It’s hard to believe that it’s October already, and season is right around the corner. There are lots of great events coming out, so I thought it would be helpful to post a brand new events page. This page will be updated regularly, and additional details will be added to each event as they become available.
See the island of St. John with a longtime 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.
Sad news to share this morning… St. John’s All Island Holiday Party – more commonly referred to as “The Prom” – may not take place this year, according to a recent post by Michael Barry, owner or Sun Dog Cafe and the prom’s organizer.
“To everything, there is a time. As we approach the coming season, we have, with some difficulty, come to the conclusion that we will not be able to host the All Island Holiday Party, aka “the prom” this year, as we have done for the past 20 or so years.
“It’s been a blast, and we’ve enjoyed the ride. Since the early days where Caneel and Westin sponsored it, to when the Mongoose Merchants shared in the fun, to the past ten or so years where Sun Dog has stepped up to create an event that has so many memories for so many different people.
“The bands were always great: InnerVisions, Quelbe Ressurection, Lashing Dogs, Smalls and the Merry Makers, Lauren and Bo Music, All of We, Cool Sessions and many more. The complimentary hors d’oeurvres with crab cakes, roast tenderlon sliders, massive shrimp cocktails, tuna tartare. The prom king and queen contest. Jason’s Photo Booth. Barbie’s bourbon balls. The wine bar and champagne. And maybe the best thing: St. Johnians of all description, dressed up, showing the love and dancing it off into the night….
“To those who know us well, we hope you can understand that it has been a challenge for us to pull it off the way we have, given our limited facility, and it takes us days to prepare for it and days to recover from it, at a time of year which is already a bit stressful. We appreciate your support over the years, and hope you continue to enjoy the cafe and what we do there…”
The Prom was one of the very few times when us ladies actually put on a pair of heels. It’s a fun event that allows us to dress us and celebrate the season, our community and each other. It’s a great event, although I always wished it started earlier than 9 p.m. I am old lady these days!
Many people were disappointed to learn that the prom may not go on, but there may be a little hope in the horizon. Michael has asked for a sponsor to step up to help fund the event.
So, if you are interested in helping keep the tradition alive, please reach out to Michael Barry at michael@sundogcafe.com. With all of the changes happening around the island, it would be nice to keep this longstanding event around.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
See the island of St. John with a longtime 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.
There are a few barge schedule changes to make you aware of. This is due to the fact that it is still off season here in the United States Virgin Islands.
Big Red Barge Co., one of the two operating barge companies in St. John, recently announced that it is reducing the number of runs it plans to complete weekly. This is only a temporary change that begins today. Here is the new, temporary schedule:
Love City Car Ferries, the other car barge operator, has not announced any changes to its barge schedule. You can see that schedule here.
The regular people ferries have also announced a reduced schedule for low season. The two people ferry companies are not running the 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. runs from St. Thomas to St. John. Instead, they are leaving Red Hook at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., and 8 a.m.
There will no longer be a 9 p.m. or an 11 p.m. ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. The last ferry will still leave Red Hook at 11:30 p.m. On the flip side, there will not be a 10 p.m. ferry that leaves Cruz Bay for Red Hook. The last ferry will still leave Cruz Bay at 11 p.m.
The regular schedules will resume November 1st.
The Charlotte Amalie ferry is not currently running. That will resume November 1st too.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
See the island of St. John with a longtime 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.
This is a gem of a property, and it will not last long!
Beth Cruz Cottage is an unbelievably private home that is located about five minutes from Cruz Bay. This home has one bedroom, plus a good-sized loft that is accessed via circular stairs. The property sits on a quarter-acre of land atop a lush green valley.
The cottage needs a little love in the form of a fresh coat of paint and perhaps some new finishings, although it is move-in ready as it currently stands. It’s been used as a long-term rental in recent years, but it can easily be converted to a short-term rental. It would also make for an amazing home for a St. John resident or family. Check out a few pics:
It has so much potential! I actually looked it renting this home myself a few years back. I even approached the owner about purchasing it at the time – it’s that cute! She wasn’t interested in selling at the time, so I wound up buying my Fish Bay home, which I love!
Beth Cruz Cottage new concrete stairs that lead down to the house. It also has new footings.
Beth Cruz Cottage is located in the Bethany neighborhood. If you are driving from Cruz Bay toward the Westin, you would take a left at the top of Jacob’s Ladder, which is the steep hill. Take your first right onto Beth Cruz Road and the property is toward the end of the road on the right.
Beth Cruz Cottage is listed for $525,000 with 340 Real Estate Co. Please contact me via call/text at 203-376-3786 if you are interested. You can also email me at jenn@explorestj.com. I am a license realtor with 340 Real Estate.
If you would like to know what else is listed for sale on St. John, send me an email. I am happy to send you a list of what’s currently available. My email is jenn@explorestj.com.
There’s a brand new webcam on island. If you like Coral Bay, this one’s for you!
The Coral Bay Community Council just launched its sponsored webcam that is perched high above Coral Bay. You can see Coral Bay harbor, Lime Out and more 24/7. And if that marina ever comes to fruition, you can see that too.
You can see this webcam, plus more than 20 others at www.explorestj.com/webcams. In the meantime, check it out below:
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
See the island of St. John with a longtime 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.
Well folks, summer is unofficially over now that the Labor Day holiday has passed. I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend, and hopefully many of you enjoyed a nice three-day weekend. I am back on island after my summer break, and I have to say, it’s great to be home. The island is unbelievably quiet right now. It’s such a lovely change of pace. With that being said, here’s a quick little update.
Let’s start with the obvious – we are in the thick of low season. We have visitors on island, but not many. There were about 10 people on Hawksnest this morning, and only three cars in the parking lot at Trunk Bay when I drove past it this morning around 10 a.m. There was only one car beside me at The Windmill Bar when they opened, although there was a cow wandering through the parking lot when I arrived! Check out the video I posted over at my Instagram page – @explorestj.
Despite it being low season, there are still a good amount of restaurants open. High Tide, Karma and The Beach Bar are still open on the beach in Cruz Bay. The Tap Room, Scoops, Sun Dog and Greengo’s are open over at Mongoose Junction. And around town you have Cap’s Place, Uncle Joe’s BBQ, Woodys, Cafe Roma, and Downtown Sips to name a few. The concession at Trunk Bay, and the bar and food truck at Maho Bay remain open too. Check out the full list of seasonal closings at www.explorestj.com/closings.
After being in a drought for months, the island is finally getting some rain. It’s not a ton, but it’s a good start. I saw a lot of puddles while driving around today, and I even saw a peacock drinking out of one over in Frank Bay. Puddles are good because it provides water for our beloved donkeys, the deer and other animals throughout the island. It’s also helping to green up the island, which is much-needed.
Speaking of donkeys, I saw three at the Westin yesterday. It’s unusual to see them over there, so it was a treat to catch a glimpse of them on my way home.
My son Dalton starts school tomorrow – third grade! Time certainly flies!
Explore STJ island tours are back in operation again. You can learn more about my island tours at www.explorestj.com/tour. We are rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
That’s it for today. Chat tomorrow!
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
See the island of St. John with a longtime 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.
