I totally agree with the 'best advice' . Be polite, be gracious, smile (doesn't hurt a bit), say good morning, afternoon, evening as the case may be. Thank yous are appreciated too. As far as the quote unquote nasty remarks, sometimes they might be deserved. Irregardless, this message board is still the best up to date source I have found; and, in my humble opinion, is still great.

It's a shame we've chased away a frequent and long time friend of VINOW. I frequently lurk here and have learned alot from KarrieB. Personnally , I can say that her advice and observations are always appreciated.

Karrieb - you'll be missed!!

WW

Sorry that you are being "run-off" by the negativity on the board. Please re-think your position.

Great list of suggestions!

Too many people take advantage of their semi-anonymity on boards like this to say things they wouldn't have guts enough to say in person. Thanks, karrieb, for the advice and insights offered.

Karrieb,

Thanks very much, I'm glad you had a great time. I started hanging out on the "other" board b/c the people seem to be a little nicer. Glad you had a great time and wish you and your family a Happy Hoiday season!

New England

Tell me about the "other" board.......

Here's another trip report for newbies. Good "background information", if you will

This is a about a year old, as I ventured there on Thanksgiving Day 2005,* so the prices may be just a bit more expensive.** I know I appreciated Karries comments before I went. The VI's were fun, but golly, it's almost 70 degrees here in Carbondale, all I need is a palm tree, a beach, and a swimsuit...that's global warming for you!

My wife is a Girl Scout leader, and I’m a Boy Scout leader. I’ve spent my last three summer vacations taking the Scouts camping on the battleship USS Alabama, canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe area in Minnesota, and backpacking in the New Mexico mountains. My wife spent her summer vacation taking her Girl Scout troop to Savannah, Georgia, the home of Juliet Lowe, and founder of Girl Scouting. We thought it was time that we had our own “high-adventure” experience. My wife loves beaches and oceans, and I wanted to find a place that was warm when it was cool in the Midwest, where English was spoken, and where the dollar was the unit of money. The US Virgin Islands met those requirements and so we started planning. I’ve attempted to break down our experience into different subject areas but they will overlap just a bit.

Air travel

American Airlines got us where we needed to go from the St. Louis area. We flew from St. Louis to Miami, and then from Miami to St. Thomas. The flights were mostly on time and non-eventful. I originally paid $550 per round-trip ticket. Shortly after I purchased the tickets, American had a sale. I contacted the customer service people and American issued vouchers for the difference between the regular ticket price and the sale price. They didn’t have to do that but I was favorably impressed that they did.

We landed at the airport in St. Thomas during a heavy rain shower and found out the Cyril King airport does not have jet ways. You get off the plane the old-fashioned way, which is climbing down a set of moveable stairs that are placed against the aircraft. My wife and I had no problems doing that, but some people who disregarded the regulations governing the sizes of carry-ons had problems climbing down a set of wet metal stairs in a rainstorm with their hands overflowing with stuff. Suggestion: If you can’t carry what you’ve got down a flight of stairs in the rain, let the airlines check it for you, and then they can unload it!

Taxis and taxi vans

We used the services of a taxi four times while in the Virgin Islands. The first time was after we landed at the airport. First, we found a bathroom, and then we made our way outside the terminal where I was approached by someone who asked me something. I couldn’t understand what he said, but I knew to say “Hello! Red Hook, please!” That was apparently what he wanted to know because he yelled at someone else and we soon found ourselves in a taxi van headed to Red Hook. The taxi was really a Ford 15-passenger van with the rear seat removed so luggage could be stored there. Our taxi driver was angry and he drove as if he was angry. His driving was far too aggressive for the local traffic conditions. He could have been friendly and pointed out local points of interest as we passed them. Instead, he scowled and muttered under his breath. I was glad I had a seat belt! Fare was $28 for two people and two bags. The second time was on St. John when we took a taxi from the Park Service Visitor Center to the trailhead of the Reef Bay Trail. In this case, the “taxi” was a half-ton Chevy truck with a canopy and benches installed in the bed of the truck. The driver smiled a lot but we couldn’t hear her talk as she was in the cab of the truck and we were on benches in the back. This driver drove in a safe and conservative manner. The fare was $12.00. The third time was on St. Thomas when we needed a ride from the waterfront to the Havensight shopping area. The taxi was a 15-passenger Ford van and the driver drove safely and didn’t say much. The last taxi was from the Havensight shopping area to the airport, and was in a one-ton Ford truck with benches and a canopy. The driver didn’t say much but drove skillfully, considering the mid-day traffic. I had a difficult time understanding both the last drivers and so I handed them a $20 dollar bill, they gave me change, I gave them back a $2.00 tip, and I stuffed the change in my pocket. Worked for me.

