ExploreSTJ.com

Hello everyone, and happy Wednesday! I am excited to tell you about a new restaurant that recently opened in Cruz Bay. It’s called The Hideaway STJ, and it’s been receiving rave reviews!

The Hideaway STJ is the latest concept created by my friend Vince “Vinny” Alterio. Vinny is an incredibly talented chef, who worked at La Tapa and Asolare before launching his own private chef and catering company. I’ve had the privilege of using Vinny’s private chef services multiple times over the years, so I can tell you firsthand that it’s top-notch.

Naturally, I was super excited earlier this year when Vinny told me about his latest project – The Hideaway STJ. Vinny wanted to create a spot with the taste of a Michelin Star, but one that felt like home, he told me. And I am excited to say that he has created just that.

The Hideaway STJ is located in the back of the former Lumberyard complex, tucked between the Roti King and St. John Ice. The Lumberyard is located up the hill from the bulkhead dock (which is between customs and the Visitor’s Center), and about halfway to Dolphin Market at the roundabout. For those of you who visited us post-hurricane, it’s the area where Barefoot Cowboy used to be, among other businesses.

(Click here to check out Explore STJ’s searchable restaurant map to see exactly where The Hideaway STJ is located.)

The Hideaway STJ is a cozy restaurant with amazing views of the Creek. Like many of you, I loved sitting at Barefoot Cowboy and watching the boat show every afternoon and then the sunset at night. I’m excited that we have a spot to do that, once again.

Vinny built a custom food trailer, which serves as the kitchen for The Hideaway STJ. It is an open kitchen, so guests can watch the chefs at work, which is always fun. Joining Vinny on his team are chefs Juan Orlandi and Trace Miller.

The Hideaway’s menu features a variety of fresh, local ingredients and will vary based on time of year. Here are the current selections:

The Hideaway STJ is open Friday through Monday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. They plan to close for off-season at the end of August. Its reopening date has yet to be announced.

Check out The Hideaway’s website at STJHideaway.com for more information. Cheers all & congrats Vinny!

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

It’s never too early to book your island tour!

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.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

We are in the midst of St. John’s annual Festival celebration. The timing coincides with the Fourth of July, but our festival isn’t celebrating the Declaration of Independence. It is honoring one of the most important days in St. John’s history – emancipation.

The Danes took control of St. John in 1718. At that time, they brought enslaved people to the island to work the sugar plantations. The enslaved people were finally freed on July 3, 1848. July 4th is celebrated so widely on St. John, because it was the first morning of freedom for the formerly-enslaved people. July 3rd is Emancipation Day and will be honored with a ceremony in the park tomorrow at 10 a.m.

How Word of Emancipation was Spread 

Captain Ingjald Mourier was the owner of the Lameshur plantation in 1848. He arrived in Cruz Bay from St. Thomas to alert everyone about the pronouncement of Emancipation. He quickly informed Police Master Carl Hanshell of the news, and the pair set off on horseback to inform people across the island. The enslaved population on Estate Adrian – which is about three miles up Centerline Road – were the first to learn of their newfound freedom. From there, word of emancipation was spread plantation to plantation.

J’ouvert

J’ouvert is a street party that celebrates the first sunrise of freedom. This celebration is typically held at daybreak on July 4th, but has been held a few days early the last couple of years. During j’ouvert, people dance through the streets while celebrating freedom. It’s a pretty incredible event.

July 4th Parade Details

The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Think island time, my friends. Wear comfy shoes and loose fitting clothes, because this is a hot and long one. Rain is forecasted too, so keep an umbrella handy.

The parade starts behind the ball field in Cruz Bay. It continues in front of Mongoose Junction and toward Cap’s Place and the Post Office. It takes a right at the Post Office and goes toward the ferry dock. It then takes a left up the one-way past Connections. It will then continue up the hill past Woody’s and Extra Virgin until it reaches the roundabout.

July 4th Fireworks Information

The fireworks are usually set up from one of the barges in front of Cruz Bay harbor. Cruz Bay beach is a great spot to watch them. The Cruz Bay overlook is too. The fireworks are scheduled to start at 9 p.m.

Music

It’s a great time to be in St. John!

