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Author: Jenn Manes

St. John Beaches with Food & Drinks

Jenn Manes
Some of Trunk Bay’s food offerings

The island is busy, busy, busy with many people looking for lunch offerings when visiting St. John’s beautiful beaches. Here is a quick rundown of which St. John beaches have food and drinks available for purchase.

Honeymoon Beach

Honeymoon Beach is the home to the Caneel Bay Beach Club. The Caneel Bay Beach Club is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to its owner Mark Snyder. The beach club serves a variety of snacks, including curly fries, sandwiches, burgers, and more. They also have a full bar. You can access Honeymoon Beach by taxi or via the Lind Point Trail. If you choose to taxi to Honeymoon, you can park or take a taxi to the entrance of the Caneel Bay resort. From there, you would hop on a second taxi that will drive you from the entrance to Honeymoon Beach, approximately a five-minute ride. The cost of that taxi is $6 per person or $12 roundtrip. You can opt to walk in and taxi out, or vice versa. Chair rentals are available too. There is a small retail shop, bathrooms, and showers, as well.

Trunk Bay

Happy hour starts in the morning at Trunk Bay! You have to love that! Trunk Bay has a snack shack and a full bar where happy hour happens daily from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. There is an area that serves a variety of hot and cold items for lunch daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trunk Bay is one of our busiest beaches, and the parking area is rather small, so I suggest you take a taxi when visiting Trunk Bay. If you prefer to drive, you should get there by 8:45 a.m. to ensure you get a parking spot.

Trunk Bay has chair rentals, snorkel gear rentals and life vests too. There are also showers and restrooms.

Click here to read an older article I posted about Trunk Bay’s food and drink offerings. 

Cinnamon Bay

Cinnamon Bay is a great spot that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Rain Tree Cafe, which is the large restaurant near the reception area and camp store. Lunch is served beachside out of a food truck from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner is served daily at the Rain Tree Cafe from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can purchase beers and seltzers from the camp store daily beginning at 10 a.m. The food truck also has some canned alcoholic drinks and a few cocktails available for purchase too.

Because there is a campground at Cinnamon Bay, there are restrooms and a spigot to wash the sand off of your feet. Showers are available to campers only. There are also chair, snorkel gear and watersports rentals at Cinnamon Bay.

There are two large parking lots at Cinnamon Bay. Those lots have been filling up pretty quickly over the past several weeks. I suggest getting to Cinnamon Bay by 9:30 a.m. to ensure you get a parking spot. You can also taxi to Cinnamon.

Click here to read an older post I wrote about Cinnamon Bay’s offerings. 

Maho Bay

Maho Bay has two businesses that sell food and beverages – Maho Crossroads and Reef2Peak’s food truck next door. The bar at Maho Crossroads is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The food truck is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The food truck has a variety of items like hot sandwiches, burgers, salads, and more. Maho Crossroads has a full bar; however they do not have a blender. If you want a frozen drink, just wander next door to Reef2Peak.

Reef2Peak is a rental outfit that serves light snacks like chips, nuts and other snacks. They also serve cocktails and frozen drinks. Reef2Peak rents chairs, snorkel gear, kayaks and paddle boards. They even offer guided kayak trips. Reef2Peak is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to owner Jenn Russ. She mentioned that they plan to expand their food offerings soon.

Reef2Peak’s food truck at Maho Bay.

Maho Crossroads has a restroom available for patrons only. There are two National park restrooms across the street on the beach for beachgoers.

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. 

Raffles & Auctions Ending Soon

Jenn Manes
A day at Lovango is one of many prizes currently up for grabs!

Hello, and happy Tuesday! I am writing today’s story from the world famous Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost van Dyke! It’s a beautiful, sunny day here on Jost… I wish you all could be here!

I know many of you are dreaming of your next St. John vacation, so I wanted to share some deadlines with all of you. We have three raffles and auctions that are currently happening. They’re ending soon, so you have to act quickly if you’d like to get in on the action.

Animal Care Center

The Animal Care Center has 26 items up for grabs, including villa stays, boat trips and more. This auction ends on Friday, February 21st at 11:55 p.m. local time (which is an hour ahead of New York City time).

Click here to view the items and to bid. 

St. John Land Conservancy 

The St. John Land Conservancy’s annual fundraising raffle ends this Friday too. The winner will be drawn live online this Saturday. You can enter to win a seven-night stay on St. John, plus a variety of goodies including a Jeep rental, boat trip, dinner and more.

Click here to learn more and to purchase tickets. 

