Honeymoon Giveaway to St. John USVI

The Wheeler House will be giving away a free honeymoon trip to one lucky couple who books their wedding with us by the end of the summer. The owner of The Wheeler House, Lee Lusk, recently went on the exact trip that we will be giving away. After seeing and experiencing the island, it is his intention to send the happy couple on an unforgettable honeymoon to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean sea.

Lee has painted a picture of this beautiful island get-away that can potentially be yours if you book with us by September. This is merely a description of Lee's trip to the island and all that it has to offer. If you are the winner of this luxurious vacation, you will be provided with a map designed by Lee himself to feature the spots you will not want to miss, a complete itinerary (which is optional, of course), as well as flight and accommodations at the Grande Bay Resort on St. John USVI (which is directly on the water at Cruz Bay) or possibly a surrounding resort, based on dates and availability. The resort is one of the few areas with air conditioning on the island, has a gym/fitness center, and is located in downtown. The room is equipped with marble tile floors, granite counter tops, and a balcony overlooking the marina in the bay.

Grande Bay Resort, St. John USVI 

The following is Lee’s description of his exotic and extraordinary vacation to the island:

Local Restaurants and Night Life

 

“You can walk to everything you would ever want or need. We walked to restaurants and bars that were made famous by Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown. You cannot miss the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ restaurant, Woody’s, which is owned by Kenny Chesney’s friend. There are several restaurants to choose from that will not break your bank or exceed your budget. There is a line of restaurants near the resort with $8 burgers, which is pretty affordable for island food.”

“If you’re going for the more luxurious and fancy-type of food, some of the best Italian food I have ever had was at Café Roma. Another place I enjoyed was Restaurant 360 (old Zo-Zo’s location), which was a very nice restaurant with the best duck I’ve ever eaten. The duck sliders with cucumber on top were delicious.”

“On Sundays and Thursdays, Mutu’s, a bar within the same complex of the resort, has free drinks from 4pm-6pm. Also while you are there, you have to go to Castaway’s- a rooftop bar with live music and karaoke almost every night. You can never fail with Beach Bar, a bar near the resort, where the tables are in the sand, the drinks are cheap, and the music is good. Across the street from Woody’s restaurant is the famous bar, Across the Street, which also features in-expensive drink specials.

If you don’t mind walking about 5 minutes, you can walk to Mongoose Junction Shopping Center for shopping, good food, and a few bars. There is a famous sandwich place called Deli-Grotto within the shopping center that you don’t want to miss.”

Solomon Beach

The trail at Solomon Beach

The View from the Hike at Solomon Beach

 The Beaches

“On the first day we hiked to Solomon Beach, which is about a twenty-minute hike, but well worth  it. Solomon Beach is known for it’s three palm trees that have grown out in the ocean. This beach is the most remote beach on the island, therefore, when you pass Deli-Grotto on the way stop in and grab a sandwich for the hike. It is such a private beach that when we hiked to it we were the only people there. At this beach, we snorkeled around a huge rock and went to the neighboring beach where we found a hut that sold food but did not sell alcohol. Therefore, we kept walking and went to the next beach over, Caneel Bay, which is an all-inclusive resort where celebrities and politicians stay when they visit the island. The food and drink at Caneel Bay was very good, but very expensive." 

Cinnamon Bay

“There are restrooms, rentals for water sports, and lots of people. Although it was crowded, a deer walked up 6 feet from us and one person even saw a deer swimming in the ocean."

“The snorkeling was also extraordinary at this location. At Cinnamon Bay, you can swim west around some rocks to a private beach called Peter Bay, which is the location of a subdivision where there are multi-million dollar homes in which politicians and celebrities own and the beaches are private and exclusive.”

Cinnamon Bay

 "On the third day, we went to Maho Bay, which was about a $10 taxi ride from the resort. What is nice about Maho is that the beach is directly on the road, so there is no hiking involved. This particular bay is famous for its snorkeling and sea turtle habitat. Within thirty seconds of being in the water, we saw three lager-head turtles that were 3-4 feet in length. Be sure to drag your feet so you don’t step on a stingray, because they are everywhere. You also don’t want to forget your camera when you go to Maho because of the underwater scenery."

Maho Bay

"The next day we went to Hawksnest Bay. One mistake we made there was that we should not have brought our electronics along with us because next to Hawksnest Bay is Gimme Beach, which is the most gorgeous beach on the island. However, the only way to get to Gimme Beach is to go through Hawksnest and to swim around a rock. So, unless you want to leave your towel and electronics on Hawksnest- leave them at home."

Lee at Gimme Beach

"Once you’re on Gimme Beach, there is a little driveway that you can walk to catch a taxi back to the resort. There are grove trees that have branches sticking out over the water, which gives you a place to hang your belongings. There are beach chairs that you can sit in that are in the shoreline. This place is SO worth the hassle it takes to get to it, so don’t be discouraged. You MUST see it. This was my absolute favorite beach on the island."

