St. Thomas: A Visitor's Top 10

 I've got a friend coming to visit and they asked me what are the things they should do when the get here. This is actually a very common questions that I get maybe once every 2 years 😂. I'm kidding! I only answered this question like once in Yahoo! Answers. Answers went away last year. Too bad. I used to be the top Answerer for the Virgin Islands.  I digress. Here's my top 10 list of things you have to do when you're in St. Thomas for the first time:

View of the St. Thomas Waterfront

1. Coral World

Coral World Ocean Park is the closest thing we have to a zoo here. There's a lot going on there too. In the old days there weren't so many options. You just paid admission, walked around, checked out the exhibits and maybe have a bite to eat in the cafe. Now they've got tours, encounters and experiences. Just running around on your own is cool though. While you're there, hang out at Coki Point Beach right next door. Word of advice: It's not a very big beach and if you're there on a Sunday, there's gonna be a party. All. Day. Long. Heard you can get some pretty good local food there too. During the week though, it's pretty chill.

2. Magens Bay Beach

Magens Bay Beach is often regarded as one of the top 10 beaches in the world (in my opinion it doesn't beat Trunk Bay in St. John but more on that later). The beach is so nice we have a whole authority set up to manage it. I only linked the website for reference though. You don't need to plan anything, rent anything or check in with anyone. Just go! There's a small fee to enter, but it helps to keep the beach clean and maintained. If you get the munchies, pick a spot close to the concession though.

3. The Paradise Point Skyride

The Tramway is a scenic experience that isn't to be missed. You may have seen pictures of the view but nothing beats seeing it live and experiencing it for yourself. There are some shops at the top and a pretty nice lookout. Have one of their famous Bailey's Bushwackers while you're there (you'll find those at taste). Paradise Point is also home to one of the most premeire restaurants on the island, Prime. You're gonna want to make a reservation if you're going there. They've got tomahawk steaks!

4. Mountain Top

Mountain Top is a bit of a tourist trap but it's a tourist trap with an AWESOME view. In the old days it was a pretty happening spot. These days you can find some inexpensive souveniers to bring back for your friends. You can still get their World Famouse Banana Daiquiris though! I think it's still worth checking out.

5. Historic Downtown Charlotte Amalie

Downtown is where all the shopping is, but it's also where most of the history is too. I'm gonna cheat and give you this link that lists most of the historic locations you'd want to visit. Up until 1917, this was actually part of the Danish Virgin Islands and you can really see it in the architecture and even the street names that we still use to this day. You can see a lot just walking from end to end (I'd start at Fort Christian if I were you). There used to be a walking tour available but it may not have survived COVID. A map will do just as well. You can find them in the lobbies of most hotels and ports. There's also so great hidden gems in the form of restaurants downtown. I'd suggest one of our oldest, if you like Italian: Virgilio's. One very popular spot is The Greenhouse right in the middle of the Watefront. I don't really hang out downtown very often so there are places even I'm not familiar with. Oh, definitely check out Market Square if you're there during the daytime. There's lots of local crafts and locally grown fruits and vegetables for sale.

6. Havensight

If you came for the Tramway, you can stay for the rest of the area. Havensight is home to one of two cruise ship docks on the island and for a while it was the only one. The Havensight Mall is open for shopping (so long as there's a ship in port...some stores open regardless). The Havensight area is great for bar hopping and restaurants. There's a lot to explore and I'd be hard pressed to cite examples of places you'd like to visit. Looking for videogames and maybe some bowling?  Check out Chicken 'n Bowling. Want to drink so island made beers? Tap and Still or Leatherback Brewing is what you're looking for. Want some sushi? Enkai, Beni Iguana's and China King got you covered. Maybe just wanna bar hop? Check out Doghouse Pub, Smooking Rooster, Rum Hut and The Box Bar. Oh and special shout out to Twistt340 for Caribbean food with a....well, twist.

7. Frenchtown

Frenchtown has a small but lively entertainment district mostly consisting of bars and restaurants. I hate to just rattle them off because I know I might miss a few but you've got places like Hook, Line and Sinker, Sea La Vie, Bella Blu, The Pie Whole (brick oven pizza!), French Quarter Bistro, Twisted Cork and Oceana. If you get a chance to be there during the daytime you can stroll through the French Heritage Museum. Frenchtown is also home to Frenchtown Brewing Company. They're open a few times a week for beer tasting and growler fill-ups (you might want to call ahead to find out what time). You can also enjoy their brews at a number of places around the island.

8. Red Hook/East End

Red Hook is party central. No one here will dispute that. In a fairly small area you've got a ton of bars and restaurants and even a bit of shopping. Of course every Friday night there's karaoke with yours truly at Caribbean Saloon. There's stuff going on everywhere though. Places you'll want to check out include Duffy's Love Shack, Bernie's, Hook'd, the very unique Agave/Raw/Pesce combo, Sunny Days Ice Cream Shop, The Easterly, One Pub, Island Time Pub and Senor Pizza. If you're feeling spicy, Red Hook is also home to the island's only Gentleman's Club, Tootsy's. Red Hook is also where you can catch a ferry to visit nearby St. John. This leads me to....

