USVI-On-Line

OK, I need some more advice from seasoned travelers.

I was poking around on other travel forums, and I see that some folks are pretty hard core about bringing food from home. What do y'all do?

I was only going to pack one bag because I want to bring a box of rum home (and check it). However, I'm wondering if it makes sense to pack a bag with some staples in it. I was thinking maybe some pancake mix and syrup, oatmeal and maybe some snacky things like pretzels. But I don't know if I'll need them, or if they'll even hold up in a bag that's been man-handled by Delta as it makes its journey.

Any pointers would be helpful. I wasn't planning on taking this stuff, but everyone seems to think I'll need it.

I found it very helpful to bring snacks, but I travel with one teenager with a bottomless pit...and one diabetic who has to eat every 2-3 hours. Food at the markets on STJ is expensive. Not a great selection either. I vote for eating out. The only other thing I packed (and I was glad I did) was coffee, sweet and low and cereal bars. Now for my next trip, Im going to see about sending a box down a few weeks ahead of time with non perishable snacks, coffee and our toiletries that we cannot carry on.

I thought about taking a gladware full of chocolate chip cookies for the group, but I guess it'll depend on if I'm motivated enough to make them before I leave.

I did figure that even at inflated prices, groceries would be cheaper than eating out.

I should have added that because of our dietary restrictions, we could not find enough to eat at the markets at a reasonable price, so eating out worked better for us. If you are not picky, the stores will have sufficient selections for you!

I plan to eat out for most meals. I've yet to find any satisfactory seafood restaurant in Nashville. The closest thing we have is Joe's Crab Shack. (No joke.) So, whenever I hit somewhere with an ocean, I eat pretty much all the fresh seafood I can.

I'm thinking that breakfast and maybe a few lunches might be easier at home. I also promised that I'd make one dinner, but I'll get everything for that at the market.

I'm also thinking if I do take some groceries that perhaps I should just bring the stuff to make the birthday cake for the girls who will be having birthdays while we're down there, although I was looking forward to the mango filling.

This is what I'm thinking I should bring. I hate, hate, hate the idea of checking a bag for it though.

Pancake mix and syrup
honey wheat pretzel twists
coffee
splenda/creamer
oatmeal breakfast bars
a couple cans of tuna
a box of pasta
cake mix, icing tub, candles
Maybe some cheez-its, wheat thins, snackies.

What about packing those items in a box and sending it down ahead of time. I'm pretty sure that all the villa companies allow you to send a box to them that they will have waiting for you in your villa. If your not going with a villa, you can send it to yourself at Connections. Just give them a call!

XOXO
Bug

I do have a villa, and I guess I could call tomorrow.

However, would it beat me there? We get there on the 7th, and so far mail's been terribly slow.

You could also send it FedEx. I know that it would be more expensive but it would get there in time!

XOXO
Bug

We found it to be very convenient to bring food with us, but there were 9 of us. We packed a cooler with wheels and taped it with duct tape. Everything got there fine.

Also, I much prefer to take things from my local market, only because I shop at only one for chicken and meats.

We bought bread, milk, orange juice, soda and water and things like that down in the islands.

Freeze everything and it will be fine when it gets there.

We brought:

Frozen chicken
1 whole ham
hamburger
4 pounds of frozen shrimp
porkroll
4 pounds of bacon (doesn't go far with 9 people)
breafast sausauge.

I thought we did really good. Just checked it in. I'm not sure if we will do it for just the 2 of us in Nov, but I know I'm bringing porkroll for some friends that live down there and can't get it.

DELETED

Right now we're planning to have all breakfasts and dinners in, so we're putting a soft sided cooler with frozen food and techni-ice into a checked bag.

Will bring steak, pork tenderloin, and chicken, and plan to buy some fresh fish on island.

We'll also bring some snacks and staples with us - microwave popcorn, oatmeal, breakfast bars, cheese, and crackers.

I had heard that all of the fruit juice you can buy down there is in cans. That's rough for a Florida boy like me, so I may bring frozen concentrate OJ.

I'll look to buy veggies and salad greens at a market, or directly from Josephine.

In April when we went to STX we tried bringing our steaks a little differently. Instead of having the butcher cut the beef tenderloin into steaks here we brought the tenderloin frozen whole and then cut the steaks ourselves once the meat was defrosted. That, along with the pork tenderloins and the techni ice really kept everything frozen solid. Sixteen hours later and we were still able to put the techni ice in the fridge to help with the cooling of the beer and soda.

BTW, on STT in May we were able to get OJ in cartons, the "not from concentrate" kind. Is availability of OJ only in cans something recent?

I think it might have been Jorge (or maybe Rick,) apoogize, can't remember who to credit, but that was a great idea to bring a sharpening stone for the villa knives - what a difference!

Have a great trip!

- Margy

Where do you buy techni-ice? It sounds helpful - where do you get it?

Thanks,
MIG