Scenes from a Flight to the Caribbean

You can always tell a flight that is full of people going on vacation rather than flights for other purposes. On my flight to St. Thomas I didn’t even need to look at the gate numbers to know which was mine. I knew I was in the right place when I got to the gate with all the people wearing flip flops. The women had fresh highlights, spray tans and pedicures and the men were wearing shorts with belts.

Planes going to vacation spots are relaxing to me because everyone is in a good mood. As I sit on the plane writing this, all I can smell is Bloody Mary’s although the woman in the row in front of me has decided it’s time for a beer. Right on…you’re on vacation! If they had champagne I would be having a mimosa, my morning drink of choice, but they don’t even have champagne in first class on this flight (the horror!).

On the flip side, I think the TSA agent who checked my boarding pass and passport was quite jealous as she told me my flight was going to be really full with lots of kids. Her sarcastic “have a nice flight” as I walked away told me as much. I wish I could tell her that I’m comfortably seated on a quiet flight and the middle seat next to me is empty.

What interesting things have you seen or heard on a flight or in an airport???

Christmas in New York

Certain places seem to be perfect during certain times of the year.  Paris in the spring time.  New York at Christmas time.  I spent last weekend in New York with a friend to do all things Christmas.  I love Christmas and nowhere seems to dress up their town like New York.  It was bitterly cold and windy, but that seemed appropriate.  I'm proud to say this former California girl has finally learned how to bundle up!

It was a 57 minute flight to New York's La Guardia airport.  My bag was quick to arrive and I was out the door to meet the car and driver.  I have to say that being picked up in a Lincoln Town Car and driven into Manhattan made me feel a little like Blair from Gossip Girl.  We did not hit any traffic and less than 30 minutes later I was at our Times Square hotel to meet up with my friend who took the train and arrived earlier that day.  It was late and we wanted to get an early start the next morning so we just had a couple drinks in the hotel bar.  The InterContinental at Times Square was an amazing hotel.  It opened just this past July and I was really impressed by the quality and size of the room for it being in the middle of a big city. The staff was really friendly and the bar was busy and had a buzz about it.  I'm even thinking of using their bathroom as inspiration for my master bathroom remodel.

The following morning we were up early to start our Christmas adventure.  First stop was Macy's to look at the windows.  Now I have to admit, and this may sound completely naive, but the windows were not what we expected at all.  Both my friend and I thought the windows would be dressed up in Christmas decorations and clothes.  Not the case at all.  They were mechanical animated type scenes telling stories.  We had no idea....and honestly, weren't sure why people were interested in this.  Lord & Taylor was the same, but Saks Fifth Avenue had windows we loved!  Futuristic fashion done in sparkly holiday themes...now that's what we like.

While at Macy's we wandered in to do some shopping and I found this hat.  I immediately fell in love with it and I  wore it for about half the day, until it got too windy.  Now I feel ready should I ever have a horse racing even to attend!

One of the things I love about New York is how nothing really seems unusual.  Anything goes here.  Most people didn't even notice me walking around wearing a big hat with feathers on it.  Or this guy walking down the street carrying a dummy.

After a stop for lunch to refuel and warm up a bit we were off to Rockefeller Center.  The crowds had not been bad before lunch, but after lunch it was awful.  I don't know if it was because people started later than us or we were now in Rockefeller Center or what, but the crowds were suffocating.  At Rockefeller Center we couldn't really choose which way to go, we just had to move with the current of people.  We saw the tree, which again, was not what we expected.  The tree was huge and beautiful, but there were no ornaments.  It was lit and had a star on top, but no ornaments.  For some reason I expected huge ribbon and bulb ornaments.  Either way, it was pretty though.  I had originally wanted to go ice skating but my bad back prevented it, which is probably a good thing given the crowd. 

Next it was time for more shopping.  We stopped at my favorite chocolate shop, Teuscher, to get some champagne truffles for my husband and then we were off to Toys R Us for my friend to get souvenirs for her kids.  We stopped and got a coffee to warm up at one point and just sat inside looking out the window watching NY go by.  I love people watching and just watching cities in action so this was one of the high points of the trip for me.

