Keith Macneir at Skinny Legs. Image credit: Leah Hanson
Keith Macneir, a former St. John resident of more than 10 years, was one of the 18 victims killed in the Maine mass shootings.
Keith was described as a kind soul and a great friend to many. He was a man who never judged others and was always there for his friends. Keith was the type of person who opened up his home to anyone who was in need of a place to stay. Simply put, he was an amazing person whose life shouldn’t have been taken due to yet another senseless act of violence.
Keith worked for the Virgin Islands National Park from 2009 through 2017, most recently as the chief of maintenance.
I’ve been getting a lot of emails about restaurants that remain closed for low season. Well, I have good news to share today. A few more of your favorites are set to reopen very soon!
Our friends over at Extra Virgin Bistro are working hard to reopen. They installed some new kitchen equipment while they were closed for off-season, and if all goes as planned, Extra Virgin will reopen next Wednesday. Fingers crossed!
I also reached out to Banana Deck today, because, truthfully, I need some B-Deck in my world. If all goes as planned over there, they will reopen at the end of next week, potentially Thursday or Friday.
The Cinnamon Bay campground will reopen on November 1st. The food truck and watersports rentals have remained open during off-season.
Miss Lucy’s announced earlier this week that it will reopen on December 1st.
Zozo’s plans to reopen on December 13th.
Lovango Resort + Beach Club plans to reopen in mid-December.
Lime Inn and VI Wine Shop remain closed. Neither business has a reopening date at this time, which really bums me out because they’re two of my favorite spots!
Want to know where all of these restaurants are located? Please check out our searchable restaurant map at www.ExploreSTJ.com/restaurantmap.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Today’s post will be short and sweet, but super helpful. The downtown ferry is finally scheduled to resume after being offline for months.
Varlack Ventures announced Tuesday that they plan to resume ferry service between Cruz Bay and Charlotte Amalie on Wednesday, November 1st. The ferry will leave Charlotte Amalie daily at 10 a.m., 3 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. The ferry will leave Cruz Bay daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 3:45 p.m.
The cost of the ferry is $13 for adults (non-residents) and $3.50 for children ages two through 11. Children under two are free. Bags are $4 each. Personal items like backpacks and purses are free of charge.
This ferry travels between Cruz Bay and Charlotte Amalie, which is about five minutes or so from the airport. Charlotte Amalie is St. Thomas’ downtown area that has lots of shopping.
Once the Charlotte Amalie ferry resumes, you will have three ferry options between St. John and St. Thomas. There is the Red Hook – Cruz Bay ferry, and also thr Crown Bay – Cruz Bay ferry.
News you can use today, folks!
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
A baby sea turtle makes its way toward the ocean on St. John. Image credit: Virgin Islands National Park
Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday. Today we’re talking turtles!
We are in the midst of sea turtle nesting season here on St. John, so today I thought I’d share a quick little update for you all. As of last week, there have been 17 Hawksbill sea turtle nests found and four Green sea turtle nests found. In comparison, we had a total of 21 Hawksbill, two green, and two leatherback sea turtle nests last season. So as you can see, we’re having a great season so far!
Sea turtles lay eggs on beaches located around St. John. The eggs take roughly 55 to 70 days to hatch, according to the Virgin Islands National Park. Warmer nests typically produce more females, while cooler nexts typically produce more males. Pretty interesting!
When the hatchlings emerge from their nests, they make a mad dash for the ocean. This is a very vulnerable time for the babies, as there are predators both on land and in the sea that can eat them along the way. They can also become disoriented if there is artificial light in the area.
We’re fortunate here on St. John to have Turtle Patrol volunteers. Volunteers monitor an assigned beach once or twice a week from July through November. Volunteers work to identify beaches that provide safe nesting areas for females, as well as determine the number of nests and number of turtles nesting on St. John. They also mitigate any threats to nesting females and hatchlings.
One of the more rewarding parts of being a sea turtle volunteer is having the ability to watch the hatchings scurry to the ocean. For example, volunteers and residents were treated to an excavation on Trunk Bay last month. During that particular excavation, 126 hatchings made it out of the nest and into the ocean. Amazing!
