usvi-on-line
St. John Trip Report Part 2
St. John Trip Report Part 2
St. John Trip Report
Visit #5 since 2001
March 13 - 20th, 2007
Part 2
This is visit number five for us to St. John. We came down last April, 2006 for our 25th anniversary. Our actual date is October 10th so last fall we decided "How many times are you married 25 years?" and we planned another 25th anniversary trip for March, 2007.
I've divided this report into two halves to minimize what in the biz we call "bails". Part 1 covers travel, lodging, and beaches, while part 2 covers food, drink, shopping, and everything else. The whole report can be read here. Enjoy!
Food and Dining
<li> Although our place had a small kitchen, about the only food we prepared there was the brie and crackers that came in our welcome basket. Of course the blender was put to good use.
<li> Markets - Pine Peace saved the day for Laura by carrying Diet Pepsi. (Diet Coke just won't do.) Pine Peace also has the best prices. I think the Dolphin edged out Starfish for variety except for milk. Starfish is the easiest to move around in, but I did a double take when they charged $7.50 for a bottle of Cruzan. ($5.50 at Pine Peace.)
..-I have to mention the little store at Gallows that was just a few steps away from our place. It has now merged with Everyting and although they have very limited variety, it magically seems to be just what you need. Butter, cheese, milk, snacks, pineapple juice, coco lopez and mango puree; even their Cruzan was priced less than Starfish. (Plus, they carried diet Pepsi!)
<li> Breakfast - It was too simple. Stumble down to Everyting at Gallows which has dialed up their coffee business. They have Baked in the Sun pastries for sale and my wife was in heaven with their almond pastry creation.
<li> Lunch - The first four days we tried do bring snacky stuff for mid-day to tide us over until we got back to the place, but that just didn't cut it. My wife has "Randy Hickey Syndrome"... for those of you that watch "My Name is Earl" you'll recognize Earl's brother Randy's malaise - "I'm starving Earl. You know I get angry when I'm hungry. Like the Hulk, only I don't get all green and muscley, I just get dizzy and snap at people that don't deserve it." .
The cure was grabbing a Deli Grotto sandwich, which easily feeds two, on the way to the beaches. I feel obligated to plug the Jumbie Bars at the Grotto. Simply - chocolate, peanut butter and oats - gooey, but sensational!
<li> Dinner -
- High Tide - Appetizers and salads. Good light meal.
- La Tapa- Excellent food, presentation and service.
- Skinny's - How can a cheeseburger taste so good?
- Stone Terrace - Excellent food, presentation and service. Balcony table at sunset.
- Ocean Grill - Best Calamari I've had in years. Empty on a Saturday at 8:15.
- Compass Rose at Pastory Gardens - Great view, great service, gentle on your pocket.
- Rhumb Lines - Never disappoints - flavor explosion.
<li> My dish of choice was seared tuna. Tough to rank but briefly-
- La Tapa and Stone Terrace - Excellent flavor. Polenta and risotto to die for..
- Ocean Grill offers by far the largest serving. Presentation and accoutrements were tasty.
- Rhumb Lines- The Sesame Encrusted Szechuan Tuna is so full of taste that a week and a half later it's still on my mind. If I had to choose one meal out on St. John, this would be it.
Drinks and Libations
<li> Beer
- Carib in bottles. Heineken in cans for the beach. Wish they would put Carib in a beach friendly container.
- Tap Room/ Virgin Islands Pale Ale. Husbands rejoice! A shopping visit to Mongoose Junction is now a breeze and that breeze is upstairs from the Deli Grotto.
<li> Mixed/Blender Drinks
- By the pool - mango coladas
- Best BBC - High Tide
- Best Painkiller - Skinny's
- Best Margarita - Skinny's
- Best Girlie Drink past my lips - Chocolate Bushwhacker at High Tide
Miscellaneous
<li> Shopping
- Jewelry - Firebird for gifts, Verace for Laura and a new place called V.I. Vibe.
- Guy gifts - can't beat beer paraphernalia from the Tap Room.
- Other gifts - Pink Papaya and St. John Spice.
- Dresses - Picked up 2 at those funky shops at Skinny's.
<li> How many things can you leave on a Jeep Roof? When your hands are full packing the back and there is something you want to bring up front -
- Hat - lost.
- Sunglasses - twice but found.
- A beer.
- Travel folder. My CC # was in it so we had to cancel card. The folder showed up at our place later in the day (people do care!)
<li> What goes in STJ stays in STJ.
- Matching toe rings.
<li> Online Check in advice
- After freaking out because my boarding passes weren't printing at Surf da Web, I switched from Firefox browser to IE and they printed fine.
<li> Photo Journaling the trip - I wanted to minimize the volume of what we packed so I went for small and digital. Last year we had a film SLR, a digital point and shoot, an underwater film camera and a mini DV camcorder. This year we brought a card deck sized Olympus 770 SW (underwater and digital) and a Sanyo palm sized camcorder that recorded to SD cards. (VPC-C40) The only compromise that I can tell is that the small camcorder is a little harder to steady than the Canon DV camcorder.
<li> Next year we are bringing a larger group and plan to rent a car at STT and take the barge. Dollar savings appear to be substantial.
And finally... can anyone tell me what "No Money, No Johnnie Cake" means?
