Our B.V.I. Adventure

One of our favorite islands in the British Virgin Islands is Peter Island.  It's directly across the Sir Francis Drake Channel from our house on Tortola.  All that's there is a stunning resort.  We'd taken Liz and Jeff there on their previous visit to the BVI and it was on the list of things to do again.  That's when you know it's a must-see!  The ferry ride from Tortola is $20 per person, but the babies ride for free.

Once we arrived on the island, we took a collective deep breath.  There's something so calming about Peter Island - the surroundings instantly relax you.  A nice gentleman from the resort took us for a ride in his golf cart and dropped us off at Dead Man's Beach.  We set up under some palm trees and enjoyed the cool breezes.

Since at least one of the babies decided to take a nap upon our arrival, we put Liz to work modeling some clothes for Michael's company, HIHO.  This is the St. Barth's dress.  Doesn't she look stunning?


Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.  And off to Deadman's Beach Bar & Grill we went!  The staff was so accommodating, as they rounded up not one, not two, but three high chairs!  While Michael and Jeff had big, juicy burgers, Liz had the jerk chicken wrap.  I had the blackened mahi mahi sandwich, and Alison had a yummy salad.

Michael had a few more products to shoot, but I got behind the camera to snap this sweet sibling pair.  (They too are wearing HIHO, Jeff in a long-sleeve suntek shirt and Alison in a lycra perfect for the water.)


We headed to The Dove for dinner that night!

Michael and I enjoyed our first "date night" since arriving back on island.  And where did we head for our romantic night out?  The Dove, of course!

We enjoyed a delicious meal, as always, that included champagne cocktails, PEI mussels in a creamy artichoke sauce, an amuse-bouche that consisted of a salty shrimp sushi roll, followed by perfectly prepared Dove steaks.

Oh, and I can't forget the delicious chocolate dessert!  Our wonderful waitress, Lauren, informed us our dessert and after dinner drinks were compliments of the owners and dear friends, Paloma and Scott, in honor of our first date night back on island.  How sweet!?!

This time of year, a lot of our favorite restaurants and bars close down for hurricane season.  But before the proprietors and staff flee the island for a few months, they throw huge parties.  So far we've attended a "Drink the Bar Dry" party at Tamarind Club and then there was the parade party at BarFly/Dove...

Saturday's party at The Last Resort was the biggest by far.  Boat after boat after boat navigated its way from Trellis Bay to the dock at Bellamy Cay.  The "trailer trash" themed bash featured three local bands, plus the house band.  A huge crowd gathered on the lawn which was perfectly appointed with a clothes line, Fisher Price toys, lawn furniture, and a beer fridge.  Some of the partygoers dressed as Britney Spears, while others rocked the classic mullet; there were some pregnant brides too and trashy t-shirts.  You name it, it was there!


It was an extremely hot night, with no breeze to cool us.  Mother Nature must have been sick of the complaining, so she sent a huge rain storm to cool us off.  The rain came just at A Type of Toad was starting, so everyone rushed to the stage seeking cover on the deck.  There were so many people jumping up and down, at one point we heard cracking sounds of wood and could feel the deck giving way underneath us.  Somehow it stabilized...   


What a way to say good-bye to one of our favorite places, at least for a few months...The Last Resort will reopen in October.  But as bvimusic.com reminds us, a party this crazy and this fun may just be 364 days away, when they do it again next year!

It's no secret that Michael and I love Mexican food and it's been one of the major things we've missed since moving to the BVI.  It was our first stop when we went to Ft. Lauderdale a few months ago, but now, 210 days in to our BVI adventure...we've found a fix!  Two of them actually.

One of our favorite restaurants, Barfly (which is connected to The Dove) has Mexican night on Tuesday nights.  So far we've been twice and loved it both times. Their pork tacos are to die for!!!  For our Knoxville friends, they rival the pork tacos at La Costa, back when Greg was the owner and they smoked the pork themselves.

The more "traditional" Mexican restaurant is Emile's Cantina in East End.  This outdoor restaurant is situated just off the main road, with a deck for patio seating and a small bar.  While they're known for their pizzas {Go figure!} Emile's Cantina is in fact a Mexican restaurant.

We had two cold cervezas, okay, maybe four!

And we enjoyed the spicy shrimp tacos and chicken chimichanga very much!  So much so in fact that we forgot to take a picture before it was too late!

