Wedding bells are in Beach Bar bartender Dave Arbogast’s future. But St. John no longer is. Dave and his fiancé, Dana Durfey, are packing their bags and heading for California.
“We’re getting married in August and we’re researching all those little details like buying a home and starting a family,” Dave tells us. “There are a lot of ex-St. Johnians we know living on the West Coast so it seems like a good place to check out.”
Dave, who came to St. John from Colorado, by way of school in Kansas City, landed on the island in 1995 and has been at the Beach Bar for 5 years
now.
“We will miss the locals and the tourists, and I appreciate each and every one who has visited the Beach Bar. It is the customers who make the Beach
Bar what it is.”
Dave trivia:
-His favorite drink to make is plantation punch.
-His favorite drink to drink is Crown and 7 with a lemon.
-He has a pet tortoise named Cheba (who gets to stay on St. John with friends.)
The days of enjoying the Flamboyant tree, aka the Royal Poinciana, are numbered again this year. The brilliant red bursts on the hillsides are have started fading away, and once gone, won’t return until next Spring.
These are trees that tell you that you really are in the tropics. The Flamboyant is native to Madagascar, but you can imagine early explorers taking them – and planting them – wherever they found the latest Shangri-La. They now can be found from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, to the Virgin Islands, to Hawaii. They grow as far north as South Florida and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
One of the prettiest Flamboyant trees on St. John is this one, at Caneel Bay. Click play for an up close look.
It Looks nice, doesn’t it? Right down to the hand painted parrot borders.
The brand new Parrot Club casino’s grand opening was Sunday night, and so far not one bolt of angry lightening from the heavens has struck Wharfside Village. (But Tamarind Inn is thinking about changing its name to The Venetian.)
So, we’re walking through the Charlotte airport and who do we see but Capt. Morgan himself. We chat him up, although the conversation was short. (We were heading to St. Thomas. The Captain was heading to St. Croix.)
The VI Senate vote this month in favor of the big Diagio rum factory on St. Croix was 10-5. And the five votes against it were all St. Croix senators! (Including Senator Terrance “Positive” Nelson.) Good golly. It’s no wonder St. Croix is having such a tough go of it. St. Croix doesn’t even seem to want to help itself.
Good work, Gov. deJongh. That’s a businessman in the governor’s office these days and that is refreshing.
Anyway, Capt. Morgan seemed a little stiff. Think he needed a little shot of Cruzan.
Wade and his new friend “Chris” (we’re really not sure) found a playmate. One of the Trunk Bay coconut people. This one is named Wilson.
What? You don’t know about the Trunk Bay coconut people?
Look around. You’ll see them. They love being adopted and need you to come to life. In fact, if you see a coconut person, it’s your duty to take them with you. But never take them off the island! Read the Legend of Wilson, as told by Lynn, Sue, Steve and Julie from Ohio, here!
We’re sure it’s just a few minor problems, but Café Roma has been closed at least two nights since the place changed owners couple of weeks ago. Once, for a minor electrical fire. Last night, for…well we’re not sure.
But we’re worried the place is going to run out of paper plates and have to start posting closed notices on plastic forks and that’s a tough picture to take.
The Jeep is a truck that is not easily dragged to the junk yard. A Jeep is a survivor and there are some great Jeep survivors still doing duty on St. John. Here are a couple of our favorites.
Part-time Coral Bay resident and full-time St. John lover Gene Hamilton’s new CD, Water Dancing, is now available in limited supplies. The CD includes 11 original songs, all of them about his love for St. John and the Virgin Islands. Order your copy while supplies last, here!
For anybody who is concerned about what kind of medical attention you might get in an emergency on St. John, we have now investigated this for you. And the answer is excellent attention.
A little run in with a brand new kitchen knife (you really shouldn’t clean brand new kitchen knives by running them blade side down across a sponge you’re holding in your hand) led to gobs of blood that shot up into the ceiling fan and sprayed around the room, a screaming Jeep ride up Gifft Hill Road, 14 stitches and… a pretty pleasant emergency clinic visit experience.
The late night receptionist was great. The nurse was great. The security guard was great. The doctor, who I think was 18, was great. (And he had a great soap opera name: Dr. Jason Snow.) The whole experience was prompt, professional and friendly. And they all had a good sense of humor which was good because it was me.
The clinic’s ability to help in life-threatening events that require extensive emergency medical care may be limited, but for dragging a knife across the palm of your hand, top notch! (Did I mention it was a brand new, serrated kitchen knife?)
A few months ago we introduced you to a great, two bedroom villa called Caneel Trailside Cottage. Villa Tamarindo is its recently-completed next door neighbor and it is very similar in layout and design. It has fantastic views and a sunny pool area, and it is the perfect, two couple design, with king suites on either side of a big, open great room. Tamarindo has beautiful tropical wood trim and a big, Chicago brick pool deck.
And the best part about this villa? The location. You’re closer to Cruz Bay here than anyplace on the South Shore. Tamarindo is reached by a private road just past Pastory Gardens and the Compass Rose restaurant. (If you’re looking for more than two bedrooms, you should see if Trailside Cottage is also available. It would be a great set up for 3 or 4 couples…especially if you don’t really want to spend all your time together.) You can read more about Villa Tamarindo here.
