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!

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.

What Is It Like To Spend a Week On St John? Check Out: 'One day -- St John'

We often are asked 'what is it like to spend a week on St John?'

Well, this video is a great answer! It was recently sent to us by a guest who stayed at Great Expectations over this last Thanksgiving. Luckily for us, our guest Don Hyde, is a principle of EVP Marketing & Media. Check it out, I think you will feel the love and fun they had on St John:

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!

The Only 'Shoes' Needed in Our Closet on St John

If you feel the same head on to

St John

to warm your toes.....

November 2014 News

St John Offers Amazing Sunset Views

The Sun and Clouds Melt into the Pool at Great Expectations 

It is often said that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and that could not be more true when talking about St John's vistas. No one captures them better than the award winning St John photographer Steve Simonsen. This past week Steve and his wife and partner Janet Simonsen spent several hours at Great Expectations capturing some of our views and taking photographs of the Villa. We will soon be adding these photos to our website, however, we thought you might enjoy seeing a couple of his photos.

We understand that all 50 states experienced freezing temperatures this week (and the Buffalo area a record 7' of snow) so we hope that these pictures warm you and motivate you to contact us today to reserve your spot (on your lounge chair) in the sun.

 Come join us as we Watch the Sun Set 

November St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park's 6th Annual On-Line Auction opened on November 15 and will be available for bidding until December 7 at 9 PM. There are over 70 items including great meals, artwork, boat trips, and lots of other great items to bid on all while supporting one of St John's great organizations.

• St John Tradewinds reports that the newly opened North Shore Deli (in same spot as the very popular Deli Grotto) is serving up some mighty fine looking and tasting sandwiches including mouth-watering slow roasted meats, vegan and healthy options are also on the menu as are the old time favorite homemade breads and coconut bars (so yummy they are called 'crack bars').

• The 8-Tuff Miles Race has now partnered with the St John Cancer Fund and it has morphed into the 8-Tuff Miles Festival Week starting on February 21 with an all night 'Light Up the Night' family event followed the next weekend with a Pasta in the Park feast at Cruz Bay Landing on the eve of the race which is scheduled for 7:15 AM February 28. Join in to celebrate all who walked or ran at the awards ceremony at 5:30 PM at Mongoose Junction. The Festival Week will be capped off on March 1st at the Oppenheimer Recovery Party. Proceeds from the Festival will support the St John Cancer Fund.

• Getting ready to reopen is Joe's RumHut at Wharfside. More seating and an expanded menu will make this spot even more popular this winter.

• Joe's Diner has closed and will be reopened this winter. The new incarnation will be The Longboard. The owners describe their menu offerings as "coastal cantina" which is best described as Caribbean meets SoCal. According to the owners, they will offer 'affordable' craft drinks and a fresh, healthy and affordable menu and lots of open seating along the street for great people watching.

• Lets talk turkey! As you gather together with your family and friends this holiday season it is a great time to start planning your next trip to St John. Since Great Expectations is completely booked this winter it is never too early to plan your next trip. 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 Waters are full of Fabulous Fall Colors

This photo is courtesy of Steve Simonsen who captures the beauty of St John's sea life.  If you like to

scuba or snorkel

, there are plenty of operators to take you to their favorite spots. Even if you are not a 'water' person there have a

Glass Bottom boat

to show you the wonders of the sea on their reef tours.

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!

Mark Your Calendars for Coral Bay's Bizarre Bazaar

Trunk Bay is Beautiful & Calming Even After a Passing Storm

St John's Fabulous Photographer Steve Simonsen's video of Trunk Bay the morning after Hurricane Gonzalo passed by our shores. Luckily, the storm was kinder to us than to Bermuda!

St John Battens Down as Tropical Storm Gonzalo Approaches

This is the last bit of sun and blue sky we will see until Tropical Storm Gonzalo passes by St John...watch the storm live on our St John webcam:

UPDATE as of 10 AM -- cisterns are now filling!

Halloween on St John is Always Fun But This Year it is Being Kicked Up a Bunch!

