Carolyn

Short answers are yes you can in 5 hours and yes you should consider a taxi. You should be able to negotiate a rate with one of the drivers upon arrival in Cruz Bay as you have a group of 8. Don't bother with 2 cars. You'll lose precious time and then need directions.
Both Annaberg and Catherinesberg are self touring facilities so you are on your own at each to get from it what you want. If you consider historical buildings/ruins piles of stone, that's what you'll get. I tend to like historical sites myself.
The overlook is nice but it will make you want to go on to Coral Bay.

Not sure why you only have 5 hours. Are you really saying you can pass up the beaches of STJ?

Thanks for the input, we only have 5 hours due to cruise ship in st. Thomas. Piles of stone really? I thought it was a historical site with old slave head quarters to tour around in. Other then the beaches, anything else that we can do as a family rather than beaches?

Carolyn

The ruins are not 'piles of stone' and if I gave that impression I apologize to you and the Parks department. What I tried to express was some people look at old buildings, without roofs , etc. as merely piles of stone and not much interest, They are better off visiting Williamsburg or some other rebuilt site.
Some see the battlefields of Gettysburg as empty space prime for development...I don't.

I was surprised by 5 hours given most ships arrive early and you can get across by 9-10 AM with return by 6 PM. You obviously know what your schedule is. If you do not want to take on the beaches, snorkel, etc. then your choices are very good given the limited time you have on island.

Chris at work,
I think I love you, LOL. Ok, maybe not to that extreme, but I FULLY agree about gettysburg ! I drag my un-interested husband there yearly just so I can walk the battlefields and...(corny, I know) imagine the chaos, pain and suffering. I am in TOTAL awe with history, and in all my traveling, which hasn't been a WHOLE lot compared to most, Gettysburg has been and I think forever will be my favorite past time!
We cruise often, with and without the kids, I love to travel to the islands, not to shop or tan, but to see and learn about the history of thie island and experience the different cultures. As I stated in the original post, I have been to St. Thomas many times, but never to St. John, as far as the time allowed there, I am not 100% sure how long we wil be there, just threw the 5 hours out there to see what people would suggest. Are there other ferried that go to other islands off st. thomas that you are aware of?
Also heading to Casa De Campo resort in Dominican Republic, ever been or know anything about it? Ok, gotta run, but thanks for the info, I would be greatful for any more information you may have....feel free to e mail me, maybe we could meet up in a live chat somewehre and talk about this.

Kindred spirits...

Your time on STJ will be dependent upon ability to get your young 'team' up and out early enough. Having a lot of experience taking my kids on trips heavy with history (they have referred to some excursions as Dad's Death March for trying to get sights seen in daylight hours), you need to determine if they will enjoy 5 hours of ruins. If not, I would schedule a trip to the Pastory Minature Golf as Bluewater suggested on a separate thread.

Annaberg is really good and there are the usual park signs explaining the sights. The views of Drakes Passage and British Virgin Islands are also stunning from there. You can get an idea of what life was like when operational. When you go, use your "visual historic senses" to imagine all the trees and surrounding vegatation completely gone, replaced by sugar cane much like the wheat/corn fields in Kansas. It is hard for some to visualize but STJ was nearly void of trees after the Dutch set up their sugar industry. Make sure your driver waits for you or agrees to return at some scheduled time. I would allow minimum 45-60 minutes to do Annaberg justice.

I must admit I have not yet visited the Catherinesberg site although I have read good things about it. Another sugar mill ruin but I believe it is in better condition? Personally, the views from Annaberg sell me every time.

While the view from Bordeaux is beautiful, I would put that last on the list subject to being dropped if time or patience dries up. As I said, the view will want you to go down to Coral Bay and time does not really permit that. If you do go to Bordeaux, be prepared to have that view in the back of your head until you can return. A little like Brigadoon. 🙂