Category: Travel Adventures

Family & Friends, Travel Adventures

St Thomas Day 6: “Naked” vs “Nature Island” & other musings on childhood imagination

You know you’ve let go of most of the cares of the world when the biggest debate in the household is whether the island we see just across from our house is “Naked Island” (#1LittleSister’s vote) or “Nature Island” (#1BigBrother’s vote).

We’re living in their big worlds this week. Day 1 when someone found a deceased baby gecko in the bathroom and flung it onto the island countertop right where I was assembling PB&Js… I had to take a breath, pause, and remember what a unique find this must be for him – “the coolest thing in the world!” in fact.

#1LittleSister eating leftover noodles straight out of the bowl

In the daily grind back home, it’s easy to miss out on these moments – I’m often just hoping for compliance to get everyone dressed, get out the door, be on time, survive and not let the wheels come off. It’s nice to do an unplanned vacation – low expectations, few activities booked ahead of time means no deadlines to miss.

Today we’re just hanging around the house, swimming, eating, playing UNO and practicing our Duolingo. I’m brushing up on my Spanish, Amir on his Arabic, #1BigSister on her Spanish and Ale on her Bosnian (her SOs heritage). I have to remind myself that independent time is time well spent too, and not every activity has to be a family bonding moment.

At lunch I asked #1BigBrother why he calls it “Nature Island.” He said that since no people live there, only plants and animals, it was all nature. Makes sense.

When posed with the same question on why she calls it “Naked Island,” #1LittleSister said that since no one lives there, it’d probably be ok if you wanted to be naked there. Fair enough.

The real name of the island is Hans Lollik Island, a nod to the island’s longtime ownership by Denmark prior to purchase by the US. In 2014, Larry Page of Google founding fame, bought both Great and Little Hans Lollik Islands (there’s a smaller island just behind the one we can see) for $23 million. It’s a bit unclear why Page may have wanted to buy the islands since there’s no electricity, running water or infrastructure, but the internet speculates that Page may have proposed to his wife there years back, making it a sentimental purchase.

Tonight we have 7pm dinner reservations with Dee and Patrick. I’ll put makeup on for the first time in five days. Or maybe I won’t. TBD.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Travel Adventures

St Thomas Day 5: Coral World Ocean Park and a dolphin meet & greet

We knew ahead of time that wind gusts today would be 30 mph, so boat trips and sandy beaches weren’t in the cards.

Even though we woke up with no plans, we were still able to get tickets for a 2:30pm Dolphin Meetup at the Coral World Ocean Park at Coki Point.

Underwater viewing point at Coral World

We arrived around 11:30 with three hours to kill before our date with the dolphins. I think my expectations were low, not for any reason except this place didn’t show up in my Google searches ahead of the trip and no one had recommended it to us.

We started out at the touch tank which featured a starfish and sea cucumber. These little guys didn’t seem to mind the attention. The guides are very knowledgeable and do a good job catering their explanations to younger explorers.

The park is full of underwater viewing opportunities. After the touch tank and a brief downpour of hurricane-like rain, we took the dock across to the white dome on the water, down the spiral staircase and into the world of the coral reefs.

I could have stayed down there for hours. I could do the same with snorkeling if it weren’t for the potential sunburn, so this was perfect for me.

After we surfaced, we headed to the shark tank to watch a quick hand-feeding by park staff. Nurse sharks live cooperatively with lemon sharks, no one seeming to nibble on each other’s fins.

There’s an extensive number of iguanas roaming the park like free-range chickens. They have a dedicated area, but we seemed to spot them all-over.

Other reptile friends include the red-footed tortoise, of which they had 5-10. They enjoyed a small water enclosure and a robust buffet of veggies. Life’s not bad for them I think.

Red-footed tortoises

Additional friends included a sea lion, three green-back sea turtles and of course, the bottle nosed dolphin we met later in the day.

One of my favorites was the bird enclosure where for $3, you could buy a small cup of nectar and have a Rainbow Lorikeet sit on your arm and watch them lap it all up. These little guys were not shy at all.

#1BigSister and a Lorikeet friend

The lady in the enclosure was very generous. She refilled our cups with nectar about four times over, not once asking us for more money. Everyone was able to participate, even #1LittleSister at 3 years old.

Amir had to drag me out of there to make sure we didn’t miss our next show. Something about the color and calmness of these birds made me want to spend endless time with them.

At 2:20 we headed to the Dolphin experience. There are two options for meeting the dolphin – a meetup where you stand on a platform submerged two feet below the water and touch the dolphin as it swims up, and an in-water swim session which is a bit more up close.

Dolphin meetup

Since we booked this morning, the meetup was our only option, but I think it worked best for our crew ages 3-46, all but one of whom had never touched a dolphin before.

The kids were able to hand-feed the dolphin, named Nola, small fish. Nola is unique in that she’s completely blind and reliant 100% on echolocation as her survival sense. No dolphin can smell, but most rely heavily on their excellent vision.

