We said a couple of months ago that we would get into this house so we could report first hand. We have. It’s sweet. 

First off, we really had no idea where this place was. Turns out, its location is incredibly convenient. Just past Pastory Gardens and the Compass Rose restaurant just outside of Cruz Bay, making Caneel Trailside Cottage every bit as convenient to town as close in South Shore villas.

The villa itself is very comfortable and perfect for two couples. 2 bedrooms are on opposite sides of the great room, and all open to a big, covered front balcony with great Caribbean Sea views to the South.

The pool is in the back of the villa, in a big, sunny garden. Brand new construction means everything is top notch, clean and working. (Believe us, that last part is a big deal.)

Maybe the best thing about this villa? The Caneel Hill Trail is right there. A short path cuts into the National Park trail, which is well-maintained and goes downhill to the North Shore beaches (we didn‘t do that hike), or uphill to the Caneel Hill Observation area. It took no more than 10 minutes to hike it, and WOW! You’re on the top of the world here. Get tired of the sunset from the villa? Pack a snack and watch it from up here. Just head back down before it gets too dark.

A very nice villa indeed. We hope to have the chance to bring you video of it soon.

Granted it’s a small island and all, but what are the mathematical odds of that? Two jeeps parked right next to each other in the Cruz Bay parking lot, tags JAG 531 and JAG 532. Even if they’re both rentals (we couldn’t tell) that’s somethin’. Maybe it’s more remarkable that we would actually NOTICE this. 

Did you know: If you see a J tag, it’s a St. John registered vehicle. If it starts with T, it’s St. Thomas. And C means that vehicle had a long, wet drive from St. Croix.

Those tap room guys can’t stop tinkering. Their latest experiment? Root beer brewed on site. “The first batch was a crowd favorite, from the sugar craving local kids to the nostalgic adults,” says co-owner Cheech. They’re on their second batch now and Cheech says they’re also in the process of creating a ginger beer and a tropical flavored soda as well. And for high season, they plan to have the sodas on draft as well as some Cruzan rum to kick up their new concoctions. Cheech says “Root beer with a splash of Cruzan Vanilla rum…can you say root beer float with a kick?” 

In case you’re curious about the science of root beer, they say the main ingredients are wintergreen, vanilla and sarsaparilla. But the whole recipe is a Tap Room secret. We don’t need to know. Just pour us another one already.

This is White Bay Beach on Guana Island. There is a small, luxury (albeit very laid back) resort on this private island in the BVIs. Villas and cottages in high season range from about $1,200 to $3,400 per night. You are welcome to come to this beach though. We shot this beach break a week or so ago, and not counting us there was a total of zero people anywhere on this huge beach. White Bay Beach at Guana Island, below!

Woody’s reopened yesterday after a few weeks’ worth of refurbishing. Like those spiffy new awnings? Brand new paint all around and lots of other catch-up maintenance, and Woody’s is ready for another season. Ya know, when businesses shut down in September or October, it doesn’t mean a month off for the owners. It just means a chance to work hard getting ready for another year. And now Woody’s is back on line for Happy Hour. Yippee! 

Rumors that Banco Popular, which has been scouting the island for its first branch here for months, will open at the new Greenleaf Commons development on South Shore Road near the Westin are apparently wrong. We hear the “bank presence” will instead be a start-up commercial bank called Merchants Bank, backed by several local business people.

This development is coming along and there will be some great stuff here, especially the anchor tenant, Dolphin Market’s new gourmet grocery store. There will also be a day spa (I don’t know what a day spa is but girls like them and it implies you can get rid of them for a day.)

Here’s what it looks like today and there has been tremendous progress here in the last month, although the developer is still running ads that say Fall 2007 occupancy. That seems a stretch. But, what do we know about St. John construction.