Help a Brother out

Post by **Anthony** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:48 pm

I am what you would call a "heavy sweater" (pun intended). I don't really like AC - but for sleeping, I usually need it fairly cool. That being said - when I was on island in July, both St. Thomas and St. John, neither location that was that elevated, I was fine with the usual ceiling fans, and actually slept well (I was sweating to death while making dinner over a gas stove though). I lived there for 5 years with no AC so it is doable. But a city in the NE in the summer with the humidity - no way!

toes in the sand · Post by **toes in the sand** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:04 pm

cocosmom wrote:Sorry all you young females, you will understand when you have your personal summers 24/7!

I wholeheartedly agree with cocosmom. I love the island breezes but if I want to guarantee a nice trip for me, I make sure that my wife (sometimes lovingly referred to as the furnace) is comfortable.

My preference is to rent a 4WD on StJ. Take the passenger ferry and enjoy the ride. Like others have suggested, expect to take the RH ferry but know the schedule for the downtown(Charlotte Amalie) ferry as well. If your flight and luggage arrive in time for you to catch the downtown ferry with little wait, by all means, catch it. I prefer the downtown ferry. It starts my vacation mode that much earlier.

Absolutely the most important thing to do is to set your internal clock to island time somewhere between feeling the warm humid breeze when you step off the plane and finishing your complimentary rum punch on your way to baggage claim. When you finish that drink your heart should be telling your brain, NO Worries Mon!

equinox · Post by **equinox** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 8:06 am

Please share your travel tips. We want to pack light. Is it possible to go "carry-on" for a 5 night stay? Have you ever sent a package of supplies on ahead, and how did that work out? Any essential items we should bring to St. John? We were thinking of a hike. Are sneakers adequate? We appreciate your advice!

equinox · Post by **equinox** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:30 am

I was reading in other posts about bringing along the finest meats and cheeses. It sounds like a pretty good idea, but it might not be essential to us because of the short stay. If we decided to check a slightly larder suitcase, is it kosher to take along provisions in a small cooler in the checked suitcase?

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:42 am

We mail heavy stuff in a one-price priority mail box (sunscreen, bug spray, etc), pack very light and carry on a soft-sided backpack cooler full of meats, cheeses,a frozen prepared meal, even butter). Yes, sneakers are good enough for the hikes.
Ask away......

lprof · Post by **lprof** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:45 am

equinox wrote:Please share your travel tips. We want to pack light. Is it possible to go "carry-on" for a 5 night stay? Have you ever sent a package of supplies on ahead, and how did that work out? Any essential items we should bring to St. John? We were thinking of a hike. Are sneakers adequate? We appreciate your advice!

Yes... carry on very possible - casual here
Yes... some do ship ahead; we have not

We have checked a softside, rollerboard cooler successfully - I dont see why a cooler inside luggage would not work.

You may find this link for RickG's lists helpful:

http://www.garvin.us/STJ/New_Visitors_G ... Guide.html

Gromit has also posted some good advice - can't find it at this moment....

equinox · Post by **equinox** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:09 pm

Thank you

lprof · Post by **lprof** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:33 pm

equinox wrote:I was reading in other posts about bringing along the finest meats and cheeses. It sounds like a pretty good idea, but it might not be essential to us because of the short stay. If we decided to check a slightly larder suitcase, is it kosher to take along provisions in a small cooler in the checked suitcase?

Be sure to check your airline's weight limits on that larger checked suitcase....

BeAsUR · Post by **BeAsUR** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:16 pm

My family of 4 did carry- on for a 9 day stay...no problem, especially if you use those space saver vacuum seal bags. We did not ship anything ahead.

lprof · Post by **lprof** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 8:24 pm

Gromit's "insider" tips:

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... ght=gromit

XOXO · Post by **XOXO** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:49 pm

Congratulations!!

I believe one of the smartest things we did on our first trip was booking a tour with Pam Gaffin. She is the person who wrote St John: Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive. As I remember we booked a full island tour for the full day. Pam took us all over the island and gave us tips on driving and snorkeling and entertained us with St. John past and present stories.

I am not sure if she still does this but I did a search and her website is still up www dot pamgaffin dot com.

AC: that really depends on you and your tolerance. I love summer and I don't seem to overheat easily so AC is not important to me. My husband, on the other hand, is the opposite so we get AC after learning the hard way.

Carry on: We normally bring a cooler full of our favorite meats and seasonings. We haven't regretted it. We do not add ice or anything—we just freeze everything and throw it in the cooler on our way out.

Shoes: I can’t stand it when I am wearing sneakers and my feet get wet so I wear shoes with good support but are water friendly. We have Keens—they feel like sneakers for hiking but you can walk in water or puddles and not have a problem.

I think you have gotten really great advice. Have you gotten any guidebooks yet??

Gina

XOXO · Post by **XOXO** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:54 pm

Oh--I just noticed the location of your villa. If you haven't booked it yet you might want to look into staying closer to Cruz Bay. I think on your first trip you will do better near Cruz Bay. That is just my opinion--maybe others will chime in.

Gina

equinox · Post by **equinox** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:23 am

How dressy is St. John? Do we need dressy shoes for restaurants, or would a nice casual outfit with our Keens be acceptable?

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:32 am

The restaurants are not at all dressy. You will be fine in shorts, a t-shirt, and your keens.

The only places that have a "dress code" are the Equator and the Turtle Bay Estate House, both at Caneel Bay.

UF Prof · Post by **UF Prof** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:12 pm

Standing advice for packing for STJ is to pack the minimum that you think you will need and then remove half of that. Even with that, you are likely to find that you seriously overpacked. STJ is super casual. I think I saw you will be there for 5 days. You will not need much in way of clothing. Basically for a guy, board shorts and tee shirts will be sufficient for most places during the day. A pair of decent shorts and a collared shirt serve as 'dress up'.
Just be sure to take a camera!

usvi-on-line

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Help a Brother out