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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Note: Edited for content by CTR Editor
Trips 7/01 - 8/01 (and 11/01) (c)2001 This report details a trip taken to St. John, USVI from July 26, 2001 - August 6, 2001. Caroline and I are a married couple traveling with our 16-year old son, David. We are all experienced Scuba divers with various levels of diving certifications, and we all love snorkeling. We did a lot of research before-hand, so we had a list of the bays, beaches and snorkeling sites that we identified as most promising for snorkeling and beaching. We were able to snorkel and skin-dive all of the sites on our list. Snorkeling was so terrific that we had no desire to Scuba dive, although there are two dive operations on the island. For snorkeling, sheer dramatic beauty, and the friendliness of the folks who live there, we cannot recommend St. John highly enough. Thursday 7/26 We took a taxi from the airport in St. Thomas to Red Hook, where ferries depart hourly for St. John, about three miles across Pillsbury Sound. The taxi, a Ford Windstar, was over-crowded (10 people), hot, (no A/C) and expensive ($10 pp). It made multiple stops on the way to Red Hook, so we missed the 1:30 ferry and had to wait at Red Hook, where it is very hot, with no areas of shade, for nearly an hour. After changing into shorts and tee shirts, the dress of choice on St. John, we went to Cruz Bay to find an air conditioned eatery. After a quick walk around town, we quickly discovered that Cruz Bay has only one air-conditioned restaurant, "Paradisio", whose prices were steep even for St. John. We settled instead for "Chilly Billy's", a Mexican eatery near the Lumber Yard in Cruz Bay. This restaurant normally serves only breakfast and lunch, but its owner decided to expand its offerings by serving dinner on Thursday and Friday nights. The Tex/Mex good was good by Taco Bell standards. A meal for three was $70 without the tip, and with no cocktails. We ate at Chilly Billy's for breakfast one day, and the food was almost intolerable - greasy, tasteless. Most of it went uneaten. A standard breakfast for three ran $35. We cannot recommend Chilly Billy's. Friday 7/27 Cinnamon Bay We decided to get in the habit of no morning shower. We jumped into our bathing suits, threw the snorkel gear in the truck, and headed to Cinnamon Bay - David's choice because it has a food concession, beach shack, and General Store. These serve the Cinnamon Bay campgrounds. Cinnamon also has an ongoing archeological dig of a pre-Columbian Taino Indian settlement. The dig is staffed largely by volunteers, several of who were girls around David's age, and with whom he struck up a fast acquaintance. Needless to say, Dave became enamored of Cinnamon Beach and spent several days there while we went on to explore other beaches. Cinnamon Bay is a beautiful beach with gin-clear water. The snorkeling is average off of the beach itself, but a short (.2 mile) swim to Cinnamon Cay (pronounced 'key'), just off shore, revealed quite fine snorkeling around the north and west sides of the cay. We saw several manta rays, a juvenile octopus, several adult barracuda, and schools upon schools of juvenile reef fish in and around the plunging coral reef that girdles the cay. We quickly found that the most precious commodity on this (and most of the other North shore beaches) is shade. Sea grape trees line the beach, and every shady spot beneath the trees had been claimed by 10:00 a.m. Just as importantly, we learned that having possession of a shady spot in the morning did not guarantee a shady spot in the afternoon. On the North Shore beaches, the sun casts shade on the west side of the trees in the morning, and on the east side in the afternoon. We made sure that we staked out both sides of the tree! Beach chairs were generously provided by the villa. After arriving 'home' and cooling off in the pool, we drove (the truck had A/C!) to town and the Fish Trap Restaurant, where we found seating to be immediate, service to be wonderful and attentive, the food excellent and the prices reasonable (for St. John). St. John doesn't offer a lot of nightlife, and everyone turns in early. However, for us, nighttime was the high point of the day - we got to take SHOWERS!! I'll admit - I did cheat a little - I left the water on between the various phases of the shower. Saturday 7/28 Trunk Bay We decided to go to Trunk Bay, since it was a weekend and the beach would not be crowded with cruise ship passengers on land tours. Trunk Bay is known as the best beach on the island, due in part to the National Park's innovative snorkel trail, a 225-yard underwater tour through the coral and marine