If you are unable to be on island, you can check out some of the island’s webcams to see the celebration. View them at www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams. You may be able to catch some of the fireworks on St. John Spice’s Spice Cam.

Enjoy everyone! Happy Festival! And Happy Fourth of July! Stay safe!

Hello everyone, and happy Friday! There are so many great villas here in St. John, so I’ve decided to share some of my favorites with you. Remember last month’s power outages that were happening way too often? I hit my breaking point one day – let’s be honest, all of our nerves were completely frazzled by it – and I was lucky enough to receive an offer from a friend to spend the weekend at a beautiful villa that happened to have solar power and backup batteries. It look me all of five seconds to accept the offer, and I quickly started packing an overnight bag! So with that, I would like to formally introduce you to Cay Syrah villa. 

Cay Syrah is a stunning six-bedroom villa that can easily sleep 12 people comfortably. The vacation rental is set up perfectly for multi-generational family and multi-family vacations, or single-family vacations. Cay Syrah is quite large – the home has four levels – but it is also amazingly comfortable.

Cay Syrah is located in Cruz Bay and has amazing views of Pillsbury Sound, the Caribbean Sea, St. Thomas and the surrounding cays. Entry to the house is off a wide driveway, which has ample space to park four cars and includes a turnaround spot for easy maneuvering. Two additional cars can park on the street directly in front of the house. The site has been beautifully landscaped and includes several fruit-beating trees like bananas, mangoes, papayas, limes, and starfruit. You are more than welcome to help yourself to any when they are ripe to pick. Yum!

Even the front door at Cay Syrah is cool. The beautiful stained-glass door was once the entry to a gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. How neat is that?!

The Space

The air conditioned top level of Cay Syrah includes an open floor plan with great room, dining room and chef’s kitchen. A full 12-foot wide pocketing sliding door system brings the indoor and outdoor living spaces together with separate comfortable seating and dining areas on the covered outdoor deck.

The chef’s kitchen features custom mahogany cabinets, granite counter tops, a separate full-sized refrigerator and full-sized freezer, a double oven, five burner gas cooktop, and two full-sized dishwashers. This house is designed as a space to have fun. It can also accommodate a small wedding or other such party if prior approval has been granted.

The upstairs master has a king bed, large under-bed safe, and en-suite bathroom with a large, no-curb shower and double sink vanity. The bathroom is wheelchair accessible and includes several well positioned grab bars and a full seat in the shower.

A uniquely designed interior stairway, covered exterior stairs from the deck, and a graciously sloped exterior ramp all lead to the mid-level which has three more en-suite bedrooms, pool, outdoor kitchen/café, and laundry room. Two of these bedrooms are set up with king-sized beds with the third set up with two twins which can be converted to a king as needed. Each bathroom has a no-curb shower, again for ease of entry should additional guests require handicap accessibility. The outdoor kitchen has an outdoor television for viewing – even while in the saltwater pool. The pool also has gates installed, so that the pool can be made off limits for younger guests.

​The lower level of the house, the garden apartment, is not handicap accessible. Access to this level is by exterior stairs either from the driveway or the pool deck. The garden level apartment has one king bedroom with a small bunk room, a great room, full kitchen, and one bathroom. One bedroom is set up with a king-sized bed and the other, smaller bedroom, has a twin bunk bed, which is great for children. This level also boasts a Tiki Hut bar with cover seating and a lawn for yard games.

Accessibility

Cay Syrah is perfect for a multi-generational vacation as it is a handicap accessible house with a grand, and gracious ramp connecting the top two levels. The villa was designed to accommodate the mobility challenged, and features accessible bathrooms with easy entry no-curb showers that also have seats, grab bars, and both a fixed head and hand-held shower, comfort height toilets, and 36” entry doors to all rooms. While not fully ADA compliant, very few villas (if any) on St. John can compare with Cay Syrah’s accessibility.

Available for use while renting:

• Wheelchair
• Walker
• Stand-alone toilet safety rail

Rates & How to Book

Rates for Cay Syrah villa start at $749 a night and vary based on the time of year and number of guests. Please contact Caribbean Soul Vacations at www.caribbeansoulvacations.com to learn more.

Thank You!

I would like to thank Dave and Julie, owners of Caribbean Soul Vacations, for giving my family a little reprieve during last month’s outages. You two are the best!