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Upcoming Holiday Happenings

Jenn Manes

There are lots of great holiday events happening here on St. John. Here is a quick rundown:

Friday, December 19th: The Tap Room’s annual Ugly Sweater Party is happening, once again! Our friends over at The Tap Room plan to celebrate from 7 p.m. to midnight. There will be rum eggnog, candy cane shots, prizes for the best outfits and more!

Saturday, December 20th: Evening in the Courtyard at Mongoose Junction is happening a little later than earlier this year. Stop by Mongoose Junction for this annual holiday tradition of shopping, dining and celebrating under the stars. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature live music, holiday libations, food, raffle prizes and more.

Sunday, December 21st: The Love City Pan Dragons invites the community to its annual Caribbean Christmas Concert at 5 p.m. at the St. John School of the Arts.

This year’s event is more important than ever. With recent reductions in federal support and a noticeable dip in philanthropic giving, the band is facing significant financial challenges. Without additional funding, it will not be able to take its young musicians on their customary educational travel experience. They are currently short of the resources needed to complete the 2025–2026 programming year.

If you believe in cultural preservation, music education, and opportunities for St. John youth, your support, whether through attending the concert or making a contribution, will make a real and immediate difference. Donations can be made via Venmo (@Lovecitypandragons), PayPal (lovecitypandragons@gmail.com), or by mailing a check to Love City Pan Dragons, PO Box 1537, St. John, VI 00831.

Wednesday, December 24th: The third annual Coral Bay boat parade is happening at 5 p.m. Eat, drink and meet Santa! Santa arrives at 5 p.m. and the boat parade will start after dark. This event is happening gat Johnny Lime and in Coral Bay harbor.

Wednesday, December 24th: Christmas caroling in Cruz Bay! The festivities start at 7 p.m. at Cafe Roma. Everyone is welcome to join in this family-friendly event.

Big News from Skinny Legs!

Jenn Manes

We live on a little island, so some times small news is actually big news. And today, I have some big island news to share with you all!

Beginning next week, Skinny Legs will be open seven days a week. I’m not sure about you, but I cannot recall them ever being open seven days a week. I am happy that we will have yet another spot to eat on Mondays moving forward! (Skinny’s usually closes on Mondays, but not anymore!)

Skinny’s opens daily at 11 a.m. It’s a super busy place, so you want to get there early if you are planning on going for lunch. Mumbo Jumbo is a cute retail shop that’s attached to Skinny’s. It’s a nice place to shop while you are waiting for a table or after your meal.

And if you read this blog regularly, you may recall that Skinny Legs recently listed for sale for $1.7 million. If you are interested in purchasing this business or learning more, please contact me at jenn@explorestj.com or at 203-376-3786.

That’s it for today, folks! Have a great day!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.

 

So Many Babies On Island!

Jenn Manes
Baby donkey in Coral Bay Sunday morning

There are so many baby animals on island right now!

I was driving through Coral Bay with island tour guests Sunday morning when I stumbled on several of the island’s newest residents! First, I saw a couple of donkeys hanging in a driveway just past Skinny Legs, and as I got a little closer, I noticed a baby donkey sitting beside its mom. So cute! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a baby donkey on island, so this was such a treat!

I was heading back to town a little while later when I came across several baby sheep! The sheep are often confused for goats here on St. John. The easiest way to tell is by the tail. Sheep have longer tails that hang, and goats have shorter, fluffier tails that point upward. Tail up = goat. Tail down = sheep.

Two of the babies look like they were born today. They were TINY and so darn cute. I have seen numerous baby sheep over the past few weeks, but the two I saw today were, by far, the youngest.

So if you are lucky enough to be on island right now, keep your eyes open for the island’s newest and littlest residents. I hope you get to catch a peek!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.

Car Barge Fees Set to Increase

Jenn Manes

Well folks, I do not have the best news to share with you all today. The fee to take the car barge between St. John and St. Thomas is about to increase.

