Today we’re talking about St John time change. We don’t do it here in the US Virgin Islands. End of today’s post.
Kidding! 🙂
But seriously, the US Virgin Islands, as well as our neighbors over in the British Virgin Island and Puerto Rico, do not observe daylight savings. We are on Atlantic Standard Time, which remains the same year-round. To simplify this, we are an hour ahead of New York City (and the rest of the EST states) from Nov. 6, 2022 through March 12, 2023. When mostly everyone springs ahead in March 2023, we will, once again, be on the same time as New York and the rest of the EST states.
One downside of being an hour ahead of EST is that all of our television shows start an hour late. For example, Good Morning America will now start at 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. Another random tidbit right there!
Now this may lead many of you to wonder when the sun will set on St. John. Tonight’s sunset time is 5:44 p.m. The earliest the sun sets on St. John is 5:41 p.m. this year. That will happen between November 15th and December 3rd. We will gain a minute or so of light every day beginning on December 4th.
Curious when the sun will rise and set when you’re on St. John. Check out our sunset page at www.IslandTidbits.com/sunset
This is totally a Photoshopped pic. I promise you that Wendy’s is not coming back to Wharfside. 🙂
Hello everyone, and happy Friday! Let’s keep it light and easy today. Today we’re talking stop lights and chain restaurants.
One thing that makes St John so magical is the lack of any sort of chain restaurants. But did you know that we used to have not one, but two American chains on St John? It’s true!
Imagine wandering through Wharfside Village, gazing out toward the beautiful turquoise waters of Cruz Bay and passing by a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. Sounds terrible, right?! Well back in the early 90s, this is exactly what would have happened! Wendy’s was located in the section of Wharfside Village where La Tapa is today. It closed in 1992 after a fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant.
The old Subway building
Subway was the second and only other fast food chain to operate on St. John. (To my knowledge… Correct me if I’m wrong about this, folks.) It was located in a trailer across from Woody’s where Tap & Still is today. Subway closed in 2008, and then was transformed briefly into a campaign office. Since then, numerous restaurants have been in that spot including Iguana Grill, Across the Street, Umami and currently Tap & Still.
Now let’s talk stop lights. St. John does not have any… most of the time. 🙂 The only time we have a stoplight on St. John is when we have some roadwork going on. There are currently some out in Coral Bay where there is some roadwork happening. Once the roadwork is complete, we’ll return to being a stoplight-free island once again.
I don’t know about you, but I always love a random tidbit like these. And I hope you all do too!
Curious which restaurants are currently on island? I promise there aren’t any fast food ones! Check out our searchable restaurant map at IslandTidbits.com/restaurantmap
Lastly, you still have time to enter to win a St. John vacation for just $25! Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get additional details on our prize package & purchase tickets securely at IslandTidbits.com/raffle
St John’s current stoplight – One of only two at the moment. 🙂
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Let’s get straight to it, shall we? Today we’re talking about food and drink at the St. Thomas airport.
Leaving St. John is never easy. Hanging out at the St. Thomas airport isn’t super fun either. But I am happy to tell you that the US Virgin Islands has been making small improvements when it comes to the airport’s food and drink game, a much-welcomed change.
For starters, when you arrive inside the airport terminal (after going through Customs and security), you will see that there is not a single chain restaurant inside the Cyril E. King airport on St. Thomas. Instead we have just a handful of options, including one grab and go restaurant, a couple of bars and some kiosks. Check them out:
Hibiscus Cafe
Hibiscus Cafe is the main restaurant inside the St. Thomas airport. It’s a grab and go spot, although there are some made to order items. (There isn’t table service here or anywhere inside the St. Thomas airport.) Breakfast is particularly good, as you create your own omelette, and the portion size is huge. They also offer Johnny cakes, croissants and the like during breakfast. Lunch features great soup, burgers and fries, as well as some local dishes. You can also take advantage of the grab and go section that features yogurts, sandwiches and salads, among other things. The crispy chicken salad is particularly good, and is typically my go-to item when I’m flying out in the afternoon.
