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A Day of exploring beaches-

Saturday we decided it would be a day of exploring the many beautiful beaches on St. John.  I have to say the water is just the right temperature which is crystal-clear and calm, possessing a wide assortment of colors ranging from light turquoise, to green and dark blue.  The beaches could be found in small protected bays, surrounded by green hills and bordered by tropical vegetation. 

We tried to visit each beach on the north shore- Salomon Bay, Honeymoon Bay, Caneel bay, Hawksnest bay, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay, and Francis Bay.

Salmon, Honeymoon and Hawksnest were our favorite beaches.

Here's a little look at our ride and attire for the day- =)

You drive on the left side of the road in St. John- kind of tricky, we finally came up with a plan that helped....the ones riding in the back seat would call out "Left" when we started the car {that seemed to help}

and yes, we found ourselves driving on the right more then we like to admit. 

A look at some of the beaches-

It looked like a man made pool...so clear.

Now, I'm just going to get carried away and post tons of beach pictures....seriously how do you pick which ones to share? 

Snorkeling was amazing!  Hawksnest and Honeymoon bay were our favorites- at Honeymoon bay we saw coral, sea turtles and their friend the sting ray and lots of fish.

Most of the time we would have the beach to ourselves....at the bigger beaches maybe 20 people.

As we were driving from beach to beach- we took the time to stop and look down trails or jungle paths....at one such time....we stopped to look down an opening in the jungle,  just as we were about to leave, a dear man drove up in his car, we found out that his home was down there.   He invited us to see it. {never past up a good adventure.}

He lives in a Tree house....yes, a real tree house that he built himself.  His shower was outside and his bedroom was just enclosed with netting.  Everything else was open air.  We stayed and visited with him for awhile, he told us that he has terminal lung cancer, but is doing better.  What a dear man and a wonderful life story.

He is a artist {working with metals} We actually stopped in town and looked at some of his art....amazing.

His attitude was uplifting....here is a quote he had under one of his art pieces-

"Rejoice in your life- Whatever

Do not allow a bad attitude to cause early; your demise.

For life was never a permanent prize." -William L. Johnson

Billy if you see this- thanks for making our day.

 Some things we saw everyday- just part of St. John.   The donkeys walk at the sides of most of the roads in the country.

(sorry about the lighting}

After a day of exploring- we came home cleaned up and headed downtown for dinner- We ate at an open air restaurant {Rhumb Lines} with live music....beautiful sounds, great food- soft breezes. 

(I'm taking a few days to go visit my Dad in Utah- then I will be back to share the rest of our adventure....I have so much to share.....we had a blast!}

 

 

St. John- Traveling there-

We just spent a week in St John with some good friends- Sandi and Steve.....awesome fun.

 Over half of St. John is national park land; the rest is small towns, shops, homes and territorial or private lands.  Everyone says it reminds them of Hawaii 40 years ago.  St. John is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.   We stayed at the Westin resort in a 3 bedroom villa overlooking the bay.

(view from our room}

This is the first of several post about our trip {documenting =)   The saying, "one picture is worth a thousand words." is especially true for St. John beaches.  It is for this reason that I will rely more heavily on photographs then the proverbial thousand words to describe our trip.  =)

So, here goes-

Traveling there-

In Puerto Rico getting ready to board a very small plane to St. Thomas.   Getting to St. John was an adventure in it self.  Two and half hours to the airport in SF, two planes in the States, One tiny plane from Puerto Rico to St. Thomas....how tiny do you ask, well, they ask your weight before you board....every oz. counts.  Yikes!

Once in St. Thomas we took a  35 minute ride on a Westin water ferry to St. John.

Preparing to land in St. Thomas- a little scary!  We landed safe and sound....and the ride was actually very good.

Once in St. Thomas- the Westin arranged to pick us and our luggage up.  Awesome!  This is the bay where we picked up the Westin Ferry to St. John.  Also had a quick bite to eat at Tickles.

Our view on the way to St. John.....Happy Day we are finally here- {From the time we left to the time we entered our villa 24 hours.}

They met us at the dock with cold drinks, our keys and a shuttle ride to our villa....no checking in....sweet.

 The beds were awesome- no back pain the whole week- Thanks to Westin's Heavenly Beds...( that's what they call them....and they are right.}

 

 

The end of our first day.  Looking forward to our awesome stay.

Can't wait to share more with you- and Oh my, the beaches!  The sand is soft, powdery and a little sensual =)   More later-

"...out to the windy beach, Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow..." -Bob Dylan, "Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man."

