The Rebirth of St. John has happened

hawksnest

And, boy, is she beautiful both inside and out!

First, the obvious beauty -- our hillsides are now covered with new foliage and flowers are blooming with vigor, and flamboyant trees are even blazing red with a second bloom this year.  Our waters are beautiful turquoise again and crystal clear. And, thanks to lots of hard work by volunteers and the National Park Service personnel, our beaches are again silky sandy.  Some beaches, like Hawksnest, are actually bigger! Just last week the National Park Service announced that the VI National Park is open again. Dive and fishing boat captains are reporting that sea life is thriving with fish and lobsters. Charter boats are back in business and taking people out on the water to enjoy snorkeling spots near and far.

lineman

Secondly, and as importantly, residents of St. John and people from around the country who love St. John have given of themselves in an extraordinary way every day since September when the two Category 5 hurricanes (Irma & Maria), with their ferocious winds, 'visited' St. John.  St. Johnians jumped in to volunteer through St. John Rescue and St. John Community Foundation, first in search and rescue efforts and then helping provide housing for those who lost it, free meals, clothing and they worked hand in hand with the many wonderful government and private sector stateside organizations including Kenny Chesney and Mike Bloomberg's Foundations. Folks from FEMA, the Defense Department, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Red Cross have all been amazingly committed to helping our island rebuild. Linemen from all over the country have invaded (to our delight!) St. John. We have more utility trucks with stateside license plates than those with USVI ones!  Linemen worked Thanksgiving day and are routinely celebrated by local residents.

Oh, that coconut water tastes so good!

We have plenty of coconut water to keep our great staff going to get the Villa back up and running! Thanks #lovecitystj for pix and Steve and Erickson (and crew) for an amazing job clearing up the debris scattered around our property as the result of not one but two Category 5 hurricanes, first Irma and then Maria, in as many weeks !

Blue skies are here again!

Steve Butcher, our extraordinaire Webmaster, took the photo (above) earlier this week showing that the blue skies and sea of the Caribbean has returned to Cruz Bay.  Steve has been attending the daily 'Town Meetings' held each morning to brief any and all about the latest recovery activities. He reports that Love City is truly that -- St. Johnians are working tirelessly with representatives of the federal government such as FEMA,  the National Park Service and the military. They are working side-by-side with the Red Cross who are overseeing the distribution of food and managing the shelters for those who lost their homes. Equally important are volunteers from the private sector who are providing incredibly important health, technical, and communication services. Standing out in particular are the folks from Mike Bloomberg's organization and Kenny Chesney's Foundation folks.  All these groups are working together to help St. John rebound to the special jewel it is. To keep in touch with the rebound of St. John follow LoveCitySTJ and Great Expectations Hurricane Rebound pages.

What a difference a bit of time makes!

Author and long-term St John home owner, Homer Hickam, has a great way of helping us remember just how quickly our now brown landscape can rebound -- in a year's time brown hillsides turn into to lush, lush green. His example, while not St John, is similar to our environmental conditions. We will let his words and pictures speak for themselves:

I sort of went through this in 1998 when the island of Isla de Guanaja [in the Caribbean] was hit by Mitch, similar in size as Irma. Here are before and after photos, a year between. My friends standing in same spot with exactly one year between photos. Islands do recover (left photo right after Hurricane Mitch and the photo on the left just one year later: 

Guanaja hurricane mitch

Guanaja hurricane mitch 1 yr later

As we brace for Hurricane Maria and make every effort to stay safe, know that the future can and will be bright and the island green again as shown in the above photos!

St John -- Post Irma status report (Sept 18)

