Rum Hut is the newest spot to serve brunch in St. John.
Today, it’s all about brunch!
We’ve finally made it to the weekend, and weekends are all about brunch! Or at least they should be… 🙂 How does brunch on the beach sound? You know it sounds amazing! Well today I am excited to tell you that Rum Hut is now offering brunch every Sunday. Toes in the sand and mimosa in hand…
Our friends over at Rum Hut just launched a new brunch option last Sunday, and it looks very good. It’s happening this Sunday and every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The bar will stay open until 3:30 p.m. after brunch, and then the restaurant will close for the evening. (These hours are for Sundays only.) Check out the menu and a few pics:
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Looks great, doesn’t it?! Rum Hut is located in Wharfside Village, which is directly on the beach in Cruz Bay and just steps from the ferry dock.
Looking for other brunch options? Banana Deck also serves brunch every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Banana Deck offers all-you-can-drink Mimosas or a Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar for just $25 a person. It is located in Cruz Bay, across the street from the beach. It is located beside The Terrace and across from The Beach Bar. Check out their menu:
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The Westin offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays too. I apologize, but I don’t have a menu for this one. But several of my friends have gone recently and said it was great.
Looking for brunch every day? Sun Dog Cafe serves brunch Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. They also have a Jazz brunch every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sun Dog’s brunch features $25 bottomless Mimosas, $8 Bloody Mary’s, and $6 Screwdrivers in addition to a full menu. Check it out:
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Want to know where all of these restaurants are located? Check out Explore STJ’s searchable restaurant map at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap.
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
There is a great raffle happening now, but you have to act fast if you want to get in on the action!
The St. John Land Conservancy is about to conclude its annual Love for the Land fundraiser. For as little as $59, you can enter to win a stay on not one, but two different islands, plus so much more!
The St. John Land Conservancy is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community organization dedicated to the preservation of the natural and historic resources of St. John. It’s a great organization here on St. John.
There will be one grand prize winner for this raffle. Want to know what you can win? Check it out!
A four-night stay in a luxurious Glamping Tent at Lovango Resort & Beach Club in either May or June 2024 at a time that mutually works for all parties. This includes all resort amenities, highlighted by daily breakfast and resort shuttles to/from Cruz Bay.
A three-night stay at Joy of Life, a private villa in Coral Bay, St. John. This stay comes complete with a 4WD Jeep rental courtesy of Sunshine Jeep Rentals.
A private power boat trip for two courtesy of Ocean Runner by Low Key Watersports
A private boat trip for up to six guests courtesy of Salty Daze Charters USVI
Dinner in Cruz Bay courtesy of Dave & Jerry’s Island Steakhouse.
A top shelf rum tasting for two in Cruz Bay courtesy of Bajo El Sol Gallery, Art Bar & Rum Room
One ticket is $59; two tickets are $109; three tickets are $159; five tickets are $225; and ten tickets are $400. The more you buy, the less the tickets cost individually.
Online raffle sales end Friday, February 16th at noon EST. A winner will be chosen live on Saturday morning. Don’t miss out! Buy your tickets now!
Want to enter and support the St. John Land Conservancy? You can purchase tickets securely online by clicking this link.
Good luck everyone, and thank you for supporting the St. John Land Conservancy!
Quick Note: This raffle is not being held or sponsored by Explore STJ. Please email the St. John Land Conservancy at info@stjohnlandconservancy.org with any questions.Â
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Seriously, I cannot believe that I am still writing about the debacle that is the Caneel Bay Resort. For those of you who are new to the happenings of St. John, Caneel Bay was a stunning resort located here on St. John. It opened on the same day that the Virgin Islands National Park opened in 1956. The resort was destroyed in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma barreled through the islands, and it has been closed ever since. Why? Due to corporate greed, in my humble opinion. The resort and the land it sits on were supposed to become part of the National Park last year, but that never happened.
EHI Acquisitions – the company that operated the hotel until Hurricane Irma – filed a federal lawsuit back in June 2022 that claimed the land, buildings and improvements at Caneel Bay should be theirs. The United States government thinks that’s ridiculous, as do I. So they’ve been battling it out in court ever since.
In their latest court filings, they are currently fighting over three words – offer, convey and transfer – specifically what their true meanings are. This is how ridiculous this case has become.
There is a clause in a contract that the hotel was operating under (that’s the CliffNotes way of describing it) that said if the hotel people no longer wanted to operate during their lease period (again CliffNotes version here), they could ” include an offer” … “to convey and transfer” the property, buildings and its improvements to the United States government. If the United States said no, EHI could keep it all. EHI exercised this clause and asked for a $70 million payout. The US said no way, they believe the land, etc, could only be transferred by way of a gift, so here we are.
The United States believes the phrase “offer to convey and transfer” is plain and unambiguous. EHI disagrees.
