St. Thomas USVI

April was full of celebrations! I completed my Master’s Degree and almost immediately started planning a vacation to celebrate! Well… first I got vaccinated, then started planning. I decided to tip toe back in to travel by keeping things domestic before venturing out. First with a trip to Florida to visit family (read about that trip here), then decided to head to St. Thomas for this celebration. April is also my son’s birthday month and it is only right that he is introduced to the family tradition of celebrating for the whole month (or longer)! We take birthdays serious around here! 

Have you read my past Birthday posts? 

Baltimore Staycation
Antigua Bday Celebration and Baby Moon
Blog Launch/Birthday Party

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Flight 

One thing I love about my location is that I am centrally located between several international airports. If I feel like taking a drive to a neighboring city/state I could potentially save hundreds of dollars on a flight. 

Read about more flight saving tips: How to travel often while working a 9-5 & How to earn a free flight 

I checked a few airports, PHL and BWI were very pricey and had crazy layovers. Newark NJ was about 200 cheaper and nonstop. 

TIP: Flexibility matters! If you are willing/able to be flexible with your travel dates and  don’t mind driving to an airport that may be a little further you can potentially save hundreds of dollars as well as time by finding a better flight. 

We stayed at the Marriott airport hotel in Newark  before boarding our flight in the morning. Being that I am not a morning person, I appreciate staying in an airport hotel before an early flight. 

Perks: 

• Greater chance of making your flight on time
• Shuttle provided to/from the airport for departure and arrival (but don’t be like me and leave your purse full of money and passport on the shuttle like I once did, read about it here) 
• Get extra sleep 
• Somewhere to keep your car safely parked

Accomodations

When I did my research I found that most people opt for an Airbnb when visiting St. Thomas. Secondary to that are popular hotels like the Ritz Carlton which is pricey. We ended up getting a GREAT deal to stay at Margaritaville. We paid only a fraction of what the rooms are regularly priced. (send me a message so I can share the details with you!). 

Margaritaville is a resort-like property with apartment style rooms. The rooms include kitchens, flat screen tv’s, balconies, and some have a living room area. 

On the property you will also find a beach, pool, hot tub, bar, spa, market, and Margaritaville restaurant, overlooking Water Bay. 

I absolutely loved the rooms, I liked the wood flooring and how bright and airy everything was. The staff was super nice and accommodating and they made sure to help us out whenever we asked for tips on places to see and where to eat. 

Big shout out to Kaia (security), and Vincent who drove the golf carts. They went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of whether it was getting a ride or knowing where to go around the island.

Day 1- Lunch at Margaritaville- Welcome Bottles 

We arrived around 1pm and the rooms are not usually ready until about 4 pm so we were able to keep our bags at the front desk while we got lunch at Margaritaville. When the room was finished there was a celebratory bottle of wine waiting. A graduation gift from my parents :)

Day 2-Red Hook- Della’s Cafe- Graduation Photoshoot

The food at Margaritaville was good but if you know me, when I visit somewhere especially an island I make it my mission to eat local cuisine and SUPPORT LOCAL. After asking around that morning we had our minds set on Della’s Cafe. We were told it was a small outdoor restaurant owned by a local woman and she was a great cook! Well say no more then! We pulled up to a small shop in Red Hook about a 10 minute drive from Margaritaville (across the street from the high school). We ordered breakfast food and were served at the outside seating. The food was delicious! By the end of our meal we promised Della that we would be back again!

That afternoon I had a photoshoot booked for my graduation. This was my second grad gift from my parents. My mom found an amazing photographer to capture the moment. Rashawn, owner of RJA photography is a black business owner and I found out he is a fellow HBCU grad too! Please be sure to check him out if you are ever on the island. He met me at the hotel and picked out a gorgeous spot to take pictures. He also let me get a few shots with my family. He was very professional and even recommended places on the island for us to see!

Check out his IG- Rjaphotography_VI

That night we headed out to Brooks Bar. I would describe this as a popular hangout spot for locals and tourists. It is an outside restaurant and bar where you can eat some good local food, have a cold beer, listen to music and watch some of the regulars playing dominoes. The small parking lot stays full as taxis are in and out dropping tourists off and locals are pulling up to either pick up food or stay for a while. Overall it was a good atmosphere and the food was good…. So we returned a few days later :)

Day 3- Coki Beach 

Coki beach, Coki Beach, Coki Beach! We could not stop hearing about Coki Beach! So of course we had to visit! We learned that when asking for beach recommendations, it depended on what type of scene you were looking for. Coki beach is where you can hear reggae music, and sip drinks while you eat conch fritters. My advice is to get there early enough to get a good spot on the beach because it is small and fills up fast. I recommend going there if you are looking for a vibe…. 