Thanks for all your messages and good wishes!  There have been numerous press reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma to St. John, unfortunately flamed by an effort to draw attention to the Virgin Islands so that the Federal government did not forget us in the midst of the wider spread damage in Texas and Florida (the Governor of the Virgin Islands told everyone last week that President Trump called him and said he would visit, but that has yet to happen). To the best of our knowledge, the damage is no worse than the last major storm to strike the Virgin Islands, Hurricane Hugo, in 1989. As has just occurred, the islands back then looked bare and awful, the result of the high winds denuding all the green, leaving just brown trees and bare earth. Wooden houses were badly damaged with FEMA blue tarps served for months as roofs. Being the tropics, the landscaping grew back within weeks. New building codes prohibited building any new structures out of wood. We bought our property in 1990, one year after Hurricane Hugo. Will St. John recover as quickly this time? We do not know for sure, but we fully expect it to! Our Webmaster and friend extraordinaire, Steve Butcher, arrived on St. John on Saturday (he had to fly from Vermont to San Juan via JFK, then take a supply boat from Puerto Rico to Cruz Bay). He has confirmed what we have seen from FEMA aerial photos and the initial report a week ago from Kristen Cox, our property manager, that Great Expectations survived Hurricane Irma incredibly well. Our thanks to our architect, John Sloan and our contractor, Bill Osborn and his construction crew, who designed and built the Villa to withstand hurricane-force winds with 8 inch thick reinforced concrete walls, no overhanging roofs and hurricane clamps to hold the roofs on, and hurricane shutters over all the glass sliders! We expect to be open for business within 2 weeks after power is restored to the island, however, we still do not know when that will be and there is yet another hurricane, Maria, bearing down on the Virgin Islands!

To help rebuild St John, please make a contribution to St John Rescue and keep St John on your ‘bucket’ list for the beauty of our island is amazing!

Many thanks!

Kristin and Chuck

Our hurricane shutters secured pre-Irma:

hurricane shutters

Our Webmaster and friend extraordinaire, Steve Butcher, enroute the airport last Friday:

butcher on way to Burlington airport

Saturday night, after inspecting the Villa, Steve got to watch the sun set:

butcher pool post irma

Great Expectations and St John is braced for Hurricane Irma

Great Expectations should be okay; the Villa is constructed of 8-inch thick reinforced concrete and all our outdoor furniture, hammocks, pool floats, hot tub covers and 21 hurricane shutters have been secured, thanks to our great staff, for Irma's arrival tonight! [button title="Live Webcams" icon="" icon_position="" link="/webcam" target="" color="" font_color="" large="0" class="" download="" onclick=""]

building 3 closed

closed room closed

pools closing up

pool closing up

Here are a few ways to help those on St John who will need assistance after the hurricane passes:

donate

St John Rescue:An all-volunteer non-profit organization on the small island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands dedicated to providing emergency rescue and medical support services to the St. John's EMS, Police, Fire, National Park and Health Clinic personnel.

donate st john foundation

St John Community Foundation: Created in 1989 after the devastation of Hurricane Hugo, the St. John Community Foundation has successfully been carrying out the mission of providing services and supporting programs that positively engage people, build resources and strengthen the St. John community since 1989. They continuously look for ways to fill service gaps and cultivate community assets including people, organizations, programs, and resources to effectively respond to changing needs of the community now and for future generations.

donate animal care center

St John Animal Care Center: The Animal Care Center (ACC) of St. John is located in Cruz Bay, near the library. The ACC addresses the problems of cruelty to, neglect and abuse of the island animals. The shelter provides kennels for homeless dogs and inside cages for a limited number of homeless cats. The ACC has volunteers across St John who establish and maintain feral cat feeding stations. At these locations, feral cats are trapped and taken to the local vet who tests for disease and if clear spays or neuters the cat.

Island time -- no changes 'mon

No changes 'mon in our time on St John (USVI).

No Daylight Savings time; no Standard Time; just Happy Hour Every Day Any Time!

island time

We are on Atlantic Standard Time year round!

Great Thanksgiving Day Topic --- Plan your next St John vacation & we suggest you skip the politics!

Start the New Year on St John where green magically becomes red fireworks!

Hawksnest beach (above) captured by Yelena Rogers

st john fireworks

Cruz Bay Fireworks captured by Steve Simonsen

We have another special:

Great Expectations is available for New Years Eve. The Villa is available from Saturday, December 31 through Sunday January 22nd for 20% off our standard weekly rates.

Let us know if you want to end the 'old year' and start the new one by enjoying the beauty of St John.

Contact us directly to start 2017 on St John

Get on Board with our newest Charter Boat Partner

island girl

The owners of Island Girl, a well equipped 35 foot power catamaran, are offering guests of Great Expectations a fabulous discount of 20% off their published rates. Island Girl has the capacity to comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in shaded or sunning areas. They are stepping it up and adding in some nice extras that most of the other power boats in the area do not provide. This will include an Open bar, light breakfast, snacks and a gourmet lunch cooked onboard for local waters full day trips! St John Boat Tours offers sunset trips as well as either 1/2 or full day trips to the British Virgin Islands or locally around St John. You decide for you are 'the Captain' for your trip!

st john beach

To mark the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, The Boston Globe is highlighting some of the most beautiful ones and recently published 'St John, where you'll want to park it'. The article is definitely worth the read. St John is fortunate to have 2/3's of its land mass and the waters around those areas earmarked as part of the National Park and, therefore, will be forever green and protected.

