Hello everyone, and welcome to the weekend! One of the biggest parts of planning a vacation (for me at least) revolves around where I’m going to eat. Well I am excited to tell you today that yet another great St. John restaurant has reopened, signaling that high season is just around the corner.
Our friends over at Extra Virgin Bistro reopened last night after being closed for off season for nearly three months. They plan to continue with their three-course tasting menu this season, which is delish! Guests get an appetizer, salad and entree for $100. Children under the age of five are able to order off of a kid’s menu for those of you with little ones like me.
Nearly all of our fine dining restaurants have reopened on St. John at this point with the exception of ZoZo’s. They plan to reopen at Caneel Bay in December. Numerous restaurants remain closed for off season, but are expected to reopen soon. Here’s the scoop:
Banana Deck – Reopening November 13th if all goes as planned
Cinnamon Bay’s Raintree Restaurant – Reopening November 1st (Food truck is currently open beside the beach for lunch.)
Drink – Reopening on Halloween
Island Breeze – Reopening mid-November
Kati Lago/Island Cork – Reopening TBD
Lovango Resort & Beach Club – Reopening December 19th
Pizza Pi – Reopening date TBD
Ronnie’s Pizza – Reopening in new location soon…
Skinny Legs – Reopening November 1st
ZoZo’s at Caneel Bay – Reopening in December
Want to know where all of our restaurants are located? Then please check out our restaurant map at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap
Please don’t forget to enter our raffle. For just $25, you can enter to win a St. John vacation. Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get the details and purchase tickets at www.explorestj.com/raffle.
Well folks, some tidbits are too good to wait to share! The Reef Bay hike is returning next month… how great is that??!!
For those of you who are not familiar with the Reef Bay hike, it’s a rather tough 2.2-mile hike down a rather steep hill from Centerline Road to Reef Bay beach. There are remnants of the longest running sugar plantation at the base of Reef Bay, as well as petroglyphs, which are reached from a quick .22-mile spur trail. The hike down isn’t too terrible; it’s the more than two mile hike back up that gets you. But that’s all about to change!
Beginning on Monday, November 21st, you will be able to hike down Reef Bay alongside a Virgin Islands National Park ranger, who will discuss a variety of items along the way, including the area’s rich history, the local flora and fauna, and much more. You will have the opportunity to visit the petroglyphs, as well, which are ancient rock carvings done by the pre-Colombian Taino. Once you get to the bottom of Reef Bay, you will hop aboard the Sadie Sea boat, which is now owned and operated by Wharfside Watersports.
Remnants of the Reef Bay plantation – Image credit: Sarah HansonSome of the petroglyphs carved by the Taino – Image credit: Sarah Hanson
The cost of this guided hike is $75, and trips run on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trips will depart from the National Park Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m., and transportation will be provided to the Reef Bay trailhead. The hike down takes roughly three hours. The guided hike concludes with a picturesque 40-minute boat ride back to Cruz Bay… so no more hiking back up! Unless you want to, that is. 🙂
Please note: The only way to take advantage of the boat ride back to Cruz Bay is by buying a ticket for the guided hike in advance. If you hike Reef Bay on your own, a boat will not be waiting at the bottom to transport you back to town, nor will you be able to hop on the boat when it is there, unless you have a ticket.
And for those of you who have been paying attention to our weather lately, you have probably seen that the island has received a tremendous amount of rain this week. Rains like this create an beautiful waterfall at Reef Bay. I’d like to thank Sarah Hanson for sharing the following pics with us, which she took yesterday during a hike with her two adorable pups.
The waterfall was flowing yesterday! Image credit: Sarah HansonEven Kush & Milo love Reef Bay! Image credit: Sarah Hanson & these are her adorable dogs 🙂
Please don’t forget to enter our raffle. For just $25, you can enter to win a St. John vacation. Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get the details and purchase tickets at www.explorestj.com/raffle.
People often ask me during my island tours if there is a beautiful beach they can walk to from Cruz Bay. The answer is yes, and it’s one of the best!
Honeymoon is one of the closest north shore beaches to Cruz Bay. It is very quiet and serene, as you can only access it currently by hiking in via the Lind Point trail or by boat. It’s a decent-sized beach, especially for St. John standards, and it has a nice reef, which is nestled between Honeymoon and Salomon beaches. The walk to Honeymoon via the lower Lind Point trail is roughly a mile, and it takes about 25 minutes or so depending on your pace.
