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Top Travel Magazine Highlights St. John

Jenn Manes July 27, 2023 0 Comments

Hawksnest Bay is one of my favorite beaches on St. John.

Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! A top travel magazine just highlighted St. John as a great place to visit, so I thought I would share that information with all of you! 🙂

Travel + Leisure posted an article yesterday that serves as a guide to visiting St. John. It’s a great little read that discusses the island’s natural beauty, culture, history, activities, and more.

Here’s a little bit of what Travel + Leisure had to say:

The U.S. Virgin Islands continually top lists highlighting the best islands and beaches in the Caribbean. The island group — which includes the three main islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, in addition to around 50 small islets and cays — is known for its white-sand beaches and healthy reef, the best of which are protected by Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.

The park sprawls across most of St. John, protecting unspoiled beaches edged by coral reefs, sea turtle breeding grounds, and hiking trails that meander through tropical forests. The park also preserves plantation sites and the ancient petroglyphs of the Indigenous Taino so guests can learn about the island’s history of colonialism and enslavement.

A journey through Virgin Islands National Park is both breathtakingly beautiful and culturally enlightening. Both aspects make the park a must-visit, especially for those looking to get out of their lounge chairs and off the beaten path.

The article mentions several St. John businesses including Jolly Dog, a great retail shop in Coral Bay, and Bajo el Sol Gallery & Art Bar in Mongoose Junction. It mentions Cinnamon Bay Campground and Lovango Resort & Beach Club among other great places to stay, and Lime Out and The Longboard as two great places to dine.

I was surprised to see Hawksnest Bay get a mention. Hawksnest is my go-to beach, and it rarely gets the love it deserves. Annaberg, Trunk Bay, and Reef Bay got a few mentions too – no surprises there. 🙂

I love when St. John receives the accolades it deserves. We are so lucky to call this amazing island home, and I am thankful that those of you reading probably love St. John as much as I do.

Want to read the article in its entirety? Click here to read it on TravelandLeisure.com.

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St. John Set to Support Wounded Veterans This Weekend

Jenn Manes July 26, 2023 0 Comments

One of my favorite events is happening in St. John this weekend, and you all are invited to get in on the action!

The Chaotic Kayak race is scheduled for Sunday, July 30th at 11 a.m. on the beach in Cruz Bay. The Chaotic Kayak is an event that supports Team River Runner, an adventure and adaptive paddling program for wounded and disabled veterans. Team River Runner has been bringing veterans to St. John for a week-long leadership clinic since 2007. One hundred percent of the money raised at this event will be used to bring veterans to St. John this October.

Chaotic Kayak is a zany race in which teams kayak around an obstacle course in Cruz Bay. They do so while getting doused by buckets of water from boaters moored out in the bay. Each team also tries to get a child to sit in the middle, and this teammate’s job may be one of the most important of the day. His or her job is to use a super soaker to throw off nearby teams. It’s seriously a very fun event.

Hudson Boudreau (center) helped bring his team to victory last year! Pictured with Connor Masterson and Marty Bruckner. Hudson’s parents own Bonvi Hospitality.

Teams receive a five-second head start for every $100 raised. Five seconds may not seem like a lot, but it is when you’re in a race!

The teams that are currently participating are:

St. John Beach Bum
Crabby’s ‘Ol Crow’s Nesters (Joe Marini)
High Tide
Porterhouse Express (Dave & Jerry’s Steakhouse)
Red Hook & Cruz Bay Family Practice
Salty Soldiers (Ryan Major)
The Beach Bar
The Windmill Bar
VI Expeditions

It’s not too late to sign up to participate! The entry fee is just $150. Click here for more information.

The Beach Bar plans to donate all tips this Friday to Team River Runner. The Windmill Bar plans to donate all of its tips this Saturday to Team River Runner. So be sure to stop by each of those great spots.

Not on island? No problem! Click here to visit the Chaotic Kayak’s fundraising page, and donate to support your favorite team!

More Parking Now Available in Cruz Bay

Jenn Manes July 24, 2023 0 Comments

Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I have some good news to share with you all today. It’s now a little easier to park in Cruz Bay!

For those of you who read Explore STJ regularly (and a HUGE thank you to all of you who do), you likely read how parking in Cruz Bay was limited due to construction at the ferry dock and St. John’s festival celebration. Well, I am happy to tell you today that both areas are open for parking, once again.

The Customs lot, located across from the Post Office In Cruz Bay, has been repainted and is open again. This adds dozens of free parking spots in Cruz Bay.

The Customs parking lot in Cruz Bay is open once again.

Additionally, a few extra spots facing the water in Cruz Bay are open for public parking again. These spots were reserved for taxi parking for several months while construction occurred at the ferry dock.

