We are sorry to report that the look of Sandy Spit has been forever changed. The Sandy Spit palm lost its battle for life, despite putting up a good fight. The whole sandy front yard of this little cay has shifted. Just as much beach, just different location. The good news is a spry young palm is emerging from the better protected sea grapes in the middle of the island and will soon rise to prominence.
Let’s all pause for just a moment of silence in memory of the Sandy Spit palm. (Don’t you touch that mouse! Pause for a minute dammit.)
The headline on this beach is DON’T GO HERE. That’s what the dinghy guys will tell you. There is a house on private property here and signs that say so. I suppose, like everyplace else, the beach remains public. If you’re on a charter, ask your captain about it. You can also hike here from Peace Hill, where there’s parking. Too bad it is quazy off limits. It is a beautiful spot. (Oh, and we hear this is the beach where Kenny was really married. But we didn’t tell you that.) Denis Bay, below…
We’d love to tell you the fate of the Sandy Spit palm, and we will. But On-StJohn.com reader Bud has written his own happy ending. A little photo software, and he’s righted the palm. If only life were so easy Bud.
Like Holly Hunter in Broadcast News, we’re racing the story down the hall. Stay tuned. We just need to find an OJ angle so we can make the national news with this.
Did the Sandy Spit palm survive or is it gone? With the help of Captain John Brandi, the On-StJohn.com news crew is on it. Armed with nothing more than a fully-packed cooler and sandwiches from Baked in the Sun, we are about to embark on a trip through dangerous international waters for a first hand look at this story’s tragic or heroic outcome. Stay tuned. Details tomorrow.
If you’re a regular at the usvi-on-line.com forum, you probably remember a frequent poster named Kirk. Well, in July, while visiting St. John, Kirk decided to go for it. He went home, sold most of his worldly possessions and gave away the rest, and moved down full time last month. And he hasn’t been heard from all that much since. That’s because he is ON St. John, and not so anxious to READ ABOUT St. John these days. But if you’ve been worried, trust us he’s fine. I mean really, look at him. That’s a happy face. (We were buying.) No job, not looking, living at Tamarind Inn and, so far without a vehicle, Kirk hasn’t left Cruz Bay even once in the month he‘s been here. And despite all that, he can still carry on a relatively lucid conversation. Next up for Kirk? Figuring out how to get is pet macaw sent down here. That’ll require some paperwork and an airline, ‘cuz even a macaw can’t fly all the way from Ohio.
Now we need to track down another forumite turned islander. The still frequent poster Pia. Drop the dime Pia. We‘re in the book.. But don’t call after 6. I’m in the sauce after 6.
Just look at that sky and that water. Hurricane season aside, September and October can be the best time of the year to be on St. John. No, really! Fewer people, cheaper rates, milder weather and warmer water. And did we mention the fewer people part? When is your favorite time of the year to visit St. John?
This is the way all construction on St. John should be done. Under the watchful and constant eye of the general public. Starfish’s soon come Gourmet wine and cheese store has a peep hole now. And the latest signs promise Hors d’oeuvres (which is French for Hot Pockets.)
Given the promised Fall 2007 opening, that technically gives Starfish until Dec. 21 at 7:21 pm. We still hear October. Hope they haven’t booked renters.
The caterers on St. John aren’t just for people looking for chefs, fancy meals or wedding cakes. They’ll go to the grocery store for you too. We use Christy’s of St. John (since she’s On-StJohn.com’s “official caterer”) but most of them will do this. Just email a shopping list and it’ll be in the frig, freezer and cabinets waiting for you. It’s a really nice treat for the first night at least. Everything you see in that frig we emailed the day before. Right down to the Irish butter. (Oh…most also have menus you can order from that include snack platters. Get a couple of those. They’ll last you days.)
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We’re not Realtors and we get no commission, but this is a dramatic price reduction on what’s a nice house on a kick-ass piece of land. An acre of waterfront property right on Chocolate Hole with its own little private beach. Seems to us, the spot itself is worth the asking price (by the STJ standards anyway.) There’s room to build more, the existing house was recently renovated and when Pond Bay Club gets built, a world-class resort is your next door neighbor. Oh, and you’ve got mooring rights for that big yacht you want to park in the water just outside your back door.
Now just keep your stinkin’ “who cares” comments to yourself if you’re not a Kenny fan. For the rest of us, and I might ad that’s a ba-zillion of us, here’s a little Kenny face time. CNN Headline News hottie Robin Meade interviewed The Man just before his Atlanta concert this week. Turns out he’s a Robin fan, just like lots of us early morning gym rats. Watch it here. Or, if you’re not a Kenny-head, you might get more of a kick out of watching CNN Headline News hottie Robin Meade sing and dance on stage with Kenny. Four words: What is she wearing?
Have we told you lately about getting out on the water? Meet two brothers from Boston who ditched the rat race, moved to St. John, and started a charter business. Matt and Josh Slayton, owners of Lion In Da’ Sun…below!
Meet Claire Hunt, the new owner of St. John Kids. Claire’s a St. Johnian by way of New York, she sounds like she knows what she’s getting into and she’s got experience. She’s a former manager at Soggy Dollar Bar and Sand Castle Hotel, including the Soggy Dollar Boutique. Claire, who’d been looking for a retail opportunity, heard about St. John Kids being for sale while working just below it, at Colombian Emeralds. “Kids stuff runs in the family,” she tells us. “My son is a toy designer and my daughter manages a day care center, both in NYC. I guess it’s in the blood.” Read our interview with Claire, the buyer, and Ruth Ernst, the seller, here.
We’d love to tell you the fate of the Sandy Spit palm, and we will. But On-StJohn.com reader Bud has written his own happy ending. A little photo software, and he’s righted the palm. If only life were so easy Bud.
Did the Sandy Spit palm survive or is it gone? With the help of Captain John Brandi, the On-StJohn.com news crew is on it. Armed with nothing more than a fully-packed cooler and sandwiches from Baked in the Sun, we are about to embark on a trip through dangerous international waters for a first hand look at this story’s tragic or heroic outcome. Stay tuned. Details tomorrow. 
If you’re a regular at the 
Now just keep your stinkin’ “who cares” comments to yourself if you’re not a Kenny fan. For the rest of us, and I might ad that’s a ba-zillion of us, here’s a little Kenny face time. CNN Headline News hottie Robin Meade interviewed The Man just before his Atlanta concert this week. Turns out he’s a Robin fan, just like lots of us early morning gym rats. 