The Lind Point trail starts just behind the National Park’s visitor center in Cruz Bay. If you are not familiar with that building, it is the large yellow building that is located next to the creek and across the street and down a little from Mongoose Junction. Walk behind the visitor center, and you will see a set of stairs. That is where the hike begins.
(If you have a vehicle and plan to park and hike, you have to go into the visitor center to obtain a parking pass. There is not a fee associated with this pass.)
The trail begins behind the National Park’s visitor center in Cruz Bay.Walk up these stairs, take a left and then a right to begin the Lind Point trail.
To start the hike to Honeymoon, you will walk up these stairs and then take left at the top. You will see the Caneel Bay apartments to your right and beautiful views of Cruz Bay to your left. You will walk up a small hill, and will quickly see the trail going into the woods on your right.
Take a right and walk up the stone stairs to start the Lind Point trail to Honeymoon beach.
There is a small incline at the begin of the trail as you walk up the rocky steps and onto the main path. This slight climb lasts only for a few minutes before the trail levels out.
Within just a few minutes of walking, you will come to an intersection with a large rock in the middle. The trail to your right takes you to the upper Lind Point Trail. This trail also leads you to Honeymoon beach, but today we’re sticking to the lower Lind Point trail. So you will want to take a left at this intersection.
When you arrive at this intersection, take a left to stay on the lower Lind Point trail.
As you can see in the photos below, there are some rocky areas along this trail. There are also some spots that are very sunny, and others that are rather overgrown. This trail is definitely doable in flip flops, but it’s a lot easier in sneakers or sandals with straps like Tevas or something similar to that.
The lower Lind Point trail is rocky at times.There are some spots that are in full sun, so sunscreen is recommended.The trail is a bit overgrown at times due to the recent rain.
After roughly 15 minutes of walking, you will come the trail that leads down to Salomon beach. As you continue walking, you will see another trail that leads slightly uphill on your right. This connects to the upper Lind Point trail. Skip both of those trails and continue forward if you’d like to visit Honeymoon beach.
Stay straight and follow the lower Lind Point trail signs.The skinny trail on the left leads to Salomon. Stay on the main trail (slight right) to go to Honeymoon.
You will come to yet another intersection about five minutes further. This is a larger intersection where the trails are wider. If you follow the trail straight and up to your right, you would eventually come up to North Shore Road, or Route 20 on the map. Take the more narrow trail downhill to get to Honeymoon beach.
This is your final intersection. Take a left to go to Honeymoon.Honeymoon is at the end of this path.
And then you come to this…
Pretty gorgeous right??!! Check out a few more pics:
So as I mentioned, I absolutely love Honeymoon beach. The views are gorgeous, as you can see, but it’s also a great place to snorkel. And there are so many fish! If you are interested in snorkeling and seeing numerous species of fish, including blue tang, parrotfish, sergeant major and more, simply access the water at the far end of the beach to your left if you are looking at the water. That’s where the reef is located. Be cautious though, because there is usually a small current that pulls you to your left.
Want to walk to Honeymoon from the ferry dock? The map below shows you how to do so.
This map has you walking along the road to the trail. You can also cut through a small parking lot to walk to the trailhead.
Hello everyone! This post is going to be short, sweet and to the point. St. John taxi rates increased this week. Here’s the scoop…
Taxi rates have remained the same since October 2005, so they are long overdue for a rate increase. After several months of discussion, the official rate increase began earlier this week. (Rates increased on St. Thomas as well.) Here is a sampling of the new fares from Cruz Bay:
Cruz Bay to Hawksnest Beach: The cost is now $9 for a single rider and $8 each for two or more traveling together.
Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay: The cost is now $12 for a single rider and $9 each for two or more traveling together.
Cruz Bay to Cinnamon Bay: The cost is now $14 for a single rider and $11 each for two or more traveling together.
Cruz Bay to Maho Bay: The cost is now $17 for a single rider and $12 each for two or more traveling together.
Cruz Bay to the Westin: The cost is now $9 for a single rider and $7 each for two or more traveling together.
Here is the complete list of fares originating from and going to Cruz Bay courtesy of vinow.com:
Image source: vinow.com
There are additional fares originating from and going to the following spots on island:
Coral Bay
Gallows Point
Caneel Bay
Westin Resort
Neptune’s Landing/Windmill Bar
If a spot is not listed on the tariff sheet, the rate will be determined based on the two nearest points. You can see the full rate sheet in its entirety on vinow.com.
Please don’t forget to enter our raffle. For just $25, you can enter to win a St. John vacation. Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get the details and purchase tickets at www.explorestj.com/raffle.
