St. John - US Virgin Islands

We spent eleven days exploring St. John with our friends Jim and Pam, using the beautiful Astral Villa as our home base. Most days were a mix of hiking and snorkeling. We hiked to Ram Head, Waterlemon Cay, Reef Bay, Peace Hill, and several of the shorter North Shore trails. Reef Bay was the most challenging, with a long descent through steady rain, a side trip to the petroglyphs, and the remains of an old sugar mill near the beach. We also visited the Annaberg ruins and explored many of the island's beaches, bays, and historic sites.

Snorkeling was the real highlight. At Francis Bay, we swam with several huge sea turtles carrying remoras and saw schools of fish and large French angelfish. Waterlemon Cay, Salt Pond, Haulover Bay, and a boat trip with Crabby's Water Sports also gave us healthy coral, rays, colorful fish, and even a possible nurse shark. One of our favorite days was kayaking through Hurricane Hole, where coral and fish grow among the mangrove roots-and where a large barracuda followed Rod for quite a distance. We stayed active almost every day, ate well at places like Skinny Legs and Johnny Lime, and came home tired but happy after a wonderful mix of hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, and time with good friends.