The Lee Family: Spring Break 2018, Day 6

On our last full day at FBV, we made a plan to go with Chip, Lisa, and Charley in the kayaks down the creek to Honeymoon Bay to explore. It's been great getting to know Chip and Lisa, not only because they are easy to be around and fun people, but also because they know the island well from their past trips. So, they suggested the kayak trip to us the night before and we jumped at the chance. Earlier we considered renting a car and driving up to the top of the island to go for a short hike and visit a really great Italian restaurant that Chip and Lisa suggested. However, the girls really wanted to swim, kayak and relax rather than sit in a car for most of the day. We could totally understand and felt the same way, so we told the girls that we would rent a car on our next visit to FBV.

Since we needed to use both double kayaks, Chip took Charley on the single kayak and Lisa was in the other single kayak. Olivia went with CK and Sofia was with me in the kayak. We met up after breakfast and got situated in our kayaks and headed out. Of course, Chip is at a great advantage since he actually is a kayak instructor and takes groups of kayakers on lengthy expeditions. We had no trouble getting into the creek since it wasn't low tide and there was not a strong current yet. Once we were in the creek, past the mouth, Sofia and Olivia wanted to "swim" although it wasn't really deep enough for them to swim. We let them splash around for a bit and then they got back into the respective kayaks and we continued on our way. As we went we saw several small sea turtles, lots of baby lemon sharks and tons of fish. It was so cool! Plus, it's just a very peaceful place to be and so quiet and relaxing. The weather was perfect to be out on a kayak trip. The girls loved it and it was a really easy to kayak and enjoy the scenery.

Soon we arrived at Honeymoon Bay and it was surprising how close it is to FBV. It took us maybe 25 or 30 minutes to arrive from the mouth of the creek to Honeymoon Bay. It was so pristine and peaceful since there was no one else in sight. The beaches at Honeymoon Bay are incredible and it was so cool to be there all by ourselves. Sofia and Charley immediately set off to explore with their masks and snorkels and Olivia walked around looking for shells on the beach. Lisa walked down the beach while Chip, CK and I enjoyed granola bars that Chip brought on the trip. I took pictures of the kids digging in the sand and playing in the water together. They ended up finding a bunch of different shells and had a "shell pile" with all the treasures stacked up together. CK and I decided to walk down one side of the bay and cross over to the other side. As we walked through the water, we found a huge area that was covered with Sea Biscuit Sand Dollars! They were everywhere! We picked up a few of the better looking sand dollars that we planned to take back with us. It was so cool to be in an area that is so untouched by people.

The kids played in the water a little longer and then we loaded up in the kayaks and headed back so we could get some lunch. As we headed out of the bay toward FVB, we struggled in the shallow water of the creek since the tide had gone down. CK had to get out of the kayak and pull Olivia along since it was so shallow. At one point, Sofia got out of the kayak and pulled me along. It was great! Soon it became too hard for her to do alone, so I had to get out and help out too. I only have flip-flops so I had to leave them in the kayak. I had to walk through the squashy sandy bottom which was a little gross feeling. Finally we found an area where it was a little deeper, so we were able to get back into the kayak and continue toward the entrance of the creek. It was actually really hard to kayak through the mouth of the creek and back into open water. Sofia and I got into a groove of paddling and we actually made good headway when she would paddle. However, she would get tired quickly! So, it was a lot of work but we finally made it into the bay water. I was completely exhausted and ready to stop! We were obviously fighting against the current.

We finally made it to FBV and put the kayaks up in their place! We headed to the main clubhouse and had lunch together. I had a cheeseburger, which tasted awesome after our kayak experience. After a fun relaxing lunch, we headed over to our lounge chairs and I hung out and read while the girls continued to swim and play in the sand with Charley.

For dinner, our last dinner at FBV, we sat with Chip, Lisa and Charley and enjoyed one final meal together. They are such fun people and it's been great getting to know them. We've talked about trying to coordinate our next visit to FBV. It was the most beautiful sunset of our visit, which seemed perfect. Charley and the girls ran around after lunch looking for lizards and crabs. Of course, Sofia named each of them. Finally, it was time to say good night and go to bed. The girls were a little blue saying goodbye to Charley and we hope to see this sweet family again. They planned an early morning ecotour, so we wouldn't be seeing them in the morning. It's been such a great visit to FBV and the girls had a great time, while CK and I loved just relaxing! Can't wait for our next visit!

Honeymoon Bay