Can't Wait for Paddling Season

Pete and I took a break and went for a stroll (crazy Pete ran of course) down by the Rivanna River. It was such a gorgeous day. Can't wait til it gets a tad bit warmer to get back to paddling!

Last pictures of St. John

Peace Hill Windmill


View of St. John through the doorway

Look at that water!

Developed Cruz Bay

Mangrove snorkeling


Mussels galore

Conch - I ate some conch fritters!

Hiding

Spider Crab

Starfish

Baby barracuda

Bigger barracuda

Another one of those smooth fishes

Pretty little glittery guy

Hello Mr. Lobster

Starfish

Waving hello!

Sea cucumber and fish

I love their colors!

6-legged starfish - Does that make it a star of David fish?

One last view

Cinnamon Bay



Tree outside our room with LOTS of air plants

Palm hat - they wouldn't let me take it through customs but I took a pic

On the ferry back to St. Thomas

Ruins along the way

More St. John

In Salt Pond Bay, we also saw an eel and spider crabs but I didn't have my camera. Again, good thing Pete saw them or I would have swam right past!

Hike to Rams Head from Salt Pond Bay - This side of the island was desert-like while the other side was rainforest. Reminded me of being in Arizona.
The trail along the bay - until the climb begins

There were lots of these little lizards - I didn't see any iguana though!

Cacti were everywhere. This one even had air plants growing in it!

Rams head from the trail

Cuts out of the mountain - made great air conditioners due to the brisk wind coming through the tunnel

View from Rams Head
Looking back towards Salt Pond Bay

St. Croix in the distance - 35 miles away



Another lizard on some coral

Sunset over Salt Pond Bay

Hike to Reef Bay - 2 mile one way straight down to the bay with some Sugar Estate Ruins, Great House Ruins, Sugar Mill Ruins and Petroglyphs
Josie Gut Sugar Estate Ruins



Par Force Village - Workers cottage

Waterfall at the Petroglyphs

Freshwater pool at the Petroglyphs - There were freshwater shrimp, crayfish and other creatures - how did they get here?!

Petroglyphs of the Tainos





Reef Bay Great House - one of the best preserved ones we visited


Reef Bay Sugar Mill Ruins



Pots for creating rum from the leftovers

Cogwheel from when they switched from slave/animal power to mechanical



Fruit bats in the mill

Warrior Crab - what we call hermit crabs I believe because these guys don't live in the water and neither did ours

Second Salt Pond on our way to Shark Bay where lemon and reef sharks live until they grow around 12 inches long and move onto bigger territory. We only saw two because the tide was up so we couldn't see their dorsal fins, but my pictures of those two didn't turn out.

Reef Bay Fan Coral colors

Various Fishies



Baby Blue Tang - they're yellow!

Possibly a hogshead ring from the sugar mill


I still have more, but I think we both need a break! Check back for more today after I go run a few errands before heading to North Carolina for the weekend!