Rum Therapy, Author at Rum Therapy

January 11, 2016June 6, 2019

The Rum Bar, Phoenix

A big thanks to rum expert Dwayne Allen and his wife, chef extraordinaire, Danielle Leoni, who own the award winning Breadfruit and Rum Bar in downtown Phoenix. We enjoyed another great evening at their establishment this last weekend. We had reservations for 6:30p.m. at The Breadfruit, a fine eatery with a Jamaican influence, and got to The Rum Bar – which encompasses the other half of the space early to enjoy a few beverages and hopefully a little rum talk with Dwayne. Nothing about the evening disappointed.

Upon our arrival, we chatted with the knowledgeable bartender, Brian about what we should try.

We settled on a tasting flight and although there were four different flights to choose from, we chose the Masters Blend, which consisted of tastings of Brugal 1888, Angostura 1824 Limited Reserve 12 Year and Mt. Gay 1703 Cask Select.

Rum flights are an excellent way to sample a few different rums to learn about different regions, brands or types. All the rums in our flight were excellent, although there was a distinct winner on our palate. See the different flights and rums available here: Rums, flights and cigars. There are over 150 rums available at The Rum Bar, so there is certainly something to please everyone and the bartenders are very astute at assisting in finding the right cocktail or sipping rum to suit your taste.

Next we decided to sample a couple of the craft cocktails, all designed by Dwayne himself using the freshest of ingredients, hand squeezed juices and homemade spices.

We sampled a Punchbowl Special – a daily rotation of inspired rum punches. This day it included mango…delicious!

We then ordered a Rum Old Fashioned. This one was created with Appleton Extra 12 Year Rum, orange bitters and orange zest. It was an especially pleasing combination of flavors.

We got to chat with Dwayne for a bit about our upcoming trip to Antigua to get his take on Antiguan rums. Hailing from Jamaica, Dwayne knows and loves his rum and genuinely appears to love talking about it and educating folks on this spirit with deep roots in the Caribbean.

By then, it was time to be seated for dinner. After ordering Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass and Red Strip Curried Prawns we were nearly tortured by the aromas emanating from the kitchen and could hardly wait until our selections arrived. After polishing off every last bite, John said it was the best Sea Bass he’d ever tasted and I felt the prawns were equally as delectable. I would have picked up my plate and licked it clean if I could have.

After dinner we each enjoyed one more Rum Old Fashioned before catching a taxi home. Great night and we can’t wait to return and sample some more.

An evening at the Rum Bar/Breadfruit is highly recommended.
It’s like having a little Jamaican vacation right in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona.

Check out The Breadfruit/Rum Bar website for more information.

January 8, 2016June 6, 2019

The Return of Mad Gringo

Ahhh, Mad Gringo. We’ve been fans of the company with a curious name for quite some time. Why wouldn’t we be? Their slogan is “Go Slow”, and with their tropical vibe and quirky sense of humor, their philosophy of life fits us to a “tee”. Pun of course, intended. They sell some great tropical tees and other tropical apparel.

Mad Gringo “Fish Bones” Tropical Shirt

Anyway, we followed them on Facebook and purchased Mad Gringo products until one day, we saw a post that said “The Long Adios”. Mad Gringo, it appeared, would be no more. However, after a bit of restructuring, Mad Gringo has returned – and to our delight, as off-the-wall and humorous as ever. Find out more about this company, the history, their great tropical apparel, the new owners and their plans for the future of Mad Gringo in our recent interview with Mad Tom, aka Tom Spears.

Who is Mad Gringo?

“Okay, let’s get this straight right from the get-go – I’m Mad Gringo. Not the original Mad Gringo, mind you, but right now I’m the one and only.” To find out how Tom became Mad Gringo, you can read his very humorous account in a series of short blog posts here: Part 1, Pa rt 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

How did the idea for Mad Gringo come about?