ZoZo's on 'Best Fine Dining in the Caribbean' list

zozos

Taking the second spot on the top 10 list is ZoZo’s Restaurant in Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I. the beautiful island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. This restaurant is just minutes from Cruz Bay and located within the ruins of a sugar mill built in the 1800’s. Among the stone walls and high-timbered ceilings, you will be able to watch the sun sink into the Caribbean as you enjoy some of the most highly rated food on the island. Chef Michael Fortino draws influences from recipes of his own Italian family and from the regions of Northern Italy, as well the Caribbean. Chef Michael offers fresh local fish and produce, and imports cheese, meat, spices and ingredients from around the globe to ensure all flavors are best expressed. The most popular dishes are the Fresh Pappardelle, Pistachio Crusted Local Mahi Mahi, or the Osso Buco.

We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and hope that you will let us make memories for you this coming year by visiting St John and Great Expectations!

Warm Island Regards, Kristin & Chuck, owners Great Expectations

St John -- Always Something to Do?

Enjoy our September Newsletter: A lot of people ask us what there is to do on St John. If you are an active person and always need to be on the move well, fret not, there are lots of Things To Do on St John from boating to fishing to hiking to snorkeling to paddle boarding to kayaking to...well, you get the point. Most all of our 'activities' involve the great outdoors and why not, since St John is such a beautiful island to explore.

pool float with a book

Or, you can spend your entire St John vacation right at Great Expectations floating in our pool watching the clouds float by or reading while floating around our pool, or enjoying one of our many hammocks and private patios giving you your own piece of paradise to enjoy:

Contact the Owners of Great Expectations to reserve your time on our pool float!

skippers brit pub

The Brits Have Invaded St John (and brought plenty da rum with them!)

We welcome the ‘Brits’ to Coral Bay with the opening of Skipper’s Brit Pub. They pride themselves in carrying more rums — 60 + different rums! — than any other St John restaurant or pub and great local beers (St John Brewers and Drunk Bay Brown). Located in the waterfront site of the former Sweet Plantains, get ready for a casual pub experience with great pub food.

SUP St John

Great Expectations Partners with Paddle Board & Power Boat Charter Companies

We are always looking for great new partners who will provide great service for guests of Great Expectations and this month we would like to introduce you, at least virtually, to an outfit -- SUP St John -- that offers Paddle Board rentals delivered directly to Great Expectations (lessons, if desired, including Paddle Board Yoga in our pool at Great Expectations!), and Power Boat Charters, Rockin Hoppin, on their pretty spiffy Regulator with Twin Yamaha 250s (yes, this is a fast boat!). It is 32 foot long and has forward-facing, cushioned seating and provides a comfortable, stable, usually dry ride from rock to rock. Their powerboat has plenty of space and extras like colored exterior lights, sound system with iphone connector, GPS, chart plotter etc. They offer great discounts for guests of Great Expectations which makes a great day on the water even sweeter.

rockin hoppin

We have had a wonderful summer on St John at Great Expectations celebrating marriages, 50th anniversaries, and significant birthdays. Let us make memories for you this coming year!

Warm Island Regards, Kristin & Chuck, owners Great Expectations

St John makes the New York Times list of '52 Places to Visit in 2016'

St John's Coral Bay

St John is listed in the #4 position on the New York Times list of the '52 Places to Visit in 2016'. And, no wonder. Here is what they say about St John:

St. John

Visit the U.S. Virgin Island’s quiet corner before big development. The beaches are less crowded, the emphasis is on local over commercial, and the people share a friendly sense of neighborhood pride. Among the town’s attractions: monthly full-moon parties at Miss Lucy’s, and a Thanksgiving “Thankspigging” pot luck pig roast hosted by the community at Skinny Legs, where the eating often swells into a singalong. But this quiet community may soon change. Visit before a proposed outlet mall and megamarina, expected to engulf the bay, transforms the laid-back atmosphere of this little corner of the United States Virgin Islands.

Santa Should Bring You a St John Villa Trip for Christmas

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!

The Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner Table Conversation Topic -- St John!

