Local News

Good Morning, Good Morning and a happy Monday to you all!  Last week I was doing a bit of Christmas shopping at Mongoose Junction, and I popped into the new wellness and apothecary boutique (from the creators of LuLee).  I did not find anything for anyone on my list, but I did find PLENTY for me 🙂 They have a little bit of everything in the realm of giving your body, mind and soul a bit of a treat in a beautifully designed space that I truly had a hard time leaving!  The store has a ton of creative products to make you feel good from the inside out…And the outside in!

Read moreNew Boutique at Mongoose Junction: Golden Hour

The holiday season is finally upon us! Cue up that Mariah Carey album and play in the snow…Er, I mean sand? 🙂 December is my absolute favorite month of the year here in Love City. The weather is perfect, the crowds are light (until Christmas) and the winds are starting to pick up which makes for GREAT sailing weather! Oh, and the events on St. John during the holiday time are the absolute BEST. From the Bizarre Bazaar that encapsulates the absolute unique nature of Coral Bay to the ugly sweater party at the Tap Room to The All-Island Holiday Party (St. John Prom) which is making an incredible comeback this year after a two-year hiatus…The opportunities to share in the holiday cheer in a very St. John centric way abound during this first month of our busy season. Oh, and the best part of all of it? If you need a recovery day after one of these holiday shindigs, the beach is stumbling distance away 😉

Read moreLove City Holiday Happenings!

Happy Thursday everyone!  When Mother Goat reached out to me earlier this week to ask about a write up for their album launch party this weekend, I immediately said yes.  Because I’ll take any opportunity to support our small, yet incredibly homegrown and talented, music scene on St. John.  But as I asked questions about their recording process at a new studio in Coral Bay, I became more and more intrigued.  Wait…There’s a recording studio ON St. John?!?  You learn something new every day right?

Well, I thought this story was so much more than their album release party (tomorrow night!)…It’s all very remniscent of Love City.  It’s about a St. John based band recording their very first studio album.  And a new recording studio on island that marks Mother Goat’s Circus in the Cistern album as their first completed project on St. John!  Oh, and there’s a bit about the true effectiveness of the Cocount Telegraph in here as well 🙂

Read moreSt. John Funk Band and Recording Studio Celebrate Inaugural Album

Good Morning, Good Morning!  We are getting into that time of year where the holiday crowds will be rolling in soon and everything is opening up!  A few weeks ago, Teddy and I went out to Lovango Resort + Beach Club for an afternoon to tour the grounds with Operations Director, Matt Snider, in order to see what new experiences the beach club and resort on Lovango Cay will have to offer this season.  I have to say, I’m once again pretty freaking excited to watch it all unfold.  And I am once again impressed at Matt and his staffs’ uncanny ability to, not only listen to the guests and community partners, but also implement the relevant changes and updates!  This season is going to be the best one yet at Lovango Resort + Beach Club…Quite simply because there is absolutely something for everyone!

Read moreLovango Resort + Beach Club Sneak Peeks!

Happy Cyber Monday to you all!  Anyone else out there getting absolutely inundated with texts and emails about deals on the world wide web today?  Me too!  LOL.  If you’re having trouble making a decision about which direction to go for holiday gift giving, let me help you out.  The Fourth Edition of St. Johnopoly is now ready to go!  To those of you who pre-ordered your games, they are already en route to you!  If you haven’t yet ordered a copy of everyone’s favorite island-style board game, there is still time for a guaranteed holiday delivery.

Read moreJust in Time for the Holidays: St. Johnopoly is Ready to Ship!

Yes, you read that right!  A freaking MANATEE has been sighted in the waters surrounding the BVI, Lovango Cay and Fish Bay area of St. John!  Can you believe that!?  Probably not…And this is why.  Manatees tend to habituate in areas with brackish water because most species of them need fresh water to survive in a healthy manner.  And you have probably noticed that we don’t have a ton of that in the VI 🙂  So, where did he come from?  What is he doing here?  And how can we help him get home to a healthier habitat?

Read moreWandering Manatee Sighted in the Virgin Islands

Good Morning!  It has been absolutely gorgeous on St. John these past few days.  Which makes the upcoming holiday even more meaningful as we have so much to be grateful for!  I wanted to share the updated dining and event info for this week once more for those of you who are thankful to be on island this week.  Because there is a lot going on over the holiday week and weekend!

Read moreThanksgiving Dining Options and Events in Love City

Good Morning!  And happy Fri-YAY!  I have a quick but very uplifting update for all of you before we get into the weekend.  Last week, renowned St. John photographer Steve Simonsen reached out to me about a music video project that he has been working on with a young artist who was born in the Virgin Islands.  The video he sent me moved me to tears and was so incredibly well produced with beautiful imagery of the people and places of the Virgin Islands that I absolutely had to share it with you all!

Read more“My Virgin Island” Music Video – Produced By Steve Simonsen

On Monday afternoon I received an email from Paula Smail, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park Outreach Director:

“We are doing a test run on the guided Reef Bay Hike tomorrow and we have room for you if you would like to tag along.”

My answer was YES.  Absolutely!  For those of you not familiar with this amazing expedition led by Virgin Islands National Park Service Rangers and Friends staffers, it has literally just started again with public tours beginning next week on Mondays and Tuesdays.  It is an extremely informative guided hike through some of the tallest trees on island and down the 2.6 mile traverse from Centerline Road to the Reef Bay Sugar Factory with a boat ride back to town as the grand finale.  And it was one of the most amazingly informative and entertaining things I have done on St. John (yes, even I learned a lot!).

Read moreThe Guided Reef Bay Hike is Back: Sneak Peeks from This Week’s Tour!