USVI-On-Line

How's that for a wierd topic? We're arriving on a Saturday and want to pick up food from the Lechon truck on STT for dinner our first night. These are directions posted previously, would they take us past where we want to go?
Here are some useful directions from our friends at Great Expectations:

driving directions from the airport to the vehicle barge at Red Hook, St. Thomas, via Cost-U-Less
(no, there are no usable street/road signs; while it may look like it, this is not a tour of fast food restaurants on St. Thomas of which,
by the way, there are none on St. John should you want to stop at one to pick up some dinner)

- at the end of the 2 lane exit road from the airport (the exit road parallels the airport's one runway and parallel taxiway),
make a right turn at the 1st traffic light onto a 4 lane road which you will stay on for the next 2.5 miles
(this road runs through downtown Charlotte Amalie along the harbor -- note the incredible color of the water --
you will go through a number of traffic lights and past all the downtown tourist shops on your left);

- Stay in the right lane on this road which narrows to 2 lanes as it passes an old, red fort on the left and the pale green legislature building on the right,
continuing on this the road as it makes a right along the harbor toward the cruise ship dock which you can see in the distance until
at 2-1/2 miles from the airport, make a left at the traffic light by Wendy's which is on your right (just before the cruise ships if any are in port);

- Stay on this road for a 1/2 mile and make a right at the next traffic light (there is a McDonald's on the left);

- Follow this winding road up a hill and down the other side.
To shop for groceries at Cost-U-Less on St. Thomas (sort of like a Caribbean Costco or BJs):
as you come down the hill from town (Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas)
make a left at the first traffic light. You will see a Home Depot (it is not a mirage) straight ahead and
Cost-U-Less on the left. Best prices compared to St. John are for liquor, beer, wine and ice cream (buy a cooler)!

- Go back to the main road for about 3/4 of a mile and just past the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) on the right
make a right at the next traffic light and stay on this road for 9 miles
(you will pass the infamous 'bridge to nowhere' on the right and eventually on the left,
a sprawling yellow building -- it is the high school the St. John kids have to commute by ferry to).

- About 1/4 mile past the school there will be a shopping area on both sides of the road
(no Wendy's, McDonalds or KFC here, but a number of local restaurants and stores)
The passenger ferries and vehicle barges are on the right just past this shopping area so you have almost made it!

- Make the next right (you will have gone 9 miles from the KFC where you turned right onto this road)
to the ferries (passengers only) on the right and the barges (vehicles and pax) to the left.

- Stop at the shack on the left to pay the Port Authority a few dollars (remember to say "good day" even if it is not)
and by the water is a concrete ramp for the barges:
if there are cars/trucks ahead of you, wait in line patiently (very important)
and be prepared to BACK onto the barge when your turn comes!

You pay once you are onboard the barge. You can buy a (less expensive) round-trip ticket, however there are
3 different barge companies and one of them -- Boyson -- will not accept the return tickets for
the other two barge companies. SCHEDULE: Boyson barges run once an hour on the half-hour
and the other 2 barge companies run every hour on the hour. Last scheduled barge trip is 6:30PM on Boyson
and 7PM on "Captain Vic" EXCEPT FOR SUNDAY when "Captain Vic" does not run all day.
Be advised this schedule is not subject to anything but the whim of the barge captain.

Charles Atkins
www.GreatExpectationsUSVI.com
_________________

Thank you!

[quote="mindehankins"]How's that for a wierd topic? We're arriving on a Saturday and want to pick up food from the Lechon truck on STT for dinner our first night. These are directions posted previously, would they take us past where we want to go?

I have skipped to the part you need:






- Go back to the main road for about 3/4 of a mile and just past the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) on the right
make a right at the next traffic light and stay on this road for 9 miles
(you will pass the infamous 'bridge to nowhere' on the right and eventually on the left, --------------------------------
DO NOT take the right mentioned here but go straight through the light - The Lechon truck will be on your right about a 1/3 of a mile.

I would be surprised if the trip from that Fort Myler// TUTU light to Red Hook is 9 miles - next time I drive it I will clock it.

Thank you! We should treat you, since you directed us. Is there a way to "gift you", like at the Soggy Dollar? I'm only 1/2 joking here

It's about 4 miles from that KFC corner to Red Hook. Another note: Two building colors in town have changed. The fort is currently white, not red--they were working on a renovation and ran out of money years ago-and the legislature building across the street is no longer green but a pale yellow.

After you leave the Lechon truck, you can get back on the road going in the same direction, and make a right at the (are there 2 traffic signals or one?) light by Tillett's. Stay on that road until you get to Red Hook.

Thank you! Will look at the route on Google Earth so we're comfortable. Appreciate the advice!