Winter 'Soon Come' to St John

Your beach chairs await

What better topic to have during Thanksgiving with friends and family than 'when do you want to go to St John?' It is a great time to plan your next trip to Great Expectations. Take a look at our calendar and let us know when we can host you next!

November St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• The Crucian Contessa recently posted a great write-up about salt harvested from St John's very own Salt Pond which produces salt crystals due to its proximity to a windward bay and its distance from any rainwater runoff. The posting tells of how salt forms and is harvested. The salt actually grows from the bottom of the pond and has a pinkish hue that comes from the brined shrimp in the water.

• Roaming around Cruz Bay is getting a bit easier with a new, convenient parking lot coming in the former location of First Bank on the corner across from Connections and Woody's. Island drums (aka, local rumor) has it that a paid parking lot will be available on the same space, until permanent plans for the space are determined.

• We look forward to hosting your family reunion, birthday or anniversary celebration, wedding celebration, or your friendly get-away. Contact us directly and we will help make your vacation a trip to remember!

Preparing for Fall & Winter - You compared to St. John

How do you want to prepare for Fall and Winter?

snowblowers and rakes

or 

paddle boards and pool floats

What's your choice?

Fall has officially arrived and sweaters are at the ready. We have noticed that Christmas decorations are already for sale at the stores so the winter's snow cannot be far behind! Fear not, there is relief available -- plan your next trip to St John. Just having a reservation 'in your pocket' will warm your hearts and help get you through those long, cold nights. Contact ustoday to find out about availability at Great Expectations, rated the #1 villa on St John. We only have 3 weeks available this Winter and 4 weeks available next Summer. If you are planning to come with a large group you might also want to schedule time now for 2017! It is never too early to reserve time at Great Expectations.

October St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• The federal government is making flying out of the St Thomas (STT) airport a tad bit easier. We understand that passengers are no longer required to fill out Custom Forms when going through US Customs. Mind you, passengers still have to go through Customs and the Customs official will ask you the same questions that are on the form. We guess the Government just wants to save a few trees in the process.

• Having saved a moment or two by not filling out a form, American Airlines is taking it from us! We understand from the same source (On-StJohn) that if you are flying American Airlines and are to check a bag departing the St Thomas airport, American Airlines is advising all their passengers to arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to departure. Starting this month their ticket counter will reportedly close 90 minutes prior to the flight departure time! Bring that good beach book with you so you can occupy your time waiting for your plane to depart and try some of the great local dishes available at the restaurant in the airport waiting room or do some last minute duty-free shopping for liquor, perfume, or jewelry in the waiting area shops.

• Speaking of great eating and shopping, News of St John reports that two new restaurants and a new store have opened in Cruz Bay on St John. They are:

  • The Dock - Located at the former Cafe Livin' and will be operated by the popular High Tide Restaurant

  • Extra Virgin - Located at the location of the former Fatty Crab Restaurant. Extra Virgin will offer small plates, salads and entrees ranging from $32 - $38. They will also emphasize fresh herbs and ingredients.

  • Just Beach - Located in Mongoose Junction Just Beach has all your 'go to' beach items including snorkel gear (to purchase or rent), sunscreen, sunglasses and, of course, practical beachwear. The owner is a long time St John resident who also owns and manages several other successful retail outlets including Island Fancy and Bougainvillea Shop.

7 Nights on St John for the Price of 5 and Hundreds of Dollars of Gift Certificates (for dining and rental cars)

Enjoy our September newsletter and check out these savings!

2 free nights and up to $500 in discounts at shops, restaurants and car rentals this fall!

 St John's waters are crystal clear and the beaches pure white as captured by Steve Simonsen

Great Expectations, the #1 vacation rental as rated by travelers on Trip Advisor, has partnered with the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism to offer our guests great deals this Fall.

For any new reservation made this month to stay at Great Expectations from September 1 to November 15, 2015, we are offering 7 nights for the price of 5 and the Virgin Island's Department of Tourism will provide up to $500 in retail, dining, and car rental certificates!

Some of St John's best restaurants are participating in the Tourism VI NICE promotion including: High Tide, The Beach Bar, The Tap Room, and Caneel Bay's Beach Bar & Grill, Beach Terrace, Equator and Turtle Bay Estate.  Other St John shops and stores for whom the Department of Tourism is also offering certificates are: Virgin Islands Ecotours, Little Switzerland, Brewtique, The Beach Bar Shop, and Hot Look Sunglasses. Last, but not least, you can even receive certificates through this Department of Tourism program for car rentals from Budget and Discount Car Rental on St Thomas.

