Big Announcement: Love City Fresh Farm & Picnic Opening Thanksgiving 2020

There is a very exciting announcement regarding the property above Colombo Smoothies on Centerline Road!

The name of the property is Love City Fresh Farm & Picnic. The basics of the property is that it is farm, picnic area, with food truck on site.

There was a launch video posted to the Facebook Page that you should see after reading this post.  But first check out the pictures of the property.

The best part is definitely the views, especially at sunset, as seen above.

You can see Maho Bay from one side of the property and Coral Bay from the other side.

Most importantly, there is a Freight Farms indoor hydroponic growing container with the capacity to grow over 8000 plants at a time.  This will include many different types of greens for area restaurants, mint for drinks, and also a program for residents and tourists to participate.

The property also has dozens of fruit trees such as lemon, lime, orange, mango, and papaya, as well as rows of pineapple.

The container farm will provide the island with a source of fresh greens even in the case of storms.

There is a food truck that will be offering tacos cooked to order and some of the coolest tables you have ever seen.

One of the unique features of the property is that after you purchase your produce from the food truck you may use one of the onsite BBQ Grill tables to heat your kabobs to your preferred temperature in the picnic area.

Love City Fresh plans to open the property to the public Thanksgiving of  2020.

Please remember to check out their Facebook page for further updates!

(these pictures were taken at a private event prior to the surge in covid)

Today’s Update from Governor Bryan

The Governor’s weekly press conference focused largely on domestic, non-COVID related issues.  There are currently two active cases on St. John, nine of which were traced to community contact, three from close contact, and five travel-related.  No new restrictions on visitors were issued this week, and there was no mention of when the current conditions will be lifted or amended.

The Virgin Islands Port Authority encourages all travelers to complete their health travel forms prior to their trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The form is available on the  USVI Travel Portal website and can be downloaded here.  

Read moreToday’s Update from Governor Bryan

Curfew lifted, ports remain closed

Good morning!  As of 6:00 am, the roads are clear and the curfew has been lifted.   The ports are closed until further notice; we will let you know when they re-open.  The airports remain open.

According to the Governor, the ocean is not safe for swimming today due to remaining swells, but there are many other enjoyable ways to spend your day!  Help support our local economy with some shopping, go for a hike on one of our many trails, or learn about some of the fascinating and important St. Johnian history at Annaberg Sugar Plantation.

 

Curfew implemented for Tropical Cyclone 9

A tropical storm warning has been issued for St. John and the surrounding Caribbean islands.  Invest 92L has crossed the Leeward Islands and is now called ‘Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine’.

According to VITEMA director Daryl Jaschen, this large storm has been difficult to define and track.  We anticipate winds at 45-50 miles per hour throughout most of the evening and tapering off around 1:00 am, with three to six inches of rain.  It is not expected to develop into a hurricane at this time, but given that it is a possibility, please be prepared with your your supplies and plans in place.

The Governor has issued a mandatory curfew from midnight tonight until 12:00 pm tomorrow, and another update will be given tomorrow morning around 7:00 am to determine whether the curfew order can be safely lifted.

Read moreCurfew implemented for Tropical Cyclone 9

Storm-related ferry and port closure this morning

Good morning!  A tropical storm warning is in effect for St. John.  We will bring you the latest update regarding the storm shortly after the Governor’s press conference at 10:00 am.  In the meantime, if you are leaving the island today, the last passenger ferries to Red Hook and Crowne Bay will depart at 11:00 am before the ports shut down entirely for the day.  If anything changes we will let you know!

Keeping our doors open for “safe tourism”

According to Governor Bryan, the regulations we have put into place regarding our efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 continue to appear to be working, as our active number of cases in the territory has decreased from last week.   There are currently five active cases on St. John at this time, and no new cases this week.

Location of positive COVID-19 cases on St. John

The Governor assured our local residents that he is listening to their comments and concerns about tourism, and said that our governmental agencies are working as hard as possible to ensure that we have the resources needed to protect all of our entry points in an effort to keep our residents and guests as safe as possible.  We have requested additional testing supplies – especially for St. John – and recently added four testing machines that produce same-day results in the territory.

Read moreKeeping our doors open for “safe tourism”

USVI Travel Screening Update

The US Virgin Islands launched an online travel portal in an effort to increase the safety of residents and visitors, and to clarify the screening process for travelers.  This portal will allow travelers to upload their COVID-19 test results to expedite the screening process at the airport, and to increase the efficiency of the policy.

Effective July 24, 2020:

  • Any traveler aged 15 and older whose home state (state of residence) has a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) positivity rate greater than 10 percent will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 antigen (molecular/PCR/rapid) test result received within five days prior to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands OR a positive COVID-19 antibody test result received within four months prior to travel to the territory. Currently, residents of Puerto Rico are also subject to this requirement.
  • COVID-19 test results are also required from travelers aged 15 and older who have spent more than seven days in and are traveling from a state with a positivity rate greater than 10 percent.
  • COVID-19 test are recommended, but not required for travelers aged 15 and older whose home states have positivity rates greater than 7.5 percent.  This is to ensure travelers are prepared for possible “spikes” in rates while preparing for travel.
  • COVID-19 test result are not required from travelers transiting impacted states en route to the USVI.

Read moreUSVI Travel Screening Update

Underwater photo editing tips

Now that you’re back at the villa and out of the direct sun, the first thing you will likely want to do is review your photos to find out if you actually captured all of the exciting sea life you saw while underwater.

Step 1:  Editing software

The editing software that comes pre-installed on your computer or camera will allow you to make a majority of the basic corrections.  You can purchase advanced editing software, like Adobe’s Lightroom package, but rather than spending hours in your villa instead of the beach, I suggest taking advantage of the free editing software available to you.  Be sure to save a copy of your original photos while learning the editing software so that you can go back to the original photo and start over if necessary.

Don’t be afraid to be creative.  Photos that might otherwise seem unexciting can become artsy with just a click of a different editing filter.

Read moreUnderwater photo editing tips

Business Spotlight: A Day on the Beach at Bikini’s

Are you currently dreaming about lying in a hammock in the shade with a Painkiller in your hand, Caribbean blues lining your landscape and sand between your toes?  Maybe the faint sound of music and laughter in the background and the smells of barbeque on the grill?  Then, the next time you are on St. John, take a drive or a hike to Bikini’s Bar & Grill at Honeymoon Beach and live out your daydreams!

Read moreBusiness Spotlight: A Day on the Beach at Bikini’s