Our B.V.I. Adventure

One of our favorite things to do is play host to our friends who come to Tortola to visit.  Even though Leslie and Shae were staying on Great Camanoe with her parents and not officially "our" guests, we pretended they were there to see us last Saturday...  :)

We picked them up from Trellis Bay and off we went on a 8-stop tour of Tortola.  Here was our itinerary:

10:00 a.m. Good Moon Farm  - We visited Aragorn's organic farm situated on Tortola's north side near Trunk Bay.  Aragorn is the sculptor behind the massive iron fire balls that light up each full moon at Trellis Bay.  One of the farmhands was kind enough to give us a tour of the expansive property.  We also picked up a beautiful basket of produce from Aragorn himself...  Pineapple, mangoes, arugula, bok choy, thyme, etc... 


This was the last open Saturday for season.  The farm will be back open to the public this fall, so if you find yourself on Tortola on a Saturday morning, check it out!  You can even order online.  Our basket was $40, but you can select a $60 or $80 basket depending on how large your family is.

11:30 a.m. Trunk Bay - Since we were so close, we headed down the unpaved road east of Aragorn's farm to the gorgeous beach that is Trunk Bay.  It was very windy, so we found that lounging on the beach was not an option.  Instead, we opted for the refreshing waters and soft sand of this bay.  Anna Drake loved being in the water with us.  She is getting to be such a good swimmer!
12:30 p.m. Rudy's - After the beach we headed up Ridge Road to grab a drink at Rudy's.  Leslie and Shae tried some of the white rum from the local Calwood Distillery.  Gulp!  We also took in the views from the top of Ridge Road.  Rudy's is a great spot for a photo op.


1:00 p.m. Crandall's - We worked up quite an appetite and a quick take-out lunch was exactly what we needed.  I stayed with Anna Drake in the car while she napped, and the others grabbed a few of the meat pouches in Crandall's.  This was Leslie and Shae's first time trying the yummy treats and they agreed with us, they hit the spot!  With Crandall's in hand, off we went to Tortola's west end.

1:30 p.m. Long Bay Beach - We traveled along Drake's Highway which offers a great view of Norman Island and St. John across the channel.  Our next stop was Long Bay Beach.   The resort by the same name must not be at full capacity because there weren't many others at the beach on this bright beautiful day.  It's such a massive beach anyway, it wouldn't matter!  We loved floating in the water...here are the boys!

3:45 p.m. Nutty Banana - Before we could return Leslie and Shae to Trellis Bay, we had to get an ice cream cone, so we stopped in Nanny Cay Village where the Nutty Banana is located.  Yum!

4:30 p.m. HIHO Store - Once back at Trellis Bay, we did a little shopping at the HIHO store, then it was time for Ginger to join us for a drink!

4:45 p.m. D' Best Cup - The Shands swear by the rum punches at D' Best Cup.  Unlike most rum punches on the island these are made with more lime juice than pineapple.  They are refreshingly tart!  Here is a sweet photo of Ginger with Anna Drake.

It was such a fun day and one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a day full of adventure on Tortola!

Anna Drake has four grandparents.  Her Nana and Pawpaw have two other granddaughters, so their nicknames were well-established long before Anna Drake's arrival in October.  But on my side of the family, Anna Drake is the first grandchild, so my mom and dad aren't sure what names they'll be given.

Until Anna Drake can speak for herself, we needed to come up with something for John and Kay.  We're calling my dad, "Granddaddy" and my mom, "Nanny Kay."  Wonder where she got that idea...

Can you see the yellow post-it note that we added to the mosaic sign to turn the "c" into a "k"???  Creative aren't we?  I wonder if it will stick.  (The nickname, not the post-it note!  Ha!)

Of course, as it relates to the locales, the pronunciation of the word "cay" sounds like "key" down here.  Marina Cay, Nanny Cay, Bellamy Cay...all of them are pronounced "key." (Not sure why either!)

We're getting into a routine on Saturdays...

It starts off with an early morning SUP at Smuggler's Cove.  The drive to West End gives Anna Drake a chance to nap.  I love her reaction when she wakes up on the beach. Michael and I take turns on the paddleboard, before taking Anna Drake for a swim.  She is loving the water more and more.



Then, we headed back to the pool for a quick dip and some "limin'" under the big umbrellas.  By 3:00, it was time to head home for afternoon naps.  Yes, plural.  We had to take naps too!    

This photo pretty much sums up our weekend...

We spent much of it in the water.  Anna Drake is resting in her infant float, complete with sun shade, in the Nanny Cay baby pool.

Mr. William Callewaert!  All of the contestants who've been growing their mustaches all month competed for the top prize for Mr. Movember on Tuesday night .  The stache bash was held at Nanny Cay.

There were a variety of categories:  Best Handlebar, Best Celebrity Lookalike, Classiest, Sexiest, etc... 
                                                                 {photo credit:  BVI Beacon}

We had such fun watching all of the mo bros compete for prizes and ultimately raise money to promote awareness of prostate cancer and the need for men to be screened.  All of the money raised during Movember will be donated to the BVI Chapter of the Red Cross. 