Grab and Go inside Hibiscus Cafe
There is also a full bar inside Hibiscus Cafe. It opens at 11 a.m. daily. Looking for an adult beverage prior to that? You can grab a cold beer from the cooler earlier in the morning. And no judgement if you do! haha
The bar at Hibiscus Cafe
Airport Bar & Rum Room
Speaking of bars, the new-ish Airport Bar & Rum Room is a great addition to the St. Thomas airport in my opinion. It’s located in the far right corner when you walk inside the terminal, beside the hallway to the Spirit Airlines departure gate.
The Airport Bar & Rum Room
This spot has a full bar, plus additional seating. You can sit and have a drink or two (or three…again, no judgement!), or you can grab some duty-free liquor to take back home with you.
I love this little bar!
Island Grind
Another newer spot that is a great addition to the airport is Island Grind, which is located somewhat in the center of the terminal, but closer to the American, Delta and JetBlue gates. This is a coffee and wine bar, but it also offers a variety of grab and go food options. And I have to say, they really look good, especially the morning pastries.
Island Grind is a coffee and wine bar at the St. Thomas airport.
Morning pastries at Island GrindGrab and go at Island Grind – And they’re clearly kept in a cold case.
Rounding out our food options at the airport are two snack bar kiosks and a gift shop. The gift shop has sodas, snack items and a variety of souvenirs.
The Galley snack bar kioskThe gift shop at the St. Thomas airport
And for those of you who are curious, yes, there is free wifi at the St. Thomas airport.
That’s all I have for you today, folks! A few more tidbits to make your St. John vacation easier to navigate. Have a great day!
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Take a ride with me today from Round Bay, on St John’s East End, out to the end of Centerline Road (Route 10 0n the map). Pass Hansen Bay beach, Saltwell Bottom beach and more.
This video was created using a GoPro, so it appears I am driver faster than I was. I promise I always keep it well under the speed limit. 🙂 Enjoy!
Want to see what’s happening on St. John right now? Check out more than 20 live streaming webcams at explorestj.com/webcams
Looking to visit St. John’s East End and other interesting off the beaten path spots on St. John? Then please consider taking an Island Tour with me! Explore STJ is rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. Learn more & reserve your day at explorestj.com/island-tours
The view from Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke … Palm Tree Charters can take you here!
Well folks, the wait is over! Palm Tree Charters is the first St. John-based, private charter company to bring guests back to the British Virgin Islands! And they’re accepting reservations now, so act fast to reserve your spot!
It only took 956 days, but Palm Tree Charters returned to the British Virgin Islands with guests Sunday morning, marking an exciting return to normalcy, post-Covid. The last time they were able to bring guests to the BVI was March 18, 2020. The British Virgin Island closed their borders due to Covid the following day, and when they reopened to charter companies, their newly-imposed requirements made it prohibitive for most local companies to bring guests over into BVI waters.
Well Palm Tree Charters – a company that has been in business on St. John since 2005 – has fulfilled all of the BVI’s new licensing requirements, and they are currently approved to bring guests over on several of their boats – their Palma Bellas and Last Call, their luxury, 36-foot Aquila. They can literally take you over tomorrow if you’d like! Seriously, go book that trip!
Last Call is Palm Tree Charter’s Luxury 36-foot Aquila
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love a BVI day. There is something so magical about island hopping to spots like the Soggy Dollar Bar, Seddy’s One Love and Foxy’s, snorkeling over in the Caves or at the Indians near Norman Island, or simply cruising up and down the Sir Francis Drake Channel.
There isn’t a dock at Soggy Dollar Bar, hence the name. Guests have to swim/wade in to get there when visiting from White Bay.Toes in the sand & a drink in your hand at Seddy’s One Love on Jost van Dyke.The Caves at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands is one of my favorite snorkeling spots.The Indians are another great snorkeling spot. You feel like you are snorkeling in an aquarium.