EHI believes the words offer and acceptance are ambiguous. The United States disagrees.
EHI believes that the term “an offer” has one and only one meaning: a manifestation of willingness to enter into a bargain i.e., to enter an agreement to exchange something for something else. The United States disagrees.
The United States is adamant that EHI should have gifted the land, etc. to the United States and that should not have a monetary value attached to it. EHI disagrees.
EHI is so adamant that the property is theirs that they’re arguing over nouns versus verbs. True story. It’s getting this silly, folks.
The United States pointed out in their filing that “EHI signed documents agreeing to convey and transfer the improvements to the United States at the end of the RUE (the lease agreement I mentioned) and operated under those documents for over 15 years. It was only after EHI failed to get the RUE extended and the time was approaching for EHI to transfer the improvements to the United States that, all of a sudden, EHI claimed it owned the entire 150 acres of land and all the improvements on it.”
Boom! And there you have it! Again, in my humble opinion… lol.
The United States believes that “EHI has been enriched because it has retained possession of the Improvements located on prime real estate in St. John. EHI also has retained possession of the insurance proceeds that it received to rebuild the Caneel Bay Resort after the 2017 hurricanes.”
And EHI believes that the United States can only prevail “only by demonstrating that it means only a gift and precludes a bargain.”
What. A. Mess.
A new federal judge was brought in last month from Philadelphia. We still have no clue why our local federal judge was removed from the case. I do have hope that the new judge will rule on this sooner than later. And maybe, just maybe, I can finally write a positive story about Caneel Bay. That’s been long overdue!
I’ll keep you all posted!
Want to learn more about what’s happening at Caneel Bay? Click one of the following links to learn more:
Three Bays Villa is located on Roman Road, a small, private neighborhood between Great Cruz Bay and Chocolate Hole.
If you know me, you know how much I love real estate. I absolutely love to see what properties list for sale, how they’re designed, what their outdoor spaces look like, and whatnot. We are fortunate here on St. John to be surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds of incredible homes. But even so, every once in a while, a property becomes available that truly takes your breath away. This is exactly what happened when I walked into Three Bays Villa earlier this month. If you love real estate as much as I do, you are absolutely going to love this home.
Three Bays Villa is an impressive six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath home with panoramic views of Great Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole, and Hart Bay. It is located on Roman Road, a small, quiet, and private neighborhood that sits between Great Cruz Bay and Chocolate Hole. From the moment you pull into the large driveway, you can see that no expense was spared when designing this home, from the landscaping to the structure itself.
What a beautiful, grand entryway.The landscaping is gorgeous.
As you step inside the main house, you are immediately greeted by the grandeur of this home. The first floor has an expansive Great Room with high ceilings and has views from every side. There are two en suite bedrooms on the main floor and a sweeping internal staircase that leads to two additional en suite bedrooms, plus quite possibly the coolest kids’ bedroom I have ever seen. The sixth bedroom is located below the main floor. It can double as a very secure hurricane shelter, but let’s hope it’s not needed for that purpose anytime soon.
Every corner of this home was thoughtfully designed to provide a seamless and elegant living experience, both inside and out. Check out a few images…
The Great Room includes a large kitchen, dining, and living room areas.Top-of-the-line eat-in kitchen.Gorgeous views everywhere!One of the two main floor bedroomsThe view from one of the upstairs bedrooms.
Just steps from the Great Room is a large, infinity-edge pool, which is surrounded by ample outdoor living space, both covered and outside in the Caribbean sun. I nearly jumped for joy (seriously, true story!) when I walked around the corner and saw a large grassy area. There aren’t many properties in St. John that have a grassy yard that you can actually walk on. I definitely kicked off my flip-flops and enjoyed it for a few minutes before checking out the rest of the house.
Views of Chocolate Hole and Hart Bay to the eastOn a clear day, you will be able to see St. Croix too!This is absolute heaven to me… a grassy yard!Croquet, anyone?
This owner-occupied home is so amazing that I think it would be best to show you a video, rather than me continue to chat about it. So please take about three minutes or so to check out how truly remarkable this property is.
Amazing, right? I told you that kids’ room was cool!
Three Bays Villa even has an adorable one-bedroom caretaker’s/guest cottage on site. It also has a large two-car garage (another feature that you do not see often on St. John), a workshop, and Tesla battery wall.
The caretaker’s cottage overlooks Great Cruz Bay.
Three Bays Villa is listed for $6.75 million. If you would like to know more, please contact Tammy Donnelly, owner of 340 Real Estate Co. at 340realestateco@gmail.com. You can see more of Tammy’s listing by visiting www.340RealEstateCo.com.
Side note: I am fairly certain that Kit Kat, this adorable rescue kitty comes with the house! Happy house shopping everyone!
Kit Kat is the resident kitty at Three Bays Villa.
