I can’t believe it’s already been over a month since our family escaped on a little Spring getaway to the beautiful island of St.Thomas. With the exceptionally cool weather we had been having, we all just wanted a little bit of heat to warm us up and be able to spend some quality time together as a family. We had visited the U.S. Virgin Islands on numerous occasions in the past on cruise’s, but this would be our first time actually staying in St.Thomas for any length of time. When we arrived on the island we were greeted by a friendly U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism representative who warmly welcomed us to the island and gave us a wonderful welcome package to make our stay a little more enjoyable!  It is such a beautiful island with lots to see, amazing places to eat and very easy to get around. The vacation ended up being just what we needed to relax and recharge the batteries.

Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove

We stayed at the Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove resort which was the ideal location to make our home base. We booked the resort through RedWeek (which I highly recommend) and had the most amazing two-bedroom, two-bath unit that catered to all of our needs. Travelling with kids can be tricky when you only have a hotel room, so being able to spread out, cook our breakfast’s in the fully equipped kitchen, and have a living room space to comfortably relax in made our vacation that much more enjoyable.

On our second day on the island we were picked up in a sleek black Escalade and treated to a private island tour, thanks to the U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Department. Our friendly guide took us to all of the best locations for scenic island views such as Lookout Point, Magen’s Bay Lookout, Drake’s Seat and Mountain Top (the highest point on the island). With gorgeous aerial views for as far as the eye can see, it’s hard to find anything short of perfection in this tropical paradise.

Hat: c/o Sole Society

Beach Essentials: Consonant Sunscreen and Benefit Dew The Hoola Bronzer

Banana flower

Magens Bay

Since we rented a car we took a day to visit and enjoy beautiful Magens Bay. This idyllic beach is classified as one of the most beautiful in the world and it certainly lives up to it’s reputation. With miles of white sand beach and calm blue water, we spend a relaxing day building sand castles and playing in the ocean.

Some goodies from our welcome package thanks to U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism.

Enjoying cool treats at the Virgin Islands Ice Cream Company

The charming town of Charlotte Amalie is a bustling haven of shops, restaurants and a quaint waterfront scene. We spent a few enjoyable afternoons browsing the stores, enjoying danish-style ice-cream, and discovering historic buildings and colourful architecture.

We dined at some outstanding restaurants that are sure to be on my list the next time we go back to the island. While it was difficult to enjoy every last bite with a teething baby and a toddler that just couldn’t sit still, we tried our best to enjoy our meals the best we could, but definitely have plans to return one day (sans children). Our top picks for restaurants was Oceana and Old Stone Farmhouse. With our table literally steps from the ocean at Oceana, the private open air space was the perfect location to sip on your drink and bask in island life while eating a delicious meal. Even though this was not how our evening went (in any way), we pictured that’s how it would be….lol

And then Old Stone Farmhouse was the perfect blend of historic charm and outstanding cuisine. Set in an “old farmhouse”, the open windows, local Caribbean ingredients fused with French cuisine made this fine dining experience the ultimate restaurant to check out when in St.Thomas.

Gemma at the Old Stone Farmhouse (before the screaming)