SB // Virgin Islands 2019
Happy Sunday! We JUST got back early this morning (4:17) from the Virgin Islands! I have not been with my husband's family to the VI since 2016 ... and 2013 before that! So it was nice to finally go back and enjoy some sunshine and sea water. What made it even more special this time around was the fact that my parents got to come as well! Be ready for a photo DUMP.
We packed up and left on Friday, the first day of our spring break. Two plane rides later, we arrived in St. Thomas! Justin's parents own a boat in the CYOA fleet. However ... anyone can charter a boat and captain with CYOA. We loaded our suitcases onto Long Shot (the boat's name), grabbed some last-minute grocery items for the week, ate some lunch/dinner, and settled in for the first night on board. We stayed docked until the next morning.
On Saturday, we got up and had breakfast and coffee at the Frenchtown Deli + Coffee Shop. After we prepped the boat, we set sail! Our first "break" was at Christmas Cove ... or as Justin's family calls it ... Pizza Cove! There is an awesome pizza boat that moors up in Christmas Cove. You can pick up pizza from your own dinghy, or they deliver the pizza TO YOUR BOAT. It's awesome! It's called PiZZA Pi. We lounged around after they delivered, and then started back up to make it to the very secluded Hurricane Hole for the evening. We were the ONLY ones there. It was so calm and peaceful -- a really beautiful evening. We made spaghetti for dinner on the boat and played Phase 10 until it was time to get some shuteye.
Sunday - no alarms set ... we woke up to a slow morning and coffee on the boat. Once everyone started moving, our next stop was Salt Pond Bay on St. John. They have some really good snorkeling and hiking! Justin, my parents, and I hiked Ram's Head. Such beautiful views! The only thing I could say about it negatively is that if you hike in the middle of the day, the hurricane wiped out MOST of the shade trees. So we were in complete sun, and it. was. HOT. But the views are worth it!
Monday // the plan was to check into the British side (BVI) of the Virgin Islands. We checked in at Soper's Hole, ate a quick lunch on the boat, and then headed to Trellis Bay for the night. We moored up right beside the "eating ground" of a sea turtle. We watched him most of the evening come up for air and then head right back down to where he was feeding - so pretty! While we were lounging at the front of Long Shot, another boat pulled up to ours to sell us fresh produce, homemade bread, and t-shirts! Come to find out, the captain was named Aragorn, and he had a shop on shore. We promised him we would come to shore the next day to visit his art shop. We ate steaks, potatoes, bok choy (from Aragorn), broccoli, and salad for dinner on the boat.
Tuesday // breakfast and coffee on the boat. Then we all went to shore on Trellis Bay so that we could go into a couple of the shops before heading out for the day. We went to Aragorn's Studio, and then to the Trellis Bay Market Bar + Grill. There were also cats everywhere ... so (of course) I had to pet them all and make friends!
We got to Leverick Bay in the BVI in the late afternoon. This is one of my FAVORITE places to be. Not only do you get to dock and have access to the bathrooms and showers (as opposed to the ones on the boat), you can get on shore whenever you want. To take a walk, go to the beach, sit at a restaurant, or go in the shops. We docked and got "real" showers right before our dinner that evening. We had a reservation for "dinner and a show" at The Restaurant at Leverick Bay (or The Cove Grill). The show was Michael Beans, a "pirate" who sang, did trivia, and gave out shots of rum to everyone and anyone he fancied. This was also my cheat day on meals!!! I got the fish and chips. So. Good. And so worth it. The breading was delicious, and the fish was actually mahi-mahi. Their homemade tartar sauce was ALSO to die. Then we went back to the boat for the evening and watched Captain Ron.
Wednesday // another reason I love Leverick Bay is that if you rent a car ... at the other end of the island, there are The Baths. They are SO very beautiful, and it's a nice day away from the boat. At the end of our hike and trek to, through, and from the caves, we ate at the Top of the Baths Restaurant. I also got a new hat and shirt from the gift shop. I had gotten my favorite hat (the one I'm wearing in most ALL of these pictures) from The Baths in 2013. So I decided it was only fitting to get a hat from the same store this time around. I also made a friend with a bird at lunch as well. Haha* He knew I was a sucker.
Once we got back to the bay, everyone was ready for naps or relaxing. So my mom and I went over to the restaurant to get a drink, sit by the beach, and read. The others met up with us later to get tapas and desserts. They even had a dessert for ME on the menu! Vegan Vanilla Soy-based ice cream! I dig that.
Thursday // we had to leave Leverick Bay. :( It was so fun and beautiful there. We traveled a loooong way to Norman Island. We grabbed a mooring ball and went to shore for lunch at The Pirate's Bight. It was delicious and gorgeous!
