Jost Van Dyke, BVIs

Confession: This is as close as I have gotten to Europe, not that I'm complaining!  We made our way over to Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands because it would have been a sin not to come here.  With a population of about 220 this is a sweet little island with the most beautiful white sand that feels like heaven on your feet. 

 Jost Van Dyke is is accessible by boat, ferry, water taxi and a lot of people anchor here and chill the night away.  B and I left our yacht in Texas (haha!) so we only stayed for part of the afternoon before making the 7/12 miles back to St. John across the way.

I've brought you over to the Soggy Dollar before as seen here and it is perhaps the most famous spot on this island.  There are a few other bars to explore so after you have your Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar, keep on walking! We had a Bushwacker over at One love and it was super good, perhaps a new favorite drink for me.  You could stay over on Jost at the Sand Castle Hotel and don't worry things are pretty casual on the island, all you need is a suit (bathing suit!) and a few soggy dollars from swimming from your boat to the island and you are good to go.  The swim is more like a waist high walk so don't fret! The Soggy Dollar got it's name because there is no dock so you do have to jump off your boat and that's where your dollars may get soggy.  But they are still accepted and in fact, they have a cute clothing line set up behind the bar where they let them dry.

 Are you in?  It's hard to say no to this beauty and even harder to pull away but until next time!
What's your favorite tropical drink?

Summer treats

 Because we do most of our travels during the off season, we run into some hot temperatures.  But no worries, there is always a cool drink or shaved ice to save the day.  Being here in the Caribbean is a huge treat already but add a little shaved ice and it just got even better!

 We had a variety of flavors to choose from and you know me, I love coconut on just about everything.  This sweet St. Johnian, hooked us up and we were ready to continue on our stroll.

And enjoy our shaved ice looking towards St. Thomas.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

The Baths at Virgin Gorda, BVIs

The Baths in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

 A must see if you are ever in this part of the world is The Baths at Virgin Gorda.  Thanks to Stephanie from Odyssey I put this lovely place on my list of places to visit and this week I was lucky enough to go again with my dear husband.  These boulders are incredible.  Not only are they evidence of the island's volcanic origins but they also have created beautiful grottos that you can explore.

The Baths

We took a boat from St. John and after clearing customs in Spanish Town ( you need your passport!), our captain dropped us off in the water and we swam our way in to The Baths.  It is not a hard swim but I do recommend hanging on to a "noodle" if your boat has one, especially if you are not a strong swimmer.  Since we had to swim in and I only had my iphone, I don't have pics of the interior of the caves, but trust me, it's pretty amazing (click here for a peek).  However if you don't like crawling through small places, this might not be as fun for you.  It is believed that the pirates/explorers would get a little too tipsy and start to imagine that these boulders where whales.  Sadly, it is said that The Baths gets it's name from the when the slaves would come and bathe in these caves after working in the Rum Trading.  The sand in the caves is/was thought to have healing qualities.

leaving The Baths @Virgin Gorda

It was so nice to revisit this gorgeous and remarkable place.  Although, you don't need your passport to visit St. John and the other US Virgin Islands, I highly recommend bringing your passport along  so you can explore the nearby islands because they are so close!
Which island would you like to swim towards?

Honeymoon Beach, St. John

 Honeymoon Beach is a perfect spot for those seeking some alone or quieter time.  It is located right next to the Caneel Bay Resort .  You enter through the Caneel Resort and then walk about 1/4 of a mile to the right and voilá!  This will be your view.

 There is a little more "wave" activity because of nearby boats but I am using "waves" loosely here.  As you know I am from California and we have serious waves there.  One thing I really like about this beach is that you have the most beautiful silvery water one minute and then back to turquoise. 

The key is to find a spot underneath one of these trees and tuck yourself back in there so you don't get too much sun. Trust me, you won't be leaving the islands without a tan, so DO put on sunscreen because nothing is worse than ruining your vacay with a bad burn.  Anyway, this is a lovely spot to spend some time.  On your way in to the beach via Caneel I recommend you stop by the Caneel Gift shop while you are still clean and unsandy.  They also have some amenities that you might need to reload on such as water and sunscreen.

Klein Bay, St. John

 Happy Memorial Day from St. John in the Virgin Islands!  If you follow us on FB or instagram you have already been part of our journey to get here, thanks for coming along.  This week we are on our honeymoon in the beautiful Caribbean.  Hands down the best Memorial Day Weekend ever.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend!

Avocado, Tomato and Vidalia Onion Salad

Hot weather calls for cool summer salads and I needed to add another one to my repertoire.  Yesterday, on Good Morning America,  Emeril Lagasse prepared a quick avocado and tomato salad.  I just love avocados, they are one my favorite things to eat, so I had to give this recipe a go.  You basically slice onions, tomatoes, and vidalia onions and place them over a bed of lovely greens.  Add salt and pepper and then drizzle some olive oil and red wine vinegar and you are good to go.  I must confess we also had pizza for dinner, it was a busy day!! But we still got some veggies in so it is all good right?  Because this salad looks gorgeous on a platter, it would also make a nice dish to bring to a summer party.
What's your favorite salad?

Golden

Now that's it's really the weekend, we can really go out for a night on the town.   This Spring and Summer I have been obsessed with GOLD.  I have shown you this watch like 90 times and with the warm weather I thought I would pair gold and blue for a little elegant nautical vibe.  Of course you need a little bag to carry the essentials, so I was so thrilled to re-discover this golden clutch in the sealaura vault!!  I love it when I can shop from my own closet.  Do you ever do that? Go through your "inventory" and fall in love all over again?! Silly, I know but I do enjoy those girly moments.

 How about you, Gold or Silver?  Do you mix your metals?

Date night...

I just love warm summer nights that call for sipping a cocktail or two in an outdoor patio.  And of course a special night out calls for some fun accessories.  I went out of my comfort zone with this black clutch from Rebecca Minkoff for mark.  It's a little rocker, a little biker, a little Texas in my estimation.  What do you think?  Anyway, it's always fun to experiment and step outside of one's fashion comfort zone so I went with it and added a few gold accessories to give it a little contrast.
I know it's barely Thursday but I'm ready for the weekend. 
What about you?