Toes sinking deep into the soft sand and my jaw hanging agape, Francis Bay on St. John might have made my heart skip a beat. The clock was ticking though and I had Caribbean blogger work to do. If only one could freeze time, this would be the place to do it.

I only had five short hours to spend on St. John before having to catch the noon ferry back over to St. Thomas and jump on a flight. Is five hours long enough to spend on this Caribbean gem? Not by a long shot, but it was long enough for this island beauty to sink her hooks into me all over again.

It was my first time to Francis Bay. The first visit to St. John was five years ago, way to long for this castaway. During that past visit we hung a right at the T-junction where you have the choice to go to Francis Bay on the left, or Annaberg and Waterlemon on the right. Franics Bay was the choice this time, and a good one it was.

Soak in the Island Lime Video below and see if Francis Bay tugs at your island soul as it did mine.

Francis Bay, St. John – USVI

Francis Bay faces West, which gives it a calm shore line and stunning sunset views. The bay is home to great hiking, snorkeling and areas to set up a picnic. I’m a big fan of Francis Bay because it take a little bit longer to get to. Most the cruise ship passenger from St. Thomas and trucked over to Hawksnest, Trunk and Cinnamon Bays. All beautiful beaches, but paradise is best enjoyed in peace, and that’s exactly what Francis Bay delivers.

Francis Bay, St. John USVI

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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The Famous North Shore Beaches of St. John, USVIGreat Expectations Villa - Live Webcam of St. John, USVI7 Stunning Sunsets of St. John's Cruz Bay, Photo FridayNew St. John Webcam at Skyridge

The exclusive Blue Flag eco-label is awarded to beaches and marinas worldwide that meet the program’s 32 criteria, which mandate standards for water quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management. As a result, guests of these four newly-flagged public beaches can rest assured that they will have easy access to information and services including: updated details on water quality, trash receptacles, guidelines on beach code-of-conduct, safety guidelines, signage displaying educational information about the beaches’ eco-systems, regularly cleaned bathroom facilities, lifesaving equipment, wheelchair access and facilities for the disabled.

“It’s no secret that St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are home to some of the most pristine beaches in the world,” said Commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “Today, we wave these Blue Flags as testaments to the outstanding quality of our beaches and the sanctuary they provide travelers around the world in search of an inimitable island escape.”

The Blue Flag certification is just one more reason why St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are appealing to the growing segment of eco-conscious travelers. Not only is the Territory home to the Virgin Islands National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, but it also offers award-winning eco-resort accommodations – most notably Maho Bay Camps and Estate Concordia Preserve – and a plethora of sustainable outdoor activities like snorkeling, diving, hiking, paddle-boarding, kite-surfing and kayaking.

About the Blue Flag Program

The Blue Flag is an International highly recognized eco-label awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a nongovernmental environmental organization promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE is represented by national organizations in each of the participating countries in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, New Zealand, North and South Africa. To learn more about the Blue Flag program in the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit www.blueflagusvi.org.

About the U.S. Virgin Islands

When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel—including on-line check-in—making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever.  As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Here, U.S. residents receive a $1600 duty-free allowance – the highest in the Caribbean. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Twitter (Twitter.com/USVITourism) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/VisitUSVI).

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Which beach do you choose to spend the day? That’s nearly an impossible question, but a damn good problem to have. Let’s toss on our flip flops, throw on a Castaway Hat, and load up the Jeep because we are going to take a tour of the famous north shore beaches of St. John.

Salomon Bay, St. John

Salomon Bay, St. John - Photo by Jenniranee via Flickr

Salomon Bay, St. John - Photo by Bobby Padavick via Flickr

Salomon Beach is a beautiful secluded hideaway that is accessed by boat or a short hike starting behind the new National Park Visitor Center. The snorkeling is beautiful along the rocky points of this beach.

Hawksnest Bay, St. John

Hawksnest Bay, St. John - Photo by Skellig2008

Hawksnest Bay, St. John - Photo by Joe Jackson 201 via Flickr

Hawksnest Beach is the first National Park Beach that you will encounter driving along the North Shore Road from Cruz Bay. There are also many places to snorkel with abundant coral formations and rock outcrops to explore. My good friends JR and Angela got married on the sand of Hawksnest Bay, beautiful location for weddings.

Trunk Bay, St. John

Trunk Bay, St. John - Photo by RumShopRyan

Trunk Bay Beach, St. John - Photo by George Oze via Flickr

Trunk Bay is easily one of the most photographed beaches in all the Caribbean.  Trunk bay provides clean restrooms, showers, snack bar, gift shop, snorkel equipment rental, lifeguard protection and the island’s only under-water snorkel trail.

