Page 1 of 2
Here are driving directions STT airport - Red Hook car ferry
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:59 am
by Pia
OK buckle up and we are on our way 
1) Exit the airport and take a right at the traffic light.
2) Continue on that road past downtown CA, past Havensite, past the cruise ships. The road will then start to climb up.
3) You will come to a stop sign - bear left. Now about this stop sign....you will notice alot of people don't see it and don't stop as it is behind a tree/bush (unless it has been recently trimmed) If you miss it and don't turn/bear left you will end up at the Marriott hotel so just turn around go back to the stop sign (much easier to spot from this direction) and turn right.
4) Stay on this road and eventually you will come to another stop sign at a T interstection. Turn right. The "bridge to nowhere" will be on your right at that T intersection
5) Stay on that road and you will arrive in Red Hook and the car ferry will be on your right
Travel time approx 30-35 mins on a "normal" traffic day, but if there are alot of cruise ships in, and you are trying to get through downtown CA between 4pm and 5:30pm (they are all returning to the ships and people are also leaving from work) it could take alot longer.
There are a few other routes to take but I have found this to be the easiest for first timers
Hope this helps everyone
Pia
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:02 am
by augie
That's great Pia - I will save for future reference.
I don't suppose that Cost-U-Less (or whatever the name of the place a lot of folks stop to stock up is) is on that particular route, is it?
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:07 am
by Pia
No it's not, but if you want directions via Cost-u-less I can give them as well
Be warned though, no way do you want to be stuck in traffic from Cost-u-less between 4pm and 5:30pm - it's slooooooow going
Pia
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:36 am
by augie
Since I'm still a year away, I can wait.
I don't know what the available flights will be, but if we have to get in as late as we did in October, I'll likely just rent a car on STJ again.
If we can find a flight that gets in early enough though, I'm considering renting on STT, and if we can get in and out of Cost-u-less before rush hour, we'd likely try and go there on our way.
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:51 pm
by pswlrw
Ok Pia - Here's a challenge for you. Can you give the same awesome directions for going "over the mountain" to Red Hook? We arrive during the STT Carnival parade, so the waterfront will be closed.
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:58 pm
by RickG
We followed Pia's directions in October and they were great. There are also little star fish signs point the way to Red Hook randomly scattered on the way there. They weren't real useful for directions, but they always seemed to pop up when a passenger asked "Do you know where you're going?"
Cheers, RickG
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:30 pm
by Chet
...directions for going "over the mountain" to Red Hook? We arrive during the STT Carnival parade, so the waterfront will be closed.
Google Maps...."St Thomas, USVI". Look at the road map, then the satellie image.
We stayed in Hull Bay on our first trip to the USVI. The rental jeep covered about every mile of road on STT. The Google map brings it all back from the rum-soaked recesses of my memory.
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:09 pm
by Tracy in WI
Pia -
A great big thanks sent your way for the driving directions ! I appreciate all your help and am hoping to actually meet you in January when we're on STJ. I saw you driving around last time....!!
Thanks -
Tracy
Garmin
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:13 pm
by JohnM
For anyone w/ a Garmin GPS, the most recent version of the Mapsource program now has detailed roads for STT & STJ.
So if you're gonna rent a car near the airport, you could create an "over the mountains" route at home. Then, after you pickup your rental, just plug in your Garmin and go around CA to Red Hook.
Just be sure to ignore the GPS if it wants to route you over Pillsbury Sound.
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:16 pm
by Pia
Tracy - you should have flagged me down (or at least yelled out the window at me )
What are your dates in January as I will be off island for 10 days on "vacation" but hopefully we will get to say "hi"
As for the "over the mountain" route - I never travel that way - all my "regular" routes take you at least past the main shopping area in downtown CA (as it is faster if no traffic) as the times that I arrive, if I have parked the car at the airport, are early afternoon, so no need to avoid traffic - sorry I can't help with that one 
Pia
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:07 am
by Tracy in WI
Hey Pia -
We will be there January 19-26th and are hoping for a beach bar get together -a lthough there aren't many people on the current travel calendar. I'll do a new post as it gets closer to see who is there.
Tracy
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:47 am
by Pia
We are gone the 17th to the 27th - so we will miss you this visit ...........just have to book another
Pia
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:23 pm
by Connie
Thank God we did the "over the mountain" route when there were 7 ships in town or we'd probably still be in CA.
It was pretty easy for us. I know we always, always mess up around the hospital, but then we see the bank and we know that the Home Depot is on our left and then we just follow the signs to Red Hook
If that makes sense to anybody....lol
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:52 am
by RonUSVI
pswlrw The only time the waterfront is closed during carnival is on J'ouvert which runs from about 5am to 9am on Thursday of carnival week. It definitely stays open during both parades on the Friday and Saturday.
The little Tommy Starfish on the side of the road is color coded with most of the maps given out, especially the small pocket maps and the maps shown here on this site. As long as you stay on a 'colored' road you should get to your destination okay.
PIA That stop sign that people ignore is because it's one of those foolish ones that popped up one day. The car heading to the Marriot is supposed to stop. The one turning left, not. It was once only painted on the road and then one day the sign popped up so folks ignore it.
I know, they tend to ignore a lot of them, but that one I agree with!
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:55 am
by Pia
Thanks Ron - makes sense
Pia