For Myles's (pending...) graduation, my parents took us (and our new addition to the family, Caitlin!) to St. John to celebrate. And boy was it a celebration. I won't share everything I loved, but I'll try to share some of the highlights.
After what seemed like days of traveling (a splendid red eye to Newark--highlighted by a screaming, less-than-pleasant smelling baby--, flight to San Juan, followed by me co-piloting a prop plane flight to St. Thomas--more on that later, ferry ride, 30 minute car ride...OK it was about 18 hours), I reached the beautifully majestic Caribbean island of St. John.
My Dad handed me a Presidente for the road (you can do that in St. John), and within minutes, I almost lost a tooth over a speed bump. (Thankfully, disaster was averted, and I enjoyed my cold beer.)
What struck me first about St. John was the rolling, lush hills spanning the whole island. It felt almost surreal being there. I was immediately reinvigorated by the hot sun, squinting while trying to soak up such beauty. Only hours before, I was thousands of miles away.
I'll never forget the breath-taking sweeping panoramic views of the island, Coral Bay half a mile below us, Sir Francis Drake Channel, and various British Virgin Islands sprinkled about from the villa (I feel weird saying that, so I'll say house) at which we stayed. (Although, thankfully, if the clarity of my memories ever fade, I have pictures to enhance them.)
Christmas Eve dinner was similar to our traditional dinner. Kristin bubble wrapped Sam Smith's brews for us to enjoy while preparing dinner. I brought Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir--renowned as some of the best in the world--for the main course. My parents packed a carry-on bag full of frozen meat. Yes, you heard me correctly. Frozen meat. The beef tenderloin took two days to defrost, and my Dad cooked it perfectly (Uncle George to the rescue for tips on how to cook it without a meat thermometer!). My Mom made her famous twice-baked potatoes, which were just as tasty in the Caribbean as in Binghamton. Although I'm a lover of tradition, looking out at Coral Bay after sunset on Christmas is something I won't forget, and a memory I'll hold onto.
In total, we visited nine beaches, all beautiful, all uniquely distinct. I'll share a few highlights.
Maho Bay, one of my favorites, is long and narrow. It's protected so the water is calm, which invites snacking pelicans to soar and dive as well as schools of needle-nosed fish to flop about at the surface snacking on the same fish the pelicans enjoyed so much. Sting rays glide ominously along the bay's floor in mere inches of water. Sail boats moor and spend the day. While snorkeling, I saw a grouchy looking barracuda and a HUGE sea turtle! (Which instantly reminded me of Finding Nemo....heyyyy dudeeee... seee ya later, dude!)
Francis Bay invites you to just stay all day. Like Maho, it's pretty calm and long. Sting rays meander and manta rays glide through the water, almost as if putting on a show for everyone on shore. It proved to be the ideal spot to throw the frisbee to a diving receiver, as there was a nice drop off right past the shoreline. Just past the sand is a trail that leads through a mangrove forest with HUGE termite nests, which brought back memories of walking among mangroves in Australia (minus the termites).
In order to get to Denis Bay, one has to walk about 0.2 miles through dense national park forest. (In reality, the walk feels a LOT longer than that!) The walk is well worth it, however, as the 240 degree views from the beach are spectacular. Less protected than all other bays and more windy, Denis Bay is not for the weary.
Salt Pond Bay is nestled on the island's south shore. It's pretty small, but the white sand and calm waters are inviting. Before hitting the beach we hiked to Ram Head, which offers an incredible views at the top of the hill. At the halfway point, we came across a beautiful blue pebble beach and took an impromptu photo.
After Salt Pond, we ventured further down the South Shore to Great Lameshur Bay. And later, we found a deserted Kettel Bay with the sun well on its descent. We decided if we were locals, it'd be the perfect place to park yourself with a beer at sunset. (Right after we got there, a couple showed up with their dogs, chairs, and beers for just that.)
At Hawksnest Bay, we were lucky enough to be spectators of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue-like photo shoot. An arrogant Dad in his boat passed the buoys where boats are supposed to stop and dropped off his wife, their prized daughter, the neglected sun (who could not care less), and a photographer. For the next 40 minutes, everyone on the beach watched the photo shoot in an almost disgusted astonishment. Thankfully, for your sake, I refrained from taking pictures.
Other than that display of bad parenting, we thoroughly enjoyed Hawksnest, even though it was super crowded.
Leinster Bay, like Denis, requires some work to get to. We walked a little over a mile from the car to get to the beach. The bay is small and tranquil (especially once my Dad, through his masterful use of rhetorical questioning, successfully shooed a boater back behind the buoys).
The bay is best known for its calm waters and excellent snorkeling. Here, my parents saw a nurse shark! The highlight for me was the short hike to sugar plantation ruins and the spectacular view of the bay and the Sir Francis Drake Channel from the top of the hill.
In addition to lounging around on pristine beaches all day reading, snorkeling, walking along the beach, and playing frisbee, in the evenings, we ate a lot of delicious home-cooked meals, marveled at the views from the house, and played a lot of Hearts and Eucher. We even had a slight run-in with a very large and hairy spider. Dauntless Dad swept in to the rescue and brushed Mr. Tarantula well off the porch, but not before everyone screamed for about a minute.
On the last day, we had a blast laying out for the frisbee at Francis Bay. Dad won the "swan dive" competition, but really, when does he not? We also took a few family photos.
On the trip home, once again, I had the honor of co-piloting the nine-seater prop plane. Coincidentally, the pilot was from Portland and gave me some bar and restaurant suggestions.... before takeoff, thankfully, not during.
Myles, just remember, Dad will "kick your ass" if you somehow manage to not graduate.
Overall, it was the vacation of a lifetime (thanks Myles for graduating and Mom and Dad for your generosity!), and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a week with my family in such a beautiful place.
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