St. John May 2021

     Some good friends of ours, Doug and Angie, usually go to St. John once per year.  Lynn and I had never been so when they invited us to join them for this trip we were excited to go.  St. John is part of the USVI so it is not considered international travel.  There were some COVID restrictions in place but nothing burdensome since it is US territory.

    Travelling with someone who has been there before made it much easier for us.  Doug and Angie had accommodations lined up so we just followed their lead.  We would be arriving on 5/12 and returning on 5/17.  We met Doug and Angie at the airport for a 9:30am flight.

    To get to St. John you first fly into St. Thomas.  From there you taxi over to Red Hook where you catch the ferry to St. John.  We were thankful to be with people that knew their way around as it really took a lot of the pressure off of us as far as figuring out the details and logistics.  First stop upon arrival in St. Thomas was the airport bar, then grabbing a taxi to the ferry.  The ferry ride is only about 20 minutes.  We were in St. John by 3:00pm.

   

 Once there it was a short taxi ride over the condo where we were staying.  Only reason we took a taxi was due to luggage, otherwise Cruz Bay is walking distance from the condo.  We had a Jeep reserved but would not pick that up until the next morning since spending the evening in Cruz Bay would not require driving.

    The condos where were staying were absolutely fantastic!  It's called Seashore Allure and the owners, Delbert and Delrise are gracious hosts.  We were greeted with a gift basket and even the pool fridge was stocked with beer!

    After getting settled in, we walked over to Cruz Bay to check out the scene and to find a place for dinner.  We decided on Cruz Bay Landing, where the food was excellent!  The weather was a perfect 78 and the scenery around Cruz Bay is awesome.  After dinner we stopped by the market for a few things and then spent the rest of the evening at the condo.

    The next day would be all about spending time on the beach.  Maho Bay is one of Doug and Angie's favorite spots so we headed that way after picking up the Jeep.  Driving in St. John is a little strange as all of the cars have the driver on the left side like in the States, but you drive on the left side of the road.  The rule is shoulder to shoulder, meaning the driver's shoulder should be next to the left shoulder of the road.  Once you get used to it there really is no issue.

    Maho Bay is a fantastic beach with food trucks and a bar.  You can also rent paddle boards or kayaks.  We set up chairs and enjoyed some much needed beach time.

    From there it was back to the condo to get cleaned up for an evening out.  We went to Morgan's Mango for dinner, which was excellent!

    The next morning a light rain had come through and we awoke to a rainbow outside our patio.  Nice way to start the day!

    The plan for the day was boating.  We had reserved a rental and planned to hop from bay to bay along the north west coast of the island.  Each bay has moorings and our plan was to use those at each stop.  You can access the beaches by boat but you have to unload and then take the boat back out to a mooring which is not convenient at all.  Beaches are better accessed by hike or by car.

    There are several boat rental places in Cruz Bay offering all types of vessels.  For this outing we went with Low Key Watersports and got a 19' Mako with a single outboard motor.  Plenty of boat for what we intended it for.  After checking in and getting the safety talk we were on our way!

    We checked out Honeymoon, Hawksnest, Trunk Bay, and Cinnamon bays.  We also made another stop at Maho Bay as we were told that has the most turtles this time of year.  We had snorkel gear so we were set to check that out also.  From the beach there you wouldn't see turtles but out where the moorings are is a great opportunity.  We were lucky enough to see a few large turtles but the photos just did not turn out very well.

    We got the boat back to Cruz Bay about 4:00 pm, stopped by the market for fresh sea food on the way back to the condo, and enjoyed dinner and the evening at the outdoor kitchen and pool deck.

    For the next day the plan was to go over to Coral Bay on the other side of the island, then down to Salt Pond Bay which is the southern most point and has a hiking trail up to Ram Head from the beach.

    We stopped on the ridge over looking Coral Bay for a photo op.

    Skinny Legs is a great place for lunch on the way to Salt Pond Bay.  Interesting place that brings new meaning to the words "free range".  Excellent food and island vibe.

    To get to Salt Pond Bay you have to park at an entrance to a trail and walk down to the beach.  The beach there is bit more secluded as it is off of the beaten path.  That means it is typically less crowded.  The crystal blue water was awesome and we saw small turtles close to shore.

    After Salt Pond we stopped by the water front in Coral Bay.

    After returning to the condo to get cleaned up we walked down to Cruz Bay for food and drink.  We stopped in a bar beside Low Key Watersports for a drink.  I think the name of it was DRINK, but I can't be certain...   :)

    From there we went to Lovango Rum Bar for dinner.  Fantastic!

    The plan for the next day was to spend some time in the pool in the morning, grab lunch in Cruz Bay, then head over to Hawksnest Bay to check out that beach (the phrase often used around STJ is... "different day, different bay" and we were doing our best to hit them all).   We had stopped at Hawksnest by boat and the beach looked really nice so we decided to make that our afternoon beach experience.

    

    In Cruz Bay we stopped in at Greengos for lunch.  Yes it is spelled that way...

    From there, off to Hawksnest Beach.  This beach is shallow for a long way out with really clear water.  The bay is somewhat protected from wind which results in really calm water.  A great beach to chill at for the afternoon.

    The scenery is amazing everywhere you.  The ride back to Cruz Bay was beautiful.

    That evening we went to The Longboard in Cruz Bay for dinner.  Another amazing meal.  The vibe in this place is really laid back.  Great place to spend and evening and Longboard's will absolutely be on our list if we come back to this amazing island.

    The next day being Monday the 17th, it was time to pack up and make the trip back home.

   

 This is where I said "So Doug, I don't think we can take this with us, what do you think?"

    "I'm on it!" he replied...  LOL

    Eventually we got all packed up headed over for the 12:00 ferry.

    Let's talk a little about the St. Thomas airport.  When we got there the line was long.  Really long.  Out the door and down the sidewalk kind of long.  It was also moving very slowly.

    It is advised to get there several hours before your flight and I would have to say this is why.  You don't need a passport since this is US territory so from our point of view that also meant that Global Entry would offer no advantage (although Lynn suggested bringing them "just in case" we needed additional proof of identity - GOOD CALL).   After standing in line for almost an hour, one of the security folks was walking the line asking if anyone had Global Entry.  YES!  She checked our passes and asked us to follow her.  She took us straight to the front of the line and next thing we knew we were through security and ordering a drink at the bar.  Unfortunately Doug and Angie did not have Global Entry so that had to wait through that line.  

    

    We never travel without passports and our Global Entry passes for this reason.  You never know when it might be advantageous.  Doug and Angie eventually caught up with us over an hour later, but no time for a cocktail for them as it was time to board.  At least we made the flight!

    What a fantastic trip and a wonderful place to visit.  It was made even more special by being able to share it with friends.  We are really grateful for Doug and Angie to have invited us and show us around the island.  If you have not been to St. John, we highly recommend it.

"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."                         lbn Batutta  

Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.  Also, I can be reached at Rocky@Rocklyns.com should you feel the need to reach out.