Just off the Fantasy-A few thoughts

[Dug720]

But isn't that the case for any product in any hotel / restaurant ? For all you know, before you arrive, the toddler at the table next to you is able to lick the spoon next to your plate without his parents noticing it, and put it back before you arrive.

This! Unless you live completely in your home never venturing out and make every bit of stuff you use and/or eat from things you grow yourself, the possibility of someone doing something to any food you eat or product you use exists.

You can exist in fear (I would not call it living) or take reasonable precautions and have a little faith in people and live your life.

 

[runskyhy]

On St. Thomas we did the St. John Eco-Hike. Our guide, "Tree", don't remember his actual name, was great! Very informative but funny as well. Honeymoon Beach is absolutely beautiful. Very calm waters that day. Did some nice snorkeling (we brought our own snorkeling gear). The only negative of the hike was that it is the dry season, so most of the vegetation was brown. However, that let us see through it and we had views of the water more than we would if it had been green.

Considering this tour for later this year. I'm curious about which hiking trail is used for this excursion. Did the hike begin near the pier or was there a bus ride to the hiking trail? I see a couple trails near the pier and ones towards the center of the island... http://www.stjohnvi.net/st-john-map.html

 

[Quellman]

Considering this tour for later this year. I'm curious about which hiking trail is used for this excursion. Did the hike begin near the pier or was there a bus ride to the hiking trail? I see a couple trails near the pier and ones towards the center of the island... http://www.stjohnvi.net/st-john-map.html

We've done this tour in the past and it takes off right from the pier and the park entrance right around the corner. It isn't what I (30s male) would consider strenuous at all. It does have elevation changes and is a fair distance. If it hasn't changed, the trail is wide and well maintained. After honeymoon beach you get a little walk through the nearby resort and plantation before boarding an open air taxi back to port.

 

[TXAg83]

On the linked map it starts right by the visitor's center and customs. It's the Lind Point trail. There are places where its rocky. I wore running shoes, my girls wore Chaco's. The guide wore Chaco sandals also. Definitely not strenuous, but a little elevation change. Our tour took the same trail back to the port, not a walk through the resort and plantation and open air taxi back to the port.

 

[runskyhy]

We've done this tour in the past and it takes off right from the pier and the park entrance right around the corner. It isn't what I (30s male) would consider strenuous at all. It does have elevation changes and is a fair distance. If it hasn't changed, the trail is wide and well maintained. After honeymoon beach you get a little walk through the nearby resort and plantation before boarding an open air taxi back to port.

On the linked map it starts right by the visitor's center and customs. It's the Lind Point trail. There are places where its rocky. I wore running shoes, my girls wore Chaco's. The guide wore Chaco sandals also. Definitely not strenuous, but a little elevation change. Our tour took the same trail back to the port, not a walk through the resort and plantation and open air taxi back to the port.

Thanks @TXAg83 and @Quellman. This is all really helpful and I like that the trail begins near the dock. Sounds like it might not be a replacement for my morning run but definitely a fun way to get some recreation time in at one of the ports. Thank you again for your help!

 

[lady9]

This! Unless you live completely in your home never venturing out and make every bit of stuff you use and/or eat from things you grow yourself, the possibility of someone doing something to any food you eat or product you use exists.

You can exist in fear (I would not call it living) or take reasonable precautions and have a little faith in people and live your life.

Make friends with a person who works for a company that sells refills for soap dispensers, listen to their stories of the nastiest they find in there then I'll bet you'll change your mind. There's a big difference between someone licking a spoon and fecal bacteria mixed in with the soap. Our bodies are made to fight off many germs, e-coli really isn't one of them. I'd be interested to see what the bacteria level of those dispensers are after a few months of use. I don't live in fear. I eat in restaurants. But I do take reasonable precautions and one of them is using my own hand sanitizer when I have to use a public restroom.