No Reindeer required to get Santa to St John
We hope Santa brings you a trip to St John
Play Santa yourself and give as a present to thoseyou love a vacation at Great Expectations. Take a look at our calendar and let us know when we can host you next! We have only one week still available (April 8 - April 16, 2016) between now and August so plan now for a 2017 holiday on St John (Christmas, New Years, Presidents week, 4th of July Carnival are all still available). It is 85 degrees year round on St John so no time is a bad time to come for a visit!
December St John news flashes & fun St John clips:
Caribbean Journal highlights the '9 Best Beaches on St John' listing Maho Bay, Trunk Bay, Oppenheimer, Denis, Hawksnest, Cinnamon, Francis, Salt Pond, and Lameshur as their picks.
Some of these beaches offer great snorkeling opportunities, but since they are all within the National Park where shell and coral collecting is prohibited, if shell and coral collecting is your thing you might want to head over to Hart Bay beach. Hart Bay is on the western most side of Rendezvous Bay and is accessed only by a couple of trails (one being only a 5 minute walk from Great Expectations). The other day our son-in-law found this beauty while taking a walk along the Hart Bay beach.
Ready to retire to someplace warm and laid back? Here is an article for you: The 10 Coolest Places to Retire in the Caribbean. The #1 spot went to St John: A haven for artists, creative types, beach lovers and sailors, St John is an eclectic place with beautiful beaches, a massive national park system and a very artsy, funky vibe. It’s also in the US, meaning Americans simply have to buy a plane ticket and find a house. It’s not cheap, but you’re paying to be a part of a very unique community.
Now that TSA and the airlines are requiring people to be at the airport 2 - 3 hours before departure (American is requiring people checking bags to check in at least 90 minutes before departure), there is something to do other than mill around, buy liquor or perfume, or have one more west indian meal and that is to take advantage of free WiFi at the St Thomas airport! This is thanks to the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. All you have to do to log on to the free WiFi is to complete a short survey about your stay in the Virgin Islands.
Contact us directly and we will help make your vacation a trip to remember!
St John's Basketball Court and Playground has been totally renovated and this month the final equipment has been installed. The Estate Pine Peace court is the only regulation size basketball court on the island. The renovations included major improvements including a drainage system, new playground area, covered bleachers, a new scoreboard, new lighting, and a brand new basketball court. We, Great Expectations, were happy to be one of the private sector financial contributors to this important project. You can pass by the court at just about any time - day or night - and see it being used.
Cruz Bay Landing is the official name of the new restaurant of the JJ's Texas Coast space. Seems appropriate to us since the restaurant is right at the ferry dock. The space has been totally renovated and built out. Todd and Christy, former owners of Woody's, promise this restaurant to be a fun, delicious, family place where their slogan 'You're Here. Now Relax' means serious fun.
Love St John and love birds? St John has some wonderful sanctuaries for wildlife and birds and now we will have a great opportunity to view them without being intrusive. St John will have a 
Popular Cruz Bay restaurant ZoZo's will serve its last meal at Gallows Point this coming Saturday. Fret not though it is not closing but, rather, as of November it is just changing its vantage point for fabulous sunsets and panoramic views of Pillsbury Sound to the enchanting 
Ever season the restaurant scene changes on St John and this year is no different. The successful Sun Dog Cafe owners are branching out and will open the Virgin Fire Bar & Grill Restaurant this fall in the Mongoose Junction space that housed the former LaPlancha del Mar restaurant. The owners promise to feature foods that are grown or inspired locally, hence the name.
Great Expectations has a 
The afternoon of April 21st an electrical fire swept through the long-time, popular Cruz Bay restaurant Cafe Roma. Luckily, quick action by the St John Fire Department, St John Rescue, and several folks from local restaurants helped contain the fire. No other neighboring buildings were damaged. On
One of the reasons St John made the 'Best Islands' list this year is the commitment we have to the environment. 
April is 
Spring also brings sailing regattas to the Virgin Islands. The 40th Annual International Rolex Regatta was held last month with St Thomas Yacht Club hosting the races. The weather during this year's race was picture perfect as many of the 
If you want to keep up with All Things St John there is a great app for you. News of St John Blog reports that the app, 
These shots were taken just south of where Great Expectations is located
March not only brings whales to our waters, but mega-yachts also have been spotted around St John recently. News of St John blogged this photo taken by St John Captain John who pilots the charter boat Palm Tree. The owner of this small craft that measures a mere 288 feet is Mark Cuban (owner of Landmark Theaters). One would guess that the 35 crew aboard can and do cater to his every need. Rumor has it that Paul McCarthy and Bruce Springsteen were spotted on another mega-yacht, The Rising Sun belonging to David Geffen, which was moored just off Honeymoon Beach. Ah, what a life!
You know you are in the Caribbean when three of the top blogs and newspapers on St John feature a new brew! And, why not, since the new offering comes from our own St John Brewer's and is a key ingredient for the favorite tropical drink...the Dark & Stormy! The St John Brewers have been serving up, on tap, their home made Ginger Beer at their pub for a long-time, but they have just perfected the bottling of it and the Ginger Beer will be distributed to a larger market throughout the Virgin Islands (yes, you must make a trip to the Virgin Islands to taste this, but it will be worth the trip...).
The latest issue of 
Carnival season has begun in the Virgin Islands. St Croix ends the 'old year' and starts the 'new year' with its Festival. This year's activities were, as usual, spectacular. The next Festival will be on St Thomas during the month of April. St John rounds out the activities for the Virgin Islands with its 
Rumored for years but it finally happened: Maho Bay Campgrounds was sold! Just as the clock struck twelve on the old year, the deal was sealed so says the island's rumor mill. No one knows for sure who the buyer of the spectacular site is for a steal of a price ($13.9 million), but we can all hope that it is someone who appreciates the beauty of St John who believes in preservation. The Campgrounds is open until May 15 after which they plan the biggest 'garage sale' in the history of St John. If you are interested in a propane burner, tent, table, or other camping gear contact the 
