The Caribbean is full of life, love and spontaneity. Excitement is always in the air and you never know what’s going to happen or who’s going to walk through the door.

The crowd at Iggies Beach Bar, located at Bolongo Bay Resort on St. Thomas, got to feel that excitement first hand when Stevie Wonder came walking through the door a couple nights ago.

Mr. Wonder was dining at Iggies Monday night, and decided to treat the guests with an impromptu concert. He performed the first song with the band (local Becca Darling band) and the second with Dave Mason, a rock-and-roll hall of famer who was staying at the resort. Here are a couple clips from the exciting night.

Man, how cool would that have been. You’re just sitting there, enjoying your dinner and watching the waves roll ashore, when all the sudden a music legend walks through the door and grabs the mic. I guarantee you the people that were in the house that night went home with a grand story and memories that won’t soon fade.

Damn I love the islands.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Rum and the Caribbean are inescapably connected, a match made in paradise. Sunken treasure, booty, gold and silver are also tied to the Caribbean thanks to the pirates and colonial history of the islands. Now what if I were to tell you that some of the sunken treasure comes in the form of bottles of rum, and that these bottles are easily reachable from the southern shore of St. Thomas, would you be interested?

I thought you might.

During the Castaway Winter Beach Bash at Bolongo Bay Resort on St. Thomas, a bunch of us were lucky enough to find some of this rum. We snorkeled out into the shallow blue water bay and there it was, just sitting there on the sea floor.

Okay, so these bottles of rum weren’t a couple hundred years old. In fact they are made just 40 miles south on St. Croix and the label on them reads Cruzan. That didn’t make the experience of scavenging for rum on the ocean bottle any less thrilling. It would of helped if I would have returned to the beach with a bottle, but that’s the way treasure hunts go, you win some and lose some.

Bolongo Bay Resort has been doing the snorkel rum hunt for quite some time and is a highlight with the guests. I haven’t heard of another resort in the entire Caribbean doing anything like it. It’s a genius idea. Strap on some fins, paste a mask to your face and go in search of rum. Pure heaven!

It’s not all fun and games though. As you can imagine everyone wants to find a bottle, competition can be intense. You first have to get into the water with your fins on without falling. Then you have to dodge the sea turtles that are constantly heading to the surface for air. Finally you have more people in the water than rum on the bottom, so you better have a sharp eye. I did spot a bottle in about 13 feet of water. I notice a girl saw it as well. I could have let my pirate instincts take over and beat her to the treasure, but I swam off to explore deeper waters. Like I said, in the end I returned to the beach without any treasure, but the gracious staff at Bolongo Bay had a smile and a bottle waiting for me. Thanks guys!

When we started to plan the Castaway Winter Beach Bash and I learned about the rum hunt I knew something like that would be perfect for our rowdy group. Bolongo Bay Resort puts on this popular activity once a week. So if your heading to St. Thomas and looking for a great place to stay with lots of activities, give them a try. It’s a little slice of Caribbean magic.

Cheers,

RumShopRyan

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If it’s the weekend and you’re sitting around your St. Thomas hotel wondering what to do, just ask someone where Barefoot Davis is playing. You’re night just got filled up with a good time, sort of like that rum drink in your hand.

Barefoot Davis and his extremely talented band played one night at Iggies Beach Bar during the Castaway Winter Beach Bash. The Caribbean was just steps away, lights glittered off the waves, and the mood was set by the band’s originals songs and the flowing rum. Just another night in the islands.

Barefoot Davis led the way with songs like Party Nites and Palm Trees, Chicken Pickin Whiskey, Rum is the answer, and One Eyed Dan. They played a few covers as well, but the original stuff was the most entertaining. You could tell each member of the band was having a great time as they played off each other instrumentally. One thing I remember most was the older bald gentleman. Talent oozed from his body. He had the Iggies crowd on their feet with his guitar solos, then he would play the steel pans like a master. The guy was amazing.

Here are a couple videos of Barefoot Davis playing with Captain Bob aboard the catamaran Good Medicine at the St. Thomas Boat Show back in 2010.

Rum is the answer…what was the question?

Capt Bob and Barefoot Davis play Gypsy

Hanging out on the docks, listening to good music in the Caribbean, yeah I could get use to that. Let me know if you’ve had the chance to catch Barefoot Davis while on St. Thomas, would love to know what you thought.

Check out BarefootDavis.net to find the bands schedule, get the lates news and I think you can even download do some music.

