Good Morning! Things are in full swing on island with live music happening nightly at a few establishments and sporadic traveling acts being scheduled at various venues. Oh, and music is BACK at the Beach Bar! March kicked off with VI Jam Fest bringing some world class musicians to St. John and I can’t tell you how good it felt to be watching and listening to a full band right in front of me again. So, if you’re passionate about live music, like myself, and REALLY missed it while it was gone, read on so you can get your fill while you’re on St. John this month!
A unique island
The Inside Scoop on Kenny Chesney’s “Knowing You” Video
Good Morning! Kenny Chesney released his “Knowing You” music video today and I wanted to share a bit about the people, and the boat, involved in this video….The following is a sneak peek into a more in depth, upcoming interview with the video cast and sailing crew aboard the featured vessel, Kai.
Read moreThe Inside Scoop on Kenny Chesney’s “Knowing You” Video
Lights, Camera, Auction!
The 2021 Gift Hill School Auction is LIVE now and offers you an opportunity to bid on boat days, villa stays, dining experiences and many other activities and excursions to use on your next trip to St. John! And, it’s in support of the kids and their education. So, win, win, win!
30th Annual Folk Life Festival Mini-Documentary
Good Morning Everyone! The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park in partnership with the National Park Service will host the 30th Annual Folk Life Festival today at Peace Hill and Annaberg in celebration of the rich culture of the Virgin Islands.
St. John Travel Tips
Good Morning Everyone! We just wrapped up a CRAZY busy wave here on St. John! President’s Day week was one for the books and it’s no surprise. With many destinations, including the British Virgin Islands, continuing to keep their borders extremely restricted, flight costs to the territory at an all time low and the USVI topping the lists of travel blogs all over the web as a top destination for 2021, its not surprising that we are seeing a lot of new visitors and repeat travelers doubling down on their time spent here this season.
In the following post, I’ve compiled a list of current Do’s and Do Not’s, including up to date COVID-19 information, as a guideline for newcomers and as a refresher for those of you who have visited religiously over the years.
Love City Takes a Shot! (In the Arm)
The winds have shifted here in the USVI. Today we no longer focus on the number of positive COVID-19 test results, although those numbers are very, very low! In the Governor’s press conference yesterday, he marked the coming one year anniversary of a year of response and hardships for our community and small business owners.
This one year anniversary reveals a new chapter and new goal of working as a community towards herd immunity. As of yesterday, 12,000 Virgin Islanders had been vaccinated, and the Governor has set a community goal of 50,000, or half of the population of the territory, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months.
So today, we focus on growing the number instead of decreasing it. Say what you will about the administration and their accelerated efforts towards the COVID-19 pandemic. St. John is currently busier than I have seen in recent years. And active cases are below 100. Something is working.
This is not a plug for vaccinations…I believe that we have all been on our own very individual paths through all of this pandemic. And each person’s stance on vaccinations do not delineate from that belief. Here, I’ll tell a story of a milestone for a local clinic, a story of a community working together and my own personal experience in receiving the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine. Because during my experience, I was once again reminded of how truly fortunate I feel to live in this community and how grateful I am for the hardworking people who make the wheels turn behind the scenery and the beautiful backdrops!
“Soul” Music From St. John For Your Monday Morning
Happy Monday to you all! I wanted to share with you this morning a music video from some of my favorite St. John artists in hopes that it kicks your work week off to a positive start.
Cruz Bay Gets a Ball Field Back!
Good morning everyone! I hope your weekend is off to a great start and that you all are staying warm up there. I have some great news to share with you today in regards to the re-establishment and resurrection of one of the baseball fields in Cruz Bay!
Kevin and Cheech Talk Love City Hard Seltzer
Last Friday, I was at Cruz Bay Landing having dinner and I ran into Kevin Chipman, co-owner and founder of St. John Brewers…Love City’s only brewery. He was wearing a backpack and a mask and pounding the pavement in promotion of the company’s latest creation; Love City Hard Seltzer. Kevin asked me to come by and pick up one of their mixed 12-packs to sample before coming in to chat with he and STJ Brewers co-founder, Chirag “Cheech” Vyas, about the product that is proving to be the dynamic duo’s silver lining of 2020.
Since the pandemic hit, I have watched with pride as many Love City locals, business owners and residents, once again, proved resilient. Although severe economic impact swept St. John like a dark cloud, I watched as many people changed their focus, tried something new or made a great use of their time to produce a new venture that would further sustain them in the event of ANOTHER bump in the road. On February 1, St. John’s beloved brewers launched their new Love City Hard Seltzer that would broaden their market and give seltzer lovers, like myself, another way to shop local.
Online Art Auction and Virtual Concert Series
Good Morning All! I have mentioned many times before the absolutely devastating effect that COVID-19 has had on our island’s very necessary non-profits over the past year. The majority of them host fundraisers throughout the year that give the little island that could a reason to get out and socialize for a number of great causes. This year, many of them have struggled with the cancelling of these momentous annual events which has caused drastic decreases to their annual fundraising efforts.
But, in the true spirit of St. John, most of them have been flexible and creative; developing new ways to raise funds and collect donations online. And fortunately for all of you who are not currently on St. John, this means that you can participate and support from afar like never before! This month, the St. John School of the Arts has taken their annual concert series to the web and are hosting an online art auction to “keep their lights on” and support the artistic community and students of St. John!