Can you quess which St John beach this is??

Donkeys over Coral Bay, St John

This is a familiar scene on St. John for those who venture past town and make their way to the "country. If you want to stop and photograph them, just be sure to pull over to the side of the road because there may be a fast bus coming around the corner!

Current Weather on St John USVI

If you're traveling to St. John this week, you want to pack very light clothing as it is hot and muggy lately. Still gorgeous, dry and the air is soft and sweet with the fragrances of the multitude of flowers that have bloomed since the rains last week. There are a few pesky no-see-ums out and some mosquitoes, but they are quite bearable. The water is a lovely temperature right now, just cool enough to refresh you but warm enough to stay in all day!

St John Snorkeling - Underwater beauty at Waterlemon and Salt Pond Bays

I just received some gorgeous underwater photos taken by Christian and Elizabeth Mitchel while they were here last month staying at Stonegarden Cottage in Coral Bay. The clarity in the photos of Salt Pond and Waterlemon Cay is unbelievably good. Makes me want to go snorkeling right now!

From our St John Essence Travel Log Archives

"Shamba uses brilliant acrylics to paint ethereal Black Jesus/ Rastafari images. Vibrant and powerful."

"I got up in the AM and went up to Bordeaux, where I have a garden. There were 4 bunches of bananas ready to harvest (4 different kinds too, and one bunch that was so big that I had to struggle carrying it on my back up the trail to the truck). And, of course, there were weeds to pull/cut. I cut off some hands from the bunches and gave some to neighbors. I passed by the shanty of a childhood friend, who is a "true" rasta, and gave him 4-6 hands of the different kinds of bananas. "Praise and thanks," he said several times. He gave me some bush tea slips in return. It was satisfying to share the produce, engage in a neighborly exchange of foodstuffs, and cool to be invited into the dark, earthy-smelling interior of his black-painted shanty (with the Lion of Judah" painted on the door), from the porch of which he overlooks his garden in a gut off of Centerline Road...This guy truly lives a pure and simple life."

-- Brion Morisette, St. John

From our Travel Log Archives

March 23, 2008:

"Here’s a little glimpse from our recent trip to St John. We rented our car on St. Thomas and drove to Red Hook, then took the car ferry over to St. John. We had an excellent meal in Cruz Bay, then drove around and over the hills until we landed in our favorite spot - lovely Coral Bay. We stayed at Stonegarden Cottage – we love the view from the deck and enjoy visits from the “sugar birds,” but mostly it just feels like a comfortable and peaceful home away from home. Clouds and showers greeted us on the morning of our first full day, so we packed water and snacks and set off to explore the National Park trails, knowing that a bit of rain and clouds would be welcome along the way. We parked at Little Lameshur Bay, explored the sugar mill ruins, then set off on a fairly challenging up and down hike. Our destination was a spot where petroglyphs can be seen in the stone over a fresh water reflecting pool - just fascinating. While we rested there, we were entertained by mongooses chasing each other and tumbling about. We enjoyed seeing the unique desert vegetation as well as deer, land crabs, goats, chickens and donkeys. At the end of our hike, the clouds had cleared, so we headed to Maho Bay to soak in the sunset (photo) and finished off our day with a stop at Skinny Legs. We relaxed, watched a bit of March Madness on the big screen TVs, and enjoyed Mahi Mahi sandwiches and blue cheese burgers (washed down with a couple of rounds of refreshing beverages . . . a little reward for our efforts!). We love Coral Bay, St John!"

--- Karen Stallman & family
Marion, Illinois

Yoga Class on on a St John USVI Beach

I just came from an amazing morning yoga class at Maho Bay beach, taught by St. John's own instructor, Suki. We delighted in the sights, smells, touch and sounds of nature as we gently stretched our bodies on the sand and in the water (that was the best part!) A sting ray glided by us under the water as we did our breathing exercises on the sand. A huge school of fish came by and about 8 pelicans flew in to enjoy their breakfast as we did our warrior poses. The waves lapped the shore and the gentle breeze tickled our skin as we did downward dog. Then, we got in the water for more stretches, assisted by each gentle wave coming in to shore. We ended all in a circle, heads together, hands clasped, chanting omm. It was magical!! Come try it at 9:00am every Wednesday (November thru May) at Maho Bay's north end, donations of $10 or more gratefully accepted.

The advantages of not renting a car on St. John

After some investigation based on advice from friends who had visited St. John before and from our hosts at Stonegarden Cottage, we decided not to rent a car during our visit even though we were staying in the less urban part of the island. It turned out to be a great decision for many reasons: We didn't have to brave the very windy, bumpy, steep, right-sided driving; and we saved ourselves quite a bit of cash. We got plenty of exercise going up and down Bordeoux Mountain, and found creative ways to get around the island that involved hiking through the National Park to the North and South Coast Beaches where we were always able to find someone willing to give us a ride back to Coral Bay. Pretty much anywhere we stopped, we were able to hitch a ride within a few minutes. Locals and tourists alike were incredibly friendly, and by hitching we got to know a lot about the island, and were even invited to play at a pickup frisbee game held Tuesday evenings in Coral Bay."
-- 1/10, Katie & Casey, Greenfield, MA (contact them at katiecampbellnelson@gmail.com)