Visit #5 since 2001
March 13 - 20th, 2007
Part 2
This is visit number five for us to St. John. We came down last April, 2006 for our 25th anniversary. Our actual date is October 10th so last fall we decided "How many times are you married 25 years?" and we planned another 25th anniversary trip for March, 2007.
I've divided this report into two halves to minimize what in the biz we call "bails". Part 1 covers travel, lodging, and beaches, while part 2 covers food, drink, shopping, and everything else. The whole report can be read here. Enjoy!
Food and Dining
<li> Although our place had a small kitchen, about the only food we prepared there was the brie and crackers that came in our welcome basket. Of course the blender was put to good use.
<li> Markets - Pine Peace saved the day for Laura by carrying Diet Pepsi. (Diet Coke just won't do.) Pine Peace also has the best prices. I think the Dolphin edged out Starfish for variety except for milk. Starfish is the easiest to move around in, but I did a double take when they charged $7.50 for a bottle of Cruzan. ($5.50 at Pine Peace.)
..-I have to mention the little store at Gallows that was just a few steps away from our place. It has now merged with Everyting and although they have very limited variety, it magically seems to be just what you need. Butter, cheese, milk, snacks, pineapple juice, coco lopez and mango puree; even their Cruzan was priced less than Starfish. (Plus, they carried diet Pepsi!)
<li> Breakfast - It was too simple. Stumble down to Everyting at Gallows which has dialed up their coffee business. They have Baked in the Sun pastries for sale and my wife was in heaven with their almond pastry creation.
<li> Lunch - The first four days we tried do bring snacky stuff for mid-day to tide us over until we got back to the place, but that just didn't cut it. My wife has "Randy Hickey Syndrome"... for those of you that watch "My Name is Earl" you'll recognize Earl's brother Randy's malaise - "I'm starving Earl. You know I get angry when I'm hungry. Like the Hulk, only I don't get all green and muscley, I just get dizzy and snap at people that don't deserve it." .
The cure was grabbing a Deli Grotto sandwich, which easily feeds two, on the way to the beaches. I feel obligated to plug the Jumbie Bars at the Grotto. Simply - chocolate, peanut butter and oats - gooey, but sensational!<li> Dinner -
- High Tide - Appetizers and salads. Good light meal.
- La Tapa- Excellent food, presentation and service.
- Skinny's - How can a cheeseburger taste so good?
- Stone Terrace - Excellent food, presentation and service. Balcony table at sunset.
- Ocean Grill - Best Calamari I've had in years. Empty on a Saturday at 8:15.
- Compass Rose at Pastory Gardens - Great view, great service, gentle on your pocket.
- Rhumb Lines - Never disappoints - flavor explosion.
<li> My dish of choice was seared tuna. Tough to rank but briefly-
- La Tapa and Stone Terrace - Excellent flavor. Polenta and risotto to die for..
- Ocean Grill offers by far the largest serving. Presentation and accoutrements were tasty.
- Rhumb Lines- The Sesame Encrusted Szechuan Tuna is so full of taste that a week and a half later it's still on my mind. If I had to choose one meal out on St. John, this would be it.
Drinks and Libations
<li> Beer
- Carib in bottles. Heineken in cans for the beach. Wish they would put Carib in a beach friendly container.
- Tap Room/ Virgin Islands Pale Ale. Husbands rejoice! A shopping visit to Mongoose Junction is now a breeze and that breeze is upstairs from the Deli Grotto.
<li> Mixed/Blender Drinks
- By the pool - mango coladas
- Best BBC - High Tide
- Best Painkiller - Skinny's
- Best Margarita - Skinny's
- Best Girlie Drink past my lips - Chocolate Bushwhacker at High Tide
Miscellaneous
<li> Shopping
- Jewelry - Firebird for gifts, Verace for Laura and a new place called V.I. Vibe.
- Guy gifts - can't beat beer paraphernalia from the Tap Room.
- Other gifts - Pink Papaya and St. John Spice.
- Dresses - Picked up 2 at those funky shops at Skinny's.
<li> How many things can you leave on a Jeep Roof? When your hands are full packing the back and there is something you want to bring up front -
- Hat - lost.
- Sunglasses - twice but found.
- A beer.
- Travel folder. My CC # was in it so we had to cancel card. The folder showed up at our place later in the day (people do care!)
<li> What goes in STJ stays in STJ.
- Matching toe rings.
<li> Online Check in advice
- After freaking out because my boarding passes weren't printing at Surf da Web, I switched from Firefox browser to IE and they printed fine.
<li> Photo Journaling the trip - I wanted to minimize the volume of what we packed so I went for small and digital. Last year we had a film SLR, a digital point and shoot, an underwater film camera and a mini DV camcorder. This year we brought a card deck sized Olympus 770 SW (underwater and digital) and a Sanyo palm sized camcorder that recorded to SD cards. (VPC-C40) The only compromise that I can tell is that the small camcorder is a little harder to steady than the Canon DV camcorder.
<li> Next year we are bringing a larger group and plan to rent a car at STT and take the barge. Dollar savings appear to be substantial.
And finally... can anyone tell me what "No Money, No Johnnie Cake" means?
-
Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
-
MrsCARolph
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:57 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
You don't want to know me when I haven't eaten all day 
