My husband and I spent our honeymoon in St Thomas nearly 25 yrs ago. We hope to return in late Oct '06. Really need some R & R (two sons in college now !!). Any suggestions of a moderately priced oceanfront place to stay would be greatly appreciated. We don't need all the grand amenities, just a great oceanfront room on a clean beach. We also sailed on the Nightwind in 1981. They are still in operation. Any comments on a day sail ?? Thanks.

hi plasslo. happy anniversary. i would like to suggest you look at www.secretharbourvi.com its a wonderful condo resort directly on the beach. near red hook. good restaurant and beach bar. great snorkeling. other possiblities are the marriott frenchmans reef and morning star which is much closer to charlotte amalie, or wyndham sugar bay if you want ai or the ritz if you want ritzy. at sugar bay and frenchmans the beach is a considerable hike from the rooms.
as for the day trip if you would consider a power boat trip try www.newhorizoncharters.com leaves from sapphire beach marina, st. john to pick up add'l ppl, the baths on vg, then pussers on marina cay for lunch, followed by snorkeling at monkey point off guana island, and finally a stop at the soggy dollar bar on jvd. its a really fun day. i know the ritz has a beautiful boat called the lady lynsey but not sure if available to non ritz guests. new horizons has a sail boat. and there is a cat that goes from havensight called the castaway girl that does a fun snorkel run.
i suspect some posters here will suggest you go stay on st. john at caneel bay. its much more laid back and may be more like how you recall st.t but i def understand the desire to return to your honeymoon spot.
i can only imagine how different the island is going to look to you. where did you stay before? what stuff did you do? was coki world there?
a wonderful and incredibly romantic restaurant is havana blue at the marriott. huge open windows with billowing dark blue curtains. reserve a window table when the moon will be rising! outstanding food too.

I also recommend Secret Harbour. Gets great reviews and people just love it!

So much so that the last time I tried to get reservations there, they were booked months in advance.

I agree with virginia that some will try to persuade you to go to St John. St Thomas has a charm all its own, and we prefer it to St John. (More authentically-Caribbean atmosphere.)

virginia,

Thanks for your reply. We stayed at Magens Bay in 1981. I remember what a hike it was to the beach! Our luggage got misdirected so the first 2 days we were on the beach walking without proper summer clothing (it is cold in KY in Nov), sunscreen, etc. Got burned, but didn't really mind too much. I remember renting a jeep to explore and going to the mountain top bar that had a great banana daquiri. Fun trying to remember to stay on the left side of the road. Spent a day in town shopping and watched the boats coming in. We sailed to St John on the Nightwind and thoroughly enjoyed that trip. Mostly just enjoyed the beautiful beach and each other's company.

I'm sure the island has changed alot in the past 25yrs. (So have we!!) I'm thinking we'll be able to stay 10-12 days. Might split the time between St Thomas and another island. Any suggestions?? My husband likes to dive and I love nature, waterfalls, birds, trails, etc.

Thanks, Patti

Another quick question, whats the weather like in late Oct/early Nov?? Any local festivals going on during that time.
Patti

Hope this isn't hijacking too much... your posting caught my eye - - any "day sail" recommendations for STJ? or worth it to go back to STT? Any take in Virgin Gorda? What _is_ the best way to visit Virgin Gorda (the Baths)?

Thanks in advance - - hope this complements your original question(s)...

Best wishes,

Rex

patti, magens is still gorgeous! try to go back there on a non-ship day. and go early in the am. it will get crowded by lunch time. you have to pay to get on that beach now.
there is a beach called lindquist which i rarely recommend to ppl as it a locals beach, is hard to find and has been known to have some crime issues. however, as you would be with your husband (mine won't go to carib!)... heading from red hook towards the wyndham between sapphire marina and pavillions and pools - on your left is an airport sign (just shows a plane). directly across from the sign is a rough looking dirt road with a 1/2 closed chain link gate. go through. its about a 1/4 mile to the beach. as i would advise everywhere you should lock your car and don't leave valuables on the beach. there is some wonderful snorkeling out to the right and out (you can see a little break where the reef is). as you walk to the left you can see the wyndham. this is a beautiful beach and normally farily deserted/romantic. very sandy water. gradual drop off. you'll see a few families with their kids on the week end.
CA shopping is still first class. i too, love to watch the ships moving in and out of the harbor. did you have your daquiri's at the top of the of a tramway? tram is across from the havensight mall, which i assume will be new to you. anyway its a super place to watch the ships go out and see the sunset. take the tram up rather than drive. this is not an amusing road to go down if you've had a cocktail...
it will be hot! i don't know about festivals.
i don't like changing islands, however, the bvi are sooo close. on tortola you could look at www.longbay.com which i have never even seen but is well reivewed on fodors. or www.fortrecovery.com - also well reviewed. if you are going to change islands look at st. john and the various bvi's. pick one and repost asking for best info for that island. all would be quick, easy trip from st. t.
would you consider a villa for part 2?
as there is such a good ferry service between islands i might be inclined to see several other islands on day trips, but that's me. there are loads of operators that can take dh diving. he should look at www.scubamom.com for all kinds of bvi dive info. really excellent site!
REX. not sure how you get over to baths form st.j, but go early. it gets busier by 10am when the excursion boats and yachties have time to get there. recommend you go with a guide of some sort for best experience. the new horizons boat i mentioned above will pick you up on st. john if you ask them to. they have a guide.