Ferryboats and other aquatic conveyances

We travelled on boats four times.

The first was the ferryboat from Red Hook, St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John. When the taxi dropped us off, I observed the ferryboat ticket office and went over to buy our tickets but the office was unoccupied. A bystander told me that the ticket office didn’t open until right before the ferryboat sailed, and he was correct. Five minutes before the ferry was to leave, a young woman entered the office and started selling tickets. She could have done much better had she not been engaged in an animated conversation on her cell phone. I’m not hard of hearing but I had to ask her three times to repeat herself. It appeared that she was mad that doing business was interrupting her personal telephone calls. I think the fare was a total of $14.00. That’s $5.00 per person and $2.00 per bag. We loaded our stuff onto the ferryboat and off we went. The ride was fun and only took 20 minutes or so and we were at Cruz Bay, St. John!

The second boat we were on was the boat that took us from the beach at the end of the Reef Bay Trail back to the National Park Service Visitor Center. That was the “Sadie Sea” (www.sadiesea.com). This was a 40-foot trawler. The captain (who looked like he wasn’t much older than my 20-year-old son was) and his crew were a blast! The boat trip back to the visitor center wasn’t much longer than 45 minutes but there was free rum punch and dollar beer and the captain kept up a witty commentary about life on the islands. More about this later.

The third boat was “The Wayward Sailor” sailboat owned and operated by Capt Phil Chalker. We booked a half-day sail/snorkel trip. I’ll go into much more detail on this trip later but it was awesome.

The fourth and last boat trip was the ferryboat back to St. Thomas. We had planned to take the ferry back to Red Hook, but just happened to get to the dock when the ferry was about to leave to go to Charlotte Amalie, and, as that was where we needed to go anyway, we did. Beautiful day, nice trip, and a cool view of the CA harbor. The fare for the trip was $20, which was (I think) $8 per person and $2 per bag. I was taking pictures from the bow of the boat, which was apparently a restricted area, and the captain told me I wasn’t allowed there, but he was nice about it. There was a sign posted that said passengers were supposed to stay seated. My bad.

Rental Car

I’d reserved a 4-wheel-drive Suzuki Vitara 2 door from Cool Breeze Car Rental and the agent told me that I could pick the car up late, as I’d be arriving after business hours. One of the VINOW message board members had provided me with directions to Cool Breeze, and they were right on! Right next to the Cool Breeze office was a white two door Vitara with my name on a Post-It note stuck to the windshield and the keys in the ignition. I was impressed that I wasn’t stranded, but the vehicle itself did not impress me. I’m in the car rental business and the poor Suzuki Vitara was one of the most beat-up and banged-up rental cars I’ve seen. Part of the top was missing, no back or side windows, there wasn’t an undented body panel, the “check engine” light was on and the starter groaned loudly when asked to do its duty. Even if I had a car in that condition in MY rental fleet (and I don’t)...I’d be embarrassed to rent it to a customer! On the other hand, the poor ‘ole car did get me where I wanted to go when I needed to go there, and perhaps because it looked like an island car, people saw me coming and got the hell out of my way! The car had 38,000 tough miles on it! Advice to car renters from someone in the business. Pick up a car during business hours. If it’s not acceptable, don’t accept it. There are many car rental providers in St. John, all within a 5-minute walk. Someone will be able to help you. I’d told the people at Cool Breeze that I was in the business and perhaps that’s why they stuck me with their “clunker”, they thought that a fellow professional might be sympathetic, and I was, up to a point. It was an adventure!

