Go off the beaten path. See beautiful sites. Visit some of the world’s best beaches. Explore centuries-old plantations. Perhaps grab a cocktail at a tiki bar or two.
For those of you who drive when visiting St. John, there are upcoming changes to the traffic pattern in Cruz Bay.
Beginning next Monday, March 25th, the one-way that goes beside the Lutheran Church and Connections and toward the ferry dock will be reversed, meaning traffic will now flow eastbound, which is away from the ferry dock.
Also beginning on March 25th, the road beside the Post Office and Customs parking lot will become a one-way toward the ferry dock. The exception over here is for motorists who are exiting the Customs lot across from the Post Office. You will be able to take a left out of the lot toward Caps Place or a right toward the ferry dock.
This means that you can no longer drive straight past Woody’s to the ferry. You will now have to take a right after Woody’s and then the following left at the intersection of the Post Office, Uncle Joe’s BBQ and Caps Place. You can also take the roundabout exit that’s between the old school annex (building that still does not have a roof) and Dolphin Suites (a newer AirBnb that’s beside Dolphin Market) and head down the hill toward the Lumberyard and Cool Breeze Car Rental. From there, you can take a left at Cool Breeze and then a right at the Post Office.
This is a permanent change that is intended to reduce bottleneck in town.
(Side note: The map used above is from Apple Maps & clearly it’s outdated. Google’s map had to many labels to use.)
Take a St. John island tour with me!
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
St. John’s 2024 St. Patrick’s Day was so much fun! The Beach Bar did an incredible job of carrying on the tradition of what is no longer the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the islands! It was a whopping 30 minutes long, and it was great! Here are a ton of pics for those of you who missed it! But before you do, mark your calendars for next year’s parade, which will be held on Saturday, March 15th!
Take a St. John island tour with me!
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
I stumbled on a bagpiper at Trunk Bay last month and thought I would share a quick video with all of you. To the man playing, thank you. Enjoy everyone!
Take a St. John island tour with me!
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend to all who celebrate! ☘️
It’s going to be a fun weekend here on St. John! The party starts today at noon with the kickoff of the St. Patrick’s Day parade! It’s going to be another good one this year! The parade, which is sponsored by The Beach Bar, will feature Moko Jumbies, the Castaways Soccer Club, the Dynamic Dancers, the Gifft Hill School cheerleaders, and a variety of cars and trucks will join in on the fun! And to make the event even more special, the Grand Marshalls will be none other than Kelly Krall and April Delude from Quiet Mon Pub. The parade is probably only going to be about 15 minutes long, so do not miss it!
The Beach Bar, Banana Deck and Drink are opening early today to accommodate the fun, and Lovango Rum Bar is having an after-party. There will be green drink specials and corned beef all over the island too! Here are a few specials that I am aware of:
The Beach Bar is serving corned beef on the beach! Yum! They will have $5 Heinekens, $5 Guinness, 2 for 1 Irish Car Bombs ($10) and a $15 corned beef and cabbage meal.
Banana Deck will have Irish Car Bomb specials, as well as a corned beef special that includes potatoes, onions, carrots and corn bread.
The Upstairs will have $5 Jameson shots and $8 Irish Car Bombs.
Cruz Bay Landing will have $6 Jameson shots, $8 Irish Car Bombs, $9 Nutty Irishman drinks, and $9 Irish Coffees. They will even have green mimosas and green Painkillers!
Drink will have drink specials too!
It’s going to be such a fun day today!
My son Dalton will be in the parade too, so keep an eye out for him!
I plan to take lots of pics for you all. I’ll share those later today or tomorrow. Have a great one everyone! ☘️☘️☘️
Take a St. John island tour with me!
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! There are lots of great events happening here in St. John this month! Here is a quick rundown:
Saturday, March 16th – St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is returning to St. John, but in a new location this year! With the unexpectedly closure of Quiet Mon Pub last December, we weren’t certain if the annual parade would continue on. Well thankfully our friends at The Beach Bar received Quiet Mon’s blessing and are continuing the tradition!
The parade starts down at Frank Bay and will march past Gallows Point Resort and then down the hill past Cruz Bay beach and Grande Bay. It will conclude at The Beach Bar where there will be an afterparty. Lourdes & the Switch is a great local band, and they will be playing starting at noon. There will be lots of corned beef to go around too! This should be a fun time. Don’t forget to wear your green!