“Well”, Tom replied, “Mad Gringo was the brainchild of the original owner, Greg Chambers. We still communicate with Greg on a regular basis and he even occassionally offers advice – some of it is even good. Greg has moved onto other things, like running his own consultancy called Chambers Pivot Industries.

The legend of how the company came into being involves Greg spending a vacation in Mexico and meeting a t-shirt salesman at a beach bar late one night. The two of them shared life stories with him over a bottle of tequila (maybe two.) In the morning, he knew he couldn’t go back to the Corporate grind. Announcing to his new-found friend – that he wasn’t going back, and instead, might just take up selling shirts just like him – the guy replied, “You’re mad, Gringo.” Hence the name of the company.”

The history of Mad Gringo

Mad Gringo started back in 2006 in Mad Greg’s basement, and it took off pretty quickly. Greg has a good head for marketing and promotion and did a lot of clever, appealing things to give the business a fun look and feel – funny tags, custom bags, stickers.

Washing instructions on the Fish Bones Tropical Shirt

The business grew steadily for several years, branching beyond online sales to include retail accounts. Unfortunately, retail required substantial cash investment for which Greg and his team simply didn’t have easy access. Eventually, Mad Gringo was merged into a local children’s clothing retailer in Omahoahu.

This was the start of a period of decline for the business. Mad Gringo languished for a couple of years. Eventually, the remaining inventory was auctioned off, and the brand was sold to a t-shirt printer in Iowa.

The new owner was great at making t-shirts, but not so good at understanding the brand and developing its image. After another year or two, it was closed.

That’s when Greg decided to run a “last hurrah” Kickstarter campaign to produce a final tropical shirt and a commemorative tee. When Tom realized the business might be available, he started checking it out, and eventually purchased Mad Gringo.

Since Mad Tom, Mad Bill and Mad Evan have taken over things (which started early in 2015) they’ve been resurrecting suppliers, locating new suppliers, acquiring t-shirt printing equipment, building a website, etc. They feel they are just now getting their legs under them and hope to quickly grow the number and variety of products that they are offering.

The company is now located in Fremoahu (Fremont) Nebraska. It used to be located on the Big Island of Omahoahu, (Omaha) but when the business changed hands, they relocated.

A little about the new owners

Mad Tom
Mad Tom, is a 50 something guy, and an experienced business manager with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Harvard. At one point in his career, he had 4,000 people reporting to him. Now life is simpler and he concentrates on having fun. In his spare time, he write novels (seven published to date). He’s got 7 kids and he and his wife live on a rural lake in Eastern Nebraska.

Tom said his job at Mad Gringo is…”Well, I don’t actually do much of anything at the company. Bill is the president and runs the place.” Tom says he shows up at the offices one day a week and spends most of my time brewing beer in a small hobby space reserved for me in the back. Sometimes he gets involved in projects or other issues going on in the main company, but mostly he just has fun. Actually, he manages the marketing and web presence too.

Mad Bill
Mad Bill is roughly the same age with a degree in Economics. He was the President of a manufacturing company in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and moved to Nebraska to run the company. He is recently remarried (he was widowed years ago) and has two children. Mad Tom and Mad Bill have been best friends for fifteen years.

Mad Evan
Mad Evan is mid 20’s and has a business degree. He is quite entrepreneurial and this is his first job post college. Mad Evan helps run the business along with another business of theirs called Mouse Assassin and is Bill’s son.

Their company, the entity in which Mad Gringo resides, is actually a manufacturing firm called TEK Services.

The philosophy behind Mad Gringo

The company’s slogan is “Go Slow.” The idea is that we all face plenty of frustrations in our daily lives, the kind of thing that makes us want to “chuck it all” and go live on a beach someplace. That’s our “Inner Mad Gringo” talking. If we take some time to satisfy that “IMG” we can keep him at bay. Otherwise, he might pop out at the most inopportune moment. Part of that pacification is “Going Slow,” Taking time, and maybe wearing the occasional tropical shirt.

