Cinnamon Bay 2017 !!!

We first hit this beach in 1977, and now 40 years later we're back for the sixteenth time (we think).  For many years, not much changed....except everything got older (like us).  But now with a new concessionaire, changes are happening. 

We slept the first night in the cottages, so that we could wake up in the bright morning sun, stake out our campsite claim, and get settled for this three week trip.  This year with the ECO tents going up at all of our favorite bare sites, we had to wait until Mary could find us a place to hammer in our tent stakes.  Actually, no hammering this year, as we were given a pre-setup tent in the Group Site area where we camped on our very first trip.  Among neighbors who have been coming every January for years, it was like "back-to-home" for us.

Settled in, we checked out the new ECO tents, the expanded pavilion with the huge bar..


...but then we snorkeled at Cinnamon, Maho, and some new places including Brown Bay and the south side of Haul Over Bay.....nice and less destroyed coral. 




We took a 7 mile guided kayak paddle leaving from Cruz Bay, followed the north shore to Caneel Bay, then across to some islands.  Snorkeled at some much less disturbed areas; nice!

Another day we did some volunteer work for Friends of St. John at a former sugar plantation home.  With loppers and gloves we cleared jungle growth and learned all about Catch-N-Keep; the nasty little vines that grab hold of your skin, and don't let go.

Other highlights:  Many visits to the Joe's Rum Hut for happy hour, brunch at Miss Lucy's, Salt Pond and our first (finally) hike to Rams Head.  But mostly, we snorkeled, seeing some great fish, coral, turtles, and rays....and enjoyed this wonderful St. John island.

TRADITION !