Somewhere in the Sun - USVI (St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix)

Trip Date - August 2024

Number of Days - 12

Who went - Jenn & Terry

We spent 12 amazing days visiting all 3 USVI (St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix). We had a blast experiencing the different vibes on each island while soaking in the beauty. We started in St. John then spent a few days in St. Thomas before heading to St. Croix.

St. John

Getting around the islands

We flew into St. Thomas and rented a Jeep from the airport. Alternatively, you can arrange the ferry to St. John and rent a car there (we would definitely recommend having a Jeep to maximize your visit, you will want the 4x4). Keep in mind that they drive on the "wrong side of the road" (left side) in USVI, although the steering wheel stays on the left side of the car.

We took the Red Hook car ferry to St. John. A few things to note - be sure you have cash on hand, you'll need it for the ferry. We were able to pull up 5 minutes before the Ferry departed, but I imagine if it were a busier season you would want to be there with more time to spare as there is limited space.

We returned the car near the ferry to. St. Croix, and then rented a different car in St. Croix. Note - we would not do this again. The ferry was smaller then anticipated and it was a very bumpy (and uncomfortable) 2.5 hour ride. If you're going to St. Croix - take a flight.

Days 1 - 6 St. John (STJ) We loved every minute of our time in St. John. There is a great balance of activities to stay busy and beaches to lounge on. The vibes are laid back and the people were amazing. Where we stayed - We stayed at the Westin St. John, which we would definitely recommend. Our room had a kitchen which was convenient for breakfast and snacks and we loved ending most days lounging by the large pool. I will note that the food at the hotel was overpriced and not very good. We had our first dinner and our first breakfast at the hotel and quickly realized that wasn't going to be a good option. There are so many great food options on the island (see below) - don't waste a meal eating at the hotel.

On the beach at the Westin

We got groceries the first day from the Starfish Market, which is very well appointed and includes a liquor store. There is a smaller market within walking distance of the hotel, but since we had a car we never visited. We were told it is a decent option. It is very easy to catch a cab from the hotel to Cruz Bay(and beyond). The cabs are like trams that carry people all over the island. Since we had a car, we only used the cabs to go to Cruz Bay for dinner (way easier than parking). It costs $7/person each way.

What we did (in order of recommendation): Lime Out - Easily our favorite outing of the trip. Lime Out is a floating taco bar that requires a charter boat to visit. We took one from this outfit in Coral Bay, which was easy and fun. The tacos were amazing (the Shrimp Taco was our favorite!) and the Danger (a spicy watermelon margarita) was my favorite cocktail (maybe ever). DO NOT miss this experience, we still talk about it all the time. Tip - Get a dry bag for your phone. I didn't have one, so didn't take a phone and have have no pictures. I wish I did! (Note - there is a Lime Inn in Cruz Bay. If you can't make it to Lime Out, at least you can try the Danger here!)

Day at Jost Van Dyke - I spent a lot of time researching how to spend a day at JVD (British Virgin Islands), and we considered renting a private boat for island hopping. In the end, we decided to just take the passenger ferry, because we really just wanted to spend the day at the Soggy Dollar Cafe. With more people, a private charter could make more sense. Either way, we loved our day (and the painkillers!) in JVD. It's super easy to catch a cab to/from the ferry. Just be sure to bring your passport!

Chilling in White Bay

Home of the original Painkiller 🧉

Beach time! - The beaches are the real draw in St. John, and they are breaktakingly beautiful. Terry's favorite was Cinnamon Bay, my favorite was Maho. I also really enjoyed snorkel trail at Trunk Bay (although the beach was quite crowded, even in the off season). All 3 beaches are inside the St. John National Park and include services (food, drinks, beach equipment, bathrooms). Trunk Bay required an admission fee (so bring your America the Beautiful pass if you have one - we forgot ours at home!) Be sure to plan days with nothing to do but sit in the crystal clear water. You will not regret it.