Cinnamon Bay, St. John

Cinnamon Bay, St. John - Photo by wayne31r via Flickr

Cinnamon Bay, St. John - Photo by granPOParazzi via Flickr

Cinnamon Bay has a beautiful long white sand beach with wonderful swimming and snorkeling and of course is featured in one of our favorite Kenny Chesney songs, Old Blue Chair.  As you enter the Cinnamon Bay complex, on your left you pass the Snack Bar, General Store, and offices. It is a common site to see donkeys roaming freely on the grounds.

Maho Bay, St. John

Maho Bay, St. John - Photo by Giggard via Flickr

Maho Bay, St. John - Who's that good looking Castaway! Photo by RumShopRyan

Maho might be my favorite beach on St. John. I mean just look at the first photo of it above. Lined with Coconut Palms and crystal clear water that gently kiss your feet. I only spent 15 minutes here wandering around the sand, but in that short time, for whatever reason, this beach left its mark on me.

Francis Bay, St. John

Francis Bay, St. John - Photo by Vicki_H via Flickr

Francis Bay, St. John - Photo by atpcz via Flickr

At Francis Bay, you will find one of St. John’s longest and most beautiful beaches.  There are picnic tables, BBQ pits and outhouses for amenities.  Breathtaking scenery awaits you as you gaze upon the shoreline and surrounding islands.  This is the perfect beach to unwind and relax the day away.

Waterlemon Bay, St. John

Waterlemon Bay, St. John - Photo by SunCat via Flickr

Waterlemon Bay, St. John - Photo by JennyHud

From the small and tranquil sand beach at the east end of Leinster Bay, you can access Waterlemon Cay and Waterlemon Beach, for what most visitors describe as the “best snorkeling on St. John.” This beach also makes an excellent cooling-off stop after a hike on the Leinster Bay, Johnny Horn or Brown Bay Trails.

There you have it, some of the best beaches on St. John and the Caribbean. Now that you’ve seen a couple photos of each one, which one are you going to choose? If you only had one day to spend on St. John and could only visit one beach, which one are you going to sink your toes into?

Cheers Castaways!
RumShopRyan

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As I was picking out the sunset photos to include in this post a fitting song started playing on No Shoes Radio, Soulshine by Gov’t Mule. How perfect I thought, the last rays of the sun that set the sky ablaze should be called “Soulshine”. They inspire, cause people to stop and take notice, and even dig out the sensitive side of the hardest of souls.

Here are 5 Soulshine photos that will stir your island heart.

A Bonaire Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, Bonaire - By Capt Kim via Flickr

A Negril Jamaica Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, Negril Jamaica - By dsykes100 via Flickr

A St. Kitts Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, St. Kitts - by size4figgerboots via Flickr

A St. John Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. John USVI - by nvphotouk via Flickr

A St. Martin Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. Martin - by JDsPhotography

I hope you guys like the photos and they give you a little joy and inspiration on this Caribbean Photo Friday.

(Top photo from Castaway Matt Jackson)

Have a great weekend and may a little Soulshine come your way!

Cheers to “THE LIFE“,
RumShopRyan

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With all the attention going to the north side of St. John, many forget about the tranquil calm of the south side. I’d like to put the south side in the spotlight today.

This week’s Caribbean Webcam features a view to the east over Rendezvous Bay and the south shore of St John. It’s a great webcam that puts lush tropical plants in the foreground and St. John’s rolling green mountains framed in the distance.

The webcam comes from our friends at the Great Expectations villa. The Great Room of Great Expectations looks east over Hart Bay and Rendezvous Bay to Ditleff Point and then to the south shore of St. John including Reef Bay in the distance. The villa webcam will update every 10 seconds.

St. John South Shore Webcam – Great Expectations Villa

The St. John villa Great Expectations is located in Chocolate Hole about 100 feet above the Caribbean Sea and has 4 equal Master bedrooms, 3 guest bedrooms, 2-1/2 swimming pools, 2 hot tubs and 1 basketball/tennis court.

As I was writing this post and watching the webcam, I saw a large island dragonfly captured by the refreshing camera. Frozen in flight for 10 seconds. Oh how I wish I could trade places with that dragonfly. Travel to St. John, hit the pause button, and freeze life in a place this beautiful. Lucky dragonfly, lucky.

Cheers Castaways, enjoy the view!

RumShopRyan

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It may sound like a fairytale but it’s not. This could be you.  A Castaway living the dream. How?