For just $25, you can enter to win a week-long St. John vacation right here in Cruz Bay.
Hello everyone! I am ridiculously excited to share today’s tidbits with you! Ok, so anyone who knows me know that I love a good raffle! I’ve held a handful over the years, and I think it’s time to do it again!
I received a call earlier this month from Carey Deckard, an owner at Grande Bay Resort in Cruz Bay. Carey and his wife Janelle generously offered to donate a week-long stay over at Grande Bay. Carey is a longtime reader of mine, and he wants to help raise money for the Animal Care Center of St. John. I immediately said yes, and then reached out to friends who own businesses on island, asking for additional donations. And they all immediately said yes too! So exciting!
Drum roll please…
I am super excited to announce the first very first (but certainly not the last!) Island Tidbits raffle in conjunction with the Animal Care Center! There is only one grand prize, and it is pretty incredible. For just $25, you can enter to win the following St. John vacation:
A six-night stay at Livin’ the Dream at Grande Bay – (You can choose to stay in either the studioor the one-bedroom unit.)
The raffle has an estimated value of roughly $4,500.
The raffle period has ended.
How the drawing works: Once the entry period is over, the raffle committee will personally write/type the names of each entrant on a raffle ticket. If you buy one ticket, we will write/type your name on one ticket. If you buy two tickets ($50 total), we will write/type your name on two tickets. If you buy three tickets ($75 total), we will write/type your name on three tickets. And so forth. You will not receive a ticket by mail or email. All of the names will be placed into a secure bucket/basket/box. Once all of the names are written on tickets, we will draw the winner live on video. The winner will be announced on explorestj.com. A video of the drawing will also be posted on explorestj.com. The raffle period will end on Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 9 p.m. AST. The winner will be announced on explorestj.com on or about November 18, 2022. All tickets purchased will be treated as donations to the Animal Care Center on St. John. Now go ahead and enter! Good luck!! And thank you for supporting the Animal Care Center!
The Fine Print:
The winner must adhere to the individual property/business rules and restrictions.
The one-week stay at Livin’ the Dream is based on availability. The winner can choose to stay at either the studio OR the one-bedroom unit. If Livin’ the Dream requires a deposit, the winner is responsible for paying that fee.
The half-day island tour with Explore STJ is based on availability. Gratuity is not included.
The sunset sail on Palm Tree Charters is based on availability. Gratuity is not included.
All gift certificates will be provided to the winner at check in.
In the event that a property/business becomes uninhabitable due to a storm, fire, or Act of God, the winner agrees to forfeit the prize.
We strongly encourage the winner to purchase travel insurance.
None of the prizes are transferrable without the business owner’s consent.
Honeymoon Beach – The view from the soon-to-open Caneel Bay Beach Club.
You know that I love to share a good tidbit with you, and today I have a couple of interesting morsels!
I was walking down to Honeymoon Beach yesterday when I noticed some work happening at the former concessions area that closed back in January. Being the curious gal I am, I walked over and asked a few questions. And here’s the scoop!
The Caneel Bay Beach Club is preparing to open at Honeymoon beach, and it sounds pretty nice. It will be a more upscale operation than in years past, they said, and it will be open daily from sun up to sun down.
The Caneel Bay Beach Club will offer cabana and chair rentals, as well as food and beverage, which will be provided by one of our favorites here on St. John. (More to come on that soon!) Restrooms and showers will be available to guests, and there will be a gift shop onsite that will sell towels, beachwear and other items needed for a perfect day on the beach.
Screenshot from Caneel Bay Beach Club’s websiteThe former food hut has been repaintedThe gift shopPlantings look great!An additional building sits at the far end of the beach.
Transportation to Honeymoon Beach will return, and will include a shuttle from Caneel Bay’s main entrance to Honeymoon. That cost will be $10 roundtrip. They also plan to offer water shuttle service from Cruz Bay, as well as villa pickups. I will provide more details on those services, including the water shuttle schedule, when its becomes available.
If all goes as planned, the Caneel Bay Beach Club is set to open around November 1st.
(Clarification: Caneel Bay is not running the concessions area: it simply leased the space to the new Caneel Bay Beach Club concessionaire.)
Want to know exactly where the Caneel Bay Beach Club will be located? I just added its location to our restaurant map. Visit www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap to check it out.
Please don’t forget to enter our raffle. For just $25, you can enter to win a St. John vacation. Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get the details and purchase tickets at www.explorestj.com/raffle.