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Hello everyone! It’s another soggy day here in St. John. Rather than dwelling on the weather, let’s look ahead at the weekend, a time when the sun is finally expected to return!
There are numerous spots to watch the Super Bowl here in St. John this weekend. Nearly every bar that is open that late will be showing the game. Some, however, are throwing Super Bowl parties. Here is what I know so far…
The Tap Room
The Tap Room just screams Super Bowl party, don’t ya think? The boys are offering reserved tables for four for just $100. Included with the table is one round of drinks and an order of their award-winning wings. Have more than four people in your group? You can add a person for $25 each. Call 340-715-7775 to reserve your spot. The rest of the bar/restaurant will be available first-come, first-served. The Tap Room is located in Mongoose Junction.
The Upstairs Bar & Downstairs
The Upstairs Bar & The Downstairs will have the game on all of their TVs with sound. The Upstairs is open-air, and The Downstairs is fully air-conditioned, so pick your poison. 🙂 They do not accept reservations, so get there early. The Upstairs & Downstairs is located in Cruz Bar, directly across from The Longboard.
Sweet Shack
The Sweet Shack is getting in on the action too and will have a rooftop Super Bowl party. This party is limited to 60 people. You can reserve a seat for $25 That includes one 16oz drink, unlimited popcorn and your name on a $5 square. The Sweet Shack is located across the street from Shambles on Centerline Road, or Route 10 on the map. It’s about two miles outside of Cruz Bay.
The Beach BarÂ
Want to watch the Super Bowl at the beach? The Beach Bar will have the game on all of its TVs too. They do not accept reservations, so get there early. The Beach Bar is located directly on the beach in Cruz Bay. Not on island? Not a problem! You can see what’s happening at The Beach Bar by checking out its webcams at www.explorestj.com/webcams.
Johnny Lime
Johnny Lime will be open until the Super Bowl ends. They will be showing the game with sound. They do not accept reservations, so get there early. Johnny Lime is located in Coral Bay.
Skinny Legs
Skinny Legs is closing early on Super Bowl Sunday. They will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closing early for a staff Super Bowl party. They will reopen Tuesday at 11 a.m. Skinny Legs is located in Coral Bay.
Da Event Lounge
Da Event Lounge is holding a Pre-Super Bowl Game Night tonight, February 8th. The party starts at 8 p.m. Wear your favorite jersey and win up to $300 in cash! DJ LS1 will be on hand. There will be drink specials and beer specials all night. Da Event Lounge is located in Cruz Bay just up the hill from the bulkhead and across from Hercules Pate.
Other Spots With TVs That Will Likely Be Showing The GameÂ
Woody’s
Tap & Still
Greengo’s
Drink
Lovango Rum Bar
Concordia
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
It’s a soggy day in Fish Bay. (Deck railings soon come!)
Hello everyone, and happy Wednesday. I had a great story planned for today, but that went out the window when we lost power and internet last night. đź‘€ So I’m going to post a little island update instead.
As I mentioned yesterday, there was a ton of rain forecasted for yesterday and today. Luckily it held off until about 6 p.m., but then it came down with a vengeance. It was on and off monsoon rains here in Fish Bay, which is located about 15 minutes from Cruz Bay on St. John’s south side. We also had crazy thunder and lightning, which is very unusual for St. John. At one point, I asked Mike if I thought we’d lose power. He said no and not even five minutes later, we were in the dark. A psychic, he is not! haha
We didn’t have power, which means no internet either at our house, for about two hours. Both of our generators decided they didn’t want to work, so that was fun. (You all sense my sarcasm, right??) I plan to shop for a whole-house backup generator later today. 🙂 If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me!
It’s raining again now, and it’s supposed to continue on and off all day.
All schools on the island are closed today. (So if you head over to The Beach Bar or watch its webcam, you may catch a glimpse of my son helping daddy at work for a bit this morning.) Lime Out is closed. Windmill Bar is closed. Miss Lucy’s is closed. Sweet Shack is closed. Pizza Pi is closed. Trivia at Johnny Lime is cancelled. The kitchen at Sun Dog is closed. Maho Crossroads was closed yesterday, but I hear they are opening back up today despite the rainy weather.
I assume that the bars and restaurants will be busy, yet again, today. Skinny’s was packed when I stopped there with my island tour guests yesterday. I want to give a public shout-out to the staff at Skinny’s for always treating my tour guests so well when we visit. A big thanks to everyone, but especially to Mary. 🙂
There has got to be an amazing waterfall flowing beside the petroglyphs at Reef Bay. If you are adventurous enough to head down there today, please send me pics and videos! There should also be one on the side of the road just past Cinnamon Bay en route to Maho.
And again, if you are stateside, you can always see what’s happening here by checking out our webcams at www.explorestj.com/webcams.
Have a great day everyone!
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
