Explore STJ

Lime Inn Announces Upcoming Changes

Jenn Manes November 10, 2023 1 Comment

Earlier this week, I shared that Quiet Mon Pub has decided to close its doors after 26 years of operations. Well, today I have another announcement from a well-established Cruz Bay restaurant.

The owners of Lime Inn, Chelsea and Richard Baranowski have decided to change up their restaurant offerings for the upcoming season. They plan to open the bar area where they will offer a simpler “Lime Out-relevant concept.” The restaurant area will be available for event space and for buyouts, Chelsea told me earlier this week. Chelsea also mentioned that she plans to operate a small office out of the space with community betterment in mind.

“Lime Inn is under renovation while we switch up our concept and bring something new and exciting to Cruz Bay,” Chelsea said.

Chelsea’s family has owned Lime Inn since 1984. It is one of my favorite places in Cruz Bay, and I will miss the dinner service dearly. But everything that Chelsea and Richard create is amazing – Lime Out and Johnny Lime in Coral Bay, for example – so I know the next phase of Lime Inn will be great too.

As Chelsea mentioned, the restaurant is still undergoing renovations, and they plan to open on December 18th. I will let you know as soon as I learn more.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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It’s Webcam Wednesday!

Jenn Manes November 8, 2023 0 Comments

Hello everyone, and happy Wednesday! It’s my last day of vacay up in Connecticut, so I am not feeling super creative today. So I have officially decided that it is webcam Wednesday!

I hear it’s a tad rainy on the island today, so there will likely be lots of people milling about town today. Why not check them out on the webcams, right? You can see what’s happening inside The Beach Bar and maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of Mike who had to fly back yesterday, so he could make all of your Painkiller and Bushwacker dreams come true! Or check out our friends over at The Windmill Bar, a spot that has arguably one of the best views on St. John!

Curious who is coming or going at Cruz Bay ferry dock? Check out the Spice Cam! Want to see what’s happening in Cruz Bay itself? We have a webcam over there too! And so many more!

But before you go and check them all out, let’s chat about Quiet Mon for a second. (Click here if you missed the story.) I was blown away by the response we received yesterday. How sad is it that they have to close??!! I hear that someone has already agreed to pay the new astronomical rent over there, but I hope that’s not true. I understand that St. John is somewhat of a luxury destination and I understand that prices have increased across the board in recent years, but let’s not price out the people who make St. John so special. And that includes those who were born there and those, like me, that got there as fast as I could. Just my two cents…

Now go ahead and check out those webcams! The link is www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams. Enjoy!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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Quiet Mon Pub is Closing.

Jenn Manes November 7, 2023 30 Comments

A pic from the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day parade

Well, friends, this is a sad one to post. Quiet Mon Pub announced that it’s closing after 26 years in business. Its last day will be December 17th.

About a month or so back, I wrote about how the price of rentals – both for long-term residents and vacationers – have skyrocketed here on St. John. Well unfortunately that’s happening in the commercial space too. The rent at Quiet Mon was set to nearly double, which forced the business to make the difficult decision to close. I still have hope that someone will swoop in at the 11th hour, so it can keep its doors open. But sadly, I think that’s simply a dream of mine, perhaps a dream of many.

Quiet Mon is a place that just feels like home. You’re always greeted with a smile and there is always a friend or two (or three, four, or many more) parked over on one of its barstools. It served as a gathering place of sorts for residents and a place where vacationers wandered up the stairs to see the local watering hole that Kenny Chesney mentioned in his Be As You Are song.

🎶 Play my guitar in the Caribbean sun🎶 Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon🎶 Where you can be a tourist🎶 A beach bum or a star🎶 And be as you are

Everyone has a story about the Quiet Mon. Whether it’s falling down the stairs and nearly breaking your leg within the first few weeks of moving to the island (I’m looking at you, Mike Hedy!), or remembering that it was the last place you were before you lost your keys, cell phone and got knows what else (yup, this is a lot of us!), or simply locking the doors so you can have beers and football with friends, Quiet Mon is a place where so many memories have been made and will continue to be made over the next month-and-a-half.

Now go ahead and book that last-minute trip to St. John and hang with us over at the Quiet Mon. Sláinte.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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Turkey Trot, The Prom & More!

Jenn Manes November 6, 2023 2 Comments

Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I am writing this from a couch in freezing Connecticut, so I currently know what it’s like to wish you were in St. John! Ha! I went to a wedding in New Haven yesterday, and it was absolutely beautiful! I head back to the island later this week. Warm weather, soon come!

From yesterday’s wedding… How did Dalton get so big?!

There are a few island events happening soon that I wanted to tell you about. Airfare has gotten a bit cheaper, so maybe you can come and visit for one of them! Here we go…

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

Looking to burn off some calories before your Thanksgiving feast? Well, you’re in luck because there is going to be a quick little St. John Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Peter Alter, the man who created 8 Tuff Miles, is holding a three-mile race for adults and a one-mile race for children on Thursday, November 23rd at 7:30 a.m. Participants should meet at the Annaberg parking lot prior to race time. The race is being held to support the Animal Care Center. The entry fee is one can of cat or dog food. Dalton and I will be there to support the dogs and cats, and I hope you will be too!

