Editors Inflight

It's the first day of February, the Caribbean's high season is in full swing, and CT+L 's editors are getting ready to jet off to the region's balmy shores. At this point were not sure exactly where our assignments will take us – although our intrepid photographer Zach Stovall is already happily snapping his way around St. Croix – but we sure do know where we'd like to go in 2010.

Editor at Large Dave Herndon picks St John. "I'm dying to find out what all the love is about," he says of the idyllic US Virgin that attracts a back-to-nature bohemian crowd. (One of our favorite writers even considered packing up and moving to the USVI. Check out her story here.)

Online Editor Reagan Johnson just got back from Barbuda (above right), but she's already got her eye on The Grenadines. "I love sailing and I've always wanted to island-hop around the chain, checking out Bequia, Carraicou, Young Island and some of the smaller islets and cays," says our webby wonder woman. "Moonsplash on Anguilla is a close second, though!"

Managing Editor Becky Strauss has Bonaire on the brain. "I've been certified for 13 years now, and I'm desperate to check out one of the world's premiere diving destinations," she says. (If going deep also tops your to-do list, check out Provo, too.)

Executive Editor Matt Phenix is prepping for 4x4 safari through Belize later this month (read all about it in our upcoming May issue) and will put his driving skills to work again later in the year as he tours Barbados (left) by Mini moke for an upcoming feature.

As for me: Like Reagan, I'm hoping to set sail on my maiden voyage to The Grenadines, and I'm curious about the French Caribbean, particularly Martinique and Guadeloupe. It'd be a great opportunity to see somewhere new and to brush up on my Francais. Of course, I'm always up for a trip back to my beloved Jamaica, and I'm excited about the ever-increasing lineup of luxury hotels along Mexico's Riviera Maya (We'll be featuring one of the best in our annual all-inclusive feature, coming up in April).

Now over to you: Which destinations are on your Caribbean wish-list this year?

It's a Tough Job

At left was my office for my last three days on St. John last week. Not bad, eh? The view is of the East End of St. John in the foreground and Tortola, BVI behind it. In fact, my phone was picking up a signal from a BVI cell tower, I was so close. Pictured is the deck of the adorable 1-bedroom villa where I stayed, called Sun, Moon and Stars, managed by a gem of a tour guide named Bonny and Wimco, a great rental company we’ve mentioned in many a villa story. I’ll be featuring some of their newest and most recently renovated villas in an upcoming “Just Back St. John,” including one called Into the Mystic, which was unfortunately booked while I was there.

I’m sure there are other fans of HGTV’s House Hunters International out there — really, what’s better than a travel show that lets you peep into other people’s houses? Other people’s exotic houses? So imagine my glee when, lounging on my couch the very night after I arrived home, what island should be featured on my fave show but St. John? And guess which villa the lucky couple bought? Yep, Into the Mystic; so I got my tour after all. I’m sure it’ll come up again on reruns; until then, check the Wimco site for a beautiful St. John villa for your own stay. wimco.com

Taking a Hike

Last week in St. John, I took a break from the beach to hike the lovely Reef Bay Trail, one of the most popular in the USVI National Park. It's 2.5 miles downhill (works for me!), and at the end there's beautiful deserted bay and beaches. Encyclopediac rangers lead the hikes, pointing out flora and fauna as you go; as you descend through the moist subtropical forest, watch out for some of the wildlife I've pictured here. That spider's the size of a kitten. Near the end of the trail, you'll encounter the ruins of the Reef Bay sugar mill, now home to a huge population of hermit crabs and bats. I unfortunately didn't photograph the ruins because I desperately needed to use the "Lady Bird Johnson" facilities. Seems the former first lady hiked the Reef Bay Trail herself in the early 1960s, and when she enquired about a restroom, the ranger indicated that it was all around her with a broad sweep of his hand. Upon her return to the mainland, Lady Bird generously donated the money for the outhouse that now bears her name. At the end of the trail is the big payoff: a stretch of deserted beach and nearly undisturbed green hillsides hug a quiet blue bay. If you're interested in participating in the hike on your visit to St. John, the park service runs guided tours on Mondays and Thursdays, but they fill up fast.