Dinner was at a restaurant near Radio City Music Hall.  On our way in, a couple who didn't speak English asked us in Spanish if we knew of a good seafood restaurant.  I wish we did, but we didn't.  It made us feel good though that they thought we were from NY.  At dinner I had a view of a giant red scrolling news ticker on the building across the street and I was mesmerized by it. 

After dinner we headed back to the tree to see it all lit up.  Night time is when NY really shows itself off.  Everything was lit up and I can't imagine anyone feeling like a scrooge when seeing the beauty of Rockefeller Center all lit up.  We didn't get too close though this time because we could still see the crowds of people so we took our pictures from across the street.

The next day it was finally time to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall!!!  We got there early to see the lobby and look at souvenirs.  The show was excellent!  I didn't know much about the Rockettes except for the their famous kick line.  I had no idea they sang and tap danced too.  Many of the routines were done in formations which looks really cool with 36 dancers on stage at a time.  My friend and I kept commenting to each other how we need to start practicing now so we can try out next year. 

After the show it was a quick late lunch and back to the hotel to get our bags to be on our way home.  Our hotel was on a side street that didn't get a lot of cabs so the bell man had us follow him running through the streets to find a cab.  I admit the cab driver freaked my out a bit, but soon enough we were on the train back home.  It was an action packed weekend and we did so much that it felt like we were there longer than just a day and a half.

Thank you New York for a great time...and for just being you.

Patagonia

This one is more of a Postcard to Patrice. My in-laws recently went to Patagonia and this picture from their trip is just stunningly beautiful.  South America anyone???


Photo Credit: Ken S. (my FIL)



West of Key West

Like most people, I thought the Florida Keys ended at Key West. It is the end of the road, but not the end of the Keys.  Seventy miles west of Key West is a chain of islands called the Dry Tortugas, accessible only by boat or seaplane.  We took the seaplane which was an adventure in itself.  Flying so low over the clear blue/green water that we could see sea life, with a Captain with no shoes on, was exciting!  Landing was pretty rough though and felt like we landed on concrete. 

We took the early morning flight to get there before the ferry arrived and I'm glad we did.  The only people on the island when we were there were the two of us, the barefoot captain, the two other people who came on the plane with us, a handful of campers...and the SWAT team.  Ok, maybe it wasn't the SWAT team, but probably border control instead.  A bunch of guys wearing all black walking on the wall of the fort with guns.  They take this seriously here and we saw a boat left from some Cubans trying (unsuccessfully) to find their way to freedom.

Our ride.

Fort Jefferson is one of the least used National Parks.

This day trip (while we were visiting Key West) was my husband's idea because he wanted to see the fort.  I have to admit, it was pretty interesting and beautiful to wander around it all by ourselves.

I came for the beach though and can only take so much of walking around a fort before I get silly.

The best part to me was being on the small beach all by myself while Chris snorkeled.  I usually watch him while he snorkels by himself, but this time I knew the SWAT team would keep an eye on him from the wall so I just relaxed on the beach.

Our time at the fort had come to an end just as the ferry arrived.  As we took off I looked back and saw people literally running to the beach like ants swarming to honey.

The 7 Beaches of Caneel Bay

Staying at Caneel Bay on the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands is like staying at seven different resorts all in one since there are seven beaches on the resort's 170 acres, and an eight beach also within walking distance.  Each beach is wonderful, but a little different.

1. Turtle Bay Beach

This beach is my favorite, especially early in the morning.  None of the beaches get really crowded, but I like getting here early when nobody else is there.

There is good snorkeling and swimming for Chris.

And I like watching the boats go by.

2. Scott Beach

Scott is my second favorite and I like it in the afternoon when the sun is shining on this side of the resort.  Although I have never had issues with kids at Caneel, Scott is one of two adults only beaches at Caneel.  We have never snorkeled at this beach, but apparently there is sea grass that attracts sea turtles.  Most of Caneel's beaches do not have any services (drinks, towels, etc) however I have seen a waiter come to Turtle in the afternoon and Scott has a supply of towels and a small stand where you can get drinks made during certain times.

