Earlier today, we introduced you to Thalia, a woman who owns Hansen Bay beach on St. John’s East End. And earlier this month, we introduced you to Ash, a man who owns the neighboring property, Saltwell Bottom beach. Well now we’d like to take you on a little drive to show you their beautiful properties, as well as many other beautiful views. It’s a short cruise from the East End over to Princess Bay along Centerline Road. I think you will enjoy the ride.
News of St. John
A Few Minutes with… Thalia, Owner of Hansen Bay Beach
Hello everyone and happy Sunday! Today we’re continuing our new “A Few Minutes with…” feature, and we’re back out on the East End. Earlier this month, we introduced you to Ash, the owner of Saltwell Bottom beach on St. John’s East End. Well today, we’d like to introduce you to Thalia.
Thalia and her family own Hansen Bay beach, which is also located on St. John’s East End. Thalia has opened her beach to the public, allowing us all to enjoy her little piece of island paradise. But rather me tell you about it, I am going to let Thalia tell you about it. Please click the play button below to listen.
As we mentioned above, Thalia’s beach is gorgeous. It’s definitely worth the drive out to the East End. Or even better, we can take you there on an island tour!
Want to see how beautiful this beach is for yourself? Check out this quick video we made…
Ranger-Led Reef Bay Hike Resumes!
Hello everyone and happy Saturday! We have such great news to share with you all today. The ranger-led Reef Bay hike has finally resumed! More progress! So exciting!
Foe those of you who are unfamiliar with the Reef Bay hike, it’s a 2.6 mile trail that leads you down past some of the oldest and tallest trees on the island. As you make your way down to the sea, you will pass Danish sugar plantation ruins, stone walls from cattle grazing and the petroglyphs, ancient rock carvings created by the pre-Colombian Tainos. The sugar mill at the bottom of the trail is the longest running sugar mill on the island, and it is very well intact.
The ranger-led hike ceased following the hurricanes, as the boat that picks hikers up at the bottom – the Sadie Sea – needed repairs. The Sadie Sea has since been repaired, she passed her US Coast Guard inspection, and now she’s back picking up hikers at Reef Bay. I love it when a bit of normalcy returns to our world. 🙂
The hike costs $60 and it’s approximately four-and-a-half hours. It is being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays this month, and on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning next month.
Hikers meet at the National Park Visitor Center where they will board a safari taxi, which will them them to the trailhead. A ranger, as mentioned above, will lead them down the trail, discussing the flora, fauna and history of the area along the way. The Sadie Sea will be waiting for you at the bottom of the trail and will bring you back to Cruz Bay.
Want to know a little more about the petroglyphs? Then please check out this story we wrote back in 2017 complete with amazing images taken by Steve Simonsen.
Ready to book the hike? You can do so by clicking here.
Happy hiking everyone! Now I’m off to see Santa at Mongoose Junction!
St. Johnopoly Sales End Today at 5pm EST!
Short, sweet and to the point right here… If you want to purchase a St. Johnopoly game and have it shipped to you, you must order it today by 5 p.m. EST. After that, games will no longer be available online. All games purchased today will ship tomorrow.
Games are available for purchase at St. John Spice and at Lulee, the gift shop at the Westin.
New Car Barge Now Able to Operate!
Well folks, we have great news today. It’s short, sweet, but important. And I think it’s going to positively affect the residents on the island, as well as our visitors.
Last month, we told you how a new car barge had arrived in the territory. We were super excited as the addition of a barge would definitely allow traffic to flow more smoothly between St. John and St. Thomas. Well today we’re excited to tell you that the Big Red Barge has been given the go ahead to begin operating, and service will begin this Friday.
Starting Friday, December 20th, the Big Red Barge will be available to transport vehicles between Cruz Bay and Red Hook. Its first daily run will begin at 6 a.m. leaving from Cruz Bay. It will then operate on the half hour until 6:30 p.m. Please see the full schedule below:
The cost of the Big Red Barge is $35 one way or $50 round trip. Seniors receive a discounted rate of $45 round trip with a valid ID.
And here is the schedule for the other two barge companies that are currently operating, per the Virgin Islands Port Authority:
Both Global Marine and Love City Car Ferries also charge $35 for a one-way ticket and $50 for roundtrip.
The Big Red Barge plans to offer online booking in the near future. You can check their website at www.bigredbarge.co for updates. Love City Car Ferries currently offers online bookings, but you must purchase tickets at least three days in advance.
