ejcrowe

Hi, y'all! Some of you have very generously given me input on places to stay in the USVI. Gallows Point just now offered 30% off their rack rates for stays in Sept and Oct, so we jumped on it for our 4 nights in October, travel with our granddaughter. So now that our accommodations are decided,I'm looking for the little details that can really make a vacation. I'm also very interested in any daytrips that are $100/person OR LESS. Looks like daytrips to the BVI might be possible now, since we anticipate that our granddaughter's passport will arrive in time for our travel. (Maybe a place that stops at Jost?)

Also would love recommendations for one high-end restaurant as well as lots of feet-in-the-sand kind of beach bars and other casual places. Our granddaughter, despite her 14 years, is still a somewhat picky eater, so places that offer a kids menu, even if we have to pay full price for her, would be welcome.

We're only there for 4 nights, and I know that my granddaughter wants to try snorkeling for the first time, so I imagine that most days we'll just want to lime at the beach and sample St. John's snorkeling. I know I put this out there before, but if there are places you know of that are shaded in the morning or afternoon, I'd love to start making a list.

Thanks in advance, y'all. I was never really interested in the USVI before, but now that this trip is just over a month away, I'm getting super-excited!

xkenx

Feet-in-the sand beach bars. Visit the Soggy Dollar on White's Bay, Jost Van Dyke.

virginia

high end very expensive meals at the ritz.
excellent food without the high high price at blue moon cafe (perfect beachside setting) located at secret harbour.
http://www.bluemooncafevi.com/blue_moon_menu/index.html
imho havana blue at the marriott is the best on island. gorgeous restaurant, great food. try to reserve at table at sunset.
click the dinner menu from this page
http://havanabluerestaurant.com/taste/
if you like italian try romano's on the road into coral world/coki beach
http://www.romanosrestaurant.com/menu.html
secret harbour has a fun beach bar too.
snorkeling at secret harbour is very very good.

if you can get a reservation on this trip i know you'll love it & it includes a stop at soggy dollar on jvd & the baths on virgin gorda. (i see that they've added a st.john snorkel trip which might be an excellent way to experience st.j since you've not been before) this is a fast boat & tons of fun!
http://newhorizonscharters.com/

i think your granddaughter would enjoy coral world
http://coralworldvi.com/

brenandg

Good for you for getting the cheaper rate! My favorite place to eat on the island is Rhumblines, sort of Thai meets island theme. There is a kids menu too. If you do end up there and they ask if you want it spicy, beware that they mean it! Here is a link. Nice outdoor seating area.

http://www.rhumblinesstjohn.com/home.html

My next favorite higher end place is La Plancha Del Mar. They have "Dinner and a Movie" nights on Saturday with a 4 course menu for $40. Zo-Zo's right at Gallow's Point is good but a heavier fare. Others that I have not tried but you may want to look into, Fatty Crab,new place from the chain from New York, Waterfront Bistro and Asolare. The places without a view are Fatty Crab, Rhumblines, and La Plancha Del Mar. Forgot to mention La Tapa is always good, no view and menu varies from day to day.

There are not really toes in the sand places abundant on STJ to eat. For that matter, there really aren't any beach bars except "The Beach Bar" which is right down the hill from GP. Standard pub fare. Not great but good. Plenty of casual little places to stop in Cruz Bay though.

Sorry to say, but I don't think you are going to find any day trips $100 or less. I was looking around a bit recently because we have a larger group than Palm Tree Charters can hold. But, you never know, you may find something. Have a look at Born to Rhumb. The exact price escapes me now, but keep in mind, with some companies, BVI customs fees are included, some are not. You will also probably have to pay for your own lunch. You might just be better off taking the ferry to Jost Van Dyke and hanging out on White Bay for the day. We have gone that route several times. Much cheaper. You end up with about 5 hours there. You could also ferry to Virgin Gorda if your grandaughter wants to see Tha Bath's.

virginia

ej - oops, my bad. all my recommendations are for st. thomas...

