It is about a 40 minute ferry from St. Thomas and drops you off in Cruz bay. You suddenly feel as though you have been transformed to another time before fast food and stop lights.  Cruz bay is perfect walking town. It has a few places that are fun to explore when not memorized by the ocean that surrounds you. One in particular is mongoose village.  At first sight, you almost think you are entering into an old stone fortress from days gone by.  While there we discovered a craft brewery/restaurant called the TAP ROOM. It is located on the 2nd floor of the shops of mongoose village.  It is open air and overlooks the shops and courtyard below. This is great for people watching while you sample the local beers. 

One place that is worth a visit is HIGH TIDE bar and Grill.  It is located to the right of the ferry dock at Cruz bay. The bar is on the bay and boasts some of the most amazing panorama and some of the coldest beer on the island.

Johns Pass Village and Boardwalk is just a few short miles over the bridge from Treasure Island. 
It holds so many good restaurants, shops and bars and just a few place to meander for an afternoon. I will touch on some of the highlights I found during my trips to Johns Pass. 

The boardwalk itself is a great attraction unto itself. You can stroll along with the shops on one side and the harbor on the other. Its always a great idea to stop and recharge over a grouper sandwich and cold beer whenever you find a few seats available. The view of the harbor is full of activity. It has pirate and fishing charters, as well as jet skis all for rent.  But the best entertainment is to watch the pelicans sitting on the pylons or even better is the dolphins that play in the bay as well. 
 

The friendly fisherman is a great place to eat and people watch right on the boardwalk.  It has the main restaurant on the boardwalk and then a lower section closer to the water.  On my last trip it was a week before Christmas and we were able to sit at the lower section and watch the boat parade.  It was about an hour of watching all types of sailing and motor boats cruise by with lights and sounds for the holiday.  Be sure to get there early for dinner and you can keep your seats for drinks while you watch the parade. 

Another great place to make sure you put on your list to visit is Spice and Tea exchange.  
It is located off the boardwalk in the shops behind the boardwalk.  


There is metered parking in the middle of the shopping area and on the streets so you can just go there or spend the day.  Be sure to pick up the signature mix called Vic's Garlic Fix, it goes great on everything.  They make everything in house and have the most amazing collection of rubs, marinades, salts and teas. 

If you enjoy recreational fishing, the other side of the boardwalk has a jetty that doesn't require a fishing license. I was able to rent a fishing pole and tackle for the day from Johnny's Bait and Tackle on Treasure Island.  It was great to stand along the rocks and in the water  and fish in December.  

How often have you just wanted to fly away to a remote island and disappear if only for a week. I was invited to such an escape to ambergris caye, Belize. 

When you land in Belize city, it seems as though you  have already been disconnected from reality but a short cab ride to a canal side restaurant bar, awaits your boat to the island.  A little less than an hour of warm breezes and watching all the passing  islands, you arrive at your very own Gilligans island, aptly named Captain Morgans Resort. 

If you are on the bottom floors and out on your deck in the mornings, you will often be greeted on a gentlemen on a bike with a cooler strapped to the back.  Please be sure to wave him over and have a few dollars available for a great hot breakfast burrito. After you have finished your belize take out breakfast and have gone for a walk or bike ride down the beach, look out for the local fisherman at the dock.  

The local fisherman would come to the dock most everyday with fresh catch.  One day we were fortunate to get a several pounds of grouper fillets and 3 lobster tails for about 15 US dollars.  The resort has grills facing the ocean, so needless to say it was a great afternoon filled with great seafood and a several cold libations.  

The best way to get around the island is by golf cart, and those who know me, its my favorite way to travel.  About 3 miles down the dusty, sandy dirt road, you end up at the famous Palapa bar and grill.  Its a thatched hut bar and grill that jets out over the ocean.  It not only has amazing ocean breezes and view of the fish below, but you can float in inner tubes while having a cold beverage.  

The sunset bar and grill is an iconic beach bar at the end of runway.  The planes are close enough to see the captain wave to those below. The bar itself is off to the side and gives enough cover from the blowing sand from the planes that take off.  There are always those who either get caught up in the moment or fueled by a few island libations, stand at the fence and are blown into the ocean as the plane taxis down the runway.  The plane schedules are posted on the surf board shown below, so after you have seen one and cooled off with an amstel bright and checked out the gift shop, lets continue down the road.  

About a mile down the road on the other side of the downtown area, I was introduced to a hidden gem named Mullet Bay.  It was more of locals beach and a great little afternoon escape.  You walk down the windy dusty road and it opens up to a little swath of beach in a cove. Right away you realize that you have left the tourist laden Sunset bar and grill, which was good for a check off the bucket list, and entered another world. It consisted of two shacks from which the most amazing smells of meats consumed your senses.  You can rent chairs and an umbrella for your afternoon siesta.  A short jaunt down the beach led me to another beach shack where you could use the porta pottie and get your beers for two dollars a piece.  

So once you have eaten some great grilled chicken on the beach and consumed a few presidentes under your umbrella, you can dose in an out as you watch the planes about to land back at the sunset bar and grill.  


So lets recap, quiet tucked away beach, grilled meats, cheap beers, beach rentals and beautiful views.  

Ogunquit can be a great day trip or a week long hideaway along the beautiful coast of maine. 

When people describe a quintessential New England coastal village,  one that certainly tops the list is ogunquit.  The 1 mile marginal way is a paved path that meanders along the rocky coast. It holds some amazing vistas.  you can see people sailing, fishing and even some courageous paddle boarders closer to the beach area. 

Another hidden gem that appeared at the end of 1 mile path leading away from town was Perkins cove. It was just that, a little fishing village with a harbor and a few shops and restaurants. It had two seafood shacks a budding the water along side quirky shops with mainstream retail as well as handmade items from the area. 

 

Be sure to bring a good pair of shoes, a bottled water and a hunger for adventure.  There is so much more to be seen and explored and hope this has added another drop in your bucket list. 

I have been to most of the country and dozens of Caribbean islands, but for me its Nantucket in August.  One day i realized that Nantucket has been the one constant "home" for me over the past 30 plus years.  I moved to another state in junior high, another one for college and yet another after college. The feeling of coming off the boat and smelling the mixture of steamboat pizza and the Juice bar always made me feel like i was home.  

No matter how much has changed in Massachusetts or the world, you can always count on the  cobblestone streets of downtown, no street lights or fast food.  Most mornings can be started with a cool ocean breeze as the fogs lifts for the day.  

A good morning is when you can slip into some flip flops and stroll into town for a coffee and muffin and sit on main street and watch life happen around you. 

Once you have finished your coffee and tucked the latest copy of yesterdays island under your arm, its off to the grocery store by the harbor to pick up whatever is needed for the days beach eats. Most days are meant for beach time as I discussed in the previous post, but if you need time away from the sun or its cloudy, town IT IS!

Imagine turning a corner and standing at the top of main street on an island in Massachusetts 30 miles at sea and this is your view:

One of the greatest past times whether it be during the day while getting ice cream from STARS on the wharf or after dinner at B-Ackyard BBQ, is looking at the yachts in harbor.  While many are chartered for several hundred thousand a week, you can stroll and create your own life on the boat for free.  

After you have spent the day wandering, shopping, eating, drinking, yacht shopping, you can enjoy the cool night air and with one you love and be grateful you can do it again tomorrow,