Maho Bay

Cinnamon Bay

Snorkeling Excursion - We originally booked a snorkeling trip that included a visit to Pizza Pi, but the restaurant ended up closing early for the season. Our tour outfitter pivoted to their National Park snorkeling trip which was a lot of fun. We snorkeled in Caneel Bay and Leinster Bay - lots of great fish and even a few turtles!

Catamaran Sunset Cruise - Departing from the Westin, we had a beautiful sunset cruise. Light appetizers and drinks were served onboard.

Caramaran Ride

Reef Bay Trail - We like to hike, and I'm always looking for a good trail while we are on vacation. This is one we would not do again. The trail started from the road and lead to a private beach... all downhill through the rain forest. Maybe it's because it was extremely humid and we got rained on, but the payoff here was minimal. We visited much nicer beaches on our trip and it just felt like a muddy walk through the woods.

Reef Bay Trail

Where we ate (in order of recommendation): The food on St. John was amazing. There really is something for everyone. The main hub is Cruz Bay, which is where we spent most nights. But having a car allowed us to get to Coral Bay and to the interior of the island, which had some great gems! Extra Virgin Bistro - One of the best meals of the trip. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the three-course tasting menu. The Wild Mushroom Pappardelle was to die for. This is a splurge that is worth it! Morgan's Mango - It would be impossible to spend anytime researching food in St. John and not discover Morgan's Mango. We booked for a lobster night (Tuesdays & Saturdays), but they unfortunately did not get lobster that day. Terry and I both enjoyed the catch of the day which was delicious. The open air atmosphere and tasty cocktails make this a must do on the island.

Catch of the Day at Morgan’s Mango

Skinny Legs - We ventured to Coral Bay for the burgers at Skinny Legs... and they didn't disappoint. Super casual, tasty and affordable.

Delicious burger at Skinny Legs

The Longboard - We sat at the bar for fun cocktails and great atmosphere. We shared a few plates (the mahi sliders were delicious)... there were so many things on this menu that looked good. This is the kind of place you could dress up or down for - we would definitely go back!

Mahi sliders at Longboard

The Windmill Bar - The views here are better than the food (which was good, but not great). The cocktails and the service were superb. We hit the Windmill Bar after our hike to Reef Bay, and ended up riding out a pretty nasty storm behind the bar. Definitely a cool experience!

Riding the storm out…

High Tide - We visited High Tide twice - once for dinner, once for breakfast. Dinner was good, breakfast was better. The location here is key... right next to the passenger ferry (and the Ocean Surfari excursion shop), and right on the beach. Casual, easy and fun.

Dinner at High Tide

Cruz Bay Landing - We stopped here and had a yummy lunch after a morning of shopping. The Fish and Chips were yummy!

Cruz Bay Landing Fish & Chips

The Banana Deck - We had average steaks at the Banana Deck. Frankly, I'd skip dinner here and just come for dessert. The banana caramel cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried is as good as it sounds!

Days 7 - 9 St. Thomas (STT) St. Thomas may be close to St. John, but the vibe is totally different. As a busy cruise ship port, it's clear this island sees more people and and has a much more commercial vibe. We spent most of our time in St. Thomas at our hotel (which we loved), but did venture out to do a few things as well.

Magens Bay Overlook

Ahoy Matey! (At Mountain Top)

Where we stayed - We stayed at the Morningstar Bouy Haus Beach Resort (a Marriott Autograph hotel), which was amazing. The boutique hotel opened in 2023 and was perfect for a couple of low-key days. We loved the quiet pool overlooking the beach and spent hours lounging in the sun. One note - the service at the pool bar was bad. It was slow, unfriendly and inconsistent. We found that going to the bar at the restaurant next to the pool yielded much better results.

Bouy House Pool

Tip = I was told that the island (and the beaches, which we did not explore) can be overrun on cruise ship days. I figured out that the Sykride to Paradise Point was only open on cruise ship days. It helped me plan our trip to maximize the more quiet days.

