Saturday, April 4, 2026
Our last full day!! Hard to believe we’re finally at the end. Being a more relaxed paced trip, I feel like the time moved a little more slowly than other more sight-seeing heavy trips.
Putting aside the obviously very negative financial impact of my booking mistake (😬😬), I think it actually ended up being a huge blessing in disguise!! I am honestly thrilled with how this all turned out- and in many ways, I think this version was likely better than what I had even planned.
Starting with beautiful St. John, when everyone was fresh and excited and really wanted to explore a lot, made sense. (It originally was tacked on as an afterthought to the end.)
Also, shortening the time on St. Thomas just a little, in this case, since we didn’t need days for day trips to St John or Water Island, also made sense.
Having the resort time in the middle (St. Thomas) with the great pool/hot tub/tennis courts, bookended on both sides by the VRBOs on St John/Water Island with incredible views, felt like a perfect balance.
And finally, adding these 3 nights on Water Island (which wasn’t even really in the plans to visit, even as a day trip!) was the best end to our trip. It’s been such a beautiful, unique and relaxing experience, this house is just stunning, the beach here is amazing, and I am so so happy we ended up here.
Sometimes when things like this happen, I think of my old buddy 5 am Joel and his mantra, “Live life as if the universe is rigged in your favor.” I love the idea of believing this and trusting it and therefore, manifesting it! (Joel, if you’re still out there, I really miss your daily emails!)
Similarly, Ethan sometimes says something when I try warn him about potential problems, or danger, etc. that simultaneously makes me laugh, shake my head, and roll my eyes: “Everything will work out, because I’m the main character.” (As in, he’s the main character in the movie of his life, so obviously it has to work out, because in the end, the main character always prevails. 😜)
Anyway, all’s well that ends well, and we have had a truly incredible trip.
On to recap our last day- which I think has a record low number of photos, mostly because I spent most of the day in the water!
I woke up weirdly early, considering I went to bed very late. Just a little before 6…. Totally NOT enough sleep after an almost 1 am bedtime! 😬
I felt awake though, and also was worried that if I did fall back to sleep, I’d sleep until 10, and I didn’t want to do that.
I decided to just get up and figured maybe I could nap later. This turned out to be a great decision. I had the WHOLE beautiful house to myself for a full hour before anyone else stirred.
This was the view I stepped out to:
I made tea and opened all the patio doors to let the warm breeze in and this was heaven.
I moved around a little- the sun got intense as it rose. Sat on the balcony, then later moved to the shaded table on the opposite side once the sun got too sunny. 😉
It was the most beautiful morning- a welcome surprise. We had thought the weather forecast was iffy for Saturday, but of course, it turned out to be probably the best weather day we had! Haha. Unlike many other days, which had more of a mix of heavier clouds sometimes and sun, Saturday was mostly all blue skies and sunshine. Yesssssss.
By 10/10:30 everyone had lazed around enough and we got ready to go to the beach. On Friday we didn’t really do a true beach day, really, so that was the plan for Saturday (at Honeymoon Beach, Water Island’s main/only big beach).
Ready to go. Off to our last beach day!! 😢😢
The beach here is gorgeous. Really, you have to see it with your own eyes. I can’t quite capture in photos how the white boats and the blue water and the green hills dotted with white homes in the distance all look.
Also, since most people only day trip here (and it requires a ferry/extra effort to get here, and no cars), I think many people just opt to stay on St. Thomas. That means this beach is NOT busy compared to many other popular beaches.
The boys played some more pickleball (until some other kids wanted to play and they had to give up their paddles).
We spread out towels in the shade (we decided to not bother lugging beach chairs along and didn’t rent any) and relaxed a while.
The sun was bright overhead and I decided I should capitalize on this and get out snorkeling now, lest clouds move in later.
There is no reef here, but Water Island is known for being home to many sea turtles and stingrays. The water is also crystal clear and just beautiful.
It took a little while to locate them, but I saw a boat pull up far out, outside of the swimming area. A group of people jumped in to snorkel (must have been a snorkeling charter). I swam out there and WOW!!!
There were a whole bunch of incredible sea turtles swimming around. I saw at least 6 or 7, including a couple huge ones!! I wish so badly I could have photographed them. They are soooooo amazing.
I also saw several stingrays!
My dad joined me. This was so awesome. The water was so clean and clear and warm I felt like I was swimming in a pool.
And the turtles! I am newly obsessed with sea turtles and now I want one. Hahaha.
This beach also has several anchored “floating rafts” way out in the water that you can rest on or lay out on. I motioned for the boys and Ivan to swim out and join me.
