Gosh...the best things are FREE: Beach hopping, SNORKELING & milling around shops... and getting around is fun because the terrain and views/vistas are magnificent!!

We were on St. Thomas about 4-5 years ago with our then 15-16 year old son. We didn't do many touristy things (skipped Coral World, etc.). One thing we did do that cost a little bit was the Virgin Island Eco tour Kayak trip through the Mangroves - FANTASTIC tour if you are into nature - which we all are!

Of course, going over to St. John for a day is a MUST!!!! Go over by ferry (very inexpensive) grab a cab (unless you want to deal with the car ferry - and take your own - but it may be less of a hassle to just grab the cab in STJ utilizing the regular people ferry)... go over to Cinnamon Bay for the day! When you're done, it's easy to get a cab back to Cruz Bay & go into shops & have something to eat - I suggest the Banana Deck or Morgan's Mango- they are both casual, have excellent food & are not too expensive.

ENJOY!

I agree....just beach it as much as possible. If you're going to spend money, spend it on beach toys for the kids and pack it all in a big box as checked luggage. Definitely try to spend 1 or 2 days on St John. The ferry ride will be fun for the kids and your family could have many beaches practically to yourselves at times (Hawksnest, Cinnamon, Trunk, Maho, Francis excluded....though if you arrive early enough, you might get a couple of hours). How old are your kids?

I think the recommendation of cinnamon for kids is okay, but it's not my favorite. Hawksnest is wonderful because there are parts of the beach which drop off gradually into the water. I seem to remember cinnamon and trunk both dropping off rather quickly. Also, cinnamon always seems a bit choppier (choppier for st john, that is). Gibney/Oppenheimer would also be great choices for increased solitude and calm water for the kids. If you have really young kids, Maho might be the best choice for very calm, more shallow waters. Francis is gigantic, so you're sure to find a bit of privacy, especially if you make the hike to one of the ends of the beach. This is many people's favorit beach, but for me the color of the water and the sand don't compare to the more popular beaches. My favorite, hands down, is Oppenheimer. It's at the far end of Gibney beach, and while there's very little space between the water line and the tree line at high tide, the scenery is magnificent, the sand is perfect, and so is the water. Also, just behind the treeline is a large flat area (a volleyball court, technically) where the kids could play around while not in the water. The snorkeling is pretty nice there...not fantastic, but definitely entertaining. We actually did a 2 hour snorkel from Hawksnest all the way over to Oppenheimer and out toward the open water a couple of years ago. We didn't realize we were gone that long, but my point is that it was entertaining enough for us to lose track of time (I was so burned afterwards!)

Anyway, with all of these recommendations, and with more to come, I would suggest you guys try to get at least 1 or 2 days on St John to hit up a few different beaches. You can definitely do the taxi, but with 6 people in your group, it might be worth taking your car. I'm not educated on the car ferry, so I can't offer a good opinion on that.

Good luck and I hope you have a fantastic vacation with the kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can't wait until we finally get pregnant and get to start bringing our children to St John. My husband has been going since he was 6 months old!

If you are going to Magens beach, go after 4 pm when the cruise ship crowds are gone and you won't have to pay to get in. Go snorkeling at Coki where the kids can feed the fish. Both of the aforementioned are free. Good luck!

Your visiting St. John during carnival or festival. Do a search of this board - or ask islander for a schedule of the festival events.

its alot of fun. lots of parades and interaction with tons of cool locals

St. John Carnival
Sat June 2nd, 2007 4:00pm - Franklin Powell Park, St. John
Event: Pan-o-Rama: Various local steel pan groups perform; a great opportunity to enjoy Caribbean sounds!

St. John Carnival
Fri June 15th, 2007 7:00pm - Winston Wells Ballfield, St. John
Event: Senior Variety Show

Sunset Jazz in Frederiksted
Fri June 15th, 2007 6:00pm - Frederiksted, St. Croix
Sunset Jazz has played host to premier Caribbean and International jazz artists, and can boast the most beautiful “back drop” of any jazz series in the world! Every third Friday of each month. Mother Nature assists in providing the event with a wonderful spectacle of setting sun and cooling Caribbean breeze. Sunset Jazz in Frederiksted concerts are free, begin at 6:00 p.m. and going for two hours, affords concert goers the opportunity to enjoy the Frederiksted nightlife and restaurants after the show. More information (340) 277-0692.

