USVI-On-Line

Once again another successful trip to the islands. Sure there were a few glitches- but that is to be expected! Here are the basics:
Car rental- Conrad Sutton. I know that some find them a bit surly but they have always been pleasant and easy to get along with. We had reserved a vitara but they were out so they upgraded us to a wrangler. Personally, I would have rather had the vitara. The wrangler is so much harder to lock things up. But, we never had any problems with this even when we left all our luggage (including a lap top) in it when we ran in for groceries. I was a bit nervous tempting fate like this but my husband assured me that there was nothing that couldn't be replaced and to start enjoying vacation and not worrying.

Accommodations: Stairway to the Stars. This is a small apartment in Upper Carolina. It has a wonderful view and a great price. It was perfect for the two of us. The owners live in the main house above and are wonderful hosts. We have stayed at a variety of locations on St. John- from extremely nice villas to much cheaper cabins. We have decided that although the beautiful villa with a pool and the works is heavenly it is just not necessary. If you do your homework you can stay at very nice places for half the cost and have just as wonderful a vacation. When it is just the two of us- we prefer the simpler places.

Dining: We ate most meals at "home." We had such a nice view that it made it an easy decision. Besides, we tended to go to the beaches early in the morning then again later in the afternoon so by the time we were ready for dinner it was late and we were very cozy with our gin and tonics and simple dinner on the deck. BUT, we did enjoy these spots:

Chilly Billy's - always good and enjoyable.

Mosquito Bites ( I think that is the name- it is in the new mall area by Aqua Bistro in Coral Bay). Breakfast was disappointing but try Jewel's Pates or ask them to pack you a lunch for the beach!

Aqua Bistro- Had appetizer. Nothing special. But the atmosphere was nice. Enjoyed a few beverages after the beach here!

Island Blues- Excellent nachos. It was Karaoke night so we didn't stay for dinner. Instead went to Skinny Legs for the perfect burger. On the way back we could hear the sorry sounds of drunks singing at Island Blues- we definitely made the right decision!

Sweet Plantains- YUM! Our new favorite place. Excellent service and food. We will be back for sure!

Tried to go to Woody's one afternoon but it was closed! I have never seen it closed before! It was closed the next day as well. Hmmmm.. SO instead headed to the Beach Bar. Had a so-so appetizer but sure enjoyed the company.

Another note on food- we shopped at all of them. Pine Peace Market is certainly the most inexpensive but doesn't have as good a selection. But to share with you the price difference: we bought a small box of pasta at Starfish for $1.99 - at Pine Peace it was $.89 for exactly the same! I was impressed at the selection at Lily's in Coral Bay. I expected it to be a bit more pricey but it was the same as Starfish.

Hope to post more soon- new beaches explored, day with the Wayward Sailor, missing luggage on return home and some final trip thoughts.

sounds like a great trip. I hope we are able to try Sweet Plantains in November. I better check Ruth's restaurant list and see if there are any updates!

Sounds like a nice trip Polly. We too decided that a smaller villa would work for us next time...then we saw Sapphire Breeze and are considering that one for next year if we go with the same group of 5 (or more). Looking forward to the rest of the report!

Thanks for the report.

I understand that you were happy with Stairway to the Stars, as we stayed there also, during our visit in April. We liked it very much, but unfortunately we couldn't enjoy the patio as much as we wanted, because it rained a lot and the bugs were really nasty. But the views from up there were wonderful.

Thanks Pia. We arrive the day after Thanksgiving so hopefully we will catch them!

Hi Polly, I am wondering, how did you feel privacy-wise about having the owners on property? To be honest, the minute I see "caretaker on site" or "owner in apartment" I nix the place. I guess I've just automatically thought it would be an infringement on my privacy, but I also wonder if we could be missing the opportunity to stay at some nice places.

I know every property is different, but I would be curious to know how much interaction you had with the owners of the place you rented during your stay?

Nice to read your lovely report, thanks for posting.

I have the same question as liamsaunt in regards to privacy when the owner/caretaker is on-site. Thnx!

I have never had a problem staying at a place where the owner is near by- in fact, I have done it on three different occasions in St. John. Once, we never saw the owners except when we arrived and then again when we left. Another time the owner would stop by and chat if they saw us out and we always enjoyed the conversation. In fact, we had many good tips about the island because of them. This time our owners basically left us alone but did invite us up for cocktails and snacks. They were extremely gracious and we had a wonderful time. I have never had a problem and have found there only advantages:
* someone who is right there if there is a problem, *often times a bit less expensive because you rent directly from the owner and not through a management company
*great advice about things to do and places to go.
*I have also thought that the places where the owner is right there are often cleaner and better maintained. After all, this is the owners "home" so there is no out of sight out of mind thinking.
Just my opinion- anyone out there have a bad experience?

I agree with Polly, and we have also stayed several times in places like this.

The Stairway to the Stars, was one of the most private places (owners on site) we have stayed in. In our case, we hardly noticed the owners (really nice people) but they were actually gone for half the week, with only their son home. We saw his car sometimes, but only saw him once. This apartment is in the lower part of the building, with nothing except lush vegatation in front of you. No way for anyone to look in. Private entrance. The only downside we saw, was that the beautiful patio was all roof covered, so that there were never any part of the patio that was sunny. Would have been nice to soak up some rays in a sun bed. But why complain when you have the beaches nearby.

We stayed in another private apartment in Turks and Caicos last year, and that place was not as private as this. These owners were just so very nice and we got to share their private pool whenever we wanted. It was a little special case for us, since the place we were supposed to rent, couldn't take us in due to a death within the family, so we stayed at their friends house. Now I can see they rent through VRBO, so I guess we behaved

Great start! Keep 'em coming. I like the idea of a less pricey alternative.

Polly - Thnx for the reply back re: privacy. I've often wondered how it worked, renting an apartment, and glad to know that you are afforded as much privacy as you wish. We will have to look into this type of accommodation. Happy Monday!!

Nice report thanks