|
Chuck,
Kristin, and Woofer: The owners of Great Expectations
and your property managers
A
Personal Message: We
sincerely apologize for our limited availability. While we carefully
designed Great Expectations so that there was not just one
"master" bedroom as is usually the case in a private home, but
rather with four equal bedroom suites with views of both the sunrise and
sunset, we had no idea that the Villa would become as popular as it has
since we finished construction during the winter of 1999.
Other than building another "Great Expectations" (not!) or
raising our rates (we set our rates to enable us to "breakeven";
we figure being able to spend 6 months a year in the Caribbean managing
Great Expectations is plenty of "profit" for us!), all we can do
is to ask your patience in working with us to find a time when you can visit
and to ask that you please plan ahead as far as you can. Due to the
booming economy there is a lot of building on St. John (including along
the road to the Villa) so we apologize if any construction activities
(traffic, noise) disturbs your well-deserved vacation (the good news is
that construction work, such that it is, on St. John usually stops around 3
PM). Thanks and we hope
to see you on St. John! Members
of the:
St. John Accommodations Council
St. John Community Foundation
United States Tennis Association (USTA)
United States Coast Guard
Auxiliary (Air Operations)
A personal
message about security...
We have a small, single-engine plane in which we fly to the Caribbean (it
is a Lake amphibian, so our mothers do not worry too much). On
the morning of September 11, we were literally walking out of our
home in Massachusetts to go on a patrol for the Coast Guard Auxiliary for
whom we fly our plane both up north and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
We stopped and watched the morning news on TV in horror as, with
smoke billowing out of the first World Trade Center Tower, a plane crashed
into the second tower.
While we did not make it out the door that morning, a few days later we
flew to New York as part of a flotilla of Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft
transporting Coast Guard personnel to a meeting just north of the City.
Although the closest we got to Ground Zero was upper Manhattan, it was an
unforgettable experience; as you might imagine. It was a beautiful,
clear day so you could see the NYC skyline (or what is left of it) from 20
miles away as we approached the City at
6,000 feet. In an otherwise cloudless day, the entire lower part of
Manhattan was covered by a low cloud being fed by a plume of steam and
smoke still rising from the WTC site.
When we fly for the Coast Guard we wear uniforms (blue flight suits with a
US flag on the left shoulder and a United States Coast Guard patch on the
right breast). The reaction to us of people whom we encountered was
amazing. At the airport (we flew into White Plains Airport in
Westchester just north of the City), the security was intense. There
were police vehicles actually on the tarmac as well as police roadblocks
at the airport entrance stopping approaching vehicles (not once, but
twice). A lot of people looked at us in our uniforms and, not that
they would ask directly what we were doing, would say things like
"Everything all right?" or "Good for you."
At first we were embarrassed that we were simply providing transportation
of Coast Guard personnel down to NY and not really doing anything to help
in the search activities, but then we realized that these people were
simply saying 'we are all in this together so whatever brings you here is
appreciated.' We met one NYC policeman who had lost 3 of his buddies in the attack and
been working for 85 straight hours. He had just met a flight coming
in from Denver with supplies for the search and had transported them to
Ground Zero and then back to the airport. The only comic relief in
the day was when he asked if Woofer was a 'sniffer' like the dog he had in
his car and when Kristin tried to explain she only sniffed for food, he
thought Kristin meant Woofer was trained to help in searching out
agricultural products!
We often get asked now if it is safe to fly and, especially, to visit the
Virgin Islands. The answer is, obviously, a personal one which each
of us needs to decide. We have all heard the admonitions not to let
the
terrorists win and the encouragements for us all to get back
to life as usual. Easier said then done. All we can add is a
reminder that St. John is part of the United States so we have the same protections as anywhere else in the
states. That means, in particular, at the St. Thomas airport you
can expect intense security (both the pros and cons of what that means).
In the aftermath of September 11, we have had some guests who have, in
fact, changed their vacation plans to come to the U.S. Virgin Islands
rather than other destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico or even Europe.
We will do everything we can to make your visit
with us as comfortable, peaceful and secure as possible. While none
of us will ever forget the tragic events of September 11, we do hope to
see you on St. John!
Chuck, Kristin &
Woofer
Trip
insurance is highly recommended.
click
below for direct access to trip insurance:
|