Scott is the longest of the beaches at Caneel.  Here is it as seen from the water.

And as seen from land.

3. Hawksnest Beach

Chris loves this beach.  The sun shines on this beach in the early part of the day and by late afternoon is completely shaded.  The water is very warm and Chris likes to end the day here with his chair pulled into the water.  There is good snorkeling here and nice views of other beaches that are not part of Caneel.

4. Honeymoon Beach

Ahh, Honeymoon.  This beach is breath taking it's so beautiful.  It requires a short hike to get to it so it's not as convenient to get to, but it's worth the walk.  Snorkel boats also show up in the afternoon so it's best to get here in the morning.  There are no chairs or other facilities, but when we've been there we've had it almost to ourselves.  This is also the only beach that does not have rooms on it.

Here is the view of Honeymoon from our room.

And the view of our room (in the distance) from Honeymoon.

5. Paradise Beach

This beach is also adults only and only has a couple rooms near it.  It is the perfect beach for a quiet sunset and it is quite small so usually there are only a few people on it.  The downside here is that there were a lot of sea urchins in the water when we were there so we had to be careful.

6. Caneel Beach

This is the main beach where the boats dock and is next to the front desk, water sports desk, restaurant, bar, etc.  It is probably the most "crowded" but still isn't crowded.  Non Caneel guests can also use this beach.  Families with small children tend to stay here for the convenience of being near everything.

7. Little Caneel Beach

This a really small beach that is really only used by people staying in the rooms on the beach.  Again, this one is close to all the facilities and great for families with small kids.

All the beaches are great, but if I had to pick, I would spend the morning at Turtle and the afternoon at Scott.  The variety of beaches is one of the reasons we love Caneel so much and cannot wait to return for our third visit.

Caneel Bay: My Happy Place (Part 2)

Caneel's beauty inspired me to be an early riser.  It also helped that with no TV's in the room , little night life, and wearing ourselves out in the sun each day, we went to bed on the early side as well.  We settled into a routine quite quickly at Caneel.  Here is a typical day.

• Wake up around 7am
• I would walk over to the the bar where there was a free continental breakfast and bring food and the daily NY Times fax back to our room to eat on the deck
• Go to one of the seven beaches where Chris would snorkel and I would sun myself, read and swim a little
• Lunch at Caneel's restaurant, maybe have a drink or two at the bar...I loved the Bushwackers which were like a cocktail and dessert all in one (vodka, kahlua, frangelico, baileys, coconut cream, blended with ice and topped with nutmeg...mmmmm)...Chris was huge fan of the Virgin Islands Pale Ale
• Back to the beach, but we'd pick a different beach than the morning, where we would stay until the sun was going down
• Head to the room to clean up for dinner, while one of us was in the shower the other would sit on the deck and read, or just stare at the view
• Dinner at Caneel's restaurant and another drink or two at the bar
• Back to the room to read, or watch a DVD on the portable DVD player I brought, and go to bed

The reason that Caneel and St. John are so peaceful and naturally beautiful is thanks to Laurance Rockefeller.  Mr. Rockefeller was so impressed by the beauty of St. John that he bought most of the island and then donated it to the government to form the Virgin Islands National Park, which makes up about 60% of the island.  Caneel is on park land so there are rules about blending in with nature and abiding my Mr. Rockefeller's desire to keep the island's natural beauty.

The beaches at Caneel Bay and all over St. John are small coves, but they are the most beautiful I have ever seen.  Umbrellas are not allowed at Caneel but chairs are provided on six of the seven beaches where shade is provided by the sea grape trees. 

A short hike is required to get to Honeymoon Beach, but it is worth it as long as you get there before the snorkel boats arrive.  Chairs are not provided here so we just sat in the water.

Chris and I look for some different things in a vacation spot and Caneel works for both of us.  I like to sit in the sun and look at the water and view.  He likes to be more active and swim/snorkel/hike.  There are hiking trails that start at Caneel and also seven beaches to swim at that all have off beach snorkeling which is so hard to find at most resorts. 