Shipwreck Landing, a popular waterfront restaurant in Coral Bay on St. John is for sale. The price tag is a cool $1.5 million. Small change for a working waterfront restaurant in the Caribbean, especially on St. John.  The listing broker is Islandia Real Estate.

Shipwreck Landing Beach Bar & Restaurant - Photo by Matt House via Flickr

Shipwreck Landing is a great stop for people traveling out to Salt Pond and is a popular place for mooring yachties in Coral Bay. There is live music most weekends and I hear it’s the place to be on Wednesday nights for locals. During season Shipwreck Landing brings in some of the best stateside live music and you never know who will stop by to sit in with their own talented local musicians. Hmmm, maybe a hillbilly rockstar?

Shipwreck Landing - Photo by mmahaffie via Flickr

Yes, you could take this over. You could be the one booking the musicians, making jokes with the tourists and telling locals how you made the dream of  jumping from office jockey to Caribbean bar owner come true.

Shopwreck Landing Coral Bay - Photo by Eric yeager via Flickr

The real estate includes several retail spaces across from the restaurant building, suitable (and currently leased by) gift shops.

The listing also offers hope: “Plenty of room to expand or possibly add dock.” A reasonable person would assume from this description that the property includes rights to the waterfront across the road from the restaurant – just imagine the traffic issues that could create with wait persons and customers moving back and forth. (From News of St. John)

Shipwreck Landing - Photo by mmahaffie via Flickr

Shipwreck is a wonderful and casual place. Open to the trade winds and views of Coral Bay, it will keep seducing people to it’s tables for a long time. One could really feel comfortable here and fall into a way of life that most only fantasize about. Is the future new owner of Shipwreck reading this story? Is he or she a Castaway?  I really hope so, because then I’ll know where I can go to grab a cold beer on the house, hear a funny joke or two, and listen to a story about making dreams come true.

Update: The landlord is selling the land and buildings, with the restaurant and gift shops having leases in place.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Last week I saw a post from St. John Life saying there was a new webcam on St. John.   I excitedly jumped out of my chair, did an awkward cartwheel in my office, then composed myself and went straight to the site to see the new webcam.

The new St. John webcam is given to us by the Villa IntimaSea, located in Chocolate Hole. You’re able to gaze over several different bays and take in the blue waters of the Caribbean.

Villa IntimaSea St. John Webcam

Many of us are bonkers for St. John. We are seduced by it’s slow pace of life, natural beauty and its charming towns and people. We routinely visit popular St. John webcams like the famous Spice Cam in Cruz Bay or the Skyridge webcam that looks north towards Tortola. But they only give us a taste, a small glimpse of a sought after paradise. It’s just enough to keep the island in the forefront of our travel plans and even life plans.

Enjoy the new Caribbean webcam Castaways.

Cheers
RumShopRyan

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Thank you Rum Therapy for the entrancing video.

Enjoy your Sunday Castaways. Here’s to you relaxing in the sun.

Cheers,

RumShopRyan

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I’ve experienced a couple sunsets from Cruz Bay and they were magical. The only problem is that it doesn’t last. If I could stop time, and freeze that moment, I would. I guess that’s why they invented cameras right? Two claps for that person.

Here are 7 (including the photo above by Richard Toy) frozen in time sunsets taken in the charming town of Cruz Bay. Tell me which one is your favorite.

St. John Sunset David Coleman

St. John Sunset from kcboz via Flickr

St. John Sunset from Babaloo via Flickr

St. John Sunset via St John USVI

Overlooking Cruz Bay

St. John Sunset by Vicki_H via Flickr

That’s how you do a Photo Friday! Tell me which one you like the most. Have you been to St. John and captured your own Cruz Bay sunset? If so, feel free to post your photos on the RSR Facebook fan page. I know myself and the rest of the Castaways would love to see your shots.

Happy Friday Everyone.
Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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I found this great new St. John webcam from the On-StJohn.com blog. If you’re a St. John freak, then this is a great site to follow for news and stories. This is one of the best St. John webcams I’ve seen. It teases you with great views of sailboats going back and forth in the Sir Francis Drake Channel and the BVI’s across the way. It looks to update about every 2 seconds so you can really see the movement of the clouds and the boats as the scoot through paradise.

St. John Skyridge Webcam – US Virgin Islands

This St. John cam is located at Skyridge, the Upper Carolina home of St. John celebrity novelist, and the original Rocket Boy, Homer Hickam.

Just look at that. I could literally just sit here and watch this webcam for hours. Such a place of beauty. I think I need to start planning a trip back to this little island that is constantly pulling at me. What do you say…Castaway trip to St. John next year? Let’s do it!

Cheers,

RumShopRyan

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