Beginning on January 1st, the cost of a one-way ticket will increase to $65, and. the cost for a roundtrip ticket will increase to $80. This is due to an increase in fees charged by the Virgin Islands Port Authority. This is not the fault of the car barge operators.

The docking fees for all vessels have increased by 50 percent, according to Love City Car Ferries. “These fees are charged per vessel, per port, per day, and this substantial increase directly impacts our ability to operate sustainably,” they wrote on their website last week.

If you are vacationing on St. John and plan to rent a vehicle, I strongly recommend doing so on St. John, if possible. This is due to the potential of delayed flights, which could cause you to miss the last car barge, barges going down for maintenance and other situations that are out of our control.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.

Coral Bay Music Festival & Bizarre Bazaar Happening Saturday

Jenn Manes
Coral Bay Views

Coral Bay’s annual Bizarre Bazaar holiday shopping event is happening tomorrow, Saturday, December 6th, and this year there will be a music festival too. How fun!

The event will take place at Johnny Lime in Coral Bay. Take Route 10 to the Coral Bay triangle (main intersection). Take a right. Johnny Lime is just a few minutes down the street on your right. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here are the details:

Check Out this Vacation Rental at Francis Bay!

Jenn Manes
Serenity at Francis Bay is just a short walk from Francis Bay beach in the Virgin Islands National Park.

Looking for your next vacation rental in St. John? Picture yourself waking up in the morning and taking a short stroll to Francis Bay beach, a nearly deserted spot in the early morning hours. Walk along the beach and watch the pelicans soar across the bay while small schools of fish swim mere feet from the shoreline. Grab a snorkel and explore St. John’s underwater world where you can often find turtles, blue tang, parrotfish and even the occasional shoal of squid pass by in the bay. Perhaps you prefer to birdwatch over at the nearby salt pond – again, just a short walk away – an area where you can spot ducks, stilts, moorhens, migratory shorebirds, and perhaps a flamingo or two. All of this is possible and more when you’re staying at Serenity at Francis Bay.

Serenity at Francis Bay is a villa designed specifically to blend with the natural setting in which it lives, providing a panoramic view of the landscape and wildlife that surround the home. Serenity at Francis Bay is a traditional Caribbean-style, yet modern home. It is fully air conditioned with high-speed wifi and satellite television in addition to its solar power. The rolling outages that sometimes plague the islands do not affect the guests staying here. What outage, you may think to yourself. What a glorious thought!

Serenity at Francis Bay is a three bedroom, four bathroom home that is located inside of the Virgin Islands National Park. It is technically an inholding, which means it is privately owned, but surrounded by National Park lands. This makes it extra special in my opinion. Serenity at Francis Bay can comfortably sleep up to six guests. Floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces encircle the home, including the spacious and partially-covered pool deck. The steady trade wind breezes cool the home, allowing you to fully immerse yourself and your guests in this very private setting that’s surrounded by St. John’s natural beauty. See for yourself:

Surrounded by nature
Private & gated
Lush landscaping surrounds the home.
Large living spaces with beautiful Caribbean-style ceilings
The second floor primary bedroom
Views from every room
Beautiful ocean views
Large pool with a covered seating area
Picture yourself here…

Serenity at Francis Bay at a Glance

  • Located within walking distance of Francis Bay beach
  • Two king-sized beds
  • One queen-size bed
  • Four bathrooms
  • Fully-equipped kitchen
  • Pool with large outdoor living space
  • Outdoor kitchen
  • Solar power
  • Ocean & sunset views
  • Snorkeling, hiking, birdwatching & historical sites are all less than five-minutes away.
  • Maho Bay is a five-minute drive.
  • Cruz Bay is a 20-25 minute drive.
  • Coral Bay is a 10-15 minute drive.

Nightly rates start at $1,200 a night and vary based on season. To learn more or to book your stay at Serenity at Francis Bay, please visit serenityatfrancisbay.com.

Sunrise at Serenity at Francis Bay