Man has it been a day. I’d hoped for more sleep this morning, but the reliable 6:30 am wakeup crew stayed consistent – begging for bananas and mangos until I finally dragged myself out of bed.

We had a reservation at 1PM for a catamaran snorkeling adventure on The VI Cat with Dee, Patrick and all the kids. We made the reservation just two weeks in advance, but I’m told that things usually book up solid after that.

This morning we didn’t want to do anything crazy since we knew the afternoon would be a lot. We swam at the house, and Amir made homemade pasta sauce – fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and ricotta cheese with ground beef over fettuccini. We wanted to fill up for the boat to ease any unsettled stomachs and more importantly prevent the begging for snacks.

The catamaran left the dock at 1pm sharp, so we needed to be there by 12:30. Everything in the island is drivable within 30 minutes as far as we can tell. We had no issues making our deadline.

We motored out to Little Buck Island, a known sanctuary for sea turtles. After a quick safety briefing and warnings not to touch the sea turtles – a $10,000 fine with half going to your tour operator so they are incentivized to turn you in.

We broke into two groups, each with a guide who would point out turtles and other creatures of interest. The snorkeling itself lasted 45 minutes which was great for our crew but might feel short for a more serious crowd.

I popped my iPhone into a Pelican case in hopes of snapping some in and underwater photos. Note to self – practice with said case on dry land and learn what side buttons confidently do what before trying to snorkel with a toddler on your back. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it as the week goes on.

After the snorkeling portion, the sails went up, the boat crew mixed up a huge vat of Pain Killers, set out snacks and served up sodas for the kids. It was a nice way to unwind after the water adventure.

There was one snag as we left the dock – Dee accidentally set her phone down somewhere just before we boarded. She realized it almost immediately, just as we set sail for Little Buck Island. In desperation, she called the Marriott resort, the site we’d left from, and they ensured her they’d send security to hunt for her phone. I’m not sure we were hopeful, but there wasn’t anything to be done until we returned to shore and could launch a proper search & rescue mission.

Once back on shore, she called Marriott security who assured her they’d indeed found her phone (turned in to lost & found by a Good Samaritan), and that she ought to call her mom who seemed quite worried after calling and learning she’d lost her phone.

After snorkeling, we jumped in our cars and set off to a small restaurant Amir found on Google Maps. If you’ve followed us on other trips, you know Amir’s a whiz at picking out extra special hole-in-the-wall places just based off of online reviews and photos. Today’s selection did not disappoint.

Situated inside a resort, it’s a bit off the beaten path, which worked in our favor trying to get two tables for 11 total with no reservations.

The restaurant hangs out over the water, similar to a Bubbas or Dockside for those of you familiar with Virginia Beach. Added bonus not available anywhere else – giant tarpon swimming in the shallow water below, easily visible from our tables, and easy enticed with Milk-bone Dog Biscuits (thanks for the tip Chelsea).

They offer the most affordable prices we’ve seen yet – $9 island drinks, $4 Coors Lite, $16 for three fresh catch fish tacos. But the built-in entertainment was priceless. Don’t be shocked if we go back before the week ends.

Tomorrow we plan to spend the day at the resort where Dee and Patrick are staying, and hopefully catch up with one of our other friends in Emergency Medicine, Melissa.

I’m hoping for better sleep tonight as the sun, sand and sips are starting to slow me down.

~Steph