The boys from St. John Brewers! We saw this on Facebook last night and thought you’d all like to read it.
Islands magazine recently put out a top 10 list of the best islands to live on in the Caribbean. Naturally St. John made the cut, but so did the boys from St. John Brewers. So very cool. Here’s what the magazine had to say:
“For most college seniors, happy hour means Budweiser and beer pong. Not for Kevin Chipman and Chirag Vyas, two University of Vermont grads who used microbreweries around Burlington as a sort of career counseling. The best friends developed an affinity for craft beer, a vice that followed them to St. John, USVI, where St. John Brewers was soon born. Yep, two guys in their mid-20s selling beer in the Caribbean for a living.”
Click here to see which other islands made the cut.
Mmm, I could go for a little Island Summer ale right about now. How about you all? What’s your favorite St. John Brewers beverage?
For those of you who may have missed it yesterday, we were fortunate enough to see what appeared to be a mom and her baby calf swimming through the waters off of St. John Monday afternoon. It was beyond exciting.
We were heading to Red Hook on the car barge when a passenger noticed a big splash off the side of the boat. A few minutes passed and then there they were again.
Humpback whales migrate through Virgin Islands waters each winter, typically between February and March. While in the area, they mate and give birth.
A few whales were spotted a couple of weeks ago by Copeland Boat Charters. Check out their awesome pics:
Image credit: Copeland Boat Charters
And in case you missed it yesterday, here’s our whale video once again:
According to Virgin Islands This Week, whales tend to travel near St. John, Thatch Cay, North Drop, Congo and Lovango Cays during this time of year.
Here’s a bit more detail courtesy of Virgin Islands This Week:
“Humpback whales are the most commonly seen in local waters. Adult humpback whales are approximately 35 to 50 feet long and can weigh up to 65 tons. Humpback whales have dark grey bodies. Besides humpback whales, the occasional pilot whale can be spotted usually in October and November. Even the occasional sperm whale can be seen once in a while. 
“Whales travel to South America through the Caribbean to mate and calve. They pass through (St. John and) St. Thomas on their way back north. The calves spend their first few months of life in the warm waters of the Caribbean, building up a layer of blubber that will keep them warm in colder waters. Humpback whales are endangered, and federal rules require that humans and water craft remain at least 100 yards away from the whales. If you are traveling in a boat and see a whale, put the engine in neutral and allow the whale to pass. We don’t want to harass them.”
Want to try seeing a whale?
The Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John is holding a whale watch trip on Sunday, March 2. The excursion costs $65 and leaves from American Yacht Harbor Dock “A” in St. Thomas. Tickets are available at Gallows Point Gift and Gourmet and also at the Eastend Secretarial Service in Red Hook. They can also be purchased online at www.IslandTimeTours.net
Click here for more information on the whale watch trip.
Have you ever dreamed of packing up and moving to St. John to start your own business? One couple had the fortune of making that dream a reality. Here’s their story:
Ana Jaramillo and Sebastien Dessane visited St. John for a mere four days back in 2012. Their stay on the island passed quickly, and soon it was time to head home. They ferried back to St. Thomas and hopped in a taxi only to realized once they arrived at the airport that they had missed their flight. While a missed flight might stress many travelers, Ana and Sebastien simply saw it as a sign.
“We knew we were supposed to stay,” Sebastien said.
Three days later, they returned back home to Miami and began packing up their lives. Six months after that, they moved to St. John with their daughter Laetitia, now four years old.
“We knew that St. John was the place for us,” Ana said. “The community of Coral Bay was so nice to us. The whole community was so very nice to us.”
Upon arriving on St. John, the couple started seeking work opportunities. They immediately took a liking to Full Moon Gallery in Coral Bay.
Full Moon Gallery is located on the second floor in Cocoloba Plaza. Its steps are located to the side of Aqua Bistro. The gallery opened back in 2008. Ana and Sebastian assumed ownership in June 2013.
Full Moon Gallery sells work from more than 50 different artists and craftsmen, all of whom are local. From turned wood to ceramics to paintings, the gallery offers unique pieces that are true representations of the island.
In addition to its art pieces, Full Moon also has a special room where recycled goods are stored. They refer to it more as upcycling, as opposed to recycling, as people are encouraged to give a second life to a variety of glass pieces, kites and fabric.
The gallery has become a gathering place of sorts as local children congregate at the second floor shop each afternoon. much to the delight of little Laetitia.