Cheers to sweet sweet island music.
RumShopRyan

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Sitting on the beach at Bolongo Bay Resort is a relaxing, yet entertaining experience. Off in the distance you see St. Croix looming on the horizon. In the bay itself, you’ll see sea turtles constantly breaching the surface for air and snorkelers trailing behind them. You’ll see people cutting through the waves in kayaks and trying their hand at Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Keep an eye on the paddle boarders, it’s quite entertaining watching them fall over and over again. Don’t hate me, you’d laugh too.

The water is clear, the waves gentle and with two bars just steps away on the sand, the rum is always near. I shot this Island Lime Video of Bolongo Bay Resort to give the people who couldn’t attend the Castaway Winter Beach Bash a little taste of the surroundings. We’re going to try and do it again next year, so keep the month of January 2013 open just in case!

Bolongo Bay Resort – Island Lime Video

This true Caribbean beach resort is surrounded by the tastes, sights and sounds of St. Thomas. Bolongo Bay sits along a 1,000-foot golden sand beach with palm trees rustling in the breeze and iguanas slowly strolling by. Their staff was super friendly and by the end of my visit, they all knew who the rum guy was! Cheers to you guys!

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands 00802
Reservations: (800) 524-4746

Cheers!
RumShopRyan

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I always tell people, spend at least one day on the water when vacationing in the Caribbean. Nine times out ten, it will turn into their favorite part of the entire trip. Always a highlight for this Castaway.

One of the perks of attending the Castaway Winter Beach Bash at Bolongo Bay Resort was a sunset cruise board their catamaran, the Heavenly Days. Motion of the ocean, pushed through the waves by the power of the wind and a rum punch in hand; yes this was going to be a grand time.

Heavenly Days at rest in front of Bolongo Bay

Saturday night arrives on St. Thomas, the skies are clear, the sun is falling and a 50 foot catamaran sits waiting at the end of the dock. We board the Heavenly Days and the crew have a buffet of finger foods and rum punch waiting for us as we step on board. Heavenly day indeed.

All the Castaways and other island passengers quickly board and grab their boat drinks. We were a little worried about one person, Scott. He stayed up to the wee hours of the morning the night before drinking rum on the beach with a few of us and was still a little sluggish come cruise time. He finally boarded Heavenly Days and even had a Team Cocktail “Rum” t-shirt on. Now that’s how you roll.

Castaway Scott ready to go!

We were introduced to Capt. Dan, first mate Matt and 2nd mate Jolene. They were a fantastic crew and not a single drink went dry the entire sail.

Capt. Dan pointed us out to sea and set our course for Charlotte Amalie, downtown St. Thomas.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI

There’s just something sexy about being under sail power. Even the raising of the sails is a powerful moment. You watch the canvas climb skyward and the boat begins to react, biting into the breeze and plowing through the waves. It’s a feeling I hope everyone reading this gets to enjoy at least once in their lives.

We enter Charlotte Amalie harbor just as a large cruise ship is leaving port. It’s amazing how big these things are. They are engineering marvels, but I wouldn’t have traded spots with anyone on that beast for a million dollars. Paradise was happening on Heavenly Days.

Capt. Dan takes us right up to the water front as Jolene gives us a little history of the downtown area. We listen, enjoy our boat drinks and then hear a faint buzz from behind us. As we turn around to pin point the growing sound, someone points the sky as a airplane was coming into the harbor and heading straight for us. Of course the seaplane was going to hit us but it did catch a bunch of us by surprise. Here’s a great video that BigKahunaBrew shot of the Seaborne Airlines plane coming in for a landing.

After the excitement of the plane landing, we sail past Water Island and back out into the Caribbean. The sun was setting and we had front row seats.

The sun dipped below the horizon and the Capt. turned the Heavenly Days east back towards Bolongo Bay. The seas had grown a bit and the sleek cat was slicing through through the swells with ease. I was sitting up front, taking a good bit of salty spray to the face. Didn’t bother me in the least. Jimmy Buffett was playing over the speakers, a cold drink was resting in my koozie, I was surrounded by great friends and the Virgin Islands were the backdrop; Heavenly Days indeed.

If you’re on St. Thomas and looking to get out on the water, contact Bolongo Bay Resort. They take the Heavenly Days out for day trips to St. John and of course sunset sails. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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The best time to hit popular Caribbean beaches is in the morning. I met up with Big Kahuna at 8pm at the pool bar of Bolongo Bay Resort, our destination, the popular Magens Bay beach on St. Thomas.

Magens Bay is St. Thomas’ most popular beach. It’s a slightly crescent, mile long stretch of white sand that is postcard perfect. On the morning we were exploring the blue water was calm with only gentle waves that massaged your ankles as they washed by. Magens gradually deepens making it perfect for small children to play and adults to simply float away. The bay is protected by lush green mountains on either side and has a centerpiece island sitting out in front of the bay’s opening.