We went back to the boat, and (you guessed it) relaxed, read, napped, and got ready for dinner later that night. We had chicken, veggies, and rice. It was our last dinner made on Long Shot!
Friday // it's time to head back to the USVI and St. Thomas. It was one of our longer trips. Once we got there, we couldn't dock immediately, so we took the dinghy to shore and walked to the shops at the other end of the strip. We got some souvenirs and got back to the boat in time to see it docked. We ate lunch at Hook, Line, + Sinker. We did a little tidying up around the boat, and some early packing. Then when evening hit, we went to dinner at The Green House. I got coconut shrimp with coleslaw. So good!
Saturday // bittersweet kind of day! This was finally the end of our trip. Since the entire time was spent sailing or relaxing, it felt like a long time away from home. Although it's always nice coming home, we weren't ready to leave the sunshine just yet. We had coffee and breakfast at Frenchtown again, packed our bags, got the boat in shape, and sent off Justin's parents.
Then mom, dad, Justin, and I had our last lunch at the Pie Whole. Again, I had delicious coconut shrimp and a salad.
Two flights later, we were back in GA. We walked into our house at 4:17, brushed our teeth, washed our faces, and fell into bed. It was a long, packed, and beautiful spring break! Thanks so much to Justin's parents for letting us hang with them in the Islands! We are a blessed couple to have both of our parents spend some time with us this spring break.
^^^ Airport reads. I ran out of books, so Justin let me borrow this one for the flights. This is not a book I would normally pick up. It just isn't. Nothing against cycling or nonfiction, but this kind of book would not draw me in a book store. Well! I started reading, and didn't stop until we landed ... 61% of the way through! It's actually super interesting and the way Sagan tells a story is easy-going, informative, and hilarious. Since I don't cycle, I'm not going to "take anything away" from this book in that respect. But there are a LOT more bits and tips about life, dedication, strength, and letting loose in between all of the "cycling mumbo jumbo." It's been a REALLY good read! (And some of the "mumbo jumbo" has actually started to make some sense since I've started reading it.)
I hope everyone's spring break was relaxing and renewing! Spring has indeed sprung!
We packed up and left on Friday, the first day of our spring break. Two plane rides later, we arrived in St. Thomas! Justin's parents own a boat in the CYOA fleet. However ... anyone can charter a boat and captain with CYOA. We loaded our suitcases onto Long Shot (the boat's name), grabbed some last-minute grocery items for the week, ate some lunch/dinner, and settled in for the first night on board. We stayed docked until the next morning.
Above is Justin's parents' boat ... Long Shot!
On Saturday, we got up and had breakfast and coffee at the Frenchtown Deli + Coffee Shop. After we prepped the boat, we set sail! Our first "break" was at Christmas Cove ... or as Justin's family calls it ... Pizza Cove! There is an awesome pizza boat that moors up in Christmas Cove. You can pick up pizza from your own dinghy, or they deliver the pizza TO YOUR BOAT. It's awesome! It's called PiZZA Pi. We lounged around after they delivered, and then started back up to make it to the very secluded Hurricane Hole for the evening. We were the ONLY ones there. It was so calm and peaceful -- a really beautiful evening. We made spaghetti for dinner on the boat and played Phase 10 until it was time to get some shuteye.
Sunday - no alarms set ... we woke up to a slow morning and coffee on the boat. Once everyone started moving, our next stop was Salt Pond Bay on St. John. They have some really good snorkeling and hiking! Justin, my parents, and I hiked Ram's Head. Such beautiful views! The only thing I could say about it negatively is that if you hike in the middle of the day, the hurricane wiped out MOST of the shade trees. So we were in complete sun, and it. was. HOT. But the views are worth it!
We made it back to Salt Pond for some swimming and snorkeling. We got to see some beautiful fish and a sea turtle! Some rest and relaxation later, we had burgers for dinner on the boat. I also pounded some reading while we were gone! I finished three and a half books, and was still going strong on the plane ride home. It was SO nice to be able to sit and read and enjoy the salty air.
Monday // the plan was to check into the British side (BVI) of the Virgin Islands. We checked in at Soper's Hole, ate a quick lunch on the boat, and then headed to Trellis Bay for the night. We moored up right beside the "eating ground" of a sea turtle. We watched him most of the evening come up for air and then head right back down to where he was feeding - so pretty! While we were lounging at the front of Long Shot, another boat pulled up to ours to sell us fresh produce, homemade bread, and t-shirts! Come to find out, the captain was named Aragorn, and he had a shop on shore. We promised him we would come to shore the next day to visit his art shop. We ate steaks, potatoes, bok choy (from Aragorn), broccoli, and salad for dinner on the boat.
