St. John, USVI

Several weeks ago we took a two week vacation from our vacation (doesn't that sound funny?!) with our dear buds from home (PA), Joe & Brenda.  We went to St. John, a US Virgin Island, and rented a house overlooking Fish Bay.  We had the most wonderful time!  Our days consisted of picking a beach to go to, going to the beach (sometimes with a short-medium hike to it), lounging on the beach, snorkeling, playing cards, happy hour, dinner, and relaxing or playing cards at the house.  It doesn't get much better than that!  Especially when it's spent with great friends!

We arrived a day before Joe & Brenda and were to meet them at the ferry dock on St. John.  However, we decided to surprise them and meet them at the ferry dock on St. Thomas instead (no planes fly to St. John so we flew into St. Thomas and took the ferry over).  If you can enlarge the picture you will see their mouths hanging open when they first spotted us holding up signs with their names on it and our signature greeting to each other, "Woo Hoo!"

Morning coffee & tea on our deck - overlooking Fish Bay

The beaches and blue blue water...

Fun times with special friends!

Mud Bath at Salt Pond

High point - We had to hike to the high point on St. John - Bordeaux Mountain - 1,286 feet!  Not much of a view but another one to add to our list.

Snorkeling...

Sailing - We took a day sailing trip on Wayward Sailor over to the British Virgin Island, Jost Van Dyke.  We stopped for a brief snorkel along the way then headed to the island for lunch at Foxy's. We had the pleasure of meeting Foxy on a little hike after lunch.  He was lounging in his hammock on his newly acquired property.  He shared such wonderful stories with us.  Thanks, Foxy!  Thanks, Captain Phil and Tarn.  We had a great day!

Tarn and Captain Phil

Foxy telling us stories

Sunsets...

And last but not least, let me introduce you to our wonderful house hosts who live in the upper level of the house we rented.  John & Linda were the perfect hosts and really gave us a good feel for the island and insider tricks on where to go and when.  They own the Pink Papaya boutique in Cruz Bay as well as the Papaya Cafe.  John runs the cafe while Linda is at the shop.  Thanks again, John & Linda, for such a great vacation (and not to mention the fresh baked goods you spoiled us with, Linda)!  We hope to see you again soon!  If anyone is considering St. John I can give you their information.

Linda - at Pink Papaya

John - at Papaya Cafe

We miss you, Joe & Brenda!  Boo hoo...woo hoo!

Am I off the hook now, Vivian and Susan?  :-)

Til next time...Happy Trails!

Florida days...

January 1, 2014 - Outback Bowl - LSU vs. Iowa - Tom was like a little kid on game day and had a blast.  We went to the Outback Bowl in Tampa with Tom's cousin and his wife, Michael & Sharon.  Let's just say it didn't feel like Tampa weather but we had a great time anyway.

Tom's a happy boy at the game!

Tailgating in rain gear!   Becky, Sharon & Michael

Manatee Park - with the cooler weather (sorry PA friends!) the manatees venture to any warm water they can find.  Manatee Park is located close to a power plant which pushes out its warm waters into the park and the manatees just love it.  My Aunt Edie & Uncle Randy took us here to see these wonderful water animals.  I had only wished I could get in and swim with them!

Pickleball - It's hard to believe we were introduced to this sport 2 years ago in Wauchula, FL and taught by Garth & Rosemary.  Our current campground does not have courts so we've been going to the local park to play which has plenty of players of all levels, 8 courts and views you cannot beat!  The courts overlook the Charlotte Harbor.

We've been fortunate to hook up with the "Motley Crew" in our Punta Gorda Campground.  They are a group of kayakers who generally go out weekly.  It's a great way to meet people in the area as well as learn where the kayak hotspots are.  Last week we paddled on Shell Creek (twice!).  One alligator, one snake (YUCK!!! - Brenda, where were you when I needed you?!) and turtles galore. 

look closely - alligator!

Redecorating!  Ok ladies...with an RV you're limited to how you can change the look of your home so little things make a BIG difference!  Since I am a numbers person and have no crafty talents whatsoever, I am thrilled when I run into someone (our neighbors, Mike & Deb) who can take over on the crafty stuff for me!  Deb has SEVEN sewing machines in her RV along with tons of fabric and all the tools/gadgets she needs to do alterations, curtains, recovering of chairs, etc.  In two days Deb and Mike put new fabric on our 4 dining room chairs as well as re-covered 2 sofa pillows.  We love it!  Thank you!  Anyone in FL who needs sewing done please contact me and I will put you in touch with Deb!

Deb's handiwork!  I wish I would have taken a picture of "before and after"!  Trust me - "before" was awful!

Misc. FL sights...

Til next time...Happy Trails!

Christmas on the beach!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We decided to be a bit non-traditional this year and spent the day on the beach at Gasparilla Island State Park.  It was wonderful...and warm!  :-)

We've been relaxing, playing a little pickleball, and I'm reading lots of books.  It's nice to see some familiar faces here from 2 years ago as well as friends from out west. Thanks again for transporting our package, Ken and Faye!

Faye and Ken - great to see you again!

We are currently in Wauchula staying next to the Peace River so we took the opportunity to get our kayaks out, dust them off and take them out for a float down the river.  We put in at Paynes Creek Historic State Park and floated approximately 12 miles down to our campground - 4 hours.  It was a beautiful day to be on the river and we saw at least a hundred turtles, dozens of beautiful birds and FIVE alligators!!  They really are not a threat but they certainly get the heart racing a bit when they quietly slide from their resting points on shore and enter the depths of the water somewhere underneath us (note:  we have inflatable kayaks)!

Paynes Creek Historic State Park

This big girl lives at the park and has many young ones in the waters with her

Strawberry Picking!  We were excited to go back to a local farm to pick their sweet strawberries.  There is a new owner this year who planted a different variety.  While they are not as big as last time they are certainly sweet and yummy!  We picked 11lbs and ate them in 4-5 days.  We'll go pick another big batch tomorrow to take further south with as as we're moving to the Punta Gorda area for the next 5 weeks.

We enjoy seeing all the decorations in the campgrounds around the holidays.  I think this one takes the cake in the blow up category!

Til next time...Happy Trails and Happy New Year!  Blessings, Peace and Joy for 2014!