life, marked by informative plaques. We had read that the snorkeling trail had been decimated by over-snorkeling, so our expectations weren't high. This beach also has a food concession, a beach shack and fresh water showers. Unlike any of St. John's other beaches, the Park Service charges a $4 per person entry fee. We found that we could buy an annual National Park family pass for $15, which also included admission to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins. The ruins, on the north-east side of the island near Francis Bay, also charge $4 per person admission. David returned to Trunk Bay once, and we returned there for a day in November. We all went to Annaberg, too, so saved several dollars by buying the annual pass. We found snorkeling at Trunk Bay to be quite good. The snorkeling trail is in good shape, despite what we had read to the contrary. The snorkeling along the east side of Trunk Cay and around the point of rocks is very good with lots of tropical fishes hiding among the rocks, and larger fish awaiting their chance to snag a smaller fish that strays too far from the coral and rock reef. Trunk Bay itself is a breathtakingly beautiful knock-down gorgeous beach, and a great beach for limin' and beaching. We headed back to the apartment for a fresh water rinse in the pool, then dinner at the Lime Inn, a charming open-air restaurant in the center of Cruz Bay. Its menu includes local fresh sea food, steaks and pasta. The price is moderate. We recommend this restaurant highly for their quality food and quick courteous service. Early to bed following a cool shower, in anticipation of another day in paradise tomorrow. Sunday 7/29 Solomon Bay Rain is welcome in St. John. It fills the cisterns, greens up the island and cleans the landscape. After raining all night, the sun poked through in the morning. David, who had listened to the weather, warned us that a tropical wave was moving across the region, and that more rain was predicted. Nonetheless, we packed our gear and set out for Solomon Bay Beach. This has a reputation of being the island's "official" clothing optional beach. We chose it because it is secluded and reportedly had lots of shade and good snorkeling. It is accessible only by foot, via the Lind Point Trail. The trail head is behind the National Park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay. It is the closest beach to Cruz Bay, so it's popular with the residents. The Caneel Hill Trail, which intersects the North Shore Road at the top of the hill (at the blue VI National Park sign) just past Mongoose Junction, is a shorter but steeper walk. We chose this trail, which intersects the Lind Point trail spur and branches off to Solomon and Honeymoon Beaches. The sky had clouded over again so the walk down the trail to the beach was not too rigorous. A young couple, maybe in their mid twenties, passed us, panting and sweating heavily, going up as we were going down. I remarked that the climb back up would be tougher than the walk down. Upon arriving at the beach we found that we had the whole place to ourselves! A middle-aged couple was departing, up the Lind Point Trail, just as we arrived from the spur. Signs on both ends of the beach proclaimed "No Nudity Allowed." The clouds were roiling, black and angry looking by then, but the beach and the turquoise blue water were beautiful. It took no time to ditch the gear under a tree and jump in the water. We found the snorkeling to be average along Solomon Beach and east around the small point to Honeymoon beach. However, the snorkeling was excellent to the west of Solomon Beach, along a rock face and several points of rock that eventually led into Cruz Bay. An hour or so later, when coming back onto the beach from the water, we noticed that it had started to rain again. We quickly threw a poncho over the dry gear, unfolded our beach chairs, and sat waiting for the shower to pass. The tree seemed to provide a nice cover from the rain. We took several dips to warm up, as the rain was quite cold while the water was warmer - in the mid 80s. A figure approached from down the trail - it was a Park Ranger. He tarried only long enough to tell us that he was on patrol for swimmers sans suits, and showed us his citation book, explaining that the Park Service had begun to ticket the nude bathers - a change that began under the current (G.W. Bush) administration. Then he was off. We waited patiently for the rain to let up, knowing it was not going to be easy heading back up the trail in the rain. If anything, the clouds became darker, and then darker yet, casting a strange gloom that reminded us of a solar eclipse. The rain fell harder, first in torrents then in drenching buckets of cold