Raymi and I are feeling very grateful to have made it out of Minnesota ahead of the Polar Vortex. Our connecting flight was in Atlanta and just a few hours after we were cleared for takeoff in Atlanta the FAA cancelled 1,500 flights due to the horrible winter weather.
This is our fourth year back to St. Thomas and St. John’s. Each visit we’re blown away by the laid-back vibe and natural beauty of the white sand beaches and the turquoise water. Everything happens at its own pace here and nothing is guaranteed. Internet, cellular service, and even electricity can go out in a moments notice. This forces you to relinquish whatever control you think you might have in life, be more flexible, patient, and go with the flow.
We also get to know the local culture on a deeper level every year. A lot of the people who live here fulltime seem to realize they may not have all of the modern amenities but they have a wealth of things that matter. Who needs internet when they’re surrounded by this beauty? We’re now three days into our trip and have visited Sapphire and Lindquist Beaches and we were one of only a handful of people on both beaches. It was pretty much just us and the doves today on Lindquist.
Last year there was still quite a bit of rebuilding going on after the devastating one-two punches of hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017. This year things are almost back to normal but many of the small business didn’t survive the equally devastating 18-24 month lull in tourism. A few of our favorite haunts are gone.
Two nights ago we took the sky lift up to Paradise Point to watch the sunset over Frenchman’s Bay. The transition was beyond breathtaking.
No trip is complete without a trip to Duffy’s Love Shack, our favorite tiki bar on the island (which is basically a shack in a parking lot). We had a painkiller in honor of our friend @dougkarr who tried his first Duffy’s painkiller last year. Memories of the good times we all had there came flooding back.
On the island, if you’re eating outside and feel like something’s watching you it’s not paranoia but probably just a chicken. They run loose everywhere. The roosters begin crowing between three and four AM in the morning, I feel sorry for light sleepers.
That’s all for now. In the next few days we plan on a trip to Water Island and St. John’s which we’ll share the details of...IF we have Wifi!
Have a fabulous weekend!
Eric
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Let’s Keep In Touch
Very cool! I haven't been to St. Thomas in decades... Making me jealous, but it did hit 80 degrees here the other day, so I'm still better than Minnesota, eh?
It's likely changed a lot since you've been there. It was almost completely devastated by the two hurricanes in 2017 but it's bouncing back nicely. We flew in last night to 15 degrees and ice covering everything. It's not much better this morning. I feel so lucky to have been able to get away though. I'm recharged and ready to get stuff done. : )
I actually was looking at the quality of these pictures and I'm totally blown away by your topnotch ability to be descriptive by all means wow, what a sight!!! More than amazing st. Thomas
Thanks, @josediccus! This island is so inspirational it's easy to be descriptive.
An excellent review of your trip and your photos showed me these amazing places in full beauty. You are right, after the winter frosts, it is one delight to plunge into this tropical paradise and admire the fantastic sunset a lot, well done! Thank you Eric
Lucky you to have escaped the cold! This looks like paradise. Love the sunset pics especially. Enjoy the island life!!! :)
Thank you, Katrina! It was such a nice break. We feel recharged now and ready to take on 2019. : )
wow great, beautiful pictures my dear friend.
I love this
Glad you enjoyed them!
Your post superstition gave me an idea of how to handle my writing, maybe I'm not as good as you are, but I'll try!
Cool, I'm glad it sparked an idea! All it takes is practice. Writing fiction is so easy to fall in love with once you start. The more of it you write, the more you learn to "color outside of the lines", that's where the magic is.
Howdy sir ericvancewalton! amazing shots and fun commentary, glad you made it out of the frigid weather in time!
Thanks @janton!
Awesome to enjoy that have fun time there enjoyyyy
Beautiful place. Sunset and night view pics of the place are very beautiful .
Oh wow, it looks absolutely iddylic Eric, and those photos of the setting sun is just amazing, enjoy the vacation captain Morgan and the warmth too ;)
Ahoy matey (in my best pirate voice)! : ) It was one of the most memorable sunsets I've ever seen. Those last two minutes you could actually see it set behind the ocean. Thanks!