The hotel shares amenities with the Westin (quick shuttle ride), including the spa which we took advantage of. Definitely something I would recommend!

Where we ate (in order of recommendation): With limited time on St. Thomas (and a bit of a lazy attitude when it came to leaving the hotel), our experiences were limited... Duffy's Love Shack - This was our very first meal in the USVI, and we loved it! The bartender was a hoot (and made delicious drinks). This restaurant is in a shopping center parking lot right next to the Red Hook car ferry... if you are taking the ferry, come early and experience Duffy's!

Our first drinks in paradise!

Pangea - We caught a cab from the hotel and headed across the island for a unique experience at Pangea. Super fresh food with an intimate, casual atmosphere (think magic tree house) made for a really special evening.

13 Restaurant - On recommendation from the hotel, we hit this Charlotte Amelie spot for lunch. Located in the marina, it was a quiet spot for a decent lunch with good views.

Monster sandwiches at 13

Salt Shack - This is the beach restaurant at the hotel, which we had for dinner. Super convenient and right on the beach - we enjoyed our meal. There is a fancier option (Isla Blue) that we did not try. Sandbar - Also at the hotel, we took a break from the pool to enjoy flatbreads and cocktails. We also hung out here in the evenings where they had some live entertainment.

Days 10 - 12 St. Croix (STX)

 I really wanted to experience all three islands on our trip. After-the-fact, I'm not sure it was the best idea. First, I hated the ferry ride to St. Croix (definitely take a flight!). Second, although we were there offseason, there was still plenty to do and lots of people around in STT and STJ. That was not the cast in STX. It was a bit of a ghost town and felt empty. If I was going to visit STX in the future, it would be its own trip (there is an international airport on STX) and it would be during tourist season. I imagine our experience would have been much different. Where we stayed - There are 2 major resorts on STX, we opted for the Buccaneer, which was a great experience. Picture the Dirty Dancing resort in paradise. The room was large and well appointed and the service was exceptional. We especially liked Breakfast at the Terrace, which is exactly as it sounds!

The Terrace at thr Buccaneer

What we did - By the time we got to STX, we were really getting used to spending hours at the beach and pool (it was a rough vacation). We had planned a bioluminescence kayak tour and a tour of the Cruzan distillery, both ended up getting cancelled for lounge time.

Buccaneer Beach

We did venture out for a hike to the Annaly Bay Tide Pools, which we really enjoyed. If you like to hike, this is a unique adventure that ends with a rock scramble into tide pools. Time your visit at low tide for easiest access to the pools!

Hike to Annaly Bay

Where we ate (in order of recommendation): The food on St. Croix was exceptional - I would vote this as the "foodie" island. Pre-planning is required - we needed reservations even in the off season. I'm sure they go quickly during peak season!

Savant - Best meal of the trip. A super cool garden environment (that you would never suspect from the street), Savant delivered excellent food and amazing service. I enjoyed delicious seafood pasta, but Terry's lobster dinner stole the show.

Dinner at Savant

La Reine Chicken Shack - If you visit STX and miss La Reine, that would be silly. We found our way there on the way to the airport (it's not far from STX International), and the place was packed with locals picking up lunch for their families. The name of the game is rotisserie chicken, and it did not disappoint. Whatever you do, don't miss the Johnny Cakes!

That’s a lot of chickens!

Johnny Cakes stole the show

 Hamilton's - Terry and I are fans of Hamilton (the musical), so we thought a restaurant inspired by A. Ham would be a neat experience - and we were right. (Hamilton has ties to STX). We had fresh seafood and delicious wine for our 2nd anniversary on our last night in paradise.

Hamilton’s STX

Shupe's - Delicious, cheap burgers right on the boardwalk in Christiansted. What's not to love?  

Burger & Fries at Shupe’s