st. john – Snapping The Globe

Where the Deer and the Tourists Play

The Acropolis…check.

Tulum…check.

Ta Prohm…check.

The Coliseum…check.

Petra…check.

Over the years, my eyes have gazed upon some pretty impressive ruins. Withstanding the test of time (well almost) these magnificent and sometimes mysterious remains mesmerize and captivate.

Honestly, I can’t resist visiting any ruin…big or small…ancient or not so old. The lure of its history and remaining architecture always draws me in, so when I noticed the words “ruin” on my map of St. John, I knew that I had to find time to see what was there.

Cinnamon Bay Plantation ruins lie just across North Shore Road, directly opposite the appropriately named Cinnamon Bay. Parking in the Cinnamon Bay Beach parking lot, cross the road to the beginning of the Cinnamon Bay loop trail and begin your exploration of the historic plantation’s sugar factory’s remains.

An important part of St. John’s history dates back to 1717, when the Danes settled on the island. Founded by Daniel Jensen, the plantation processed sugar cane from the fields into sugar, molasses and rum. While wandering through the Bay, Calabash and Genip trees, you can observe the horse mill where the juice was extracted from the cut cane stalks, the boiling house, where rows of copper kettles continually condensed the syrup to crystal form and the store rooms or “bagasse sheds” where fresh sugar was dried. One of the most impressive structures on the premises is the towering chimney…the rum still.

Further along the Loop Trail lay the crypts of a Danish family that perished on the island as well as the remains of the Great House.

The trail is well laid out, evenly leveled, well maintained and a welcomed respite from the hot, Caribbean sun, with its dense tree covering providing maximum shade. Take some time to wander throughout the interior of the buildings and be on the lookout for the curious deer that meander through the property.

After you are done, cross the road and check out Cinnamon Bay Beach, Resort and Campground where you can rent a cottage, an eco-tent, campsite, kayak, paddleboard or just have a snack or cold beverage at Raintree Cafe. You can also visit the souvenir shop for a special memento of your visit…but alas…no 1717 rum!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Cinnamon Bay Plantation Ruins

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/prvi/pr44.htm
Take North Shore Road (Route 20) from Cruz Bay for four miles. At the sign for Cinnamon Bay beach and campgrounds, the ruins are on the right side of the road.

Cinnamon Bay Beach and Resort

https://cinnamonbayresort.com/

Two To Sea

Unspoiled beauty? GO find it in St. John.

The smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is probably one of the most relaxing and pristine places I have ever been. Though I have never stayed on the island, I have made a few day trips, exploring its beautiful beaches.

Originally, settled by the Arawak and Carib Indians, the United States purchased St. John from the Danish West India and Guinea Company in 1917. In 1956, over 5,000 acres of land was donated to the National Park Service by Laurance Rockefeller, assuring it natural preservation.

There are many magnificent beaches that lie within the National Park, some more easily accessible than others. After our arrival on the car ferry, we decided to drive down Route 20 and start with Trunk Bay, one of the most beloved of St. John’s coves.

Trunk Bay, the most famous of St. John’s beaches is also the most photographed with is perfect crescent shape, towering coconut palms, white sands and small island, Trunk Cay that lies just 30 yards offshore. It attracts large amounts of visitors each day and can get crowded. Trunk Bay also is known for its underwater nature trail which offers snorkelers a self-guided path to follow around Trunk Cay. This is one of my favorite things to do in Trunk Bay…the underwater trail is great not only for children and beginning snorkelers, but for all experience levels. Following the trail is fun, but I always seems to get a bit distracted by the abundance of fish and even what’s going on above the ocean. Trunk Cay attracts many brown pelicans and if you pop your head up, you’ll be greeted by a wave of their wings as they watch you glide by. Make sure to continue snorkeling, watching for squid and indigo blue turnicates that seem to thrive here, well past the nature trail and to the far point of the cay. If you feel comfortable and the water is relatively calm, try snorkeling around the entire cay, although not much coral life is present on the eastern side.

It is easy to spend the entire day at Trunk Bay for the relaxation it provides. Walk down the beach, towards the far ends, away from the other visitors, and secure a spot among the trees to get some shade as you may need it…it gets hot! Trunk Bay, unique from the other beach areas in St. John, boasts a Snack Bar, where you can buy lunch, otherwise, make sure to bring a cooler. Because it is located within the National Park, there are no eateries close by. On the premises, there is also a souvenir shop, shower and restroom facilities, public telephones and lifeguards. Beach chairs and snorkeling gear can be rented. It should also be noted that Trunk Bay is the only beach on St. John that charges an entrance fee.

