Please do not go out in downtown Charlotte Amalie at night. Stick to tourist areas.

Do not text and drive, You will be arrested. Wear your seatbelt. Stay left, they drive on the opposite side of the road. There are no Ubers, only taxis.

If you have global entry you will need your actual card to use that line in St Thomas as they do not have international system access

If you will be using a hair dryer, curling iron etc, please bring a surge protector to plug into

Sabrina and I lived here for 3 solid years. Before Sabrina, I lived on several Caribbean Islands, including St Thomas, starting in 2002. Here’s my advice; THE RESORT: The people at that resort are like family to me. Anyone working behind the front desk, or in management there, are literally dear friends of mine. They are good folks. The owner of that resort is like the older brother I never had. Please be nice. If you need something, they’ll get you handled. On the plus side, they all know that you’re my people….so I’m sure that they will do whatever they can to help you. And they are all funny, warm and colorful folks. And they all like to party…..if they aren’t working. EVERY ONE OF THEM. They are all the best….trust me. ST THOMAS: Though it is part of the USA, you’ll think that you are in another country. Nothing happens quickly down there. There’s a phrase down there called “island time”. Nobody moves fast. Being from the NYC area….that might be difficult to get used to. I always found that things went best when I went out of my way to “kill them with kindness”. HEAT: This time of year, its hot and near 100% humidity, EVERY DAY. And even if you’re the type that doesn’t burn from the sun, you’ll still burn if you don’t use sunscreen. If you are at the beach or on the water, SPF 30 is a minimum. I’d recommend SPF 50 or better. If you are the type that burns……TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. And stay hydrated……always have a bottle of water handy. ALCOHOL: You are literally in a “Rum Culture”. St Croix (you can see it on a clear day) is the largest producer of rum in the world. Liquor is cheaper than bottled water, in some cases. Consequently, when you get a drink at just about every bar, expect a heavy pour. I’m not exaggerating. This island is filled with functioning alcoholics. All drinks are “to go” drinks. DRINKING AND DRIVING: It’s allowed. If you get pulled over with a drink in your hand, the drink won’t be the reason. But God help you if you get caught without your seat belt on, or on your cell phone. NOW, if you are hammered…….and I mean hammered, that’s another story. I’ve only known 3 people to ever get arrested for DUI there. In all 3 cases, they hit something with their car. Two of them took it to trial and got off. The roads are treacherous and you drive on the left so do not drink and drive. But unless you hit something, or start a fight with the cop, they aren’t trying to arrest the tourists. US POST OFFICE: Flat rate boxes are awesome. If you are going to have an overweight bag, ship the heavy stuff early in a USPS flat rate box to your resort before you leave. If you buy a ton of stuff while shopping….same thing, ship it home. Go to the US Post Office that is right next to the downtown shopping district. Those extra-large flat rate boxes really don’t have a weight limit. We used these boxes on every long trip home and back, when we lived here. BEACHES: St Thomas has 50 different beaches. Each one is awesome for different reasons. The closest to the resort is Magens Bay Beach. It is literally rated one of the best beaches in the World….every year. You can walk there from the resort. But I recommend the following beaches if you have a car; 1. Secret Harbor: Snorkeling, Food/Drinks. Super chill. 2. Coki Beach: Definitely hit this. Good food, cheap drinks and next to Coral World. You can buy a dog bone, go in the water and get swarmed by fish when you rub the dog bone between your hands. They will catch a fish and cook it for you, then bring it to your lounge chair. You can buy a side of doobie if you act cool. 3. Sapphire Beach: Great swimming and best views of St John and the BVI. Good food and drinks too. 4. Hull Bay: An awesome local’s beach. One of my favorite hangs. Decent food, cheap drinks, pool tables and darts. Good snorkeling and can pull up on the sand right next to your towel, and 20 feet from the water. 5. Emerald Beach (airport): Hotel beach. Great for swimming and chilling. The beach bars serve super strong and tasty frozen drinks. 6. Limetree Beach: A bit secluded. A beach at a small Wyndham resort. The pool bar is awesome. They have some beach equipment rentals. Super chill. 7. Lindquist Beach: A National Park. Just parking and a beach. Great for lounging and swimming. 8. Vessup Beach: A small, secluded locals beach. 9. Bolongo Beach: A resort beach. Great bar, good food. I’ve spent hours playing beach volleyball there……hammered. 10. Dorothea Beach: A very secluded, locals beach. Super quiet. 11. Brewers Beach (airport): A good beach to wait for a plane. Whether you’re expecting someone or leaving. 12. Frenchman’s Cove & Morningstar Beach: Both Marriott beaches. Expect Marriott prices and very little Island flair. Beaches are boring…..but you may want boring and upscale. 13. St John’s Beaches: It’s like dating a superhot girl, then finding out that her sister is that much hotter. Take the car ferry from the East End. They leave every 30 minutes. Go to Woody’s around 2:30-3:30 for food and drinks. MAKE SURE YOU GET IN LINE IN TIME FOR THE LAST FERRY (6:00pm). SHOPPING: It’s Summertime. They are hurting for business. You can bargain with locals for all kinds of things in Vendors Plaza, in the downtown shopping district. There’s a really cool and giant tourist trap on Mountain Top. THE VERY BEST VIEWS (best photo op) and a supermarket full of USVI trinkets…..great frozen drinks too. If you are going for jewelry, call me first. You can literally pay a fraction of the retail tag price with the right jewelers. These are the jewelers that ARE NOT on main Street….but in the side alleys. I’m tight with several of them. If you don’t call me first, they’ll crush you. But hey…..it’s your money! GROCERIES: If you are staying longer or to buy lots of liquor, I recommend; 1. Cost-u-less: Like Costco’s bastard little brother. Definitely your best prices….but kind of bulk buying. 2. Food Center: The closest thing to a US supermarket. 3. Moe’s Fresh Market: High end, but they have really good food and drinks. Pricey but a good selection of top shelf food, liquor and drinks. 4. Avoid the Pueblos. 5. There are many roadside bodegas. They will usually have things that tourists need…..but very pricey. STAYING PAST THE WEDDING: My birthday is the 4th of July. All 5 of my kids will fly down…..my 3 older kids are exceptionally awesome and fun to hang with. We will be hitting The Baths on Spanish Gorda one day (A Must Do). And White Bay on Jost van Dyke another Day. You are welcome to join us. Both require a ferry ride from downtown. At midnight July 3rd, Carnival starts in St John. The start of Carnival is a “Jump Up” or “J’Ouvert”. Basically, a drunken parade that starts at midnight and continues until sunrise, and everyone can participate. You dance/march for 6 hours in a circular parade (a designated parade course), with loud music (different types depending where you are) and lots of alcohol. It’s pretty awesome. We did it once…..not sure we can do it again. However, I plan to spend my birthday on St John. Hitting a beach during the day, Carnival Village early evening, watching the fireworks over the ocean and taking the Ferry back to St Thomas. You’re welcome to join us. RESTAURNTS AND NIGHTLIFE: Amalia: Palm Passage Sibs on the Mountain Root 42 Brooks Bar and Restaurant Udder Delights Ice Cream Parlor Northside Grind The Shack at Hull Bay Magens Point Bar and Grill Ideal Restaurant - Roti Tap & Still Smoking Rooster Glady’s Bumpas Caribbean Saloon Island Time Pub/Pizza XO Bistro Greengos Sunset Grille at Secret Harbour One Pub Duffy’s Pesce Iggie’s Paradise Point Old Stone Farmhouse