 

St. John Style-

{Cover up For walking to the beach}

We are going to be going away soon on a little St. John vacation.  Part of  the fun for any vacation, at least for me is the planning and dreaming before we go part.  =)

 {I love looking at old photos of my Mom and Dad ....the clothes they wore are especially fun to see....so, I thought it might be fun to document some of the clothes I will be wearing on our trip.}

This is what I plan to wear for the flight to St. John and then back- we have late flights...so, I think I may be a little cold.

For some serious shopping in the Marketplace. 

Everyday casual wear-

I'm bringing three different types of white shirts- so I can mix and match. Also sticking in my bag a few bright colored Tee's {there is a washer and dryer where we are staying....making it nice so I don't have to pack as much.}

Evening wear-

Saving this Blue dress for this place. Dinning in the ruins.

A couple black dresses....just to be safe.

 

For Riding on a white horse on the Beach at Sunset Wear.

{a girl can dream can't she?=)

 

Beach, snorkeling, sailing and dinghy wear.

Accessories and Bags-

The first bag will be used as my main bag, the second is lined with plastic for wet clothing etc. the blue striped bag is for walking to the beach etc. 

I think I'm ready.....ready, set go!

Happy Day

Where I shopped-

Most of the items were from my trip last year to Hawaii.

New this year- Travel outfit, Blue evening dress and bright colored skirt- Boston Proper, Charming Charlie jewelry, Target shoes,  shopping outfit from Anthropology.  

 

Find the Adventure- Progressive Date Night-

There lives in each of us {I believe} a secret quest- an undying passion for adventure.

Find the Adventure-

Sandi and Steve came by Saturday for a little visit.....Sandi and I were planning to work on a few Spring Event items, but alas... Adventure was calling.

How it started.....

with a fabulous lunch brought to us by Sandi and Steven- great soup and sandwiches from Fernando's Bistro.  At lunch we were talking about what would be fun to do today.  We finally decided to just get in the car and just head out..... to "Find the Adventure."

Our First stop-

A rock monument on the side of the road-  You know the kind....that have a plaque on them telling you about something in history- this one was about a bridge....nothing too exciting....no adventure waiting  there.

Second Stop-

CHÂTEAU du SUREAU or Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant- Dan and I had eaten there before and toured the Chateau and were telling Sandi and Steve about....so we thought we would stop by so they could see the place.  We weren't planning to dine- { a meal for two can run upwards and over $300, so we will be saving this place for a special night.} just wanted to walk the grounds  and maybe see if Sandi and Steve could get a look at a couple of their fabulous rooms-....They Have a "Villa Sureau" that run $2,950.00 per night- but hey, with that comes a library and 24 hour butler service. =)

The guys dropped us at the door- to see if we could sweet talk our way into a tour....but the minute we walked in.....we were greeted with... Are you with the wedding party?   We were truthful stupid and said no...Just image the adventure we could of had at that wedding.

 {A wedding party had rented the whole place...holy cow! so no tour.}

They were nice to us and gave us a pamphlet telling us about other people's adventures- using words like- small magical castle, fairy-tale beauty, calming luxury...It evoked fond memories of our visits to Provence...

Thank you very much.

We tried to peek past the curtains to get a look at the wedding....but that didn't happen- we did how- ever have a good laugh about what if--- we did crash the wedding......

Still no adventure.

Third Stop-

Sugar pine Railroad-  we thought it would be fun and adventurous to take a night train ride through the pines and fall colored trees, all the while stream from the locomotive was blowing in our hair. {the men were so kind as to offer up their jackets so we would be warm....seeing as we didn't think we would be riding a train in the cold night air when we left the house.}

We pull off the road to enter the area...only to get stopped 20 feet off the road by a wire cable across the road- yep...closed......no adventure here.

Fourth Stop-

By now we needed to use the restroom- so we just pulled off at the next exit- Tenaya Lodge to run in and use the restrooms-

But wait...could this be our Adventure?  So we decided to "make like guests" and have some fun-

• First, checked out all the little shops at the Lodge.
• Second, enjoyed the warm and "toast-ie" fireplace.
• Third, go to the restaurant and order only desserts. Had an apple pie to die for. 
• Fourth, get Hot chocolate to go, so you look like you belong there as you wander around the Lodge-
• Fifth- opportunity to crash another wedding...but we resisted. 

Sandi and I enjoying our Hot Chocolate in front of the warm beautiful fire-

Ice skating anyone?

I loved the carriage lights and the beamed ceiling.

