Atlantic Seafood, an outdoors restaurant serving many local and Continental dishes, is right across the parking lot from the airport. You can walk there after you check your bags. There are two restaurants/bars in the airport (one before security near baggage claim and the other in the terminal), but the food is well, airport food.

There's a decent gift shop in the airport after you pass security. There are sometimes other counters (Cardow's, Sandals for Your Neck) selling jewelry, but they haven't always been open when I was catching a flight.

There's also a restaurant at the Best Western Carib Beach Hotel across the parking lot, but haven't tried the food in years. Gorgeous view, though!

Depending on how much time you have, the Best Western Emerald Beach resort which is on the airport road regularly receives accolades from visitors in the same situation as you. On a beautiful beach they have a nice restaurant and bar and, as long as you spend some money at their facility, they're apparently very nice about storing your luggage behind the desk at no cost.

What you might do (and, depending on how much time you have, this could either be in addition to the previous suggestion or just another separate option) is arrange with a private taxi driver to meet you at the Red Hook ferry terminal, drop you off in town and then meet you at a pre-arranged place and time to take you to the airport. That way you can shop, have lunch in town and know that your baggage is safe without checking it in early. If this appeals, give Rachel a call at (340) 771-2986. If she can accommodate you she will and, if she can't, she'll suggest someone else who can. You'll be in excellent hands with her!

I don't know how you will be able to check your bags ?? You go to the counter of your airline and they print your baggage tag and then you go through Custom,Immigration and Agriculture with the bags and put them up on the TSA conveyor - they do not take your bags at the airline counter - You would have to exit Customs to leave the airport and also return through it again to get to the security checkpoints. There are no lockers at the airport to check bags.
Maybe ms411 has a different plan about how to check your bags. This is only from my experiences.

I don't think you can exit from the secure area once you pass through customs & security.

A few years ago I realized that I put the rental car keys in my pocket after checking in the car and going through customs & security. TSA would not let me exit the secure area to return the keys. Luckily an airline employee agreed to return them for me.

I usually check in with the airline and have them tag my bags, and then walk around with them until TSA is ready. Many times I'm there 2 hours before, but TSA isn't, so I've checked in with the airline (to make sure I get my seat and the plane is actually leaving on time), and then wheel my bags to someplace to eat.

I'm in no hurry to go through TSA screening, because you're right, once on that side of the "curtain" you can't get out!

Not sure of your time frame or when you are leaving but one thing we do when we have some time to kill after leaving STJ waiting for a flight out of STT is hit Molly's restaurant in the Red Hook area.

Once you depart the ferry from STJ you can store your bags right there are the ferry dock... the guys there are very nice, very helpful and we've never had a problem. check your bags there and then walk up to Molly's. We've always departed on a Sunday so we've had the pleasure of having Sunday brunch there. Mimosa's are awesome, bloody mary's rock and they have a huge menu, you can have eggs, pancakes, waffles, or if not interested in breakfast you can order lunch. There's TV's to catch up on state side news and sports and tons of locals to chat with.

Once you've filled your belly you can head back, get your bags and grab a cab and head to airport for your departure.

Another option would be (and I see other's have already suggested) take a cab from Ferry and go to Emerald Beach Resort as a day guest. They'll hold your luggage at the desk. You can swim in the ocean for one last time, eat at the outside bar/restaurant and hang for one last moment in the sun before catching your flight!

We will be headiing to Emerald this upcoming February as we have to leave JVD at 9am on the ferry but our plan doesn't leave STT until 5pm. So we are going to Molly's for brunch and the Emerald for the last rays of sun before our 5pm flight!

When we have several hours to wait we take a taxi to downtown and have them drop us off at the Visitors Center. The visitor center is next to Emancipation Park just about 2 blocks of the main road. We store our bags at the visitors center for $2. When we are done eating or shopping we just walk back to the visitor center and pick up our luggage and grab a taxi to the airport. They have snacks and drinks there and a nice room if you need to change clothes.

dano50 wrote:
i wish i would have thought of asking this ?, i missed out on shopping at havensight . ps the airport liquor store was out of pusser's rum (grrrrrrr)

You should have bought the Cruzan Blackstrap rum. In my opinion it beats Pussers by a mile!

Agree with STT. I just discovered blackstrap, now I'm hooked!

dano50 wrote:
per your advise i bought blackstrap & i'm sorry its a very thick, dark rum. smells like pancake syrup. just my 2 cents

Sorry you don't care for it. It's almost identical to the original Pussers rum before new owners changed the recipe many years ago.