Here are some brief observations from our 8 night land based vacation to Sandcastle, JVD.

Traveling - Smooth except for an hour delay at SJU returning home. We used Cape Air for the first time for SJU-EIS and are converts! Friendly personnel (both at HQ and en route), efficient service, on time ..... can't say enough good things. C&I at SJU in mid afternoon was a ghost town. No lines at all for Immigration, baggage, customs, security. Our taxi ($45 Beef to West End) driver, Loralee, was on time, KC's ferry (now $25 rt) also prompt.

Weather - Our arrival brought an end to two weeks of unsettled weather. We had sunny, humid free days and comfortable nights.

Sandcastle - Looks great. Sandy has done a beautiful job on the landscaping. Lots of rain had everything lush for our arrival. Our cottage (#3) was spiffy and comfortable. All the staff was welcoming and it was great to catch up on all JVD news. This was our 5th visit since 1999.

White Bay - Still a busy place, but seems a bit less so than our last visit in May 2007. Roger and Tina said that business has been good, but the day time traffic appeared somewhat slower (good for guests). Depending on the day, 12-20 boats overnighted in the bay. Most down near Ivan's. Some for a few nights.

People - Saw Bruce (former owner) on our ferry ride over to JVD and one morning. He was on island working with the Preservation project. He is an entertaining guy and a great audience as well. We also met Jerry (present owner) for the first time. Mic and Raquel (ask to sample the 'NOT H2O') kept us refreshed with drinks and their personalities.The big name to toss out is Richard Branson. He was on the beach on Saturday sponsoring a poker run for his employees. Also a former 'Survivor' cast member (and Playboy model!) was there a few times as it appears she works on a tour boat out of St. John.

Food - Our plan included 5 dinners at Sandcastle. They were all good, but seemed a bit more 'subdued' in their cuisine than we remembered. Less island flair and more 'meat & potatoes'. We also ate at Corsairs (so that we could watch the Celtics playoff game). Ivan's BBQ was still running. Food was good, but the crowd was quiet and broke up early. I was surprised to see that the honor system at the bar was suspended during the BBQ. Our other meal was at One Love for the Wednesday night feast. The food was all very good (no famous fish soup). My wife had mahi with a very spicey sauce and I had the (1/2) lobster. My only gripe is that the price is about $20-$25 high for a couple ($137 total!). Lunches were at Soggy Dollar, Gertrudes (chicken roti), and One Love (lobster quesadilla).

Activities - Hah! not many. A morning jog on the beach for guilt reduction. A hike up the ridge to about 600 ft. elevation. We found a geocache. After a few days, we were too lazy to even snorkel or kayak.

Summary - Another great visit to JVD. The chance to be barefoot all week, sip beer all day, watch the comings and goings (especially) on White Bay, the people (familiar faces and new friends), and the whole Caribbean vibe is priceless. We hope to get back in October 2010. Our schedule of every 2 years needs to evolve into annual visits.