I want sea turtles...Part 2!

Part Two of Paradise continues....

Petroglyphs

Friday morning we got moving fairly early, at least early compared to what we HAD been doing, and stopped at Little Lameshur Bay to make a 4.2 mile (roundtrip) hike to see the petroglyphs and waterfall. This was another spot where we could have started the hike from another trail head and it would have been shorter, but we both like to hike so figured why not. It was a great hike, but even being from Colorado, was not prepared for the elevation and the steep incline. The petroglyphs were really cool and in certain spots you could also see them reflected in the water. Don’t get too excited about the waterfall, as I probably was, it’s a tiny thing, but still beautiful. We laid on the rocks listening to the water for awhile before heading back – so peaceful. If you don’t mind the hike – you have to see it!

Waterfall

Saturday we went to Reef Bay and went for another short hike to the Reef Bay Sugar Mill Ruins. These are a great one to add to your list, also, because there's still more of the mill left compared to Annaberg. Plus, there are hundreds of hermit crabs hiding out here, and for whatever reason, I became obsessed with them on my trip! :) Before leaving Reef Bay, Shane caught glimpse of something swimming in the water. He called me over just as I saw......the head of a sea turtle! Unfortunately by the time I would have gotten in the water and swam to him, he would have been gone...but at least I saw him!

Shopping!

Sunday was my last full day in the islands, and I wasn't ready to head back. By this point, we were back in St Thomas, anchored in the main harbor so we were close to downtown Charlotte Amalie. We went to shore so I could get some shopping in and we wanted to see some historical spots in town. Warning if you are visiting: everything closes at 1pm, on Sundays! I was able to get some good shopping in from the local tents, but it took us awhile to find an open restaurant for lunch! Regardless, we were able to find some good places in town and it was a nice and relaxing way to end my trip.

I've never been on a real cruise myself, I never really had the desire to go on one. But after the week on the sailboat, and learning about what a charter trip is like, it seems like a much better deal anyway! Within limitations, you get to choose where you're going each day, it's not already mapped out for you, and depending on how you book it, it's cheaper too! That being said, here's a plug for Captain Shane....if you're interested in spending time in the Caribbean and experiencing it from a charter, check out his website http://www.svguidinglight.com/ and set up a trip!

If you’re thinking of spending time in the USVI, definitely do some research on where you’d like to go, but be open to the unknowns! One thing I learned was that just because you read or heard about a particular place a lot, doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that great. My top three favorites of the trip were snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay, the Annaberg Sugar Mills Ruins and the petroglyphs. Out of those three, I had only read ahead of time about the Ruins. I’m glad I did some research on what was down here before I came, but some of my favorite spots were the ones no one has mentioned!

I’m not a person who takes long vacations, usually it’s just an extended weekend, so this trip was overdue in my book. To have the opportunity for a week and a half in paradise, relaxing on the sailboat was so nice. Everyone loves a good vacation where they can escape their day-to-day, but sailing
around was such a different experience. For me, although I may be biased, my guide made all the difference in the world. Shane did such a great job with teaching me about sailing and the terms I don’t know; answering all my stupid questions (there were plenty) or things I wouldn’t think about (I would NOT have known that you shouldn’t leave the shower running the entire time); educating me on the history of all the places we went; to even cooking delicious meals for me every night! That part I’m kind of ashamed of….I’m pretty sure he’s a better cook than me, I think I’ve asked for every recipe so far that he has made.

10 days in paradise? Totally worth it. Next time I go down there - it's all about finding those darn sea turtles!