Just back!

[patches&itchy]

Here's some random things about our 9 day trip to St. John:

1. Northshore road work: It appears they are taking it down all the way to the base instead of a quick re-paving (asphalt). The work area is only a couple hundred feet at a time. The light appears to work on a sensor instead of a straight timer. We usually caught the green and the few times we got the red it was only seconds.....not a big deal at all!

2. Roundabout work: Roundabout is working but the middle concrete work still has to be poured. Traffic seemed to flow find through it....once in the roundabout you have the right of way and those waiting to enter must yield!

3. Only one gas station is up and running on the island. Coral bay station has not had gas for weeks...it was all boarded up. Gas station past the Starfish (on the way to Westin) only gas in town. Reg unleaded was 3.17 and Premium unleaded was 3.24...since there was a padlock on the regular pump we upgraded to the Premium gas!! (what a bargain)

4. Northswell was up plus full moon happened on the 28th. Trunk snorkeling trail was shut down twice because of it!

5. Maho....Wow....what a difference....parking is on both sides of the road and it was always packed. IMO Maho used to be very underrated but sadly now Maho is way way overrated! Not good at all! No wonder they are going to put in a parking lot across the road at the end of the bay (towards Francis)

6. We witnessed some injuries with the big waves from the swell (seperated shoulders, broken wrists, arms, cuts and scrapes, and a lot of lost sunglasses at Trunk and Cinnamon))....be careful and don't turn your back on the waves!

7. Denis was beautiful....spent two full days there....the path is very easy to id now....very well worn....5 to 6 minutes to hit the beach and a then a short walk to the right to hit the sweet spot between the two reefs!

8. Honeymoon and Jumbie were tied for second place! Very beautiful! The ten dollar fee at Caneel is not collected at the gate. They give you a ticket when you enter and if you buy drinks, food, gifts the ten dollar fee is deducted from your purchase and then you get a different color ticket that you give to the gate person to get out. If you don't buy anything you pay the fee at the front desk and get the different colored ticket to give to the gate keeper on the way out.

9. Cooler stuffed with bailey smoothies, beach chairs, ipod port. speakers, sandwiches and snacks, beautiful beach like Denis,Jumbie,Honeymoon = perfect relaxation!!

10. Ferry ride over was the roughest one yet. Several people riding on the top got soaked!!! On the way back nobody was allowed to ride on top!

11. Met Moe at Skinnys on Sunday during the Gold medal Hockey game....Skinnys was packed! A lot of fun...burgers were 9.50 chesseburgers 10.50....during the week I think after 4pm happy hour was cool (especially after long day at the beach.....Heikens 2.50 Amstel lights 2.50 plus they were ice cold...that and a burger = perfection!

12. Stayed at Sailviewstjohn with wonderful owners...highly recommend it!

All and All a Great Great trip!

Best of luck to everyone heading to beautiful St. John in the near future!

Oh, we rented from Courtesy very nice people! The jeep had a lot of character!!!! But I prefer that over a new one....if you know what I mean! Anyway about the insurance thing.....he just copied my insurance card (must be current) and that was it! We have State Farm Insurance and are covered so we declined the insurance......one thing about the added insurance (if you go with that) YOU are still liable for the first 1500.00 EVEN with the added insurance and by the looks of all the Jeeps we saw on the island they all have a lot of character on them.....granted some more than others but anyways no need to bring a copy of your policy down just a current insurance card....whole process with Courtesy was very very easy no problems at all!

[patches&itchy]

Oh another thing about the jeep rental Courtesy walked around the jeep with us and noted the very extensive list of damage on it. Turning it back in went very smooth few minutes and that was it!

In case anyone is interested here's a few prices from the Starfish market and the Liquor store across from it....which by the way had a very impressive wine selection!