There are seven free 30-minute parking spots near the water in Cruz Bay.

You can park to the right of this pole. Spots to the left of the pole are reserved for taxis.

As you can see in the images above, these spots are limited to 30 minutes, and I have seen police officer tickets vehicles here from time to time, so please be mindful of that.

So while this doesn’t alleviate our parking issues in Cruz Bay, it definitely helps.

There are several other free and paid parking lots in Cruz Bay. Please click here to check out Explore STJ’s Logistics Map. Our Logistics Map is a searchable map that includes parking areas, markets, gas stations, dumpsters, public restrooms, and more.

Tags: Parking in Cruz Bay, Cruz Bay parking

Looking to take a St. John island tour?

Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

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Robert Oppenheimer’s Life on St. John

Jenn Manes July 21, 2023 11 Comments

Oppenheimer house beach St. John — Robert Oppenheimer purchased land on St. John in 1957.

With today’s release of the new Oppenheimer movie, there will likely be a renewed interest in Robert Oppenheimer’s life on St. John. For those of you who have visited the island, you have likely passed, or perhaps visited, Oppenheimer beach, which is located on Hawknest Bay on St. John’s North Shore. It is the same stretch of sand that is widely referred to as Gibney beach.

Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, found solace in St. John beginning in the late 1950s. Oppenheimer, his wife Kitty, and their daughter Toni began vacationing at a guest house on Trunk Bay, which closed when Trunk was sold to the Virgin Islands National Park. The Oppenheimers subsequently purchased land from Robert and Nancy Gibney in 1957 and began building a small cottage for themselves.

Like many things here in St. John, construction didn’t occur in a timely fashion. Therefore Kitty desperately asked Nancy if she could spend some time at the family’s home during the summer of 1959, so she could check on the cottage’s progress. This story is hilariously retold by the late Nancy Gibney in the book “St. John People.”

A screenshot from the Kindle version of St. John People, which is available on Amazon.

In her essay, Nancy Gibney recalls her frustration over the number of times the Oppenheimer’s daughter Toni and her friend washed their hair, using the island’s precious water, and how Kitty would rummage through the ice chest at all hours of the night so she could chill her cocktails. This summer, described by Nancy as “seven hideous and hilarious weeks” led to a well-documented feud between the Gibneys and Oppenheimers.

Alas, construction at the Oppenheimer’s cottage was eventually completed on the east end of Hawksnest Bay.

Robert Oppenheimer and his wife Kitty built a small cottage on the east end of Hawksnest Bay in St. John.

The Oppenheimers were known to throw parties at their cottage and began renting it out to vacationers, further fueling the feud with the Gibney family.

The Oppenheimers spent several years on St. John, where Robert was presumably able to escape media attention. Robert, a chain smoker, ultimately died of throat cancer in Princeton, New Jersey in 1967. Kitty spread his ashes at sea.

Oppenheimer left the cottage to his wife Kitty, who died in 1972 during a sailing trip from St. John to Panama. Their daughter Toni inherited the cottage and lived there until her death in 1977. Toni took her own life at the cottage, and on a note, left the home to “the people of St. John.”

No money was left for the home’s upkeep, so it quickly fell into disrepair. The Virgin Island’s government subsequently took control of the land and refurbished the cottage. That building is available to rent for events through the Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation.

The building at Oppenheimer Beach pre-Irma.

The Oppenheimer building in recent times.

A tire swing used to hang from a palm tree at Oppenheimer that stretched over the bay’s turquoise waters. The swing was removed during the summer of 2017, and sadly the palm fell during Hurricane Irma.

The famous tire swing at Oppenheimer in 2016.

And this is what Oppenheimer looks like today:

If you would like to read Nancy Gibney’s essay about her summer with Robert Oppenheimer in its entirety, you can purchase St. John People in several stores on St. John. You can also click here to purchase a paperback or Kindle version on Amazon. The book includes numerous stories about St. John residents told by St. John residents. It’s a very good read.

Take a St. John island tour with me!

Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

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It’s Hot! Here’s Where to Escape the Heat on St. John.

Jenn Manes July 20, 2023 1 Comment

It’s hot. Like most of the country, St. John is a bit hotter than usual. I’ve been consistently seeing temps in the mid to upper 90s around Coral Bay, Salt Pond, and the East End over the past several weeks. The thermometer on the Jeep has even hit 100+ a few times when I was driving along Centerline Road near Coral Bay. The temps seem to be closer to the upper 80s on the North Shore and around Cruz Bay but don’t be fooled, it’s still sweltering there too.

