to do: vacation (or wed) in STT

solitaire (view from the hotel's sugar bay beach) | st. thomas | may 2, 2009

just got back from st. thomas and to describe me as exhausted is an understatement. i will say though that all the craziness and lack of sleep were well worth it. my cousins wedding was a hit!

not only was it a great because a bunch of us used it as an excuse to go on vacation, jean and jeff were so amazingly calm and relaxed. no fussing over details, no last minute runs to the store, no worrying. there was time for all of us to go to the beach, to the casino, to lay around the pool. the bride was so concerned with everyone enjoying themselves that the only (and very minor) snafu were the bridesmaids running behind schedule the day of the wedding. when i walked in the door after a spa appointment (more on that later) to just pick up my sisters makeup to use on myself, i was bombarded with "hey, can you do hair?! hey, can you do makeup?!" while i'm not a nearly as good with the makeup and hair as my fashionista sister who was busy preparing the bride, i was able to help with some bobby pins and makeup setting and generally helping with stress levels. jean just absorbed it all while an awesome smile on her face.

the wedding was held at oceana restaurant, a lovely semi-outdoor waterfront property in frenchtown. if ever you are in st. thomas, i highly recommend a visit to this place. while there is nothing much around it, the place specializes in local food but isn't a fish fry beach place. The wedding menu consisted of: pesto crusted mahi mahi, grilled herb marinated chicken, and skirt steak with a guava bbq sauce. Sides included: coconut rice and salad with a passionfruit viniagrette. the signature drink, the "o", is also worth checking out. it had fresh grated ginger, lime juice, creme de coconut, rum and a touch of sour mix. refreshing and savory at the same time. needless to say, the wedding reception was a great time!

coki beach | st. thomas | may 2, 2009

for the rest of the weekend, i spent most of it burning my skin off (i'm currently two-toned) to the point where it was necessary to go to the spa for a cooling treatment. there was plenty to do at the hotel with the spa, three pools, the hot tub, the private beach, game room, iguana pond and feeding center, and casino. however most of us opted to go to the nearby coki beach. i ended up going three days straight, with one evening, walking there over a rock formation on the beach, hiking through the woods, across another hotel property, and through a local neighborhood to get there and go night swimming. needless to say, that was an adventure. coki beach, although small, has everything you want in a caribbean beach: white sand, turquoise water, fruity drinks with umbrellas, and great snorkeling. there were tons of fish not only in the deeper areas, but within 5 feet of the shore. if you go, check out the mailman's food shack. he has an awesome banana daquiri (i think it was called the drunk monkey).

fish at coki beach (not taken underwater) | st. thomas | may 5, 2009

needless to say, fun was had by all. all in all 50 people is a great number to have for a destination wedding, we all had a great time and met a whole new group of friends!