Roads and Traffic

St. John is an island with many steep hills, sharp curves, hairpin turns, and it isn’t a very big island, either. The roads are appropriately sized to the island, which means that they are substantially smaller than the roads back home. The speed limit is 25 miles per hour, and slower in some places. In my opinion, that’s plenty fast enough! It appeared to me that many people on St. John look at the speed limits in St. John the same way as they look at the speed limits on the mainland, and that’s simply something to ignore, if it’s inconvenient. Add to that the flocks of animals that are also using the roads (we saw lots of goats, several burros or donkeys, bunches of chickens, one exceptionally large pig and four galloping horses) and driving can be a challenging experience. Driving anywhere was fun especially when some asshole would scream up from behind me and tailgate me until I could get out of their way. It is considered polite to pull over to let faster-moving traffic get past, but sometimes there’s just no place to do that. Advice to drivers. Rent the smallest car you can get by with, and them remember that you’re on “island time”. St. John doesn’t need your road rage!

Accommodations

We stayed at Estate Concordia on the far side of the island, past Coral Bay. Concordia is part of the Maho family. Www.maho.org. We selected the studio apartments (not the Eco-tents) based on feedback from Karrieb and others on the VINOW message board and we had a great experience. We were looking for some place that was comfortable and affordable. We knew that our “place” would only be used as a “base of operations” for us, a place to shower, sleep, and get ready for the next activity. Estate Concordia worked very well. Our “apartment” was spacious and airy. The kitchen had a full-size refrigerator (with icemaker), a stove, an oven, kitchen sink, Mr. Coffee, toaster, blender, and a compact microwave. Cooking and eating utensils were provided. There was plenty of counter space. Under the sink were two new Coleman coolers for trips to the beach. On the other side of the kitchen counter was a dining room table with tablecloth and four chairs. Across the room from the dining area was a queen size bed. A covered porch overlooking the ocean ran the entire width of the apartment, accessed by French doors. Note: We had selected a “partial ocean view” unit, and the “ocean view” was very partial, through holes in the trees and shrubbery. That was ok, the trees provided lots of shade and the shrubbery added to the privacy but if you want a better view of the ocean and Salt Pond Bay, be sure you ask for it. The standard-sized bathroom had a sink and flush toilet that flushed better than the toilet in my house, and a shower that was big enough for three friends and me! Two large ceiling fans worked well. No air conditioning but we didn’t need it with the breeze and the fans. Parking is not a problem, plenty on the paved and (mostly) level driveway. There’s a nice freshwater pool overlooking the ocean. It’s locked after 5 pm, but each guest gets a key to the pool if you decide you’d like a midnight swim. A room next to the pool has items that you can leave for the next guests if you’d like. When we were there I borrowed a paperback book and a pair of flip-flops, and left a sheet for the beach and an electric razor. A washer and dryer are available, and there’s a payphone next to the office. The office staff was friendly and well organized. The printed directions instructed us what to do if we’d arrive after hours, and we found an envelope clearly marked with our name, containing the keys to our suite. The units are clearly marked so that I could find mine, even in the dark. (However, they recommend bringing a flashlight, and I had one). On the other hand, Concordia is not for everyone. There are many stairs. If you’re out of shape, you’ll have a problem. If you want someone to kiss your ass, you’re out of luck. No porters to carry your bags or maids to tidy your suite. You’ve got to make (or not make) your own bed in the morning. No TV, radio, or wireless internet. Maho is all about being sensitive to the environment. Their slogan is “creature comforts for all creatures”. If you’re into “conspicuous consumption” or “keeping up with the Jones”, you might be happier at some other establishment. On the other hand, I paid only $95.00 per night, which I thought was a bargain! Perhaps the only drawback to staying at Concordia was the distance to some of the beaches and other activities. On the other hand, that’s why Concordia is so quiet and secluded, because you have to make an effort to get there! (And thanks, Karrieb for the excellent directions!)