ishkribbl

ejcrowe- glad you got a deal! I think GP looks very nice but it was a little pricy for me when I was planning an upcoming trip (now put off in favor of another one). I did do alot of research for that future trip and bookmarked- maybe someone who has been can comment- one I marked was Kekoa for a sail trip- they have a 1/2 day snorkel around SJ for $80 pp, a sunset sail/snorkel around SJ for $80 pp and a day trip to Jost for $125 which is what I found also when talked to Daydreamer. Maybe some forum members know of ideas- hope you find something fun!
http://blacksailsvi.com for Kekoa

ejcrowe

y'all are officially awesome! (you, too, virginia 'cause you never know when you'll need to stay STT!)

Too bad that the day trip prices are so high relative to other islands i've visited. I'll look around at the places you suggested and see what I can figure out.

brenandg

Here is a recent post about day sails to Jost, not powerboat. I have not looked into the prices myself, but this might give you more to research.

http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/fo...a4e4a50baffadc

You could also look into Bad Kitty, Stormy Petrel/ Pirates Penny, New Horizons II, or Breakaway (their sister boat). Woody's Seafood Saloon now has a boat trip too, but I can't remember the name, you can go to their website. I have a friend who books boat trips and other things. She might be able to find something for you. I have to good look up her contact information. She would be very helpful to find you something in your price range. I'll will post again after I look it up.

brenandg

emily, it is [email protected] Her name is Dianne. She would be more than happy to help you find something that might be acceptable for you as a day trip. I just wrote to her and she gave me her info. Hope you find something, there is not many things better than a day on the water in the Caribbean . Good luck!

hawksbill

I hadn't realized that Fatty Crab had opened a branch in St. John. I knew I'd learn something if I came over here and looked around. From the photo on this blog, it looks like it opened in the building formerly occupied by Tage, and that they've spruced up the facade considerably.: http://www.on-stjohn.com/2011/02/08/...ens-this-week/ Other than Starfish Market, I'm not aware of any other business that started outside of the VI, and opened a branch on STJ. I'm a little surprised, because Fatty Crab supposedly opened in February, and I was there in March, and I don't remember noticing it.

Obviously I haven't been to Fatty Crab, but, particularly since Paul Trujillo left Ten Tables and then Paradiso, I think consistently the best "high-end" food that I've found on the island has been at Zozo's. As has been mentioned, Zozo's is right there at Gallows Point. http://www.zozos.net/

I've never been to La Plancha del Mar, but people do seem to like it. I would add that it has moved from its previous location in a hidden corner of Marketplace to the old Paradiso Space on the second floor of Mongoose Junction, and that should be a much nicer spot.

Waterfront Bistro is in a nice location, but the food is just okay, and not worth the price. I've been to Asolare a few times - the food has been quite good, and their outdoor deck has a gorgeous view of Cruz Bay. You might have to reserve a little bit in advance to make sure that you're not seated inside. Somehow I rarely find myself going to Asolare, and I'm not completely sure why. I think it's because the staff as sort of a serious, "fancy restaurant" attitude that helps make the place seem like a romantic special occasion restaurant, but strikes me as kind of island-inappropriate. Also it's sometimes hard to figure out how to park there.

I do like Rhumb Lines too, although I wouldn't really characterize the food as "high-end." It is indeed sort of flavorful Asian/Caribbean, simplistic but satisfying, in a happy, informal atmosphere. It's a good cuisine to pair with rum drinks.

hawksbill

A quick addendum: I just asked a local about Fatty Crab, and his review was quite negative.

liblady

We liked Rhumb Lines, too. We also stayed at Gallows Point- huge huge showers. We rented a Jeep from the place around the corner from Gallows Point, you have to pass it to get down the hill. We drove up past Caneel Bay to Cinnamon Bay which was fabulous snorkeling right from the beach- we did that alot and never got tired of it! Side trip to Coral Bay was fun too. Gallows has full kitchens, and we found a market to pick up a few things so we could do breakfast and lunch in the condo, and sit there and enjoy the views.Keep in mind that Sept & Oct are still right in the middle of hurricane season and some restaurants might be closed. Have a great trip! fyi: gallows point parking is, um, dicey. We were there in May but maybe in the fall there will be more room. They will meet you at the ferry if you request it.

