I have so much to update you on! There are a lot of small things happening here, so let’s get right to it!
Let’s start with the restaurants. Lots of our favorites reopened over the weekend. Drink and Skinny Legs reopened on Halloween with their annual costume parties. I came home after Trunk or Treat, so I wasn’t able to attend either in person, but from the pictures I’ve seen, it looked like both events were a tremendous success! The Windmill Bar and Johnny Lime each held haunted houses over the weekend, and both of those were awesome too!
Banana Deck reopened on Saturday and will be open for dinner seven nights a week this season. Such great news! The Caneel Bay Beach Club also reopened last week.
Pizza Pi reopened up over the weekend too. They’re the floating pizza boat that’s located in Christmas Cove, which is a beautiful turquoise bay located behind Great St. James. This is such a fun stop on a boat day. If you haven’t visited before, be sure to stop by the next time you’re on island.
It’s not quite high season yet, but the island is definitely starting to pick up. There was actually traffic today on North Shore Road, which I have not seen in several months. Parking at Maho and Trunk was also full when I drove past those beaches this afternoon. If you are visiting soon, you may want to head to the beaches by 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. to ensure you get a parking spot.
The government is still closed, as I am sure you are all aware. The Visitor Center in Cruz Bay remains closed, as do the restrooms beside it. The rest of the Virgin Islands National Park remains open, including the parking lot at Caneel Bay.
I was just looking at the upcoming cruise ship calendar, and that is picking up too. Next Wednesday, November 12th, has more than 22,000 people visiting St. Thomas via cruise ship. That’s a huge influx of visitors for one day! The first cruise ship of the season visited us here on the island last week. The ships that anchor off of Cruz Bay only carry a few thousand passengers, so we do not get affected too much.
If you are looking to book an island tour over the next few months, please do so sooner than later. My schedule is very full now through the end of February. It’s best to reserve your spot early. You can learn more about my island tours at www.explorestj.com/tour.
Have a great day, everyone!