Hi Michaela,

I can answer a couple of your questions.

It is a couple of miles from Secret Harbour to Red Hook. Too far to walk...especially up that first long hill to get out of SH. You can check this website under St. Thomas transportation to get an idea of taxi fares around the island.

We go to the KMart in Tutu which is kind of/but not really on the way from the airport to Secret Harbour. There is a Plaza Extra super market there also so it may be worth your while to make the little detour and head over. Food Centre is definitely on the way to Secret Harbour......right at the entrance to Compass Point. Also, if you are in Red Hook, Marina Market is right there.

Schultz

Re: Hiking STJ

Stop at the Park station just off to the left a few hundred feet as you get off the ferry at Cruz Bay (STJ). They'll supply you with maps of the island and trail maps. Make sure you bring plenty of water because there are some desert like areas with nothing around but cactus and brush (on the west to north end). Maybe plan an early morning hike that takes you to a beach to spend the very hot times of the day between 10:00 and 2:00. Don't let the distances on the map fool you...I hiked one trail that was only a little over a mile and it took my wife and me over an hour (maybe 2...hey, I was on Island time...lol). Lots and lots of hills. 🙂 I would have loved to hike more of STJ, but we weren't very well prepared. We hiked during the hot time of the day since it was overcast when we started...sun came out blazing about 15 minutes into the hike...and we didn't have enough water. We hiked the trail from Cruz to Caneel and caught a taxi from there. We were pretty well beat until we hit the water at Cinnamon Bay. 🙂

HI THERE,
WE JUST GOT BACK LAST NIGHT. STAYED AT THE SECRET HARBOUR. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. AFTER MANY TIMES CHANGING HOTELS ON THE INTERNET WE AGREED TO TRY THIS ONE. BEST DECISION WE MADE,
WE LOVED IT THERE. BRING YOUR SNORKEL GEAR. YOU CAN TRAVEL WITH IT EVERYWHERE AND SAVE A TON OF MONEY.
GO TO THE MARKET UP THE STREET FROM HOTEL. WE BOUGHT AND MAKE BREAKFAST ( COFFEE ON THE BEAUTIFUL BALCONEY OVERLOOKING THE WATER EVERY DAY.) AND LUNCH STUFF. THAT WAY WHEN WE WENT TO COKI BEACH ECT WE TOOK OUR LUNCH........... IT WAS GREAT. WE ATE OUT EVERY NIGHT AND HAD A WONDERFUL VACATION... NOT SURE WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND BUT FEEL FREE TO WRITE TO ASK WHATEVER.
SUN SCREEN, SNORKEL GEAR, WATER BOTTLES, SMALL PORTABLE COOLER TO FIT IN A BACK PACK,
WE RENTED A JEEP ALL WEEK FROM DEPENDABLE RENTAL. VERY NICE PEOPLE. RED HOOK IS FUN. AS I SAID IF YOU WANT DETAILS WRITE TO ME AND LET ME KNOW. WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP OUT.
CANT BELIEVE I AM BACK IN MASSACHUSETTS AND IT IS COLD AND RAINY......ALL A DREAM
VALERIE

Hello,

I second that its a far walk... it can be done if you are up for it. You can take your rental car over on the car barge to St. John. If you need the schedule its under ferry schedules on the first page of this site www.vinow.com... I like the trail to Caneel Bay from Cruz Bay but you won't need a car for that since the trail starts a short walk from the ferry dock. The Reef Bay Trail is nice also, but its long if you hike all the way down and back up... you can sign up with the National Park for a tour which picks you up by boat at the bottom of the trail and takes you back to Cruz Bay. Hiking around Annaberg and Cinnamon Bay ruins is nice also. Do you know which companies the Budget coupons includes for sailing?

Definately have dinner or lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe at Secret Harbor - great food, service and atmosphere. The beach bar is also fun.

--Islander

Hello Valerie,

Glad to hear you had a good time. Where did you go - which beaches, restaurants? Which were your favorites? Did you get over to St. John?

Welcome back. 🙂

--Islander

Thanks for all the informative responses!