Ready to grab some friends and head over to the BVI? I know I am! In fact, I am heading over with Palm Tree Charters for my birthday next week!
Full disclosure here: The price to take a private charter to the BVI has increased due to the cost associated with the approval process, including licensing fees, work permits, taxes, etc. Palm Tree Charters understands the cost is high. I understand the cost is high. But a day in the BVI is priceless, right?? 🙂 For those of you who’d rather stick to US waters, prices for these trips remain the same.
Ok, so the cost to charter the Palma Bellas to the BVI is $1,250 for up to eight guests. Customs is an additional $75 per person, and a passport is required for all BVI trips. (You must clear through Customs & Immigration when entering the British Virgin Island, and again when you return to St. John.) Trips to the Baths in Virgin Gorda and North Sound locations like Saba Rock, Bitter End and Oil Nut Bay will incur an additional $250 cost per trip. Fuel is not included and will cost roughly $170 to $350 depending on which island you decide to visit (and also based on the current cost of fuel). Simply want to visit Jost Van Dyke? Fuel will average about $170. Looking to jump off the Willy T? Gas to Norman Island will cost roughly $260.
The Willy T is a restaurant/bar located on a boat, which is permanently anchored in the bight off of Norman Island.
The cost to charter Last Call, Palm Tree Charter’s luxury Aquila to the British Virgin Islands is $2,700 for up to 12 people. Customs is an additional $75 per person, and fuel in not included.
All trips depart at 8:30 a.m. from Cruz Bay and will return at approximately 4:30 p.m.
So as I mentioned, I am super excited to head over to the BVI with Palm Tree Charters next week. With so many amazing places to visit, I simply do not know where to go! A breakfast mimosa at Oil Nut Bay followed by lunch over at Saba Rock, perhaps? Maybe we will head straight to see our friends over at the Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy’s followed by a Bushwacker at Pirate’s Bight. So many possibilities!
I am obsessed with Oil Nut Bay in Virgin Gorda!Pirate’s Bight at Norman Island is one of my favorite spots in the BVI!Treat yourself to a Bushwacker… or two at Pirate’s Bight on Norman Island.
If you’d like to learn more about Palm Tree Charters USVI and BVI charters, please visit their website at www.PalmTreeCharters.com. Have a fantastic day everyone!
So you have only one day to spend in St. John. Maybe you’re visiting by cruise ship, or perhaps you’re staying over at one of the St. Thomas resorts. In today’s post, we are going to tell you how to best spend one day in St John when visiting via the St Thomas to St John ferry.
Plan on taking the ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay early in the day to fully enjoy everything St John has to offer. The first ferry leaves Red Hook at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 6:30 a.m. on the weekends. There is a 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. boat daily, and then the ferry leaves Red Hook every hour on the hour beginning at 9 a.m. Tickets cost $8.15 per person, per way. I suggest taking either the 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. ferry over to maximize your time in St John. You can save time by buying your tickets in advance at www.stjohnticketing.com
The St John ferry dock in Cruz Bay
Once you arrive at the ferry dock, numerous taxis will be waiting to whisk you away on your St John adventure. But before we do that, wander across the street and over to the park, and grab yourself a coffee from Cruz Bay Landing’s Coffee House & Creamery. Choose from a variety of signature Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters brews or even a cocktail latte like an Almond Joy, a delicious concoction of coconut rum, Amaretto and chocolate. Then head back over to the taxi area and ask to visit Trunk Bay.
Cruz Bay Landing’s Coffee House & Creamery
The cost of taxi from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay is $12 if you are traveling alone or $9 per person if you are traveling with two or more people. The majority of our taxis are open air safari trucks, so you can enjoy the views and a nice breeze as you travel along the north shore and out to the beaches.