Food

We like to eat, but eating is not as high on our priority list as it may be to others. For our breakfasts, we brought along a plastic bag of bite-size shredded wheat, a box of generic pop tarts, and just enough coffee for the week. Lunch usually consisted of a package of peanut butter crackers and a granola bar. When we arrived we stopped at the Starfish Market and purchased a box of Triscuit crackers, a half-gallon of milk, a block of Cracker Barrel extra-sharp cheddar cheese and a 12 pack of Heineken beer. Our usual routine was to get up, brew a pot of coffee and have coffee and a bowl of cereal and a pop tart while sitting on our deck overlooking Salt Pond Bay. After breakfast, we’d fill our water bottles and toss them and some packages of peanut-butter crackers and granola bars in a compact backpack, and we’d be off on our daily activities. Not only did that save us a few dollars, it also meant that our activities weren’t limited to those that were near eating-places. Later in the afternoon, we’d return to our apartment, and enjoy a cold beer, cheese, and crackers while we cleaned up and determined what was next on the agenda. What was next on the agenda usually entailed “supper”. We did go out to eat at the following places. They were all on the “casual” end of the spectrum. Others on this board have talked about the “fine-dining” establishments, but they were not convenient to Concordia.

Thursday: By the time we got our rental car, found Concordia, and were settled, it was almost 9 pm, and we were both too tired to go anywhere, so we just nibbled and then hit the sack.

Friday: Friday was a day of exploration and we ended up driving past Miss Lucy’s at about 5 pm. They were open but the server told us that they did not start serving dinner until six, but appetizers were available, so we got 1 order of conch fritters, 1 order of blackened scallops, and 2 Beck’s beers each. The fritters were delicious, and my wife, the seafood lover, said the scallops were rubbery. The beer was excellent. The atmosphere is really cool. There are a few tables only a few feet from the shore. Grab one if you can! While we were there we observed a goat and a couple chickens wandering around the outside dining area. Cost w/tip $38.00

Saturday: We had heard about Skinny Legs, so went there and it was a zoo! There had been a sailing regatta earlier in the afternoon and all the participants were at Skinny Legs. We caught a server and asked about a table, and she said “Good Luck!” so we left and went to Shipwreck Landing. A lot quieter, as everyone was at Skinny Legs. Shipwreck is right across the street from Coral Bay. Nice atmosphere to chill and enjoy some good food and good service. I had blackened grouper, which was good. My wife had mahi-mahi that was also good. Add a couple of “Carib” beers per person and the total w/tip was $60.00

Sunday: We had to try Skinny Legs, so we went back, and this time it was just the usual crowd. Only one server was working the whole establishment, but she did a great job. Skinny Legs is a typical “sports bar”. There was two TV’s showing a football game. I had a cheeseburger, wife had a mahi-mahi sandwich, and both were good. Nothing spectacular, just good bar food. Again, add a couple of beers per person. Cost w/tip $33.00

Monday: We had hiked the “Reef Bay Trail” and so were in Cruz Bay in the afternoon. I’d read about the Fish Trap and so we went there only to find it was closed on Mondays. So we went down the road to the Lime Inn where we ordered a grilled shrimp appetizer, and grilled tuna. I tried the “wasabi mayo” and it sure cleared up my sinuses! Decent service but not much atmosphere. My wife said that her tuna steak (somewhat thicker than mine) was only marginally done. Again, add in a couple of beers per person and the cost w/tip was $63.00

Tuesday: We really wanted to try dinner at Miss Lucy’s, and so we went back. We really didn’t enjoy being out on the roads after dark, and wanted to stay in the general area of Concordia, and Miss Lucy’s was only a mile away. We had some more of the excellent conch fritters, and split an order of paella. The paella came in a cast-iron skillet, and it was a kind of “throw what you’ve got in your kitchen into the pot” stew. Ours had clams, fish, chicken, scallops, chorizo sausage and who knows what else, and it is served over a pile of seasoned saffron rice. It was different from anything I’d ever had, but I liked it. Cost w/beer and tip $53.00

Activities

The main reason we traveled to the Virgin Islands was to do things that we wouldn’t be able to do at the end of November in the Midwest. We tried several different activities and did the following things:

Since we were staying at Concordia, we took advantage of the fact that we could actually walk somewhere and hiked the trail to Ram’s Head. The trail first takes you to the beach at Salt Pond Bay. The beach was pretty, and when we got there at 9:30 am, there were all of two other people there, one of who appeared to have arrived there by dingy from a sailboat moored in the bay. The trail continues around the shoreline and then switchbacks up Ram’s Head. The views were awesome, not only on the top, but on the way up as well! I’d estimate the trail’s length at about 4.5 miles round trip, and it took us about 3 hours to walk. We’re experienced hikers and the trail was steep, rugged, and rocky. Note: This trail is rugged and may not be appropriate for those who don’t enjoy physical exertion or are out of shape. Closed-toe shoes are a must. I hiked the trail in my all-terrain New Balance athletic shoes and they worked ok, but I wished that I had my Vibram-soled hiking boots. There were only a handful of other hikers, and a couple of those were wearing Teva or other sandals, and they had to frequently stop and remove rocks, cactus thorns, and other debris from their feet. All in all, it was an enjoyable hike. Got lots of exercise and saw stuff that few do because the only way there is to walk.