Oh, and I must share this little antecdote...

You know how most Mexican restaurants serve complimentary chips and salsa?  Well, we knew better than to think that would be the case at Emile's.  But since nachos were on the menu, we asked if we could get some chips and salsa.  The chips were delicious...made right there in the kitchen and served warm, but we had to laugh when the bill came.  It looked something like this:


Yep, $8.00 for chips and salsa!  In a weird way it makes sense, because there are days when we're at the grocery store and notice that a bag of Ruffles is $7.99.    

Hard to believe, in a little more than a week we'll be in Knoxville on Market Square enjoying Soccer Taco with friends!  Salud!

My birthday got off to a wonderful start, Skyping with my parents and opening gifts that they had so sneakily left behind on their last visit.  {Thank you so much!!!}
Then it was off to the Dove, one of my favorite restaurants on the island, for dinner.  Look at my dapper date!  He pulled out the bowtie for occasion. 
While we ordered the lobster and manchego wontons for our appetizer, the chef sent out these mini pulled pork sliders first.  These dime-sized delights, topped with tangy slaw and sauteed red onion, were the perfect start to an incredible meal.
  
The lobster wontons were yummy, as were our entrees.  Michael had the prawns served in a vanilla bean butter, accompanied by a sesame risotto.


Here's me, the birthday girl!

After a sinful birthday dessert, we headed to the pub, where Charles and Joanna had a bottle of champagne on ice just waiting to be popped.  It was so special! Charles made sure that each and every person in the bar knew that it was not only my birthday, but my 31st birthday.  Ha!

The chef appeared with a chocolate cake later in the evening and everyone sang "Happy Birthday!"  I was understandably a bit embarrassed by the whole thing, but extremely appreciative.  This type of embarrassment is the best kind! 


We had such a wonderful night!  Thanks to Michael for orchestrating it all, the wonderful staff at the Dove, Charles & Joanna, and everyone at Pusser's Road Town! 

Being 2,000+ miles away from home isn't easy on days like this, but thanks to technology and Facebook, I felt the love from friends and family "back in the states."

And just when you think the party's over, Michael is taking me to Peter Island tomorrow for a day at the spa!  Cannot wait! 

Thanks to Liz and Jeff for making it down for a weekend of fun in the sun!  We enjoyed your trip immensely and hope you make it back very soon. 

We've changed up some of the questions in this latest exit survey.  Hope you enjoy! 

Of the five Pusser's locations, which ones did you make it to on your visit? (Road Town Pub, Pusser's East, Pusser's at Soper's Hole, Marina Cay and Leverick Bay)

Answer(s):
Road Town Pub, Marina Cay and Pusser's East (in that order!)
Favorite dining experience on the island?
Answer(s):
Jeff: The Last Resort (other than the "J" is for gay comment, but now that I'm typing this I realize the word gay starts with "G" - take that, Geoff!)
Liz: The Dove - I love the romantic, island, rustic vibe, the chandeliers (so unexpected) and the amazing food! How can you not fall in love with a place that serves grouper WITH a giant braised beef ravioli?!? YUM!
What's the most bizarre thing you saw on the trip?
Answer(s):
Jeff: a dingy with wheels
Liz: Michael Beans
                                                       {Michael Beans, Marina Cay's pirate}

Charles Tobias, the owner of Pusser's, presented you with a limited edition bottle of rum. On what occasion, did he suggest you open the bottle and toast one another?
A) The 4th of July
B) Lord Nelson's Birthday
C) The birth of your first child
D) The night the aforementioned child is conceived
E) Whoops, we already opened the bottle of Pusser's!
Answer: Thanks to the Naked Lorna drinks at the Pub on Friday night, we're not quite sure what occasion Charles suggested (other than it clearly had something to do with our offspring) but we're going with C!

This next one is for Jeff!
True or False: Driving on the left side of the road feels as weird as I thought it would.
Answer:  True! Driving on the left side of the road is not that bad, unless the car you're driving stalls going up an incline on a blind curve.

What was your favorite drink of the trip?
Answer(s):
Jeff: Soggy Dollar's Painkiller (or anything with nutmeg...wink, wink)
Liz: To my surprise, Andre's frozen margarita!