Good advice. And Mad John, aka John of Rum Therapy, is completely mad about his new Mad Gringo Fish Bones Tropical Shirt. Here you can see him modeling (while enjoying a glass of Zacapa 23). It will definitely come in handy during our upcoming tropical trip and will certainly remind him to just “Go Slow”.

After all, it’s made of 13% “SLOW-OSE”

Are you ready to GO SLOW? Check out all the great Mad Gringo products on their website:
Mad Gringo

And follow them on Facebook for a dose of off-beat humor – oh, and updates on new products and stuff!

They’re on Twitter too.

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

January 6, 2016September 25, 2019

Soggy Dollar Radio

Today we heard from Jamie Gladman, one of the organizers of the Love City Country Music Festival, who also happens to be the General Manager of Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. He told us that Soggy Dollar has just launched it’s own radio station called Soggy Dollar Radio.

According to Jamie, the eclectic mix is intended to remind listeners of their time spent at the Soggy long after they’ve returned home. Jamie says, “Give it 5 songs and you’ll be hooked”.

So, in between trips to paradise, you can tune in to Soggy Dollar Radio, turn on the Soggy Dollar Webcam and imagine yourself right here, sipping a Painkiller of course…

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 6, 2016September 25, 2019

Foxy’s School of Music

Update: Foxy’s School f Music was irreparably damaged during the hurricanes of 2017, but has re-built and recently re-opened since our last visit.

As we previously mentioned in our post about a new business called Foxy’s Charters started by Foxy Callwood of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, Foxy is a busy man. He not only owns two bars on the island, Foxy’s and Foxy’s Taboo, and the new business Foxy’s Charters, he is active in preserving the culture and heritage of the beautiful island he calls his home. He was instrumental in founding the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society to further the education, monitoring and protection of the areas environment and wildlife and has recently started a new venture intended to serve the children of the Jost Van Dyke community and encourage enrichment in a topic near and dear to Foxy’s heart – music.

Anyone lucky enough to visit Foxy’s while Foxy was present has probably been treated to a little of his music. Seen frequently with his guitar, Foxy has been known to sing improvised calypso-esque ballads, many times creating off-the-cuff lyrics about his guests, where they’re from and humorous tidbits about their state or country. So – it makes complete sense that Foxy has begun a new venture designed to entice children on Jost Van Dyke to explore music and encourage budding musicians through a program called Foxy’s School of Music.

On a recent visit to Foxy’s, David Dietrich treated us to a tour of this new facility, opened in March of 2015. Located behind Foxy’s, the dome structure houses a variety of instruments, from drums to violins.

Foxy’s School of Music is open several days a week to the local children (of which there are approximately 43) and is a place they can gather to experiment with music, play music together and take lessons from volunteers.

Several other music lovers and musicians have lent a hand in the creation of this venue, including Tony Martin form “Just Right Music”, Kebbi Williams, a Grammy Award Winning Saxophone Player, William Barnes – composer, producer and musician and Michael Beans – a local musician who performed his famous “Happy Arrr Pirate Show” at the opening ceremonies.

This year, the child who works the hardest at learning how to play their instrument of choice will be awarded with a trip to the annual Music In the Park Event in Atlanta, Georgia held by Kebbie Williams.

photo courtesy of Foxy’s School of Music

Anyway you look at it, Foxy’s School of Music is a win-win situation. It’s a program that will certainly benefit the local children of Jost Van Dyke and a program that could be creating another wonderful musician like Foxy himself.

If you’d like to donate to this great program, contact them via email at [email protected], or if you will be visiting Foxy’s in the near future, there is a donation box between the bar and the Foxhole.

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

December 29, 2015June 6, 2019

Rum Therapy’s Top 10 Rum Recipe Posts of 2015

We recently posted the Rum Therapy Top 10 Island Posts of 2015, and are following up with the top rum recipe posts of the year. As with the top island posts, we never know which recipes will make the top visited posts of the year and there are always a few that surprises.

Here are the 10 most visited Rum Therapy Rum Recipe Posts of 2015, starting at the bottom and working up to #1. Which recipes have you tried?

