny Legs for the islands best burger, then around to Salt Pond Bay area till we ran out of passable road. Glad to be back at Still Waters, finally figured out how to negotiate the driveway to keep from backing up a straight up incline, rum drinks and Presidente all around, soak in the pool, watch a movie (Still Waters has lots of DVDs for guests), wake up in a stupor and go to bed...another island day.
Day 3: Made it down to LowKey in Cruz Bay. Bob and Ann Marie the owners of Still Waters, also own LowKey, a dive shop and they had offered us free snorkel gear for the week...we brought our own masks/snorkel, but got fins from them. Threw the stuff in the Jeep, along with some cold drinks, and headed up the North Road, which goes to most of the beaches. Much easier drive and the views are world famous and truly breathtaking.
Trunk Bay...one of the most famous beaches in the Caribbean, if not the world...view from North Road.
First stopped at Hawksnest Beach to wander around a little, then moved on down the road. Stopped at Cinnamon Bay to check it out and have a swim...very beautiful beach.
View from Cinnamon Bay
Drove North Road all the way to the end, explored a few alternate routes back to Still Waters, cause you never know when you might need to run.
Stopped on a little hidden beach, Gibney's Beach, there were 2 other people there, and did a little snorkeling, but not much there that we could find. Just getting started.
Back to Still Waters, via Starfish Market, more of the same with grilled steaks on the deck...ahhhhh the good life.
View from Island Blues @ Coral Bay.
Day...oh hell, who am I kiddin'? Time starts to blur a little from here on out. We made it to Island Blues for lunch and a drink in Coral Bay. Snorkeled Salt Pond Bay,
that we had heard so much about...it was a very beautiful beach, but we were disappointed in the snorkeling, maybe wrong time, wrong day, who knows...but a great beach to spend some time swimming and hangin out. Rode all the way out past Coral Bay to East End, where the road stops,
turned around and had some home made tea and pineapple tarts with Vie at her Snack Shop. What a nice lady! She has run her Shop for 30 years or so she says, and her family has been settled here since the 1800's. She also has a private beach across the street you can use for the day for a charge of $2.50. We came back at a later time, and had conch fritters and garlic chicken for lunch. Yessir, this is the way to see the islands.
Oh, there's more to tell...but I'll have to finish another time, 'cause I got things to do.
Meanwhile, Cheers from Lakelizardmusic.com...have the best day you can.
hbsongs 948 overandout
Comments