All Roads Lead to St John

Enjoy our September newsletter:

 The views go on forever and ever

St John's remote East End 

If you are a beach goer, St John can be your slice of heaven or, as many say, your happy place. Take your pick of nearly 40 beaches around the island and place your towel down for the day. But, even if you are not a beach goer, St John can be your happy place as well. In addition to (or instead of) lying on the beach, there are so many things to do on St John it might just make your head spin. Our fabulous property manager, Coby Cooper, having lived on and sailed the waters of St John for many years is a wealth of information and ideas of activities and can advise you based on what you and your group might enjoy. Here are just a few ideas for filling your day...

• Take a road trip out to the East End of St John. As Steve Simonsen's photo (above) depicts, the vistas are magnificent and the roads are windy, but fun to drive as long as you watch out for the donkeys and goats that freely roam the roads. Plan on stopping by Vie's Snack Shop for some of her scrumptious fried chicken and Johnny Cakes or conch fritters, then keep on heading east to stop by Sloop Jones to browse his magnificent wearable art which reflect the wonderful colors of the Caribbean. If you want to try your hand at creating your own 'Sloop Jones' piece of wearable art, plan on attending one of his workshops. On the way back to Great Expectations, you might want to stop off in Coral Bay at the Skinny Legs complex to play a game of horse-shoes or just hang out in a Jimmy Buffett environment.

• Take a boat trip. There are tons of options from renting a paddle board, dinghy, or kayak to being chauffeured around the waters of St John in one of the many charter sail or power boats. We have arranged with a number of the charter outfits to give our guests a discount so check out the outdoor activities and have a great day on the water.

• Take a hike. If you are too antsy to sit on the beach, bring your hiking shoes to St John with you and head out to any one of over40 hiking trails. Some of the hikes are quite challenging and others are just downright breathtakingly beautiful! One of our recent guests e-mailed me this photo taken while they were hiking the Reef Bay trail proving that St John is even beautiful when it rains:

Rains last month from Tropical Storm Bertha created fabulous waterfalls

Or, just take the day off and do nothing at all! Hang out at the Villa - lounge in the infinity pool, arrange to have an afternoon massage (no need to leave the villa for that!), and take a nap. Vacation time should be time to relax and recharge and St John is the perfect venue for doing just that!

September St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• Islands Magazine included St John's Maho Beach in their '20 Beach Photos That Will Make you Were There Right Now' as well as their '7 Easy Three-Day Getaways Every Traveler Needs to Take' lists. Why is it easy? Islands reports that there are 10 airlines that fly daily non-stop to St Thomas where it is then breezy (literally and figuratively) ferry ride from Red Hook to St John. Why Is St John Exotic? Islands reports that this Virgin isle is small on development and big on nature: Its national parkland covers two-thirds of the island. Jungle trails wend past petroglyphs and hermit crabs unfazed by curious guests. The park even extends underwater for 5,600 acres — see 225 yards of it on Trunk Bay’s snorkeling trail, where damselfish slide through sea fans and parrotfish glow almost neon. Afterward, nearby Cruz Bay awaits with coconut shrimp and mango coladas (made with local Cruzan rum) at Morgan’s Mango.

• Life Cheat Sheet named St John on their 'Forget the Passports - 7 Best US Islands to Visit' list.

• Destination Weddings named St John's Trunk Bay one of the '12 Best Caribbean Beaches for Weddings' list.

• New partner - new savings! This month we partnered with another wonderful charter boat to extend our guests a 10% discount. Sail into yesteryear on this magnificent 84' foot 'pirate' ship aptly named Goddess Athena. She is large enough to take your whole group out for a sunset sail or a full day on the waters. Check her and some of our other wonderful sailboat options for a wonderful day on the waters.

• Special savings of $2,876!Great Expectations is already totally reserved this winter season with the exception of the last six nights of 'High Season': Sunday, April 12 - Saturday, April 18, 2015. To celebrate spring ('soon come') we have decided to offer this six night period for 'Low Season' rates saving you $2,876! Contact us today to take advantage of this savings!

As you can see from our availability calendar, Great Expectations is already reserved for almost all of this winter (with only 6 nights remaining available) and much of next spring and summer. 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.  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 much has changed and much has stayed the same

Our August newsletter for your reading enjoyment:

 St John -- before and now

St John's Cruz Bay in the mid 1950's 

One of our favorite St John organizations, the St John Historical Society, has just relaunched their wonderful website with a treasure trove of historical pictures.