So where exactly can you beat the heat during times like this? The majority of our restaurants are open-air, which means they have fans, not air conditioning. Here is a list of come of the colder spots on St. John:

The Parrot Club, Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay

The Parrot Club is a small casino right on the water in Cruz Bay. It has a full bar and drink specials daily. The Parrot Club is fully enclosed with air conditioning. It is a great place to cool down on a hot day, and you may even win a bit of cash while you’re there. There are a few dozen slot machines and a large roulette table. The Parrot Club does not have any live dealers.

The VI Wine Shop, Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay

The wine shop is a great little spot with a large bar and small tables to sit at. You can order wine by the glass or purchase a bottle off the wall. They serve a few specialty cocktails too, but they do not serve beer at this time. The wine shop is fully air-conditioned. They even offer a small menu that includes charcuterie, olives, burrata, and a few other treats.

Lovango Run Bar, Cruz Bay

Lovango Rum Bar is located across from the beach in Cruz Bay. It has a large open-air outdoor space with great views of Cruz Bay and also a large indoor space that is fully air-conditioned. Lovango Rum Bar has great pizzas, salads, and charcuterie plates too. This is one of my favorite spots on St. John.

Cafe Roma, One Block from the Ferry Dock, Cruz Bay

Cafe Roma is consistently ranked the best Italian on St. John, and my island tour guests have been raving about it lately. It is located above The Longboard, just one block from the ferry dock. This is a fully enclosed dinner restaurant with cold air conditioning. Cafe Roma is a walk-in restaurant. They do not take reservations.

Dave & Jerry’s Steakhouse, One Block from the Ferry Dock, Cruz Bay

Dave & Jerry’s is also located close to the ferry dock. They are underneath the Cruz Bay Hotel and across the street from Lime Inn. The interior dining area is fully air-conditioned. If you opt to dine outside in the bar area, there are fans and streetside views. Dave & Jerry’s accepts reservations and is open for dinner only.

The Tap Room, Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay

The Tap Room opens daily at 11 a.m. and serves the same menu until 9 p.m. It has a large dining room and bar area that is fully air-conditioned. There is even a photo booth and two arcade games to keep the kids entertained while you’re cooling off. The Tap Room is walk-in only. They do not take reservations.

North Shore Deli, Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay

North Shore Deli serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week. It is fully air-conditioned with a handful of tables. You can enjoy the cool air while waiting for a to-go order or dine in. Call ahead to save some time. North Shore also has a nice grab-and-go section.

Some restaurants like The Terrace and Extra Virgin, for example, are open-air but have air conditioning in the interior sections of the restaurants. The Windmill Bar usually has great breezes to cool you down, as does Salty Mongoose and Surf Club Cantina in Coral Bay.

The rest of the open-air restaurants have numerous fans throughout to keep patrons cool. They are all still great places to dine at. I just wanted you all to know today where you can find a few full air-conditioned spots because my island tour guests have been asking about this a lot lately.

Added August 14th: Cap’s Place and The Dpwnstairs at The Upstairs are also air-conditioned now.

Want to know where some of these spots are located? Please check out Explore STJ’s Restaurant Map at www.explorestj.com/restaurantmap.

Want to see & learn more about St. John? Take an Island Tour with Explore STJ. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. Learn more at www.ExploreSTJ.com/tour.

Pictures of Today’s Saharan Dust

Jenn Manes July 19, 2023 0 Comments

Trunk Bay with & without the Saharan Dust

The Saharan Dust is extremely thick today. I was out and about with island tour guests today and snapped several pictures for all of you.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Saharan Dust, it tends to come and go during the spring and summer months. It is actually dust that lifts up from the Sahara Desert in Africa and is carried over to the US Virgin Islands. It looks like clouds or a thick haze and can bother your respiratory system a bit. My eyes tend to get a little itchy, and I sneeze a bit more when there is an abundance of dust in the air like there is currently.

Here are some pictures that show what the island typically looks like and what it looked like today. I’ll start with Trunk Bay.

An overlook in Coral Bay:

The overlook in Coral Bay with today’s Saharan Dust

Overlooking Hawksnest Bay toward St. Thomas:

Looking over Hawksnest Bay toward St. Thomas without dust

Looking over Hawksnest Bay toward St. Thomas with today’s Saharan Dust

And here are a couple of more images I took today:

Maho & Francis bays today with the Saharan Dust

Looking over the Sir Francis Drake Channel toward Tortola on St. John’s East End today with Saharan Dust

It looks like the Saharan Dust will stick around for a few more days before our skies clear up once again. You can track the Saharan Dust here, just like you can track rain on the radar. MyFoxHurricane.com is the best site to track the dust in my opinion.

You can also see what’s happening live by checking out Explore STJ’s webcam page at www.explorestj.com/webcams.