How would you best describe Michael's boating skills?
A) Expert
B) Good
C) Safe (He even encouraged use of life jackets when such activity is prohibited per BVI code annotated 49-6582)
D) Novice
E) Michael? You mean, Captain Drinky Pants???
Answer(s):
10:00 a.m. at the marina = B
12:00 p.m. arriving at Ivan's on Jost Van Dyke = C
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. returning to Nanny Cay = E


When are you coming back to visit us again?
Answer:
How does next week look for you guys?

The first of the Pi's in the BVIs!!!  {Liz and I were Alpha Delta Pi's together at the University of Florida} All the way from Marlton, New Jersey, Liz and Jeff arrived on Friday afternoon!  That's me in the reflection on the right snapping their photo!

Within minutes of their arrival, I took Liz and Jeff to the nearby Loose Mongoose at Trellis Bay for their first taste of the Caribbean, and by taste I mean for a bushwhacker...It was a great start to an incredible trip!

You've got to see what they brought for Miss Milly...an easter basket, complete with bunny ears! 
We only let them rest for an hour or so before it was time to get ready for dinner, at where else?  The Dove!  It was a beautiful night! 

Dinner as always, was amazing and we had such fun catching up with Liz and Jeff!  (We last saw each other in October for the Florida-LSU game in New Orleans.)

We stopped in for a few drinks at the pub of course, so we could introduce them to Charles and Joanna.  {More on that meeting later!}

And our last stop for the night was the chicken truck!  Michael and I hadn't been here for months, but Jeff had read about it on the blog and just HAD to go! 
I think it lived up to the hype...

My sister, Whitney arrived for a long weekend on Day 89.  It was soooooooooo great to see her and have her here again.  {You may remember she was here with my parents over Christmas.}

We've learned so much about the BVI in the three months since she was here last; we're going to try and not do too many repeats from her previous trip.  So, we're starting off with a night at The Dove and {drum roll} a stop at Pusser's Road Town Pub to meet Charles!



The night took an unexpected turn when Adam suggested we head to the Bat Cave...I think these next few photos pretty much sum it up!




{A quick shout-out to my mom who sent me a new wardrobe in Whitney's suitcase!  As we've discussed in previous posts, the shopping here leaves much to be desired.  So, through out the next several posts, you will see me wearing some new dresses and accessories, all courtesy of my mom and sister!  Thanks ladies!!!}

We took Caty and Matt to The Dove on Friday night - it is one of our favorite restaurants on Tortola.  They loved it!  I didn't know this, but The Dove cures almost all of its meats.  We tried the charcuterie plate and enjoyed some delicious pate, chorizo and other cured meats.

We stopped by Pusser's Pub in Road Town after dinner and introduced Matt and Caty to Charles and Joanna!  
Charles gifted them with a bottle of Pusser's Rum and a few of the signature grog mugs.  These particular ones are specific to the painkiller. We had a really great night, but it didn't end there...We headed over to Le Cabanon next door where we met up with our friends, Jerry and Felicity.
SIDE NOTE: I had the pleasure of meeting Paloma, one of the owners of The Dove on Friday night.  She came over and introduced herself because she had received a "Google Alert" for The Dove which led her to our blog!  She was so complimentary and said she was a fan.  Paloma, the feeling is mutual!

As much as we tried to avoid it, we couldn't...the not-so-elusive Chicken Truck was serving up its hot, delicious goodness in styrofoam and we by the end of Friday night were there to partake! 

The beginning of the night was much more sophisticated, to give ourselves some credit.

Our first stop was the The Dove.  We enjoyed some really yummy braised beef croquettes and an English cheese board.  It was a lovely night, with warm temperatures, but not too warm!  We sat outside, under this mango tree actually.  (This photo was taken during our last visit.)

We then headed over to the Road Town Pub, where Charles and Joanna were gathered with friends.  We had another great time!  I had the pleasure of meeting Mort Schrader who Michael had been with during the day.  Mort is a gem.  He is the son of the legendary garment manufacturer, Abe Schrader.  Mort is a wonderful friend of Charles and Joanna.  He was a fan of Michael's red pants.  (He has some new VV ones that are pretty bright!  Sorry, I didn't get a picture!) 

Here is a photo, however, from our last stop of the evening:

Gotta love the Chicken Truck!  (And why I feel the need to capitalize it is beyond me.  It must be an excessive capitalization phase...I've been know to have them, along with the excessive exclamation point phase.  Let's just hope they don't happen at the same time!)  What Would That Be Like?!?!?!