It’s been five years since I’ve spent the month of September on St. John. Rather than being here during the slowest month of the year, I opted to travel a bit, and visit family and friends in New England. I went to festivals, fairs and picked apples. I enjoyed cool, crisp mornings and wine over my friends’ fire pits at night. It was pretty special.
This year, however, I spent September on St. John. Dalton started kindergarten at Gifft Hill on September 5th, and we had lots of work to do on our new house (I am hoping to finally move in this weekend… fingers crossed on that!). So my annual September trip was a no-go this year. I was bummed at first, but you know what, I am so happy to have been here. It’s almost like I fell in love with St. John all over again.
September is an amazing month to visit the island, as long as you don’t mind rolling the dice with a potential storm and if you aren’t looking for fine dining every night of the week. The majority, if not all, of our fine dining restaurants usually close in September, but there are still several great spots to eat at like The Tap Room, The Beach Bar, The Windmill Bar, Hercules Pate, the Roti King, and more. But the best part of September is the fact that it is so darn slow.
In September, you can visit Trunk Bay whenever you want. Want to park at 11:30 a.m.? No problem. Mid-afternoon? Still not a problem!
Want to swim with the turtles at Maho? You can swing by at any point in the day. I rolled in at 10:30 a.m. one day last month, and I was the first car in the parking lot. There were maybe 20 people on the entire beach. It was heavenly!
The water is nice and warm in September too, and it’s usually very calm. It’s the time of year when you can simply wade right in and stay there for hours.
People who live here seem genuinely happier in September (provided there isn’t a storm to our east, of course). It’s a time to rest and recharge, and we’re slow enough that we can actually enjoy the place where we live. We have time to chat with one another, and it’s just nice.
I’m not sure where I’m going from here, other than to say, don’t sleep on September next year.
Now that we’re approaching mid-October, the island is slowing starting to pick up. It’s still slow when compared to the winter months, but I am seeing more and more new faces wandering about. Restaurants have started to reopen, including Morgan’s Mango, 1864, Lime Out, and The Terrace, which reopens tonight. The beaches are still quiet, and the parking is plentiful. It’s a great time to buy a last-minute ticket if you’re able to, and enjoy the island’s low season rates.
I have yet another St. Thomas trip on the agenda today and only a handful of island tours this week, so I will make it a point to photograph some of the new spots that have popped up on island recently. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, have a fantastic Tuesday everyone!
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