10. Nilla Killa

The Nilla Killa brings back good memories for us. During our first trip to White Bay, JVD and the Soggy Dollar, as we jumped in the water to swim ashore, our captain told us to be sure and sample a Nilla Killa, which of course, we did. Apparently others have enjoyed a Soggy Dollar Nilla Killa, making this recipe one of the top visited recipes of the year.
Get the Nilla Killa Recipe here.

9. Banana Daiquiri

Can’t beat the taste of this delectable Caribbean rum cocktail and we’ve had the pleasure of sampling a few good ones, including the extremely tasty ones served at Saba Rock Resort in the BVI. Find the recipe here:
Banana Daiquiri

8. Miami Vice

How can you beat the taste of a Strawberry Daiquiri intertwined with a Piña Colada? Exactly. Probably why the Miami Vice recipe was one of the top visited of the year. Find the recipe here:
Miami Vice

7. Lime in de Coconut

This frozen concoction screams tropical umbrella drink, in or out of a coconut! Find the recipe here:
Lime in de Coconut

6. Dirty Banana

The flavor of fresh banana mingled with dark rum and coffee flavored liqueur will remain etched in your mind, long after your Jamaican vacation! Recipe here:
Dirty Banana

5. Bushwacker

Bushwackers’s. Delicious. We sampled our first Bushwacker atop Paradise Point in St. Thomas many, many years ago and were pretty much hooked. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Chocolate, rum and the amazing overlook of Charlotte Amalie – wow, paradise. Apparently others are hooked too…Find the recipe here:
Bushwacker

4. Frozen Rum Runners

Yes, we love Rum Runners and the best one we’ve ever had was actually in the very non-tropical (but gorgeous!) South Lake Tahoe, California on the beach at The Beacon. We haven’t been able to exactly replicate the taste of the Rum Runners at the Beacon, but this recipe is delicious non-the-less:
Frozen Rum Runner

3. Bahama Mama

Oh my goodness, this one packs a punch with 3 different rums and Kahlua, but my oh my – it tastes great. Find this popular tropical cocktail recipe here:
Bahama Mama

2. Painkiller

The fact that the Painkiller made the list is no surprise, really. This delicious tropical rum delight can be found in nearly every restaurant and bar in the Virgin Islands – and other regions as well. It’s easy to make and the taste will surely remind you of relaxing in the sun and sand on your favorite island…Recipe here:
Painkiller

And the number one most searched recipe on our site for 2015?

#1 – Caribbean Rum Punch!

Caribbean Rum Punch differentiates itself from an “Authentic Rum Punch” in that a variety of fresh fruit juices can be used, creating tastes that can vary immensely depending on the combination. The recipe calls for orange and pineapple juice, but why not try mango or papaya for a completely different taste? Find the basic recipe here:
Caribbean Rum Punch

Be sure to watch for even more rum recipes in the coming year on our site and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see videos on how to easily create some of our favorite rum drinks.

Find more rum recipes here:

Rum Recipe Picture Directory

Rum Recipes by Category

Rum Therapy Recipes on YouTube

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

December 26, 2015August 5, 2019

Rum Therapy’s Top 10 Island Posts of 2015

With the end of 2015 fast approaching, we thought we’d find out which island posts were the most visited and compile our annual list of Top 10 Island Posts of the Year. As in years past, some of the posts that made the list are a little surprising, while others are, well, rather expected. Some were written this year, and some have been around for a few years. At any rate, if you happened to miss any of them when they were published, now’s your chance to check them out. We’ll start with 10 and make our way to #1.