Gallon spring water 1.69
Case of bottled water (24 pack) 10.99
French Vanilla coffee creamer 5.55
1/2 gal of milk 3.95
Bag of sunchips 5.49
Fresh bagels 1.20 each
Sargento Monterey jack cheese slices 5.45
8 oz hard salami 6.29 (This with the Mont.Jack cheese and spicy mustard made very good sandwiches to take in the cooler to the beach!!!)
Dannon light yogurt 1.39
Bounty paper towels (one roll) 3.49
Smuckers grape jam 3.29
Jif peanut butter 4.79
1 red delicious apple 1.69
Lucky charms 6.49
Bag of mini butterfingers 5.89
Jar of spicy brown mustard 2.09
Bag of baby carrots 3.49
Bag of combos 2.69
Rotisserie chicken 12.99
Loaf of raisin bread 3.45
White bread 3.29
Suntan lotion 11.99

Any cruzan rum flavor 9.99
Baileys 21.99 (Baileys, left over morning coffee, milk/or cream, and a lot of ice makes an awesome drink to bring to the beach....we filled up an entire gallon jug with it.....yum!)

We ended up going through 4 bottles of baileys and 2 bottles of cruzan rum during the trip!

Loved Skinnys for happy hour during the week!

Aqua bistro had good chicken wings (all flats, well done, extra sauce + several Heikens + great view from the bar = perfection!)

Good luck to everyone!

[Greenskeeper]

Here's some random things about our 9 day trip to St. John:


4. Northswell was up plus full moon happened on the 28th. Trunk snorkeling trail was shut down twice because of it!

5. Maho....Wow....what a difference....parking is on both sides of the road and it was always packed. IMO Maho used to be very underrated but sadly now Maho is way way overrated! Not good at all! No wonder they are going to put in a parking lot across the road at the end of the bay (towards Francis)

6. We witnessed some injuries with the big waves from the swell (seperated shoulders, broken wrists, arms, cuts and scrapes, and a lot of lost sunglasses at Trunk and Cinnamon))....be careful and don't turn your back on the waves!

i didn't realize what people meant about the shore break until we experienced it. Around here, it's the undertow after the wave that is the problem not the wave itself. On STJ, the shore break is the problem. I don't understand why people who we saw getting pummeled and knocked around time and again don't venture out another 6 to 8 feet off shore to avoid it.

When no one gets hurt, I must admit it is fun to watch.


We found the same thing at Maho. We tried to go 2 days and it was packed. One of the days, the water was coming up into the street so along with lack of packing, there was literally, no beach.

[patches&itchy]

Your 100% right!

We ran into the water during the "drawout" and past the break before the next wave!

Some people though like to "ease" on into the water but with the way the swell was up.....no way that was working!

10 feet in and the water was pretty calm and you could just float with the swells!

A lot of the kids like to play in the surf but with the high swells and occasional stray rock at cinnamon or trunk trouble looms for sure!

[liamsaunt]

Thanks for the report! Sounds like you had a great time.

The swells can be really dangerous, it is too bad people don't always realize that. One time we were there when the swell was up and we heard that someone broke their back (I think at Cinnamon).

[tipsy]

patches& itchy

Thanks for the very good TR. Alot of great information. esp. for newbies like us.

Whenever read about the waves down there, would laugh, coming from NE and the waves we get here. But now understand better why they're such a big thing down there and will know not to be a "know-it-all northeasterner" again. sorry.

Glad you had the perfect relaxing trip, that's what it's all about.

Now can start planning for next one.

[Berlingirl]

Thanks for the great read! Totally bumming about Maho...that has been our favorite beach for well over ten years, but fear that it's gonna be way too overrun from here on in. The past two years it's been shoulder to shoulder in April and that was with the parking between the trees and on the side of the road. Oh well, things never seem to stay the same...miss the good old days when flying was fun and seats and bags flew free. Can see we're gonna drop some money on groceries...not worth it to sclep them down like sherpas anymore when we have to pay to check bags now. ALl and all, this is the price we pay for the luxury of an almost unspoiled lisland we love so much named ST John!