Yesterday afternoon, a pretty awesome photo op was added to the Cruz Bay waterfront. A giant neon Adirondack chair that just screams, “take a selfie with me!” was constructed by the Department of Public Works in collaboration with USVI Festivals, the Department of Tourism and the Bryan Roach Administration on the beach between the ferry dock and the battery. And I think it is absolutely amazing!
Cruz Bay Comes Alive- Food Fair 2022
Good Morning, Good Morning! And Happy Monday to you all! We spent the majority of our afternoon and evening celebrating with the St. John community in Cruz Bay during the first kick-off to Carnival Food Fair since 2019. And it was absolutely magical. So, I wanted to share some of those incredible moments with all of you out there who couldn’t be in attendance on this incredible Sunday Funday on St. John!
Love City Carnival Kicks off This Weekend!
Good Morning, Good Morning! I hope that all of you out there are gearing up for a fabulous weekend filled with summertime fun! We, here in Love City are gearing up for our first full fledged Carnival since 2019! The parking lots have been closed and the booths are being built for the opening of the Village on July 30. BUT, this Sunday is (in my opinion) the BEST part of Carnival. The food, the drinks, the steel pans, the boat races and the local legends, Cool Sessions Brass, will all be a part of the fun in downtown Cruz Bay this Sunday. The vibes are in the air for an absolutely incredible Sunday Funday here on St. John!
St. John Excursions- Part One
Good Morning, Good Morning! I returned home to St. John last night after an unexpectedly LOOOONG travel day. Despite a missed flight, Delta made all of my dreams come true and still made sure I got home to St. Thomas yesterday 🙂 Pro Tip: ALWAYS book the earliest flight possible. Anyways…We have been talking a lot about boats recently but there are plenty of other excursions and activities available to visitors and residents that allow you to explore St. John with a different perspective. So, today, I am starting a series on some of those diverse activities today in order to give you more options for your upcoming trip to Love City!
St. Thomas Airport- New Updates and Early Arrivals
Good Morning, Good Morning! On Sunday afternoon the VI Port Authority released a reminder to travelers that they should arrive 2.5 to 3 hours prior to their scheduled departure time. The notice was instigated by a technical difficulty occurring on Sunday with one of the TSA screening machines. Over the course of the past few years, as the number of travelers at the Cyril E. King Airport continues to climb and random occurrences, such as the recent staffing issues at customs and regularly occurring technical difficulties, hold up the flow of traffic. It is HIGHLY advisable to always show up 2.5-3 hours BEFORE your departure when leaving St. Thomas.
BVI Update: Relaxed Entry Protocols and Mask Mandates
Good Morning, Good Morning! I’m coming to you live from St. Simon Island, Georgia this morning after a nice relaxing vacay with the fam this week. I head back home to St. John tomorrow (without having to deal with the travel portal!), but wanted to take a few moments today to share with you all some information in regards to the recent changes to COVID-19 protocol in the British Virgin Islands that hit the press last week.
Read moreBVI Update: Relaxed Entry Protocols and Mask Mandates
Cast Your Vote: 2023 Steve Simonsen Calendar Cover!
If you’re like me, the annual Steve Simonsen Photography St. John Calendar is high on your list of priorities around the holidays. I grab one for my folks each December so that St. John is on the wall and and warming their spirits 365 days a year. Well, the Simonsen’s are currently wrestling with a decision about their cover for the 2023 calendar. And I thought maybe we could help them out a bit!
Read moreCast Your Vote: 2023 Steve Simonsen Calendar Cover!
Tomorrow is World Sea Turtle Day 2022!
Tomorrow is a day to celebrate our FAVORITE creatures from under the sea….The Turtles 🙂 And, I have a few ideas about how you can SHELLebrate World Sea Turtle Day 2022!
Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Gives Heads Up on Hurricane Prep
Well, we had a splendid Sunday here on St. John…The entire island was without power for a total of twelve hours between midnight on Sunday morning and 9PM that evening. And, well, here in Love City we KNOW how to get by without power for a multitude of weeks at a time (thanks Irma!). But, this Sunday’s outage got Teddy, our neighbors and myself into a deep talk about hurricane prep. And, as the third and final blackout of the day happened right as I was making dinner (grateful for the gas stove!) I realized how much updating my hurricane boxes and bags need.
Read moreVirgin Islands Water and Power Authority Gives Heads Up on Hurricane Prep
Travel Guide- St. John Boat Charters
Good Morning, Good Morning. Today, I want to address something that has really been grinding my gears for the past few months. So, there are all of these different boat broker companies, “concierge” companies and Facebook groups and charter booking operations out there that are offering a service to the consumer (that’s you!) in an attempt to help you find the perfect boat for your day on the water while visiting. Which is GREAT. It makes your life easier when all of the options are in one place, right?
However, I have noticed that many of these websites and group pages offer almost exclusively St. Thomas BASED vessels. Even on the St. John pages on their websites! Yes, they do pick up on St. John and do trips and excursions around Love City. But, I thought maybe visitors to St. John might be interested in knowing that you are booking a boat and crew that are actually based here on island. And, in order to do that, you need accurate information, right? Misinformation is my biggest pet peeve and many other charter boat owners have expressed their frustrations about all of this to me. So, in light of all of this, I created a list of St. John based boats for you to peruse the next time you are planning a trip and looking to get out on the water for a day of fun!