The second trail we hiked was the “Reef Bay Trail”. You can do this on your own, but the National Park offers a “guided” hike twice a week. We elected to go that route, not because we needed help in the hiking department, but because we thought that the Park Ranger who leads the hike might be able to offer some insight into things we’d see along the trail. Talk about an understatement! The guided hike is available by reservation only, and the group size is limited so that everyone can hear the ranger. We met at the Park visitor center at 9:15 am, carrying water bottles, lunch, insect repellant, cameras, and other junk. Promptly at 9:30 am we loaded up into two safari taxis and drove to the trailhead, which was maybe 3 miles away. The trail is mostly downhill, but again, is rocky and rugged and closed-toe shoes are necessary unless you’re the macho type and enjoy cactus thorns in your toes. Our Ranger was Don Near and he was outstanding! Not only did he tell us a bit about the flora and fauna of the trail, but a lot of the history of St. John and the Virgin Islands. I learned SO much! We stopped for lunch at some ancient petroglyphs, and then continued down to an abandoned sugar mill near the beach. The trail ended up at a beach, and there was a boat waiting (the Sadie Sea) to pick us up and transport us back to the Park Service Visitor Center. Some of were a bit tired, but the free rum punch and dollar beers soon revived everyone. I’d highly recommend this hike, but again, it’s a rugged hike that might not be suitable for all. The hike itself was free, but there was a charge for the transportation via taxi to the trailhead from the Visitor Center and from the end of the trail via boat back to the Visitor Center. Cost was $21 per person.

The main reason we came to the Virgin Islands is because my wife really enjoys oceans and beaches, and we visited several. One day we hit Hawkesnest, Cinnamon, and Maho Beach, and the next time we hit Salt Pond and Lameshur beaches. The road to Lameshur must be seen to be believed! Even though I was driving a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, it had just rained and the road was slippery and I didn’t think the car could make it back up the hill (assuming it could get down in one chunk). So I parked and we walked the rest of the way there. You also have to walk to Salt Pond beach but it’s worth it. Beautiful beaches with no crowds. Some of the contributors to the VINOW message board had not been enthused about Trunk Bay, but one of the guidebooks mentioned that “visiting St. John without seeing Trunk Bay is like visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower”, so we went. I’m so glad we did! It was my favorite. It had everything I like in a beach. Adequate parking. Beautiful scenery. Shade. Enough people to make “bikini watching” enjoyable but certainly not crowded. Clean surroundings. Security (uniformed Park Rangers). Soft sand. Surf. A snack bar that sold sandwiches and cold beer. Surf shop that rented snorkel gear and beach chairs. Again, my favorite beach!
Trunk Bay was the only beach that charged admission, but it was only $4 per person. I visited the snack bar for a couple of hot dogs and a couple cold Heineken beers, and that was $12. Seemed like a bargain to me!

Another “must do” activity is snorkeling. Concordia had snorkel gear available to guests, and so I took some and used it on the beaches we visited. I saw some cool stuff but my mask leaked, and my wife isn’t into snorkeling and so I stayed pretty close to the beach. Many of the VINOW message board contributors had good stuff to say about Captain Phil and the Wayward Sailor, and so we booked a ½ day snorkel cruise with Captain Phil. This was another of the highlights of my trip. Captain Phil met us at the park in Cruz Bay, and we got on his dingy for the trip to his sailboat, “The Wayward Sailor”. After about an hour’s sail to a remote island, we had snorkel lessons. I learned how to put on a mask on so it wouldn’t leak. My mustache was causing the leak! Nevertheless, a small amount of Vaseline sealed the leak! The coolest thing was that my wife had been hesitant about snorkeling. Captain Phil specializes in hesitant snorkelers. He spent extra time with her, made sure she was comfortable with her gear, and then snorkeled with her as added security. She had a blast! Again, a super experience I’d highly recommend. A half-day trip was $60 per person, includes snacks and drinks