water. Rivulets of water crept beneath the poncho, carving streams in the sand and then into the sea. The tree that we had relied on to shelter us soon began dripping black droplets onto us, our hair and the poncho. I guessed that some type of oil was being washed from the tree. We moved beneath another tree, but the black droplets continued. They left a fine grit all over us and the gear. After two hours with no let up in sight, we made our exit up the trail, carrying our snorkel gear, backpacks and beach chairs, slipping, sliding and pulling ourselves up the muddy, drenching hill by whatever means possible - trees, vines, rock ledges, each other. All of the trees seemed to be excreting the same black droplets. Reaching the truck, we found that it, too, was covered with black grit. We got in and turned OFF the A/C, and drove back to the apartment, where we found David curled up on the couch - dry and warm as toast. Thankfully, he's not the kind of kid to say "I told you so"! The rain continued much of the day, and we took the opportunity to go to the Laundromat ($6 per load) in Cruz Bay, and to Starfish Market, the grocery store just down the road. It was still raining heavily at dinner time, so we drove back to the Fish Trap, where we were able to park next to the entrance and get in without getting too wet. The food was good and plentiful, as usual. Before returning we stopped next door in the Love City Surf Shop, and bought an umbrella. Naturally, we never had another need to use it. . Monday 7/30 Salt Pond Bay We had never seen a snow storm in the Caribbean before, but that's what it looked like on Monday morning. A fine white powder covered every surface. The snorkel gear and poncho, that we had draped over the deck railing to dry, had a fine talc all over it. I went outside to find Gerry rinsing the dust off rental truck with a hose. We wondered what it was, and I told him about the black secretions from the trees at Solomon Bay yesterday. We speculated that it could be some kind of pollen spawned by the heavy rain. Today we decided to visit Salt Pond Bay, on the east end of the island near St. John's second largest settlement of Coral Bay. It's a thirty minute drive to Coral Bay, six miles as the crow flies, but a good fifteen miles by road. Centerline Road, or Route 10, winds up, down and around Camelberg and Bordeaux mountains using dozens of switchbacks that involve hairpin turns and ninety degree verticals. There are several overlooks along the way that afford panoramic views (and great photo opportunities) of Coral Bay and the British Virgins. David complained of hunger pangs so we stopped at the Seabreeze Café on Salt Pond Road for lunch. I noticed a small crafts barn next door, tended by a weathered looking woman, while her husband stacked wooden frames alongside the door. While Dave ordered his lunch I wandered over to admire their wares. I commented that they were fine looking frames. I asked the man whether he sold prints to go with them. He looked me over and, recognizing me for the tourist I am, said, "I replace these every ten years or so. These are window frames, not picture frames." Appropriately chastised, I told him thanks and good luck and returned to the Café, where David's order was ready. The TV news there announced that the Montserrat volcano had erupted yesterday. It had erupted while the tropical wave was passing over Montserrat, so the soot, smoke and volcanic ash were carried over the Virgin Islands. Of course - that explained the black water dripping from the trees, the grit all over the car, and the white powder all over everything this morning. We also learned that all flights in the region had been grounded due to danger of volcanic ash and dust being sucked into the turbines. We resolved to fold the poncho, ash and all, and return home with it as a souvenir of this most unusual event. Our research had recommended Salt Pond Bay as one of the best Snorkel and beach areas on the island. The beach itself is crushed coral and rock with very little sand. Foot ware is a requirement. Some picnic tables and porta-johns are the only creature "comforts" there. Still, the beach seems quite popular, as it is usually crowded. It seems especially popular for families, with quite a few children in the shallow waters. We managed to stake out a picnic table under a tree just before a hoard of people arrived at the beach. Snorkeling along the left (east) side of the bay is average to good, with many sea urchins, sea anemones, and soft corals among the submerged rocks. Some of the few coral heads are in poor condition. The middle of the bay, and especially around the mooring buoys, is frequented by dozens of sea turtles. This in itself raises