Congrats on your coming marriage...we spent our honeymoon on St. Thomas (i week) and St. John (1 week camping @ Cinnamon Bay)...and we never stopped returning. That was in 1974 nd since then we have purchased 2 time shares (both for sale cheap, btw) and now are the proud owners of a 2 BR condo in Mahogany Run with 3 terraces overlooking the BVI's. We made it to Paradise! Soo, for us, 35 years on St. Thomas, many changes, plus and minus, but we just love the island ! 😎

Wow.. the responses have been wonderful. We are really looking forward to the trip and appreciate everyone's suggestions.
Tom

Rusty you made me think of the car rental when you mentioned STJ.
leupus, only car agency that doesn't allow vehicles to STJ are Hertz. My favorite companies are Amalie and Budget.

Mary, So nice to have you on vinow! I knew you would have some great suggestions! (tu)

I found it amusing when I was asked if I wanted to take another one for the trip back to the villa. The laws are a very different from NY 🙂 So you know what your getting yourself into with the shark tank...

dejavu wrote:
Duffys was a great time but DO NOT ORDER THE SHARK TANK :X

Sherri pointed out many places to go when we sat down at the villa the first day. I looked into snorkeling and shopping prior to going to the island (last year). Your best bet if you like snorkeling seems to be the south east corner of the 14 mile island. I didn't get the chance to get to bolongo bay - though I hear it has very nice reafs. I did get to go to secret harbor which was amazing. Even got to swim with a wild sea turtle!

Eating on the island you'll find a large range of things. One of the nice places for a "quick meal" or "bring back to the villa meal" is hulls bay. From the villa, you go down the driveway straight to the first corner than it was all "lefts" to get there. We actually found it by accident. It's a nice place if you want a late pop or a burger! Duffy's was a blast though most will find it odd to have a restaurant in the middle of the parking lot.

If you get a 4 wheel drive vehicle (jeep would be the smartest choice), there is a beach that is a fun drive down the mountain side right next to the villa. If you have any fear of off roading it might not be the best ride though we had a blast being the only people on a very large beach. If I did it again I think I might actually swim out to inner/outer brass (though I don't know if you are allowed to.

If you like to buy sparkly things (jewelery, diamonds, etc) you will notice that in down by where the cruise ships come in has an abundance of shops. After a wedding this is probably one of the last places you want to go 😀 but the parking is rather easy and you can walk past the venders on the way to the "strip". Keep in mind that people on the islands probably have different work times then you. Some shops are not open on Sunday unless there a cruise ship is there. A good way to plan things is Sherri gave us a cruise schedule when we arrived and had a orientation. Look for the days with 1-2 cruises. Days you plan to shop there are places to eat in town all over. I don't know the place we went to but it was down an ally next to the fountian in the pic below. I think we had some kinda elegant pizza and where stuffed 🙂

Tips:
#1 If you plan to go shopping aim to be there around noonish and try to find a day with 1-2 cruise ships
#2 Greet people with good morning/evening and you will get a smile the size of the sun outside
#3 If you forget something there is a little deli about 1/4 mile from Stone Cottage. Down the driveway, up the road, take a left when you can't go straight anymore, it's on the left side (you'll see the gas pumps in front)
#4 I don't recommend hitting the beach and shopping in the same day - You will start running around which is something you probably want to avoid on your honeymoon 😉
#5 Snorkeling gear would be best to bring with you. It would be better to put it in your carry-on with an extra set of cloths!
#6 BRING 2-3 pairs of sunglasses. Every trip I've been on someone always sits on a pair of mine when I do the dumb thing of putting them on the front seat of the car.
#7 Check the McLaughlin and Anderson under FAQ (top navagation of the site) for some good guides to the island and your stay at the villa.
#8 If you deside to pre-stock/cook at the villa remember the prices of some things are very different. My wife by accident ordered 8 lbs of chicken! Needless to say the 4 of us on our trip, and the cat ate well.
#9 Bring a water proof case for items to bring to the beach. I have a nice one that fits the car keys, money rolled up, and a pair of sunglasses. Some beaches (such as Megans Bay have waitresses that will serve drinks and such right to you in the water)
#10 Have fun!

Funny things to remember:
#1 If you rent a jeep or some vehicle that has a sunroof/convertible top - CLOSE IT AT NIGHT! The first night we where there it rained for maybe 10 mins and the next morning the glove compartment was full in the jeep we rented!
#2 You are on the left side of the car and driving on the LEFT SIDE of the road. I did good with this in all places but when I left the deli...
#3 The island is 14 miles long... You can't get that lost! There are some roads that are slightly tricky in the middle of the island but your "co pilot can have fun guessing!" Watch out for the Rt 40 sign with the arrows pointing in 2 directions.

Hope some of that helps! Don't be too overwhelmed by the amount of things you can do, remember your on your honeymoon!

Cheers,
/walt

Edit: Almost forgot, we got a think magazine about the islands on the flight on the way down. Also when we got there Sherri gave us a huge envelope of maps and places to go. Any questions post away and I'm sure someone has an answer!