Maho Bay, St. John. It's amazing to me how around every corner, there seems to be another beach that somehow manages to top the last one. I've never seen so much beauty in such a small space. This particular beach is extremely calm, and perfect for families with little kids who don't want to worry about big waves, strong currents, etc.

THE SHOT from St. John that everyone snaps....yes, it's been done a million times, but I couldn't resist (and I like my shot more than anyone else's!). Much of St. John is actually owned by the national park system (~2/3 of the island), so the land and beaches have managed to stay undeveloped and well taken care of. We spent a day here on the beach...checked out the underwater snorkeling trail, and walked up and down the beach. Stopped at the snack bar for some painkillers and beer. Had a great day and realized very quickly that St. John is a special place.

Our first day at the beach...Trunk Bay, St John

Salomon Beach, St John, USVI...this is one of many spectacular beaches on the North Shore of St. John. It's just a quick 20 minute hike from the 20 (aka North Shore Road)....because it's a short hike, you're likely to have the beach all to yourself. We found a great spot under this palm and enjoyed the morning swimming in some of the clearest water I've ever seen.

Dan probably not in deep thought....but does have a cold one by his side.

The local brew is excellent...Virgin Islands Summer Ale

old ruins on St John

I think the donkeys outnumber the people on St. John....I fit right in!

Beautiful flowers and 18th century sugar mill ruins at the famous Caneel Bay resort. We spent a day at Caneel Bay enjoying the beachside bar, ultra calm beach, and friendly people. We were continually surprised at how friendly everyone was during the trip. We met more people in one trip to the USBVI's than we've met in nearly 10 trips to Hawaii. Most of the people we met were "regulars" and spend at least a week every year coming down to paradise. I think they're on to something....

Typical "non beach" scene on St. John. Everywhere you look, the hills are alive and blooming.

The Willy T...one of our very memorable lunch stops

There were a few times when I was able to put the camera down and have some fun. This photo was taken by Oneea during one of our favorite days of the trip...we chartered a boat with Captain John and he took us out on the water to see some of the best sights of the USBVI's...for lunch, he took us here, to a floating restaurant called the Willy T, which is located in "the Bight" at Norman Island, BVI....super fun place, great food, and even though the sign says "no jumping", it's not exactly enforced! What a great place to have lunch on our 6th anniversary.

Maybe someday....I've got some lofty ambitions about getting back to the Virgin Islands...some of them include getting my own boat. Better start budgeting now! This photo was taken just off the shores of Smugglers Cove, one of the finest beaches on Tortola. We weren't able to swim ashore, but apparently there's a guy that runs a blender off of his car battery and makes a mean BBC (banana, baileys and coconut)...guess we'll add that to the list for next time!

This is exactly what tropical paradise looks like! I had a cold Virgin Islands microbrew in my other hand when I took this shot. Try the Summer Ale!

Sandy Cay, BVI. Not a bad place to throw back a drink and take a dip!

Sandy Spit, BVI....the location for many Corona commercials I believe...we only spent a few minutes on this little plot of sand, but will be sure to spend a day here on our next visit.

Captain John, who runs Palm Tree Charters, was a great host and took us to some amazing places for our 6th anniversary.

The first morning in Virgin Gorda, I woke up early to hike down the trail and check out the sunrise from the Baths. It was pretty cool to have such a jawdropping place all to myself...I returned later in the day to find a much different scene. Lots of cruise ship passengers, dinghy boats, etc. Definitely a place to head before 9am or after 3pm...But you gotta see this place in person..the boulders are gigantic and the hidden pools are aplenty.

Oneea in deep thought amongst the granite

The Cathedral at the Baths....one of the more exotic and photographed pools at the Baths National Park.

This view point is from the Top of the Baths restaurant in Virgin Gorda....just a quick 5 minute walk down the trail takes you to the beach and those enormous boulders. We ate several times at Top of the Baths restaurant...a bit pricey, but the mimosas and view made it all worth it.

Another wide view from Top of the Baths....granite boulders everywhere making for a very interesting landscape.

Just another deserted beach on Virgin Gorda...this is Valley Trunk Bay and doesn't get many visitors because it's like a 10 minute hike!

Climbed a rather large rock to get to this vantage point....nearly fell off thanks to the Rum punch...cut my toe deeply on a piece of hidden coral....probably should've had some stitches, but wasn't feeling a lot of pain at this point in the day...but hey, once I finally scaled this big boulder, I had this nice view to take in. What a spot!

We decided to spend a full day at Little Dix Bay resort in Virgin Gorda. Glad we did...the beach was fantastic...and even though we weren't staying there, the staff was great (I kept them very busy) and the food excellent. We settled in for the day under one of their palm thatched huts, Oneea went for a massage (her anniversary present), and I loaded up on beach drinks. Went out for a snorkel, saw a turtle, climbed the rocks, took some photos....I could take this day and repeat it for the rest of my life and die happy (just include the kids next time). We finished the day off at their cocktail reception (old ladies must like my gray hair!) and the famous seafood buffet. If you've never tried Caribbean lobster, you haven't lived....that's all I'm saying.