Carolyn Antl

C. Antl's art and musings.

March 20, 2016
by Carolyn
0 comments

Breakfast and Off to Secret Harbor

Kelly captured this stunning sunrise over Charlotte Amalie early this morning from the Island View Guesthouse on Crown Mountain.

Sunrise Over Charlotte Amalie

Sunrise Over Charlotte Amalie

Shortly after, Lee and I woke up, then we all headed down to the Veranda for a beautiful breakfast. I enjoyed the fresh air and view while having breakfast, and planning our day at the table while we watched the action on the water.

A Beautiful Breakfast in St. Thomas

A Beautiful Breakfast in St. Thomas

Today a large, brand new Princess cruise ship is in port and also a freighter that is unloading racing sailboats for the St. Thomas International Regatta also known as the “Crown Jewel of the Caribbean” which begins next week.

Breakfast With a View at Island View Guesthouse

Breakfast With a View at Island View Guesthouse

At breakfast we decided to go to Secret Harbor on the southeast end of the island for the day. First, we made a short stop at Kmart to pick up some snacks and rafts, then off to Secret Harbor through hills, valleys, twists and turns.

Secret Harbor beach is a smaller beach extending from a condo community. It’s well protected and has a nice restaurant on the beach — there’s music and there are many people here to watch.

The beach is not long or wide, but the water here is shallow and calm, and today, since there was a wedding on the beach, we listened to a live steel drum performance with our toes in the sand.

Secret Harbor, St. Thomas

Floating in Secret Harbor, St. Thomas

It was fun floating on the raft with Kelly and chatting about this and that. The water was so clear that we were able to see some fish while floating and we met a couple from the cruise ship we saw from the Island View Guesthouse this morning. They were on their 37th cruise — wow!

We left the beach at about 4:00 PM — it was so clear and the sun so hot, that I got a little crisp even though I was slathering SPF 50 sunscreen on all throughout the afternoon.

Back at the guesthouse, it felt really good to shower and remove the slimy buildup of sunscreen, and now after a rest, we are about to go to dinner. It’s mystery dinner night since many restaurants are not open on Sunday nights.

March 19, 2016
by Carolyn
0 comments

Megan’s Bay Beach, St. Thomas USVI

On our vacation to St. Thomas, we decided to spend the day at Megan’s Bay beach.

From The Island View Guesthouse, where we were staying, we woke up and left in the morning to drive north on Route 33. This is a beautiful scenic road trip on St. Thomas. The tropical views of the water and jungle are amazing as you climb up and over the mountain. It’s lush and colorful with flowers, deep green tropical plants, colorful houses and the brilliance of the sea.

Megan's Bay, St. Thomas

Overlooking Megan’s Bay

There is an overlook on the way worth stopping at to take in the view of Megan’s Bay and surrounding islands. It’s a great backdrop for a tropical photograph and we were fortunate to see two wild parrots land on the trees near us. What a nice surprise!

Walking on Megan's Bay Beach

Walking on Megan’s Bay Beach

Megan’s Bay beach is pristine and it’s long making it a great walking spot. The sand here is fine and smooth plus, it’s relatively level. One way is about .6 miles long and there is a cafe and shop on the beach. We had lunch here where burgers, sandwiches and salads were served. There’s also a convenient bath house.

After a walk and some rest in the sun it’s refreshing to take a dip in the water and enjoy the beauty of nature. We saw little white and black fish that liked to swim around and tickle our legs. Out further we could see sea turtles coming up for air and pelicans diving for fish. One time we even saw dolphins here!

Cooling Off in Megan's Bay

Cooling Off in Megan’s Bay

The water at this beach is calm, clear and shallow. One can walk far out into the sea and the water is below the waist. This a very good beach for families with small children.

After a relaxing day here we stopped at the Udder Delight ice-cream stand for a treat and then headed back to the guesthouse.

A Treat at Udder Delights Ice Cream Stand

A Treat at Udder Delight’s Ice Cream Stand

At the guesthouse,we went to visit the pool. It’s clean, refreshing, and located right on the mountainside with a great view of Elephant Bay, Water Island and beyond. There are even banana trees growing right beside it that make a peaceful rustle in the wind. I like to listen to the birds and watch the scene on the water from the pool. There’s always something interesting to watch and I like to study the tropical gardens, relax and read.

Island View Guesthouse Pool, St. Thomas, USVI

Island View Guesthouse Pool and View

January 26, 2016
by Carolyn
0 comments

Winter Designs 2016

This month I worked some designs for a social club’s spring break trip.

Items that the trip leaders wanted to convey included:

  • The destination of the trip at Park City, Utah
  • The type of activities offered on the trip
  • A few Park City facts
  • A fun, sporty look and feel

The designs will be printed in one color of the club’s choice. Here they are in black and white.

winter_design_a

In the first design, I based the theme on the outdoors and a few facts on the terrain of Park City.

winter_designs_b

For the second design, I created a stamp-like design that’s bold and easy to read. It quickly tells us what the trip is about, skiing and snowboarding, and it will look good on any type of promotional material.

The designs will be printed soon on T-shirts and coolie cups, which will then be given to participants on the trip as mementos.

It was fun working on these designs for the club and it brought back memories of a Park City ski trip I went on years ago.  I had a great time there and I hope they do, too!