Hatched eggs from a September excavation at Trunk Bay. Image credit: Friends of VI National Park
So what should you do if you come across turtle tracks or nesting activity? Please email vinpturtles@gmail.com or call (760) 470-8995. Please do not disturb or walk in the area, and take pictures to share with the turtle team.
If you see a turtle in distress, please contact the STAR network at (340) 690-0474. And if you see someone mistreating a turtle, please contact the National Park at (866) 995-8467.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
I took this quick pic in the front yard. We desperately need to cut the grass!
Hello everyone, and happy Sunday! I know many of you are interested in Hurricane Tammy and its effect on St. John. I am happy to tell you that it does not appear to be affecting the island weather-wise.
Let’s start with the ports. Everything is open. The Virgin Islands Port Authority announced early Friday evening that the ports were closed, but quickly rescinded it. You have to love it when your actual government puts out wrong information – lol. The ports did close briefly from 8 p.m. Saturday night until 9 a.m. this morning. Ferries will run on schedule beginning at 10 a.m. today. So if you are flying in today, there is nothing to worry about. The airport is open, and the ferries and barges are running.
Now let’s talk about the actual weather. The forecast said we were going to get several inches of rain. That never materialized. We did have some on-and-off rain showers yesterday, but it was by no means soaking rain. It rained a little overnight, but the sun is currently out in Fish Bay and it has been all morning. And the winds, well they are next to nothing in my neighborhood.
At this point, Hurricane Tammy is forecasted to stay well to the east of St. John, which is great.
Screenshot from Living Earth app. St. John is the blue dot beside Hurricane Tammy.Screenshot from the Windy app. You can see the winds of Hurricane Tammy are well to our east.
So now that Hurricane Tammy is a no-show, I think I’ll head to the beach today with Dalton. I think it might be a Trunk Bay kinda day. Have a great one everyone!
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Halloween is right around the corner, and here is a list of what’s happening this year for Halloween on St. John.
For the Kids
Saturday, October 28th – Halloween Party at Dazey Drive In: This event will feature a spooky storytime with Banen at 4 p.m. All children wearing costumes can purchase a shaved ice for just $5 all day.
Tuesday, October 31st – Mongoose Junction: Mongoose is holding its annual trick-or-treating event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Children can go door-to-door and trick-or-treat at a variety of businesses throughout the complex. Candy and books will be handed out.
Tuesday, October 31st – Trunk or Treat: The annual St. John Trunk or Treat will start at 4:30 p.m. on Halloween. It’s being held in the gravel lot in Cruz Bay, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Children are encouraged to come in costume, and they can trick or treat at a variety of vehicles decorated for Halloween. If you are interested in decorating your vehicle, please contact Dana Neil at dana.neil@yahoo.com. Donated candy is also welcome. This event typically attracts more than 100 children, so the more donations, the better.
For the Adults
Monday, October 30th – The Tap Room – The Tap Room is holding its annual Halloween bash and costume contest from 8 p.m. until midnight. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.
Tuesday, October 31st – Skinny Legs: Skinny’s is reopening for the season with its annual Halloween Bash. Mother Goat is scheduled to play at 7 p.m. and the costume contest happens at 9 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.
Tuesday, October 31st – Drink: Drink is also reopening for the season on Halloween. The party happens from 8 p.m. until midnight, and prizes will be awarded for the best two costumes. First place wins a $150 gift card, and second place receives a $75 gift card.
Tuesday, October 31st – The Beach Bar: The Beach Bar is getting into the Halloween game again this year with a costume contest and Tito’s drink specials all day. Judging will take place at 8 p.m. The winner will receive $100 in cash, plus a $100 gift certificate to The Beach Bar.
Tuesday, October 31st – Upstairs Bar: SCARYoke! Beginning at 9 p.m., Upstairs will have a special karaoke session. Costumes are encouraged!
Parrot Club is also planning a Halloween party. I will share those details once they are released.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