10. Staniel Cay Yacht Club, Exuma Cays, Bahamas

On Jimmy Buffett’s list of “10 great places for a Waterside Drink”, the Staniel Cay Yacht Club is a great place for just that, and a whole lot more…
Find out what’s so special about SCYC from our visit this year.
Staniel Cay Yacht Club, Exuma Cays

9. Coco Beach Bar & Grill, Treasure Cay, Bahamas

In 2015 we made our first trip to The Abacos, a chain of islands in the Bahamas located just 175 miles east of Palm Beach, Florida. We were stunned by the gorgeous beaches and enjoyed some time at a few unique beach bars; one of which was Coco Beach Bar & Grill located on beautiful Treasure Cay Beach. See more about this laid back beach bar and the views you can enjoy while sipping a cold rum punch here:
Coco Beach Bar & Grill, Treasure Cay, Bahamas

8. Angels Rest, St. John

Although we swam out to visit Capt. Peter in his floating bar by the name of Angels Rest during a visit to St. John in 2014, the post continues to get a lot of views. Why wouldn’t it? Visiting Angels Rest was definitely one of the highlights of that trip! Find out more about Capt. Peter and Angels Rest here:
Angels Rest, St. John

7. The Fight Against the Bite

Apparently we aren’t the only mosquito magnets out there. A post we wrote in 2013 on protecting yourself from bug bites while on vacation still gets a lot of visits. Even if you’re not a “high attractor” type, you might find the information in this post interesting:
The Fight Against the Bite

6. Bomba Surfside Shack, Tortola

This one was a surprise. For several years in a row, the post on our Bomba Shack visits made the Top 10 list. We’ve had the chance to visit the Bomba Shack during the day when it’s quiet and when you can sit and enjoy the view across Cappoons Bay to Jost Van Dyke, and we’ve also had the chance to check out a famous Bomba Shack Full Moon Party where, for research purposes of course, we sampled a bit of the mushroom tea. Always an adventure, find out more about the Bomba Shack here:
Bomba Surfside Shack, Tortola

5. Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke

Although a few things have changed a bit since we first posted this article, Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke continues to be a very popular post. Probably because it’s a favorite destination for many of our readers! There’s a big change coming to White Bay in January with the addition of a new bar called Hendo’s Hideout. Check out a list of other bars you can visit while visiting Jost Van Dyke here:
Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke

4. Callwood Rum Distillery, Tortola

Want to experience a slice of Tortola history dating back as much as possibly 400 years? Then be sure to visit the Callwood Rum Distillery in Cane Garden Bay while visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Check out our post to see more photos and find out about the rum they make there, including the infamous Panty Remover…
Callwood, Rum Distillery, Tortola

3. Compass Cay, Exuma and its One Full Time Resident

Our entire visit to the Exuma Cays was filled with amazing sites and water as clear as a swimming pool. Compass Cay is a small cay in the chain where you can swim with pet nurse sharks and enjoy an incredible quiet beach called Crescent Beach. Apparently you enjoyed looking at the gorgeous hues of blue found around Compass Cay and learning the story of the only person that resides there full time too, as it was the 3rd most visited post of the year. Read more about it here:
Compass Cay and its One Full Time Resident

2. Health Benefits of Spending Time in or Near the Ocean

This was an eye-opening post to research and put together as we have always felt that spending time in the sea has been therapeutic for us. As it turns out, there is some scientific evidence to support that theory. Find out more here:
The Health Benefits of Spending Time in or Near the Ocean

1. The Ultimate Rum Therapy Playlist

And the most visited post of the year! The Ultimate Rum Therapy Playlist! It’s no surprise, this was a fun list compiled with suggestions from our beach loving readers. We continue to update it from time to time, so if you run across a song you think should be on it, be sure to let us know!
The Ultimate Rum Therapy Playlist

Thank you for another wonderful year at Rum Therapy! We appreciate you following us, reading about our island adventures and sharing your island adventures with us. Looking forward to more “island time” in 2016!

Cheers!

To see more island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

December 16, 2015June 6, 2019

Love City Excursions and a Boat Named CatZilla

Imagine waking up and thinking “I get to go to work today!” and by work I mean running a charter business in St. John, US Virgin Islands. That’s the reality for Joe and Katie Zachary who own Love City Excursions, a full service excursion company based on the beautiful island of St. John. So just how did they do it? How did they relocate to a beautiful island and start their own business? Here’s their story.