The “Prom” All Island Holiday Party

This is the one day of the year that you will actually see us ladies in heels on St. John! The 28th annual All Island Holiday Party, also known as The Prom, is scheduled for Saturday, December 16th. The party is being hosted by Michael and Barbie Barry, owners of Sun Dog Cafe. This is a great time and not to be missed!

The Animal Care Center’s Annual Gala

As the newest Board Member for the Animal Care Center, I am excited to share that our annual gala is happening on Saturday, January 27th at The Last Resort villa in Chocolate Hole. This is an amazing event at an amazing villa for an even more amazing cause! I hope you all can come! Details on tickets and raffle sales soon come…

And speaking of the Animal Care Center, they have brand new merchandise for sale! Please check it out and consider supporting our little fur babies! Hoodies are $40, rashguards are $30, and kids t-shirts are $20. Please email info@stjacc.org to purchase. (Prices do not include shipping.)

And there you have it, folks. A few more reasons to come and visit us! Have a great day everyone! I hope to see you soon!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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Here’s What’s Currently Happening on St. John!

Jenn Manes November 2, 2023 0 Comments

Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! I thought I would take a few minutes to share a little island update with all of you.

I am happy to report that the rain has finally stopped… thank goodness! Yes, we could always use some, but four straight days of soaking rain was a little much. We had some rain early Monday, which was followed by clouds, and it’s been sunny ever since!

We had so much rain that there continue to be little waterfalls around the island. The gut near Cinnamon Bay has had a small waterfall all week. The one beside the petroglyphs at Reef Bay must be raging at this point. I’m a tad too laxy to walk down to take a photo for you all, so please just take my word on that one – lol.

The waterfall near Cinnamon Bay was flowing pretty well earlier this week.

An older photo of the waterfall at Reef Bay. Image credit: Steve Simonsen Photography

The island has definitely gotten much busier in recent weeks. Season is here! We’re by no means overwhelmed, but there are definitely more groups of people milling about. The parking lots are fuller, but I am still seeing availability at the top spots like Trunk Bay and Maho around noon, which is nice for all of us beachgoers.

Speaking of the beaches, when it rains as hard as it did over the weekend, there is a considerable amount of runoff that gets into the bays. Maho Bay gets a fair amount of brown water, which seems to cause the turtles to take a little vacay. The water should be back to normal in a day or two, and we will see more turtles over there. I have only seen a handful over the past few days.

If you are lucky enough to be on island or if you are checking out Explore STJ’s Webcam page, you will see just how green and lush the island currently is. It looks absolutely incredible! And all of our flowers are in bloom. Seriously, St. John is looking pretty amazing at the moment.

Speaking of season, nearly all of our restaurants have reopened. Friends invited us to Extra Virgin Bistro for its opening last night, and it was absolutely perfect. Banana Deck, another favorite of mine, reopens tomorrow night. We’re still waiting on info from Lime Inn, but hopefully they do reopen this year… fingers crossed!

Well there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this little island update! Have a great day everyone!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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A Closer Look at Cinnamon Bay

Jenn Manes November 1, 2023 1 Comment

The beach at Cinnamon Bay on Oct. 31, 2023.

Hello, and happy Wednesday. Can you believe it’s November 1st??! The campground at Cinnamon Bay reopens today after being closed for two months for off-season, so I thought we’d take a closer look at some of the amenities at Cinnamon Bay.

Let’s start with location. Cinnamon Bay is roughly 15-20 minutes from Cruz Bay. It’s located on North Shore Road, which is Route 20 on the map. There is ample parking at Cinnamon Bay for those of you who opt to rent a vehicle, and it’s also easy to taxi to. The cost for a taxi is $14 if you are traveling alone and $11 if you are traveling with two or more people.

Cinnamon Bay is full of amenities, which stay open even when the campground is closed during September and October. There is a camp store that sells everything from snacks and cold drinks to ice and cute souvenirs. The camp store opens daily at 10 a.m.

Down near the beach, you will find a beach cafe and two rental huts. The beach cafe sells sodas and alcoholic drinks, as well as light snacks and lunch items like sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, and a pulled pork sandwich.

There is a rental hut across from the beach cafe that rents snorkel gear, life vests, rafts, kayaks, and more. There is a second rental hut beside the beach where you can pick up the chairs and kayaks.

This is where you pick up chairs and kayaks.

There is also a bathhouse at Cinnamon Bay that is available to beachgoers. There are restrooms with running water and a spigot to wash your feet at the end of the day. There are no showers available for non-guests.

This bath house at Cinnamon Bay is available for beachgoers.

Cinnamon Bay is a beautiful beach. It tends to have more waves than other North Shore beaches, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Looking to stay at the Cinnamon Bay Campground? You can do so for as little as $40 a night. There are tent sites available, as well as permanent tents and concrete cottages. Click here to read a story that details all of the overnight options at Cinnamon Bay.

Trunk and Maho tend to be two of the more popular beaches here on St. John, but don’t sleep on Cinnamon Bay. It’s a great spot. Be sure to check it out on your next visit!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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