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 … [Read more...]
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, December 1, 2011 – The Department of Tourism is proud to report that four of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ beaches have received the prestigious Blue Flag certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Blue Flags were raised today at Lindbergh Bay at the Emerald Beach Resort and Great Bay at The Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas; Trunk Bay on St. John and Pelican … [Read more...]
The island of St. John in the USVI possesses arguably some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. The entire north shore of this island gem is covered with one amazing seascape after another. It's a beach lovers dream and a photographers Nirvana. 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 … [Read more...]
Caribbean sunset photos are no stranger to this website. There's just something about them that touches the sensitive side of me. Erin would argue that that part doesn't even exist in me, but it does, it just picks certain times to reveal itself. 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 … [Read more...]
The US Virgin Island of St. John has some of the Caribbean's most attractive beaches located on its north shore. You'll find popular and photogenic Trunk Bay, then down the road a bit further your attention turns to Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay and Francis Bay - all with soft white sand and stunning vistas. With all the attention going to the north side of St. John, many forget about the tranquil … [Read more...]
Imagine yourself waking up in the morning, throwing open the curtains and staring out at the Caribbean Blue. It's a Tuesday and you have to go to work, but you couldn't be happier. You gladly jump into your flip flops, fire up the jeep and head to Coral Bay to heat up the grill. Okay, so you work the kitchen and sling drinks at a Caribbean beach bar, life is pretty good right? It can be better. … [Read more...]
Caribbean Webcams, they're our little window into places where we long to be. I thought I'd follow up yesterday's St. John Cinnamon Bay video post with a little more STJ love. 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 … [Read more...]
Sundays are made for relaxing. Now picture yourself floating in the calm crystal clear blue waters of Cinnamon Bay on St. John in the USVI. The sun slowly lumbering across the sky and gentle trade winds flirting with a boat in the bay, these are the plot lines of the beautiful video below. Thank you Rum Therapy for the entrancing video. Enjoy your Sunday Castaways. Here's to you relaxing … [Read more...]
Cruz Bay sits on the western shore of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Its harbor is filled with waiting boats and calm waters. In the distance, the island of St. Thomas lies waiting. What is it waiting for? It's waiting to frame the falling sun for the spellbound onlookers in Cruz Bay. This picture perfect scene is repeated daily and will never get old. I've experienced a couple sunsets from … [Read more...]
Many of you know St. John, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is one of my favorite rocks in the Caribbean. Although I still have many islands yet to explore, this one sits a top on my list so far. If I'm not mistaken, I believe many of you Castaways love this little island just as much as I do. St. John stories always seem to get a flood of interest on RumShopRyan. I found this great new St. John … [Read more...]
Staring at a Caribbean webcam doesn't put you in the islands, but it might be the closest thing to actually being there. St. John has a host of great island webcams. Here is one I just found that gives you a glimpse of Lameshur Bay. Don't you just wish you could climb through your screen and be in the islands? I know, me too. VIERS, Virgin Islands Environmental Research Station, offers … [Read more...]
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Who I am and Why I Write - Close your eyes and remove yourself from the everyday. Picture your toes sinking into the sand as the waves kiss your ankles and listen to the coconut palms rustle in the gentle sea breeze. That’s a nice feeling isn’t it? I live a little bit of that life and want to share my tropical dreams with you. My name is Ryan and I hale from the land-locked, can’t get any further from the ocean, state of Kansas. I moved to laid back southwest Florida back in 2001 and have … Read More