Islander,

According to Budget's website, the following three sailing coupons are offered and are each listed as a $100 value:

(1) New Horizons – 2 for 1 on an elegant day sail
(2) Nightwind – 2 for 1 A great full day sail to St. John includes breakfast, open bar, buffet lunch, snorkel gear & instruction
(3) True Love – 2 for 1 A full day sail, weekend brunch sail or romantic sunset cruise

I would appreciate any input. Thanks!

HI ISLANDER,
FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFORMATION. I HAD MANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED ON THIS WEB SITE BEFORE I LEFT, BY YOU AND SHULTZ ESPECIALLY.
OUR TRIP WAS FROM OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER4TH. WE STAYED AT THE SECRET HARBOUR IN A WATERFRONT SUITE. IT WAS LARGE, CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL . MARGARET, SANDRA, HOWARD, DINING ROOM STAFF, MIKE, ALL OF THEM WERE JUST SO PLEASANT AND FUN..............WE WENT TO THE MARKET UP THE STREET THE FIRST DAY (WE GOT IN LATE AFTERNOON) AND GOT WHAT WE NEEDED FOR COFFEE, ON THE DECK IN THE AM, AND AS I SAID BEFORE LUNCHES.
LETS SEE WE ATE AT THE BLUE MOON THE FIRST AND 5TH NIGHT. IT WAS WONDERFUL. THE BEACH BAR IS FUN, ALSO VERY FRIENDLY. MET A WOMAN NAMED PEG AND A FINE GENTLEMAN NAMED RAY WHO BOTH FREQUENT THE BEACH BAR. WE HAD NICE CHATS ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE PLACES TO GO. PEG LIVES ON ISLAND NOW AND RAY COMES FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. ANYWAY, WE ALSO ATE AT CRAIG AND SALLYS, HOOK LINE AND SINKER,ONE NIGHT WE DRANK THE NIGHT AWAY AT DUFFYS AND XO'S. IT WAS A CASUAL FUN NIGHT. WE SAVED OUR LAST NIGHT FOR THE OLD STONE FARMHOUSE, MISTAKE, I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND MY HUSBAND TO BEING ON THE GOLF COURSE, WELL WE CHECKED IT OUT TO LATE AND IT WAS CLOSED ON MONDAY.... ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IT GIVES ME YET ANOTHER REASON TO RETURN TO YOUR WONDERFUL ISLAND.
WE ARE FOOTBALL FANS - PATRIOTS WERE PLAYING MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SO WE WENT TO THE CARIBBEAN SALOON. MIC AT DUFFYS TOLD US TO GIVE THE NEW POKER MACHINES A SHOT WE DID. WE WON AND PAID FOR A REALLY NICE , SUPRISINGLY DELICIOUS STEAK DINNER AND LOTS OF DRINKS WHILE OUR FAVORITE TEAM WON. WE GOT T SHIRTS AND STILL HAD A BIT OF MONEY TO GO SHOPPING THE NEXT DAY BEFORE WE LEFT WHICH WE DID AT DOLPHIN DREAMS. WHAT A CUTE STORE THAT IS. I LOVED RED HOOK. LOVED BEING THAT CLOSE, WE DID ATTEMPT TOWN ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON THE WAY TO CRAIG AND SALLY'S BUT THEY CLOSED SHOPS EARLY FOR SOME REASON SO WE DID NOT SEE AS MUCH AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED.
WE RENTED A JEEP FROM DEPENDABLE. NICE PEOPLE.
WE DECIDED TO GO TO ST JOHNS ON SUNDAY. A LOT OF ISLANDERS ADVISED US TO KEEP THE JEEP ON ST THOMAS AND RENT ONE ON ST JOHN IN CASE WE WANTED TO STAY LATER THAN 6 OR 7 WHEN THE LAST CAR FERRY LEAVES. WE HEARD TWO STORIES ABOUT THE WEEKEND BEFORE WHEN PEOPLE MISSED THE LAST FERRY AND HAD TO STAY ON ISLAND FOR THE NIGHT.
