I spent the day at the Caneel Bay Beach Club at Honeymoon Beach yesterday, and it was lovely. The staff was great, as were the services which included chair rentals, restrooms, and a full bar. (Cheers to that on my day off!) There are two ways to get to Honeymoon Beach these days. You can either hike in via the Lind Point Trail or take a taxi through Caneel. The taxi costs $6 per person, per way for guests ages 13 and up. We opted to take the taxi, and while doing so, I recorded what the ride looked like for all of you. This is currently the only way that you can check out the now-defunct Caneel Bay Resort from the inside.
As you will see in the video below, Caneel Bay Resort has remained relatively untouched since 2017. Its future is in limbo due to a pending federal court case. The next hearing for that case is Wednesday. I will let you know if anything new develops.
Want to learn more about what’s happening at Caneel Bay? Click one of the following links to learn more:
The view from Wharfside Hotel – You can bid on a stay here!
Nearly all of my island tour guests comment that we do not have roaming stray dogs like many other Caribbean islands. Well, that is thanks to the Animal Care Center (ACC), a no-kill shelter that’s located in Cruz Bay. If a dog is roaming, the ACC does its best to reunite it with its owner. If an owner can’t be found, the dog is put up for adoption. They also accept owner surrenders, and they have a large spay and neuter program for both dogs and cats. The ACC is an integral part of the community.
All of this takes money, as you can imagine. Today, you can help raise funds for the ACC by participating in its annual online auction. There are 19 packages to choose from, and all of the proceeds will directly support the shelter. Here is a list of items:
The raffle goes live on January 12th at 9:30 a.m. It closes on Friday, February 2nd.
The ACC is holding its annual fundraising gala on Saturday, January 27th at The Last Resort villa in Chocolate Hole. This is a great event that will feature food catered by Vincent Alterio, music by Broheem with Love, and DJ Adonis, and an additional raffle. The gala costs $175 in advance and $200 at the door. You can call ACC office at 340-774-1625 to purchase tickets. You can also buy them on island at the ACC office, Connections, and St. John Hardware. I’ll be there, and you should be too!
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Something incredible is happening on St. John, and you can be a part of it!
Each year, two Broadway professionals partner with St. John School of the Arts to teach our 4th grade students acting, singing, dancing, and stagecraft. The students then showcase their newly learned skills for the community. It’s all part of “Broadway Comes to St. John,” an intensive two-week program sponsored by the St. John School of the Arts which culminates in the school’s major fundraising event.
This year’s show, “The Missing Map: A Journey Around the World,” is an original production created by Andrew J. Hanley and Suzanna Dupree, the directors of last year’s show. It’s being held on Saturday, January 27th at St. John School of the Arts, which is located in Cruz Bay. Tickets are $250 and include admission to the exclusive performance, a wine tasting prior to the show, a cocktail hour, an auction, and a hand-selected dinner at one of St. John’s many contributing restaurants, including 18º64º, Extra Virgin, Hinds@Meada’s Plaza, La Tapa, Morgan’s Mango, Rum Hut and others.
Andrew J. Hanley is a composer, music director, teaching artist, and music therapist based in New York City who brings more than 13 years of experience making theater with kids of all ages.
Suzanna Dupree, who began her career touring nationally and internationally with A Chorus Line, has served as a judge for multiple dance competition circuits and taught masterclasses at schools and studios around the world.
The two directors arrive on St. John with a script, props, and everything they need to direct 35 4th-graders attending the Julius E. Sprauve School, the Gifft Hill School, the St. John Christian Academy, and our home-schooled children.
“Broadway is a truly transformative program for students,” said Jeune´ Provost, executive director of the SJSA. “We’re excited to see how the students blossom throughout their experience and share this splendor with the community.”
Parents are invited to attend a performance of the show on Friday, January 26. A limited number of tickets to this show will be available to the public at the door for $25.
Now in its 43rd year, SJSA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “empower the island’s youth and their families through our passion for music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts.” Tickets to “Broadway Comes to St. John” are fully tax-deductible.
For further information, please contact the St. John School of the Arts at 340-779-4322.
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
Robert A. Malloy, the federal judge who has been presiding over the federal Caneel Bay case that was filed in June 2022, has been replaced. Cheryl Ann Krause, a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, replaced Judge Malloy without explanation late last month. The case will decide whether the National Park Service will retain ownership of the 150-acre parcel or if a private equity firm will instead.
What makes this move odd is that it comes with zero explanation as to why a judge who is physically outside of the Territory would be assigned to this case or why Judge Malloy was replaced. Judge Krause is based in Pennsylvania. The docket simply stated:
ORDER (RAM) REASSIGNING CASE. This case is reassigned to the Honorable Cheryl Ann Krause for all further proceedings. Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy is no longer assigned to this case.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit serves the areas of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the US Virgin Islands, so we clearly fall under its jurisdiction. I just find it odd that Judge Krause will travel to the island to hear this case. It is common for judges to get reassigned to cases, but there is usually a clear explanation for it.
I reached out to a repeat tour guest Monday, who happens to serve as a state judge in Georgia, and asked her thoughts on the matter.
“I would not call it common, but it is not unusual, particularly in a smaller jurisdiction,” she told me.
Judge Krause joined the court in 2014 after being nominated by President Barack Obama. According to Alliance for Justice, Judge Krause “has substantial experience litigating complex financial fraud cases.”
“Krause led the prosecution and investigation of a $65 million food stamp fraud conspiracy,” according to Alliance for Justice. “The investigation spanned two years and resulted in more than 60 pleas and convictions, including of several bank officers. It also led to a second wave of prosecutions for an international narcotics money laundering conspiracy, which Krause also handled.”