Pusser's East recently unveiled a new menu and I just had to take Travis back there, considering it was one of his favorite restaurant experiences the last time he was in the BVI...

We started off with some cocktails: the Naked Lorna and the classic Bushwhacker.  Andre was tending bar so these were extra delicious!

For dinner we both had the fish tacos, made with fresh, grilled mahi, cabbage, tomatoes, housemade pickles and new spicy aoli that was most definitely spicy!  Yum!

Afterwards we headed to Nanny Cay where Da Tree Men were playing for the Carib 1500 - the largest and longest sailing race.  The boats set sail on November 7th from Hampton, Virginia and arrived in the BVI on November 18th!  Long trip!

This was Travis's first time hearing the band - I think he enjoyed it!
Oh, and the band became "Da Tree Men and a Lady" when a crew member of the boat Smidge got up and sang House of the Rising Sun.  She killed it! 

We had a really great visit with Brian - sad to see him go!  This is us at Charlies at The Moorings for lunch on his last day.

Brian and his wife Beth had been on charter with her family the previous week and he was fortunate enough to be able to extend his trip a few days.  I took him to the usual spots - Smuggler's Cove and Nanny Cay.  Their captain made sure they saw everything else: Soggy Dollar Bar, Willie T's, Peter Island etc...

We did however, get to introduce Brian to "The Great Dog."  I guess you could say Brian is a hot dog connoisseur.  Just look at his skills with a ketchup bottle.

While he enjoyed the fried masterpiece very much, I think his loyalty is still to the one and only Lucky Dog in New Orleans.

Safe travels!  Come again soon!!!

Before hitting the beach, Michael met us for lunch at where else?  But Pusser's Pub in Roadtown! 

It's not unusual to see a fleet of sailboats pass through the Sir Francis Drake Channel, but this morning I was especially excited because it's Regatta Week!  I grabbed the camera, ran to the porch, removed one of the screens and zoomed in as far as I could to get the following shots:

The boats were moving really fast so I only had a small window of opportunity to work with...

Nanny Cay is one of the presenting sponsors of the BVI Regatta and they've got some great information about it on their website. Michael and I are hoping to make it over to Nanny Cay, where they've created what's called the Regatta Village on the beach.  There will be festivities all week long.  It should be a lot of fun. 

We've heard there may even be a chance to join a crew for a sail.  Now wouldn't that be fun?

Check out T's game face!  

They say there's only one way to truly experience the BVI and that way is on the water.  So on Saturday, we rented a boat from Island Time in Nanny Cay. 
After a great lunch, we headed to the nearby William Thorton, a 98-foot schooner better known as Willie T's.  This floating party is known for a few things, including the infamous jumps off of the second story.  From what we hear, clothing is optional.  As you can see the three people in this photo who are about to jump are fully clothed, scratch that, wearing their bathing suits at least!

Here are a few photos from our afternoon...


Before sunset, we headed back towards Nanny Cay and stopped off at the Indians.  These beautiful rock formations are stunning, especially as the sun sets low.

Adam treated us to a concert at here.  I must say, even though we didn't experience the snorkeling at the Indians on this particular Saturday {because of a strong current}, singing some of our favorite songs by the Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, and Jason Mraz was the most fun!     
Of all the experiences we've had here these last 62 days, this one ranks pretty high.

Apparently, the parents of these children did not.  There were dozens of kids attending a birthday party at Nanny Cay.  They were all playing in the field next to Mulligan's.  (The sports bar I blogged about a few weeks ago.) 

They were adorable, but at one point the children were running around with tiki torches.  Yes, the ones that are filled with kerosene.  The manager stepped in and removed the "swords."  Hi-larious!  And I mean that in the glad-no-one-got-hurt kind of way.     

Those who are docked at Nanny Cay or staying in the hotel have complimentary access to the pool and beach.  Guests for the day, like us, pay only $5 for a chair and umbrella.  Not a bad deal, huh?  We spent most of the day here, lounging around the pool.  That's my book in the bottom right corner of the picture.  I'm reading Just Jackie, Her Private Years by Edward Klein. 

This will have to make the itinerary of any guests who come to visit us.  The snorkeling is amazing at Nanny Cay.  While we didn't partake on this particular Saturday, we have done it before and the reef is beautiful.  It is very close to shore. 

Oh, and check out this photo of my new Rainbows. 

 
Michael gave them to me for Christmas. So far, we've be able to keep them away from Milly. {She loves to chew leather, especially the leather of a flip flop.} I'm going to try to take another photo a year from now, after they've been worn in. We'll see how they hold up being worn nearly every day.

With a name like Peg Leg's, this restaurant should be a dive.  But as you can see, it's anything but.  We were pleasantly surprised to find a charming third place.

Peg Leg's is on Nanny Cay {prounounced "cay" - imagine that!}.  There's a large marina there, along with some condominiums, a few offices and shops.  After a long day at the Baths, we were famished.  These two raved about the fish and chips. 


We'll definitely be coming back.  Oh, and it may have to be during the daytime.  The restaurant is on the beach and there's a pool.  The best part?  Nanny Cay is pet friendly, so we can bring Milly with us!