This is one of the first two nests of the 2025-2026 sea turtle nesting season!
Now this is exciting news to share! Friends of Virgin Islands National Park announced earlier this week that not one, but two sea turtle nest have been found, marking the official start of the 2025-2026 sea turtle nesting season!
Last season was record-breaking with 3,221 hatchlings successfully making their way into the sea. That was the largest number to date, which is unbelievably exciting! Let’s hope this season is even better.
The two nests are believed to be endangered hawksbill turtles. Their location is private, as we do not want anyone accidentally disturbing them.
When a nest is found, representatives from the National Park investigate and mark it. The nests will be monitored until they hatch.
You can see the sea turtle tracks leading to one of the newly discovered nests.
Thirty-seven nests will found last season, and a new nesting location was discovered too.
So what should you do if you come across turtle tracks or nesting activity? Please email vinpturtles@gmail.com or call (760) 470-8995. Please do not disturb or walk in the area, and take pictures to share with the turtle team.
If you see a turtle in distress, please contact the STAR network at (340) 690-0474. And if you see someone mistreating a turtle, please contact the National Park at (866) 995-8467.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
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.
When I took Dalton to Italy when he was 10 months old, I was surprised to see playgrounds at nearly every restaurants in a cute coastal beach town named Riccione. It was a genius idea, I thought at the time. Why doesn’t every restaurant have a small, fenced in area for kids to play while their parents enjoy each other’s company, I wondered.
So many places had these cute little playgrounds when we visited in 2019.Dalton was so little!
Our friends over at Shambles created Shambleland, a family-friendly little spot for kids. And now, the Windmill Bar is getting in on the action too!
The Windmill Bar just completed a great new play area for kids, complete with swings, a slide and a climbing wall too. How fun!
The Windmill’s new playground area!
Dalton turned seven last week, and I know he will love using the new playground as soon as we return to the island from our summer vacation. Can you all believe he is seven already? I can’t!
Dalton celebrated his 7th birthday Wirth family & friends at a Chuck E. Cheese in Connecticut last week.
If you haven’t been to The Windmill Bar, it’s a super family-friendly spot, and it has some of the best views on St. John. They even have Bingo on Sunday afternoons, which Dalton loves to play too. Make sure you add a stop here on your next visit to St. John!
Looking to see more of the island? We have only a few island tour spots left before we close for the season. Explore STJ Island Tours will not be operating for the month of August. We will resume island tours September 1st.
You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve heard the story. Now you are ready to book your St. John vacation. But how the heck do you get here? Here is everything you need to know when you are planning your next vacation in St. John.
Traveling Here & Heading Home
In order to get to St. John, you must fly into St. Thomas. The airport code over there is STT. All of the major airlines fly into St. Thomas, including Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit and United. We also have one smaller airline – Cape Air that has daily flights via San Juan.
St. John (and neighboring St. Thomas and St. Croix) are part of the United States Virgin Islands. Because we are a United States territory, you do not need a passport to visit. When you leave, however, you will have to pass through US Customs & Border Protection. This is because the US Virgin Islands fall outside of the “Customs territory of the United States.”
When you’re heading home, you always want to give yourself some extra time at the airport as it’s a multi-step process to leave. If you are checking a bag, you have to stop at the airline counter. They do not take your bag there, however. You’ll keep your bag and head to Customs. (For those of you with a carry on, you head straight to Customs.) Depending on the time of the year, the Customs line can be quite long.
The Customs agent will ask you some questions like where are you heading and where did you stay. They will ask if you have any souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, alcohol. etc. It’s a lot faster if you have a passport or passport card with you, although a driver’s license works too.
From there, you will head to Agriculture. The only exception is for those of us who have a Global Entry card. This card not only allows us to bypass the longer customs line, but it also allows us to skip agriculture. For everyone else, you would have to put all of your belongings through the agriculture screening machine.
From there, you will drop your bag just before security if you have one. Then head through security. There is a pre-check lane, but it’s not always open. During certain times, there will be one line, and pre-check passengers will be handed a card indicating they’re pre-check.
Once You Get Here
Taxis
There will be plenty of taxis available to take you to one of the three ferries to St. John. They are located just outside of the baggage area. The taxi drivers squeeze as many passengers inside as legally allowed, so the ride can be quite cramped at times. If you prefer not to be squished, you can hire a private driver onsite. That costs $135 for up to four people if traveling to Red Hook. You call also call my good friend Yogi, who is my number one driver on St. Thomas. His cell is 340-626-5695. Feel free to say Jenn on St. John sent you. He will love that. 🙂
Ferries/Barges
There are three ferries that connect St. Thomas with St. John – Red Hook, Crown Bay and Charlotte Amalie. I will post their current (as of July 2025) schedules below.
