What to in St. John for a long weekend

We had a friend (with one 10 year old girl) visit for a long weekend. There was a good mix of relaxation and island flavor - St John has many delicious restaurants that are worth a try! We saw and did a lot in a short amount of time, so I thought I would share our itinerary.

Day 1:

We picked up our guests from Cruz Bay Ferry. People ferries leave from Red Hook, St. Thomas on the hour. It is about ~20 minute taxi ride from the airport, and then another 20 minutes in the ferry.

We went to Mongoose Junction for lunch at the Tap Room (great pizza and beer) followed up by ice cream at Scoops (adults, try the painkiller ice cream - it's delicious and contains Soggy Dollar Rum!)

We then browsed around the shops in Mongoose Junction - my favorites are Lulee and Just Beach (both places carry cute beachy clothes and accessories) and Caravan Gallery (local jewelry and artisan pieces).

We then went back to our house and relaxed by the pool - while doing some iguana spotting.

For dinner we went to High Tide, where the kids could play on the beach while we ate tasty Tuna and Shrimp with some kid friendly options as well. After dinner we strolled to a fundraiser Block Party (to raise money for Cancer). It had a band, but was mostly an adult drinking scene (yes, Finn was enamored by the ice luge for shots and was wondering why you would drink Rum that way). Maybe a parenting fail, but we only stayed for a few minutes before heading back home to bed.

Day 2:

We drove over to Hansen Bay (a private beach where you pay $3 per adult). From the beach you rent a kayak ($30 for 1.5 hours) and kayak a short way to the most fun restaurant on the island: Lime Out (a floating taco bar). The drinks and tacos are delicious (the tuna and rum short rib are my favorites), there are seats with a table and floating mats to lay back and relax. Everyone had a blast!

After a sun-filled day at the beach we went

to Rhumb Lines in Coral Bay for dinner - they have delicious Pad Thai and a (sometimes) friendly cat named Monroe that likes to beg for food! We were there at dusk and I definitely suggest bring good bug spray (mosquitos are CRAZY this time of year). Along the way to the restaurant we passed some Donkeys that wanted to pop their head in our car to say "Hi!".

Day 3:

Rise and shine for an early day at Hawksnest Beach for the top highlight of our trip! The kids had a mermaid experience with Mermaid Swim VI. The kids got to dress up as mermaids (and a shark) with glitter and tattoos and then did a photo shoot on the pristine beach. The photos are amazing and all of the kids loved their experience.

We came back and spent time at our house with some pool time (and more iguana spotting - they like to sleep in our trees). After a midday break, we went back to Mongoose Junction for some tasty homemade popsicles at Irie Pops

For dinner, the kids stayed home with a babysitter, while we went to my favorite "fancy" dinner restaurant on the island: Morgan's Mango. I had a delicious Coconut Panko Encrusted Grouper and tasty Key Lime Pie for dessert.

Day 4

We went to Maho Bay Beach - which has

the best turtle sightings (it may be hard to see in the picture, but there is a turtle with a nurse shark on top of it). We all saw turtles and the girls spotted a stingray as well. We got caught in an afternoon rainshower - which was quite beautiful to be in on the beach with the turquoise waters and we did pass some time across the road at Maho Crossroads where there is an area with games, live music, a bar and a little shop with great souvenirs for kids.

At sunset we went to great bar with

amazing views (where the kids can play on the beach) called Drink. There was live music, tasty cocktails and a beautiful view. For dinner, we walked from there to The Longboard for their delicious Poke Bowls (with fresh off the boat Tuna - Yum!)

Day 5

Time for our guests to head back to the mainland. We stopped by Sam and Jacks (a hidden gem - mostly frequented by locals) to get some delicious sandwiches to go. There is a once-a-day (in the off-season) ferry to Crown Bay in St. Thomas (Inter Island Boat Services Ferry) that is only a 5 minute taxi ride to the airport.. I prefer this service as it is super convenient when flying out. It leaves at 11am every day from Cruz Bay.

This island is definitely a fun place to explore and you can do so much in such a short amount of time!