our evaluation of Salt Pond Bay from average to good, and we recommend snorkeling there for its many sea turtles and an occasional barracuda. However, the beach is not too conducive to liming around, and it's a rocky entry into the water, out of the water, and on the beach. It's a ten-minute walk down hill from the parking area to the beach . As usual, returning up the hill is more difficult than going down! Tuesday 7/31 Frank Bay Hawksnest Bay We walked down early in the morning, donned snorkeling gear and jumped in. Despite my doubts - brought on by the occasional odors wafting from the Little Pond, just inland from Frank Bay, that sometimes made the area stink most ripely - this was very good snorkeling. The left (south) side of the bay encloses a live reef that extends past the point of land to Turner Bay. The reef begins immediately at the shoreline. We quickly observed schools of tangs, sergeant majors and angelfish. We were shadowed throughout the dive by a bold barracuda about four feet in length. Later, when Gerry told the story, the barracuda grew significantly, developed large fangs and took on an evil sneer. Gerry thought he might be eaten for breakfast, so we made a quicker departure than I would have normally. On the way back to shore we observed several turtles. I had to hand it to Gerry; this was an unspoiled area - made so by the more spectacular beaches that lure the tourists away from this reef. Besides having good snorkeling, Frank Bay had the best sunset views on the island, looking due west over St. Thomas. David was later told, by one of his myriad of new-found friends, that Cruz Bay itself is one of the best snorkeling sites on St. John, because it is not often visited, and marine life such as mantas and turtles have learned that they can usually find a quick meal there from bait tossed over the side. We did not check this out ourselves, but it's on our list for next time. David was in a funk. His wrist was swollen, his head hurt, and he did NOT want to go to the beach. He wouldn't be able to snorkel, and threatened to pout all day. We took him out to Breakfast, at Chilly Billy's in Cruz Bay. This restaurant is "famous" across the island for its breakfasts. All of us ordered a different menu item, and none of us could take more than a few bites. The food was greasy, limpid and cold. We paid the $35 bill and walked to Mongoose Junction, one of Cruz Bay's two shopping arcades. Prices here were even steeper than those at Havensite Mall (at the cruise ship dock) on St. Thomas. We found the same to be true at Wharfside, the second shopping arcade in Cruz Bay. Residents favor a ferry ride to St. Thomas, where prices are more reasonable, over these malls. We dropped Dave back off at MTV, where he curled up with a book and the television. We decided to go to a close beach so we could check back on David, so we ended up at Hawksnest Bay. Hawksnest is perhaps the most popular beach on Saint John because it's the closest taxi ride from the ferry dock. It's typically crowded with cruise ship passengers. Today was no different. It is a beautiful beach - no doubt one of the prettiest in the Caribbean, and its reefs are very shallow. However, because of that popularity, and because of the novice snorkelers that the shallow waters draw, the reefs are dead. We had last snorkeled Hawksnest in 1996 and the reefs were not healthy, but they were alive and teeming with fish. This time, nothing; just an occasional juvenile sergeant major - another case of a reef that's been kicked and plodded to death. The area around the point of land between Hawksnest and Gibney beaches (the east end of Hawksnest) is healthier and has better snorkeling, but all in all, Frank Bay was much better. We again took Gerry's advice and tried the Banana Deck, in Cruz Bay, for dinner. They have a varied menu and unremarkable food. Two dinners and a salad (Dave didn't eat, he hadn't been hungry since his fall from the gazebo roof) ran $60. Wednesday 8/1 Carrie's Birthday Leinster Bay Waterlemon Cay For as long as we have been married, our family has always celebrated my wife's birthday while on holiday. Over the years it became the focal day of our vacation, and we tried to save the perceived "best" of something - dining, attraction, place or activity - for Carrie's birthday. Sometimes we had been disappointed with a mediocre day, but more often than not we did have the best day of our vacation. And it became a family tradition. With our daughters now on their own, it was just we two and Dave. We had planned on the "best" snorkel of the vacation - Waterlemon Cay - and again, we were not disappointed! The day was sunny and bright. The flat emerald and baby blue water shimmered against