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Anybody stay at Cinnamon Bay Campground at a Baresite?
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debbiest23
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Upstate New York
Anybody stay at Cinnamon Bay Campground at a Baresite?
Hi,I'm going this November to St John and have reserved a baresite.Yes I'm bringing everything with me except for the stuff I can either rent or buy when I get there.
Any baresites closest to the beach? I looked at their map on their website but it's difficult to tell which sites may be closest.
Any comments,suggestions or helpful hints would be aprreciated since this is my first time 'tent' camping and staying at Cinnamon Bay Campground.
I've been to St John a few times and also had a chance to stay at Maho Bay a couple nights quite a long time ago.
I like the layout of Cinnamon Bay Campground and the fact that it's right on the beach.That's nice.
Thanks for any help.
Debbie
Any baresites closest to the beach? I looked at their map on their website but it's difficult to tell which sites may be closest.
Any comments,suggestions or helpful hints would be aprreciated since this is my first time 'tent' camping and staying at Cinnamon Bay Campground.
I've been to St John a few times and also had a chance to stay at Maho Bay a couple nights quite a long time ago.
I like the layout of Cinnamon Bay Campground and the fact that it's right on the beach.That's nice.
Thanks for any help.
Debbie
There are bare sites near the beach. The whole area is flat and none of the sites are more than a couple of minute walk to the beach; they are all close than the parking lot! The sites closer to the beach and toilets get more traffic. The bath house closest to the parking lot is the dirtiest due to the tourist traffic.
I'd recommend bringing something to secure your food in. There are a lot of mongoose and donkeys about looking for treats. I would also consider bringing a screened canopy. You can put this over your tent at night and your picnic table during the day.
You do not get an ice chest or camp stove (charcoal grill only) with bare sites. But, the camp store does sell Coleman fuel/white gas as well as small propane canisters. I'd pack some of your gear in a cooler, duct tape it, and check it as luggage. The 36 quart Xtreme coolers are airline legal.
Getting all of the camping gear checked as luggage is a challenge if there is only one person. Assume that you'll be wearing your bathing suit most of the time. You do NOT need a lot of clothes, but you'll probably want to hand wash your beach coverups and t-shirts while you are there.
You'll likely be setting up your tent in the pitch black, so bring a light.
Wow, sounds like fun, I'm jealous! I'm heading out to Western Maryland to camp for a week in August. Roughing it... no running water. We'll be parked on top of a private mountain with 200 people and 24 commercial breweries.
Cheers, RickG
I'd recommend bringing something to secure your food in. There are a lot of mongoose and donkeys about looking for treats. I would also consider bringing a screened canopy. You can put this over your tent at night and your picnic table during the day.
You do not get an ice chest or camp stove (charcoal grill only) with bare sites. But, the camp store does sell Coleman fuel/white gas as well as small propane canisters. I'd pack some of your gear in a cooler, duct tape it, and check it as luggage. The 36 quart Xtreme coolers are airline legal.
Getting all of the camping gear checked as luggage is a challenge if there is only one person. Assume that you'll be wearing your bathing suit most of the time. You do NOT need a lot of clothes, but you'll probably want to hand wash your beach coverups and t-shirts while you are there.
You'll likely be setting up your tent in the pitch black, so bring a light.
Wow, sounds like fun, I'm jealous! I'm heading out to Western Maryland to camp for a week in August. Roughing it... no running water. We'll be parked on top of a private mountain with 200 people and 24 commercial breweries.
Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
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debbiest23
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Upstate New York
Wow Rick thanks for all the great info!I read somewhere that you can rent a propane stove,lantern and ice chest at Cinnamon Bay but I have not confirmed that yet.Also my flight gets in at 3pm and I am hoping to make the 4pm ferry and hopefully be up to the campground before it gets dark! Eeek.The thought of trying to put up a tent when it's dark sounds challenging.
Your camping trip sounds great too...wow,24 breweries?
Are they going to supply the beer??
Cheers
Debbie
Your camping trip sounds great too...wow,24 breweries?
Are they going to supply the beer??
