An Online Blog About the Daily Happenings of St. John, USVI
Who loves a trip to St. John? Who loves a trip to St. John…Free of charge? Well, maybe not entirely for free, but a small donation to the St. John Land Conservancy will get you entered for a chance to win an incredible stay on St. John, complete with air fare, a beautiful villa, dinners, boat days and more!
Read moreLove for the Land: Enter to Win an All-Inclusive Trip to St. John
Read moreBeautiful Boats and Community Members Gather at Lovango to Honor Captain Phil Chalker
Good Morning All! If you recall, I posted an article regarding a shipwreck in Coral Bay a few months back with mention of the dive group, Diving With a Purpose (DWP). Well, that spring issue of National Geographic feature (also mentioned in the article) will be available online on February 7, but a six episode podcast featuring the work and “purpose” of this incredible dive group will be live on January 27. And I am so incredibly excited to “dive” into these stories.
Read moreNational Geographic Explorer Follows “Diving With a Purpose” in New Podcast
Heads up gang…Beach and boat days everywhere are about to get a whole lot easier in the realm of cocktails to go! Over the summer, I wrote up the recipe and backstory for the world famous Pusser’s Painkillers, the official drink of the Virgin Islands. But, soon come, you won’t need to work so hard for those boat ready delectable drinks.
Read moreComing Soon to a Liquor Store Near You – Pusser’s Painkillers in a Can!
Today, the US Virgin Islands celebrates the life and mourns the loss of a great Civil Rights leader. A man who dedicated his life to challenging racial inequality and attempting to instill the same liberties in the African American communities around the country that others of a lighter skin tone could enjoy without a fight. With a deep seeded history of slavery and inequality, it is not surprising that the USVI takes this holiday of remembrance very seriously. You won’t find a bank, a government office or a variety of private businesses open today in the territory. The doors are locked up tight with workers participating in walks, family gatherings and celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy.
The story behind this beautiful island did not just begin when the Virgin Islands National Park was founded. But that is the narrative that is largely presented to new residents and visitors to St. John. A place that is beloved and coveted by thousands of people all over the world has a much deeper story to tell that is often glazed over by Americanized beach bars and burger joints, beautiful beaches and sunsets and adventurous day trips. Although, the current picture of St. John looks to be much like that last sentence, the history of St. John, the culture of St. John is very seldom accurately portrayed. And, in my opinion, the entire kaleidoscope of stories, not just the predominant rose colored lenses, are what makes this place truly magical.
Today, I have a very special story to share with all of you. This month, Sun Dog Cafe in Mongoose Junction with coincidentally celebrate two major milestones that many restaurants never achieve singularly. The tiny outdoor café whose inspiration was a lost dog named Lucky and a kitchen the size of a Volkswagen Beatle (according to the New York Times) will celebrate 25 years of service to the Love City Community AND the service of their one millionth meal this month…Who knows how many beers, shots and Painkillers have been served at the little Gecko Gazebo bar over that period of time. I’m sure that count was lost long ago 🙂
Read moreSun Dog Café Celebrates ONE MILLION Meals and 25 Years in Business!
Hi there! Today I’m going to get a bit real with you all about something that drives me absolutely crazy…Disposable plastic water bottles! Did you know that, “According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86% of disposable water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter, adding 38 billion disposable water bottles in U.S. landfills?” That’s INSANE. And totally preventable! And, here on St. John, or in the Virgin Islands in general, there is NO plastic recycling so it is actually 100% of those disposable bottles that end up in our one landfill on St. Thomas or on the beaches, trails or…worse, in the water! But, this problem is something that we can all do a little bit about in order to cut down on this waste and litter on our beautiful island…Oh, and you’ll save a bundle of cash as well!
Read moreThe Plastic Water Bottle Dilemma – Save the Planet & Some Cash!
Hello all! It is a beautifully overcast and breezy Monday morning here on St. John and we had an absolutely perfect Sunday yesterday! It is RARE that both Teddy and myself have a day off from ALL of our jobs. But, we took the day yesterday and spent some time truly enjoying St. John. And I took a little video clip to ensure that all of you got a little beach break today as well!
Happy Weekend to you all! I normally try to take the weekends off…from at least this job 🙂 But, I saw a ton of comments on the post from Thursday that are basically just false. And, for those of your with upcoming trips on the horizon, I wanted to give you a quick update about the type of test necessary to get into the territory.
Read moreImportant Testing Clarification: PCR AND RAPID Tests are Both OK!