9. St. John

If you thought Red Hook was crazy, Cruz Bay is an ecosystem all its own. I can't say a lot about St. John these days as I rarely visit but there's a lot going on. Some places I can name offhand though include The Beach Bar, Morgan's Mango, Woody's Seafood Saloon, High Tide Bar & Grill, The Tap Room (also home to St. John Brewers locally made beer), Quiet Mon Pub and The Lime Inn. This is just Cruz Bay though. St. John is mostly National Park so you'll definitely want to check that out. That includes Trunk Bay and its famous underwater snorkel trail.Check out the Petroglyphs too. 

10. Lindquist Beach

Think Magens Bay Beach, but like the not so famous sister of it. Lindquist is sort of a hidden gem (even though it's run by an authority much like Magens...well actually the same authority). On a busy cruise ship day when you know Magens is going to slammed, this is an awesome second choice. It doesn't have all the amenities of Magens but it's just as good or better.

Honorable Mentions:

• Crown Bay Marina/Crown Bay Center

Those are two different places side by side. Lemme break it down. Crown Bay Marina mostly serves as a dock for yachts and pleasure crafts. It's notable in that one of the island's oldest restaurants is right by the water, Tickle's Dockside Pub. They're pretty famous for their Open Mic Night. If you're there during daylight hours you might be interested in a coffee or gelato from Scoops and Brew. Here is where you can also take a ferry ride to Water Island (see second Honorable Mention). 

Now the Crown Bay Center is our newest cruise ship dock and features amenities that seek to compete with the Havensight Dock. It started out pretty sleepy but in recent years activity has picked up here. It's very lively when a cruise ship is docked but there are things going on there during the nighttime as well.

• Water Island

Water Island is a short ferry ride from the Crown Bay Marina. We refer to Water Island as "The 4th Virgin" seeing as it's sparsely populated. The main attraction is Honeymoon Beach. There are other beaches as well. The island has 2 restaurants: Dinghy's Beach Bar and Heidi's Honeymoon Grill. If your in the mood for some light hiking, there are plantation and military ruins on the island.

Well, what do you think of my list? Hopefully I pointed out all the interesting stuff to check out. Just one final note: This list isn't ranked. I just listed things as they popped into my mind. So don't go thinking one's better or less than the others. Leave me feedback on what you think of my list. Until next time!

The Seven Totems of St. Thomas

One thing that always stuck with me was that one episode of Season 2 of You where Love's friends tell Joe about the Seven Totems of Los Angeles. According to them, if you saw those 7 things it's a sign that you're a true denizen of LA and can NEVER leave. It turns out to be bullshit though because by the end of the season Joe isn't in LA anymore. I'm not considering that a spoiler. Season 3 is out and if you don't know he didn't settle down in LA you're way behind.

To recap, here were the 7 Totems of LA:

1. A Rollerblader in booty shorts
2. A police helicopter
3. A pack of coyotes
4. A palm tree on fire
5. Two starlets wearing the same dress
6. A dog in a stroller
7. An off-brand superhero

Then I was reminded of an episode of How I Met Your Mother where the gang talks about all the things you have to do or have happened to be considered a New Yorker.  Here's that list:

1. Spotting Woody Allen
2. Spotting Maury Povich
3. Stealing a cab from someone who needs it more than you
4. Crying on the subway and not caring what others think
5. Killing a cockroach with your bare hands

Important to note that the first 2 items were more implied than stated but I count them anyway since they were established in the episode.

Photo courtesy of Duffy's Love Shack Facebook Page. If you're in town you should check them out. It's a unique experience. I just wanted something totem-like to give this entry some color. Back to the task at hand...

I don't know why but this got in my head today and I wondered what would be the totems of St. Thomas.  I thought about it and came up with 7 Totems (one for each flag that has flown over the USVI). Here's my proposed list:

1. A lone person playing a steel pan or steel drum

It's not uncommon to see huge groups of people playing the steel pans and drums. In fact, the Rising Stars Steel Orchestra is very popular and well known. You could go years though and never see a soloist running around. 

2. A bar in an obscure or weird location

Most bars are in regular, well known, well traveled locations. They're their own building or part of a mall. Occassionally though you're going to find on in an obscure or weird location. There's quite a few here that fit the bill. You just have to be willing to do a little exploration. Notable examples include Percy's Bus Stop, West Zanzibar, Brooks Bar and The Rum Hut.

3. A mongoose and an iguana in the same location

We've got 'em both, but good luck seeing them in the same spot or within a few moments of each other. It's surprisingly not a common sight.

4. A WAPA lineman working the pole

We lose power. A LOT. But you'd still need to spend time here to even catch a lineman on a pole. It's a common sight but not common enough that you'd see it every day...or even ever week for that matter.

5. A non-traditional boat

Boats, yachts and ships are a dime a dozen around the island. Good luck spotting one that's...different. One that you would see uncommonly is the Kon Tiki. You won't see it every day though.

6. A mocko jumbie outside of the Carnival season

Like the steel pan/drum, this is mostly Carnival fare. There are rare occasions though where you can see on outside of the Carnival season. Most people that live here have.

7. A tourist driving in the wrong lane

There are actually a few great spots to see this happen, but this is an uncommon event...and tourism season is only so long. I last saw this happen about 2 months ago.

What do you think of my list? Is it worthy? Is it missing something? Lemme know.