Rules of the House
(A) Enjoy yourself! Get on island time.
(B) Come again soon.
(C) Let us know anything you need.
(1) Principles of enjoying life here.
(A) Don’t get in too big a hurry. Flexibility and a laid back attitude are essential for a full appreciation of St. John.
(B) Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is, of course, a corollary of (A).
(C) If you see something you need, buy it. While we have a lot more available on St. John than we used to, don’t assume that you’ll find something cheaper or better elsewhere. Odds are that you won’t and when you go back to buy whatever it was, someone else will have already beat you to it.
(D) Thake the simplest course of action. Don’t complicate things unduly. Murphy’s Law rules on St. John as elsewhere.
(E) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
(F) Take time to enjoy the magnificent views, the sea breezes, the varied beaches and the many different birds, shells, fish, plant life, and other wonders of the island. St. John is different. It is a place to be explored at leisure according to your particular tastes. As nice as Halcyon is, don’t get housebound to the exclusion of exploration.
(2) Beaches-St. John’s greatest attraction is, of course, its beautiful beaches. Enjoy them. Listed below are our five favorites.
(A) Saltpond – 5 minutes away. Shady, tables and good snorkeling. A 10 minute walk down to the beach.
(B) Hawksnest – North Shore beach 20 minutes away, beautiful; bathrooms and changing areas available, good snorkeling, close to Cruz Bay.
(C) Lameshur – A few minutes beyond Salt Pond. Need 4 wheel drive to get over mountains. Private and beautiful.
(D) Cinnamon Bay – 15 minutes away, great beach but busy. Good cafeteria, bathrooms & showers, run by the National Park.
(E) Trunk Bay – one of the world’s most beautiful Beaches. Often crowded. Underwater snorkel trail; showers and snack bar available.
(3) Snorkeling – The best way we know to discover a whole new world. If you’re going to become an enthusiast – buy gear; it’ll be cheaper than renting. Plan some trips to the BVI to explore what’s underwater there too!
(4) Shelling – they’re everywhere so keep your eyes open. Reef Bay, Salt Pond and the reef below Halcyon are good places to start.
(5) Hiking – since St. John is 75% National Park, the island is covered with trails. Hiking the island will give you a truly special appreciation of the beauties of St. John. Some trails are short and sweet and others are a workout. Visit the National Park Headquarters in Cruz Bay for an informative tour and maps of the trails. Two of our favorites are the Reef Bay Trail and Ram Head.
(6) Shopping – grocery stores are the small and some-what oddly stocked, but you can always put together a meal. The locals advise you to do as they do; buy what looks good, tomorrow it may not be available.
(7) The other kind of shopping – in the past few years St. John has acquired some really fine shops for jewelry, clothing and other “desirables not necessities” in life. Most are located in Cruz Bay and are a fun way to spend the rare rainy day. Unless, of course, you choose to spend it watching the squalls blow over from the BVI while your settled in a comfortable chair at Halcyon.
(8) Restaurants – There are fine gourmet restaurants with prices to match as well as some basic places with good burgers. We still like to cook our own gourmet meals and Halcyon is all set up for that too.