It’s winter, it’s cold and a snow storm is about to run up the east coast and slam right into Boston. I can’t think of a better time to get on a plane and fly down to the Caribbean and spend the next six days shooting on the beautiful island of St. Lucia in the West Indies. This is one of those assignments that you really don’t want to tell too many of your friends about because while they are shoveling snow, I will be trying not to get a sunburn. Nobody really feels bad for me, in fact, many people believe that I don’t even have a real job. The truth is, of all the traveling I have done over the years, I am still very thankful that I get these opportunities.
St Lucia is not your typical Caribbean island that only prides themselves for their beautiful beaches and foo foo drinks available at a wave of a finger. It does have all of that to offer plus so much more.
We flew into the southern end of the island, grabbed the gear and luggage and then took a three hour ride up through the mountains for our two night stay at the Cap Maison Resort.
This was a very long travel day so being dropped off in such an amazing place was by far a great way to start off this shoot. We were obviously not the only people to feel that way because last year, ABC decided to shoot scenes from The Bachelor at this very location.
One other location that both Chronicle and The Bachelor featured was called Jade Mountain Resort which, for those who follow this show, is where the final rose ceremony took place and again, very beautiful.
We had a great time up in the northern end of the island including a surprise visit from a small lizard that got into my room. This was a scene right out of a movie. Anthony and I were on the floor trying to catch this little guy as he was running all over the place. In the end, my hat goes off to Anthony because he was the one who finally caught him.
After a short boat ride back to the south, we found ourselves in a completely different landscape. The foliage was lush green and the weather pattern had changed. We were now in a rain forest. Plants, flowers and wildlife that can only exist in this small part of the Caribbean. The rain that we had to deal with while shooting there was well worth it because obviously without the rain, none of this would have been created.
I have to say, out of all the incredible places I experienced during this six-day visit to St. Lucia, the most unique location was my hotel room at the Ladera. I can tell you the term ” a room with a view” will never be the same again. 
Looking straight out with nothing between me and the open air, I am literally one thousand feet above the Caribbean Sea nestled in the side of a mountain. In front of me are the volcanic Piton mountains, which are the icons of St. Lucia. The fact that there is no fourth wall means that guests are sharing the same space with whatever wants to fly, hop, or crawl in. I do have to admit, it did take me a little time to not flinch whenever a bat flew by my head while sitting on the couch. Waking up in the morning and seeing a bird looking at me while sitting on my suitcase next to my bed was all part of the experience.
This was a great trip and I had the opportunity to share it with a talented crew that appreciated everything we experienced. Being on the road together working long days with many times in extreme conditions, everyone needs to get along and work as a team. If you don’t have that, it becomes a very long week. I can honestly say, this week to me went by in a heartbeat.
The Crew
