I guess it's kind of hit or miss when you go to any tropical destination but we had perfect weather when we were in St. John in early March. It was 85 and sunny every day (if you're in to that kind of thing). St. John is only 21 square miles and it's filled with wonderful beaches, beautiful landscapes, excellent diving and snorkeling, and an overall great atmosphere. To get there is relatively easy, you fly in to St. Thomas, drive to Red Hook on the east end of St. Thomas (about 30 minutes depending on traffic), and take a short ferry ride over to Cruz Bay in St. John.

We rented a car in St. Thomas and took it over on the car ferry. Make sure you check with your car rental company to see if they allow cars on the ferry (some don't). Also, most car rental companies don't offer road side assistance off St. Thomas. It's whatever you are comfortable with. If you don't want the hassle of a car, taxis are available everywhere. However, if you are there for any length of time it can add up. My vote, get a car! It allows you to see much more of the island and gives you more freedom . . . provided you're comfortable with driving on the left side of the road. It's actually not as stressful as I thought it would be.

Another great reason to rent a car is that you will need it to get to the villa you rent. Granted, they have some beautiful resorts in St. John but if you're really looking to get away and feel like you're living the island life, rent a villa. We rented a fantastic property (Great Escape was the property name). The villa was perched high on a hillside overlooking Cinnamon Bay (a great beach by the way) with beautiful views of Jost Van Dyke and Tortolla, British Virgin Islands.

We cooked in most nights but there was at least one restaurant that was noteworthy. 10 Tables is a bar during the day and transforms in to a culinary adventure at night. The owner and chef got his start at Chateau Bordeaux (a St. John mainstay), then was the executive chef at Zozo's (also another great restaurant) before venturing out on his own. You'll definitely need to make a reservation.

Depending on what tropical activities you are in to St John has just about everything to keep you satisfied; SCUBA diving (Low Key Watersports), snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, getting a massage, or just relaxing on the beach. If you're thinking about golfing on St. John think again, there are no golf courses on St. John, you'll have to satisfy that vice on St. Thomas.

St. John is a wonderful place but make you plans early. Most people love it so much they go back every year and typically make reservations for the next year the day after they get home. We got lucky finding the place we did with four months notice but would not recommend cutting it so close. We're already making out plans for next year!!!!!