ejcrowe

hi, everybody--

My husband and I have committed to a 4 night vacation in October with our 14 year old granddaughter. We've bought our tickets into STT but are still waffling on our accommodations.

We're looking for beaches that offer plenty of natural or manmade shade. All of the condos we're looking at provide chairs and a cooler, but not umbrellas and shade is a must. If you can indicate which ones have shaded mornings or afternoons, that'd be great.

My grand daughter would like to try snorkeling but she's never done it before. Which places would you recommend for a novice? (For instance, I don't know yet if she'll be comfortable snorkeling in deep water or not)

Restaurants -- We'll want a fine dining restaurant one night but probably will try to be mostly casual the other nights. Local seafood offers would be great for my husband and me but our granddaughter is a pretty picky eater and will probably stick mostly with pub-style food throughout our stay.

Daytrips -- We'd like to take a daytrip that highlights snorkeling. Granddaughter probably won't get passport in time, so we'll need to stick within the USVI. We'd prefer more time spent at destinations beaching/snorkeling rather than sailing to them.

Rental car companies -- any suggestions? I'm not particular here.

Anything else? what's the name of that St. John book folks here used to recommend? Fins, Four Wheel Drive & Something...

Thanks!

brenandg

Try Gerald Singers book "St John Off the Beaten Track". It is definitely better than the Feet Fins book. I don't usually recommend "other forums", but this one will provide a wealth of information. I would also post your question here.


http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/fo...wforum.php?f=1

For first time snorkelers, I would recommend Maho or Trunk Bay. We have only done powerboat trips to the BVI's and we seem to always go for the sunny beaches.

Can recommend a few restaurants. The Banana Deck, Cafe Roma and The Lime Inn are consistently good. My favorite is Rhumblines, but the cuisine is Thai based and spicy! They have great Pu Pu Platter selections to mix and match. We don't do much upscale dining but some popular ones are La Tapa, La Plancha Del Mar, Asolare, Waterfront Bistro and Zo-Zo's. Sun Dog Cafe in Mongoose Junction is a great lunch spot and I also recommend Deli Grotto for breakfast sandwiches or sandwiches to take to the beach. There is also a new place called Sam and Jack's Deli at the Marketplace which is getting great reviews. For pizza, you can dine in or take out at Cafe Roma, Ronnie's Pizza and Mo' delivers if you are close enough and there is another place with good pizza across from Joe's Rum Hut. I believe it is now owned by The Rum Hut and may offer sandwiches too. For Pub fare, The Beach Bar and Woody's are good. Beware that Woody's can get a little crazy during during happy hour. For BBQ there is Uncle Joe's and Candies, primarily take out but you can eat there. If you make it to the east end of the island which I recommend, try Skinny Legs for a burger or The Tourist Trap. There is not much authentic West Indian fare on the island but there is a place called Hercules Pate and a little kiosk called Shelia's Pot that is all home cooked food. She had to move when they renovated Franklin Powell Park by the ferry dock but she is back. Just ask around where she is now. You might also see some roadside trucks about with local fare. Most of these places have a website where you can check out the menus.

As for rental cars, they are all pretty comparable. We like Cool Breeze although they do not have a lot in town. We like the little Suzuki SX4 which is one of the cheaper rentals and has ample storage in the back for chairs etc. There are lots in town where you can pay to park. Slimman's across from Wharfside Village/Landing (whatever they are calling it now) is convenient and there is a new lot with free parking by the car barge. There is also a lot by the police station. Our friends use Slimmans and it is around $10 for the evening but sometimes it is worth it just to pay than go crazy looking for a spot. Check out seestjohn.com for lots of other info!

brenandg

BTW, I would just recommend going to Red Hook for the ferry on the way there. It leaves hourly on the hour and there is shelter while you wait and you can get a beverage. Occasionally on the way back, it works out to take the ferry to Charlotte Amalie which is closer to the airport. Just check at the ferry dock for departure times and get to the airport a minimum of 2 hours before your flight. If the lines happen to be very long at the airport, I recommend the "cheaters method" and hiring a porter. For the 3 of you, $20 would be ample tip and they whisk you to the front of the check in, customs and security lines. To me, the airport is strangs. You check in, then drag your bags to customs, then drag them further to security. Can be a PITA if it is hot and the lines are long. Basically, you don't get rid of your bags until you are through with all of this and are ready to enter the gate area. Weekends are crazy, weekdays, not so much.

