Since we have a May and June visitors thread - I think it is not too early to start a July visitors thread.

I will be there July 11 - July 25.

Staying at the Sand$$. This time my hubby will join me and I will have my 13 year old son with me too!!

Looking for a dive buddy - as no one else in my family dives!!!

July 11 - 18 for trip #5. Staying at the Black Durgon. Definitely will try to be at Gibi's for Tuesday dinner on the 13th. A shared B/T dive sounds like fun!

Gail - I will email you and we can work out when would be best for us to get together!! It would be fun!!! I can't wait!!!

Mine is trip # 2 - way behind your trip # 5!!!

I hope to make Gibi's both on the 13th and 20th for dinner!!!

Looks like you can add me for July 17-24th... looking forward to diving with you Mary !

Hello folks! This is my first post here..almost all my questions have been taken care of by looking at past posts, what a wonderful community of people here!
I will be there july 10-18 and will be staying at Buddys!My GF is a non diver so I will be looking for some buddys as well...? Would love to hook up with some of you folks for a dive or two..?
We will certainly be at Gibis on Tues as well!
Can not wait to get to the island! I wish it was for 2 weeks now!

Kathi and I have not finalized our plans for our summer trip to Bonaire, as we just finalized our airfare for December last night. We will probably be there in July as well, just have not settled when as of yet. Hope to see you all there. Mary, you can dive with us anytime.

You guy are coming down a little too late. I have 10 coming down July 3-10 and staying at Buddy. All divers but 1.

Hi all...we will be staying at Belmar from June 23 - July 10th. Hope to see you there!
Karen & Roger Huff

Herman - are you coming with a crowd from Raleigh!?!?! You know one day we really will actually meet face to face!!!

Andrew - Welcome to BT and you are correct - this is a wonderful community!!!

Thanks to all - knew you would come through form me with dive buddies - Kelly - can't wait to dive with you girlfriend!!!!

Andrew and James - I will email you and we can work something out too!!!

This is going to be fun!!!

Welcome, Andrew! I will arrive on the 17th, so hopefully we can meet up for dinner or drinks with Mary. Also, Jim and Kathi you HAVE to come when I'm there or I'll just cry !! Wahhh!

Thanks for the welcome! I was referred to this site by Herman from another diving website(thanks Herman!Drewpy atSB)Very helpful and a ton of info.
look forward to meeting and diving with some of you fine folks!
Thanks! Drew

Andrew - you will love Bonaire and I look forward to meeting you!!!
This will be my first experience diving in Bonaire - my one and only other visit to the island I snorkeled - never had so much fun snorkeling!!!!

Mary I'm so excited to hang out with you !!! We're gonna have too much fun!!

Andrew, I just love Herman. He sent me some fabulous pictures of Bonaire. Great guy.

Countdown to fun !

Kelly - same here!!! I can't wait to see you in person!!!! How many days till you arrive!?!?!
We need to start a count down!!!!

Kelly, my daughter Meg is getting married on August 1st, so I really have to plan this one. Hope to see you down there. Is my other soul sister coming from the left coast?

Hi Mary, yes I have a bunch from Raleigh, we really do need to meet one day. Maybe we can both make one of the Gypsy Summer sundays.

Welcome to my other board Drew. Don't miss Gibi's on tues. I met another SBer and BTer there in Feb.

(Blush) Don't tell my wife Kelly. Glad you liked them

Jim, no other soul sista, just little ole me. Coming all by myself.... wahhhhh.... I will miss her !!! But I will miss the donkey call too.

I understand of course that you need to be there and plan the wedding. But can't they get married on Bonaire? Call me selfish... lol

Mary, looks like 72 days for me !!! Woo Hoo !

68 days including today until I step on the Bonairian soil for me!!!!

And only 72 more days until I meet Kelly face to face!!!

One more countdown 31 more days until I meet LaDonna face to face!!!!

WOOHOO - much to look forward to!!!

Kel, don't think I didn't try to get them to get married down there. No LOL!! They are too traditional. They certainly did not get that from me. I had the whole reception planned on Jake's back deck and everything. Capriccio's catering it, Mookie doing the music, donkeys instead of flower girls. Some people just don't have a sense of romance.

Well Jim, you know I think that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Donkeys and all ! I love that idea. And Cappriccios.... oh now my mouth is watering... mmmmmm

Kelly - funny - I was thinking the same thing - why did I not think of that when I got married many many years ago!!!!LOL!!

OK, I'm just plain jealous...no fair Jim, I won't be going anywhere soon anytime unfortunately...long story short, my mom passed away in Puerto Rico after getting sick on our lay over in Puerto Rico coming back from Sint Maarten, and I spent 5 weeks there with her, so my vacation time and sick time are all gone till next year The least of my troubles at the moment...you will all promise to do a dive for me

Cynde - you can believe that Kelly and I will have a memorial Velva dive just for you and your mom!!!!

I would have loved it if you could be there too!!! What a threesome we would make!!!

James, where did we go wrong with our kids? Our youngest is getting married next summer and we tried like crazy to get her to agree to an island wedding -- we were even willing to say any island! She spent many years travelling to islands with us, including Bonaire, but sounds like your daughter as well -- way too traditional which she did not get from me! Wants to be surrounded by all the friends and be the princess for the day! We hope to leave for Bonaire the day after the wedding to recover!

