St John Where The Swimming is Great For All...Winter or Not!

Please enjoy our February newsletter.....

Hitching a ride -- St John style (photo by Steve McKibben)

There is no denying it -- this has been the winter of all winters! Historic snow in the northeast, ice storms throughout the midwest and northeast causing much of Niagara Falls to freeze, and record cold throughout much of the country including Georgia, South Carolina and even Florida. Nasty stuff!

Here is a great way of surviving the rest of the winter -- plan a trip to St John for this spring. Great Expectations is currently available from May 25 through June 13 of this year for 15% off discount!

Or, plan now to enjoy a week on St John next winter. We already are reserved for several weeks next winter, but we still have some choice dates available. There is nothing better than lounging by the pool or enjoying the clear, warm waters of St John when it is bitter cold -- back home.

If you have never been to St John before, you might enjoy the video we recently received from Don Hyde who stayed at Great Expectations with his family this past Thanksgiving. Even if you have been to St John before you, too, will enjoy the video, and feel the fun they had on St John:

Watch and smile...how can you not?

February St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• On-St John recently posted a video of Hart Bay. The relatively unknown beach is only accessible by foot so often you will have the beach all to yourself. It is a great location to just sit and be mesmerized by the sound of the lapping waves or do some shell collecting. Hart Bay is just a 5 minute walk from Great Expectations. On calm days it is a good place to paddle board or swim and on rough days we often see surfers braving the waves.

• Last month St John's Mongoose Junction experienced a horrible fire. Luckily no one was hurt. However, the popular Tap Room was totally destroyed and significant damage was done to the North Shore Deli and the Ocean Grill. St Johnians came together to help out and within days both the Northshore Deli and Ocean Grill were up and serving food again. The owners of the Tap Room never lost their spirit or determination to rebuild. They are already set up in a temporary spot (parking lot of Mongoose Junction) as The Temp Room serving their great brews and music offerings and building out a temporary spot until their burned out space is totally renovated. They project the new improved Tap Room will be ready for next season.

• St John Blues Blowout Festival is ON! March 28th will bring lots of music to Cruz Bay's Winston Wells Ballpark. All proceeds to benefit the St John School of the Arts and the Sprauve School

• 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!

Best,

Kristin & Chuck 

owners of Great Expectations

PS Make sure to ask about our special $100 worth of dining and activity certificates from the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism when you reserve a week or more at Great Expectations!

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Summer Over? Never on St John

Our October Newsletter is published for your reading enjoyment:

St John Offers Amazing Views Both Beneath and Above The Caribbean Sea

This Fabulous Photo is courtesy of Sail Pepper

The Virgin Islands is often called 'Candy for the Eye' and understandably so.

As the above picture illustrates, snorkeling around St John is full of colorful (and friendly) fish.  Virtually every one of the 30+ beaches around St John offer great snorkeling opportunities and, if you want to get out on a boat, you are in for a extra treat since most every captain knows 'hidden' snorkel spots only accessible by (just their) boat. Great Expectations has arranged special discounts for our guests for some terrific sailing or power boat options.

There are wonderful views and colors above the waterline as well. A recent guest sent us this picture he took from Bordeaux Mountain of Coral Bay in the foreground and the British Virgin Islands in the distance:

As another former guest said, when she first saw this view, it struck her it was what she imagined Peter Pan's Never Never Land looked like

October St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• The St John community is wonderfully supportive as are the people who visit our island. If you are going to be on St John Sunday, November 2 head on over to Maho Bay to support the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park's 2nd Annual 'Paddle in the Park' Race. You can either participate yourself or root on others, either way it is sure to be a great day.

• It's on! The 2nd Annual Rib Cook Off to benefit St. John Rescue is happening on Saturday, November 8 at the Coral Bay Ball Field. The event will kick off at 4:30 pm with 10 competitors for the honor of Best Ribs On St. John. Music, drinks, games and YES, THERE WILL BE RIBS! There might be no more important community volunteer organization than the St John Rescue folks. They literally save lives, often at the risk of their own. Show your support for them by eating ribs if you are going to be on-island (not a hardship!) or donate on-line.

• North Shore Deli opens (in same spot as the very popular Deli Grotto) and reports as of this morning have been fabulous! Yes, they have the same yummy breads that made the Deli Grotto the 'go to' place. Check them out when you are next on St John -- and, say hello DJ, the proud new owner.

• Seaborne Airlines adds United Airlines to its Partner list making getting to St Thomas/St John even easier. United joins Seaborne's other partners -- American, Delta, and Jet Blue.

• St John's Trunk Bay claimed the #1 position on the Islands 'Best Snorkeling Beaches in the Caribbean Islands' list saying in part "Trunk Bay's beach stretches for more than a quarter-mile, with white powdered-coral sand backed by palms and sea grape trees. A spit divides the bay and points directly at Trunk Cay, a rugged little isle that's a short swim from the beach. The entire bay is part of the Virgin Islands National Park and offers full facilities, including showers, a snack bar and a shop where you can rent snorkel gear, beach chairs and umbrellas."

• Halloween will be kicked up a bunch this year with addition of theMongoose Monster Ball. Virgin Fire and The Sun Dog Cafe will be co-hosting a blow-out party featuring great food, music, and lots of prizes so get your best, funniest, wildest costume on and go for the prize.

• New partner - Kids Night In! St John has a great relatively new resource (for both parents and kids alike!) in Kids Night In. Just as the title hints, this is a child care (much more than babysitting) service offered by Leslie McKibben, a physical therapist who has specialized in pediatrics for nearly 30 years. Leslie engages the kids with artwork, cooking (if parents allow), reading, and games of all sort. Kids have a blast and parents can enjoy a night on the town (it is your vacation after all).

• Winter 2015 is Completely Sold Out! Great Expectations is already totally reserved this coming winter season as well as much of the 2015 Spring and Summer season. We never want to disappoint previous guests -- or potential new ones -- so please contact us as soon as you can when you start your trip planning. Please 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!