We would usually drag our chairs out into water so I could sun myself.  I would go in the water every now and then to cool off and Chris would snorkel.  One day at Turtle Bay beach Chris went snorkeling while I sat in my chair.  I liked to keep an eye on him since he would be out there by himself and there is boat traffic a little ways out.

I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up I couldn't see Chris anymore!  I went out into the water to see if I could see him and I couldn't....no snorkelers out there.  I didn't know what to do!  Should I run to the front desk and ask for help.  I pictured a rescue crew in a zodiac or something, but that would have taken too long if he had hit his head on a rock or had been hit by a boat.  I put on my snorkel gear and swam as fast as I could out there to see if I could find him.  Turns out I can swim really fast when I need to.  I swam around the rocky point and kept going and finally found him...just fine and snorkeling.  He was happy for the company and wanted to show me cool things he saw.  At that point, my body relaxed and I may have cried a little, but I had no more energy and just needed to get back to the beach.  I now jokingly refer to this as my "Baywatch moment"...without the red bathing suit. 

The grounds of Caneel are just as beautiful as the beaches.  It's like a tropical manicured golf course.

And there is plenty of wildlife including donkeys, deer and mongooses.

The donkeys have a pretty good life here, but it was interesting to watch them.  There seemed to be a clique and outsiders.  And for some reason towels from the beach were something to fight about.

With Caneel being such a large property, most places were serene and uncrowded.  The fewer the people on the beach, the better to us.  We do wish there were more people in the bar and restaurant though as we like to socialize over drinks with other guests.  There was one couple that was quite annoying to us even though we never spoke. 

This couple was always standing in the water at my favorite beach.  The problem was that the woman was wearing a dental floss thin thong and I grew tired of looking at her rear end while I'd watch Chris snorkel (see him behind them).  They always wore those hats but didn't seem concerned about the rest of their bodies getting burned.

We have been to Caneel Bay two times now and will likely go back again next year.  We were concerned it wouldn't be as good the second time, but it was even better!  It is my happy place I go to in my head when I need to relax.  Caneel isn't for everyone.  It's not glitzy, the rooms are not luxurious and there is no pool scene.  What it does have is a place to relax and enjoy beautiful scenery that is perfect for us.

Saying good-bye and leaving on the boat is always sad.

Until next time...

Caneel Bay: My Happy Place (Part 1)

As the boat pulled up to Caneel Bay, I knew we were going to like the place, but didn't realize how much we were going to love it!  I had read that the rooms were not luxurious and the lure is the natural beauty of the 170 acres and 7 beaches.  You either "get it" or don't we and we definitely did! 

The trip to Caneel Bay started by flying to St. Thomas.  Once we were in baggage claim the Caneel experience began.  We checked in at the air conditioned Caneel lounge and had a cold drink and freshly baked cookies.  We handed over our luggage and didn't have to touch it again until we were in our room to unpack.  A van took us to the dock and then we boarded Caneel's boat to take us to the island of St. John.  St. John does not have an airport so the only way to arrive is by boat.  As soon as we boarded the boat we were offered some punch and asked if we wanted it with or without rum.  Silly question.  After we and the other guests received our punch we all had the same surprised look on our faces after just one sip....not fooling around here with the punch!  After about 20 or 30 minutes Chris asked me when I thought we'd be there.  I told him to turn around and look...there's our room.

As the boat was pulling up to the dock, I knew everything was going to be good just based on the feel of the place.  Our vacation the year before to Aruba didn't go so well so I was happy that this place had good feel.  My last worry was about the rooms.  I knew from reading reviews and seeing pictures that the rooms were not luxurious, and didn't have a TV or even a phone.  Our room was not ready when we arrived so we had lunch and drinks (on the house since our room wasn't ready) and then were taken in a golf cart to our room.  The room was small and basic, but the bed and linens were as nice as any high end hotel...and the view was amazing!  All my fears were gone and knew this was going to be a great vacation!

From the balcony we could see Honeymoon and Salomon beaches

Caneel and Little Caneel beaches

And St. Thomas

Once we got settled and had some champagne on the deck, we headed out to Paradise beach which is perfect for sunset.

All this was only the first day...