While there is no doubt Cruz Bay - and St John - have both changed significantly over the last few decades, much has also stayed the same. Thanks largely to the generosity of Laurance Rockefeller, in 1956 just a year after the above picture was taken, the Virgin Islands National Park was created ensuring that about 2/3's of St John is forever protected from development. In contrast, pictured below, thanks to our friend Steve Simonsen, is Cruz Bay today -- still a quaint and friendly town where baby chickens (and people) roam freely.

Cruz Bay is just as wonderful as days long ago

August St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• Condé Nast Traveler announced their 'Reader Choice' awards and St John was among their 'Top 25 Islands in the World' along with some other great islands like New England's Nantucket, Maldives and Seychelles both in the Indian Ocean, Canada's Prince Edward and Vancouver Islands, and several other magical places around this world. While these 'other' islands are wonderful destinations not many of them are as easy to get to and offer fabulous weather year round as our very own St John! Condé Nast's readers found: the "natural beauty" of St. John to be unparalleled. Most of the island is a preserved national park, allowing visitors to enjoy the "emerald green beaches" and exotic "native fauna and flora." Bounce around the numerous cays in a kayak, or snorkel at Trunk Bay, where you might end up swimming "with a hawksbill turtle."Here is their actual rating for St John: > Scenery: 94.1 > Friendliness: 85.5 > Atmosphere: 90.4 > Restaurants: 73.3 > Lodging: 82.0 > Activities: 83.6 > Beaches: 92.3

• USA Today also published its '10 Best Bucket-List Beaches' and St John's Virgin Islands National Park made the list with the following write-up: From tropical forests to an underwater snorkeling trail, this 19-square-mile park offers visitors a chance to explore one of the Caribbean's best-preserved natural areas. The park covers more than half of the island, and includes the popular Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay beaches, which rent water sports gear, and have guest facilities. Elsewhere there's kayaking, sailing, hiking and camping.

• As you can tell, we are hooked on all things St John. Let us again share some of our favorite St John forums, blogs, and news links so you, too, can bookmark and enjoy them: - Virgin Islands On Line/St John Forum - Trip Advisor/ St John Forum - St John Source - News of St John - On-St John - St John Tradewinds - See St John - Virgin Islands News (have to also include our Blog!)

US News and World Names the US Virgin Islands 'The #1 Place to Visit in the Caribbean'!

Each year the

US News and World Report

issues a ranking of 'best places to visit in the Caribbean' and this year's #1 slot went to the US Virgin Islands! They say the USVI won the #1 spot for its pristine beaches, accessible tourist sites, predictable weather and comfortable accommodations are all considerable factors. Based on those criteria, user votes and expert insight, U.S. News compiled the list below to help you choose your next Caribbean getaway.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are "America's Caribbean Paradise" — the place to see moko jumbies dance at a Carnival parade, hear the lilting patois of a Creole dialect or smell the spices in a saltfish pate (all without losing cell phone reception). You can visit either St. Thomas, St. John [our personal favorite!] or St. Croix, or better yet, spend a little time on all three islands. That way you'll get plenty of pampering, undisturbed nature and colonial history jammed into one vacation. And bonus: you can pay for everything with U.S. dollars.

Each island offers something different. Called "Rock City" for its hilly, craggy horizon,

St. Thomas

is known for luxury — from the mega-yachts moored in the harbor to the high-end storefronts along Main Street. Located a short ferry-ride east,

St. John

appeals to honeymooners and nature lovers, with more than 7,000 acres of dedicated parkland plus surrounding pristine beaches. Way down south in the Caribbean Sea, less-visited

St. Croix

has sugar cane plantations and rum distilleries that offer a glimpse into both the past and the present of the Virgin Islands.

Last year, the U.S. Virgin Islands was in fifth place. The territory consistently has claimed a spot on the best places to visit in the Caribbean list during the years, though it is the first time that it has scored the No. 1 position.

"We're proud to be recognized as the top-ranked Caribbean destination, and honored to know that it was from the recommendations of our visitors and the U.S. News & World Report's editorial staff," said V.I. Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. "This recognition further illustrates our increased focus and work with partners to provide world-class tourism offerings that create long-lasting impressions."

