Snapshots from St. Thomas

Nov. 22, 2005

St. Thomas, V.I. - The day began before sunset at College Park as the team was packed and ready to go to the airport at 4:30 a.m. A short flight to Philadelphia to catch a direct flight to St. Thomas was next. Lucky for us, the flight from Philly was not full, so many of the players, staff and their families were able to stretch out, get comfortable and catch up on some sleep or watch the in-flight movie.

While the plane is landing, you can see out through the plane's windows the different islands, what an incredible view! Then, finally, we land! It's much warmer in St. Thomas than in College Park. We were burning up in the warm-ups we were all wearing.

After the bags are collected, we board two bus trams and head to the Frenchman's Reef Resort. On the way to the hotel, we drive through downtown which is along the coastline. Four cruise ships are "parked" in the bay.

When we arrive at the hotel, we learn from our hosts at the Paradise Jam that St. Thomas is not more than 13 miles long and four miles wide. The view is spectacular. You can see the bay with the cruise ships straight ahead and the ocean on the left.

Despite the early-morning start, after check-in and a quick lunch, many of the players headed to the pool and played a few games of "street" volleyball... and what a competitive game it was!

When the sun went down, the team headed back to their rooms to change for dinner... an early Thanksgiving meal since we will be playing Gonzaga on Thursday. They served the works... turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing and salad. However, the talk of the room was the dessert table! It was a great thanksgiving meal, with the team, coaches, staff, their families and our loyal supporters from the Rebounders.

That sums up our first day. Tomorrow, it's back to business in the morning with an early practice. Then we head out onto the water on a catamaran.

Check out the photos from day one! And stay tuned for tomorrow!
- Maryland women's basketball