Saturday was our last full day on the island. It was also my Mom's 90th birthday.
We started the day by going to the Cinnamon Bay Campground for breakfast. Paul had camped here with is family in the 1990s, it was pretty different then.
The setting is beautiful among some very large trees.
The ladies before snorkel hair.
After breakfast we walked the beach and checked out the campground for a bit. The campground offers accommodations from cottages to tent platforms. It is very nice.
Something like this can be rented for a week at about $1300-$1500 per week. It is not much less than a villa in town but you are only a few feet from the beach.
We stopped for a group photo.
After Cinnamon Bay we set out to find Oppenheimer Beach. We took Peace Hill trail to see the view and an old Sugar Furnace.
From there we hiked down to the beach, which we assumed was Oppenheimer Beach and swam. I also found a coconut which I had been looking for since we got here. Either the tourist or the park service cleans them up before you can pick them up, but on this secluded beach I found one.
As we walked back to the trail head we met another group of tourists who informed us we were on Denis Bay beach, not Oppenheimer.....uncheck that box! It was a nice hike and swim anyway. They told us how to get to Oppenheimer beach but there is only parking for a few vehicles so we drove on by towards Cruz Bay. Paul and Lisa needed to fuel up their vehicle.
While we waited for the Saccos we stopped at a few stores to find June a pair of flip flops, she had a blowout at Denis Bay Beach. While we were there we found the St. John Brewery Tap Room. It was on our list so we stopped for a beer, it was a very nice break. ...check that box.
As we headed back to Coral Bay, the parking area for Oppenheimer Beach had just enough room for two Jeeps, if you did not mind them rubbing a little bit, so we stopped and hiked to the beach.
As we got onto the beach, we ran into a woman from Dorset, VT...crazy. She pointed out an Iguana going down the beach...he was a big boy....cool.
It is a beautiful beach that was owned by the O family from 1957 to 1976. It is now maintained by the US park service but hurricanes have destroyed the buildings. The sand on the beach was some of the best on the island, it was a nice swim. Box Checked.
After the O beach we returned to Leinster Bay to snorkel, when we went there the other day it was so colorful and full of fish we thought it would be a nice final snorkel.
The fish and coral are so colorful, it was just amazing.
There were huge schools of fish of many different colors.
Paul even found an Octopus, he was well camouflaged and would change color as he moved. This was a rare treat.
As we returned to the beach, Ed was on shore and spotted a turtle coming up for air near shore and directed me to him.
He was in shallow water for good viewing. They are fascinating to follow as they eat and come up for air.
We even saw a beautiful starfish as we returned to the beach.
It was a bit of a cloudy day but that made relaxing on the beach without getting scorched more pleasant.
After beach time, we all returned to our villa for showers and some down time.....we even worked on the Star Wars Puzzle.
After showers we all went to Skinny Legs for our last dinner on the island. It was excellent.
We returned to our villa and relaxed.
I harvested our coconut. It was delicious.
Of course, we finished the puzzle but one piece could not be found....
Sunday Fred and June fly to Pensacola, Ed and Jean fly to Albany and Paul and Lisa fly to Vermont.
We really appreciate the Island, the hospitality of the people and the beautiful weather for snorkeling!
It was the end of a great week on the island that none of us will forget soon.
Seems like we pack a lot into a day. Never dull or boring. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteWe started with a yummy breakfast and ended with a delicious dinner. Seeing an octopus was an added bonus for me, check! I was glad we had the puzzles to unwind in the evenings.
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