Katie grew up in a small town in Colorado and after graduating from high school AND college in 6 years – she was burnt out! Two weeks after graduating, she packed up and moved to St. John for a bit of adventure and a different pace of life. She lived and worked in St. John for about a year, then left to travel through Europe. She ended up in Boston, but missed St. John so much she decided to move back.

Meanwhile, Joe, who had grown up in Nashville, Tennessee, graduated from the University of Tennessee. A year after graduating, he decided to move down to St. John, a place he had visited as a kid and loved. He immediately got a job working on boats and on the beach at the Westin and eventually started captaining To make a long story short, these two island loving adventurers eventually found love together and just got married this past summer.

They began to work together on their dream of owning their own business and opened Love City Excursions earlier this year. Starting a business in the islands was not without a bit of drama though. They encountered MANY trials and tribulations with purchasing a boat in the VI’s, but their new boat, CatZilla finally arrived July 13th.

CatZilla (photo: Love City Excursions)

Katie said, “She was shipped down here the same day we got married. I was actually at our wedding rehearsal standing at the altar on the phone with the trucker because our trailer blew out 3 tires on the way from North Carolina to Florida where it was being put on a shipping container. Thankfully, my amazing bridesmaid took the phone and my credit card and took care of it so I could get through our rehearsal!”

CatZilla is a 33 foot world cat power catamaran. She is built for off shore fishing, so she handles the waves and rough weather that the area sometimes gets like a dream. She’s a very large boat, so the name “CatZilla” is fitting! Although Katie can also captain the boat, Joe usually takes the helm while Katie, whose degree is in marketing, runs the business end.

Love City Excursions offers completely customizable full and half day charters in the USVI and BVI. Charters generally leave from the National Park Dock in Cruz Bay. I asked what their most popular charter was and Katie said, “We seem to get a lot of requests for a trip called The Triangle, which is snorkeling at Norman Island, eating lunch over there and then Soggy Dollar.”

Every excursion is a bit different though as guests choose what they want to do from island hopping to bar hopping, and snorkeling to exploring.

Sandy Spit (photo: Love City Excursions)

I asked what makes Love City such a highly rated excursion company – already! Katie said, “What makes our excursions great is two things. 1. We are a family run business so from start to finish. You’ll be dealing with Joe and I and we are both very happy when we make our guests happy. We use the slogan, The Best Day of Your Vacation, and it really, really is people’s favorite day while they are here! 2. Our Boat. CatZilla is the largest small powerboat on St. John and she can handle the weather like no other boat out there. It’s a dry, fast, and super comfortable ride.

The Baths, Virgin Gorda (photo: Love City Excursions)

I had just one more question to ask before wrapping up our interview. What is the BEST and WORST part about living on St. John? Katie answered, “The worst. Ahhh. Island life challenges. The normal things: groceries are expensive (almond butter is $27.99), apartments are at a premium and very scarce right now, gas is expensive, our power goes out a lot, everything takes a long time to accomplish, our apartment floods when it rains, you’re always fighting mold and mosquitos, sometimes there are scorpions in your bed (or on your pillow,) I received mail last week from December of 2014, and things just don’t work the same here. We all joke that we’re about ten years behind the states. And the hardest thing of all is being away from our families. But on the flip side, the BEST part of living here. Easy. The community here. Everyone helps everyone else and anytime someone is in need the entire community bands together to help anyway they can. That’s also probably why it’s called Love City, or at least a large part of it. St. John is safe, beyond beautiful, and we are SO lucky to call it home.

Trunk Bay Overlook (photo: Love City Excursions)

Would you like to find out more about booking an excursion with Katie, Joe and Love City Excursions?
Call them at 1.340.998.7604 or email: [email protected]

Check out their website for more info: Love City Excursions,
and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all their latest news and info!