Saturday, March 16th – Seafood Festival
The party continues into the center of town Saturday with the 4th annual Love City Seafood Festival. The festival starts at 3 p.m. in Franklin Powell Park, which is directly across from the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. There will be performances by the Love City Pan Dragons and the Dynamic Dancers from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. DJ Lady Mix and Klimaxx Band, who are also amazing, will be performing later in the day. The festival will, of course, feature a variety of seafood too! The festival continues until midnight.
Friday, March 22nd through Sunday, March 24th – Food Truck & Wine “Fete” Tival
The fun continues next weekend with the 2nd annual Food Truck & Wine “Fete” Rival. The event will run from Friday, March 22nd through Sunday, March 24th and will feature live music every night. There will be games and activities for the kids on Saturday, as well as steel pan, Moko Jumbies, and more. It will conclude on Sunday with a “White & Wine” all white sunset party. This festival is being held in the parking lot beside the tennis courts in Cruz Bay. Please check out the full schedule above.
Saturday, March 30th – Light Up the Night
Light Up the Night is back for the first time since January 2020! The event, which is hosted by the St. John Cancer Fund, raises money for St. John residents who are battling cancer.
This year’s event will take place in the ball field across from Mongoose Junction. It starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 30th and will continue until midnight. The event will feature food, drink, entertainment and more. Luminaries are for sale online for those of you who would like to participate. All you need to do is make a minimum $10 donation and write in the donation comments the message you would like on your luminary and the word LUMINARY. Your message will be written on a luminary and decorated, and placed at the event in honor of your loved one. Click here to make a donation.
It’s a great time to be on St. John, folks! I hope you have a trip planned soon!
Take a St. John island tour with me!
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday! I know many of you are dreaming of your next St. John vacation, and today I am excited to share that there is a new way to find the perfect vacation rental!
David and Julie began their property management career on St John back in 2013 when they moved here to manage Coconut Coast Villas, which is a nine-room boutique hotel located in Cruz Bay. People began asking them to manage other properties over the years, and ultimately they decided to launch their own full-service property management company – Caribbean Soul Vacations.
Caribbean Soul Vacations is a family-run property management company that offers a variety of short-term vacation rentals ranging from one-bedroom condos to palatial and luxurious six-bedroom villas. David and Julie are dedicated to helping guests find the best properties that suit their needs. They love helping guests plan the perfect vacation and will assist guests in every way possible along the way.
And for those of you who did watch their House Hunters International episode, they rent out Hali Lani and Casa Mare, two of the villas featured on the show.
A very exciting development for Caribbean Soul Vacations is their partnership with Homes and Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. You can now book their properties using Marriott Bonvoy points. How exciting is that?! Their properties are listed on the Marriot Homes and Villas site, and you can pay with cash and points, or simply just points. This partnership can make your dream of visiting St. John or perhaps a return trip to the island much easier for many. You can learn more about this program at www.homes-and-villas.marriott.com. (The homes and property managers listed on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy website have been hand-selected through a curation process that is backed by Marriott International’s trusted standards.)
A Few of Caribbean Soul Vacation’s Properties
David and Julie manage nearly two dozen properties. Check out a few of them below:
Rotunda
Rotunda is a stunning five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bathroom villa with unparalleled views of Trunk Bay, St. John’s beautiful North Shore, and beyond.
Casa Mare
Casa Mare is a stylish and contemporary villa that features five bedrooms and five bathrooms and is conveniently located less than 10 minutes from Cruz Bay.
Mystic Ridge
Perched high on a hilltop and surrounded by National Park, Mystic Ridge was designed with a quality lifestyle and the love of beauty in mind. This home features four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, and views of Coral Bay, the British Virgin Islands, and beyond.
Seagate
Seagate is a beautiful, five-bedroom home overlooking Chocolate Hole. There is ocean access, with snorkeling onsite, and 24-hour concierge services.
Tropical Seabreeze
Tropical Seabreeze is a brand-new four-bedroom villa located in the quiet and private Fish Bay neighborhood. This new home has a pool and ocean views.
David and Julie are excited about this new adventure and look forward to giving the same great service to all the new guests they look forward to meeting who book on the new site.
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour