Isabella, Giselle and Bax!: A Getaway Before School Starts

We had not planned on taking a vacation anytime soon this year and then an opportunity came our way. Bob's boss asked him if he would like to take advantage of his 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom residence at the Ritz Carlton located in St. Thomas for a week. We had never been to St. Thomas before and why would we pass up a deal of a lifetime to stay at such a beautiful place?
The last week before school started for the girls, we headed off to St. Thomas. The weather was absolutely beautiful. The Ritz-Carlton was top of the line and we really enjoyed having 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen area, a living room area, 3 outside sitting areas and tons of amenities!
We spent our time relaxing, sleeping in, eating yummy island food, lounging on the beach, hanging out by the pool, day excursions, and tons of kayaking.
Before we left, Giselle told me that she was going to leave Teddy at home......I secretly packed him in my backpack because I knew she would think better of it later and be sad. Glad I did because sure enough she was sad when we were at the airport and I pulled him out and she was super happy. After all, Teddy is a world class traveler - he goes EVERYWHERE. He has been to Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, St. Martin, Anguilla, Aruba, Mexico and so many other places.
While we were in St. Thomas, we rented the car and drove around the island to see all that it had to offer. We visited several Mountain Tops, Magens Bay and even downtown Charlotte Amalie. Another day, we took our car on a barge and floated over to St. John. I think it's pretty neat that you can pay $50 round trip to take your car on a barge and head to another island for as long as you want! When we visited St. John, we "beach hopped" seeing Honeymoon Beach, Trunk Beach and the oh so famous Cinnamon Bay Beach. Later that day, we stopped at a Fisherman's restaurant where Bob and I shared appetizers.
I love the girls sense of adventure! Whenever we go anywhere, they love to experience new things and are always up to have fun, no questions asked. Bob and I watched them for hours on end swimming, snorkeling and just being little girls. They received their very first private snorkeling lesson, in which they loved. Could scuba diving be next? It's never too early to start!
Later in the trip, we took a day adventure on a boat cruise to the BVI (British Virgin Island), Virgin Gorda - The Baths. We got another stamp in our passport on the water! At The Baths, we saw granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. The boulders form natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. We had a long hike to get to the natural baths and once we got there we enjoyed swimming and snorkeling. Later that afternoon, we had lunch at the top of the mountain and then stopped at another island on the way home to snorkel. The girls got to see dolphins and tons of other tropical fish while snorkeling. Bob and I both think that they girls have a pair of "fish gills" considering how much they love the water.
I was excited to learn something new. In 1917, the United States purchased the U.S. Virgin Islands for $25 million from the Danish government in order to establish a naval base. They are an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States, so you do not need a passport to visit St. Thomas, St. Croix or St. John. Interesting, right?!! I love fun facts like that!
All in all, we really enjoyed spending the week together as a family before school started. It was a nice way to wrap up the summer that went by too fast. Here are some of my favorite photos of our family vacation........