To be fair, we will list the other islands on the list (below the USVI, of course!):

2. Cayman Islands

3. St. Kitts and Nevis

4. Barbados

5. St. Martin-St. Maarten

6. St. Lucia

7. British Virgin Islands

8. Turks & Caicos

9. Bahamas

10. St. Barts

11. Aruba

12. Curacao

13. Grenada

14. St. Vincent and

the Grenadines

15. Bermuda

16. Dominica

Beneath the Waters Where St John is Truly Magical

 Turtles, squid, puffer fish, and even nurse sharks! CBS Sunday Morning featured St John's underwater beauty in this video

We always enjoy it when St John is featured in the national press. If you are a fan of the CBS Sunday Morning program - and of St John - you will love how they ended last week's program with a wonderful underwater video of St John waters.

No one captures the beauty of St John - at sea level, in the air, or below sea level - better than St John photographer Steve Simonsen. Below is one of his latest shots. We love that Steve captures the sky from underwater. The colors are wonderful and check out the school of fish under the coral!

Steve Simonsen's photo of the beauty in the waters off Hawksnest beach

June St John news flashes & fun St John clips:

• Best of VI on St John for 2014sponsored by the Virgin Islands Daily News was announced this month (this seems pretty unusual for our laid-back island life since we are not even though half of 2014!) and produced some interesting results including some newcomers. Some of the highlights are:- Best Private Chef: Mathayom Private Chefs - Chef Mat is a favorite with our guests at Great Expectations (and we also love he offers our guests a discount!) - Best Home Builder: Carlson Construction - Carlson Construction has done fabulous work around Great Expectations having recently installed connecting doors between 2 sets of bedrooms and our very popular new infinity swimming pool and the fabulous new mahogany shelving and sea-glass bar counter in our Great Room.- Best Charter Boat & Day Sail: Wayward Sailor- Best Day Sail: Calypso (a great outfit which offers a Great Expectations guest discount!)- Best Beach: Cinnamon Bay- Best Dive Excursion: Low Key Watersports (another great outfit that gives guests of Great Expectations fabulous deals)

       - 

Best Ecotourism

: 

Virgin Islands Ecotours

       - 

Best Kayak Tours

: 

Arawak Kayak Tours

- Best Local Band: Inner Visions

- Best Stand Up Paddle-boarding: Arawak Kayak Tours

- Best Tourist Activities: Virgin Islands National Park

- Best Water Sports: Cruz Bay Watersports

- Best Breakfast: Jakes Restaurant

- Best Bakery: Baked in the Sun

- Best Bar: Woody's

- Best Bar with Live Music: High Tide

- Best Barbecue:Candies BBQ

- Best Beach Bar: High Tide Restaurant

- Best Bread: Sam & Jack's Deli

- Best Catering: Katilady Catering

- Best Coffee Espresso: Sam & Jack's Deli

- Best Creative Cuisine: Morgan's Mango

- Best Deli: Starfish Market

- Best Dessert/Sweets: St John Scoops

- Best Dining View: Chateau Bordeaux

- Best Family Restaurant: Miss Lucy's

- Best Gourmet Dining:La Tapa

- Best Hamburgers: Shipwreck Landing

- Best Happy Hour: Joe's Rum Hut

- Best Retail Liquor: Pine Peace Market

- Best Lunch: Ocean Grill

- Best New Restaurant: Virgin Fire

- Best Photographer: Steve Simonsen (no surprise here!)

- Best Wedding Coordinator: Island Style Weddings

Let the St John Festival Begin: Dancing, Drums, Food Will be Plentiful!

Last minute change of location.

NEW LOCATION

is the

CRUZ BAY PARK

and, don't forget that earlier in the day the first-ever-hopefully-annual

St John Beach Festival!

Where better to have a Beach Festival than St John -- home of the world's best beaches! The party is ON this weekend!

This

Saturday, May 31

- Come and enjoy the first annual Beach Bar Beach Fest - a fun filled day on the Wharfside Village Beach celebrating our eclectic little paradise island.

Starting at noon, events will be held all day for the kids, and events all night for us big kids. Our beach will be filled with face painters, caricature artists, popcorn and cotton candy, traditional Caribbean story telling (1PM), Moko Jumbie, fire dancers, limbo dancers, fire breathers, beach massages, traditional arts and crafts.

Ferries back to St Thomas at 12:30 AM, 01:30 AM and 02:30 AM. And then...DON DILEGO & BREE SHARP are playing ON THE BEACH at 9PM! This is gonna ROCK!!