The trip out to Trunk Bay is breathtaking. You will drive past three overlooks and a handful of beautiful beaches and bays along the way. Ask your driver in advance to stop at Trunk Bay, so you can snap a pic at one of the most beautiful spots on St John.
The view from the Trunk Bay overlook
The taxi ride from the ferry dock to Trunk Bay takes roughly 15 minutes. It costs $5 per person to visit Trunk Bay. (It is the only beach within the Virgin Islands National Park that has a fee to enter.)Â Children 15 and under are free, as are military card holders. You can also use a National Park pass to enter with the exception of the “red” annual pass.
The cost to visit Trunk Bay
Trunk Bay has food, beverage, showers and restrooms, as well as chair and snorkel rentals. It is home of the famous underwater snorkel trail, which is located to the left of the cays if you’re looking out toward the water. Once you arrive at Trunk Bay, you will quickly see why it is consistently ranked one of the top beaches in the world.
Trunk Bay, home of the underwater snorkel trail
Spend a few hours at Trunk, and then head back to the taxis. They are almost always waiting in the parking lot. And if a taxi isn’t there when you walk out, no need to worry. One usually arrives within minutes.
Trunk Bay taxi in parking lot
By now it is likely early afternoon, and many of you – like me – enjoy a good break from the sun. Hop in a taxi, and ask to be dropped off at the Cinnamon Bay Sugar Factory, a quick five-minute drive up the road.
Cinnamon Bay is one of the oldest plantations on St. John. The site includes a horse mill, bagasse shed (where crushed sugar cane stalks were dried before they were used for fuel in the boiling process), a factory building and two cemeteries among other items. Â Walk along the boardwalk for a bit, discover the area’s rich history while enjoying the sounds of nature.
Inside a doorway at the Cinnamon Bay Sugar Factory
By now, it’s mid to late afternoon which means it’s happy hour somewhere. Walk over to the Cinnamon Bay campground, which is just across the street, and hop in a taxi back to Cruz Bay. Looking for a spot on the water with a great view? Then look no further than The Beach Bar or High Tide.
Now a trip to St John wouldn’t be complete without sampling one of the island’s most popular drinks – the Painkiller. It’s a refreshing concoction of orange juice, pineapple juice, a coconut mixer and a ton of rum. And I mean a TON of rum. Grab one for $2 off during happy hour at The Beach Bar, which runs daily from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Are you more of a wine drinker like me? Then wander over to High Tide, home of the best wine pour on island. (I totally made that up, but it’s so true!!)
Happy hour is from 3-7pm daily at The Beach Bar.High Tide is located right beside the ferry dock.
By now, you’ve had a full day of fun, sun, history and some rum, so chances are, you’re ready to take the ferry back over to St Thomas. The ferry from St John to St Thomas leaves every hour on the hour during the afternoons and evenings until 11 p.m.
Still have a little left in you? Then check out one of Cruz Bay’s amazing restaurants for dinner. We have so many great options to choose from like the very casual Roti King food truck and Uncle Joe’s BBQ to fancier, fine dining spots like The Terrace and Lime Inn. (I recommend making a reservation in advance for the St John’s fine dining restaurants.)
Want to know more about Cruz Bay restaurants, including their exact location? Then please check out our restaurant map at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap.
And lastly, for those of you who love a good sunset view like me, take one last taxi ride up to The Windmill Bar, which is just two miles outside of town. The cost is $12 if you are traveling alone and $9 per person, per way.
Sunset captured from The Windmill Bar’s webcam
So let’s recap: Ferry –> Coffee or a cocktail –> Trunk Bay –> Cinnamon Bay Sugar Factory –> Happy Hour –> Dinner and/or Sunset Views = A completely full day on St John!
What does a perfect day look like for you in St John? Leave your thoughts in our comments section or over on our social media pages. You can also share this post by clicking the share buttons below.