Gifft Hill School 

Gifft Hill School currently has 121 items up for auction. This fundraiser supports the island’s only independent school that educates children beginning at age two and through 12th grade. The auction ends next week.

Click here for more information and to bid. 

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. 

 

A New Way to Get Drinks & Snacks at Caneel Beach?

Jenn Manes
The entrance to Caneel Beach.

Today’s story may be about something, and it may be about nothing. I’m not so sure. 🙂

I spent yesterday morning over at Caneel Beach, which was lovely as always. My parents are visiting the island, so I scheduled a day off, so we could spend some quality time together. They’ve already visited Hawsknest and Maho, so we opted to spend the morning over at Caneel, a beach which has recently become one of my favorites.

My dad living the dream at Caneel Beach Thursday morning.

As soon as I walked onto the beach, I noticed a man in a Caneel shirt walking up and down the beach with a printout in hand. Me, being the nosy/curious person I am, walked over to say hello and to see what he was promoting. He had a menu for the Caneel Bay Beach Club in his hand and mentioned that they are possibly going to start offering a shuttle between Caneel and Honeymoon once or twice a day, a couple of times a week, in an effort to bring guests over to the Caneel Bay Beach Club. They may begin offering this service so people visiting Caneel Beach can grab a quick bite to eat or drinks. I think that’s a genius idea.

Something important to note (in my opinion): The Caneel Bay Beach Club is not affiliated with the former operators of the Caneel Bay Resort. The Beach Club is owned my Mark Snyder, who also owns Island Hope Wines. Island Hope is a generous donor to many of our nonprofits here on St. John, so a big thank you to Mark for that. 

Now, I do not have more details other than what I just wrote. As soon as I learn more, I will share it with all of you. I just wanted to let you know that we may have another spot where we can easily park and easily grab a bite to eat on the North Shore. That’s a win-win in my book.

Looking to visit Caneel or Honeymoon beaches? You can visit Caneel Beach by taking a taxi to or parking at the former Caneel Bay Resort. Parking is free. Caneel Beach is a five-minute walk from the parking lot.

You can visit Honeymoon Beach one of two ways. You can hike in via the Lind Point Trail, or you can take a taxi from the entrance of the former Caneel Bay Resort directly to Honeymoon. Parking for the taxi to Honeymoon is free at Caneel, although there is a charge for the taxi.

Again, as soon as I learn more, I will share it with all of you. Have a great day, everyone!

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. 

 

Lots of Live Music Events Happening Soon!

Jenn Manes

Update: About an hour after I posted today’s story. The Beach Bar announced that live music will be returning. Updates below. 

Based on what I’ve been reading on social media over the past month, many of you love hearing live music when you are visiting St. John. Well I have good news for you… there is a lot of great live music events happening soon!

Let’s start with The Beach Bar. Live music will return this week beginning tomorrow night. Visit their website for a full music schedule.

Our friends over at The Windmill Bar love live music too, and they are in the midst of planing their annual jam fest. The VI Jam Fest will take place from Thursday, March 6th through Saturday, March 8th. This is a free event that features several great bands. Here is who is playing this year:

Hit Makers and Rum Chasers is returning to St. John from Thursday, March 20th through Saturday, March 22nd. This is a pretty incredible culinary and music event. It is pricey, but there are some pretty big names attached to it like Matt Ramsey of Old Dominion and Mac McAnally. This three-day event costs $2,499 per person. That includes the following:

Click here to learn more about this event and to purchase tickets. 

Lovango Rum Bar has live music daily as well. Their music begins at 5:30 p.m. on the patio. Here is the schedule for the month of February:

Sun Dog Cafe has live music several days a week too. Check out their schedule:

And lastly, Miss Lucy’s holds open mic night every Thursday night from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. This is the only time Miss Lucy’s is open this season. The bar is open and food offerings vary weekly.

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. 

On the Market: Two Beautiful Two-Bedroom Homes w/ Amazing Views!

Jenn Manes

Was anyone lucky enough to win some money from the Super Bowl? Perhaps you are looking for a great investment in the most magical place on earth? Want to own your own home in St. John? Well look no further, because, today, I would like to tell you about not one, but two great investments here in St. John. Check them out!

Casa Amor

Casa Amor is a beautifully-designed and appointment home that has dramatic ocean and island views, including St. John’s East End, the British Virgin Islands, and beyond. This custom-built home features two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is a successful short-term vacation rental that has ocean views from every room. See for yourself!