Come this Fall to swim in the beautiful waters of St John or lounge in one of the pools (we have 3 plus a wading pool for the little ones) at Great Expectations:

September St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• St John made Yahoo Travel's '10 National Parks that have the Best Beaches' list. This is not a surprise to anybody who has already visited St John since one beach is more beautiful than the next! With over 30 beaches on St John, the toughest daily decision is which one to visit!

• Summer make-overs have been in the works at several St John businesses. The Morgan Mango Restaurant, which was gutted by fire this past spring, is being totally rebuilt. Dolphin Market is being upgraded with new coolers and freezers as well as additional space for fresh vegetables and cheeses.

• Tropical Storm Erika almost came directly over St John this past week but, fortunately, at the last minute she jogged to the west and went significantly south of us dropping essentially no rain but 60 mile an hour gusts. You can watch weather come and go live on our St John webcam. It is the same view looking east over Rendezvous Bay, the Caribbean Sea and Bordeaux Mountain as our guests have from our Great Room.

• Check Great Expectations' availability calendar for 2016. We have only 3 weeks available this coming winter and 5 weeks available for next summer. Contact us today to secure your reservation! We will be happy to work with you to accommodate your needs. Our goal, always, is to meet or exceed, your expectations!

Best,

Kristin & Chuck 

owners of 

Great Expectations

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news about Great Expectations specials & St John activities

For your car:

For your reading pleasure:

For your listening pleasure:

New Years eve on St John in the middle of the summer?

Exclusively for our newsletter subscribers -- a rare opportunity to spend New Year's Eve on St John!

St John's Steve Simonsen captures the beauty of St John including traditional fireworks on New Year's Eve (and did we point out, no snow, no ice, no cold)!

Great Expectations rarely gets a cancellation, but we have just received one for this coming New Year's week from Saturday, December 26 - Saturday, January 2, 2016.  The rental rate for New Years week is $21,000 (plus tax and security) for up to 16 people;  contact us for details. What better way to end a year or start a new one than on St John?

Maybe Santa has a Christmas present waiting for you on St John this year!

Summer St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• St John makes the '10 Best Caribbean Islands' list of Travel & Leisure and says "once visitors arrive, they’ll find gorgeous, sun-baked beaches, a massive national park that covers nearly two-thirds of the island, thriving coral reefs and friendly locals. Travel to St. John for a taste of the good life and look at the epitome of Caribbean beauty".

• New hot sauce on St John? Sure sounds like it, but 'Kick 'em Jenny' is actually an active submarine volcano on the Caribbean floor near the Grenadines (not to worry it is some 500+ miles south of the Virgin Islands) which has recently been rumbling again worrying scientists that it could cause havoc to local ships and waters. The volcano's recent activity has caused authorities to raise the alert level to Orange, which is the second-highest rating.

• Speaking of Christmas presents that represent St John, here is a link to St John photographer extraordinare Steve Simonsen's 2016 St John calendar which is filled with one luscious photo after another from sea turtles to aerial shots of St John each picture will leave you yearning to return (or come explore for your first time).

• Check Great Expectations' 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 as best we can. Our goal, always, is to meet or exceed, your expectations!

Summertime is Time to Plan Your Winter Trip to St John!

Enjoy Summer? Plan your Trip to St John this Winter!

The Warm Waters of St John will be waiting for you

We are actively planning our winter and spring seasons and Great Expectations is already getting pretty booked so the time is now if you don't want to be left out in the cold next winter! We have a couple of weeks currently available in mid-January, about 10 days in March, and a couple of weeks in April.

June St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• $300 in savings! Yes, reserve your trip during the month of May at Great Expectations and not only do you get a wonderful villa at a great value, but because we are partnering with the US Virgin Island's Tourism Department you will be eligible for $200 worth of dining certificates and $100 certificates for St John (or St Thomas) shopping. Travel has to be completed by October 31, 2015.

• Great Expectations has partnered with Aqua Blu Car Rental to provide our guests rental cars at a great value (read for that -- at a discount!). This multi-generational family owned firm has a wonderful reputation for providing great service. They also provide taxi service so why think about driving to or home from dinner when you can arrange to have your own driver! Check them out and we think you will be pleased.