Business Spotlight: The Hills Saint John, Luxury Vacation Condominiums
It’s starting to get pretty chilly up north, so I know that vacation planning has gone into overdrive for many of you. You have so many options when choosing a place to stay here on St. John; the island had accommodations for all budgets. Well today, we’d like to tell you about a luxury condominium vacation destination. It’s an upscale spot with many top-notch amenities, and we think you’re going to like it.
The Hills Saint John is described as being a modern-day vacationer’s oasis. It’s comprised of 22 two-, three-, and four-bedroom condominium-style villas that sleep up to eight guests comfortably. Each of the resort’s villas come equipped with chef’s kitchens, private verandas and all the comforts of home. Some of the units have private patio areas complete with pools.
The Hills Saint John opened in 2008 and was then called Sirenusa. It rebranded itself following the 2017 hurricanes.
“In the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria, the owners spared no expense in not only repairing storm damage but elevating the property to new levels of sophisticated Caribbean charm,” David Adams, condominium association president, said recently. “The visitor experience was enhanced with upgraded guest services and amenities, like the new Clubhouse restaurant. This reinvention called for a repositioning of the brand and to appeal to new travel segments. With The Hills Saint John, we moved away from Italian villas names, instead naming them in celebration of Virgin Islands flora and fauna to further evoke the tropical feeling of St. John.”
Speaking of guests services and amenities, The Hills Saint John’s management team includes a full time concierge and guest services team which vacationers have access to from the time they book the property to the time that they return home. It offers a welcome amenity specifically catered to each guest’s stay, from a gift card to the Clubhouse, to a bottle of champagne, a birthday cake or other fun surprises. The Clubhouse restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from mid-November through July. All guests receive a complimentary hot continental breakfast with in their stay.
(Off season days and hours for the Clubhouse have not yet been determined.)
The Hills Saint John is located just five minutes from Cruz Bay. Its hillside location makes it the perfect spot to watch the boats cruise in and out of the harbor or pass in nearby Pillsbury Sound. It’s also a prime location to watch the sun dip down into the water at the end of a perfect island day. The complex has everything you need for the ultimate vacation including the Clubhouse restaurant mentioned above, a pool and fully equipped gym. Check out a few pics plus the Clubhouse menus:
Rates vary between $425 and $1,050 a night depending on unit size and season. Interested in becoming an owner? Several units are available for sale. For more information on vacation rentals or sales, please visit www.thehillsstjohn.com. You can also call 1 (800) 727-6610.
Business Spotlight: Spend a Day on the Water with Sunshine Daydream Charters
Sunshine Daydream 2 is a brand new 2020 World Cat.Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! One of the top questions we get here at News of St. John is “which boat should I take around St. John” or perhaps for a day trip over to the British Virgin Islands. There are several great ones to choose from, but today we’d like to tell you about one of the top companies on the island – Sunshine Daydream Charters.
We introduced you to Sunshine Daydream Charters several years back when it began operating on the island. Sunshine Daydream Charters is owned and operated by our friend Rob Woodworth. Captain Rob is a Coast Guard licensed, 100-ton captain and also a certified Padi rescue diver. Sunshine Daydream Charters is consistently ranked on TripAdvisor as one of the top boat charter companies on St. John. It offers both half day and full day trips here in the US Virgin Islands, as well as full day trips over in the British Virgin Islands. And even better? It just added a second boat! That means you can bring twice as many friends or family members with you!
One of the great features of Sunshine Daydream Charters – in addition to its great captains of course – is the fact that it can take large groups. Sunshine Daydream 1, the company’s original boat, can carry up to eight passengers. Sunshine Daydream II, the company’s newest addition which just arrived in the USVI, can carry up to 12 passengers. You can rent one of the boats on its own, or both if you have a large group.
Both boats are World Cats which offer a stable and spacious ride. Sunshine Daydream 1 is 28 feet and has twin Yamaha 200 engines. Sunshine Daydream II is a brand new 2020 vessel which measures 32 feet in length and is equipped with twin Yamaha 300 engines. Both boats are sleek, comfortable, and have ample seating in both the sun and shade. Want to hop in and out of the water? Well both come equipped with a sturdy, three-step ladder making it easy to get into and out of the water. Because if you’re in the Caribbean, we know you want to take a dip into our crystal clear waters!
Sunshine Daydream II has ample seating in the sun and shade.
