What a Week!

Hello everyone, and happy Saturday! It’s me, Jenn! I know that last week I said I planned to tell you about something very cool on the island this week, but we had such an amazing last few days here that I thought I’d share some details on that today instead.

So as you know, the island reopened for tourism on June 1. Many people were apprehensive, including myself, for a variety of reasons. And truthfully, I wasn’t certain how many of you would choose to travel here. But you’re here, and I am so excited about that!

The first week of the month was pretty slow. It seemed that travelers were trickling in, but we were in no way busy. Tourism this past week, however, has definitely picked up. I’ve seen a lot rental Jeeps cruising around the island, and a great deal of parking spots in town have been full. The beaches have had more people scattered about, but they’re still relatively quiet compared to last June. I think that more people will continue to visit in the upcoming weeks, which is great for the island and our economy.

Ok, now let’s talk about the weather… It has been absolutely amazing the past few days. And so clear! I’ve been able to see St. Croix perfectly over the past few days from so many spots around the island. I’ve also been able to see a glimpse of Culebra from the Cruz Bay overlook. (Culebra is a small island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.) The Saharan dust is slowly starting to enter the Territory, so you might see a bit more haze in the sky today and again later next week.

Now let’s talk about our sunsets… oh the sunsets! They have been absolutely stunning over the past few days. Check out a couple of pics I took from my porch earlier this week:

(I posted a few videos on my Explore STJ Facebook page if you want to check them out.)

I was out and about on an island tour earlier this week when I came across the most amazing thing ever… twin baby donkeys! They were the absolute cutest things ever! Ok, full disclosure here: I am not a veterinarian, so I cannot say 100 percent that they were twins. But they were the exact same size – all fluffy and adorable! – and they were with one other donkey who appeared to be their mom. So I’m pretty certain they were twins. Regardless, they were unbelievably cute!!

I was so excited to see the twin donkeys that I didn’t even snap a pic. I am so sorry about that! I guess you will have to travel here to see them yourself! I am heading out on an island tour today, and hopefully I am lucky enough to see them again! If I am, I will certainly take pics and video this time, so I can share these adorable little creatures with all of you!

Speaking of traveling here, let’s chat about airfare. I know it is tough right now, but there are great deals to be had if you are able to travel last minute. I’ve been keeping an eye on an upcoming Delta flight to Connecticut. The flight was $1,163 last Saturday. Yesterday, that very same flight was only $185. Unreal.

Now if you choose to travel here, please know that pretty much everything is open. (I know Hillary shared all of this information with you earlier this month.) But just as a quick recap, the beaches are open. The taxis are running. The car rentals are open. The majority of our shops and restaurants are open. (There are a handful of restaurants that are opening later this month – Banana Deck and The Terrace are two that come to mind.) Our charter boats are going out every day. We are open, folks. So come and visit us! If you are healthy of course… 🙂

Ok, well I feel like I am totally rambling, so I am going to end this post right here. I plan to check in with you all next week. But in the meantime, if you’d like to chat or get more information about my island tours, you can visit my new website at www.ExploreSTJ.com or my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/explorestj. And you can always reach me by email at [email protected]. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!