As you may recall, Judge Malloy postponed the case’s bench trial indefinitely last September, writing “…due to the Court’s calendar and criminal trials taking precedence, the trial in this matter cannot go forward as scheduled.” Perhaps this is why Judge Krause was assigned the case…
Repeat island tour guests invited me to take the ferry to Jost van Dyke with them yesterday, and we had so much fun! It was such an easy process that I thought I would share the details with all of you.
Let’s start with logistics. Jost van Dyke is an island in the British Virgin Islands. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by boat. Because it is another country, you need a passport to visit and, upon arrival, you will need to clear through customs and immigration. Jost has numerous popular beach bars, including Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy’s, as well as beautiful white sandy beaches. It is a great place to spend the day.
Inter Island Boat Services offers ferry service between Cruz Bay and Jost van Dyke every Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. The cost is $120 for adults and $100 for children ages three to 11. Children two and under are free. There is an additional $30 per person for customs that you pay directly to the British Virgin Islands government upon arrival. Children five and under are exempt from this fee.
The ferry leaves at 8 a.m. They ask that you arrive 45 minutes early, which is rough for this island girl. We arrived at 7:40 a.m., and we were some of the last passengers on the boat. The ferry left promptly at 8 a.m., and we pulled into Great Harbour, Jost van Dyke at 8:30 a.m.
The ferry to Jost leaves from the creek in Cruz Bay.The ferry to Jost is the same ferry that runs between Cruz Bay and Crown Bay.
We waited in line for about 15 minutes before we handed our passports over to get stamped at the first window. We then paid $10 each at the next window. After that, we went outside and then back inside to a separate section of the building where we had to pay an additional $20 departure tax. We were told to keep the stamped receipt, which we needed to show when we left at the end of the day. By 8:53 a.m., we were walking down the street to Tipsy Shark for breakfast.
We pulled into Jost around 8:30 a.m.It took about 10 minutes to walk over to the restaurants.Dalton was mad at us yesterday morning when he didn’t wake up to snow…
Mike, Dalton, and I sat for breakfast and enjoyed the view for about an hour before taking a taxi over to White Bay, home of Soggy Dollar Bar. We had a great breakfast at Tipsy Shark, and it was reasonably priced too. I would definitely go back.
The taxi from Great Harbour (where Foxy’s, Ali Baba’s, and Corsair’s are located, among other great spots) to White Bay (Soggy Dollar, Gertrude’s, and Hendo’s are a few spots here) took about five or so minutes. The cost for the three of us was $20.
Tipsy Shark restaurant at Great HarbourThe view from Tipsy SharkThey also have tables on the beach.The taxi from Great Harbour to White Bay took less than 10 minutes.
The taxi dropped us off at Soggy Dollar Bar at 10:15 a.m. and we stayed there until 3:30 p.m. It was the perfect amount of time. Dalton made a ton of new friends throughout the day, so he was busy playing in the water and building sandcastles while Mike and I visited with friends and indulged in a cocktail or two. I was excited to see that Soggy Dollar now offers blended drinks. I tried the Buskwacker (two actually!), and they were delicious!
We made it to White Bay!Relaxing on White BayDalton found a classmate & jumped off their boat a few times!Bushwacker on the beach… yes, please!
A taxi was waiting for us when it was time to head back to Great Harbour to catch the ferry back home. It left promptly at 4 p.m. and we were in line at US Customs & Immigration at 4:30 p.m. We were at the end of the line, so clearing in took about 15 minutes. We handed the officer our passports and were on our way within minutes.
Heading home…US Customs in Cruz Bay
Taking the ferry is an inexpensive option when you simply want to visit Jost van Dyke, but it in no way can replace the experience of hiring a licensed boat charter company. The ferry was simply a way of getting from A to B. I prefer booking a private charter when looking to get the real British Virgin Islands experience. Regardless of how you get there, I love a good BVI boat trip day. Yesterday felt like a vacation, and that was beyond lovely.
Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! I am back on island after a quick vacay to Connecticut to see friends and family for New Year’s Eve (and to escape the crazy holiday crowds here!), and I am happy to report that the island has calmed down a bit. Phew! Since it’s the start of the year, this is a good time to re-share Explore STJ’s restaurant map while providing some information on restaurant reservations. There are also a few new openings and closings to share, as well.
Explore STJ’s Restaurant Map
Explore STJ’s Restaurant Map can be found at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap. It is a searchable map that shows you the locations of all of our restaurants here on St. John. Check it out below:
New and Recently Closed Restaurants
Shambles has a new Sweet Shack located directly across the street. It has ice cream for the kids and drinks for the adults, in addition to an amazing view from its second floor. I will have more on this for you all next week.
Da Event Lounge is a great new spot in Cruz Bay that not only serves as an event space but it’s also become a hot spot for live local music. I will have more on this soon.
Banana Deck is serving lunch again this season! Yay!
Quiet Mon Pub closed last month. I am not certain what is taking its place at this point.
Salty Mongoose temporarily closed in Coral Bay. The rumor is that they will reopen at the old Pastory Gardens minigolf course near Cruz Bay sometime this winter. Fingers crossed that’s true!
Wine Shop VI remains temporarily closed too as construction continues above it at the Wharfside Hotel.
Restaurant Reservations
If you are planning a trip to St. John and you want to dine at any of the following restaurants, I recommend making a reservation.
1864: Definitely for dinner. Not so much for lunch.
Banana Deck: Recommended for dinner.
Dave & Jerry’s Steakhouse
Extra Virgin Bistro
La Tapa
Morgan’s Mango
Ocean 362
Rhumb Lines
The Terrace
ZoZo’s
That’s it for today, folks. I hope today’s post makes your vacation planning a little easier! Have a great day!
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tourFull & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.
