St. John's Weather is Niiiice!

How is that cold weather treating you? Rough. I know. There aren't many places in the US of A that offer a great get-a-way any time of the year. The US Virgin Islands are the most ideal. 

It is tropical. It is beautiful. The weather is awesome. I know that there is a soft spot for snow and "Dreaming about a White Christmas" during the holidays...But try singing that song after shoveling snow off your car day after day...after day...after day.

Try a tropical holiday...or just get out of the cold. Here are some five day forecasts around the US:

New York - 36º

Chicago - 46º

Try guavaberries instead of holly berries. One of those tastes great. One of them is toxic (Holly berries are toxic if that wasn't clear).

If you need any sort of rationalization to take the vacation besides "IT'S COLD OUT!", "I'M FREEZING," or "I think I remember when the sun looks like," know this: warm weather is good for you. This is according to research done out of University of Michigan. But I'm not sure you needed a scientific study to confirm that one. Wonder why U of M was doing a research on warm weather? I wonder what their weather is like...

Detroit - 37º

YIKES! That's cold.

Check out our villa on St. John. Look for availability here. 

And remember: one love, one life...and GET OUT OF THE COLD! Brrrr...

Video Slide Show Now Up

Here is a video slide show now up on youtube. It shows stunning photos of the villa. Check it out!

Arco Iris - To Make Something Out of Nothing

“You come into the world with nothing, and the purpose of your life is to make something out of nothing.”

- H.L.  Mencken

 

Arco Iris was built on the beautiful island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. Ester and Roy purchased a plot of land on this small island. The lot of land was covered in tropical brush that covers most of the island. The villa is a spectacular vacation home which was a labor of love (especially for Ester). The island itself allows for wonderful adventures on land and sea.

The island itself is 19.61 square miles and the local population is just over 4,000 people.  The majority of the island is the Virgin Islands National Park which protects the wildlife, plants, and trees. This keeps the island a tropical paradise with spectacular views. The island is divided into four subdistricts: Central, Coral Bay, Cruz Bay, and East End. Majority of the islands inhabitants live in Cruz Bay.

The lot of land was covered in tropical brush as shown in the photos. The brush was cleared out to create this two-story villa. It took 18 months for the villa to be built. Workers were brought in from the neighboring islands to work on this vacation home. This was no small feat. The land is located on a hill which creates breath taking views of the ocean but makes it very difficult to build. Ester took many trips to St. John to make sure that the building would be completed. Often "Island Time" can interfere with work time.

After several years of construction, Arco Iris was ready the finishing touches. The foundation was ready and the interior was ready to be designed, painted, and furnished. The next post will show the intricacies of the interior and the original murals that make Arco Iris one of a kind.