St John

Part delayed spring break and part celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary, we spent five nights in St. John the first week of May. We rented a huge (7,000 square feet!) house with five bedrooms -- each with its own bathroom -- and a pool and hot tub. The house worked out beautifully; it was so great having space, and the house offered incredible views and cooling cross breezes. The kids opted to share a pirate-themed bedroom, and Ken and I stayed in an adjoining room with a view of Chocolate Hole. Ken's parents met us in St. John, and it was great having them with us. They had some degree of separation as their bedroom was a floor below the rest of us, and they, too, had a view of Chocolate Hole.

Our first full day in St. John we went to Trunk Bay, and Bryn snorkeled! She is an incredibly strong swimmer, and all of her hard work at her Saturday swim lessons is paying off. The next day she snorkeled at Frances Bay, which offers an equally beautiful beach.
The second photo captures a cowfish that Bryn was the first to spy.
Luke liked Frances Bay, too, because he could wade into the water and see tropical fish at his feet. But more than the beautiful, pristine beaches Bryn and Luke loved having a pool to themselves. They could jump in tandem, which the lifeguards don't let them do at home.
We ate breakfast and lunch in every day but we went to Cruz Bay for dinner every night. We had a good meal the first night at Morgan's Mango but an average dinner at Lime Inn the next night. The third night Ken and I ate delicious Asian fusion at the Lucky Crab (a chain with locations in NY) while Ken's parents took the kids out for pizza at Cafe Roma. The fourth night the two Kens went back to Morgan's Mango while Gail and the kids and I had subpar Mexican food. Our last dinner, at Rhumb Lines, was a winner.
Our house was just minutes from the large Westin Resort, so we stopped one afternoon to watch the iguana feeding. About 30 iguanas live in the trees behind the tennis courts, and more than a dozen came out for the feeding of lettuce and tomatoes. We spotted an iguana in the trees of the rental property, too. And lots and lots of geckos, one of which we believed lived in a stone wall in the house's great room!
By having Ken's parents with us, Ken and I were able to run to nearby Chocolate Hole a couple of times to go snorkeling. There wasn't much of a beach at Chocolate Hole, and as soon as you entered the water you were met by sea grass, so it wasn't a good place to take Bryn. But we ended up having our best snorkeling there. The first time we saw a sea turtle, a sting ray, and a live conch. Our second time out we didn't see any rays or turtles, but we saw the best display of tropical fish.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Bryn enjoyed trying to catch a ball while jumping into the pool. Not easy!
The house had a cabinet full of games, and Luke especially enjoyed playing Guess Who and UNO. And the kids were introduced to Scrabble, too.
We spent our last full day in St. John at Salt Pond Bay, which is on the other side of the island, south of Coral Bay. On the 40-minute drive to Salt Pond Bay, we finally spotted a couple of wild donkeys that the island is known for. Salt Pond Bay offers yet another gorgeous beach, and this time out, Bryn saw TWO sting rays. Yay!
A race is held on this part of the island every February -- 8 Tuff Miles, it's called. Ken would love to do it sometime, but it's the weekend after President's Day weekend, so he might be on his own. As much fun as the trip was, I don't think we'll go back with the kids until Luke is able to snorkel, too. But we would definitely consider renting the same house, Avalon, again.
Fast forward to Spring 2012, and read what Bryn wrote about our trip:
"I Once took a trip to St.Jhon. It was so fun! We got to stay in a house called Avalon. This house was awesome! It had a pool and a hot tub, and in the hot tub thar wher lights that you could change, and when I say that I mean you could change ther coller. When we first got thar me and Luke (my brother) went skinny dipping! Even though our gide was still thare! It was an Awesome trip but at some point you have to go back so we did."