We wandered the Lodge a little bit more.....then decided to talk to the concierge- watched a slide show about Frazil Ice- cool scary.

 

 

Now that would be an adventure to be there in person!

The concierge was so super nice, she spent about 20 minutes with us and gave us all kinds of fun and interesting things to do on a future visit- how fun was that? =)  I see a sleigh ride in our future. 

When we left the lodge- both Sandi and I agreed we felt like we had just gone on a mini vacation.

Fifth Stop-

Savoury's Restaurant-   yes, one more restaurant.  We so enjoy this place; we decided to have appetizer's, soup and  dessert to share.

• Veggie Stacked Portobello
• Bacon Wrapped Dates
• Red Pepper Hummus  with crackers
• Bread pudding
• Chocolate pie
• Veg. sausage soup.

Wonderful setting ; Steve's only disappointment....no fireplace.... =)

Did we find our adventure?

 Yes,  we realized that adventure is everywhere.... waiting patiently to be unmasked.

Happy Day, on to the next Adventure. {smile}

Linking with others Date Night

 

 

 

 

 

Count down-

Let the count down begin-

• 17 stairs sanded
• 17 stair risers painted
• 17 stairs stained
• 17 stairs to be stained a second time.
• 8,7,2,3 numbers found. 1,4,5,6,9, 10, 11, 12,13,14,15,16, and 17 still to be found.

 Two days painting walls- 30 feet high.

22 days until I will be saying Aloha- everyday for 7 days. {so super excited for this, Happy Anniversary to us!}

39 more days until I get to Hug Elder Mason Andersen! This picture was taken just a few days before Mason left for his Mission- The look on Conner and Payton's face is how I felt that day.

Just 39 More wake up again days!

Just 43 days until all my children are in the same place at the same time! {this was taken the last time we were all together....kids being silly} 

 

Just 43 days until all my grandchildren on sitting on the beach with me roasting marshmallow's!

Let the count down begin!

Happy Day

Girls day out 2010

Ruth, Cindy, Sandi and I gathered at the cottage for the start of our annual girls day out.   We always have a great time together.

We started the day by exchanging gifts..... its tradition. =)

•   
  
   
• umbrella  with a pink lining sweet & little picture stand- Thanks Ruth
• golden fall leaf, gloves, lotions, yummy pumpkin cake & candle....Thanks Sandi 
• a very "merry" Christmas banner.....Thanks Cindy

I handed out little pink flower pins, lunch bags and antique yellow-ware bowls for breakfast on the go in the truck.

 
 

After gifts were exchanged we hopped in the truck and headed out to our first stop....Wisteria in Soquel, but they were closed, so we headed over to another fun antique store to kill some time waiting for wisteria to open up.

Okay, so this store was a blast...just give me one of each.

Our Traditional picture under the "wisteria" at Wisteria.

 

 
After Wisteria we stopped at Cafe Brazil for dessert before lunch....no rules....it's girls day out.

 
Yummy Acai bowl....yum!

(the cafe is really hard to get too....lets just say I'm glad no one was video tapeing us crossing the road....4 ladies in their 50's 40's dodging traffic...crazy, when we left the place we took the long way... back to our car. Oh, man I gave away our age...sorry girls. =)

 
Our next stop....Monarch trail next to the beach.  What a magical place, quiet and beautiful.

 
 
Just used my point and shoot camera...if I had one of those fancy camera...I could of gotten some amazing pictures.
 
Very peaceful place....there were signs up all over asking you to keep your voice down.

Next stop- Lunch on the beach-

 
 
The weather was just perfect, not too hot or cold.....plus we had a fabulous view.

 
 
We sat an visited for awhile...just taking in the great day....

Take a look at some of the things we saw.

 
 
 
I think I'm going to frame these three pictures and use in the cottage blue bath.

After sitting and relaxing for a while it was time to move on to stage four of our day...We ended it by shopping at Home Goods and dinner.  I have to say it truly was a beautiful Fall day...a perfect Fall day in California.

 

 

Roadtrip-

Just finished part one of a road trip with a Dear friend.  We both came to visit our grand-babies and daughters.{Cheryl with her new grand-baby & daughters}  Our kids grew up with each other and now they live with in an hour of each other.

It was wonderful to have company on the trip-

Now off to two soccer games-

Happy Day

 

 

Houseboat-

Our good friends, Sandi and Steve invited us up to their houseboat for an afternoon of fun.

So we gathered up the kids and headed down to the lake.