This is a seasonal ferry. It will resume November 1st.
If you are staying in Cruz Bay at places like Grande Bay, Wharfside Hotel, St. John Inn, Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel or Gallows Point, you can walk to your accommodations. Gallows and St. John Inn are a tad further, but they’re doable. If you prefer not to walk, there are always taxis waiting at the ferry dock.
And once you’ve arrived, be sure to explore the island with Explore STJ. We offer full and half day island tours. Check out beautiful beaches, centuries-old historical sites, grab a cocktail or two along the way, and have fun! It’s never too early to secure your spot! Just send an email to jenn@explorestj.com or check out the website at www.ExploreSTJ.com.
Airfare prices have been unusually low, so go ahead and plan that trip!
Are you looking to purchase a home, condo, land or a business here in St. John? I would love to help you! Looking to list your property? I can help you with that too! I, Jenn Manes, am a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate Co., and I would love to help you with your buying and selling needs in the US Virgin Islands. Please contact me at 203-376-3786 or jenn@explorestj.com to explore the possibilities.
We are in the midst of St. John’s annual Festival celebration. The timing coincides with the Fourth of July, but our festival isn’t celebrating the Declaration of Independence. It is honoring one of the most important days in St. John’s history – emancipation.
The Danes took control of St. John in 1718. At that time, they brought enslaved people to the island to work the sugar plantations. The enslaved people were finally freed on July 3, 1848. July 4th is celebrated so widely on St. John, because it was the first morning of freedom for the formerly-enslaved people. July 3rd is Emancipation Day and will be honored with a ceremony tomorrow at 1 p.m.
How Word of Emancipation was Spread
Captain Ingjald Mourier was the owner of the Lameshur plantation in 1848. He arrived in Cruz Bay from St. Thomas to alert everyone about the pronouncement of Emancipation. He quickly informed Police Master Carl Hanshell of the news, and the pair set off on horseback to inform people across the island. The enslaved population on Estate Adrian – which is about three miles up Centerline Road – were the first to learn of their newfound freedom. From there, word of emancipation was spread plantation to plantation.
J’ouvert
J’ouvert is a street party that celebrates the first sunrise of freedom. This celebration is typically held at daybreak on July 4th, but has been held a few days early the last couple of years. During j’ouvert, people dance through the streets while celebrating freedom. J’ouvert happens tomorrow morning at sunrise.
July 4th Parade Details
The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Think island time, my friends. Wear comfy shoes and loose fitting clothes, because this is a hot and long one.
The parade starts behind the ball field in Cruz Bay. It continues in front of Mongoose Junction and toward Cap’s Place and the Post Office. It takes a right at the Post Office and goes toward the ferry dock. It then takes a left up the one-way past Pelican Post (formerly Connections). It will then continue up the hill past Woody’s and Extra Virgin until it reaches the roundabout.
July 4th Fireworks Information
The fireworks are usually set up from one of the barges in front of Cruz Bay harbor. Cruz Bay beach is a great spot to watch them. The Cruz Bay overlook is too. The fireworks are scheduled to start at 9 p.m. You may be able to see them from one of our webcams. See them all at www.explorestj.com/webcams.
Music
It’s a great time to be in St. John!
If you are unable to be on island, you can check out some of the island’s webcams to see the celebration. View them at www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams. You may be able to catch some of the fireworks on St. John Spice’s Spice Cam.
Enjoy everyone! Happy Festival! And Happy Fourth of July! Stay safe!
Norma Herman (bottom row, fifth from the left) celebrated her reopening with her classmates over the weekend.
Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I have great news to share with you today. De’ Coal Pot has reopened!
De’ Coal Pot is a great local restaurant that opened in Cruz Bay back in 2014, but, sadly, was forced to closed during Covid. Well, I’m excited to tell you that it recently reopened, and it’s now in a brand new location right in the heart of Cruz Bay.
De’ Coal Pot is now located in the former St. John Bracelet spot, which is located beside The Longboard and Cafe Roma, and across the street from Pelican post (formerly Connections). Its owner, Norma Herman, described the new location as “small and intimate” just like the previous spot, but it now has outdoor seating.