Magens Bay is the only beach on St. Thomas that has an entry fee; funds are used to maintain the facilities and the beach. What sort of facilities you ask. You can find a restaurant/bar that serves pizza, burgers, snacks and cold beer. I wouldn’t call Magens Bay a snorkelers paradise. The bay has mostly a sandy bottom but you can find some rocks on the left (west) side that might give you some snorkeling structure to explore.

Magens Bay, St. Thomas USVI

The beach is a popular stop on island tour itineraries and can get crowded on days when there are several cruise ships in port. Most beach goers pick a spot close to the restaurant area, so typically if you walk down the shore where the snorkeling rocks I mentioned are, away form the concession are you’ll find fewer people. But really, there’s never a bad time to go, it’s the freakin’ best beach on island! Go and enjoy.

Does it get any better than this? Magens Bay

Magens Bay, St. Thomas USVI

It was a glorious morning spent at Magens. My only regret, I’m going to sound like a broken record, was that I didn’t have more time to relax and perhaps do some floating around. Maybe watch the day charters pull up and anchor, or perhaps kick back at the bar and enjoy a couple Summer Ales. Just a little island limin’.

Cheers Castaways!
RumShopRyan

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Almost a week removed from the Castaway Winter Beach Bash at Bolongo Bay Resort on St. Thomas, I keep finding my mind wandering back. It was a great time and I have a lot of stories I want to share with you Castaways who couldn’t make it. One of those stories was the rum tasting they put on for us.

Who's ready for rum?

Rum tasting, on the beach, in the Caribbean, with a great group of people…sign me up. The sun was setting, coconut palms towered over us and bottles of Cruzan Rum sit on the table, unopened, taunting us. Luckily we didn’t have to take matters into our own hands, Lesley, the Cruzan Rum rep. was there to save the day.

Rum on the beach.

Lesley told us about the history of Cruzan and how important it is to the economy of the USVI. You are actually encouraged to take bottles of Cruzan home with you, customs allows you to take extra bottle of any rum home as long as one of them is Cruzan. Cruzan is made on St. Croix, while we could actually see the island (40 miles to the south of St. Thomas) and were encouraged to visit the distillery by Lesley, our focus was concentrated on the bottles in front of us.

Lesley giving us the Cruzan low down.

Lesley cracked open the bottles and the rum tasting commenced. We tried Cruzan Strawberry, Vanilla, Coconut, Aged and Rum Cream. There might have been one more flavor, but I can’t remember. Haze of the rum.

I’m not really a fan of drinking straight flavored rums, but for the sake of the tasting I endured. To me the flavored rums are meant for mixing and that’s about it. I could maybe enjoy a small glass of the Cruzan Coconut, but that’s if I was out of dark rums. The flavored rums mix well and create “boat drink” magic with cocktails like the Bolongo Bay VooDoo Juice.

My talented assistant pouring some rum.

I did enjoy trying the Cruzan Rum Cream for the first time. Almost tastes like chocolate milk, with a kick. I think a bottle of this stuff is needed for some boat drink research. Stay tuned.

After a few hours the rum tasting ended but the party continued. Our group of Castaways doubled in size as the evening turned into the early morning. A few of us closed down Iggies Beach Bar (2am) and then brought our own bottle of rum out to keep the fun alive. Jokes were told, friendships made and there might have even been some singing. I’ll save that little gem for another time.

Big thanks to Lesley and Bolongo Bay Resort for setting up the rum tasting for our group. You guys rock!

(Top photo by Old Mango)

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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After one sip, you’ll put a hex on your mother-in-law just to get one.

Wait for me! I tell my girlfriend Erin, who has already beat me to the bar and half consumed a VooDoo Juice.

We walk in the door of the Bolongo Bay Resort on St. Thomas and no sooner can we put our bags down, a cold rum punch is thrust into our hands. It disappears in less than 3 minutes. It was a long flight, what can I say. While the rum punch definitely hit the spot, my mind was on the drink that Bolongo Bay is known for, the VooDoo Juice.

We take our bags to the room and stare out the window to the neon blue Caribbean sea. Mesmerizing. But no rest for this pirate, I meet up with Colleen who is the Advertising/PR Manager, and also part of the owning family. We walk the grounds and she gives me the history of the resort as I snap photos and make mental notes. During the tour I lost track of my assistant/girlfriend, whom I’m guessing was either seduced by a beach side hammock or eaten by the large iguanas that roam the grounds.