If you are driving your own car, try to head to Trunk Bay earlier in the day. Parking is limited and fills up quickly. Taxis head out to all the beaches in St. John, stopping when requested. Fare are about $6 per person, each way.

After lunch, we decided to drive further into the National Park to see what other beaches we could sink our toes into. The drive, although winding and narrow at times, offers many scenic overlooks.

There were a few beaches that we drove by, Cinnamon Bay, Jumbie Bay, Maho Bay, some with no parking available, so we continued on until we reached Francis Bay. A little remote, Francis Bay wasn’t as crowded as some of the other beaches. We walked a bit to the right and were greeted by a family who offered to give us their spot with a picnic table. Setting our chairs among the trees for the shade they provided, we soon realized that the cool breezes that we experienced at Trunk Bay were not present. We also discovered that while trying to seek cooler temperatures among the trees, there were thousands of tiny bugs eager to feast on our skin! Yikes! Staying in the water was a must!

Francis Bay is a long, wide beach with white sands and calm green water. It is also a popular mooring for many sailboats each night. If you like snorkeling, however, this is another of our favorite spots.

The center of the bay is mostly sea-grass, but you are apt to see sea turtles and stingrays gliding by. Beginning snorkelers may find it easier to swim at the western end towards Maho Bay, where you’ll find snapper, barracuda, eels, and conch, but more experienced snorkelers may enjoy the rocky, eastern shore.

After my husband and one of my sons headed this way, we couldn’t imagine why they were gone for so long. Eventually, my son returned insisting that we grab out snorkels and fins and join them. Never, ever have I experienced something like this! From afar, the water appears to be black, so the assumption is made that there is nothing but sea-grass. When you dive into this area, you realize that it is something extremely different. Billions of silverside fish swim together blocking out the ocean floor and engulfing the waters around you. It is truly mind boggling as to how many tiny fish you are looking upon! The best part, however, is when you see the fish part, making way for the huge, 6 foot tarpon the patrol the area. These enormous fish, swim near you, unafraid, and provide for amazing underwater photography if you’ve brought your camera. Sadly, we did not, but we left excited for the memory, knowing that one day, we will return to see this spectacle once again.

After returning to our picnic table to refresh with some ice cold water, we decided that we were hot, tired and over bitten and it was time to call it a day!

With so many amazing beaches on St. John, it would be hard to catch them all unless staying on the island. We got to visit two! I’d say we had a pretty good day!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Trunk Bay

http://stjohn-beachguide.com/trunk-bay/
Hours: Facilities open 0800-1630, Lifeguards on duty, 0900-1630, Snack bar/souvenir shop, 0900-1530.
Admission: Individual Day Pass, $5, Children 16 and under, free, Individual Annual Pass, $20, Family Pass, $30
Getting There: From Cruz Bay, take Route 20 (North Shore Road) approximately 2.5 miles until you see the signs for Trunk Bay parking.

Francis Bay

http://stjohn-beachguide.com/francis-bay-2/
Admission: free
Getting There: Take Route 20 (North Shore Road past Maho Bay Beach. The road divides just beyond the end of the beach. Follow the road until you read a “Y”. Keep left to Leinster/Waterlemon. Continue about 1/4 mile down the road where you will see the entrance on the right.

Island to Island…By Car

Going to St. John while on St. Thomas is an absolute must!

But, how do you get there?

Yes, there is a passenger ferry that operates from St. Thomas’ Red Hook Harbor every hour. This entailed parking our car and paying the daily parking rate of $5 as well as the ferry fare for the four of us…$6.00 per person, each way, plus a luggage surcharge for carrying our cooler and beach chairs.

After our arrival in St. John, the question remained…how would we get around?

We could walk from Cruz Bay to the nearest trail and then hike to the nearest beaches, Solomon or Honeymoon. If we chose this option, however, it would mean only bringing snorkel equipment and a towel. No cooler…no chairs.

We could rent a car…approximately $80-$100 for the day.

Or…we could hire a taxi. We knew we wanted to visit Trunk Bay, which would cost $6.00 per person, each way. We also wanted to visit other beaches, adding to the overall cost and eliminating spontaneity.

So…the grand total for taking the passenger ferry for the day would be well over $100-$150, depending on the method of transportation and number of destinations.

There had to be a better way.

We already had a car on St. Thomas…was there a way to take it to St. John?