the olive brown hillsides, and promised good snorkeling. We ate breakfast at the apartment, as on most days. We had brought a supply of single portion cereals in zip-loc bags, and with the excellent muffins from the Starfish Market they made a satisfying breakfast. Disposable paper plates and bowls made clean up painless. We also brought a supply of our personal coffee blend (shouldn't start the day without it) in a large zip-loc, so were able to enjoy our favorite jet fuel every morning. David elected to stay at the villa. His wrist was still swollen. He was going to watch television and read again. So the two of us were alone on Carrie's birthday for the first time in many years. We drove up the North Shore Road until it ended, at Annaberg Plantation. The trail head to Waterlemon Beach is located here, where we parked and collected our snorkel gear, backpacks and beach chairs. A flat trail hugs the shoreline of Leinster Bay, which is very shallow by the shoreline, where the coral comes to within inches of the surface. After a 30-minute hike we arrived at Waterlemon Beach. The beach itself was uncrowded, with perhaps twenty people in the shade of the abundant sea grape trees on the shore. Another twenty or so were clustered near the rocky point at the east end of the bay, where it lies closest to Waterlemon Cay, about 0.1 miles off the point. We chose a sea grape tree on the beach, dropped our equipment in the shade, pulled on our snorkel gear and explored the bay. Although usually referred to as Waterlemon Bay, this is actually the east end of Leinster Bay. The water was 30 feet deep here, with a number of turtles and eagle rays. Many of the rays had remora attached in a symbiotic relationship. As at Salt Pond Bay, most of the larger life forms would be found around the mooring buoys. We snorkeled directly across the bay to Waterlemon Cay, about a 0.2 mile snorkel over a sandy bottom and against a moderate current. It was well worth the trip. The western side of the Cay is literally an octopuses garden - alive with forests of hard and soft corals in pristine condition, teeming with schools of amber and horse eye jacks, wrasses, tangs, angels, groupers, puffers, and aquatic life so densely concentrated that it was overwhelmingly beautiful. Nurse sharks, rays, turtles, school masters, 30 inch sea bass and barracudas flashed silver against the moving walls of teeming smaller fish to produce a true cacophony of colors. We snorkeled the west side and stopped at the small beach facing the island so Carrie could catch her breath. I had to see more, and returned to the west side, and around the northern point of the Cay, entranced. This was the ultimate snorkeling adventure - truly better than any dive I have ever experienced. I returned to the small beach to find Carrie pacing worriedly. I had been gone, she told me, for almost an hour, during which time it had rained in a drenching cloudburst. I was unaware of both the time and the weather, so mesmerizing was the incredible panorama below. We arrived back at MTV in a euphoric reverie, still enthralled with the experience at Waterlemon. During our fresh water rinse in the small pool, we chatted with the couple from Northern California who had arrived the day before. They wanted to talk country clubs, so we left them in the company of Gerry and his favorite drink, the "painkiller". We decided to go back to the Lime Inn for dinner. The owner, Jack, recognized us immediately and sneaked us past a fairly long line to a great open air table, in honor of Carrie's birthday. The food was great and typically inexpensive (about $80 for three of us) for St. John. Cruz Bay was somewhat more crowded tonight, due to the arrival of tourists whose flights had been delayed since the eruption of Montserrat. Back at the villa, the mosquitoes had become downright vicious. Despite bringing Deep Woods Off we still had welt size bites across all exposed parts. The heat and humidity had become oppressive, and shortly overwhelmed the best efforts of the small air conditioner. The pool became our solace where we could stay cool and keep our submerged bodies bite-free. Dave still wasn't quite his usual good natured self. We remarked that he seemed a little "shocky" since his fall, with little or no appetite, kind of despondent, and had not been out of the villa, except to walk to Cruz Bay, since the fall. We determined to get him out and about tomorrow, so asked him where he wanted to go. "Cinnamon, of course"! He actually smiled! Thursday 8/2 Cinnamon Bay If you ever want a place to float and dream, Cinnamon Bay in August can't be beat. With it's blue gin-clear water contrasting with the white sand, the puffy silver clouds and the pale blue