Cheers
Debbie
Free beer! The deal is that the brewer gets to come free if they bring 15 gallons of beer.
It sounds like the rental of the stove and lantern is a real good deal. It's nice to have two burners. I believe the lantern is on a post attached to the 20 lb propane tank, which is a configuration I like.
If you at all interested, I have a 2004 Maho Bay Campground trip report at http://www.garvin.us/STJ/Trip_Reports/2 ... round.html .
Cheers, RickG
It sounds like the rental of the stove and lantern is a real good deal. It's nice to have two burners. I believe the lantern is on a post attached to the 20 lb propane tank, which is a configuration I like.
If you at all interested, I have a 2004 Maho Bay Campground trip report at http://www.garvin.us/STJ/Trip_Reports/2 ... round.html .
Cheers, RickG
Last edited by RickG on Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
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debbiest23
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Upstate New York
Ooh,free beer!Sounds like your gonna have a great time!Have one for me...or two...or three...
Thanks for the link to your pictures and trip report.
It brought back some fond memories.I haven't made it to Jost yet.I have been to Tortola and Virgin Gorda.
Very beautiful islands.Each has their own special appeal.
Hope to one day make it to Jost but I won't be lugging camping equipment when I do!!
Thanks for all the info!
Debbie
Thanks for the link to your pictures and trip report.
It brought back some fond memories.I haven't made it to Jost yet.I have been to Tortola and Virgin Gorda.
Very beautiful islands.Each has their own special appeal.
Hope to one day make it to Jost but I won't be lugging camping equipment when I do!!
Thanks for all the info!
Debbie
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debbiest23
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Upstate New York
pipanale Posted:
I'm not saying anything bad about camping, but there is not enough money on Earth to get me to camp out.
Jimmy Buffett said in A Pirate Looks at 50 that he's all for adventure, but at the end of the day, he wants a house and a glass of wine. I agree.
good luck
Well I guess after this trip I might be chiming in with the same opinion of tent camping.
Or maybe I'll think it's great (which I hope I do)and cannot wait to go back!
Debbie
I'm not saying anything bad about camping, but there is not enough money on Earth to get me to camp out.
Jimmy Buffett said in A Pirate Looks at 50 that he's all for adventure, but at the end of the day, he wants a house and a glass of wine. I agree.
good luck
Well I guess after this trip I might be chiming in with the same opinion of tent camping.
Or maybe I'll think it's great (which I hope I do)and cannot wait to go back!
Debbie
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Dave-a-roni
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 1:43 am
- Location: Western NY
This type of stay on St. John sounds wonderful Debbiest23, I would do it if I were by myself (or if my wife was into it) I bicycled across the U.S. in 1996, and tent camped almost every night, across 12 states... it's a wonderfully personal way to "travel and rest". 
I look forward to seeing your pics if you'd share with us when you get back 
Were kind of checking out the eco camps on Maho for our return trip (when ever that is
)
RickG: I'm going to look at your pics, can't wait.
I look forward to seeing your pics if you'd share with us when you get back Were kind of checking out the eco camps on Maho for our return trip (when ever that is
)RickG: I'm going to look at your pics, can't wait.
"Try to preserve nature where you live, not just where you visit"
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
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St. John Lover
- Posts: 245
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:14 pm
- Location: Chicago
Debbie,
November sunset will be about 5:40.
Here's a schedule of sunset times for St. John:(http://www.usviwedding.com/sunset_sched ... 7.html#jul)
So, if everything goes right on your travel day, and you catch the 4pm, soonest you'd be out by Cinnamon is close to 5pm. SET UP YOUR TENT RIGHT AWAY!!!!
Cinnamon is definitely one of my all-time favorite beaches. (One of the reasons being that I almost ALWAYS see donkeys there--usually with their young; I'm so sorry for the poster who never found them; you just have to return).
I've wandered through the campsites and really they are all wonderful. And as another poster mentioned, the bathrooms 'back in the woods' away from the main path that day-trippers take, are very nice. Even the main one is very nice, IMHO.
