STJ here we come

After almost 3 years of no St John time, we are booked for mid-April return!

All the planning was all done at dinner last night.
At 12:30 today I got a text from my sweetie saying she could take vacation, and at 12:39 our place was Booked!



Moments later… I was surprised to find tickets from DCA to STT were only $418 on AA (Of course with a stop in MIA) - Tickets Booked!

However, I was even more surprised at the cost of rent-a-cars (jeeps) - OUCH. They have gone up considerably from what I remember and It is almost impossible to find anything else but a Jeep. It appears that $480 is the going rate. After taxes and CDW insurance the price is over $600 for the week – ouch again! I have not booked a vehicle yet, but we need to do that in the near future… like tonight.

Anybody gotten a better rate or should I just do it and move on?

Wow, you guys move fast!! Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

Maybe we will take on World Peace at the dinner table tonight.
Results tomorrow by lunch....

Well I wish and it is good to think big.

Hospital vacations windows are tight where my wife works - you have to be able to react.

Good to be able to take vacations like that. We've never been able to take vacations that spur of the moment.

I also have the research done and book with the same speed as soon as the Approval comes in. Glad to hear others are the same!

I am paying the same rate for mid-April car rental for 6 days. I agree it feels expensive but I also tend to gloss over the car rental expense compared to airline and villa fees. In context, our airline fees are out of the North East during April vacation week. Ouch.

I think maybe next year it will be ok to shop around on STT for more affordable rentals. From everything I've heard this year though, the car barge situation doesn't make renting on STT attractive at all. Barge space is needed for construction services, supply vehicles, debris removal, etc. Tourists are strongly encouraged to rent on STJ.

Haven't looked but the "relief" workers have some many Jeeps rented with other peoples money that the price is likely propped up right now. They can't advertise a deal then charge the government a higher rate.

Tom the last time we rented there, also a few years ago, the rates were practically the same for a jeep. Book that jeep! We are always talking about another land trip to Love City....

Today is Jeep day!
And steal a famous marketing phrase - we came to the same conclusion last night - Just Do It?

We have always rented a Suzuki or other smaller vehicles when it is just the two of us, or in a group the big 8 passenger monster vehicles. So I had never really priced out Jeeps.
It seems nowadays all they have to offer is Jeeps. The little guys are gone.

We be Jeepin' today!

Oh yeah did anybody see this last night - Guess who showed up at Mongoose Junction and I think it is Lauren doing back us vocals.

Island Boy

I did see that, and I would put bets on him being at Ivan's tonight. They are advertising a "special guest" will be at their BBQ tonight. In case you don't know who this is in reference to, it's Kenny Chesney.

Nice video of him swinging Wed. at Mongoose Junction on

www.newsofstjohn.com

Jeep is reserved, and as always a phone call is much better than doing it online. We received a reduced rate than what was advertised online. (maybe she liked me)

As for the pop up concert at Sun Dog Café - My wife is a HUGE Kenny fan... and she love it!
Me not so much... I like to watch the sunset and listen to Dark Side of the Moon.
Having said that, I broke down and got her tickets for Kenny's Around the Sun tour final concert at Gillette Stadium in New England.
My Sweetie is walking on Sunshine, so all is good in my world.
Hey she went me to see David Gilmour in NYC with me - paybacks are hell.

Honestly, and watching from afar, I was so impressed with Kenny and his efforts following the storms. I had no problem writing Love for Love City a check and in retrospect I wish it would have been larger.

But Me... now I am just so looking forward to return to paradise.

Tom--we went to the Kenny Chesney/Jimmy Buffet concert in Tallahassee, which was a benefit, and it was a GREAT concert.

Kenny was on island on Thursday spreading the love, having lunch at Cruz Bay Landing and jewelry shopping at VIBE. Cruz Bay is definitely open for business. After Sunday's Nor'easter swell the beaches need another cleanup. A sailboat mast washed up in Cruz Bay and there was debris from Irmaria washed up on all the north shore beaches. The people of St. John are working very hard on cleanup and the island has come back for visitors than for some of the residents.

Cheers, RickG