To celebrate our 5 year anniversary, Lee and I spent a week on St. John in the USVI.  The week was just dreamy and we actually returned from a vacation relaxed! We fell in love with the place and there is no question that we will be back.  The USVI blows Hawaii out of the water and we're jealous of all those on the east coast who can hop over any time.  Getting there was no small feat for us.  But boy was it worth it.  We just wished we could have stayed longer.

The highlights of our trip (in no particular order) are the following.  Click on each and you will be directed to a separate posting with a handful of pictures.

• La Bella Villa - the house we rented through VRBO
• The turquoise waters and white sand beaches
• Our day trip to the British Virgin Islands
• Snorkeling in the amazing waters and along the protected reefs
• Our day on the Hobie catamaran

We learned two things that we will take with us for our next trip (because one day we will return) are:  1) be prepared for the bugs and mosquitoes that come out at dusk.  We came home with countless itchy bites.  Small price to pay for paradise, but still irritating (literally).   2) Skip the Reef Bay Hike offered by the National Park Service.  Although it was interesting and we learned quite a bit about the flora and fauna and the critters in the rainforest, it was the slowest hike we have EVER done.  The three mile hike took four hours, including a short lunch.  Needless to say, we did more stopping and listening than we did hiking.   But we did see our first ever live and wild tarantula. 

Our vacation included seven nights and six full days on St. John.  One of the days was a wet and dreary one, so we took advantage of the house and just chilled out.  Every other day we explored a new beach, hiked in the national park and snorkeled.  The week truly was as dreamy as you could get.

We took loads of pictures that are posted here.  There are lots of pictures of beach paradise, sunsets and lots of fish in perfectly clear water.   A couple years ago we purchased a water protective cash for our Cannon G12 camera and hadn't ever tested it out until this trip.  It worked REALLY well and it was fun to have.   As long as we have a Cannon G series, we will have one of those cases - it was worth it!