Go to www.nps.gov/viis and reserve a spot far in advance. Happy hiking!

Ahoy Mateys

Visitors to the Caribbean know that the islands are speckled with interesting characters, and St. John, USVI is certainly home to its fair share (maybe more than its fair share). Seated on my right a few nights ago at Skinny Legs bar in Coral Bay was a gentleman named Pirate Bill, whom I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to speak with, because of the two other gentlemen, both named Jim, who held my attention the entire time. Last night I ventured to another nearby watering hole, Island Blues, in part to see if Bill was there; luckily for me, he was. He introduced himself as Pirate Bill, and said "You were the one playing on that little box all night," to me. Guilty as charged: I just got my first BlackBerry, and have become a sad addict.

Barefoot, with a shirt that seemed fashioned out of a sail, a necklace made of Pieces of Eight, a beard down to his chest and long white hair hidden partially by a bandanna that I swear had a treasure map imprinted on it, Bill certainly looked the part of pirate. Bill's the kind of guy who's been in the right place at the right time for years: He was in Vegas in the 1950s, when The Strip ended in a gravel road, and knew the Rat Pack guys, "They did their thing, I did mine," which in this case was outfitting every bar in town with pool tables. Oh, and Paul Newman's room when he came to Vegas for his movie The Hustler. Then he was off to British Columbia in the 1960s, where he wanted me to know they weren't doing anything, um, illegal, before he got there, but by the time he left, there were clouds of, um, incense, everywhere. Running from the law, he ended up in Key West during the 1970s, where he was part of the diving team that discovered the wreck of the Spanish ship the Atocha, sunk on December 6, 1622, and loaded to the brim with silver, rubies, emeralds and coins — four of which you can see displayed in his necklace. Bill chatted with me about diving in those days, about treasure hunting, about his kids and about St. John, where he's been for the last 30 years, for a few hours before hitting the road. He's undoubtedly one of the coolest characters I've ever met on my travels, but that's the beauty of the Caribbean — characters like Bill are everywhere.

Everything's Going to be Okay

Hi all, blogging from the lush, verdant isle of St. John, USVI, where part of the reason it's so green right now is the rain that's been falling intermittently for the last week. It's also led to an affliction I like to call Mosquito Pincushionitis, whereby my legs look like a game of connect-the- dots, but never mind: Rain or shine, it's hands down one of my favorite destinations, for the beaches (sublime), the people (incredibly welcoming), the scenery (see for yourself), the food (it's detox for a week when I get home) and the great resorts like Caneel Bay, where I had the good fortune to stay for three nights earlier this week, in Cottage Seven no less, renowned for being the one occupied by Brangelina and brood on their visit to the island in 2007. Not that I read any of the celebrity rags or care about stuff like this (ahem) but let's just say I was tickled (haha) to find myself the occupant of the room I came to find out was the massage room for the cellulite-free couple.

Caneel's one of those places the rich and famous can go to hide. With 166 rooms spread over 170 acres, the place can be full and still feel deliciously empty. Luckily the paparazzi left me alone, and I was free to wander the grounds, as well as stuff myself silly, both literally and figuratively on everything the resort has to offer: I ate, I snorkeled, I kayaked, I ate, I lazed on the beaches, I ate - you get the idea. In short, it was a great three days; from the moment we boarded the Lady Caneel ferry in St. Thomas until the moment we checked out. Even if it wasn't before, at Caneel Bay, everything is, in fact, okay.

Rewarding Response

We just received the following note from Peter Muilenburg, author of our April issue's The Grand Old Man of St. John profile on author and local sage, Guy Benjamin, and I wanted to share the kind words...

I thought you might like to hear the results of the Guy Benjamin article out here in the village of Coral Bay. He has sold 50 copies of his book in the last few days since the edition arrived to subscribers. More mail and orders arrive with every post. Tourists carrying a copy of the April issue find his stand. "Benjie" is overwhelmed by the response - he clasps a copy to his heart and says with sheer happiness, "My book!" It looks like he's going to have to order up a new printing. Mr. Benjamin wants to thank CT+L's staff for "a job very well done."

Click here to read the full article, and let us know your thoughts!