The staff take photos during the experience which are available for purchase at the end of the encounter. Compared to daycare photo prices ($40/photo), these were pretty reasonable at $60 for all 15.

5 out of 6 ain’t bad

After Coral World, we were starving and knew we wouldn’t feel like cooking once home. We ate at Margaritaville, which was just as you’d expected it – overpriced, oversized and a bit forgettable as many American chain restaurants often are. It got the job done, but definitely not our best meal here.

Tomorrow the wind is expected to continue. No plans yet (again), but based on how well things turned out today, I’m not at all worried.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

St Thomas Day 4: Cowpet Bay Beach and a dinner at home with friends

Another 6:30 am wakeup – this is all starting to feel a bit predictable. Just after I finished serving up first breakfast (toast with butter and frozen mangos), I moved on to cooking up second breakfast (scrambled eggs with sausage links). They’d have taken a third breakfast if I let them, but at some point you just have to say no.

Somewhere around 4 am

With the hustle and bustle of yesterday, we were all craving a slow, easy relaxing day. Having casually said yesterday that we’d hang out today, this morning I texted Dee, “some of us are still in bed so it’ll be a bit before we figure out our specifics – I’ll keep you posted but don’t let us hold you up.” That may or not have been 10 am.

Somewhere around 11, we corralled everyone out the door, into the car and drove eastward to Cowpet Bay. There are a few nice resorts overlooking the bay which is dotted with anchored sailboats and swimming buoys. This beach was much less crowded than the Marriott, feeling more residential in the vibe, but still offering a great pool, multiple bars and a great casual beachfront restaurant with easy takeout.

Drip castles in the sand

Thanks to recommendations from one of our co-workers, Chelsea, I brought along a snorkeling raft and viewer. I’d never seen one of these things before – an inflatable raft with a drop in viewfinder that essentially creates a snorkeling-like view for those too young or too nervous to use a traditional mask.

That made Chelsea 2 for 2 on great recommendations – she was also the one who told me to pack milk-bone dog biscuits for feeding the fish yesterday.

Sandy shipwreck

We left Cowpet Bay around 4, heading home to shower, nap and prep for dinner. Dee and crew came to our place for dinner, swimming and ice cream. By 9pm, we all had nothing left to give.

A meeting of the minds

We got a call today that the boys’ fishing charter we’d scheduled for Friday is cancelled due to weather – something about 30 mph winds and potential for seasickness. There are definitely some disappointed faces, but we might try for a fishing outing in Norfolk once back home in Virginia.

We are going to bed tonight with absolutely ZERO plans for tomorrow. It’s lovely.

~Steph

Family & Friends, Food & Drink, Travel Adventures

St Thomas Day 3: Catamaran sea turtle snorkeling trip and dinner at Sun & Sea

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.

Marriott Resort, The VI Cat launch spot

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.

Morning swim session

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.

One of five sea turtles I spotted

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.

Team Louka
Team Willis

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).

Stingray
Crab friend

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.

Free temporary tattoos from The VI Cat

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

Family & Friends, Travel Adventures

St Thomas Day 2: Magens Bay Beach

I really didn’t expect anyone additional to be in my bed before 7 am but alas…

Breakfast is easy when you’re the chef in charge.

“Do you want toast with peanut butter & jelly, toast with just butter, or toast with all three?” (The PB&J come swirled together)

A loaf and a half of bread later, everyone seemed satiated. I had my morning coffee, so I was happy.

Amir never made it into the pool yesterday, so his first order of business was checking out the 92 degree water. The rental is well-appointed, complete with water noodles, goggles, snorkeling gear, beach chairs, huge fluffy towels and even badminton rackets. With three bedrooms across two floors, it works well for our crew of six.

For our afternoon adventure, we decided to check out Magens Bay Beach, just a 10 minute drive west of us. It’s known to be a beach that’s not so crowded as you do have to pay a fee per person to go. There wasn’t much opportunity for snorkeling, but with restaurants, small shops and public restrooms, it’s got everything you need for an easy outing.

#1BigSister and Ale build a castle

There’s a whole exercise park along the perimeter of the beach, and in the ocean, there are lanes defined by buoys where swimmers and snorkels can do laps safely without intrusion from boaters or kayaks.

I’m quite sure there might be more JEEPs here than any other place in the world. In our family, we play a little game called “The Rainbow Car Game” where, starting in red and proceeding in rainbow order (of course), you look for and call out that color car. Amir notes we could play “The Rainbow JEEP Game” here pretty easily.

There’s nothing like sun, sand and swimming to tire a crew out. On arrival back home to Sea View, there were no arguments about nap time. I even snuck in a whole hour to myself to type today’s entry.

Tonight Amir’s dealing culinarily ambitious – promising steaks, potatoes and asparagus. I’m all in. Oh, and I’ll have another round of Ale’s Pain Killer cocktail please, too.

~Steph