Love City Car Ferries to the rescue!

Thankfully, we investigated this option early on in our trip. Love City Car Ferries, takes reservations for cars and trucks up to three tons and must be booked three days before your trip. The total cost for the car, its occupants and luggage is $50, plus a $3 port fee. That’s it…we drive on…we drive off.

The day of our trip, we were up early and arriving in Red Hook Harbor, following the signs to the car ferry loading apron. Directed to back into lines for organized loading onto the ferry, we realized that we were actually a bit early. After asking the attendant if the ferry we were about to back onto was Love City’s 9:00 am ferry (it was currently 8:15), we were informed that we needed to move to another line. The ferry we were in line to board was Boyson’s Inc.’s Mister B.

Moving to the first line, we watched cars, delivery vehicles and even a dump truck back onto Mister B. We definitely learned what to do and what not to do!

Finally, Mister B departed and Love City’s Captain Vic pulled up to the loading apron. Being the first to back onto the ferry was a plus as we only had to watch out not to back into the ferry, not other cars. Slowly, other vehicles filled the ferry and it was time to depart.

Mister B’s Ferry, unloading before we backed on

Though my husband and children opted to stay in the car for the ride over, I climbed to the top of the wheelhouse and watched Red Hook Harbor grow smaller and the neighboring islands pass by…Great St. James, Little St. James, Dog Island and finally Steven Cay as we pulled up to the Car Ferry Dock at Enighed Pond. The trip was a mere twenty minutes.

Departing the barge was a less complicated affair since all we had to do was drive forward off of the boat and make our way onto the island.

When we booked our trip, we had elected to return on a 7:00 pm ferry. Around 3:00 pm, we were getting tired from being in the sun all day and checked the ferry schedule. It appeared that there was a 4:00 pm and then a 6:15 pm departure time. Not seeing the 7:00 departure that we had booked (and was on our reservation), we were a little nervous about waiting and not making it off of the island. We all agreed that we would make our way quickly back to the car ferry dock and inquire as to whether or not we could take the early boat.

Thankfully, we did not wait until 7:00. Apparently, Love City has an agreement with Global Marine ferries and travel with the two companies is interchangeable. On this day, however, Global Marine was not operating. So, our only two options were 4:00 pm and 6:15 pm and there was no problem with our taking the early ferry.

Once again, we lined up and backed our car on to the ferry…my husband was becoming quite proficient! This time, we all stayed put inside the car and luckily for us we did…it started to rain!

A short time later, we were back in Red Hook Harbor and ready for dinner!

Although it was quite difficult to figure out the ferry situation in St. John, we are glad that this is the way we approached it. Though we were only able to contact and book with Love City Ferries, it appears that Boyson was operating regularly at the time. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to reach Boyson for their schedule and procedure to book, we decided on Love City. A bit confusing, it seems that Love City has been the only operator that has offered reliable service over the past few years.

If you decide to utilize the car barge for a trip to St. John, I would suggest taking a trip to the ferry pier prior to your trip to inquire as to the ferry schedules and operators. I understand the Boyson may be a bit cheaper, but whichever company you decide to use, be sure to ask the attendant for scheduled departure times for your return trip later in the day.

Have a great time!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

St. Thomas to St. John Passenger Ferry

https://www.usvi.net/information/transportation/ferry-schedules/st-thomas-to-st-john-ferry-schedule/
Departure points: Red Hook Harbor, $6.00 per person, each way. Charlotte Amalie dock, downtown, $12.00 per person, each way.

Love City Car Ferries

http://www.lovecitycarferries.com/
Departure point: Red Hook Harbor, $50 per vehicle, plus $3.00 port fee.

Boyson Inc.

http://boysoninc.com/
Departure point: Red Hook Harbor, $50 per vehicle, plus $3.00 port fee.
Schedule: Enighed Pond, St. John, Mondays-Sundays 0600, 0730, 0930, 1130, 1230, 1430, 1630

Enighed Pond, St. John

6:00am
7:30am
9:30am
11:30am
12:30pm
2:30pm
4:30pm
6:00pm
Red Hook, St. Thomas

6:30 am
8:30am
10:30am
12:05pm
1:30pm
3:30pm
5:30pm
6:30pm

SUNDAYS

Enighed Pond, St. John

7:30am
9:30am
11:30am
1:30pm
3:30pm
5:05pm
6:00pm
Red Hook, St. Thomas

8:30 am
10:30am
12:30pm
2:30pm
4:30pm
5:30pm
6:30pm