Wednesday was our last day. A co-worker had suggested that we try the Atlantis submarine, and so I reserved for the day we had to back at St. Thomas to catch our flight home. We showed up at the Cruz Bay ferry, and took a ferryboat to Charlotte Amalie. It was about a 45-minute trip, sunny and beautiful, and a great view of the harbor and the huge cruise ships in it. As the ferryboat was tying up I saw an information booth across the street and I wondered if that might be the same information booth that “Marty from STT” works at. We walked across the street and I said, “Hi, are you Marty?” and he said, “I am!” and I shook his hand and said, “I’m Canoebase!” and we had a nice chat. He found us a taxi to take us over to the Havensight Shopping Center where we’d catch the submarine. Once there we checked in and were issued “boarding passes”. We boarded a large boat for the 20-minute ride out to deeper water where the submarine was moored, boarded, and submerged to a depth of maybe 100 feet. Yes, there WAS a klaxon, but nobody said “Dive! Dive!” I remember the old movie “Run Silent, Run Deep. Anyway, about 1.5 hours of cruising around a coral reef. Saw lots of rays, a few sharks, tons of fish, it was interesting, and how many people outside the navy actually get to ride in a real submarine? and of course on the boat ride back to the harbor there was the usual rum punch. Cost per person with a 10% online order discount was $75.00 per person, which I thought was well worth it.

And that’s that. After the boat took us back to the dock, we grabbed a taxi for the short trip to the airport, split a salad at the airport snack bar, and two hours later boarded our flight to Miami, connecting to St. Louis. I had to admit that I had some strange looks walking through the St. Louis airport at 10:30 pm in my shorts, and after a week of 85-degree temperatures, the 35-degree temperature in St. Louis (in shorts) was somewhat brisk!

I noticed a less-than-cordial attitude in many of the younger people I met. I’m not prejudiced and get along well with almost everyone. I’m an upbeat and cheerful person and so saying “GOOD MORNING! How are you? ”is nothing out of the ordinary for me. I don’t know whether the younger people I met didn’t like white people, or didn’t like tourists, or just didn’t like me...or all the above. The first taxi driver was angry and that’s a poor first impression for visitors who just got off a plane and have spent several thousand dollars to visit. A young man wanted to charge me $1 for watching me put my suitcase on a luggage cart. The girl at the ferryboat ticket office was angry because she had to talk to customers. The clerks at the Starfish market were too busy chatting with each other to take our money. The girl at the Trunk Bay snack bar snarled at customers. The TSA guys at the airport were less than friendly. I really don’t know why, but I know that I didn’t feel welcomed like I had when I visited Hawaii a couple of years ago. There, it seemed like everyone was happy and wanted you to be as well! In the Virgin Islands, it seemed like the younger people were either angry or just didn’t care. You can teach someone hospitality but you can’t force them to apply their lessons. I won’t say that everyone was unfriendly. There were notable exceptions, like the staff at Concordia, Capt. Phil, Ranger Don, the girl working at the convenience store at Coral Bay, Marty on STT, and the Atlantis crewman, but we were on St. John for 6 days and only two people told me that they hoped we’d return and visit them again. So, did we have a good time? Sure we did! Was it an adventure? Absolutely! My wife and I were polite, cheerful, friendly, non-demanding, and non-complaining and very easy to get along with. We offended none, yet it seemed that the majority of people we met could care less whether we enjoyed our stay. That’s an attitude I’d expect in a big city envoirnment, and I was both surprised and disappointed to find that same attitude in St. John.

Hi canoebase,
I really enjoyed your trip report, it was good to hear about things that a lot of others haven't reported on. Sorry to hear that you met some rather uninspiring individuals, but at least it didn't ruin your trip. When I run into negativity like that, I just thank the stars that I have such happiness in my life. I feel sorry for those people, they will never know the true joys in life. It's just so much more fun to be nice and enjoy life and others. I suppose that's what makes you and your spouse sound like very wonderful folks who could probably have a good time anywhere! I hope that you two will return to the Virgin Islands, it's a challenge!