WELL WE RENTED ANOTHER JEEP AND OFF WE WENT. IT STARTED TO POUR AND I MEAN HARD. THE TIRES WERE BALD AND THE TRAVELING FROM TRUNKS BAY TO CINNAMON BAY SEEMS LIKE IT IS STRAIGHT UP .......THE JEEP WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE L. VERY SCARY. WE WENT TO 3 DIFFERENT BEACHES AND BY 2 IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER 4 HOURS OF RAIN WE GAVE UP, TURNED THE JEEP IN AND WENT BACK TO ST THOMAS. IT WAS TO BAD, BUT IT WASNT JUST A SMALL RAIN SHOWER. TRUST ME.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER THING I HAVE TO RETURN TO SEE.
ON ST THOMAS WE WENT TO THE RENAISSANCE GRAND , MARRIOTT FRENCHMAN,(WHERE THE SERVICE WAS SO BAD AT COCO JOES THAT WE LEFT WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A DRINK. NOT SURE WHAT IS GOING ON THERE BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE WAITING AROUND AND NOT GETTING SERVED.... BAD DAY I GUESS. BOLONGO BEACH, SAPHIRE BEACH, RITZ CARLTON. CHECKED IT ALL OUT. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION, ALSO TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING DIFFERENT WE WOULD DO WHEN WE RETURN.
WE TOOK THE JEEP EVERYWHERE. WE SPENT A DAY AT COKI, AND MAGEN'S BAY. THE SNORKELING AT COKI WAS NICE BUT THE SECRET HARBOUR STILL WINS HANDS DOWN. WHAT A NICE BEACH. WE TRAVELED THE COAST AS WELL AS RT 32 TO 38. WE DID NOT DO CORAL WORLD. WE COME FROM NEW ENGLAND WITH ONE OF THE NICEST AQUARIUMS AROUND SO NO DESIRE. NOT SURE IF THAT IS A MISTAKE JUST A CHOICE... DID DRAKES SEAT AND MOUNTAIN TOP. WE GOT CAUGHT IN MANY RAIN STORMS. WHEN I COME BACK IT MAY NOT BE IN LATE OCTOBER. THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF RAIN. LOTS OF SUN TOO THOUGH. WE LOST ELECTRICITY TWICE AT HOTEL. I BROUGHT LOTS OF CANDLES AND IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY ROMANTIC AND WE ENJOYED IT... THERE IS SOMETHING TO HEARING THE OCEAN ON A LARGE DECK WITH CANDLES LIT.
ONE LAST THING, MY BROTHER SURPRISED ME WITH A MASSAGE FOR MY BIRTHDAY FROM HIEDI AT SECRET HARBOUR. SHE WAS AMAZING, DEEP TISSUE, IT HURT SO GOOD AS THEY SAY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE.
I HAVE REALLY GONE OFF HAVENT I? ALL IN ALL WE HAVE BEEN TO MANY MANY (MORE THAN 10 )ISLANDS AND FOUND ST THOMAS TO BE IN THE TOP 3. THE PEOPLE , THE SEA, THE FOOD. AND WHATEVER I LEFT OUT... IF YOU HAVENT GONE GO. YOU WILL LOVE IT.
VALERIE

Valerie: SHHH! It's supposed to be a secret!!! 😉 Seriously, I'm glad that you had such a great time. I will tell Peggy that she has (another) fan. One comment about Coral World. I, too, have been to some top notch aquariums- New Orleans, San Francisco, Monterrey... and while Coral World is on a much smaller scale than those, it has a great deal of information about the local fishies and creatures! Kids love feeding the stingrays and I adore the Caribbean Reef encounter- very relaxing to sit in the middle, listen to the music and observe. Sorry you were here when we were/are having trouble with WAPA (the power company), but that IS island living. Also, your Old Stone Farmhouse report is a good reminder that is there is a place you really want to visit, call early in your vacation and check! The rain could have been here earlier in the year, you just lucked out!!!

Thanks Val!! Great review!!

--Islander