Check out this neat little video taken yesterday by Captain John Brandi of Palm Tree Charters. He encountered a pod of dolphins on his way back from Jost Van Dyke. So cool.
Local News
St. John 2013: A Look Back Through Images
If you love St. John, you’re going to want to watch this:
(Please turn your sound on)
Be sure to check out our new Daily STJ images posted Monday through Friday at www.NewsofStJohn.com/DailySTJ
Sunsets, Snorkeling & Sloppy Joes
Sunsets, snorkeling and sloppy joes … doesn’t get much better than that!
Our friends over at the Sadie Sea and Barefoot Cowboy Lounge are about to launch something very cool, and we think you should all check it out. Starting tomorrow, December 27, they’re teaming up to offer an 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.
Again, the Barefoot Cruz at Sunset starts tomorrow so be sure to check it out. It leaves every Friday at 5 p.m. from 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.
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas … in Trunk Bay
Well we told you the other day that snow was in the forecast. Here’s the proof courtesy of IrixGuy.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Love,
Jenn & Mr. News of St. John
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through St. John,
Not a creature was stirring, even at Quiet Mon;
The stockings were hung by the Beach Bar with care,
In hopes that a Bushwacker soon would be there;
The tourists out to dinner, some at The Fish Trap,
Next head to The Tap Room for a little night cap,
When out on the dock there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my barstool to see what’s the matter.
Away to the beach, I flew like a flash,
Ran past the High Tide and heard a big splash.
The moon on the bay and the St. Thomas lights,
Gave a lustre of midday to something in flight,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than mongoose his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of Grande Bay! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up past Skytop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I put down my drink, and was turning around,
Down the palm tree St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his hand,
And his clothes were all tarnished all salty with sand;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
Now back at the sleigh were three ACC dogs,
And with them was Ziggy, their Facebook friend hog;
While back in the house, the man sampled some treats,
And made sure to leave some for the donkeys to eat;
He had a tanned face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the palm tree he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like Homer, a missile.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
It’s Going to Be a Snowy Xmas Eve at Motu
If you’re lucky enough to be spending the holidays in the islands, you’re going to want to head over to Motu tomorrow night. Santa’s planning to make an appearance before he heads out to deliver all of those gifts and he’s going to bring some snow along with him. You read that right: It’s going to be snowing at Motu tomorrow night. I gotta hand it to these gals – they sure know how to throw a good party.
So stop on by and enjoy some hot spiced cider, egg nog and $3 Stoli drinks amid the snow. You’re not going to want to miss this one! The party starts at 8 p.m.
Taking the Plunge From the Farm to the Sea
The Barleys are a pretty neat family. They’re originally from Florida where they farmed cows, peanuts and grass seed – a pretty unique combination if you ask us. They first set foot on the rock back in May when they came to check out a local business for sale. Since then, they’ve taken the plunge and are now full time island residents. They also happen to be the new owners of Sail Safaris.
“We had never been to St. John until the end of May of this year to look at Sail Safaris,” said Kellie Jo Barley. “We decided to make a life change towards a more simplistic lifestyle and embrace our dream of sailing and water sports when we came across Sail Safaris. We moved here at the end of June this year and took over Sail Safairs, making it our own.”
Located right on the beach in Cruz Bay, Sail Safaris offers sailing and snorkeling tours both around St. John and over in the British Virgin Islands. It specializes in taking small groups to out of the way places for unique experiences while its nature guides entertain and educate on species both above and below the water.
The Barleys arrived in St. John after searching for a business in the Caribbean that they could purchase for their oldest son Trey, 17. Both Trey and Kellie’s husband Eric love sailing, Kellie said, as well the outdoors, boating, diving and fishing. Everyone in the family plays a major part in the business, including Kelly and Eric’s two younger children, Colton, 16, and Amanda, 14.
“All of the children are learning every aspect of the business,” Kellie said. “We home school and feel it is important in addition to their learning to learn life skills such as marketing, advertising and web design, retail, business management, people management and boat maintenance. In addition to all that, they are learning sailing and snorkeling.”
The Sail Safaris’ fleet consists of The Dell Rose, a 40-foot benatau with state rooms and two heads, a beautiful teak saloon and a roomy cockpit; The Fly Girl which is a 27-foot stiletto a racing catamaran, the only one of its kind in St. John; and a variety of hobie cats. Sail Safaris has varying price points so to accommodate every budget.
