Utter Chaos: Little Paradise

Our trip to "Little Paradise" this year was everything we knew it would be. You just can't go to St. John and NOT relax and unwind. Yes, the bugs were bad and it was hot and it rained (Hello, it was SEPTEMBER), but it was still an absolute and total blast. The next few posts include our trip journal, detailing everything we did. THIS post is one requested by several friends-showing the house and also the details of getting there and back again.

Getting there:
We fly direct to St. Thomas. You then have to get on a taxi, which usually is a large van carrying 10-14 people and their luggage. From there its off to the ferry (Red Hook for us this year), and then the Ferry takes you to Cruz Bay, St. John.

View of the harbor around Red Hook from the ferry

Cruz Bay, St. John

Cruz Bay Battery. Note the two boats washed on shore, probably by the recent hurricane.

Side note: The sail boat looked far worse when we LEFT St. John.

We rent our jeep whenever we go from L&L Jeep Rental, and they meet us at the dock with the car. This saves us the trouble of walking all over Cruz Bay toting our luggage-not such a big deal when its just Brad and I, but it came in SUPER handy when we traveled back in Jan 2007 with Garrett and my mom.

The roads in St. John take some getting used to. You drive on the left, they are incredibly steep and switch back often. Road hazards may include various animals--this trip we encountered the following on the road: Donkeys, goats, pigs, cattle, mongoose, sheep, chickens and even a deer. Yes, folks, I think we saw the ENTIRE feral population of animals on this trip. We got in several goat-generated traffic jams. This means the goats were sleeping in the road and didn't really feel in a big hurry to move.

Getting to Coral Bay, where the house is, is only half the fun. Getting UP to the house is the most interesting part of the journey.

This is a view of the house, but just barely. Taken from the "main" road that goes around Coral Bay, the house is located at the top of the hill and has a teal roof (just behind the house that is under construction). The roof is ALL of the house that you can see.

This is a video of the fun drive DOWN the road to the house. Up is pretty much the same. :-)

Once up the hill, this is the entrance to the house--the gate keeps the assorted feral animals from eating the grass (and pooping in it too)

Up the steps, down the path, and paradise awaits. For those of you who don't know, my Grandparents built this house way back in the 1960s, I believe, when my mom and her brothers and sisters were still kids. There is no tv, phone, a/c or pretty much anything else, but there is running water and an extensive library. Oh, and the view ain't too shabby either. They had a small sign made dubbing it "Little Paradise". Unfortunately, the termites have taken over the sign.
Front porch area