Jennifro

St. John 

Days in Paradise

Beautiful St. John.  I am so glad we opted to spend our vacation here!  My one regret is not taking a picture from the plane as we approached the island--it was so amazing and a sight I'd never seen before.

We rented our car and shopped for food in St. Thomas then got on the car ferry and floated on to paradise.

Our little bungalow was tiny and perfect for us.  We loved feeling like we were part of the jungle with its lush tropical views and a bird and frog choir that never ceased.

We spent our first day at Cinnamon Bay and were literally blown away by the clearness and color of the water.  I had no idea it would be like a perfect-temperature pool with sand.  I loved the schools of tiny, tiny silvery fish that would dart in and out of our legs.  The kids immediately took to snorkeling around the reefs and it was absolutely incredible.  It was so easy and accessible to see such an amazing underwater world.  Again, totally not expecting to be in a tropical fish tank.  This vacation hit home that you really do need to experience places first-hand to truly get it.

At the end of the bay there were huge black rocks and cliffs with cacti and desert plants growing all over it, which was pretty unexpected.  That in a nutshell is what I loved most about this island.. there was such a variety in landscape.  I've never been to a beach that wasn't just flat with a strip of sand and water.  Now I know why people rave about the caribbean.

A few hours into our afternoon, Camille wanted a coconut so Nick set off with her to go pick one.  I really am in no mood to do that story justice but if you know Nick, you know it involved shimmying up about thirty feet, rubbing the tops of his feet bloody raw (for the rest of the trip!) and tossing a boulder or two down to Camille, which thankfully didn't kill her.  The kids then figured they each deserved one so they followed in their dads footsteps up the beach and were gone for a few hours.  They, however, didn't climb but just chucked stuff into trees till they finally knocked three down.  One of the best things about this trip was feeling like you were in a remote area.  We never once felt like we were part of the beach crowd, which for me almost makes the experience.  I love feeling secluded. The kids were free to explore and we always felt like we could find our perfect spot for the day.

There they are overlooking Trunk Bay.  Absolutely gorgeous!