Man, that looks amazing <3 I envy you. Have a great time!
We feel so grateful to be here right now. Thank you @honeydue!
I wish I was there with you two.
So fun!! Well the weather has lifted here in the midwest you can come home...oh wait it is supposed to be cold next week. lol
Stay safe! resteeming to remember how much fun you are having
Thanks @rebeccabe! I'm dreading the thought of going back to 3 more months of cold but we're definitely grateful for this little break. We both have a decent tan now but it'll be gone in a week. Lol.
It will probably seem colder since you got a break.
Great time though, worth it.
We came back to an ice rink last night! This morning it was 15 degrees but, oddly, it didn't feel too bad. It was an amazing trip. I'll be sharing more pictures soon. : )
The Arctic front is supposed to hit us for the 2nd time tonight as far as I know. You know how it always changes...but is cold and has been snowing all day. The fun winds are supposed to start tonight.
In the photo on this where is your wife... is she like a pirate too? lol
glad it wasn't too bad went you got back...we make the best of it.
Oh, no! We have a couple days of more snow ahead of us too. This is the worst winter we've had in a while.
Yep, we were quite the pair:
That is the true attitude of the midwesterner, we make the best of it! It's actually good for me as a writer, it forces me inside. : )
Oh I see... haha! great shot of the wife too.
You guys are fun!
@ericvancewalton, Great to read that you are feeling grateful. And in my opinion this place is really breathtaking, so enjoy your time and stay blessed brother.
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Good summary by you on your trip. You took beautiful pics during your trip. Awesome place .
Your trip successfully completed. This is good news. Your pics are showing that this was such a beautiful place for trip .
Amazing place. Very beautiful. Always surprised that somewhere you can bask on the sand, while there is a frost somewhere -30. Your island is like paradise. Thank you for the beautiful photos
Thank you for stopping by and taking a look!
You had me at tiki bar!!!!
... and the sunset on Paradise Point ... I may have to revisit that island!!!
Lol, Duffy's is the real deal. It has lots of dive-bar charm. : ) When was the last time you were here?
I was there on a cruise 2 years ago I believe. But, as cruises go, you get 12 hours to explore before leaving. Rarely enough time to truly appreciate a place.
This island is a great home base to explore other islands. We usually stay on St. Thomas and take our rental car to St. John's on the car barge. If you decide to visit let me know and I can send you a link to our friend's Airbnb.
Cool, thanks.
It won't be this year ... Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, and Australia are on the docket for this year.
Whoa, that's a full docket! We made try for Europe this spring but we're not sure yet. Enjoy your travels!
If you haven't played with http://google.com/flights yet, give it a shot. Especially for Europe, put in your starting airport, leave your destination airport empty, put in your dates, then scroll around the map.
i.e.
et voila!
Those are the lowest prices, taxes and fees included. Many times, there is a huge price difference between cities, when you can take a short train ride (time permitting). For example, flying to Paris or Geneva when the 3 hour train ride is about $100 return.
Once you've picked an airport, show the flights, then show the price graph. Here, you can see whether coming a couple days before or after would save you money.
Warning: you can lose a couple hours exploring, so grab a glass of wine first.
NOTE: You can also let Google find the best price in the next 6 months if you don't have firm dates.
What a classic alter ego picture! Enjoy your time in the sun!
Thank you, @lydon.sipe!
Wow you guys are having a great tourist adventure and a fun fill time there in Saint Thomas . And it seems there are a lot of beautiful sceneries and places to visit there , the environment and surroundings really looks amazing @ericvancewalton
Share your experience of your weekend with us it's nice to be hear,
Every photo shoot is Ossam ,great place and peaceful nature
Awesome post and very very lovely placephotoshoot... My dear friend
Oh yes, very beautiful photos of your trip delight me with amazing landscapes. Yes, in such fabulous places you can forget about everything and even about the absence of the Internet, even if it is vital for you. It is interesting to learn about the future of your vacation and enjoy the photos of these beautiful places!
Chicken and doves are my favorites...
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Great
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