To learn more about Sail Safaris, you can visit them at their website at www.SailSafaris.net or over on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SailSafaris
Former Resident Debuts Novel About Love City
Love City has made its way into the pages of a book once again, as a former resident recently released a novel based on his own island experiences.
David Culberson lived on St. John from the 70s through the 90s and had a hand in the development of Gallows Point, Estate Concordia, Gifft Hill, Cruz Views and Battery Hill. He just released “Back Time on Love City: The Carnival Never Stops” and he’d like you all to read it. Some of the characters are based on people living on island, so you may come across someone you know … although the names have been changed.
Here’s a quick synopsis of the book:
Back Time on Love City, a factually-based work of fiction, is set amongst the pristine backdrop of an island in the Caribbean. Pre-AIDS, pre-DEA, way pre-9/11 and seemingly light years away from today’s world, the story takes place just a few years ago, when the island’s cultural fabric was made up of a blend of strange characters, all with magnetic personalities and somehow living together in chaotic harmony.
Torn between the relative safety of doing what was expected, living and working close to home in Middle America farmland, or blindly plunging into ‘sharky’ waters (literally), our young hero readily chose the sharks. A rookie to the sea and island life, he was innocently drawn to a modern-day pirate by the name of Captain Jay. With high drive and low scruples, the pirate takes the rookie under his dark wing. Often times, Jay’s antics nearly kill him but, somehow, our main character grew stronger and more savvy, eventually transforming his dark lessons into a very bright future – only after tragic events caused their roles to reverse.
A resident of the island of St. John from the 70s into the 90s, Culberson has written a rollicking good read, full of adventure, danger, and laughter, and is sure to transport the reader back time to a perfect place called “Love City.”
And here’s a brief bio of David courtesy of Amazon.com:
David Culberson grew up in the middle of Illinois farmland and has bobbed and weaved his way through the past few decades to become an influential global presence in low-impact and sustainable development. His particular expertise is with environmentally sensitive and logistically difficult properties in or near some of the world’s most outstanding environments: Belize, the Caribbean, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, and the boreal forests on the shores of Lake Superior.
“Back Time on Love City: The Carnival Never Stops” is available for purchase or download on Amazon.com. Click here visit its page over on Amazon.
The Details on the Incredible Megayacht Anchored Off the North Shore
If you’re heading along the North Shore today, keep an eye out for a pretty impressive yacht that’s anchored in the waters beyond Cinnamon Bay. Not on the island today? You may be able to catch a glimpse of it by checking out one of three webcams – Amorosa, Island Stones and La Jolla Caribe.
The yacht is called Solandge and at 279-feet in length, it’s one of the largest in the world. What makes this megayacht special (other than the fact that it’s unbelievably large and luxurious) is that after being christened in Germany just last month, it chose the Caribbean as the destination for its maiden voyage. But really, who wouldn’t?
Solandge left Germany a few weeks ago and was off the marine radar until last Thursday when it sailed into port over in St. Thomas. The megayacht arrived in St. John late Saturday.
The 279-foot yacht can accommodate 12 guests and boasts 29 crew members. That means there is nearly 2.5 crew members per guest. Talk about luxury. The yacht also boasts six decks, a helipad and a swimming pool.
And for those of you interested (or perhaps dreaming like I am), Solandge charters at around $650,000 a week. That’s it???
We here at News of St. John are super curious as to who is chartering the megayacht this week. We’ll send a couple of koozies to anyone who knows. 🙂
Weekend Holiday Happenings
Tonight:
Stop by Coral Bay tonight for its Christmas Tree and Carole Sing. Santa himself is even scheduled to make an appearance over at the basketball court! It’s all happening tonight from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The organizers are asking that you bring a present for a child. Please mark it as being for a girl or boy so Santa knows which child to give it to. And don’t forget to bring your caroling voices!
Happening Now:
Head on over to Mongoose Junction and check out the beautifully-decorated holiday doors. From what we hear, the competition is fierce! Make sure to vote for your favorite one. You can vote as many times as you’d like. Ballots are available in all participating stores. The winner will be announced Monday, December 23.
And while you’re over there, be sure to browse all of the great shops or perhaps stop for a drink or a bite to eat in one of the great bars or restaurants.