December 10, 2015September 25, 2019

The New Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Update: Unfortunately, a few years after Ivan completed construction on his new bar, it was destroyed by the hurricanes of 2017. This is what it looked like during our last visit. The small building on the left is the current bar and we have not heard anything yet about Ivan’s plans to rebuild either the bar or the campground.

We loved Ivan’s Stress Free Bar on Jost Van Dyke the moment we first walked through the shell lined doors in 2010. It just had that unique, funky beach bar vibe that drew you in. Not polished, not shiny – it had sandy floors and shell art everywhere, including a very unique shell man standing watch out front. And then there was Ivan. The bars namesake/owner/proprietor was walking around, making sure his guests were having a nice time. Each subsequent visit was as enjoyable as the first.

Fast forward to 2014 when we heard that Ivan had made the very difficult decision to take down the old bar to pour a new foundation which had been sinking and possibly a danger to his guests. Although we understood, we were a bit saddened that the old bar would be gone.

Last month we had the chance to go back to Jost Van Dyke and spend a little time at the new Ivan’s. Here are some photos from that day.

Did the new bar have the same feeling as the old Ivan’s? No, definitely not. But, with time, the floor will get sandier and the shell art will fill up the walls again. Ivan’s still has Ivan, delicious drinks, a spectacular beach – and the view from the new deck is great! It still has friendly people and some of the old memorabilia. In time, we’ll all get used to the new building and begin to love it like we did the old bar. After all, it still is Ivan’s…

Have you been to the new bar? Tell us about it!

To see more Jost Van Dyke and other island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

December 2, 2015June 6, 2019

Our Day with Wreck Life Adventure Center, St. Thomas

In the past, we’ve visited Jost Van Dyke while on a sail trip or via ferry, and during our recent stay in the USVI, we had a hankering to jet over to Jost Van Dyke to check out the new Ivan’s and enjoy a Painkiller – or two, on White Bay. Instead of taking the ferry over, we thought we’d see if we could hook up with a company that offered day excursions to JVD. A friend suggested Wreck Life Adventure Center, and owners John & Laurel Webb were able to squeeze us in for the day.

The Wreck Life Headquarters are located in Compass Point Marina which is on the east end of St. Thomas not far from Red Hook. We got there early, anticipating a fun day on the water and were greeted by John who goes by “Big Country”. Now, you just can’t help but smile when you meet Big Country. He’s a tall guy with a huge smile who loves joke around and tell stories, and we instantly felt part of the Wreck Life family.

John Webb (aka Big Country)

Our full day excursion started at about 8:30 am and we grabbed our gear and headed to the dock. Their brand new 31′ Island Runner with a center console is arriving any day now, so we boarded the boat normally used for their dive excursions for our day on the water.

What we thought would be just a trip over to Jost turned into an excellent day of exploration – topped off with plenty of time to enjoy White Bay and a few Painkillers… Wreck Life does an excellent job of finding out what your interests are and matching it with an perfect adventure on, and in the water.

Here are just a few highlights of our day with Wreck Life!

Peter Bay, St John

Driving by the North Shore St John beaches for some photo ops, a different way of seeing the gorgeous beaches and learning more about the area (like where’s Kenny Chesney’s house?)

Waterlemon Cay, St. John

Excellent snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay (snorkel equipment was provided), where we spotted the usual snorkeling suspects (such as Sergeant Majors and Parrotfish), and other rather uncommon snorkeling sights for us (nurse shark, sand diver, an eel and living coral!)

Nurse Shark

Sand Diver

Colorful “living coral!

Entering the British Virgin Islands at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke (John took care of all of the entry paperwork while we enjoyed the view)

Lunch at Foxy’s (Roti and Rum – yum), and a chat with Foxy!

And then to top off the day – a short boat ride over to White Bay where we spent the rest of the afternoon walking from Ivan’s to One Love and enjoying time in the beautiful White Bay water.