sky, it's a glimpse of paradise that is one of life's peaks. David got over his cabin fever fast. At first sulky, he began gently testing his wrist and deemed it fit to hang in the water while he snorkeled. He was in for just a few minutes before he was off to the archaeological dig to find his new girlfriend. We snorkeled the entire bay, first west then east, against a moderate current, and fried a bit in the meantime. I always wear a light tee shirt while snorkeling. I am a big fan of the sun but not so much a fan of sunburn. Carrie was not so inclined, and paid for it more so than I later, although we both suffered from badly burned calves. The snorkeling was adequate. We still had the clear visions of Waterlemon Cay, so the average snorkeling along Cinnamon Bay became sparse in comparison. I was aware that I was too burned to swim to Cinnamon Cay again, so sat in the shade and read a novel. After returning home for a fresh water rinse in the pool and a forbidden shower for my legs, we had a very good meal at the Fish Trap. We all concluded that this was the best restaurant in Cruz Bay, for its value, friendly service and consistently good food. Martha departed suddenly, after learning that her father, back on the mainland, was sick. Gerry was left to his own devices. Friday 8/3 Haulover Bay Lameshur Bay There was no sign of Gerry in the morning. We finally got Denzil Clyne Rentals to agree to repair our headlight and brakes. It had only been eight days; average for 'island time'. The day was partly sunny, but as we drove (sometimes vertically) across the island, rain showers came and went. We passed through Coral Bay and east past the Brown Bay trailhead, then on to the East End. We went over a peninsula, with bays to both the right and left, then up a steep hill and down the other side, only to find a dead end . Turning around, we noticed a message written in red spray paint on the right side of the road: STOP MON STAY LEFT! Back over the hill, we found a wide sandy shoulder on the west side of the peninsula, and a path leading in to some light brush on the east side of the road. A herd of six goats munched away oblivious to us as we left the car and walked about a hundred yards down the path, past a small pond and on to a rocky beach. The British Virgins seemed within arms reach to the west across choppy Drake's Passage. Snorkeling Haulover Bay is akin to snorkeling Waterlemon Cay, except without the swim to get there. After entering the water the rocky beach immediately becomes a hard coral shelf that drops off within yards to a depth of twenty feet. Most striking are the forests of Gorgonian fan coral - solid structures of the utmost delicacy, in vivid hues of purple. The reef, which extends a half mile north of the beach entry, plunges to fifty feet at points before leveling off to a sand bottom. Snorkeling over its 200 foot wide undulating topography, rising and plunging from through to peak, put me in mind of flying over the Rocky Mountains in miniature. In this case the mountains and valleys sheltered masses of sea life. Funnels of silver fish shimmered among the Gorgonian fans and hard corals in a rainbow of colors, soft coral, anemones, fire coral, sea urchins and schools of shrimp. As if punctuating that backdrop, curious sergeant majors and blue tang darted among us as a variety of colorful fish passed below. Too soon, it began to rain in a deluge that blurred the water and felt like cold sleet on our backs. The current runs from north to south, so it was an easy float to get back to the entry point. By the time we climbed out over the coral shelf it had stopped raining. We dried off, packed the gear and headed back to the car, destined for Lameshur Bay. By the time we were back on the road to Coral Bay, the sun was shining again. Lameshur Bay is fairly deserted due to the steep and rutted dirt road that leads there. Because it's on the south side of the island and sheltered by the mountains, it has shade all day and the water is usually smooth here even when it's rough on the North side. Donkeys frequent this beach and tend to claim the shadiest spots for themselves as they sleep away the day. There are no public facilities here, but there are barbeque grills and picnic tables. Snorkeling is world class here, but due to the distance of the swim required and the strong currents, it should only be attempted by advanced and confident snorkelers. Snorkeling is best to the west side of the bay, where the seascape is a dramatic vista of canyons, rooms, caves, huge coral heads and boulders. Around the western point of Lameshur Bay lies Eurpoa Bay. Here incredible towers of coral, plunging to deep valleys, and filled with all sorts and colors of soft