Sunshine Daydream II can carry up to 12 passengers.
This brand new boat offers a stable and comfortable ride.For those of you looking to stay in US waters and forgo the process of clearing through Customs in the BVI while saving some cash, you can check out several great snorkeling spots that can only be accessed by boat. There are a lot of great lunch stops in the USVI including Lime Out, located in Round Bay on St. John’s East End, or Pizza Pi, which is located in Christmas Cove off of St. Thomas.
Prefer to head over to the British side for the day? Well Sunshine Daydream Charters can take you to Jost Van Dyke – home of the popular Soggy Dollar Bar; Norman Island – a beautiful island with a restaurant and the famed Willy T.; Cooper Island, Scrub Island, Virgin Gorda and everywhere in between!
Half day prices start at $500 for Sunshine Daydream 1 and $600 for Sunshine Daydream II. Full day prices start at $750 for Sunshine Daydream 1 and $875 for Sunshine Daydream II.
For more information, please visit their website at sunshinedaydreamvi.com
Cinnamon Bay Campground Rebuild Hits Setback
Last Monday, we told you about the progress happening at Cinnamon Bay. From what we could see, work was underway and was progressing as expected. Well unfortunately reconstruction hit a setback and work has temporarily stopped.
The Virgin Islands National Park announced Friday that a small amount of asbestos was found in underground sewer pipes. The affected area is cordoned off by fencing and is not a threat to people visiting Cinnamon Bay beach or nearby trails. Signage has been installed to further direct beachgoers to stay outside of the affected work areas. The Virgin Islands National Park previously stated that 10,000 feet of water and sewer pipe needed to be replaced. Only 10 percent of that pipe is affected by asbestos, the Park said.
“Our main concern during the repair and rebuilding of Cinnamon Bay is that everyone stay safe while enjoying access to the beach,” Site Manager Adrian Davis said in a release. “The signs reemphasize the importance of everyone staying on the main path to and from the beach. While we are being sure to not compromise safety, we are eager to complete this part of the project so we can move forward with the reopening of the rest of the campground.”
Work has been halted at the Cinnamon Bay campground until the asbestos can be properly removed. Work is expected to continue in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted on this.
STJ Business Named One of the Best Caribbean Beach Bars!
Well folks, they did it again! The Lime Out was, yet again, named one of the best places to visit. So what are you waiting for? Buy your tickets and come and see us!
The Caribbean Journal just released its list of The 20 Best Caribbean Beach Bars to Visit in 2020, and we’re so excited to say that Lime Out made the list! While it’s technically not a beach bar as it’s located on the water, it still made the cut. Here’s what Caribbean Journal had to say about it:
A beach bar has to be close to the water. But the USVI’s newest bar does it one better — it’s actually in the water. This floating bar off the coast of St John is equal parts beach bar and taco shack, and it’s quickly become a big hit with locals, travelers and passing boats.
Short and simple, but straight to the point. 🙂
Lime Out is located on St. John’s East End. You can visit it one of two ways – you can visit by boat, or you can paddle out on a kayak or paddle board. (You cannot swim out to Lime Out for safety reasons.) The drive to Round Bay, where Lime Out is located, is roughly 45 minutes from Cruz Bay. It is not a place where taxis regularly go, but our News of St. John Island Tours will take you there! We also bring guests there by water with our Land and Sea tour. For more information on our island tours, please visit www.newsofstjohn.com/islandtour
We’re also like to mention that our friends over at Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke also made Caribbean Journal’s list. Here’s what they had to say about it:
White Bay is very much a pilgrimage spot for travelers from around the world, and that’s largely due to the place affectionately called “Soggy,” where the painkillers abound, the sand is impossibly white and the days never seem to end. A true bucket-list beach bar and a must-stop for any Caribbean aficionado.
Want to see what other beach bars made the list? Click here to visit Caribbean Journal’s website.
Now go ahead and buy that ticket!
Take a Ride with Us on Ditliff Point
Hello everyone and welcome to the weekend! We were recently invited out to Ditliff Point, one of St. John’s beautiful gated communities. Ditliff Point is a private peninsula located on St. John’s south shore. There are several vacation rentals on Ditliff Point, as well as several lots for sale.
In the video, we started at the end just before the entrance to Marea and drove toward the entrance of Ditliff Point. You can see bits of Reef Bay and Fish Bay to your right, and Rendezvous Bay to your left. Enjoy!