The swing featured in the music video for Zac Brown's Toes

Trunk Bay at Sunset

                "On the final day we went to Trunk Bay, which is known for its underwater snorkeling trail. If you’re daring enough, like myself, swim out around the island and make a loop to see some exotic tropical fish and coral.  

When you get to the front of the island where the lifeguard cannot see you, you can climb the rocks and jump off into the 20-ft deep, crystal-clear water.”

“Overall, it was one of the coolest and prettiest places I have ever been. I am so excited to be giving this trip to a couple getting married at the Wheeler House. They will not be disappointed.”

~Lee Lusk, owner of The Wheeler House 

Any couple who signs a contract at the Wheeler House for their dream wedding  will be placed into a drawing to win this unbelievable trip to St. John USVI. The drawing will take place at the end of the summer. Do not miss out on this amazing opportunity! Call The Wheeler House at 770)402-1686 or email weddings@thewheelerhouse.net for more information. 

Resort Information

St. John Attractions

Visiting St. John

 

My Lynn Haven, Florida Goose Hunt

This is a blog post written by Lee Lusk, Owner of The Wheeler House. 

When we started making plans to build our barn, the first step was figuring out what type of wood and lumber to use. I thought, as memories at The Wheeler House would last forever, so too should our barn.

I wanted our barn to be different and set us apart from our competitors, but most importantly, I wanted to create a space that encompassed character. Anyone can build a ballroom or a barn without character or history, but that’s just a building. I knew I wanted to do something more, something special.

I also knew the bones of the structure and siding needed to be durable enough to last lifetimes to come, and it had to be pressure treated. So, I researched the most effective pressure treated wood. What I found – it was pilings in the ocean that hold up structures like piers, bridges and airports!

I used to work in real estate investing/developing/building in Sea Side, Florida before the market crashed. It was there that I first discovered a company in piling that pulled used poles out of the ocean. While doing my research, I instantly thought – with the new "reclaimed wood trend," these poles would be perfect for my barn.

After getting in touch with my contact in Panama City Beach, I found out that he had just pulled poles from where the new Pier Park is! Before, the pier’s pillars were wood (what I bought), but they were eventually replaced with concrete pillers. Luckily for me, they built a new international airport inland and tore down the old one in Lynn Haven. This last batch of poles sat in the Saint Andrews Bay holding up the end of the runway.

My team and a large tractor-trailer headed to pick up this last load, which cost us a pretty penny along with some blood, sweat and tears. But, it was worth it because the hot and humid Georgia weather cannot destroy the barn with these special treated pilings. Our arbor was also built from these poles – if you look closely, you can still see some of the barnacles, boat anchors, tie downs and oceanic salt stains. But, that’s character.

Every single beam and piece of barn siding was cut right here in downtown Ball Ground from a mill that is decades old – from a time when people used the timber from their land to saw and build their own barns and houses. If you look closely at our mantle and exterior siding, you can see the circular marks from the round saw. And with the interior siding, you can see the vertical marks from the band saw used at Harris Lumber in Ball Ground.

Anyone can build a barn with Home Depot lumber, but I choose the hassle (100 percent worth it), brain storming and research it took to create a truly one of a kind barn – that Lord willing will last hundreds of years… Especially with that industrial grade, high-strength concrete foundation that my over achieving dad insisted I build! Haha.   

A Word from our Owner: Lee Lusk

Wedding season is in full swing, but it doesn't stop us from continuing to make improvements on the venue. Painting, staining, hanging gutters and installing Pail Rain Chains. For those of you not familiar with these, they are metal rain chains that are a lot more fun and attractive (just for you, ladies) than gutter downspouts. You can watch the rainwater travel down the links in the chain into the copper buckets. It's all about the details and I love the details! 

Little touches like this make all the difference. When a couple looks back at their wedding pictures or when guests are swinging on our backyard swing or rocking on the porch, I want them to see the pride and love that has gone into restoring this property - it's all in the details.

I have had the rare opportunity to oversee and plan every step of the construction of the venue from the early restoration efforts of the house to building the arbor, wiring all the trees for the chandeliers and planning every square inch of the new barn.

Maybe it's my inability to sit still, maybe it's my love for improvements. Either way, take a look at some of The Wheeler House's recent updates.

The sliding barn doors have been installed and stained, and the windows are in!

The arbor got a make over for our last wedding. Jesse, my right hand man, thought it would be neat to try something new for our floating window arrangement in the arbor. Turns out, we like this whimsical look! Of course, our brides can choose the traditional window look, but what a fun new option. 

Keep an eye on The Wheeler House. It's a work in progress, getting better with age. I can't wait to show you what we have planned for you!