Ivan’s New Building

One Love

An afternoon enjoying the water of White Bay

The day was great and we loved the fact that the trip was catered to exactly what we wanted to do. Big Country would have accommodated most anything else we would have liked to pack into the fun day such as a stop at Sandy Spit or Sandy Cay – but we thought our personalized excursion was perfect just the way it was…

Have you done a Scuba Trip or Excursion with Wreck Life Adventure Center? Tell us about it!

To get more info on chartering a scuba trip or one of their personalized day excursions, contact Wreck Life by email at [email protected], check out their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook!

Find Wreck Life on our St. Thomas Map

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November 22, 2015June 6, 2019

Tree Limin’ Extreme – Ziplining in St. Thomas

We arrived early on a Monday morning at Tree Limin’ Extreme to try out their zipline experience, currently listed as the #1 Outdoor Activity in St. Thomas on Trip Advisor. Thinking the skies would be clearest and the photo ops the best first thing in the morning, we requested an early time slot. Since we had a rental car the week we were in St. Thomas and were staying on the south side of the island, we left pretty early for our 8:20 am requested time of arrival.

This was not our first time ziplining; we’d ziplined once in Kauai and once in Jamaica, and even though we were not new to this type of experience, we were still just a tad bit apprehensive.

Once we got there, we checked in and were greeted by our guides for the day – Kyle and Leon.

Both super friendly, they immediately drew us in with their gregarious personalities.

Leon helping our group with their gear.

Our group of 7 had a lot of questions, and they took the time to make sure everyone felt at ease as we got strapped in for our ride high atop St. Thomas.

Don’t forget to rub the lucky coconut!

We all rubbed the lucky coconut to ensure our safe return, then made our way up to the Pinzgauer, the rugged vehicle that took us up the steep embankment to the first line.

Once at the top, Leon and Kyle gave us our instructions, a safety briefing and one last chance to change our mind about the whole thing. No one chickened out, and although the adrenaline was pumping, we all climbed the steps to the first zip.

Our Zipline Experience Video
(if you don’t have your own Go Pro, you can rent one at the desk to film your own experience!)

There are 6 ziplines and 2 sky bridges (suspension bridges) on the course as well as absolutely stunning views of Magens Bay and the islands surrounding St. Thomas.

Sky Bridge #1

The ziplines take you through the dense jungle where we spotted quite a few iguanas hanging out in the trees and enjoyed the serenade of coki frogs and tropical birds.

Each line is different, and our guides would give us tips on getting the most out of each one. Both Leon and Kyle (ok, mostly Leon) encouraged us to scream like crazy as we were zipping to scare the zippers behind us, and some of us (we won’t name names here) had no problem complying, whether it was voluntary or not…

The views were amazing everywhere we looked and we enjoyed reading the island information printed on the signs on each platform.

View of Magens Bay from one of the platforms

The sign on one of the platforms above Megans Bay

We got to the last line way too soon. Even though the tour takes between 2 – 2.5 hours, we were having such a great time that the time just “zipped” by.

Sky Bridge #2

A rainbow over our last zipline

The last line was interesting. It was preceded by the second and highest sky bridge. The drop looked to be the greatest of the 6 and this one didn’t end on a regular platform at the end. Once we stepped off the platform, we flew quickly down through the jungle and then yo-yoed back and forth a few times before being guided down a platform ladder in the middle of the line.

The last zipline

We watched from below as the rest of our party came in for a landing, then headed down the path with visions of the fun experience still fresh on our minds.

What did we like best about our Tree Limin’ Adventure? Our guides were great and made us feel extremely safe and comfortable – even while hurling ourselves off a platform into the trees! They followed the safety procedures to a “T”, and took the time to answer any questions our group had. The views were spectacular and may have been worth the price of admission alone. And the best part of it all was just the chance to enjoy the beauty of St. Thomas while experiencing an adrenaline rush through the lush tropics of the island…

Have you ziplined with Tree Limin’ Extreme? Tell us about it!

To find out more about the zipline experience and how to book your own adventure, go to the Tree Limin’ Extreme Website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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