liblady

Almost forgot- take the ferry right from Charlotte Amalie. For some reason, Gallows tells guests to take the ferry from Red Hook which is totally at the other end of St. Thomas from where the airport is and the roads are all one lane...

hawksbill

I prefer the ferry from Red Hook. But there's lots of discussion on other threads about which ferry to take. It's kind of a question of whether you want a longer taxi ride and a shorter ferry trip, or a shorter taxi ride and longer ferry trip. The ferries from Red Hook do run more frequently. It's not true that the roads on St. Thomas are all one lane.

That's a good point about some restaurants being closed. Here's a site that tells you which restaurants will be closed for the season: http://www.stjohnspice.com/stjohnrestaurants.htm

I've posted a lot of suggestions about where to snorkel, as have some other people, including a lot of good ideas from brenandg. Most people end up spending their time on the North Shore beaches, and there's most often a Northeast swell, which means that you need to go to Maho Bay or Francis Bay for the calmest and most optimal snorkeling conditions. I definitely recommend Maho for novice snorkelers, because it's so calm, and the sandy floor slopes out very gradually, which gives one a great chance to stand around getting used to the mask, etc. That's where I end up going most often even now, just because it's almost always quite calm, and there are decent fish (and turtles and stingrays) to see. Maho is also a lot less commotion - no parking lots, gift shops, changing rooms, bathrooms, campground, etc. Just park next to the beach, and get out of the car. And no fee either. However, there are no facilities at Maho. At Cinnamon there are lots of facilities, including a little kiosk where you can rent snorkel gear. I've never dealt with them though, and it's possible that you'd find better prices or selection at a place like Cruz Bay Watersports, which has several branches, the largest of which seems to be in the Westin.

brenandg

hawksbill, I haven't seen the renovation yet but there are some pretty big changes at Maho! There are new BBQ grills, a new parking area (not sure how big), toilets, and the old blue/green building has been renovated and has a deck and is now beige with burgandy trim. Yep, I'm serious! If I can find the link later on, I will post it.

I agree, Rhumblines isn't truly high end, but it is one of the pricier places we eat since we try like heck to eat on the cheap. Tough to do on STJ.

I also prefer the Red Hook ferry on the way in.

brenandg

http://www.on-stjohn.com/2011/09/07/...maho/#comments

hawksbill

Wow! Brenandg, thanks for posting that link. It's hard to imagine what Maho must look like now. I saw some construction going on last time I was there, but I wasn't sure what they were doing. The renovation of the little building looks quite nice, but I can't say I'm pleased about the idea of having an off-street parking lot and encouraging big events at Maho.

I think the woods across the road from Maho Bay are an inholding, and not part of the National Park, and I keep hearing rumors that someone has bought the property and is going to build a huge residential complex there. It would be a terrible, terrible shame if that were to happen, but I guess it's inevitable. Sadly, St. John is being slowly ruined just like other Caribbean islands, just at a slower pace.

ejcrowe

Passport arrived this morning! I'm so glad, as this opens up the chance to visit the BVI one day. And last minute ideas or suggestions for us? We head out for the airport motel one week from tonight...

Thanks again for all of the helpful input here. Y'all are the best!

ishkribbl

Bon voyage!! Have a wonderful time. I look forward to your trip report! Lately, I look at the Soggy Dollar webcam and the St. John Spice webcam every morning before I go to work- let out a deep sigh with my coffee and know why I am going to work that day- vacation, vacation, vacation- Hope it is great! Ish

ejcrowe

One last question...anybody know if Gallows Point provides any toiletries, like shampoo or conditioner? I've sent them an email with a few questions and they answered all of them except that one. We'd prefer not to check any bags so that we can try to fly standby on an earlier flight from Miami to STT.

Thanks!