Here's a little look at our day-

We.....played on the slide-

Did some wake-boarding

Also had a blast tubing-

Sandi saw to our every need-

We had a very cute captain-

It was a wonderful day...from being so exciting to relaxing, a much needed get away....but as tradition has it...we can't end a family day without some trauma-

At the very end of the day... Sam and Steve had a

 "collision" on the tubes....Sam is now laid out on the sofa....with a very sore back...but doing okay. 

(Dad can't have all the fun)
It was a wonderful day Sandi and Steve. ......Thanks guys. {they felt so bad about Sam...but hey accidents happen.}

 
 
 
 
 
 

Summer visit...part three

Our Hike in Yosemite National Park Happy Isles mist Trail, Vernal Falls.

Everyone did really well...Heidi was amazing....7 month pregnant, she kept up with the rest of us....I should say I kept up with her. =)

Preston was the youngest of the group- 2 years old...walked the entire trail. {Just didn't like the sound of the rushing water....always covered his ears.}

Here's are journey through pictures.

It's at about this point that some of us decided we didn't want to get all wet and stayed behind...while Scott, Danny, Sam, Conner and Anna {yes, Anna!  She was totally into making it to the top wet and all}

Notice Anna in the lower left corner...soaked to the bone....but Happy.

The end of the Hike....and no injuries....and no baby.  Everyone was so hungry so we....Headed off for a little picnic.
 

  
 This is how we ended our time together..... with a promise of a rainbow...We may not of found a pot of gold at the end of our rainbow..... Family is the gold at the end of our rainbow.

Perfect

 

  
Just a little information about the trail we hiked.

 

Vernal Fall (moderate to strenuous; Mist Trail closed in winter, but access available via the John Muir Trail, which may be snowy)

Vernal Fall footbridge: 1.6 miles/2.6 km round-trip; 1.5 hours with 400 feet/122 m elevation gain
Vernal Fall: 3 miles/4.8 km round-trip; 3 hours with 1,000 feet/366 m elevation gain (via Mist Trail)

Begin at Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)

You'll find an excellent view of Vernal Fall from the footbridge at 0.75 miles (1.3 km). Beyond the bridge, at 0.2 miles, the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail diverge. To proceed directly to the top of Vernal Fall, follow the Mist Trail 0.5 mile (0.8 km) up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps. Prepare for slippery footing and a tremendous amount of waterfall spray in spring and early summer. This portion of trail is closed in winter due to risk of falling ice and rock.

Shannon shares her take on the trip here.
 

 

Summer visit....Part two-

More summer fun-

• Anna whispered in my ear "Grammer I want to surprise Mommy, she loves roses can we pick roses for her?"  Of course we can....lots of flowers for both Mommies.
• Pedicure night for all the girls-
• Start by painting nail polish on toes...before they dry sprinkle red glitter over your painted toes ...wait a minute then add a clear top coat of polish. Makes for some very Happy Toes.
• Shannon took care of all our toes....five girls with Happy red glitter toes....fun
• Anna and Carlee arm in arm...with Happy toes.

Conner- Crazy back seat driver....

At the lake- John, Libby and girls joined us for a BBQ, paddle boat ride, Homemade ice-cream {thanks Libby} and night swimming.

Great evening....one mishap....Conner got about 20 wood slivers in his hand....Shannon spent about an hour taking them all out.

Are you keeping count?..... 3 staples, a tick and now slivers.

 

 

Our Day Trip to Columbia State Park-

• Anna and Carlee...dressed for the part.  I decided to make the girls little bonnets to wear....they were so adorable in them...All day people kept stopping us to ask where we got them....and to say how cute they looked.  I noticed several people snapping pictures.....of course they looked adorable.
• Carlee with her gold and jewels she found herself.

 

I loved how the Bonnets gave the girls a little "pink" glow.

Eureka

Stage coach ride- Conner rode shot gun...

• Tickets please.
• I will protect you.
• Armed Bandit- "Give me all your gold and Jewels." {Carlee pulled her Bonnet over her face and hid her gold...smart girl}

Rounds of Sarsaparilla Root beer...yum

Conner's eyes closed, Anna with her back to us, Payton covering her eyes.....California sun too much for them....

Spent some time in Jail-

After we got out of Jail....time for some ice-cream.

Wonderful, wonderful day....I think we need to have Shannon's kids come more often....so they can open their eyes while they are here =)

 

Coming next-

Yosemite Hike and more.

{Sorry for the photo-log,I make a blurb book/journal out of my blog....Happy Day}