Beautiful Frank Bay Sunset

Frank Bay drew a contingent of photographers and sight-seers yesterday afternoon for another spectacular sunset. At first it was disappointing as the sun sunk behind a bank of clouds. Some people left, but those that stayed were treated to a colorful panorama as the western horizon exploded in reds and yellows.

St. John Music Schedule Friday April 22

Beach Bar – Soul Grass Rebellion – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Dusty Spoon – 8:00 – 11:00 – 777-3316
High Tide – John Lee – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169
Island Blues – Big Heavy – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Morgan’s Mango – Lauren – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Luba – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

See Weekly Music Schedule

Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Trunk Bay

This is undoubtedly the most photographed scene in all St. John. It’s a magnificent vista and is always beautiful no matter what the conditions. On Monday afternoon, however, the conditions were just about perfect, clear skies and white fluffy clouds.

More Monday Afternoon Photos

Cruz Bay from North Shore Road Overlook

Cruz Bay Sunset, from Taxi Parking Area, Cruz Bay Beach

Two Earthquakes Last Night
Last night we experienced two moderately strong earthquakes. I was awake for the first, a 5.3 at 12.28 am and slept through the second, a 5.1 at 4.28 am.

It was a pretty good shake that only lasted a few seconds. I thought about going outside, but it was over before I made my move. A Facebook friend wrote this: “…The cat climbed onto my chest and then the shaking started and when a pan fell over in the kitchen it scared us both pretty good…”

St. John Music Schedule Wednesday April 13

Castaways – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 777-3316
Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30 -7:00 – 776-6944
High Tide – Chris Carsel – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169
Larry’s Landing – James Jams – 10:00 – 693-8802
Sun Dog Cafe – Open Mic – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 8340
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – David Laabs – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

See Weekly Music Schedule

Nautical Twilight, Chocolate Hole, St. John US Virgin Islands

St. John Music Schedule, Monday April 11

High Tide - Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169
La Tapa – Sambacombo – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-7755
Maho Bay Camps - Bo & Lauren – 8:00 – 10:00 – 715-0501
Ocean Grill – Chris Carsel – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693 3304

Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

Chocolate Hole

Great Cruz Bay

St. John Music Schedule Saturday March 19

Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 11:00 – 777-3316
Concordia – Inner Visions – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 5855
Fatty Crab – Sambacombo – 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – 693-5244
Island Blues – Mojones  – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Morgan’s Mango – Luba – Piano & Vocals – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Rhumb Lines – Lauren & Bo – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-0303
Skinny Legs – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 6:30 – 9:30 – 779-4982
Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802

A word of caution: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.

Weekly Music Schedule

View of White Cliffs from the trail

White Cliffs Trail

Yesterday I hiked one of my all time favorite trails, the White Cliffs. As this is an unofficial trail within the National Park, it is not maintained by park personnel. This is a beautiful trail with outstanding views and provides an interesting alternative route to Reef Bay as well as really cool and challenging loop using the Lameshur Bay Trail for your return to the trailhead .

I wanted to see the condition of the trail after last summer’s collection of severe weather events. The trail was still in fairly good condition and in most parts easily followed. Of course a Trail Bandit map or even better a Trail Bandit map loaded GPS will always be a good friend.

It looks like as log as some hikers continue to use the trail on a somewhat regular basis, it will remain open, even better if you were to bring along a small clippers to cut back the unfriendly catch and keep, which appears from time to time along the trail.

The Route
The White Cliffs Trail begins at the Lameshur Bay Trail. Walk along the flats past the big old tamarind tree that looks like it was split in half by lightning some many years ago. You’ll pass the entrance to the Europa Point Trail, which to my pleasant surprise is now marked by a trail sign. Shortly after the Lameshur Bay Trail begins to rise, you’ll come to the Europa Bay Trail, which you’ll follow past a beautiful salt pond and on to the Europa Bay Beach.

Walk along the beach almost to the point at the end where you’ll find a narrow trail leading into the bush. This steep trail will take you to the ridge top from where there are some excellent views down into the Europa Bay Salt Pond, the Europa Bay Beach and onward to the east and south.

From the ridge, you can also walk out to the eastern point for views of the southern coastline of St. John out to Ram Head Point.

The trail leads through the forest on the ridge top eventually taking you through a guinea grass covered passage through some large rocks. After passing this the trail runs right along the edge of ridge with constant dramatic views of the coastline below.

The trail descends into the eastern portion of the rocky beach at Reef Bay.

To get to the Lameshur Bay Trail from here, walk west on the beach for as far as you can. At some point you’ll need to either get wet or head into the lowlands and make your way through the mangroves either back to the beach from where you can easily access the short trail to the Reef bay Sugar Factory ruins or inland to the Horsemill area of the ruins,

Then its a 1.1 mile easy going hike up the relatively flat section of the Reef Bay Trail to the more difficult 1.8 mile Lameshur Bay Trail, with it initial hill climb back to the starting point.

Challenging, but lots of fun. Let’s keep this trail open…

Dawn, St. John Virgin Islands

Chocolate Hole, St. John, US Virgin Islands, 6:15 am December 13, 2010
It’s a beautiful Virgin Islands dawn. The sky is clear. The seas are calm. The air is cool and crisp. It’s quiet and peaceful. The tree frogs have stopped their singing and the birds have not yet begun.

Ditleff Point

Ditleff Point Web Cam

The narrow Ditleff Point peninsula juts out to the south of St. John much like the Ram Head peninsula further to the east and like Ram Head provides excellent vistas looking to the east, the south and the west.

Now, thanks to the folks at Kaleidoscope Villa, we can enjoy the view sitting at our computer via their web cam.

See also “Ditleff Photos” and “Ditleff Morning”

Note: Some visitors are having problems accessing the Ditleff web cam. If so an alternative link would be http://events.ivrcontrols.com/home.php

St. John Sunrise photo 11/15/2010

Spectacular sunrise over Chocolate Hole St. John US Virgin Islands taken on November 15, 2010.

St. John aerial photo shot from a helicopter over Pilsbury Sound

St. John, US Virgin Islands, beautiful from land, beautiful from the sea and beautiful from the air…

Gifft Hill PTO Turkey Sale

Order your holiday turkeys with St. John’s Gifft Hill School.

12-14lb $30
16-18lb $38
20-22lb. $45
22-24lb. $50

Order forms are available at Connections.
Orders must be in by Fri. Nov. 19th
Pick up at Lower Campus Great Room on Mon. Nov. 22 from 2:30 – 5:30