corals overlaid by vast schools of reef fish, make the swim around the point and against the current worthwhile. Barracudas, sea turtles, nurse shark and jewfish abounded. We were again amazed, as we had been earlier at Haulover Bay and Waterlemon Cay before that. Only the rain, which finally arrived in force, drove us out of the water and in to the car. Dinner this night was at the Rolling Pin, which had average Italian food and pizza. Saturday 8/4 Frances Bay We had heard so much about Frances Bay, on the North shore, that we decided to give it a try and at the same time look at the ruins of Annaberg Plantation, which is adjacent to Frances. The ruins provide good insight as to what life on the islands was like in the 1700s, when sugar was king and slave labor made it profitable. Only the foundations and a few walls exist today, but the Park Service has gone to great lengths to put up signs identifying different parts of the plantation and describing the sugar making process. The views of the British Virgin Islands from this location are truly incredible, and this is one of the best spots on the island for a "Kodak moment". Frances Bay, down the road from Annaberg Plantation, has plenty of parking and public toilets. It was the most crowded beach we had seen on St. John aside from Trunk Bay. Snorkeling was disappointing; after hearing so much about the abundance of sea life there, we observed only the usual sergeant majors and grunts - none of the proliferation of life that we were expecting. The right (east) side of the bay consists largely of dead or dying coral. The left (west) side is somewhat healthier. We did observe four large turtles with remora in deep water at the center of the bay, and a spotted Moray eel. However, the water was cloudy with a lot of plankton in suspension, so others may find better snorkeling at a different time. A strong current sweeps from the shore directly out to sea so care is recommended in going out (seaward) as you will have to fight that strong current to come back to shore. Overall, Frances Bay is a very pretty place with a good, wide, clean beach, but disappointing in general for us because of the poor snorkeling. On the way back from Frances Bay we stopped at Jumby Beach on the North Shore road. This is generally inaccessible as it's only served by four parking spots. We weren't there long before we were driven off by hordes of mosquitoes that seem to infest the plentiful piles of sea weed on the beach. Dinner was again at the Lime Inn, and as usual it was excellent. Sunday 8/5 Lameshur Bay This was our last day on the island, so we decided to return to Lameshur Bay, first dropping Dave off at Cinnamon Bay to visit the archaeological dig. We had shade all day, a lot of snorkeling around the healthy coral growth, and good relaxing. Lameshur Bay was deserted except for a couple of yachts at anchor, and we found a number of Southern stingrays, turtles and many very large sea stars around the anchor buoys. After dinner at the Fish Trap, we packed our bags and vowed to come back again to this true American Paradise. November, 2001 Our intent to return came more quickly than we had thought. Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 we came to the realization that life is just too short to be spent on the drudgery of making money grow. We returned in November, 2001, for a real estate expedition, finally settling on a beautiful house overlooking Rendezvous Bay. We went to every corner of the island and got a better appreciation of life on St. John, versus a vacation on St. John. The island was very quiet with next to no tourism, and it rained almost the entire time we were there (and we didn't bring the umbrella!). We stayed at the Westin St. John, which we found to be typical of a stateside four walls / TV / A/C hotel. The food there was expensive but not remarkable. The Westin's beach is good for sunning but not for snorkeling. We did manage to eat at both the Fish Trap and the Lime Inn, where Jack, the owner, remembered us immediately. Once we sell our house in the States we'll be off to live there, although it will still be necessary to work off-island. For an excellent overview of what's involved in moving to St. John, and of island life overall, we recommend "Desiring Paradise", by Karin W. Schlesinger. For good detail about the various beaches and trails of St. John, "St. John Off the Beaten Track", by Gerald Singer, is a must read. Recommendations The Best St. John Snorkeling: 1. Waterlemon Cay 2. Lameshur Bay 3. Haulover Bay 4. Trunk Bay 5. Frank Bay The Best St. John Beaches: 1. Cinnamon Bay 2. Trunk Bay 3. Lameshur Bay 4. Solomon Bay 5. Hawksnest Beach
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