That’s a cargo plane that skidded off the runway Monday morning shortly after taking off and returning to the airport because of engine trouble.
It didn’t just skid off the runway, it went right through a fence and onto the airport road. Both the road and the airport were closed for hours. No one was hurt.
Our on-the-scene witness says it’s a good thing that fence (and maybe those airport road speed bumps) were there.
“They were lucky they didn’t go through the beach hotel and end up in the water,” says our witness.
At least one AA flight to the states was delayed, according to the St. Thomas Source.
It’s a good thing it had already dropped off its cargo…otherwise it could’ve been toast.
“It had just finished its regular Holsum bread run,” our witness says.
Ever wonder how photographers get those aerial shots looking down from above at a sailboat?
If you said “climb the mast,” you are almost right. It’s more like being hoisted up the mast in a terribly uncomfortable looking harness-like seat called a Boatswain’s chair.
St. John photographer extraordinaire Steve Simonsen happened to be aboard Kekoa the same day we were a couple of weeks ago, and we watched as he worked his magic from above.
“The first time I went up in a Boatswain’s chair it was not at all comfortable, and it has only gotten a little better since then,” says Steve. You have to stay in contact with the mast at all times to stay in control, and that means even using your feet.”
It’s not the only way to get a good aerial shot of course. Photographers can find a good vantage from a cliff or a hill, or get even more creative.
“I’ve shot from a parasail, and believe it or not I have to sit backwards in the straps so you don’t have the lines and cords in the picture. Taking off and landing is a little unusual!
(The photo shoot was for Caribbean Travel+Life, so if you see some Kekoa pictures, you were there that day.)
Check out our little video of Steve braving the Boatswain’s chair, below!
This is the view from Esprit Villa – atop Bordeaux Mountain and within National Park boundaries – and it is the culmination of a nearly four decade long dream by its owners.
Scott and Carol Gregory, from Massachusetts, honeymooned on St. John in the 1970’s, and even way back then, they knew they wanted their own piece of its paradise.
“Starting a business and raising a family took a front seat to those desires of island time, but as time passed and with our children now grown, we finally made it back.”
They bought Esprit Villa in 2007, and when they’re not enjoying it, they love sharing it with others.
“We love spending all day at the beaches and in town shopping, but to experience a completely different perspective of the island from 1,000 feet up is what did it for us!”
Three bedrooms, a heated pool, dizzying views across the channel and adorable West Indian architecture. Check out Esprit Villa, here!
Do you have any idea how many plastic Painkiller cups the Soggy Dollar Bar goes through?
Neither did we. So we asked.
“We use about 150,000 cups a year,” says Soggy Dollar owner Jerry O’Connell. “And we realized about a year ago that it was extremely wasteful.”
So now the Soggy Dollar recycles plastic cups.
Minus all those cups that get taken home as souvenirs, and all those cups that only make it as far as the boat or the villa with every intention of being taken home, that still adds up to a lot of recycled plastic.
“We hope to expand the island’s recycling to include paper and glass, and we’re working with the Jost van Dyke Preservation Society and other business owners to increase the green initiatives on the island,” Jerry says.
Remember Parrothead Pam? We introduced you to her about eight months ago when we asked her about her cool island car.
Pam Dolson is headed for Kauai now after 12 years on St. John, saying she’s ready for a change. She chose Kauai, the “Garden Island,” because it’s a lot like St. John.
“JJ’s was the first spot I came to when I arrived in St. John in 1999, and it’s the last spot I visit as I am leaving,” says Pam, pictured here at JJ’s Table Number One, just before catching the ferry.
Now, about that Suzuki. Pam says she sold it to a young couple that recently moved to the island.
And look! There’s the new owner, spotted driving the car in Cruz Bay. Parrothead Pam will keep a presence on St. John, even if only in the form of her famous island Suzuki.
If there was a snow picture contest going on, we think the winner just entered.
“It was an amazing experience, involving more of my senses than I could imagine,” says OSJ reader and snow snorkeler Bud Shuler. “It seemed like I was just floating above all that was going on below me. A once in a lifetime experience.”
There is snow where there shouldn’t be snow again this year, and it’s got St. John travelers stuck in the states a little crazy.
Buffalo? You expect snow. But Georgia, Alabama and Texas?
Above, Shannon in Dallas, (Yes, THAT Shannon) uses the recent snowfall to cool the cocktails for happy hour.
Below, Homer Hickam, who splits his time between Upper Carolina and Huntsville, proves the snow fell at home by pointing to his Sweet Home license plate.
And speaking of plates, here is one from Matt showing his truck buried in Atlanta, with STJ plates displayed on the front bumper. (Wonder if he’s ever had to explain that to a Georgia State Trooper?)
Meet the Cascio family from frigid Buffalo, trying out their brand new Christmas gifts in advance of a much needed St. John trip.
Pictured here, the Cascio kids, Alicia, Terra, Zach, Jim, Chuck and Julie.
“Our upcoming trip will be our fifth visit to St. John and this year, and my husband David and I are renewing our wedding vows (25 years!),” says mom Jenny. “We also thought it was time to bring the kids along, and as you can see they are as excited as we are. We all really need a beach.”
We love winter pictures with St. John themes. Got one? Send it to us.
If you see a catamaran with black sails, you’re looking at a charter boat with a fascinating backstory.
Kekoa is a great charter choice for your large group, or for you to hitch up with strangers that will be your best friends by the end of the day. And learning the history, which its owners will proudly share with you, is half the fun.
Brothers Jamison and Ryan Witbeck spent two years in South Carolina building the 50-foot wooden cat from scratch and made a business deal for other guys to operate her. But on the way from the states to St. John, the crew hired for the trip got caught in a huge storm and abandoned ship.
Miraculously, Jamison and Ryan found Kekoa adrift at sea, repaired her and have taken back control of their work of love. There’s a great picture book on board that chronicles the whole amazing story, but we’ll let the brothers tell you a bit of it themselves, below! (And check out their Website, here.)
With little fanfare and the help of a WAPA truck, the gravitational center of the St. John universe was forever changed at approximately 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on Thursday, January 6th, 2011.
The decades old utility pole in the middle of the new Cruz Bay roundabout has officially gone away.
The pole was taken to the Great Cruz Bay dumpster and left there, where, within minutes, someone put it in the back of their truck and took it home because it was in perfectly good condition and free.