Full Moon Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If you’re planning to visit, you may want to call ahead as hours may vary.
Jessica Rice was the first woman to cross the finish line Saturday. She also set a new course record.
It was tough alright. Not only did runners participating in the 18th annual 8 Tuff Miles race have to battle an extremely difficult course Saturday, but they also had to endure several torrential downpours making Centerline Road a slippery, muddy mess.
Four hundred and eighty seven men and 614 women completed the race while 22 runners came in under one hour, averaging seven minutes or less per mile.
Rick Paul of Muscatine, Iowa came in first at 51 minutes and four seconds. Coming in first for the ladies was Jessica Rice of Needham, Massachusetts at 56 minutes and four seconds. Jessica set a new course record with her time – the previous course record for women, set back in 2004, was 57 minutes and 15 seconds. Kudos to you both and to all of the runners!
Check out this quick video we made of some of our favorite moments:
We’d also like to recognize all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this race a success, especially race organizer Peter Alter. And a huge congrats goes out to the ACC volunteers who won the best water station over at Ajax Peak. We have to admit, it was pretty awesome.
The party continued over at Mongoose Junction later in the day where participants were treated to a few congratulatory beers courtesy of St. John Brewers (Delish!) before trophies were handed out.
But the party doesn’t end there…The Recovery Party’s happening today over at Oppenheimer from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get all the details here.
So as we mentioned earlier today. Mr. News of St. John is gearing up for 8 Tuff Miles in the morning. That means we need to take it easy tonight so he can rest up. Well I figured that there’s no better way to rest than by taking a nice, relaxing sunset sail around Cruz Bay. So we’re heading out on the Barefoot Cruz. Anyone want to join us??
As we mentioned back in December, our friends over at the Sadie Sea and Barefoot Cowboy Lounge now offer a pretty incredible sunset/snorkel deal.
For a mere $40 per person, you can hop aboard the Sadie Sea and enjoy two snorkel spots. Once you’ve had your fill of snorkeling St. John’s beautiful reefs, you can sit back and enjoy one of its spectacular sunsets. Once that’s done, it gets even better. You then head back to land and over on to the Barefoot Cowboy Lounge for a Sloppy Joe and drink of your choice. And this is all for only $40. Seriously, this is the best deal this side of Texas. (Ok, we stole that line from them but we felt it was worth repeating.)
The trip’s a BYOB so feel free to bring along any soft drinks, beer, etc. They’ll provide the ice and coolers to ensure that your beverages are drank at a proper temperature.
Can’t make it tonight? Well you’re in luck. The cruise happens every Friday. The party starts at 5 p.m. at the National Park dock. You must purchase tickets in advance at the Barefoot Cowboy Lounge, which is located in the second floor of the Lumberyard complex. Tickets will go on sale for each cruise the Monday prior and will be available until departure time. For more info or if you have any questions, call (340) 201-1236.
StJohnNow.com will be streaming live here at the finish line of 8 Tuff Miles.
Hey everyone, happy Friday! There’s a new webcam in town and we wanted to let you all know about it!
(Full disclosure: We received an email about this on Wednesday, so sorry for being a day late to the party!)
Ok, so as all of you know, the legendary 8 Tuff Miles road race is less than a day a way. (Side note: Mr. News of St. John is running it for the first time this year. So if any of you see him crying, panting or passed out on the side of the road, kindly pick him up and carry him to the finish line. I kid, I kid.) Sorry for the tangent … back to the story.
For those of you not on island and also for those of you who don’t feel like making the trek out to Coral Bay before 7 a.m. Saturday morning, you’ll be able to watch a new live feed of the finish line from the comfort of your own home or wherever you can get the internet thanks to Tory Lane and Keith Woodbury.
So last year, Tory was sitting at the finish line when he looked up and saw Broadband VI’s tower up on Bordeaux Mountain. Tory happens to work for Broadband VI and thought that it should be streaming the race live. So fast forward one year and it’s about to happen. So very cool!
The race begins at 7:15 a.m. Last year, David Riddle set a new course record finishing with 45 minutes and 46 seconds (Absolutely amazing if you ask us!). So if you want to see the first person cross the finish line, we suggest you start watching around 7:45 a.m. just to be safe. Remember it’s 7:45 a.m. local time, which is 6:45 a.m. EST. Early, yes. Worth it, absolutely.
