Just As We Imagined

My girlfriend and I booked this trip several months in advance, knowing that come September, we'd be ready for a vacation. If we only knew how true this would be. After a miserable travel experience from New York to St. Thomas, all of our frustration and contempt for a certain airline and rental car agency melted away once we were greeted by Bruce at the ferry dock on St. John. Upon arrival, Bruce arranged for a local (and reputable) car rental agency to open after they had closed for the day to rent us a car for the week. Since we arrived a little later in the evening than originally planned, Bruce suggested we stop at the market to do a quick provision to hold us over for the night. He guided us there, patiently waited as we scrambled to pick up some essentials, and showed us to the house. After giving us a quick tour, he answered all of our questions about the best places to snorkel, good restaurants to try, and beach suggestions. Words cannot express how grateful we were for this experience - certainly a welcomed and relaxed way to begin our vacation, and something that Bruce went out of his way to do for us. It was truly appreciated. The house and grounds are just as pictured and described - absolutely lovely and perfect. Those unfamiliar with St. John (I had been several times before this trip) should note that the island is very hilly (as seen in the pictures). The road up to the house takes a relatively confident driver if you're used to driving on flat roads and highways as I am, but a few trips up and down and it becomes almost second nature (like driving on the left). Some suggestions for those thinking about renting Windwardside: 1. A lot of people probably think a hot tub is useless in a tropical climate. Incorrect. We used the hot tub every night to watch the stars, drink some wine, and relax. It's definitely a perk. 2. Although you share a parking area with a nearby cottage, this place is absolutely private in every sense of the word. It was nice to be here and just be by ourselves. 3. Coral Bay is far less busy than Cruz Bay. We found many of the restaurants and shops closed while we were there. This was fine with us, as we had to get adventurous and creative a few times for meals. One night, we stopped at a local fish stand and bought some filets and conch that was pulled out of the ocean earlier that day and grilled it back at the house. It was delicious! Thank you Susan, Diane, and Bruce! We hope to be back soon!