The tour ends and I go in search of Erin and the other Castaways. I find them all, sitting comfortably on the beach with buckets in their hands. The joy found in these buckets is the infamous Bolongo Bay VooDoo Juice. A cocktail so sweat, so delicious, it will have you committing crimes just to get another taste.

Erin had wondered off and beat me to the bar and now teases me with her half empty bucket of fun. Isn’t the dude with the name RumShopRyan suppose to be the first to finish a bucket of VooDoo Juice! It wasn’t so in this case.

Want to make you’re own VooDoo Juice? Check out this video that Castaway BigKahuna and I shot at Iggies Beach Bar at Bolongo Bay. Good times and lots of rum!

VooDoo Juice Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1oz. Cruzan Pineapple Rum
• 1oz. Cruzan Banana Rum
• 1oz. Cruzan Coconut Rum
• 1oz. Cruzan Citrus Rum
• 0.5oz. Cruzan Dark Rum
• 3oz. Cranberry Juice
• 3oz. Pineapple Juice

Mixing Instructions: Fill bucket (or really large glass) with ice and pour in the Pineapple, Banana, Coconut and Citrus Cruzan rums. Then add the Cranberry and Pinapple Juice and top with Cruzan Dark rum. Raise bucket and toast.

Great VooDoo Juice photo by my friend Old Mango.

If you’ve had the pleasure of sitting on the beach at Bolongo Bay or cooling off at Iggies Beach Bar with a VooDoo Juice sitting in front of you, then I’d love to hear what you thought of the drink.

Cheers to Boat Drinks!

RumShopRyan

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I want to invite all St. Thomas, St. John and BVI readers to join us at Bolongo Bay for the party. I know quite a few Castaways call the USVI/BVI home, I want to meet you and share a story or two over a cold rum punch. Come out and lime with us at Iggies!

Friday night at Bolongo Bay’s Iggies Beach Bar we have the Slick Fiction band (local), great female vocalist, rock & Roll classics along with contemporary rock. Then on Saturday night we have the one and only ‘Barefoot Davis’ entertaining at Iggies.

Iggies Beach Bar, St. Thomas

Here is a story about Barefoot Davis from the St. Thomas Source

It looks like Davis Murray — or Barefoot Davis as he’s known in the Virgin Islands — is poised for musical stardom. With his happy-go-lucky beach bum looks, a recently produced music video, a New England tour, a CD and regular upcoming gigs at Ainsley’s and Latitude 18, Murray is going places. The Barefoot Davis Band’s songs are also getting airplay on Pirate Radio WIVI-FM 96.1. Read More Here

Here is a little taste of Barefoot Davis…

That covers the evening entertainment, but what about the rest of the party? I’m glad you asked!

The itinerary is out and it’s packed with plenty of fun, a lot of rum and a whole bunch of Caribbean sun.

Castaway Winter Beach Bash Schedule

January 20 – 23, 2012

Friday, January 20

• Guest arrival Castaway Welcome Bag provided at check in or in-room upon arrival
• 5 or 6 p.m. Castaway Rum Tasting Event, Iggies Beach Bar
• 6 – 9 p.m. Dinner available, Iggies Beach Bar and The Lobster Grille
• 8 – 11 p.m. Live entertainment by the Slick Fiction band, Iggies Beach Bar

Saturday, January 21

• 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. Breakfast available, The Lobster Grille
• 8:30 a.m. Discover Scuba Dive in-pool lesson, water sports clinics, beach volleyball, etc
• 10 a.m. Paddleboarding clinic
• 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Lunch available, Iggies Beach Bar and The Lobster Grille
• 4:15 p.m. Meet at the dock for Sunset Cocktail Cruise on Heavenly Days
• 6 – 9 p.m. Dinner available, Iggies Beach Bar and The Lobster Grille
• Live entertainment, Iggies Beach Bar

Sunday, January 22

• 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. Breakfast available, The Lobster Grille
• 8:30 a.m. Discover Scuba Dive in-pool lesson, water sports clinics, beach volleyball, etc
• 10 a.m. Sailing clinic
• 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Lunch available, Iggies Beach Bar and The Lobster Grille
• 1:30 p.m. Castaways Snorkel Booze Hunt
• 6 – 9 p.m. Dinner available, Iggies Beach Bar and The Lobster Grille
• (TIME TBD) Live entertainment by the Sun Kings Band, Iggies Beach Bar

Bolongo Bay Resort, St. Thomas

Looking forward to hanging out with everyone on St. Thomas. Cheers to a great time and a much need break from the cold weather.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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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).