It’s almost here folks – 8 Tuff Miles just two days away, which means the super fun recovery party is a mere three days away. We’re proud to be sponsoring a portion of the party and we wanted to let you all know about it. Here are the details:
Ok, so as we mentioned last month, the St. John Cancer Fund is holding a “recovery” party over at Oppenheimer on Sunday, February 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s free to attend and everyone is welcome. Now here is where we come in…
So for the first time this year, the Recovery Party will feature a beer pong tournament. (How cool is that?!) Well we thought it was super cool and we wanted to help. So for those of you who plan to participate (I’ll be there with bells on!), you’ll get to see our super swanky News of St. John beer pong cups.
What do you think? Cute, right??!!
The tournament costs $25 to enter and the winners will get their names places on a very cool trophy made by George Hollander, which will live over in The Tap Room. That in itself is very cool.
Trophy made by George Hollander
Not sure what beer pong is? Check out this quick video below:
Looks fun, right? All proceeds will benefit the St. John Cancer Fund, so please go clear off a table and start practicing.
DJ Adonis will be on hand to entertain the crowd and an island-style BBQ will be served. Shuttle buses will be available for $5. Parking will not be available at Oppenheimer.
Alright, so after yesterday’s post, I am pretty certain that a good majority of you are addicted to the ocean. No surprise there. And I’m taking a guess here, but I’m pretty sure that a fair amount of you would love to own a business here on St. John. If that sounds of interest to you, you’ll want to continue reading.
There are several different business opportunities available on the island ranging from a popular little eatery to a unique boutique. Here are the details on some of our favorite opportunities:
St. Johnanimals:
St. Johnimals is a pretty neat little pet shop located over in Wharfside Village. It also happens to be the pet shop that was mentioned on the House Hunters episode that featured Rob and Ken from Rhode Island. If you recall, they were looking for a small fixer upper. (You can read more about that here.) Well they opened and since listed St. Johnanimals for sale. It’s a pretty good opportunity for an animal lover. Here are the details from its listing:
St. Johnanimals is an exceptional shop dedicated to pets and the people who spoil them rotten. This small shop located in Wharfside Village carries a great selection of high quality food, innovative pet gifts, resort couture and sporting apparel, collars, leads, treats, luxury pet beds, fine dining ware, practical necessities, and all sorts of fun accessories. Special custom pet gifts and accessories are available for local island residents and visitors, all of which display a distinct island attitude. This high-traffic location is just steps from the ferry dock.
St. Johnanimals, which receives high marks on TripAdvisor, is listed for $75,000.
Fabric Mill:
Fabric Mill is another great opportunity as it is an established business with a great selection of clothing. Here are the details from its listing:
With more than 30 years in business, the Fabric Mill has become synonymous with great fashion and outstanding quality. Loyal customers, both seasonal and local, frequent this establishment. The Fabric Mill offers opportunity for continued growth and several exclusive lines, which make this a great business opportunity.
Fabric Mill is listed for $99,000.
Nest & Company:
We really like Nest & Company. It’s a funky little shop near the back of Mongoose Junction that carries a variety of fun items dedicated to the sand and sea (among other items offered for sale.) If I were interested in owning a boutique, this may be the one I’d go for. Here are its details:
Located at Mongoose Junction, Nest & Company is in a high-traffic location beside several boutique and fine dining establishments. Within the Nest, lies luxury, beauty and peace. Nest & Company on finding delicate, exquisite items made from top-quality materials. For the body, the mind, the home and the soul, you’ll find the perfect gift for a loved one or for yourself such as jewelry, candles, stationery, bedding, books, clothing, home decor, lotions, soaps and more. Visiting the shop becomes a sensual experience filled with fresh aromas, soft fabrics and gentle colors.
This well established shop is a favorite of both visitors and locals. Recently reduced, Nest & Company is now available for $125,000.
Joe’s Diner:
And last but not least today, there is Joe’s Diner. Known for its yummy eats, Joe’s Diner has been serving up good food since 1972. Located right in town (and under Cafe Roma), Joe’s Diner is yet another great opportunity for an established restauranteur or perhaps someone looking to become one. Here are its details:
Joe’s Diner offers a great location in the heart of Cruz Bay – high traffic, visibility and road access. The sale includes the business, furniture, fixtures, equipment and all inventory on hand. It comes with a five-year lease and two five-year options. The lease also includes a driveway. This easy owner-run business is turnkey for immediate purchase and partial owner financing possible to qualified buyer.
Joe’s Diner is listed for $195,000.
Want to know more about what’s for sale on the island? Check out one of these real estate companies:
