St John - last minute discount for February; not too late to get out of the cold

Baby It's Cold Outside, but not on St John!

Enjoy the warmth of the our sunset from our pool patio overlooking the Caribbean

Great Expectations was totally reserved for the entire winter season....until we received a (very rare) cancellation for the week of Saturday, February 21 to Saturday, February 28, 2015 is now available for a 20% discount!  It is the perfect way to escape the cold and snowy winter weather and build a reserve to survive the rest of this winter.  Contact us today to reserve your week on St John.

 Or wake to the warmth of the sunrise out of the Caribbean!

January St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• The prestigious Condé Nest Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards for 2014 named St John one of the thirty best islands in the world! We were in good company, sandwiched in the #8 slot between Kangaroo Island, Australia and Santorini & Cyclades, Greece.

• Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park announced their Winter 2015 Seminar Series. These sessions are always fun whether it is learning about the birds of St John, taking a full moon hike, kayak ride through the mangroves, or enjoying one of their many lectures.

• The best new 'deal' on St John might just be the new Vitran buses that criss-cross the island. You can now travel from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay's Salt Pond for just $1 (or $2 for a round-trip). Along the way there are majestic views of the National Park and its beaches, Coral Bay, Ram's Head, and the cobblestone beach of Drunk Bay.

• If you are at Red Hook (on St Thomas) waiting for your ferry or car barge and have some time to kill, check out the new market just a few feet away (in the old Marina Market space). Moe's Fresh Market is getting high marks for great fresh produce and meats.

• St John has yet another new restaurant to tempt you. This one, Vista Mare, located on the second floor at Wharfside has great water views and an affordable menu. With sensational sunset views, this spot should become a popular spot for events as well a popular choice for families with kids since its menu and environment is family friendly.

• There is a new fitness center on St John. This one is called Rock Fitness is located at The Lumberyard. It is opened seven days a week. If you are on island for just a few days they also offer a 5-day or daily pass.

• Check our availability calendar and contact us today to secure your reservation! We will be happy to work with you to, as best we can, accommodate your needs. Our goal, always, is to meet or ideally, exceed your expectations!

Swim or Volunteer at St John Beach to Beach Power Swim

All can participate in this year's swim. Either swim yourself or volunteer to support

St John's Friends of Virgin Islands National Park

...

Swim to Cinnamon Bay, swim to Trunk Bay, or go all the way to Hawksnest Bay.

On Saturday, May 24, 2014 Friends of Virgin Islands National Park will host the 11th Annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The race consists of three courses:

Short Course from Maho Bay to Cinnamon Bay, about 1 mile Intermediate Course from Maho Bay to Trunk Bay, about 2¼ miles Long Course from Maho to Hawksnest, about 3½ miles. Swimmers can compete in the long course as an individual or as part of a 3-person team. Swimmers may also compete assisted by snorkel and/or fins in an "assisted swimmer" category

Course map:

Race for a Reason

Returning this year is

Race for a Reason

, which gives participating swimmers an opportunity to further support the mission of the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. Donations made to the Friends of VINP during the Race for a Reason Fundraising Challenge will be used to support the “Learn to Swim” program in Virgin Islands National Park along with other projects and programs. All participants raising $250 or more for Friends receive a Limited Edition 2014 Beach-to-Beach Power Swim hat and the top 3 fundraisers receive special gifts following the race at the Beach Party/Awards Celebration at Oppenheimer Beach.

Race for a Reason is going online for 2014! Participants may create their own fundraising page online and race for prizes for the Top 3 Fundraisers.

Link to our fundraising homepage

here, and get started creating a personalized page! All donations made through these online pages are tax-deductible and benefit Friends of VI National Park.

Virgin Islands National Park Waters Now a 'No Anchor' Zone

Joe Kessler, President of the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park recently wrote the following article in the NPCA Park Advocate which we hope you enjoy (our nesting turtles and other sea creatures who feed in our sea grasses and coral definitely support the 'no anchor' initiative!): 

Imagine boating to paradise and then—without meaning to—causing it harm. Thanks to more than a decade of work in the Virgin Islands, a national park visit by boat is now gentler on the marine environment.

The spectacular coastal scenery, crystal clear waters, reliable winds, and beautiful bays of Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument have made them popular destinations for boaters. In the past, these visitors had to use anchors to secure their vessels, causing considerable, albeit unintentional, damage to sea grass beds, coral reefs, and other  benthic (seabed or seafloor) resources. To combat this problem, the park embarked on a mooring program to provide a safe and reliable alternative to anchoring with the long-term goal of creating an anchorless park.

Moorings are permanent installations that allow boats to stay in one place without using anchors. In our case we drive heavy-duty augur-like devices about 15 feet into the seabed and then connect a line to a buoy on the surface (see a diagram of how this works). Boats attach to the buoy and are secure. Anchors are a more temporary solution, disturbing the seabed every time they are dropped and then retrieved. Just imagine the damage that could be done by 50 boats dropping anchors and then pulling them up day after day.

Park leadership and the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park finally achieved our long-held goal of an anchorless park in February 2013. Since the beginning of the program, the Friends group has installed 340 moorings and invested more than $663,000 in this program.

Starting back in 1999, the Friends installed 180 moorings for overnight use in ten bays around St. John. These white mooring balls along the north and south shores of St. John have played a significant role in protecting coral reefs, allowing the recovery of sea grass and protecting other benthic resources. The sea grass beds had been seriously depleted due to anchoring, but now if you snorkel in the mooring fields you will see a rich carpet of sea grass–much to the delight (and survival) of the myriad of marine creatures that make the sea grass their home.

In 2004, the Friends embarked on a program to install moorings in the recently designated Coral Reef National Monument. As a marine protected area, anchoring was prohibited within the monument. But, while we supported the conservation policies of the monument, we felt that the prohibition on anchoring precluded many of the traditional uses of the monument’s waters.  Installing moorings was the perfect answer and a “win-win” for both the users and the environment: allowing users to continue to enjoy this unique marine environment while providing needed protection to the natural resources. In this case, the Friends installed two dive moorings at popular dive sites in the monument, six moorings for blue runner fishing, and 125 storm-mooring berths and 11 day-use moorings in Hurricane Hole, a traditional refuge here for vessels during tropical storms. These moorings were installed in four phases between 2004 and 2008.

All of the moorings mentioned above were for boats up to a maximum of 60 feet in length. Vessels larger than that still had to anchor. Earlier this year, we installed 14 moorings for boats between 60 and 100 feet in six bays, finally making the park anchorless.

The protection of the park’s marine resources was obviously the principal objective of the mooring installations. However, the moorings also have a significant impact on the visiting boaters’ experience by providing a safe and convenient means of securing their boats while enjoying Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument.

The National Park Service has published a 'moorings guide' for St John. Positive effects of the mooring program have been quick to see, Kessler said. “In 12 to 13 years, we’ve seen the re-growth of a rich carpet of seagrass and, as a result, a significant increase in the sea turtle population.”

The turtles and other sea creatures benefit by the 'no anchor' policy

St John Beach to Beach Swimmers Fought Big Waves But No Rain

308 Swimmers Registered for the 10th Annual Power Swim

The 10th annual Friends of Virgin Islands National Park (FVINP) Beach to Beach Power Swim went off without a rain drop this past weekend. Noone was concerned that the water wouldn't be warm enough but, rain storms had been in the area and threatened to dampen [pun intended] enthusiasm - but, not so!  The Virgin Islands Daily News reports that Martyna Pospieszalska and Joey Hamilton, both of St. Thomas, were the top women's and men's finishers in the short solo competition in Sunday's Power Swim at Maho Bay.

Hamilton crossed the finish line first in 21 minutes and 47 seconds, followed by Pospieszalska in second place in 23:33. Hunter Baskerville of St. Thomas was the second man in 23:53.

Barbara Crowder of Durham, N.C., claimed the top overall woman's prize and the 3.5-mile swim, finishing in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Natasha Rusheinski was second in 1:31:55, followed by fellow Tortola resident Hayley Berry in 1:35:55. This was Crowder's fifth time competing in the Beach-to-Beach Power Swim.

"It was a lot more wavy this year, more big swells pushing against us," she said.

Crowder owns a home on St. John and spends about six weeks a year on island, but lives year round in North Carolina, where she trains regularly.

"I've not done any other open-water races; just pool races, like the Masters Nationals. I'm basically a IM and butterfly swimmer," she said, laughing, "But apparently, I'm becoming starting to be a distance freestyler."

This year's registration of 308 people broke records and hopes are that last year's fundraising total of $30,000 will also be broken. The St John Source reports that all proceeds raised from this event will go to protect and preserve the cultural and natural resources of the park. The money will also help fund educational programs such as Summer Eco-Camps and programs to teach local children aged 9 to 17 how to swim. Summer Eco-Camps is held at the University of Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS,) on the south side of St. John in Lameshur Bay. The Friends raise scholarship funds for students who would otherwise be unable to partake in these programs.

If you would like to contribute you can do so on-line.

"One-hundred, twenty-eight of them participated on the short course," said organizer Joe Kessler. "About 70 were on the intermediate course; 122 or so on the long course, and another 20 for the relay.

"They come from all over the place," he said. "A little over 40 percent come from the mainland of the U.S.; about 20 swimmers from the BVI, half a dozen from Puerto Rico, 10 from St. Croix and a swimmer as far away from Majorca, Spain. This is our 10th year, and this is a great turn out, so this is a big celebration."

The oldest swimmer for the day was 76-year-old Bryce Rhymer. The multi-discipline athlete rides his bicycle regularly around St. Thomas, and has completed in all but one of the last 10 Beach-to-Beach events. St. John's Isabell Thill was the youngest swimmer at age 6.

From the very start of the race, volunteers made their mark in the 3.5-mile long race. John Foster of Puerto Rico led the charge and saw the swimmers off in King Neptune fashion with the sounding of his conch shell, which echoed through Maho Valley. He later joined the 3.5-mile swimmers on their dash toward the finish line, past all the waiting water craft lining the bay.

Felipe Olivieri of St. John volunteered to kayak along with the swimmers and keep them safe. He had two very good reasons to look out for their safety: his girlfriend Genelle Carter and her mother Nina Carter were both in the Long Solo race.

"My mom decided last year that the Beach to Beach was on her bucket list," Genelle Carter said. "So this year, she and my dad traveled from Virginia so we could complete and the guys could paddle along."

While she has lived on St. John for several years, this was the first year Genelle had participated in the Beach to Beach. But not everyone at the Beach to Beach was from the USVI.

A group proudly sporting blue T-shirts with a white clamshell and the words "The Rhode Island Quahogs" had made their way along the 3.5-mile course to take a third-place finish.

The relay group was made up of Rebecca Summerhays, Kelly McGee and Tad Davies, and listed Pawtucket, R.I., as their home. While they come from the Ocean State, they train in a pool several times per week.

Without lap lines, Davies did get a bit directionally challenged on the last leg of the race and ended up swimming an extra five minutes out of the way until a kayaker directed him back to the proper course.

Even with the challenges of wind, waves and no directional markers, the group said they would definitely be back next year, with Kelly adding "the water is much nicer here."

Upcoming athletic events on St. John include the Carnival Bike Race in June, and the Love City Triathlon in September so there is plenty of time for you to plan your next trip to St John to participate or just join in to root the athletes on to the finish.UPDATE:  Here are the 2013 results just posted by the Friends Virgin Islands Park

Kenny Chesney 'Paying it Forward' to the Virgin Islands Donates Portion of New Album Aptly Named 'Life on a Rock'

Kenny Chesney‘s new album, Life On A Rock, is available in stores this next Tuesday and features a lot of very personal songs inspired by his time in the U.S. Virgin Islands and, specifically, on St John.  Since this part of the world is so precious to Kenny, he’s decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from Life on a Rock to the Friends of the US Virgin Islands National Park.  Chesney, who first came to the Virgin Islands over 15 years ago for a video shoot, found St John to be a 'safe harbor in the craziness' and a place that grounded him in the beauty of the ocean and the shores of the national parks. 

According to ABC News Radio Kenny says, “As the world becomes more developed, protecting these wild places is going to become harder — and the cost of maintaining them needs to be covered.”

He adds, “If you’ve ever seen the trees, the oceans from a ridge, the way it all tangles together, you realize how important making sure lands like this exist for the people who come after us is.”

The songs on Life on a Rock are just as personal to Kenny as his passion for preserving the Virgin Islands.  In fact, his album’s closing track, “Happy on the Hey Now (A Song for Kristi),” was so emotional for Kenny to write and record, he had to do multiple takes in the studio to get it right.

“I still don’t think I’m done with it,” Kenny says of the song, which was inspired by the death of his friend Kristi.  “I would get in the studio, and I would either be very emotional or, it was just hard.” The Hey Now referred to in the song is a boat Kenny and his friends, including Kristi, would ride around the islands.  Paying tribute to her memory to close out this album seemed appropriate to Kenny.

Kenny's website states:  "Our national parks are one of those things you might not think about." Chesney explains. "But once they're gone, you can't get them back, so protecting and maintaining them is so important. I know: I've spent hours in these parks, on these trails and beaches. Over the years, they've been a big part of my time away from the road, and I think they're a great sanctuary for all of us. To me, to connect these songs with something so special is both an honor and a chance to call awareness to the Friends of the Park."

Chesney enjoying the warmth and beauty of St John

Now, it is your turn to come to St John to experience, first-hand, the peace and beauty that inspires Kenny Chesney's latest album.

In the meantime, if you want a slice of Kenny and St John you can buy his album here...

                                                                Life On A Rock

Amazingly beautiful Manta Ray greets St John swimmers

Manta Ray with 10' span greets swimmers at Francis Bay St John

The Friends of the US Virgin Islands National Park took this picture of a friendly Manta Ray greeting swimmers at Francis Bay on St John, USVI.  Graceful and beautiful.  The manta ray swims close to shore and did not seem to mind the two legged visitors to her water. This is actually a 'juvenile' since the fully grown might have a span up to 20'!  It is worth a visit to St John just to see her!

More Opportunity to Support St John and get some wonderful goodies at the same time!

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of Virgin Islands National Park and promotes the responsible enjoyment of this unique national treasure.  What is not to like about that mission if you love St John and the environment?  

Sail, snorkel, & enjoy some champagne!

The Friends kick off their on-line auction tomorrow (Friday, November18) which runs through December 4th.  Proceeds from the auction will support the Friends programs which protect, preserve, and educate.  Making some of the trails accessible, beach clean-ups, research to support protection of our coral reefs, and cultural evenings in the park are just a few projects these proceeds will support. 

Bid often.  Bid high. Right now you can bid on handmade jewelry, boat trips, vacation villas, spa treatments, and kayak trips. New items are being added every day so check back often.

And, book your trip to St John so you can enjoy St John's beauty for yourself!