Archive for April, 2008

Villa Vittles: Jalapeño, chicken, bacon thingies

Friday, April 18th, 2008

How often do you get the chance to grill bacon? This snack, submitted by an On-StJohn.com reader only known to us only as lovestj and Bill, includes peppers, last night’s chicken, cream cheese and bacon. Check ‘em out.

And Bill, send us an email. We owe you a T-shirt.

Getting here isn’t getting easier

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

You can’t swim to or from St. John, so airline stories are relevant. More so these days than ever.

Latest example. We just spent 9 hours in Philly, getting on, and then off, not one, but two mechanically deficient planes. That’s right. TWO canceled flights. There were a lot of unhappy vacationers whose STJ trips were cut at least one day short.

Last ferry: Midnight. Last car barge 7 pm. Remember that if you end up on a seriously delayed flight. And start calling hotels on St. Thomas as soon as you figure out arrivals will be too late. You’re competing with all of those other grumpy people around you.

Lower the stress level. Expect the worst. Do not check bags. Avoid connections and keep the airline’s number programmed in your phone. The free rum punch at the STT airport will be waiting for you. Even after dark.

Overlooks of St. John: Trunk Bay

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

You probably have dozens of pictures from this very overlook. No matter. It is beautiful every time you see it. So spend a little more time at the famous Trunk Bay overlook, below.

Sample this. And that and another thing

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

The best thing about the new Starfish Gourmet Market is all the free samples. And I mean lots of them. Go in the morning, then around lunchtime and then in the afternoon. (Not that either one of us has actually done this but we have.) The little sample tables feature a constantly changing array of stuff. Here we have some cheese spread on crackers, which isn’t the best example of what they put out. It’s usually the kind of samples you have to hold in the palm of your hand, not just toothpick stuff. Grab some free stuff next time you walk by. Just don’t be a pig about it. One sample: Shopper. Two samples: Potential tire kicker. Three samples and a zip lock baggie for carry out freebies: Pig.

Jeep Cam: Marina Drive, Part One

Monday, April 14th, 2008

We’ll start today’s drive heading down the hill past Point Rendezvous. Upper Fish Bay Road turns into Marina Drive past Ditliff Point after the sharp turn and steep hill down. We’ll go as far as the little wooden bridge today.

Jeep Cam, Marina Drive Part One, below….

Meet our newest advertiser: SeaScape

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

This is such a cool house. We have stayed at SeaScape several times, and it is one of those quintessential St. John island homes. It’s in a great location, at the very end of Chocolate Hole road, so there is next to no traffic. It has great views and it’s got a HUGE swimming pool, which was recently completely redone. The owners take very good care of their property and have kept it up to date. And, for a two bedroom home, it is really quite large. (Great place for two couples, BRs are in separate buildings.)

If you’re into lots of outside spaces, a totally private pool, a quiet location and great South Shore views, check it out. SeaScape …below.

What a dump

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

No wonder the Bovoini landfill fire kicked up so much black smoke. Here’s a pre-fire photo of the dump. That is one big pile of tires. (Thanks to On-StJohn.com reader Teresa Lewis for the picture.)

Wade the Shark: Low season plannin’

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Wade’s excited because low season rates are kicking in. Here’s a few examples:

April 12: Carefree Getaways, Catered To, Caribbean Villas
April 15: Destination St. John, Seaview Homes
April 25: Gallows, St. John Properties, Windspree
May 1: Caneel Bay, Maho Bay Campgrounds

Best chance at finding bargains? September and October. That, in our opinion, also happens to be the best time of the year to be on the island. Great water. Fewer people. Perfect.

Villa Vittles: Chicken Satay Pizza

Friday, April 11th, 2008

Peanut butter and a Starfish rotisserie chicken. Sounds like a week’s worth of good dorm food. But together? Okay. We’ll bite.

On-StJohn.com reader Xislandgirl, aka Deedee, submits this t-shirt winning recipe. This comes without any actual measurements so you’re on your own, but we’ve deemed it the perfect pass around for a poolside cocktail hour.

Oh! Showing their stripe(s)

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

So that’s the deal. The Vitran bus line is who gave the Coral Bay bus stop a primer coat. And now it’s final paint job to sort of match its bus theme. Give it a few weeks. That’s ripe canvas.

The reason this bus stop is built like a brick shithouse may be because the Vitran bus driver, who is talking on his or her cell phone, may very well just slam right into it. We’ve been run off the road more than once by the Vitran bus, whose drivers have their own interpretation of what the yellow line means. A dollar will get you from Cruz Bay to Salt Pond, but it’s a venture we’ve never taken. Share your experiences if you have one!

Black smoke billows over St. Thomas

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

A cloud of thick, black smoke coming from St. Thomas, as seen from Cruz Bay at mid-morning, is from a big fire at the St. Thomas landfill. The Source is posting updates. It sounds like a mess. Read the latest details from The Source here.

Beach Break: Ditleff Beach

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

There’s always some discussion about how to properly get to this beach. Can you drive into Ditleff? If not, where can you park? Is it a long hike? We don’t have the answers because we have friends with boats and friends with boats can take you just about anywhere. And the only thing better than friends with boats, is friends with a boat and a dog. Ditleff Beach, and our favorite boat dog, Maddie, below….

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