USVI-On-Line

Well now that hubby and I have been to STT 4 times and have it mastered on how to get around the island economically and without a car, we are going to stay on STJ this trip! I am so excited. We always day trip to STJ but have never stayed on island. So now I find myself with lots of questions for all of you pros. Again, we will not be renting a car. I know we'll pay for taxis but I really think we can make it work ok for us. And I know I've read all the answers to these same questions on the forum before but never really tried to get the answers from a logistic perspective. I hope you can help:

We're staying at Grande Bay.

Is there a grocery store for picking up the perishables we'll need that is within walking distance? (Beer, bread, eggs, sandwich fixin's, etc)

I know the bus is unreliable, but will we be able to take it to Coral Bay and stay there for a few hours to wander around and then get a bus back? Would a taxi take us there and come back for us later?

Thinking about walking the trail to Solomon/Honeymoon. Is it a lot of uphill? We're not hikers. We'll take a cab from Caneel back at the end of the day.

Are there grills to use at Hawksnest and would that be a good place to go for a day and to grill?

Where would I go to buy fresh fish from a charter fishing boat arriving after their day? We've done that a lot at Sapphire and it's awesome.

Where do I go to buy that coconut crack bar you all rave about?

That's it for now. Any help will be appreciated. I know I'll be back with more questions

Thanks, and I hope to meet some of you at a BB gathering.

~ Nancy

We have considered staying at Grande Bay and not renting a car. I think taxi fares will add up to much less than Jeep rental.

Both grocery stores in Cruz Bay, Dolphin & Starfish Markets are probably about the same distance from Grande Bay. I would consider both easily within walking distance.

Did the hike to Solomon from the trail entry point right by Estate Lindholm. My advice, taxi both ways. The hike was steep, rocky and hot. There will be some different opinions on this one, but I am coming from the nature loving, but non-hiker point of view.

Coconut crack bar = Deli Grotto. Excellent sandwiches there too.

Another great sandwich place which is in the same shopping center as Starfish is called Sam & Jacks. Yet another great place there is Black Sand Bistro. Amazing food for a very reasonable price.

1. Yes. You can easily walk to Dolphin Market (it's uphill but not far).

2. I would not count on the bus. As for a taxi, if you want to go to Coral Bay you should make arrangements to be picked up in advance with the driver that brings you over. That's if you can find someone to do this. Honestly it will probably cost just as much as renting a car for the day.

3. Yes, there is some uphill, but it is not too hard. Slippery/rotting leaves are the biggest obstacle. If you have any difficulty with hiking you can take a taxi from town to Caneel ($5/per person) and walk in via the public path to Honeymoon which is relatively flat and about a 10 minute walk to Honeymoon. Snorkel from Honeymoon to Solomon if you are comfortable with snorkeling.

4. Yes there are grills but they are charcoal, so you would have to carry in your charcoal and ignition items plus food to grill, ice etc. It's a great place to go for the day either way.

5. Fish is available in a couple of places. Look in Cruz Bay next to Our Market. Or buy from the Fish Trap Market.

6. Deli Grotto, Mongoose Junction.

Well, here is the other opinion on the hike into Honeymoon and Solomon beaches. Haha. We started at the park building in Cruz Bay, took the stairway to the trail end and did it all in flip flops. ( Not recommending that...but we did do it. We had a different kind of day planned when we left St Thomas that morning so our shoe choice was not planned for hiking) We are not exercisers and my husband sits at a desk all day so we are as unfit as can be I am afraid! The walk is very nice and the beaches SO worth it. The snorkeling at Solomon that day was amazing. We ended by walking on to Caneel and having a BBC in the open air lounge by the bar. (they have a public restrom where I was able to run a comb thru my hair and splash water on my face.) Then we caught a taxi from Caneel back to Cruz Bay. It was one of our most perfect days. But, arentthey ALL perfect days on St John!!!?