Access to the home is easy, as it is accessible from paved roads, and it has room for three vehicles to park. (Driveways and parking can be tricky here on St. John, but not at Casa Amor!) The home has several great features like a beautiful, outdoor stone shower, travertine floors, solid wood cabinets, teak interior doors and even a custom-built outdoor BBQ with built-in sink, which makes for easy cleanup.

The great room, kitchen and primary suite with an ensuite bath are all located on the upper level, just beside the BBQ are and covered porch. The lower level has a second bedroom and bath in additional to the private pool.

Casa Amor recently has had many upgrades, including a new septic system, new water pump and plumbing, new furnishings, new drip irrigation, and so much more.

Casa Amor is listed for $1,495,000 with Tammy Donnelly at 340 Real Estate Co. If you would like to know more, please contact Tammy, owner of 340 Real Estate Co. at 340realestateco@gmail.com.

Moonglow Cottage

Moonglow Cottage is an octagonal Deltec home with stunning views of Coral Bay, St. John’s East End, the British Virgin Islands beyond. Views abound from every inch of this spacious Caribbean home. Relax in the generous living space while enjoying the gentle breezes and ocean views. The home features a screened-in outdoor dining area that’s steps away from a well-appointed gourmet kitchen, which features owner-created ceramic tiles. There is a king-sized, air-conditioned bedroom on the top floor, and a beautiful one-bedroom apartment located on the lower level. Moonglow Cottage features custom cypress ceilings, which is another beautiful touch. Check it out:

Moonglow Cottage is listed for $1,295,000 with Tammy Donnelly at 340 Real Estate Co. If you would like to know more, please contact Tammy, owner of 340 Real Estate Co. at 340realestateco@gmail.com.

 

Why the Bars are Closed

Jenn Manes

Hello everyone, and happy Saturday! So if you happen to be on island at the moment or of you are an avid reader of everything St. John, you may have noticed that several of our most popular bars are currently closed. The Windmill Bar, Maho Crossroads and Lovango Rum Bar have all been closed due to the health department. Now before you read too much into that, they did not close because they are dirty. They were forced to close due to the health department’s ever-changing and nonsensical requirements.

Let’s start with the basics. In order to operate a restaurant in the USVI, you need a health inspection. This is completely valid. The problem is that there is not list of requirements, and those requirements change as often as we change our underwear. The health department will show up and will fine these restaurants and often close them due to a requirement that is unknown, not written down and never relayed to the business. For example, a fine dining restaurant was told a few years back that all of its servers had to wear hairnets or baseball hats while working. Years ago, the women at Woody’s were told they had to have sleeves and not tank tops while working. Now, have you ever seen anyone at Extra Virgin or The Terrace in a ball cap, for example? Have you ever seen a female server at Woody’s not in a tank top? Of course not, and that’s because that requirement was only valid for a day or two. But it was enough to fine the restaurants at the time.

One of the three restaurants closed currently was fined because nutmeg spilled onto a bar top and made it look dirty. That’s what happens when you make drinks! That was one of the many ridiculous requirements that force these places to close. And what happens next? Businesses lose out on money. The staff loses out on money. The government loses out on taxes. And you all miss out on your vacation.

Now when these restaurants close, it’s not like the health inspectors will come back the next time to make certain the latest requirements have been addressed. They come back when they get to it, which could be days. So right now, you have three extremely busy bars on St. John who are simply waiting for a health inspector to show back up. Will that happen today? Tomorrow? Monday? No one knows.

Now let’s talk about the infamous health card. In order to work in a restaurant on St. John or to handle any sort of food or beverage in the Virgin Islands, you have to give a fecal sample to the health department. Apparently they are checking for worms. Once that’s tested and you pass (none of us believe it’s actually even tested, especially considering that we know people who have provide a sample from a pet), you are given a health card.  This, too, is difficult to attain as the machine that prints out the actual health cards is often broken. So there is yet another hurdle that these restaurants face, one which is often unattainable. You can’t work without a health card, but the government cannot always issue health cards. See how all of this works?

I apologize for today’s rant, but these closures really fire me up. As someone who lives with a man who has managed restaurants on St. John for over 20 years. I can say firsthand that the majority of these closures over the years have nothing to do with food safety, contamination, pest control or anything of the sort. If restaurants closed for those sort of things, I would totally understand and support it. But, again, these places are closing due to the health department’s ever-changing and nonsensical requirements.

I guess I will end today’s rant here. Hopefully our friends over at the Windmill, Maho and Lovango can reopen sooner than later. Have a great weekend everyone.