After a tough Fall, we sought refuge in Aruba over Christmas. It was a good trip and the first time we returned to international travel as a couple. Imagine my surprise when Jeff agreed to a second sun/sand vacation just three months later (you can blame/thank my job for that fact). We debated whether we should return to Aruba or another Caribbean Island that also had a direct flight. Ultimately, the lush green, tropical rainforest of St. Lucia won the round.

We found a smaller boutique hotel (Villa Beach Cottages – https://www.villabeachcottages.com/)  and decided against a car rental since the driving is on the other side of some tiny, steep, hairpin turn roads. There are options for a helicopter or water taxi from the airport, but the expense and coordination of timing flights seemed like one complication too many so we opted for the standard taxi. Fortunately, it was easy to hire a fixed-rate driver at the airport and Lex gave us a nice history of the Island as we made our way from the Atlantic side over and up the Island, through Capital and up to our little home away from home. We quickly assessed that our decision not to drive was a good one. We were welcomed to Villa Beach Cottages by the staff who greeted us with warm smiles. A quick tour revealed exactly what we expected from the website a quaint little oasis right on the beach.

We wondered if being adjacent to a Sandals would prove problematic but that was not ever an issue. We seem to have established a new pattern on our trips, which is to have the best sunset as we arrive and before we break out the dress.

The one drawback to the location of VBC is the inability to walk to go to a restaurant or store other than the Mega Massy (Local bulk supermarket) because we love to walk places. That said, their system of employing taxis was safe, reliable and fairly priced. Colin the manager, gave Jeff and I a warm welcome on Sunday and delighted us with some history of not only St. Lucia but also of Villa Beach Cottages and some of the storied guests who have stayed here. During our stay we enjoyed the company of the staff, the wonderful guests we were fortunate to overlap with and of course, Patches the one-eyed cat!

We planned two days of tours and the rest, time to enjoy the immediate surroundings of Choc.  The accommodations were thoughtful and comfortable. The extras like the ocean water kayaks were a nice perk as well. We took it for a spin out to Rat Island (no more rats but lots of cool whiptails roam free). For photo shoots, we attempted to work with sunset, which did not require any extreme effort, but we were foiled by ‘other’ elements. We hoped to get as glorious of a view as our first night. Little did we know that we would get a complete solar eclipse, weeks before the April 8^th extravaganza back home. This eclipse was manmade, however. Just as the sun was setting for a kayak based wedding dress shot, a giant cruise ship blocked the sun. Sometimes, the photos do end up more humorous than majestic. This was one of those cases.

After three days of sinking into Island life we were ready to get out and explore with a full-day tour into Soufriere. Our driver arrived on time and immediately we got a wonderful vibe from Vaughn as we planned the route and stops along the way. Our conversation was lively, engaged and natural. Our first stop had the potential to be extremely fun but also potentially dangerous for the dress. An island with a volcano, some activities celebrate that resource. Having a soak in a heated sulfur bath sounds delightful but I was a little hesitant about being painted with mud.

We worked quickly to stay ahead of the incoming tour buses full of cruise ship passengers. The day only got better from there with a stop at a less crowded swimming hole and then a rewarding hike with a view of the Pitons. We topped off the tour with a Lunch stop at L’Adera. It was a gourmet lunch and a glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous for those who can afford to stay there. Meanwhile, the rest of us tried to catch our own dinner. Since we were taking things easy on this trip there is much we would like to do when we return to St. Lucia. One thing is for sure, no future trip to this fair island will be complete without a stop to see Colin and Vaughn!