St. John Carnival
Sat June 16th, 2007 8:00am - National Park, St. John
Event: Festival Bike Race

St. John Carnival
Sun June 17th, 2007 6:30pm - Winston Wells Ballfield, St. John
Event: Princess Show, young Virgin Islanders compete for the title of Carnival Princess.

Organic Act Day
Mon June 18th, 2007
Local holiday commemorating the adoption of what is considered the USVI's 'constitution', our local Organic Act.

St. John Carnival
Fri June 22nd, 2007 9:00pm - Winston Wells Ballfield, St. John
Event: Festival Mix, a variety of music and entertainment.

St. John Carnival
Sat June 23rd, 2007 8:00pm - Winston Wells Ballfield, St. John
Event: Miss St. John Selection: young women from St. John compete in areas such as talent, evening wear & interview; for the title of Miss St. John and the position of representing the community as a carnival queen.

St. John Carnival
Sun June 24th, 2007 1:00pm - Franklin Powell Park, St. John
Event: Food Fair & Coronation. The fair involves dozens of booths selling tasty Caribbean dishes, drinks and deserts. Crafts and souvenirs also on sale. Live music during some parts of the fair. Coronation of Carnival Princess and Miss. St. John.

St. John Carnival
Sun June 24th, 2007 3:00pm - Cruz Bay Harbor, St. John
Event: Boat Races

St. John Carnival
Wed June 27th, 2007 7:00pm - Cruz Bay Parking Lot, St. John
Event: Festival Village Opens: the Village is the heart of Carnival events. A childrens area has rides and games and a bandstand area is where nightly concerts take place from June 27th through to July 4th. Booths selling local foods and drinks are an additional highlight of the Village! (Concerts to be announced at later date; they typically include both local groups and popular Caribbean musicians.)

If you will be there June 2, I strongly suggest attending the Panorama on STJ. You will see competing bands from young school age to adult and they are all wonderful. Your children would really enjoy seeing their peers performing.

You can also drive up to Paradise Point (STT) instead of taking the tram ($16 or $18 per person). The turn off is directly across from the Main entrance into Havensight and next to the Budget Rental Car Building! The view is nice, shops, bar, food, and bird show (twice per day)! You can have pictures taken with the birds for a fee!
When going to the beaches, take your lunch/drinks with you in a cooler!
For 6 people, I would take the car to STJ on the Barge and save money on getting around there!

Boy am I bummed, we will be arriving June 3 and will miss the band competition. I would love to hear the bands perform, it would have been a wonderful to start off a vacation as we arrive early in the day.
Mricco

The original poster will be staying on St. Thomas and was looking for sugestions for that island, so I will definitely suggest Coki Beach with the kids. Snorkeling is fantastic, especially for kids. You don't mention their ages, but if they are young and not necessarily strong swimmers, this beach is perfect because there are gazillion fish that can be seen in shallow water. They sell dog biscuits at the beach and what a thrill to put out a hand holding one and be swarmed by all kinds of fish. I love the underwater sound of a child's giggle when this happens.

I agree with Sherri's suggestion of Paradise Point. When we were there last, however, it was closed when there are no ships in port and you cannot drive up there. I read that a resort room key will get you on the tram for $5 per person, but I am not sure of that.

The kids might also enjoy the very calm shallow waters of Magen's Bay for swimming. Recently posted was information about a nature trail all the way at the left end (facing the water) of the beach.

Bluwater recently wrote about the many activities for kids at the Wyndham that you might want to check.

Since you are doing the AI plan, will the resort give you pre-packaged lunches to bring with you? Something else to check.

Gerie

Sorry should have included more info.. We will be in STT on June 10 and leaving June 17 ages of kids are 11,13,14,14 There not young kids but have never seen iguanas running free ( so feeding them will be cool),, goats running in the road or even the Ocean!! So I no this will be a AWESOME trip for them.....
I thankyou all so much for all the info Im printing it out...