This was amazing. I cannot describe the feeling of laying there floating, wet but warm from the sun, toes in the water, with the views… it was perfect. I loved this so so so much. Sorry if this sounds annoyingly “positive” or exaggerated, but I absolutely loved this day.
We went back in after a while and had lunch at the restaurant. I was starving after all the swimming and got 3 chicken tacos.
After lunch, I took Asher out to snorkel more with me.
I could just not get enough of those sea turtles!! I had several incredible encounters where no one else was around and a turtle would swim up to get air right in front of me (I’m talking like 5 feet away!), lift its little head at the same time as I did, and I’d see its adorable little face come out of the water and we’d make eye contact. 💕 They are magical! Their little “arms” flap so cutely as they swim… I just love them. They are so so cool.
After Asher went back in I stayed out a long time and just floated around by a couple of the big turtles.
No one else was around and the turtles didn’t seem bothered in the slightest that I was there. (I kept my distance and didn’t try to encroach on their space at all- just floated quietly nearby and observed them eating and swimming.) Ahhh this was just so amazing. I am not joking, I felt like a connection with these turtles!! 😅😅 Am I a secret turtle whisperer?!? I’ll always remember this.
Finally I headed back in toward shore, and my mom actually came out to the water. She didn’t snorkel or go way out but just floated by me on a noodle. It was wonderful.
I think I need to do more swimming at home! As I swam around I had flashbacks to being a kid, when I couldn’t get enough of being in the water on vacations and my parents would say my sister and I were going to turn into fish. I felt child-like again yesterday, swimming underwater with my goggles, flipping around… I truly felt like a fish. You know how they say you should think back to what you enjoyed as a child and keep trying to bring those things into your adult life?… I think maybe I need to swim more! I never do.
(Granted, the gym pool is… cold. And not really the same as the Caribbean Sea. Ha. I typically do not have access to clear, seaweed free/creature free water like this… 😩 I’m also normally rather afraid of things like sharks.. and jellyfish.. but we saw zero jellyfish on this trip and apparently scary shark attacks are super rare in the Virgin Islands. Or so I had heard (and told myself. lol.)
The boys and Ivan headed back up to the house a bit earlier than my parents and I did. It was nice that we had 2 golf carts.
Finally we dragged ourselves away from the beach. While I showered, the boys and Ivan went on one last golf cart ride all around the island. They ended up back at the Fort on the far side!
A shower felt great after all the salt water and sand. Refreshed, I got my bags all packed. Wanted to get that out of the way!
We had decided we’d stay in last night and eat up the remainder of our groceries. Around 6:30 I cooked up a fancy final meal- our only dinner we ate in the VRBO all trip. It was a special one: hot dogs and ramen noodles with a side of cheese and crackers. 😂😂
Honestly, it kinda hit the spot. lol!
Ethan had the Brewers game pulled up on the TV and Asher was working on some homework that is due Monday and I really enjoyed our low key last night and dinner in our beautiful place.
Oh, and look at the moon!! It was this gorgeous orange moon that was almost eerie as it rose… I hadn’t seen any like it on the whole trip. A special “resurrection moon”, perhaps, on Easter Eve??!
I headed to bed early, by about 9:30. After the short night before and hours of swimming, I was toast.
I think this may have been one of my very favorite days on the whole trip! 🥰🥰
And now… time to head out. Thankfully, no big rush- our flight isn’t until 4:45. The property manager is meeting us here at 11:45 to get our bags to the ferry dock.
I’m grateful for one.. last… slow morning. Enjoying these views!
A beautiful Easter morning sunrise today, too. (I was also the first one up today.)
Happy Easter Sunday to those who celebrate! 💐
GRATEFUL KAE 
Kae, have you seen the movie Bridesmaids? There is a scene where Melissa McCarthy talks about seeing a dolphin and the dolphin spoke to her “not with its mouth, you know, but telepathically?”
Lol I think about that all the time. THE TURTLES! All kidding aside, I know exactly what you mean, I have had that kind of “connection” feeling too. What a joy. It’s an incredible experience and it kind of is hard to explain to someone who hasn’t had that BUT I AM HERE FOR YOU!!!!
The views of that place – gorgeous. I know it was a bumpy start but I feel like sometimes that is the best way – absolutely all’s well that end’s well, but almost more than that. Like it was the universe, and it was meant to be. Because you were meant to have that connection with the turtles! I’m totally serious, you know I really believe in things like this!
I’m so happy you had such a lovely vacation! Safe travels home!
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I am glad you had such a wonderful vacation. I told Phil how gorgeous your photos have been – you’ve made me consider this for a future destination for our family. I know that travel snafu weighed on you so it’s nice that there was a silver lining to the error!
I hope your journey home goes smoothly – and that reentry isn’t too rough!!
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