Tuesday // breakfast and coffee on the boat. Then we all went to shore on Trellis Bay so that we could go into a couple of the shops before heading out for the day. We went to Aragorn's Studio, and then to the Trellis Bay Market Bar + Grill. There were also cats everywhere ... so (of course) I had to pet them all and make friends!
We got to Leverick Bay in the BVI in the late afternoon. This is one of my FAVORITE places to be. Not only do you get to dock and have access to the bathrooms and showers (as opposed to the ones on the boat), you can get on shore whenever you want. To take a walk, go to the beach, sit at a restaurant, or go in the shops. We docked and got "real" showers right before our dinner that evening. We had a reservation for "dinner and a show" at The Restaurant at Leverick Bay (or The Cove Grill). The show was Michael Beans, a "pirate" who sang, did trivia, and gave out shots of rum to everyone and anyone he fancied. This was also my cheat day on meals!!! I got the fish and chips. So. Good. And so worth it. The breading was delicious, and the fish was actually mahi-mahi. Their homemade tartar sauce was ALSO to die. Then we went back to the boat for the evening and watched Captain Ron.
Wednesday // another reason I love Leverick Bay is that if you rent a car ... at the other end of the island, there are The Baths. They are SO very beautiful, and it's a nice day away from the boat. At the end of our hike and trek to, through, and from the caves, we ate at the Top of the Baths Restaurant. I also got a new hat and shirt from the gift shop. I had gotten my favorite hat (the one I'm wearing in most ALL of these pictures) from The Baths in 2013. So I decided it was only fitting to get a hat from the same store this time around. I also made a friend with a bird at lunch as well. Haha* He knew I was a sucker.
Once we got back to the bay, everyone was ready for naps or relaxing. So my mom and I went over to the restaurant to get a drink, sit by the beach, and read. The others met up with us later to get tapas and desserts. They even had a dessert for ME on the menu! Vegan Vanilla Soy-based ice cream! I dig that.
Thursday // we had to leave Leverick Bay. :( It was so fun and beautiful there. We traveled a loooong way to Norman Island. We grabbed a mooring ball and went to shore for lunch at The Pirate's Bight. It was delicious and gorgeous!
We went back to the boat, and (you guessed it) relaxed, read, napped, and got ready for dinner later that night. We had chicken, veggies, and rice. It was our last dinner made on Long Shot!
Friday // it's time to head back to the USVI and St. Thomas. It was one of our longer trips. Once we got there, we couldn't dock immediately, so we took the dinghy to shore and walked to the shops at the other end of the strip. We got some souvenirs and got back to the boat in time to see it docked. We ate lunch at Hook, Line, + Sinker. We did a little tidying up around the boat, and some early packing. Then when evening hit, we went to dinner at The Green House. I got coconut shrimp with coleslaw. So good!
Saturday // bittersweet kind of day! This was finally the end of our trip. Since the entire time was spent sailing or relaxing, it felt like a long time away from home. Although it's always nice coming home, we weren't ready to leave the sunshine just yet. We had coffee and breakfast at Frenchtown again, packed our bags, got the boat in shape, and sent off Justin's parents.
Then mom, dad, Justin, and I had our last lunch at the Pie Whole. Again, I had delicious coconut shrimp and a salad.
Two flights later, we were back in GA. We walked into our house at 4:17, brushed our teeth, washed our faces, and fell into bed. It was a long, packed, and beautiful spring break! Thanks so much to Justin's parents for letting us hang with them in the Islands! We are a blessed couple to have both of our parents spend some time with us this spring break.
^^^ Airport reads. I ran out of books, so Justin let me borrow this one for the flights. This is not a book I would normally pick up. It just isn't. Nothing against cycling or nonfiction, but this kind of book would not draw me in a book store. Well! I started reading, and didn't stop until we landed ... 61% of the way through! It's actually super interesting and the way Sagan tells a story is easy-going, informative, and hilarious. Since I don't cycle, I'm not going to "take anything away" from this book in that respect. But there are a LOT more bits and tips about life, dedication, strength, and letting loose in between all of the "cycling mumbo jumbo." It's been a REALLY good read! (And some of the "mumbo jumbo" has actually started to make some sense since I've started reading it.)
I hope everyone's spring break was relaxing and renewing! Spring has indeed sprung!
I loved looking through all the pictures! It truly looks heavenly. I would love to go one day. It would definitely be a wonderful trip! So glad y'all had a great time with both sets of parents!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It really is beautiful. I think you guys would love it!
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