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About dem Donkeys They wander FREE and are so darn cute! But there are some do’s and don’ts. PLEASE don’t stop your car in the middle of the road, especially in a blind curve, to take photos with them. PLEASE do stop at overlooks or pull off the road for a quick photo of them when not on Centerline or N. Shore Rds. PLEASE don’t feed them Human food (especially vacation food), as it is not good for their bellies. PLEASE do stop into Coral Bay’s Carolina Corral. There you can be hands-on giving them your love and care. We love our animals here and share the road with them. Our roads are not the safest, you’ve noticed? For your safety, the local drivers’ safety, and the animals’ safety, please do not encourage them to get too used to walking up to cars for any reason. It’s too painful to lose one.
No particular order 1. Cinnamon Bay 2. Gibney Beach 3. Jumbie Bay 4. Dave and Jerry’s Steakhouse 5. Peace Hill 6. Mongoose Junction - Caravan Gallery (home of the original Hook Bracelet), Northshore Deli, 1864 Restaurant, St. John Scoops, St. John Brewers, Big Planet, Made in St. John 7. Woody’s 8. High Tide 9. Extra Virgin Bistro 10. The Windmill Bar 11. Maho Bay 12. Annaburg Ruins 13. Day trip to Jost Van Dyke 14. Day trip to Tortola 15. Lime Inn 16. Cinnamon Bay Ruins 17. ZoZo’s 18. Longboard 19. Quiet Mon 20. Dinner at Lovango 21. Honeymoon Bay 22. La Tapa Restaurant 23. Lime Out - try it once 24. Skinny Legs 25. Miss Lucy’s Shopping (other than Mongoose): 1. Turquoise Turtle 2. St. John Beach Bum 3. Pink Papaya 4. The Little Things 5. St. John Spice
1. Do NOT touch the turtles or other sea life while snorkeling! 2. If you see a Starfish while snorkeling, do NOT touch it or pick it up!! Starfish CANNOT live outside of water even for a minute!! Please keep them alive & DO NOT TOUCH!! (If you bring a starfish out of the water for a picture, you have likely killed it.😩) 3. Do NOT step on the coral or the reef! Do NOT kick the reef! It is alive & fragile! 4. Do NOT play loud music on any beach! 5. Use reef safe sunscreen!! It’s the law!! (Best to purchase your sunscreen in St. John to be sure you have reef safe sunscreen.) 6. When in town, WEAR CLOTHES, not swimsuits!! While you likely won’t be arrested, it is illegal to wear swimsuits with no coverups or clothing over them in town. Coverups cannot be see-through!! Many businesses have signs outside that you cannot enter if you’re wearing a swimsuit or a swimsuit with a see-through coverup over it. 7. MANNERS MATTER on the island. Say, Good Day, Good Morning, Good Night, Good Evening, Please & Thank You…ALL THE TIME!! 8. Take your garbage to the bins & place it IN the bins, not beside the bins. 9. Tip well. It is expensive to live on St. John. Tip your greeters, porters, drivers, wait-staff, captains, babysitters, ferry staff (after they unload your luggage), etc., well. 10. Do NOT buy more food than you need. There is a long time between food shipments to the island. 11. Do NOT remove shells or coral from any beach. It is illegal to take shells home from the VI. 12. NO SMOKING ON ANY BEACH! 13. No skinny dipping at the beach. Leave that for your private villa pool. 14. Glass is NOT allowed on any St. John beach. 15. Do NOT feed the donkeys, chickens, goats, etc.! More about St. John’s donkeys in the next post. 16. Remember to KEEP LEFT while driving!! St. John driving is crazy! You can’t drive on autopilot or use cruise control on their roads! Locals question every corner & drivers of rental vehicles should too! 17. Centerline Road does not mean you drive in the center of the lines. Give the roads’ shoulders hugs, let the speed demons pass when it is safe to pull off & keep all arms/hands inside vehicles. STAY FOCUSED & PAY ATTENTION! 18. Be nice to your driver if you have one. 19. Take food/snacks & drinks to the beach but pick up your trash & take it with you to throw away! 20. The island’s septic system is fragile. Do NOT flush anything other than toilet paper! Do NOT put food scraps, coffee grounds, fibers, grease, oil, etc. into the sink…it all goes into the trash. 21. Remember St. John is one of the USVI (United States Virgin Islands). Those born in the USVI are considered U.S. citizens. Don’t treat them like they are foreigners. 22. Do NOT add an “s” to St. John. It is St. John, NOT St. John’s. This is NOT well-received by the locals. 23. Help the island prosper & buy/rent local rather than from major corporations. 24. There are many bays/beaches with large informational/instructional signs at the entrance regarding the coral, rocks, etc. Read the signs & follow the rules. If you are already familiar with St. John & I’ve left something out, feel free to comment with my omission. This is paradise. Let’s help the locals keep it that way. 💙🏝️🇻🇮
Overpack. The days can be a bit tricky in the Windy City. Don’t rely solely on the forecast. Overpack and pay the extra fee for a bag to ensure you have enough pants, sweaters and jackets, even in May. You will thank us later. Semi-plan your activities. Chicago has a ton to offer. Whether you’re into the arts, museums, historic buildings, beautiful parks, sports, music or the food scene, Chicago has it all. But, because the city is so spread out, you will need to plan accordingly. {Side Note. If you have Celiac disease, like Karen, you need to really take a deep dive and do some research. If you’re a Celiac, you know that Gluten Friendly and Gluten Free are completely different so, as always, ask your waiter/waitress. We found that while GF might be on the menu, cross contamination was a problem. Gluten free wasn’t as easy to find as we thought it would be.) In addition, a lot of Chicago restaurants offer takeout and delivery only. Uber vs. Taxi. It seems like everyone In Chicago is an Uber or Lyft Driver. Seems like when you schedule one, they are always 4-5 minutes away. Taxis are in abundance also, especially in the touristy areas. We found that Uber is cheaper. Taxis start at $3.75 as soon as you open the door and it’s $2.25 per mile. Hotels vs. AirBNB’s. This is very important. DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE AREA BEFORE YOU BOOK. Read the fine print. Look at the map closely for attractions or events you want to attend and see if you can stay close. Chicago is absolutely gorgeous, and some areas are stunning but be aware of the area before you book your accommodations. You’ll be able to walk if you stay near the attractions you’re interested in. Be Aware Of Your Surroundings. This is without question in any city. Be aware of the areas you walk into. Avoid dark back alleys at night. If you are planning to be out after midnight, make sure you stay with your group and always travel in well lit areas if walking. Never walk alone and never stop and engage in a conversation with someone asking for money. Keep walking and ignore the request. If you are afraid of dogs, Chicago isn’t for you! Owners have their dogs out and about everywhere in Chicago.
