Good MORNING! Now that the dust has settled on the easing of the British Virgin Islands’ restrictions on foreign charters, there are still a ton of questions flooding in. How do we get to the BVI? How much is it? Is there any type of COVID-19 requirements? Do my kids need a passport? TONS of questions flood the ole inbox every week. So, I thought it might be time to address all of these concerns and answer all of your questions to the best of my abilities. 🙂
Local News
Where to Stay Spotlight: Leisure and Luxury Combine at Cay Syrah Villa
Often times, when I write these villa posts, I simply read a TON about the particular home (reviews, websites, owner comments, etc.) and then go from there. But when Cay Syrah Villa came across my desk, I saw something special in it that begged me to come take a closer look. I linked up with the Property Manager, David, in order to do a little walkthrough of this awesome vacation rental located in a lovely neighborhood just outside of Cruz Bay. And, well, the magic is in the details of this unique rental with sprawling indoor and outdoor living spaces that are ready for your whole family (or group of friends) to come and enjoy!
Read moreWhere to Stay Spotlight: Leisure and Luxury Combine at Cay Syrah Villa
Good Times Round the Bend
Good Morning, Good Morning! I have some slightly bittersweet news to share with all of you today. After nearly three years of spinning tales and truths of Love City to all of you beautiful people out there, I am moving on from my role as sole contributor and manager of News of St. John. I know, I know…I’m feeling a little nostalgic about it as well. But all good things must come to an end, and I will be popping in from time to time to check in and update you on St. John happenings and tales from the sea in the future. In the meantime, here’s what’s next for the blog…And for me!
Recycling Made Easy on St. John
Good Morning, Good Morning! If you have been following along, you have probably realized that I am a strong and passionate supporter of the recycling and waste reduction programs here on St. John. When I moved here from Colorado in 2012, I was absolutely appalled at the wide range use of straws, disposable plastic cups and Styrofoam and even more put off by the lack of any type of recycling program on island! Well, here we are, a decade later, with a non-Reef Safe sunscreen ban, an incredible reduction in non-compostable plastic use on island AND an incredible recycling program right here on St. John! How far we have come…But, just like anything else in the world, if you don’t have the proper information on HOW to utilize the programs that are in place (or simply don’t know that they are in place!) they probably won’t be utilized. So, here’s the 411 on how to recycle while you are on St. John!
Groundbreaking Ceremony (2/7) for Co Housing Project
This year has seen some great things so far – reopening of the British Virgin Islands to tourists, in person galas, Island Prom, and now we have something happening on island that might be a great solution to one of our biggest problems: long term housing.
Read moreGroundbreaking Ceremony (2/7) for Co Housing Project
Mandatory Beach Break: Cinnamon Bay
On Sunday, I had the rare day off with opportunity to head to the beach for a bit! We headed out North Shore Road from town without expectations about which beach we would hit; knowing based on the boat’s schedule for the upcoming week and the crowds in town that the parking lots would likely be overflowing. So, we drove until we found a parking lot with an open spot. And settled in for the afternoon at Cinnamon Bay 🙂
Local Musician Taking His Set to Sea
Scotty Rohlfsen has been a staple on St. John since he came to volunteer after the storms. His jolly demeanor and friendly smile are hard to miss. It also helps that he is about a foot taller than most of his peers. Service industry people on either end of the island get excited when they see Scotty’s name on the live music schedule because they know they’re going to have a fun, chill night while he is performing.
Enter to Win a One Week Stay at Lovango Resort + Beach Club!
Good Morning, Good Morning! A few months ago, the St. John Land Conservancy (SJLC) launched their Second Annual Love for the Land Fundraiser, giving all of you the opportunity to win a week-long stay for two at the luxurious Lovango Resort +Beach Club including St. John dining, activities AND airfare credits. And every ticket purchased in an attempt to win this incredible prize goes towards a great cause: Preserving the cultural and natural resources of St. John from unsustainable development. It’s a win, win! But the window of opportunity to win this contest is closing with the drawing happening just after Valentine’s Day (February 18)! So read on to find out more and get your tickets today!
Read moreEnter to Win a One Week Stay at Lovango Resort + Beach Club!
St. John/St. Thomas Car Barge Schedules…Kind of :)
Good Morning! I had a few requests after yesterday’s post on ferry schedules for a similar post regarding the car barge. I always tell folks that the people ferry is pretty much the ONLY thing on St. John that is timely and reliable. The car barges, however, do not fall into that same category. It seems like, a lot of times, one of the barges is down for repairs, contracted out elsewhere or getting an inspection of some sort which really throws off the schedule for those of them that ARE running on a given day. So, a timely and accurate portrayal of what the car barge schedule looks like today, let alone over time, is a bit more difficult to tackle. But I’ll do my best with the disclaimer that these schedules, although sometimes very reliable, can also change on the daily.
St. John Ferry Schedules
Good Morning, Good Morning. I have seen a ton of requests and inquiries online recently about ferry schedules. These days we have a ton of on the on-the-water public transit options straight out of Cruz Bay. So, I thought there’s no time like the present to gather them up and put them out there for you!