You know it's going to be a good day when you look out the window and see THIS, the turquoise-blue waters of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas! Our second port day would be spent in the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The first item on the agenda was jewelry shopping, and since we figured the kids would have ZERO interest the duty-free outing, they stayed on-board and participated in the Adventure Ocean morning program.
The four of us made our way off the ship in record time and headed for the taxis that were eager to shuttle us to the downtown shopping district where we would hopefully part ways with wads of money. Unlike Mike & Amy who were in pursuit of a necklace, Anh and I had a "wait and see" strategy in place. We weren't after anything specific, but should some sparkly object call our name, we weren't opposed to taking it home with us. Luckily for Jax's & Baylor's college savings funds, nothing spoke to us that day!
Mike, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. Amy found the "perfect" necklace after 2 stores, and Mike quickly parted ways with a fistful of dollars. Oh well, it's a small price to pay to guarantee 15 more years together.
With the mission accomplished, we made our way back to the ship for lunch and to gather the kids. While shopping was fun, the plan for the afternoon was to lounge on the sand of Megan's Bay. The temperatures were climbing fast, and we were all ready to cool off in the calm, crystal-clear water that surrounded us. The jewelry might have been giving me the silent treatment, but that water was screaming my name!
Once standing with our toes planted in the white-hot sand scanning the postcard-perfect horizon, we all unanimously agreed with the decision to include Megan's Bay in the list of the world's top beaches. WOW doesn't even come close! The setting was like something out of a movie. It was a nice place to spend the afternoon to say the least.
The color-changing sand toys that I purchased for Baylor were given a trial run. Just had to make sure that everything was in working order before the gift was presented upon returning home. Katie assured me that the starfish mold and large shovel would be a big hit.
And, Emily was able to verify that the pail does indeed hold water and makes a nice observation tank for wildlife that may need to be studied, such as the tiny conch that she discovered moments after entering the water. Don't worry! No wildlife was harmed during the outing. Back off, PETA!
Children and parents enjoyed the afternoon in the sun and sand, but all too soon it was time to gather our things and return to the ship. As much as we loved the idea of spending a few more days in St. Thomas, no one wanted to risk being left behind as the Oasis sailed out of the port. Besides, we had another beautiful (perhaps the most beautiful) stop scheduled for the following day.
As we bid farewell to St. Thomas from our balconies, we promised to one day return and continue to support the local economy with duty-free shopping sprees. I'd be willing to bet that Mike's wallet won't be the only one that feels a little lighter at the end of that day. Yes, during our second visit, maybe I won't decline the salesperson's offer to try on the $30K diamond solitaire ring...
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