The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise pulled into Cruz Bay early Tuesday morning.
The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise is making its annual stop in St. John today, and it’s sure to be a party! The Holland America Nieuw Statendam is scheduled to anchor off of Cruz Bay until 7 p.m., and it will be bringing some very talented musicians to our shores.
Our very own Pamela Everett-Love and Haile Israel will be playing at Franklin Powell Park (across from the ferry dock) starting at 11 a.m. They will be followed by Kid Andersen’s Greaseland All Stars will be playing at Franklin Powell Park (across from the ferry dock) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Mitch Woods & Friends kicks off the music at The Windmill Bar at noon and will be playing until 3 p.m.
Zac Harmon & the Drive will be playing at Mongoose Junction from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
David Julia, Mike Ancona & the Crow’s Nest All Stars will be joining Just Friends at The Beach Bar from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
It’s always a fun time when the Blues Cruise stops by, so be sure to swing by Cruz Bay today! Mike, my other half, is bartending at High Tide until 3 p.m., so be sure to swing by and say hi!
Jolly Dog, Coral Bay’s popular clothing and souvenir shop, now has a new location in Cruz Bay!
Jolly Dog recently opened its doors over at The Marketplace. It’s located on the first floor, right near Starfish Market. I stopped by the new location earlier this week, and the store looks great! They have a variety of clothing, hats, sandals, stickers, sunscreens, and more. They also have an impressive selection of jewelry courtesy of their sister shop Zemi.
Check out a few pics:
The History of Jolly Dog
Jeff Donnelly first opened Jolly Dog in 1997 at Shipwreck Landing in Coral Bay. It took over a spot that was previously known as Coral Bay Cabana, a small space tucked beside the Tallship Trading Company, the spot most recently occupied by Pizzabar in Paradise. The second Jolly Dog opened over at Skinny Legs about eight months later. It took over the old Tutu Tango spot, which is where Mumbo Jumbo is today. The two spots were open for several years.
Jolly Dog opened at Isola Shoppes in March of 2017. Hurricane Irma hit later that year and destroyed the Skinny Legs store. At that point, Jeff decided to operate solely out of the Isola Shoppes location. That was until late last year when he reopened this new post at The Marketplace. I don’t know about you, but I love knowing the history of things.
When & How to Shop
Jolly Dog at The Marketplace is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are open on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They are open at Isola Shoppes Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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.
So the weather up there looks pretty terrible over the next several days. I keep seeing lots of snow, ice and frigid temperatures throughout a good chunk of the country. I know many of you would prefer to be here and need a little warm up, so I wanted to remind you today about all of the webcams that are located around St. John.
St. John has more than 20 live streaming webcams throughout the island. You can see all of them 24/7 at www.explorestj.com/webcams. Here are a few of our favorites:
The Original – St. John Spice Cam
This is just a screenshot while IT works on this.
The Spice Cam was the island’s very first webcam. It was installed above the Cruz Bay ferry dock back in 2006. This is a great one if you want to see who is coming and going, including the ferries. They’re working on some IT issues today, but this one should be back up and running very soon.
The Beach Bar
Who doesn’t want to be at an island bar that happens to be located on a beautiful beach? You can see who is hanging out and perhaps who is overindulging at The Beach Bar, which is located on Cruz Bay beach near the ferry dock. The Beach Bar also has a beach cam and a stage cam that’s up when live bands are playing.
The Windmill Bar
Want to see one of the best views in St. John? Then check out The Windmill Bar’s webcam. You can see beautiful daytime views, plus incredible sunset views at night. Tonight’s sunset is at 6:07 p.m. if you want to check it out.
The Blind Donkey’s Street Cam
This one has gotten quite popular recently. You can see who is walking around town or perhaps passing by. This camera faces the area near Woody’s and Tap & Still.
Soggy Dollar Bar – Our Favorite Off-Island Webcam
Want to see what’s happening at one of the most popular bars in the world? Soggy Dollar is located on one of the prettiest beaches in the world – White Bay, Jost van Dyke.
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.
Ronnie’s is located on the bottom right of Palm Plaza (left).
Today’s post is short, sweet and to the point. Ronnie’s Pizza will now be open for lunch. This starts tomorrow, January 20th, and I am super excited for it!
Ronnie’s Pizza is located in Palm Plaza in Cruz Bay, which is next to the Westin Resort and across the street from Dolphin Market. (This is not the Dolphin Market that is at the roundabout. This Dolphin Market was formerly called St. John Market. Confusing, I know.)
Lunch will be available at Ronnie’s Tuesday through Friday starting at noon. They will continue opening at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Ronnie’s is open until 8 p.m. nightly. Delivery is available from 6-ish to 8-ish Tuesday through Saturday. Ronnie’s is closed on Sunday and Monday.
Ronnie’s has more than just pizza. Check out their menu:
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.
A humpback whale was spotted near Thatch Cay today. Image credit: St. Thomas Magazine
I LIVE for this time of year! The whales are officially back!
Why the Whales are Here
Humpback whales migrate through our waters every year. It typically happens between January and March, but they’ve been spotted as late as April over the years. The humpbacks migrate through the Caribbean during the winters months to mate and give birth to their calves in our warm and protected waters. Our warm waters make it easier for the calves to build up a nice layer of blubber before heading north to colder water. It’s pretty common to see mothers and calves frolicking in our waters, as the calves learn to surface and swim, breach and other important whale things. 🙂
Where to See Them
St. Thomas Magazine saw whales inside of Thatch Cay earlier today, pretty close to Coki beach in St. Thomas. Thatch Cay can be seen from several spots around the Cruz Bay side of the island, so maybe some of you were lucky enough to see them too! These whales can be seen just about anywhere around St. John, St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands, so keep a look out!
Over the years, I have seen whales off of the ferries and barges, from Honeymoon Beach, out near Tektite on St. John’s south shore and more. If you are on a beach or a boat, hanging out at an overlook, or even casually sitting at your villa, keep an eye out. We do not have whale watch cruises here like some spots up north, but if you happen to be on a boat trip over the next couple of months, you may get lucky and see some.
Happy whale watching!
Another pic from today’s whale sighting! Image credit: St. Thomas Magazine
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.
The Last Resort is hosting the 2026 Animal Care Center gala.
The Animal Care Center is hosting its annual gala next Saturday, January 24th, and tickets are selling fast, so go out and get yours today!
This gala is the Animal Care Center’s largest annual fundraiser, so it would really mean a lot to us if you attend. I am proud to say that I am a board member of the Animal Care Center. This is a cause near and dear to my heart.
This year’s gala will be hosted by The Last Resort, a palatial and newly-remodeled, six-bedroom villa that overlooks the ocean in Chocolate Hole. The gala will feature live music by Pam & Broheem, as well as DJ Adonis. The food is great and plentiful, and the drinks will be flowing! We will have a great silent auction, in addition to an onsite raffle.
Tickets for the gala cost $200 in advance or $225 at the door. How to Purchase Tickets:
– Animal Care Center Office: Stop by Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:00 PM. They accept cash, check, Visa, and Mastercard.
– Phone: Call the Animal Care Center at 340-774-1625 to purchase tickets; they will be held for “will call” at the door.
– STJ Hardware: Tickets can also be purchased at STJ Hardware during their business hours (cash or check only).