• If you have wandered around St John before you inevitably have 'met' some of the wild donkeys that roam our lands (and roads). As you can imagine, as with any type of creature, they often need help whether it is a broken bone or nutrition. Recently it has been unusually dry and the need has been as simple as getting them water. If you want to help our donkeys please consider sending a contribution to the St John Animal Care Center (and earmark your contribution to the 'donkey fund'), or to Diana Bartlett of Carolina Corrals who volunteers her time to rescue and feed donkeys. She is in desperate need of a truck and has established a Go Fund Me site to help raise money for the truck.

• Speaking of donkeys, Carolina Corrals will soon be offer St John riding lessons. Diana Bartlett has been working hard to build a 60' x 120' riding arena where she will offer horse -- and donkey -- riding lessons. This should provide fun for children as well as adults.

• If you are looking for an off-beat thing to do while on St John, think about heading out to Salt Pond in Coral Bay to harvest some sea salt. Yes, people are actually doing just that on St John these days and using it on their food and it tastes just like...salt! This is not an every day occurrence since the waters need to be low in order for the extra salt to accumulate along the shoreline so take advantage of this phenomenon until the rains come and replenish our waters.

• 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!

St Thomas USVI Carnival 2015 - Culture to the Extreme

April 2015 News from St. John

Rx to Survive Winter

Enjoy the winter winds -- St John style

Congratulations - you survived the winter of all winters. Spring has finally sprung in most places in the country. Now is the time to reward yourself for having survived the 'winter that would not quit' by planning a trip to St John for this year or even better, next winter.  As a reward, we are offering a 20% off discount for our June openings; check our currently availability to secure your piece of mind.

We recently received this photo from a recent guest (who has already booked his return trip). He captured this picture at Great Expectationsthe morning of his 50th birthday. We sure think he found his pot of gold on St John. Hopefully, you will as well!

March St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• St John's Honeymoon beach made the Condé Nast's 'Top 10 Beaches for Chillin' by saying: Located within the Virgin Islands National Park, Honeymoon Beach is one of the seven beaches that make up the Caneel Bay Resort. It's arguably the loveliest and also hardest to get to; the only means of access is via boat or a mile-long hike. But it’s worth the trek: Besides the requisite ivory sand and crystalline waters, you’re rewarded with views of St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands.

• ABC News reported that St John's Maho Bay made Trip Advisor's 'Top 10 Traveler's Choice Caribbean Beaches' A TripAdvisor reviewer said, "The snorkeling is absolutely amazing. Huge sea turtles, schools of fish and stingrays are just some of the sea life found regularly here in Maho Bay. It's a postcard like setting with some of the coolest palm trees you'll find anywhere in the world. In my opinion this is the best place on the island to take pictures. Don't visit St. John without checking out Maho Bay".

• One of St John's most important volunteer groups is asking for our help. St John Rescue is often the first on the scene to help a victim of a car or boating accident, a lost or injured hiker, or just about any other sort of emergency one can think of happening - day or night. A couple of weeks ago they were at the scene of a very bad accident and rescued a truck driver, by cutting open the bottom of the truck with their Jaws of Life, saving his life. Unfortunately, during the process the Jaws of Life was destroyed. The St John community is rallying together to help raise monies to fund a new critically needed Jaws of Life for St John Rescue. Please consider supporting this initiative by donating on-line through Go Fund Me.

• 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!

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!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news about Great Expectations specials & St John activities

St John Blues Blowout Festival in ON!

The  St. John Blues Society was formed by co-founding members Ronnie Klingsberg (AKA owner of Ronnie's Pizza) and Ian Samuels along with Symone' James and Stephanie Whitener.  They partnered with the Rotary Club of St. John who helped sponsor the event and all donations to the St. John Blues Blowout are tax deductible.

The blues fans were inspired to organize the concert in order to bring some great music to the island but also to benefit the community of St. John.  This year the proceeds from the St. John Blues Blowout will benefit the St. John School of the Arts and Sprauve School.  Funds will go to provide much needed scholarships to St. John students to attend the School of the arts and keep the music alive and to provide funds to support projects at Spauve School.

Upcoming Events

The St. John Blues Society

: Get ready for the blues, Love City the second annual St. John Blues Blowout is coming your way!

When:

 Saturday, March 28, 2015  5pm until ???

Where:

 Winston Wells Ball Park, St. John, US Virgin Islands

Artists:

 Biscuit Miller, Lydia Warren, The Backtrack Blues Band and Mitch Woods.

Tickets are $35

in advance and will be available at various retailers on island or $40 at the gate.