I don't know Susan. We are going to go to Bonaire first in order to get ready for the wedding. Irish weddings are pretty crazy affairs, so I'll need time in Bonaire to prepare. Although I never spoke to Jake about the whole wedding on his back deck, I thought it was a great idea. LOL

Alas, Jim, you daughter wouldn't be the first to get married on our deck.

Kelly Hirsh and Linda Epstein beat her to it on New Year's Eve last year.

However, by August 1st we will be comfortably settled in our new home in Belnem (not on the water). However, it's not likely that we'll be on Bonaire at the the time - it's the kids summer vacation and we'll probably be in New Hampshire visiting their maternal grandparents. Although, depending on our house sitter at the time (presuming we're gone and they are amenable, you could probably still have the wedding at our place. The view just won't be the same as in our present (rented) house (no ocean view) :-)

Jake

Jake did you sell the other place? If so, how come you didn't tell me you were going to sell it? I loved that house!!!! I could have been King of the Small Wall!!!!

Did not own it and the owners want it back. Oh well.

If we ever buy a home on Bonaire, we would probably look in the Belnem area.

Aww c'mon Jim, here I was thinking you were gonna buy a party house on the beach. I'll even bring the Glenmorangeie.
If I were to hit the lottery, I think I'd buy the place just south of the Richters. That beach just looks too easy.
BTW, if you eat in NYC often, I have a link to send you.

Seb, how did you know my affinity for Glenmorangeie? Speaking of the lottery, the 220 million powerball lottery just hit. The winning ticket was bought at a Cumberland Farms convenience store in Washington's Crossing about 5 miles from my house. Obviously, it was not me, as I would already be in Bonaire. Also, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Smarty Jones, is also from this area. Although I'm happy for the great things happening to my neighbors, think of all the good things I could have done for the economy of Bonaire.

A McPeak over a half century, with daughters no less? How could you not be a fan of Glenmorangeie? It's in your genes, man!

Hot dogs.....sudden surprise trip came up for us...house sitting for some friends
Wally and Eva will be on Bonaire from 27 July to 8 Aug. Our longest vacation yet!! And my first ever vacation (in 10 years) away from the boat plant when it is operating. (yikes)

Very anxious to meet you both. ;)

Likewise Kelly Jo......we finally got our flights sorted out....how about yours?

Not yet, I'm going to worry about it next week. I will probably end up just paying for it and not using my awards miles, too much hassle.

Wally, I was surprised to see you were going away during your busy season. Glad you could get away and help out your pals. Watch out though! Longer vacations are not only addictive, they have a tendency to get longer. Once you pass a certain point, the question becomes not how can you go away for that long, but how can you not!

My staff is saying Go Boss Go...we can handle it.
My new motto is "what...me worry"

We just finalized this weekend. We will be on Bonaire from June 23 till July 14th. Our sidebar to Peru will have to wait until next year.

Rats...we miss each other by 2 weeks

Jim...are you on AJ on 23-June? we are! Rog & Karen

Roger that Roger. We are on that flight from MB to Bonaire. However, we will be coming from Phila on the first leg. Are you staying at Belmar again?

Roger, Karen, and Jim...waaaaaaaaa!!!!!

Jim...yes, we are staying at Belmar (where else).
Cynde...I wish you and Michael were coming too!
Rog & Karen

Rog, Kathi and I just did a great trip out to the CA wine country. I'll bring down a couple of our prize bottles. We'll have to sit on the back of Belmar's veranda and drink them and watch the world go by. By the way, we will be staying at the Dive Inn. Although it is not Belmar, it allows us to stay on Bonaire much longer. It is oceanfront, the owner is a friend of mine, and it is close to town and restaurant row. Life is good. I'll buy you a beer in Montego.

Jim, please leave one of your prize bottles for ME at Jake and Lindas. Love ya. Mean it.

Can't believe I'm missin ya, I don't arrive until the 19th... bummmmmmerrrrr....

I too wish Cynde was coming... I've been begging...

Jim and Kathi, we would be honored to share a bottle of one of your finest Napa, California wines! We will also break out our wines that we have pre-ordered from Antilian Wine Company and have a great evening on the "veranda".

Jake and Linda, If you are around and feel like a break from the hectic move, please feel free to join us.

Kelli, sorry we won't see you this time...

Countdown: 27 days! wooo - hooo!

Rog & Karen

Just thought I would let you know, you can buy California wine in SJ, but it is the most expensive wine on the island...how funny is that! Often when we went to a restaurant, and looked at the wine list, and asked for a recommended wine, they always recommended on from California! The South American wines were really cheap! LOL!

I'm sorry I will miss ALL of you No vacation time left for me and let me tell you, I could REALLY use one!

My wife and I will be at the Belmar from June 30 through July 7. She is a snorkeler, not a diver, so I will be looking for a buddy for one tank morning boat dives with Toucan, and shore dives during the rest of day. I certified in 2002 with Toucan, but have logged just a few dives since then.

Thanks, BT'ers.

Richard Bergovoy

26 Times is not enough !

I am looking forward to a great underwater saline soaking on Bonaire, which is my 26 trip there since 1966. It is a great place for a zillion reasons, especially for a marine biologist. I hope to meet some of you interesting folks between July 17 and 31.

Bud