After a long afternoon at the beach we headed back over to Della’s for dinner. She let us know that on Friday nights her regulars liked to hang out at the restaurant, listen to music and have a good time. For the 2nd time, Della’s food did not disappoint! And chile neither did the atmosphere! The drinks were flowing, the music was going and her regulars felt like family to us by the end of the night! That night I learned that Della is originally from St. Lucia. She had a dedicated group of customers who would hang out at her restaurant, and they came from all over the caribbean, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada etc. She said they support her and look out for her, and that was evident.  It was so dope to see such a familial atmosphere. 

For a while we were the only new faces and they all treated us like special  guests. Asked what music we wanted to hear and what we wanted to drink. They gave up their seats so we could sit comfortably and even took out their vaccination cards to provide some relief . Needless to say, the rest of the evening was filled with laughs, and nothing but good vibes! 

By the end of the night we were having a little trouble getting a taxi, so Della insisted on driving us back to our hotel. Y’all! When I tell you customer service was 10 out of 10!! She has such a sweet soul!! We promised her we would be back again for her traditional Caribbean Sunday breakfast…

Day 4- Dollar Cab! 

Taxis are plentiful but did you know you can get around the island for just ONE dollar?! The dollar cab a.k.a dollar taxi or safari bus due to its open air structure originated in the 1990’s after Hurricane Marilyn struck the country and provides an affordable way for the locals to get around the island. 

The bus runs about every 10 minutes and you can board it right at the entrance to Margaritaville so it’s super convenient. The bus runs from the east to west end of the island in a figure 8. Once you get to the end of the route you can catch another bus to return to the other side. Once you reach your destination you simply ring the bell and the driver will pull over. We rode in town to check out Emancipation Garden and to get lunch. 

Tip: if you are new to the island, just let the driver know ahead of time where you would like to go and he will make sure to drop you off in the right place.

Emancipation Garden

I try to make it a point to learn about the history of places I visit, especially if that history has to do with the freedom of blak people! Like the time I visited Emancipation Park in Jamaica, and Devil’s Bridge in Antigua. Emancipation Garden is set up to commemorate the freeing of slaves on July 3, 1848. The Garden is surrounded by historic buildings like the Emancipation Garden Post Office and the Government House, where important government ceremonies are held. The Gazebo in the park often hosts concerts and attractions. Jimmy Cliff once gave a free concert there in 1980.

Green House Restaurant  

Next, we took a stroll down the street, stopping at Bumpa’s Restaurant to grab some drinks and Green House restaurant for lunch. Green House seemed like a popular restaurant for tourists, it was a bit crowded but overall the service and food were good. I ordered my first Pain Killer. The Pain Killer is a popular drink invented on the island in 1970, it is supposed to stand true to its name and “cure what ails you”. It is similar to a pina colada, made with dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut...Mmmm.

De Coal Pot

After lunch we caught the dollar cab back to Margaritaville and rested for a bit and headed out to dinner at De Coal Pot restaurant. It was just a short taxi ride away. The restaurant was quiet and quaint and not too crowded. A few people came in to pick up orders while we were there. I think I ordered stewed pork and another Pain Killer drink and I was pleased with my meal.

Day 5- Magens Bay and Farewell to Della

We didn’t forget about Della’s Sunday breakfast. We arrived just in time for some saltfish, baked johnny cakes and cocoa tea. We were sad to say goodbye so we instead said we will see her on our next visit or maybe even meet up in her home St. Lucia!  

“I love meeting Genuine People When I travel”

If you have ever taken a cruise to St. Thomas you most likely ended up at Magens Bay Beach. It is a popular tourist beach on the island. It is pretty spacious, has a bar, gift shop, food and music. On the ride over we had a taxi driver who was originally from St. Kitts but had been living on the island for close to 40 years. He ended up giving us soooo much history about St. Thomas. I felt like we were on a paid tour, so of course we tipped him nicely for the lesson. I learned that St. Thomas is a melting pot, it is like the Caribbean version of New York. In St. Thomas you will find that people are not originally from there but migrated there from other islands in the early 1900’s when it became US territory. I am glad we met him because I usually try to book a tour but waited until the last minute and was not able to. He said he loved having us as his passengers and what a pleasure it was talking to us. I love meeting genuine people when I travel… 

We ended the day back at Brooks Bar, this day it was a bit more lively. They had the music bumpin and the waitresses were giving out free shots on Mama Juana. Don’t know what Mama Juana is? Read about it here. It is a drink originated in Dominican Republic. The ladies at Brooks bar were from DR and so proud to give out shots from their home country. We had a good time that night dancing and carrying on with the ladies.

Day 6- Chilled at Margaritaville

This was our last day and we had a late afternoon flight, so we had breakfast at Margaritaville and just hung out at the hotel until it was time to go. The check out process was very smooth and once that was done we found seats near the beach and took in the Caribbean sun, air, and breeze for a little while longer until our shuttle came.

Pandemic Procedures and Precautions

Wine Glass Half Empty- I was really looking forward to booking a walking food tour on this trip but waited until the last minute and there were no tickets left 

Wine Glass Half Full- Meeting genuine people like Della and the cab driver that made me feel at home and were so welcoming