A Caribbean Summer’s Dream
A whole two weeks to ourselves? Yes! No emails, phone calls, sports activities? Yes! Island breezes, lazy days by the pool with your favorite drink…..Yes! This is what happens when you head to the island of St. John for two weeks in the summer. People may ask, why summer? For our family it is the time to travel for long periods of time with minimal scheduling conflicts. Also, in warm weather climates, you can catch some nice deals on travel and lodging.
St. John is located in the USVI chain of islands and is an easy transition from the U.S. The currency is the U.S. dollar and english is spoken everywhere. This trip was our second trip to the island but the first time with our children.
We flew American Airlines from Minneapolis with a layover in Miami. Due to weather, we missed our connecting flight. No problem, the airline gave us vouchers for a late lunch and we were able to get seats on the next flight out. When flying into the Virgin Islands you will land at the international airport in St. Thomas. There are plenty of taxis waiting at the airport for transportation to area resorts and the ferry terminals. For this trip, due to the late arrival, we took the ferry out of Red Hook. The ferry also runs from Charlotte Amalie, which is a shorter taxi ride but longer ferry ride.
We choose to rent a car after arriving on St. John but you can rent a car on St. Thomas as well. A special car ferry is used for those who bring their car over from St. Thomas. The ferry port is located in Cruz Bay, which is the hub of the island and its 4,000 residents. A fun fact is that 60% of St. John is a national park.
After arriving on St. John, we were met by the house manager at the dock. She, as well as the airline, had packed some snacks for us and the kids to get through the night. The manager had also arranged for a driver to take the family to the house as the rental car company had closed for the evening. On this trip we rented a house in the Chocolate Hole area, so it was an easy walk back to Cruz Bay the next morning to pick up the rental car. This was our second time using Delbert Hill Car & Jeep Rental. During a prior trip, we stayed right in Cruz Bay and they allow you to park your car in their lot over night. No worries about finding or paying for parking! One change to keep in mind is the island does follow the British way of driving. That is, you drive on the left side of the roadway. Just remember to “keep your shoulder to the shoulder” while driving around the island.
We started our search on VRBO and chose a few houses that fit within our budget. We sent out rental requests with summer rate inquiries and landed on Mar De Amores Villa. This house sits at the top of Rock Ridge and is built on the side of a mountain. What unbelievable valley and ocean views! Many days and nights were spent on the patio swimming, grilling and dining under the Caribbean sun and stars
Each day brought a different beach filled with swimming and snorkeling. For this reason, I recommend renting a vehicle during your stay. There are so many wonderful beaches on the island to explore, you cannot go wrong choosing any! The beaches are great for families, the water is clear and the sand gradually slopes into the sea. The longer the hike or the more remote, the less people you will be sharing the beach with. If your resort or rental home does not offer snorkel gear, you can also rent some in town for as long as you like.
One of the many beaches we visited was Lameshur Bay beach. This beach is a little remote but worth the drive, you will need a Jeep to get back to this treasure. This is a great bay for some easy snorkeling and solitude.
If you’re up for a little hike, I recommend Salomon Bay beach. You can catch the Lind Point Trail right out of Cruz Bay for a mile long hike. We packed a little lunch and hung out for the afternoon without a person in sight.
Also, don’t forget to stop by the historic sugar mills around the island. These ruins date back to the 1700’s when the islands were known for their sugar, molasses and yes, rum exports. These ruins are easy to get to and are more of the explore on your own type sites.
While traveling around the island make sure you pass Colombo’s, a little roadside diner and smoothie stand. They serve smoothies for everyone, even special ones for adults!
For us, dinners were mostly grilled on the deck of our house. There was a fresh fish market in Cruz Bay where we picked up the local catch of the day. St. John also has a nice grocery store, Starfish Market, which is located just outside of downtown Cruz Bay. Between the two markets we had all we needed for our cooking experiences. On one of our nights out, we chose our favorite restaurant, Cafe Roma. Our favorite Caprese bread starter, some homemade pasta and a little wine never gets old. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is traveling on St. John.
Ever hear the phrase, All good things must come to an end? And so it was with this trip. We had a fun and relaxing two weeks of family time and new experiences. Until the next time………..