virginia

not on st. john but take a look at secretharbourvi.com
it's on the east end of st. thomas near red hook. red hook ferry to st. john takes 20 mins so you could go over for the day.
secret harbour is a wonderful condo style resort. has fun beachbar & an outdoor restaurant on the beach serving 3 meals daily & is directly on a great beach. http://www.bluemooncafevi.com/blue_moon_menu/index.html
the beach is wonderful. almost always calm for swimming & snorkeling as it's protected in a large bay. plenty of shade trees on the beach.
2 bedroom condos are quite large with a big covered deck or patio.
very clean, full kitchen w/dining table. good grocery nearby if you wish to have some meals at "home"
there is good snorkeling just off the end of their beach.
if your granddaughter is nervous perhaps she would like one of these (i have & normally wear one)
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/AKNVS...3don%26Hit%3d1
normally it's worn flat. if you need a rest you just blow a couple puffs of air into it & voila you float.

Kristen1206

Hi Emily! So glad you are getting to visit St. John!

Which villas/condos are you looking at at? I have researched 99% of them!

For your nice dinner out...La Plancha Del Mar, without a doubt. Our 2nd fave is Rhumblines. If you want an awesome view, Asolare is great but the food isn't as good as the other two. More casual meals..Shipwreck landing, Skinny Legs, The Beach Bar and High Tide. For take out..Uncle Joe's BBQ.

Beaches: All of the North Shore beaches are shady in the morning. Hawksnest is a pretty beach and has great snorkeling. Has become one of my favorites. Salomon is a must do as well. It's about a 20 minute hike but it's private (or should be in oct) and picturesque. One of my faves. Maho is good for sea turtles and starfish. And Cinnamon always has a good breeze.

Car rental companies: I assume you will want to rent on STJ vs STT since it's your first trip. Had we not rented from Discount on STT, we would have gone with Conrad Sutton or St. John Car Rental.

Day trip: Palm Tree Charters for a private...he will take you anywhere you want to go! We really enjoyed Bad Kitty..you can check their web site for different trips. I think they do a snorkel trip that stays in the USVIs. For a sailing trip, Cloud 9.

If I happens to be rough any of the dyas, go to Caneel bay...alnmost guaranteed to be calm. Maho is generally very calm too. If you want to do a hike, I recommend Ram's Head Trail.

qwovadis

betterbidding.com off season have picked up the Westin

from $80 bidding priceline... caneelbay.com best if money

no object maho.org more of an eco place

Gallows Point vrbo.com lots of cute little condos villa.

Westin Best Value join SPG.com their Amex CC for free stays

upgrades food etc... Best usually for me I always go for DEALS

Happy Hunting,

greenie

Hi Em, I've only been once from a cruise ship, but highly recommend trunk bay for the snorkeling. There's facilities, shade in the morning, great beginner snorkeling, and ample parking, etc. You have to pay to get in, but it's not that much.

While waiting for the ferry to Red Hook, there's a nice beach bar/restaurant right there that is pretty good. There's also some nice shops to poke around in while waiting.

Have fun...

Peace, Greenie

Kristen1206

If you do Trunk, which is beautiful, go early because it gets crowded..though maybe not in October. We only found the snorkeling there to be so-so. Also, that is the only beach that charges a fee...$4 per person.

The best snorkeling is at Waterlemon Cay I hear. We didn't make it there this trip but it's a definite for next year.

ejcrowe

Thanks, y'all--I love seeing all of you like old friends on this forum, which I've not been very active on lately.

Virginia, if we pick STT, that will likely be where we stay. But we are definitely leaning toward St. John overall.

Greenie, thanks for the heads-up about the restaurant next to the Red Hook ferry. We're going to be hungry & thirsty by the time we get there!

brenandg, I think I'll do exactly as you suggest when it comes to the ferries. Take it from Red Hook on our way there and let the schedule dictate which one on our return. I'm more than a little surprised about how you describe the airport at STT. Thanks for the restaurant recs,too.

Kristen, my husband is heavily leaning towards Gallows Point, even though it's more than what I want to pay. I've asked them if they would consider waiving the $50/night fee for using the sofa bed and they said no, which frankly doesn't earn them a very good rating in my mind. But I confess that I, too, love its location and the fact that you can snorkel right there and it has a pool. We're also looking into Lavender Hill, which has offered us a good rate. I was willing to book into Serendip, but my husband wanted someplace a little nicer. then I showed him the Grande condo development and he said it was too big and impersonal. I'm ready to just throw my hands up at this point. Coral Bay has plenty in our price range that are nice (mostly villas, not condos) but for this short trip with a teen I'd much prefer to stay right in Cruz Bay. Estate Lindolm doesn't have anything that can accommodate 3 adults in one room and we don't want to pay for 2 separate rooms. Do you have other suggestions that iv'e overlooked?

quovadis, Caneel Bay is closed when we're traveling. And I would never, ever, ever stay at the Westin, but thanks anyway. I mentioned before that a/c is a must, so Maho Bay is out. And I've not seen any offers for Gallows Point on VRBO. If you have seen them, please send me the link.

Kristen1206

I hate it when places won't budge at all. I think Gallows Point would be worth the splurge especially for just 4 nights. You'll have a great view and location! I thought the same about Grande bay before I actually saw it. It's actually quite nice and attractive (unless you are looking at it from just a size point of view). It's nicely landscaped, good location, nice pool and good views. Lavender Hill gets good reviews but it's a bit older if that matters. One place I was thinking of for you guys is Villa Jumbie though it's in Coral Bay..but it's a great value and a really nice place. One villa with awesome views in the Cruz bay area is Perelandra. Not sure what your budget is but it's not too pricey so may be worth a look.

ishkribbl

Not sure if it is the place Greenie is referring to or not but in June we had lunch at a place next door to the ferry parking lot called Fish Tails where we ate on a covered outdoor porch with nice boat watching in the marina there but another day we had a lunch a few doors down at a place called The Big Bambooz- I think your granddaughter would like it but we enjoyed both.
It has been a long time but we really enjoyed snorkeling at Waterlemon and loved late afternoon swims at (then) very peaceful and calm Francis Bay.
I am making notes on all the advice you get in case we get to make a return trip- finally- next year!

brenandg

You will not be disappointed with Gallow's Point! We love it there, but with a 10 night stay, it is just way too expensive for us. We also get a 10% discount at Grande Bay which makes it just about half of the cost for the time of year that we travel. If you stay there, call them when you get to Red Hook and let them know which ferry you are on. They will pick you up at the dock. They have a great little store there called Everyting. I think they will do basic provisioning for you and their costs are very comparable/competitive with the grocery stores. I have not done the provisioning, but we usually stop there and get a few basic breakfast items until we get to a market. They will also book excursions and make dinner reservations for you. I am going to post again after I get the list of restaurant closings since you are going in off season. And yes, the airport on STT is definitely different. Be sure to check out St John Spice store at Wharfside Village. Great spices and coffees!

brenandg

http://stjohnspice.com/stjohnrestaurants.htm

kellybeaches

Hi EJ,
Glad to hear you're headed to St. John! We visited the north shore beaches early. I'm talking 2 year old wake up call early - I'd say we were on most beaches by 8am latest. But at that time of day no one was on the beaches and most had great shade. One that we particularly liked for the shade was Cinnamon bay as it has a bunch of trees that you can nestle into and even hang your bags and towels on! We also went to Gibney one morning but it was literally covered in shade-no sun at all so we ended up making our way over around the bend to Hawksnest, where we found probably the best snorkeling I've seen in the Caribbean. It's an easy walk in to get to it so this would be a great snorkeling spot to check out. Our favorite beach was Salomon, but be sure to get a map with directions on how to hike down there. We got lost which wasn't so much fun, but the beach was worth it.

Regarding shopping/restaurants, we really enjoyed Mongoose Junction in Cruz bay. I had to drag my husband out of the St. John Brewery Tap room a few times. I'm dying to try their R&R (Rum and Rootbeer) I just saw advertised! And there are a lot of cute shops in there. The restaurant with the open aired ceilings in Mongoose Junction, Ocean Grill, had the best home made mint chocolate chip ice cream I've ever had. You could taste the fresh mint. And they also had the best key lime pie I ever had-home made. Just delicious.

I hope you'll write a trip report! We're headed back (with Kristen!) in June.

Here are the photos from our trip about 3 years ago if it helps at all-there are early morning photos of a lot of the north shore beaches so you can see how shaded they were (Brooke was so little!)

part 1:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...3%3A2021390116

part 2:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...3%3A1204485129

RobertoB

My opinion is, if you can find a villa in your price range for four nights in the Coral Bay area, go for it. I would make sure that it has decent elevation to take advantage of the views. You only need to go to Cruz Bay for one night of fine dining ( La Piancha Del Mar gets my vote ) . It's not much of a drive. For casual food you have Skinny's, Shipwreck Landing, and the Tourist Trap plus Vie's if you get out to the East End. Haulover on that side has some of the best snorkeling on St John. A compromise could be something on Ajax Peak.

We also like the Little Lameshure area but shade can be limited depending on the crowd.

For 'car' rentals we've gone with Courtesy and C&C.

I'm sure you are going to love your trip as will your granddaughter. It's a beautiful island.

ejcrowe

kelly, thanks for sharing your photos. I felt like I was right there with you. A few things: (1)never apologize for multiple sunrise pictures. If you're awake to shoot them, you've earned the right to post as many pictures as you'd like! (2) your family is so lovely and you're enviably photogenic! (3) would you say that the hike back UP from Solomon Beach would be tough on somebody who has moderate arthritis in his knee? (4) i like it when you're going for "artsy."

brenandg

ej, You actually have a couple of options to get to Solomon. When we did The Lind Point Trail several years ago, we continued on to Honeymoon and then Caneel and taxied back to town. So, we have never walked back up from Solomon. Last year, we parked at Caneel and walked to Honeymoon as our base. We then took the trail to Solomon. This was relatively easy. You mentioned Caneel is closed while you are there, but I'm sure you could still park across the road and walk in. Really, Honeymoon is just as nice as Solomon, but there are some day snorkel trips that stop there. I did not think about Hawksnest, but someone mentioned it. There is ample parking and the middle of Hawksnest has a large Elkhorn "forest" and is pretty shallow too. If you make it to the east side of the island which I do recommend making that a one day trip, Little Lamesure is really pretty with some close by ruins to explore. The road is a little dicey, but most of it is paved now. Salt Pond has very little shade and there is a dirt path that is killer on the way back up. You would follow the road past Salt Pond, past Big Lameshure which is rocky and then get to Little Lameshure. Parking is very close to the beach. For an east end day, I would do Vie's Beach and Little Lameshure with a stop at The Tourist Trap for lunch in between.

brenandg

http://seestjohn.com/beaches_salomon.html

Forgot to post the link with info.

brenandg

Hey Kelly, your photos are awesome! Looks like Brooke is a little Daddy's girl!

Jayneann

Hi EJ,

We were in St John this past April and stayed at Lavender Hill Suites. We were very happy with our choice because it was so affordable, clean, nicely decorated and offered beautiful views.

However, if I could afford it next time, I would choose Gallow's Point which is across the road from Lavender Hills. It is just so elegant and the property is gorgeous! Another plus is that you are right on the water and won't have any telephone lines and wires in your way when taking pictures or enjoying the stunning sunsets! I had some beautiful pics taken from our balcony with black wires running right through them!

We ate at ZoZo's Ristorante which is at Gallows and it was delicious!! We also frequented the little store on the property called Every Ting which sold groceries, alcohol and souvenirs.

We loved staying in Cruz Bay and walking to the restaurants and shops in just a few minutes. We were very glad we didn't stay on Coral Bay or the Bordeaux Mountain for our first visit to St. John.

We also hiked down the Lind Point trail to Honeymoon Beach which we loved!! The snorkeling was good and we loved the privacy. We also walked from Caneel Bay to Honeymoon which was easy to do. We enjoyed snorkeling at Caneel Bay too, but you said it would be closed. Too bad.. Trunk Bay was soooo crowded, so we decided to skip it and went to beautiful Cinnammon Bay Beach instead. I wish we could have gone to the other beaches, especially Solomon and Maho, but we were only there for 5 days. We did a day trip to JVD but as you know, you need a passport.

Whatever you decide, you'll have a great time!