You'll have a great time! I'm jealous--wish I was going EXCEPT I definitely do have to agree with another poster---there's just something about returning to a nice little villa with warm water, a sunset view from up high, and a nice glass of wine as a prelude to jumping into a wonderful comfortable bed....
November sunset will be about 5:40.
Here's a schedule of sunset times for St. John:(http://www.usviwedding.com/sunset_sched ... 7.html#jul)
So, if everything goes right on your travel day, and you catch the 4pm, soonest you'd be out by Cinnamon is close to 5pm. SET UP YOUR TENT RIGHT AWAY!!!!
Cinnamon is definitely one of my all-time favorite beaches. (One of the reasons being that I almost ALWAYS see donkeys there--usually with their young; I'm so sorry for the poster who never found them; you just have to return).
I've wandered through the campsites and really they are all wonderful. And as another poster mentioned, the bathrooms 'back in the woods' away from the main path that day-trippers take, are very nice. Even the main one is very nice, IMHO.
You'll have a great time! I'm jealous--wish I was going EXCEPT I definitely do have to agree with another poster---there's just something about returning to a nice little villa with warm water, a sunset view from up high, and a nice glass of wine as a prelude to jumping into a wonderful comfortable bed....
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debbiest23
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:55 pm
- Location: Upstate New York
dave a roni,sounds like your a camper from way back.Glad to hear from someone who enjoys tent camping.
Are you looking into the Concordia tents? Harmony?Or the Maho Bay tents? I've stayed in the Maho Tents and that was fun.We got the tent out at the point overlooking the water and St Thomas.That was a nice view at night.
I will certainly try to post some pics when I return.
St John Lover,Thanks for letting me know whent he sunsets.It really doesn't give me too much time but I should be able to get it set up before dark as long as my flight is not late coming into STT.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Debbie
Are you looking into the Concordia tents? Harmony?Or the Maho Bay tents? I've stayed in the Maho Tents and that was fun.We got the tent out at the point overlooking the water and St Thomas.That was a nice view at night.
I will certainly try to post some pics when I return.
St John Lover,Thanks for letting me know whent he sunsets.It really doesn't give me too much time but I should be able to get it set up before dark as long as my flight is not late coming into STT.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Debbie
Cinnamon Bay
Cinnamon Bay was the ONE beach we chose to visit on our ONE day in STJ last winter (we stayed 10 days on Water Island). It was fabulous!!! (Link to a couple photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/maslyntribe/USVI1207# )
We saw the campsites and thought that looked AMAZING. When I inquired with one of the villa owners I was talking to she said "I should tell you that you're asking the wrong person about camping at Cinnamon Bay. I had to spend two weeks there, waiting for our new house to open up... I thought it would be fun too....except I forgot it's on the rainy side of the island...so it rained every night and everything felt damp and moldy. One night I had to trek in the pitch darkness to get to the bathroom...when I got there I found bugs the size of Chihuahuas flying around..when I was in the stall I heard something large moving above me...I looked up and saw the biggest rat I have ever seen in my life looking down at me......between the bugs, lack of air conditioning...and cold showers (no, there is still no hot water there) makes camping in the tropics an absolutely miserable experience.....and I'm not a Barbie..."
That sure discouraged me... and I'm not Barbie either!
Good luck.
We saw the campsites and thought that looked AMAZING. When I inquired with one of the villa owners I was talking to she said "I should tell you that you're asking the wrong person about camping at Cinnamon Bay. I had to spend two weeks there, waiting for our new house to open up... I thought it would be fun too....except I forgot it's on the rainy side of the island...so it rained every night and everything felt damp and moldy. One night I had to trek in the pitch darkness to get to the bathroom...when I got there I found bugs the size of Chihuahuas flying around..when I was in the stall I heard something large moving above me...I looked up and saw the biggest rat I have ever seen in my life looking down at me......between the bugs, lack of air conditioning...and cold showers (no, there is still no hot water there) makes camping in the tropics an absolutely miserable experience.....and I'm not a Barbie..."
That sure discouraged me... and I'm not Barbie either!
Good luck.