Norma told me Monday morning that she has a temporary menu for Carnival and that her regular menu will begin next week. She has brought back several of her popular dishes like braised oxtail, curried goat, garlic herb conch, roti, fried or steamed whole snapper, mahi mahi creole, conch in butter causes, and many more. She will also serve a nightly special.
Norma, we are so happy to have you and your delicious cooking back!
I asked Norma back in 2014 what the coal pot symbolizes, and this is what she told me at the time: “The coal pot is what we grew up cooking on,” Norma said. “Conch, oxtail – it took a lot gas to cook them and get them soft, and gas was too expensive, so we had to use the coal pot.”
And while Norma is no longer using an actual coal pot to cook up her delicious local fare, it is an important symbol of the past.
De’ Coal Pot is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Please call 340-690-1127 for reservations of five or more. You can follow De’ Coal Pot on Facebook to keep up with daily specials and other menu offerings. Check her out at www.facebook.com/decoalpot.
Hello, and happy Monday! I apologize that I have been absent for several days. Dalton and I have been traveling, and I am just able to catch up on things. 🙂
I have been getting lots of questions regarding St. John’s annual carnival celebration, specifically how it will affect the island. People are curious if roads will be closed, if town will be shut down, etc. So today, I will do my best to explain all of this for you.
What is St. John Celebrating?
Denmark controlled St. John from 1718 through 1917. That’s when the United States of America purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix for $25 million in gold. When Denmark ruled the island, they operated numerous sugar plantations that were located throughout St. John. The people of Denmark who settled on St. John brought enslaved people from the west coast of Africa (now Ghana) to work those plantations.
The enslaved people were emancipated on July 3, 1848. St. John’s annual carnival celebrates the end of slavery.
The Fourth of July
July 4, 1848 was the first morning of freedom. That is why it is celebrated so strongly here in the US Virgin Islands. Yes, it celebrates independence, but we are not celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. We are celebrating freedom.
J’ouvert
J’ouvert – pronounced joo-vay – is a pre-dawn street festival. On St. John, it celebrates the first sunrise of freedom. The name comes from the French phrase “jour ouvert,” meaning “daybreak”. This year’s j’ouvert festival will take place on Thursday, July 3rd from sunrise – 5:47 a.m. – and will continue until about 10 a.m. I do not believe that the streets will officially close for this event, but it could happen briefly. They will definitely be filled with people during this event.
The Parade on July 4th
The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., but it typically does not start on time. There are significant road closures for the parade. The road in front of Mongoose Junction to the Post Office will be closed. The road in front of the customs lot that leads to the ferry dock will be closed. The road between Slim’s parking lot and Wharfside Village will be closed. The small one-way beside Cruz Bay Landing will be closed. The road in front of Woody’s and up to the roundabout will be closed. The parade can last for several hours, so expect long road closures.
If you are visiting St. John and would like to go to the beaches on July 4th, you will have to take Centerline Road to either Highway 206, which is the road through Catherineberg, or to Colombo’s where you can head down to North Shore Road and the beaches that way. The Catherineberg Road ends between Peter Bay and Cinnamon Bay. The road near Colombo’s is closer to Maho and Francis.
The Village
The Village is set up in the customs parking lot in Cruz Bay. There are numerous food and beverage buildings set up, which have pretty delicious items for sale. This is where the music will be. The Village opens at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 29th. One thing to keep in mind- if you are staying in Cruz Bay, the music is loud and goes late. If you do not plan on partaking, bring a pair of ear plugs. The sound reverberates throughout Cruz Bay, especially the bass. The Village is open through July 4th.
Here is the full lineup:
Food Fair & Pan-O-Rama
This takes place next Saturday, June 28th. The street in front of the ferry dock will be closed, and numerous vendors will be offering local foods and drinks for sale. There will be music here too. It’s a fun, albeit hot, street party. I absolutely love food fair. It starts at noon.
Pan-O-Rama is an event that features St. John’s Pan Dragons. This is a group of residents of all ages who plan steel pan drums. They are absolutely incredible, so be sure to check them out. They will play at 5:30 p.m. in The Village, according to the schedule.
Fireworks
This will take place at 9 p.m. on July 4th over Cruz Bay.
Are you looking to purchase a home, condo, land or a business here in St. John? I would love to help you! Looking to list your property? I can help you with that too! I, Jenn Manes, am a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate Co., and I would love to help you with your buying and selling needs in the US Virgin Islands. Please contact me at 203-376-3786 or jenn@explorestj.com to explore the possibilities.
